Chapter Three: The Other Girls

As Kandella led her up the stairs and around the courtyards, Alice began to feel distinctly bored through the older girl's chatter about nothing in particular. She rambled about the Temple, the Daughters, the life, and everything else on the top of her mind, so she was grateful when the numbers on the door grew larger until they reached "39". "Oh, look!" Kandella suddenly exclaimed. "My room's right next to yours—we'll be such good friends, won't we?"

Alice cocked her head skeptically before replying with an icily polite voice. "Er, of course we will. I'm Ali-Alceta of Deimos Point. And I really must get settled in now, thanks for your help."

"Not a problem at all! By the way, I'm Kandella of Piriole," she continued, "and I'll be in my room if you need me!" Without bothering to listen any more, Alice slipped the key into the lock, entered, and shut the door in a burst of impatience. Were these Tortallans all such intolerable fools, or had she merely been unlucky? She sighed and sat down on the bed, taking a moment to test it for comfort. It was soft enough, but perhaps too soft; no one back in the Academy slept on…what were they? Down mattresses? Her mind had made itself up concerning why the only two "people" she had met today both irritated her more than even Robert.

With the leaving of the Goddess, she supposed that she would be forced to remain here for a good few days, at the very least. And they all insisted on addressing her as Alceta, too. "Alice…Alceta," she mouthed softly. "Not a bad stretch at all, I must admit. So similar to Alcetis, wife of the king of Thrace in those myths, yet different." The girl stood up and, in a single calculating glance, appraised her new room to be the most comfortable place she had seen so far, though it was rather small. Light filtered in through the window, and there was a small writing desk beside the bed. If only she could be spared the others, life would be simple, yet boring. Then her expression turned cool and impassive; once more she held the bearing of queens.

A large, polished mahogany trunk sat at the foot of the bed. The corners were covered with a warm bronze, as was the latch and bindings. Alceta flipped open the top and began thumbing through the various garments and other supposed belongings, pausing to take out a brush and two twisted metal links that she recognized as a sort of toy that they even had in the Academy. She ran her hand over its smooth surface and began attempting to solve it just as the knocker sounded.

"Do come in," she muttered darkly, and after a few moments of silence, added, "I suppose."

When the door opened, a maid stood before her with a neatly folded stack of white in her arms. "I'm Misa, and 'tis for you, m'lady. The tailor's got all them measurements for the dresses done already."

Alceta crossed the room quickly and accepted the pile of dresses, wrinkling her nose slightly at the stiffness of the starched fabric. She then cocked her head to meet the older girl's eyes. Frightened, almost, she noted. The "Tortallans" were a pathetic lot.

"Alceta's all you'll ever need," she drawled, not lifting her intense gaze for a single moment. "So, what else brings you to my newcomer's room?" Gesturing languidly at her plain room, her hands, for the first time, appeared to be an unearthly white, a white like the mists covering the grave.

The maid looked around nervously for a moment before continuing, "Well, I was about to tell you about the laundry and such."

"Then go on about the laundry already."

"Well," she smiled timidly, "you can't play tricks on the maids, or you'll be doing your own laundry for the year. The First Daughter also told me to take ye down to the healer's so they can check for a Gift. And that's about all, I s'ppose."

Still in breeches, Alceta nodded and shut the door. A few moments later she emerged in the white dress, with a blue sash tied around her waist and the skirt flaring outward unnaturally. They made their way downstairs together and in silence, and no matter what the cause, she was quite grateful. In fact, she was very grateful that Misa did not bother with chatter for the sake of making noise like Kandella did.

* * * * *

The convent healer was a gray-haired woman who looked to be in her fifties, but her wits and actions were as sharp as ever. Briskly she pulled Alceta in by the arm and lifted her chin until they were eye-to-eye; even though the healer was not tall, Alceta appeared to be smaller than most of the other future court beauties. She sent a wave of her own Gift to cover the girl, which was immediately repelled by a ring of blue-violet fire.

"By the Goddess," whispered the healer. "I don't think we've ever seen such a-"

"Seen what?"

Her expression immediately changed from shocked to stern, and she waggled a finger at Alceta. "Don't interrupt, it isn't becoming for a young lady. Now then, yes, yes, why don't you go back up to your rooms for a few hours, until dinner?"

