Chapter 8

"The Second Day"

The next morning, Arianna awoke to the chirpings of the birds, the unmistakable swish of the curtains and the soft humming of a jolly tune. Arianna opened her eyes and squinted as the daylight greeted her once the curtains had been pushed back and the balcony doors swung open, letting in fresh morning air.

"Well, tis a good morning Miss Arianna! I trust you had a pleasant sleep."

Arianna smiled sleepily, hearing Clavi's voice warmed her up inside and proved that her previous day had not been a dream at all. Here she was in her own magnificent bedroom in the Wǖrth castle in the Western Land of Waldǖrth. Arianna pushed back the covers and stretched her arms high, letting out a cat-like yawn.

"Good morning Clavi. Yes, I sleep very well. Thank you."

"Would the little miss like to take her breakfast here? Or would you prefer in the kitchens? The Great Dining Hall would be too great a space for you to have your morning meal alone, wouldn't it now?" said Clavi approaching Arianna's bed.

"Alone?" Arianna sat up straighter, a frown came over her face, "Where Master?"

"Master Grêth started quite early this morning, just before sunrise I suppose. He's off to wander through the town today and, by the gods, he should! The Waldǖrth folk have been fretting around aimlessly, wondering and making tales about the wars and all. Especially the families whose men still haven't returned." Clavi shook her head sadly, "I even wonder if they would return."

Arianna looked down at her hands, remembering how very few the Western men already were back in the forests of Biddithen and how quickly deprived they were from the chance of ever returning to their homes and families to face their foes once again. Arianna hung her head for she knew that she was the sole cause of it all.

"Now, now. Don't want a long face now. Too early in the day for that, little miss. We'll put away these cheerless tidings to a later time. For now, I need to know where ye might like to take yer breakfast.." said Clavi reassuringly.

Arianna managed a smile and said, "Oh, kitchens please. I like walk now. No want to stay here in bed."

Immediately after saying this, Arianna sprang down from her bed like a rabbit hopping out of the hole that Clavi exclaimed in shocked surprise and then laughed along with Arianna.

"Well then, I have no objections to that! Now, off to your washing little miss. I'll find ye something cozy to wear, a little less burdensome than yer garments yesterday. Ye might want to go riding out, won't ye?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Arianna helped Clavi straighten out her bed covers, though Clavi objected at first, but Arianna persisted that she wanted to be treated like everyone else and Clavi, not knowing what to say, consented to the young lady's wishes.

After Arianna finished her morning toilette as instructed by Clavetti, she was garbed in a simple day dress that was lighter and indeed more comfortable than what Arianna had worn the previous day. A light shade of salmon pink that accented the vivacity of her bright scarlet hair and perky amber eyes. Her hair was merely pulled back into a long braid tied at the end with a pinkish white ribbon.

"I hungry now, Clavi. Shall we go?" Arianna asked pleasantly after Clavi looked her over for the umpteenth time.

With a last critical look over, Clavi nodded her head and they both left Arianna's chamber and were headed for the castle's kitchen, with Arianna leading the way as she remembered the hidden corridors her Master had shown her.

Clavi was impressed at the young girl's memory and pointed out to Arianna the other possible pathways and hidden nooks and doors leading to the kitchens as well.

"Clavi, why so many secret doors?" Arianna asked as they walked along one torch-lighted pathway.

Clavi thought for a moment then replied, "Well, ye never might know when war might strike upon our lands. These are our means of escape as well as our hideout, ye see. For no one but those who reside in Wrǖth castle know of these hidden passages."

"But what if one of man or woman here turn bad and tell enemies about secret doors?" Arianna asked.

"Well, that's a bright little question ye've posed Miss Arianna. But ye see, they can't. Once ye've been employed in the castle, you are bound by a sacred oath blessed by ancient magic. Once ye've betrayed but a little of the castle's secrets, you'd die a horrible, barbaric death and yer soul would be cast to endure eternal suffering and remorse in Hetteroth, the dark and fiery dungeons of the Netherworld."

Arianna listened intently and her eyes grew wide with horror at the mention of Hetteroth. But just before she could ask another question, they had already emerged from the dim corridor and into the kitchens where the cook and a few other servants were seated by the long counters that they used as their space for chopping, slicing and other methods of food preparation.

The kitchen was spotless and all food matters were kept neatly in their proper vessels.

The cook and the rest bowed humbly to Arianna as she approached and a plate of food as well as a large cup of freshly squeezed plum colored juice was promptly laid in front of Arianna as she seated herself on a high wooden stool by the counter.

