Alanna looked dismally at the gray, barren wall surrounding the place which
was to be her home for the next 6 years.
Why wouldn't Thom switch places with me?? Why did he condemn me to a Convent??
"Welcome Alanna of Trebond," greeted the Head Priestess Isabelle, "Please allow me to explain the system we use here. You will have one priestess as a teacher for all of your six years here. She will school you and the other girls your age in the skills you will need as a noble lady and a good wife. She shall become you confident..."
Yadda, yadda, yadda. Thought Alanna to herself as Lady Isabelle droned on. So I'll be stuck with the same prim, proper teacher for the next five years.
"...I think you might enjoy your time here."
Pigs might fly.
"Viola! Please take the Lady Alanna to her quarters."
Alanna followed the maid up a long, winded staircase to her room. Her "room" turned out to be a dorm with fourteen beds. Beside each bed stood a dresser. The beds were set against two of the walls, seven on each side. Each of the twin-sized sleigh beds had a name carved into the wood.. Alanna looked at the names of her roommates:
Alanna, Alexandria, Arianna, Beryl, Ebony, Gabriella, Jocelyn, I wonder if we'll have to stay in alphabetical order? Jacqueline, Kendall, Megara, Paige, Regina, Trinity, Veronica.
So these people will be my 'playmates' for the next 6 years. I hope they're not horribly prissy..
"Milady, you must meet with your room mates in the fireside room so you may all meet your teacher," Viola told her.
***********************************
Alanna sat alone in a corner watching the other 13 girls in her group gossip loudly of the events of their petty lives while she looked at the people around the room.
Those two are twins, Alanna suddenly realized, Same long, silky, curly, thick black hair. Same bright green eyes. Same milky white skin. Same tall, slender build. Same facial features. Only that one has a scar on her cheek. I wonder how she got such a long, thin scar.
Suddenly the room got quite as a tall figure entered. Alanna suspected that she was their supervisor.
The woman who walked in was quite tall. Alanna suspected her to be around 5'10". Her long, strawberry blond hair cascaded down her back to her hips. Her piercingly blue eyes looked around the room, as if making sure the girls were up to her standard. She seemed pleased.
"Good day to you all, I am the Lady Alienore. Your parents sent you to me so you may learn how to be ladies, and that you will learn. But you shall also learn how to defend yourself against rape and abuse. I am skilled in the fighting arts and will teach you as much as I am able to. If you look around the room then every person you see possess the Gift, you will learn how to wield it and control it. There is another group of girls your age, about 20 of them, who are not Gifted. You will take meals with them in the dining hall. Are there any questions?"
"I have one," voiced Alanna," Did you say we will learn the fighting arts?"
"Yes, I did. And a Lady never talks to her elders without being called upon. It would have been more appropriate for you to say you have one then allow me acknowledge you before you ask your question. That goes for all of you," Alienore turned to the other girls with the last statement.
"Yes, milady," Thirteen girls said in unison. Alanna remained silent.
"Very good", said Aleinore with a kind smile, "Now we must all introduce ourselves. You may start," she said to a red-haired girl with blue eyes.
"I'm Trinity," she said as she turned to the girl beside her.
"I'm Alexandria, but most people call me either Xandria or just Ria", said a short pudgy girl with brown hair and turquoise eyes.
The twins were next.
"Ebony", said one.
"Beryl", said the one with the scar.
Arianna was a tall, flighty girl with pale blond hair and light blue eyes. Gabriella, on the other hand, was almost a short as Alanna had a dark complexion, dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes. Paige had a short, solid build and dirty blonde hair with brown eyes. Regina also had brown eyes only accompanied by light red hair. Veronica, who stuck close to Regina, had blonde hair and blue eyes to match the sky on a clear day. Megara seemed rather spacey, but maybe it was an illusion from her black-brown hair and steely grey eyes. Kendall also had dark brown hair, but she had eyes of the same color. Jocelyn and Jacqueline could have been sisters with their black hair and brown eyes. They later revealed themselves as cousins.
