Alanna woke up terrified, her face breaking out in a sweat. She tossed and
turned, waves of pain breaking over her like waves hitting the shore. When
she finally dragged herself out of bed her head was spinning and she felt
like she had received 10 concussions, one on top of the other. Taking a sip
from her potion beaker Alanna began to lose her groggy head. She remembered
utter boredom the whole night and then falling unhappily asleep. She pulled
on a buttercup yellow shift then a primrose overgown and brushed her hair
till it shone like polished gold. She then met up with a number of other
girls to go to a dress fitting.
**Am I feeling particularly evil this evening? Is that why I punished
Alanna by sending her to a dress fitting? Dunno. **
Being measured, Alanna focused on the scene outside. Beggars, merchants, children, dogs, poultry and a number of young pages being towed around by a middle-aged knight. The site of the pages made her twitch.
"My lady!" The dressmaker chided and started her measuring over. When she had been measured Alanna allowed herself be dragged around to various shops, mostly jewellers and to be decked and arrayed with jewels bought for her by the daughters of the convent, in hope of finding her a husband. Alanna hated everything. What she wanted most in the world had been taken forcefully from her. She had learned how to be a lady the hard way, **I have a theory for this. I was the worst in my school at hockey. After 6 months of having the basics pounded into me I began to actually hit the ball. Imagine having being a lady drilled into you for 4 or 5 years.** and she had hated every minute of it. Now she was resigned and couldn't care less. Life for her was dull, but then, that was a lady's life. To Alanna it seemed dull but many thrived in it.
Later that evening Alanna dressed in bronze and scarlet silk. Her hair was tended to again and she was covered in jewels. In the grand chamber she sat on a chair, again. These balls were becoming a nightmare but at least she was alone. Other ladies from convent came and went, talking about social calendars and clothes. They all found excuses to slip away after a few minutes. Alanna left the ball at an early hour again. On the way back she met her brother in the vast network of corridors and passages. He insisted on accompanying her to her rooms. Alanna didn't care what he did. As far as she was concerned her brother had died when Thom had left her at convent.
As she approached her rooms she said,
"Goodnight squire Thom." And slammed the door in his face. If she had not immediately gone to change her clothes she would have heard a quiet voice outside saying simply,
"I am sorry Alanna. I promise."
Being measured, Alanna focused on the scene outside. Beggars, merchants, children, dogs, poultry and a number of young pages being towed around by a middle-aged knight. The site of the pages made her twitch.
"My lady!" The dressmaker chided and started her measuring over. When she had been measured Alanna allowed herself be dragged around to various shops, mostly jewellers and to be decked and arrayed with jewels bought for her by the daughters of the convent, in hope of finding her a husband. Alanna hated everything. What she wanted most in the world had been taken forcefully from her. She had learned how to be a lady the hard way, **I have a theory for this. I was the worst in my school at hockey. After 6 months of having the basics pounded into me I began to actually hit the ball. Imagine having being a lady drilled into you for 4 or 5 years.** and she had hated every minute of it. Now she was resigned and couldn't care less. Life for her was dull, but then, that was a lady's life. To Alanna it seemed dull but many thrived in it.
Later that evening Alanna dressed in bronze and scarlet silk. Her hair was tended to again and she was covered in jewels. In the grand chamber she sat on a chair, again. These balls were becoming a nightmare but at least she was alone. Other ladies from convent came and went, talking about social calendars and clothes. They all found excuses to slip away after a few minutes. Alanna left the ball at an early hour again. On the way back she met her brother in the vast network of corridors and passages. He insisted on accompanying her to her rooms. Alanna didn't care what he did. As far as she was concerned her brother had died when Thom had left her at convent.
As she approached her rooms she said,
"Goodnight squire Thom." And slammed the door in his face. If she had not immediately gone to change her clothes she would have heard a quiet voice outside saying simply,
"I am sorry Alanna. I promise."