She decided to remain silent during the course of her meal and contented herself with listening to the servants exchange gossip, stories and banters with each other while she ate. Arianna was eager to get over her difficulty with the Western language and knew that the only way to be able to speak fluently with it was to listen and remember how words, phrases and sentences were said.

"Now, if I told them once, I've told them a thousand times! Never leave the radishes out in open sunlight for more than a quarter of an hour! But do they listen? No! I'm telling ye Madam Clavetti, those girls are just plain nuisances!" stated the cook heatedly, pertaining to the new kitchen servant girls who, naturally, were not present with them as they bothered more about the good-looking stable boys than their duties in the kitchens.

"Ease up there, Master Cook. They are but new lassies. Let their hearts wander off a bit, when they'll get it into their heads that those young lads would have none of their wily attentions, they'll come crawling back here working their arses off late every night just to get over it all!" replied Clavi.

The other servants listening guffawed and the older ones smiled smugly as if trying to prove that they were certainly better off than those "young lassies".

"Has there been no message from the Lord Knight, Madam Clavi?" one young woman with large soft brown eyes asked, wiping a wet dish with a clean rag.

The laughter quickly died and everyone grew solemn. The mention of the Lord Knight's name brought thoughts of the battlefield to their minds.

"No word, none at all, I'm afraid." Clavi answered.

"Not even from Master Grêth?" another young woman asked.

Shaking her head, Clavi replied, "He wouldn't talk of it. He only said to be patient and accept what's going to come when it comes."

Suddenly, the woman who first spoke immediately broke down and the other women gathered round to comfort here.

"Take courage Elly, Jorgeth will return. There's still hope." Said Clavi comfortingly.

Arianna watched this scene with blurry eyes and she turned away instantly. She couldn't bear the heavy weight in her heart and somehow she knew she would be the cause of it if this woman's husband should die.

"Now, dry your tears Elly." Said Clavi, offering the sobbing woman a clean kerchief. Then turning to Arianna, "Come, Miss Arianna. Madam Danae might already be waiting for ye. Come away."

Arianna wiped her eyes with her sleeve hurriedly and followed Clavi out another secret door that Arianna thought to be another cupboard but actually was a door when the shelves were pushed aside. The way was shorter and this time led into the leftmost corner in the wall of the Great Main Hall.

The Great Main Hall was the first room you would come into when you entered Wrǖth castle and it was the largest room in the castle being a place for grand social affairs and assemblies. Thus, it was a sort of hall that could fit about more than a hundred thousand guests counting the servants and the escorts of course.

Arianna had passed this hall a few times the previous day and even then, it still overwhelmed her greatly. She followed Clavi out and the woman shut the door behind them. Arianna looked back and was amazed as she couldn't even see the handle of the door. It was as if they emerged right out of the stone wall.

Just as Arianna tried to find out which part of the wall resembled a door-like shape, Clavetti greeted loudly, "The gods smile upon you! Good day to you Madam Danae! As punctual as ever! Ye hasn't changed at all!"

Arianna's attention was then diverted to the woman standing at the foot of the wide staircase. She looked to be quite middle-aged though a streak of silver shone through the well-kept blonde hair, tied to its place with a simple green comb. A compelling aura surrounded her as she stood tall and erect but did not seem stiff and her hands were neatly folded together resting on her front. Just one glance at her and you could tell she was in every inch a dignified, graceful and elegant lady.

A sudden fear overcame Arianna and she knew not why. A distant memory echoed to her but she could not perceive it at all.

The azure eyes of the lady met Arianna's amber brown ones and with that one look, Arianna knew that she could trust and befriend this elder lady. She did not possess the slightest mark of being cold and stern.

"Good day Clavetti! I was just as delighted as you to return once again to my old occupation. Indeed, it has been a while." Said Madam Danae bowing charmingly to Clavetti and then to Arianna.

"I see this must be Miss Arianna, my new pupil."

"Yes indeed it is."

Arianna curtsied and said softly, "Good day, Madam Danae. Pleasure to meet you."

Madam Danae's eyebrows raised as Arianna spoke, she was somewhat stunned by the foreign tone in Arianna's speech.

Clavi, seeing the reaction, promptly explained, "She's from the Northern country, Madam Danae. The Master Grêth had just begun educating her in our tongue. The poor girl's still learning but with ye helping her along, she'll make it out just fine."

Madam smiled gently, "Of course she would."

"Now," said Clavi, "let's off to the learning room, shall we then? Have you settled in already, Madam Danae? I see no luggage about."

"I had one of your servants take it to my former room on the second floor, fifth room on the right, Clavi." Informed Madam Danae with a smile.