I wonder if any of them are anything like me?
Why wouldn't Thom switch places with me?? Why did he condemn me to a Convent??
"Welcome Alanna of Trebond," greeted the Head Priestess Isabelle, "Please allow me to explain the system we use here. You will have one priestess as a teacher for all of your six years here. She will school you and the other girls your age in the skills you will need as a noble lady and a good wife. She shall become you confident..."
Yadda, yadda, yadda. Thought Alanna to herself as Lady Isabelle droned on. So I'll be stuck with the same prim, proper teacher for the next five years.
"...I think you might enjoy your time here."
Pigs might fly.
"Viola! Please take the Lady Alanna to her quarters."
Alanna followed the maid up a long, winded staircase to her room. Her "room" turned out to be a dorm with fourteen beds. Beside each bed stood a dresser. The beds were set against two of the walls, seven on each side. Each of the twin-sized sleigh beds had a name carved into the wood.. Alanna looked at the names of her roommates:
Alanna, Alexandria, Arianna, Beryl, Ebony, Gabriella, Jocelyn, I wonder if we'll have to stay in alphabetical order? Jacqueline, Kendall, Megara, Paige, Regina, Trinity, Veronica.
So these people will be my 'playmates' for the next 6 years. I hope they're not horribly prissy..
"Milady, you must meet with your room mates in the fireside room so you may all meet your teacher," Viola told her.
***********************************
Alanna sat alone in a corner watching the other 13 girls in her group gossip loudly of the events of their petty lives while she looked at the people around the room.
Those two are twins, Alanna suddenly realized, Same long, silky, curly, thick black hair. Same bright green eyes. Same milky white skin. Same tall, slender build. Same facial features. Only that one has a scar on her cheek. I wonder how she got such a long, thin scar.
Suddenly the room got quite as a tall figure entered. Alanna suspected that she was their supervisor.
The woman who walked in was quite tall. Alanna suspected her to be around 5'10". Her long, strawberry blond hair cascaded down her back to her hips. Her piercingly blue eyes looked around the room, as if making sure the girls were up to her standard. She seemed pleased.
"Good day to you all, I am the Lady Alienore. Your parents sent you to me so you may learn how to be ladies, and that you will learn. But you shall also learn how to defend yourself against rape and abuse. I am skilled in the fighting arts and will teach you as much as I am able to. If you look around the room then every person you see possess the Gift, you will learn how to wield it and control it. There is another group of girls your age, about 20 of them, who are not Gifted. You will take meals with them in the dining hall. Are there any questions?"
"I have one," voiced Alanna," Did you say we will learn the fighting arts?"
"Yes, I did. And a Lady never talks to her elders without being called upon. It would have been more appropriate for you to say you have one then allow me acknowledge you before you ask your question. That goes for all of you," Alienore turned to the other girls with the last statement.
"Yes, milady," Thirteen girls said in unison. Alanna remained silent.
"Very good", said Aleinore with a kind smile, "Now we must all introduce ourselves. You may start," she said to a red-haired girl with blue eyes.
"I'm Trinity," she said as she turned to the girl beside her.
"I'm Alexandria, but most people call me either Xandria or just Ria", said a short pudgy girl with brown hair and turquoise eyes.
The twins were next.
"Ebony", said one.
"Beryl", said the one with the scar.
Arianna was a tall, flighty girl with pale blond hair and light blue eyes. Gabriella, on the other hand, was almost a short as Alanna had a dark complexion, dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes. Paige had a short, solid build and dirty blonde hair with brown eyes. Regina also had brown eyes only accompanied by light red hair. Veronica, who stuck close to Regina, had blonde hair and blue eyes to match the sky on a clear day. Megara seemed rather spacey, but maybe it was an illusion from her black-brown hair and steely grey eyes. Kendall also had dark brown hair, but she had eyes of the same color. Jocelyn and Jacqueline could have been sisters with their black hair and brown eyes. They later revealed themselves as cousins.
I wonder if any of them are anything like me?
