I sit up. Look around. I see nothing, again.
What did I expect? It was pitch black. It always is. I sit here most nights, looking around even though I know I can't see anything.
Last night, I hoped and prayed to be one of the lucky few to leave this place and never come back. Well, I don't know about not coming back, but at least I'm leaving. I've been Chosen.
The lady seems to be a decent sort; I only talked to her for a couple of moments. All of today was spent making arrangements, and tomorrow I will go with her to summer court, and then the palace in the winter, as her lady-in-waiting. Thank the gods! So few get the chance to be Chosen, it seems almost too good to be true. It's overwhelming, took my whole day to fetch everything that I will be needing as a lady in waiting. A wardrobe, for one. Face paints, embroidery materials. The list goes on and on.
Tomorrow at dawn we will leave in a carriage, bound for the summer palace. (I'm not entirely clear on what will happen there, or what I will be doing. Some mention was made of another girl joining us there, one who hadn't been Chosen earlier, had completed her training, and wouldn't be staying for the winter. It will work itself out, I'm sure.) I am, of course, fairly nervous about the carriage. Those stuffy, pieced together, death-boxes make me horribly motion sick. I shall have to ask for a bowl, or some such, in case of emergency.
I should go to sleep now, it's awfully late. Much later than usual, I'm sure. I'm so jittery. I'm about to place myself at the mercy of this unknown lady for an entire year, to train me in all things lady like, prepare me for a noble woman's duties, and introduce me to a few suitable grooms. That is like putting my future in her hands. But really, for now it's in the convent's hands, and I don't like that idea any better. I rather like that idea less. So to the summer palace it is…
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The curtains are drawn across the windows, which are covered in glass, but you can still tell that dawn isn't too far off. I am now sitting in the carriage, wishing that, like the Lady across form me, I could back fall asleep to the swaying of the carriage. But I can't. I am much too sick. My stomach is rolling, and I can only thank the gods I remembered not to eat breakfast. The sun isn't even up yet, why must my midsection be so awake?
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"Please wake up, we're stopping for lunch." A soft voice wakes me with a start. How could I have fallen asleep? "Please wake up; we've halted at an inn for midday."
Reluctantly, I open my eyes. Surprisingly, the carriage is still dark; those must be pretty heave curtains at the windows. My Lady (I forgot her name) opens the carriage door and steps out. I step out too, of course, thinking nothing of it, who would? Stepping out of a carriage is a perfectly normal thing to do. But as soon as my foot hit the ground, my eyes began burning. I couldn't bear to keep them open, it was like someone was taking a whole box of pins and puncturing my eyes. I staggered, and grabbed my lady's shoulder to stay upright. Whirling around to face me, she looked stricken when she saw one hand over my eyes to protect them, and one on her shoulder to stay upright.
"Damn! No, I didn't say that, sorry. Back to the carriage." She leads me back to the carriage by the hand, and up the steps, inside. "I had forgotten about that, sorry. They still don't let you outside, do they?" She says this gently, caringly, kindly. "Never mind, I can tell they don't, with you clutching your eyes like that. How long has it been?" She is sincere; I guess this must have happened to her at some point, if she went to the convent.
"Three years. It's been three years." I mumble. The words don't want to leave my mouth. Saying I haven't been seen the sunlight for three years somehow feels like I'm fishing for sympathy, even though she asked.
"Well, I suppose that's not too bad. I was in for two and a half, but I knew someone who was in for five. You'll have to adjust slowly, we'll open the curtains a bit, and I'll get a lamp for during the night, you don't want to be in the dark at all until your eyes can handle the light again." I nod. I hadn't realized that this would be a problem. After the first month, it honestly hadn't occurred to me that they kept us inside the whole time. Her voice broke into my thoughts.
"Well then, I'll see if some plates can be sent to us here." And that was the end of that. At the inn where we stopped for the night she arranged for my room to have a lamp brought, and that was all. We left the inn before dawn, took midday in the carriage, and interred the next inn after dusk. Presumably, she did all this on purpose, because really, what sane lady travels at that breakneck pace? Lady Isaleenia is really quiet perceptive.
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We arrived at the summer palace more quietly than I would've expected. Our carriage pulled up, and a footman led us to our rooms. That was it. We were assured that our things would be brought up shortly, and that was all.
We stood in the sitting room, Isaleenia and I, surveying our new surroundings. "I will be wanting to reconnect with my friends, who will already be here. You may inspect the rooms, and please unpack the luggage when it arrives. One Lady Sharla should be arriving shortly, please welcome her and give her my apologies that I couldn't greet her personally. I will return for supper."
I am, of course, startled. We just got here! Wouldn't she want to get settled in first, or some such? "Wait!" I call as Isaleenia is about to sweep out the door, "Where are you going?"
"To greet my friends! Didn't I just say that? We form an embroidery group, and I look forward to seeing them again." Am I imagining things, or does she seem a bit apprehensive? A bit jumpy.
"Won't you be wanting to wait for you embroidery silks to arrive?" I am honestly puzzled, what's going on?
"They will have spares for me. I really must go!" And with that she fairly ran out the door. If I wasn't supposed to serve her, that would be called fleeing. I mentally shrug, she'll do what she's doing, and no reason I should interfere.
I decide to explore my new quarters. There is the entryway/sitting room. Its semi formal (I think, I didn't really pay attention during those lessons). There is a couch, overstuffed, of course, and several chairs, centered around a small table. Off that room there are two others. One has a large bed, a wardrobe, a vanity, a desk, and some empty selves. The other has two slightly smaller beds, two small vanities, a desk with drawers on both sides, instead of the usual one side, and a large wardrobe. Each room has a dressing room/privy off it. It looks pretty obvious that I'll be sharing the smaller room with that Sharla lady she mentioned, so when our luggage comes up, I unpack Lady Isaleenia's things into the room with the large bed, and my new things into the other room, being careful to only use one side of the desk, one side of the wardrobe, ect.
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A knock on the door startles me from my tasks. Upon opening it, I see a very poised Lady standing there, her very posture exuding confidence and assurance. "Are these the rooms of the Lady Isaleenia?" I didn't know that such a simple question could be asked so very primly, but apparently, it can be.
"Yes?" Who is this person, I'm thinking to myself, to have such a better-than-thou attitude?
"Very well, I suppose you would be the lady Khaadinya? Not a very say-able name that, but who am I to give offence. I am the Lady Sharla, also to be assigned to the Lady Isaleenia. Is she, by any chance, about?" I shake my head. "No? Of course not. Doubtless she other more pressing matters to attend to. Anyhow, has The System here been explained to you properly yet? No? Of course not. Well then, I suppose a couple of minutes while I get settled in won't make that much difference then." And with that she sweeps in past me, into the sitting room. "Which room is to be ours?" I point. "Very well, I'll be out momentarily." And with that she sweeps into the room and closes the door behind her.
I rather thought it rude to just waltz in, give a rather confusing monologue, and then, without explaining anything previously said, just waltz right through to our room and close the door behind her. Well! Maybe she'll be more…civil, once she's had a bite to eat. It's not too long till super yet. But she does grate on a person!
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A/N:
Yay! Anywho, I redid the second chapter to go a lot faster, and scraped the others. They were just boring. But did this go too fast? I wasn't sure. Well, our little friend has come to court and found somebody she dislikes, and will be living with her! How jolly! I must say, it was really fun to write Sharla; she just seemed like one of those people that would talk all in italics with lots of underlining and bold and Capitals. Have you ever met people that talk like that? Well, I have, and they do too exist!
Well, you know the drill; please review, even if it is only to flame or babble, so I can try to improve. Thanks!