The door opened once more, this time to reveal the woman known as the First Daughter. "Forgive me, Healer Ilia, but I don't believe that will be necessary. She needs to meet a few of the other girls as well, and I shall also give her a brief tour." After finishing, she took Alceta by the hand and swept down the hall, long robes barely flapping as she strolled. Then again, it was a form of art, especially in the Convent.

First Daughter Perlianne spoke as she walked, pointing out the classrooms, the dancing room, the tailor's, and a multitude of other places that new students would need to know. If it had not been for her ready memory, Alceta would have been hopelessly confused, but however, the Academy was even larger. They wound around the building until they had reached the sleeping rooms again. Here, Perlianne told her to wait for the appearance of the nearby girls and left to fetch them.

Once three other nine or ten-year-old girls had come out, the First Daughter gazed at Alceta and nodded expectantly until she said, "Alceta, of Deimos Point."

The girls looked at each other with a hint of confusion. Finally, the girl in the center spoke. "Lady Taria of Delenny, pleased to meet you," she smiled falsely, and tossed a sheet of light brown hair over her shoulders.

"Lady Elise of Brielle, pleased to meet you," chirped a taller blonde.

On the right of Taria stood a third girl with flaming red curls. She glanced upward for a moment, then muttered sullenly, "Lady Carole of Sceeren."

"And she's pleased to meet you as well," snapped the First Daughter. "Now, who offers to be a guide for Lady Alceta for a few weeks?"

At this time, Kandella opened her door and ran out, golden waves bouncing on her shoulders. "I will, oh, First Daughter, I already even know her!"

Alceta was suddenly filled with a strong feeling of disgust and pity for these servile creatures, but it soon turned to self-remorse as she remembered that she was to stay here for an undetermined length of time. "I won't be needing a guide, thank you," she remarked with all the nonchalance and confidence she possessed.

The hallway silenced, and four pairs of eyes rested fearfully on the First Daughter. "Is that so?" she asked. "But you simply must, just like everyone else has before you. I repeat, who shall take on Lady Alceta?"

"I will." It was Carole, with an expression of defiance firmly carved onto her face. "And I will fulfill all the duties of doing so."

"I accept."

Perlianne saw and recognized the apathy in the new pair and the burning fury in the others, yet still she smiled. "Very well then. If you would all make yourselves ready for dinner then, half an hour at the most?"

Alceta and the others stared at her retreating back before snapping to the present. "Well, well, well, what a surprise," Taria smled again. "Turning down Kandella won't be forgotten."

Carole rolled her eyes and allowed herself to be pulled into Alceta's room. "You're nearly ready, actually, just put on a decent pair of shoes and that's all. At first, it's not required to wear a formal dress." At the revolted look on her face, Carole continued, "Don't worry about it at all, that comes a little later. And Taria's distantly connected to the king's line, and that's the only reason anyone ever follows her around." She shrugged. "Well, I suppose I'll see you at dinner then. The first years are farthest from the entrance on the left side." Then she too exited, leaving Alceta to herself for a few brief moments of thought.

There goes one of them with any sense. Pity it has to be the outcast as well.

* * * * *

As she filed into the dining hall with the other first years, Alceta noticed that it was not as nearly as large as it had first appeared, nor as extravagant. But the plain wooden floors and long tables suited a convent, unlike the haughty attitudes of its occupants. She followed Carole, padding along in soft leather shoes, and fixed her attention on the First Daughter on the raised Table of Elders.

Once they had finished giving prayers, the girls picked up forks and used them to carefully jab at a slice of cucumber or meat and pop it into their mouths. Alceta did the same, trying to imitate their royal mannerisms and succeeding only in getting a soft laugh from Carole. Eating only a light salad and a slice of bread, she was soon finished with the dull china plate and sat back until they were dismissed. The roomful of girls rose to its feet like one, and slowly, began to walk out and back to the rooms upstairs.

"Don't worry," Carole whispered in Alceta's ear as they were walking. "You'll get used to it."

But lying on her bed, Alceta was by no means certain that she would ever get "used to it". She was not an idle little princess, but a mind of the future with a mission. In the darkness, she sat against the bedposts tinkering with the puzzle until the crescent moon formed a watery patch of light on the white bed.

At last, she slept.