"Of course. Now, we must really be off. Master Grêth has strictly implied that Miss Arianna's lesson be commenced immediately." Said Clavi, once again leading the way to another chamber exiting the great Hall and passing by the Throne room where two magnificent looking but empty thrones sat on a high dais.

Arianna walked briskly beside Clavetti, "Immediately? Why so soon? I thought we go tour castle today?"

Clavi smiled down sadly to Arianna, "Perhaps later in the day, my girl. When ye has finished with yer lessons."

Arianna's face fell a little but at least she would have something to look forward to.

The three ladies entered a room that was new to Arianna. It had two large oaken doors with silver handles and the Wrǖth emblem, which was the god Criastus in his bear form, when opened, would split the emblem in half.

The room was well-lit as the curtains were tied to the sides and the sun shone through the tall glass windows. The walls were lined with high extensive bookshelves that contained a long variety of books, documents and parchments bound together. The huge fireplace still contained a few blackened remnants of the flames that used to burn there so long ago.

It seemed as if the room had been aired out earlier as Arianna could still detect faint scents of muskiness still floating about. She glanced about the room and saw a long rectangular wooden table on one side of the room surrounded with tall chairs and on another side a group of comfy sofas circling an empty space. A low spindly table was beside one of those couches. Numerous drawers were located beneath the bookshelves that had golden knobs and intricate carvings beside them that Arianna knew she would learn to read one of these days.

On the table, two cups had been set, steaming with hot and fresh tea.

"Ah! The gods be glorified! What great joy it is to return to this room once more!" exclaimed Madam Danae with a nostalgic smile, "Even now I sense the bearings of my youth returning to my veins."

Arianna glanced at Madam Danae's face and noticed that her governess's face had indeed lost a few years and was beaming with a veiled radiance.

"Arianna, it is here where I must leave ye. If ye has need of me, I shall not be far." Said Clavetti then turning to Madam Danae, "Master Grêth owes you much gratitude for coming on such a time. I must go, my castle duties have yet to call to me. Arianna is a lovely girl, I'm sure she'll be an apt pupil, Madam."

"Thank you, Clavetti." Replied Madam Danae pleasantly with a short bow of her head.

Clavetti returned it and then left the learning room, closing the two great oak doors as she exited.

"Well then!" Madam Danae said looking at Arianna once Clavetti had gone, "Come, let us have a seat and get to know one another. We need not start our formal lessons at the moment. I would like to know a little about my new pupil. Come."

Arianna obeyed and sat on the couch opposite to where Madam Danae sat. She at first tried to copy the tall and erect posture of her teacher as she sat but then decided against it knowing she would look like a fool doing so and instead sat in her usual way.

"So, my new pupil, Arianna. Tell me, from where North are you originally from?" asked Madam Danae, as she took one cup and slowly sipped from it.

"Town. Vasdenin." Arianna answered tersely, not caring to pick up her tea likewise.

Her governess nodded, "Your father and mother?"

"I have no father nor mother. I be take care of my Grandfather… my father's father."

"Oh, you mean your grandfather." Commented the governess, supplying the Western word for it.

"Yes. Yes. My grandfather." Arianna said, then her eyes gazed off at a far off distance and a slight pang in her heart throbbed. The very mention of her grandfather's name brought about pain so raw, she felt as if she had just been newly stabbed.

Madam seeing her pupil's distant gaze and a subtle glimpse of hidden agony in her light amber brown eyes, Madam decided to conclude the subject.

"Well then, Arianna. I suppose you would care to be familiar about me then? I'm proud to declare that I shall be entering my 34th summer. Though, my husband passed ten years ago and my three daughters are all away from home happily married and are living quite content with their spouses and children, the gods gave me in his stead my fourteen grandchildren."

Then she smiled, "I love children very much. So, I excel in many household occupations such as weaving, sewing, cooking and oh I simply love the art of song and poetry! I will teach you to like them as well for no lady can be a proper lady if she can't express herself through the beauty of song and literature."

Then she continued, "Before I turned to being a governess, I was the Late Queen Filora's handmaiden and confidante. She and His Majesty, the late King Velsperth the Eleventh, had no children and so assigned me to the post of governess and took on the education of young girls here in this very room while my husband trained the boys. They loved the children and had fervently prayed for one of their own, but it was not meant to be."

"What happen to King and Queen?" asked Arianna.

"The Queen acquired a very grave illness and Master Grêth and all the other great healers did their best to cure her but failed. After the Queen's death, King Velsperth withdrew from all his subjects. Seeking solitary in the towers of the castle. He grew restless and irritable, barely eating or sleeping. One night, he left the castle to go hunting in the forest. He never returned and no one ever saw or heard from him ever again."

"Since the King and Queen had no heir to the kingdom of Waldǖrth, the crown was left untouched and the throne empty. Lord Knight Callium, the King's most trusted companion and friend took over the charge and protection of Waldǖrth and that's how it has been for more than twenty years."

Arianna nodded and was silent and was inwardly intrigued by the history of the castle and of the Western land.

Suddenly, Madam Danae smiled, "Well, it seems to me we've gone off and started on your history lessons. Now that we've begun. I suggest we commence our formal lessons, shall we?"

Arianna nodded, "Yes!"

"Very well then. We shall start with the basic and more practical lessons for young ladies such as etiquette and grace. Later, I shall introduce you to more of Waldǖrth's history as well as its geography and the Western religion. If we still have a moment, I should like to read to you a page of folk poetry and possibly let you have a hand on the harp."

Arianna smiled and nodded again. Excitement flurried in her stomach and though the thought of learning all these things in a single day frightened her, she was eager to begin straight away."

Rising up gracefully, Madam Danae said in a rather calm voice, "Shall we begin, Miss Arianna?"

The Master's wooden door slowly creaked open and a bright scarlet head peeped in.

"You call for me, Master?" asked Arianna hesitantly.

The old man seemed preoccupied and looked as if he hadn't heard her come in at all. Arianna frowned and shut the door behind her, she cautiously approached her Master.

The old man seemed to be twirling something around his hand but… no… as Arianna drew closer she realized he wasn't twirling it about his hand but instead above his hand. He was playfully levitating a tiny object which appeared to be a small rock.

"Master? What is this?" Arianna asked in utter astonishment as her eyes were fixed on the hovering object.

Suddenly, the rock came down and rested on the Master's palm.

"Take it." He said simply.

Arianna looked uncertainly at the old man, then with a quivering hand reached out tentatively to touch the rock. Her fingers closed in around it and she breathed a sigh of relief when she found nothing unusual happened once she had gotten hold of it.

"Now, do exactly what I did just now. Make the rock hover above your hand."

Arianna's eyes looked at her Master wondering if he had gone mad all of a sudden.

Her Master looked at her with affirming cobalt eyes and said, "Let not your trust in me waver, child. I know precisely the purpose of my intentions and I'm not meaning to frighten you but to test you."

"Test me? For what, Master? I not know how. I not know ma-magic." Arianna stammered.

Her Master affixed his gaze on her, "Do you recall our previous conversation, Arianna?"

The girl nodded slowly.

"Well, then. We're not going to pursue that topic any further unless, as I said, you are ready but I do want to test a theory about you. Now, do as I say and lift the rock from your hand."

Arianna looked down at the rock at the palm of her hand and commanded it with every ounce of mind power she had but the rock remained motionless.

After a few futile attempts, Arianna groaned and dropped the rock on the floor. She sank unto one of her Master's chairs and rubbed her head which was throbbing agonizingly.

"I can't do it, Master. No use. I have no magic. Me tired."

"Here, give me your hand." Her Master said softly.

"What?" Arianna said, she was weary all over, physically and mentally and she had no desire to resume this fruitless and arduous activity any more.

"You surrender to your faults all too easily, Arianna. Now, cease your immaturity at once and give me your hand!"

His thunderous voice shook Arianna all over and she stuck out her hand to him.

"Now, listen to me very closely, Arianna. Let your hand stay just right above the rock and with all your heart, mind and soul, command it to rise."

Arianna looked down at the rock and situating her hand above it she whispered, "Rise."

"Command it Arianna. Command it with your mind!"

Arianna shut her eyes and in her mind's eye she saw the rock resting idly on the floor and her hand just above it.

Rise! Rise! I command you rise! Rise! Rise you pitiful rock! RISE!

Arianna jerked her eyes open when a sudden bang and clatter resounded on the floor.

She looked around to see where the sound came from and what caused it but instead she saw her Master pick up the rock from the floor a few meters away from Arianna and dropped it casually into an open drawer.

"Well then, now that all that has passed…" Here he cleared his throat and smiled, "Arianna! I hear you've met Madam Danae earlier today, so tell me, how did your encounter fare?"

Arianna's mouth was agape and she couldn't believe how quickly her Master seemed to alter his very stance and personality in just a blink of an eye.

She swallowed hard and replied, "It go well, Master."

"It WENT well, Arianna." Her Master corrected.

"It went well, Master. Thank you." Arianna replied.

"So, I see you're still in dire need of my lessons. Let us commence as promptly as possible then, shall we?"

Arianna was left speechless and merely nodded her head in reply.

How strange my days here are becoming…Will I ever understand any of this at all?

Perhaps the answers to my endless questions lies waiting in the future… time will come… time will come…