Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet

A/N: I just wanted to apologise for the glitch on the last chapter, thankfully I was able to sort it out. I kept deleting the chapter and inserting the right one but it did no good so I think I changed the title and then it was immediately fixed so...that was weird. Anyway here you go!

Selina

For awesmninja

It wasn't until the next day when Cassandra met the third and possibly most scandalous of the group of friends she had made at Monstressor Academy. She didn't know it the moment that she met her but she would soon become a lifelong friend from that day onwards. Selina Gondola. She had heard the name being whispered a few times over the past few hours she had been there so she could presume that she the kind of young woman who conjured up was quite a lot of gossip. When Sophia mentioned her Cassandra made the comment of this observation earning her a roll of the eyes and an explanation for everyone's behaviour. Selina Gonolda was the daughter of a famous courtesan Katherina Gonolda and of the infamous Lord Harkwright, who turned out to be the father of the red-headed sidekick of Miss Aurelia Felnela. She could see now why she looked down upon those such as Diana and Sophia due to their acquaintance with Miss Selina. However what Cassandra couldn't understand was why Aurelia stuck up her nose and not her friend. It should really be her friend, Isadora who should be behaving in such a manner. She hadn't heard much about Selina Gonolda herself but she had heard plenty of her parents affair. It began when Ms Gondolda was only nineteen when she met Lord Harkwright who was a few years her senior if she had heard correctly.

Cassandra wasn't one for gossip but one couldn't help hearing it if people were 'whispering' in loud, hissing voices you had no control over whether you overheard what was being said about the person in question. Due to this she wasn't going to allow it to affect her opinion of Selina or her mother. She was going to wait until she met them before she could judge them. There was also another reason why this long affair was being subjected to gossip. Their affair ended quite recently but had given the woman enough to provide for his illegitimate child to continue attending Monstressor Ladies. Of course this was Selina Gondola they were referring to and of course, she was sure there were many students and mothers who wished that she would be unable to attend due to the nature of her coming into the world. Not that it was in any way her fault. In these affairs it was best not to blame anyone for such a thing, otherwise it would make it seem as if it was a crime for her to even exist. Social convention would tell Cassandra to completely shun her and stick up her nose but she was not raised by her mother and father to do so. They told her that no matter where a child had come from you should judge them on their conduct and their character, not their origins.

She first saw Selina when she was eating dinner with Diana and Sophia. Nothing was announced to indicate to her entrance it was the mere sound of her footsteps amongst the long tables. She made heads turn not just because of her beauty but also because of her reputation. Everyone questioned not her but each other as to where she had been for the past few days. Whether she was spending time with her own lover or had been seeing something perfectly reasonable like visiting family. Most people, unlike Cassandra assumed the former rather than the latter. However it wasn't her reputation which captivated Cassandra, it was her beauty. She had the most beautiful red hair she had ever seen. She could guess quite accurately that this was a trait inherited by both the half-sisters from the only parent they shared. There weren't a lot things that they shared from what she later found out but their red hair had to be at least the on inevitable thing they were going to share other than having the same father. Where it looked dull and washed out on Isadora it was dark, bright and shining on Selina. Isadora had blotchy, freckled skin whereas Selina had clear, pale, smooth looking skin. Isadora was small, awkward and rather chubby whereas Selina was tall, had the body of a ballerina and graceful. She walked across the hall as if she were gliding or flying. She gently set herself down next to Sophia and rested her chin on fist.

"Hello darlings." She greeted. "How have you fared after my absence?"

This was Cassandra Richardson's introduction to Selina Gonolda. She smirked as she thought it was the most original and interesting. Those few words summed up her character and Cassandra wasn't usually a good judge of character. Sometimes she didn't even care much for people. Selina was different. She knew in that moment that they were going to be life-long friends. She had never met a woman like her and it was always best to have friends of all different levels of temperament and character. Not a lot of people like Selina stumbled in her society, well not with her brother dominating over it. He would rather bring in the likes of Isadora and Aurelia. He would even attempt to marry them. Just imagine having one of the them practically rule over her life. She shivered at the thought. No she had a plan. It would never come to that. But what of Victoria? She would retrieve her from such a life. She was a vain, passionate young woman she could tell that by a mile. Vanity being the one personality trait which dominated her character the most of all but what was wrong with having that in a friend? Surely it wouldn't harm her in having one friend like this. For all she knew Selina might not like her and that would be the end of that but she came across as the sort of person who liked anyone so long as they didn't rebuke her or was rude to her face.

Sophia raised an eyebrow. "Perfectly well, my dear. We've had a new arrival to preoccupy us while you were away."

Selina's eyes immediately turned to Cassandra and she leaned forward with an inquisitive eye. "Ah. Well it is always wonderful to see a new face around here. I am sure you have heard the rumours about me." She purred.

Cassandra stared back evenly and nodded. "I have." She replied bluntly.

Selina raised an eyebrow at her bluntness, which made her all the more inclined to continue her interrogation. "And what do you think of my mothers actions, Miss...?"

"Cassandra Richardson." She replied.

Selina gave her a thoughtful look over her mourning clothes and knew which Cassandra Richardson with the gossip she had heard. Cassandra took a deep breath and continued.

"Are you asking me this thinking it may reflect my opinion of you, Miss Gonolda?"

Selina laughed heartily making heads turn again. "Miss Cassandra, very to the point. Very blunt. I suppose that has always been the case with most people." She replied.

Cassandra shook her head. "Well I am afraid that you are about to be disappointed for my view of your mothers relationship with your father doesn't reflect my opinion of you at all."

"Not in the slightest?" She probed.

"On the contrary, I have no opinion of you because I do not know you." Selina smirked and took a bite of Cassandra's porridge.

"Well I suppose we will have to mend that, Miss Cassandra. I heard your father died on a voyage you were on. I'm sorry."

Cassandra's expression faltered slightly but she shook her head. "Thank you. Not a lot of people have offered their condolences rather they look in my direction with slanted eyes and whisper behind their manicured hands."

Selina chuckled. "I can see that we are going to get along quite nicely, Miss Cassandra. You are a woman after my own heart."

"What did I tell you Diana." Sophia joked. "These two would get along like long lost relatives."

Diana smiled weakly and glanced in the direction of Aurelia and Isadora. Selina followed her gaze and gave her a stern but maternal look.

"Don't be bothered by them." She whispered and turned back to Cassandra. "I presume you've met those two vipers."

"Yes. They even came into our room to give me a warm greeting." Cassandra replied with a hint of sarcasm Selina could easily pick up.

"Of course." Selina coughed. "That is always been their method of making sure everyone knows their place here however since we are so like-minded Cassandra I can imagine that you are certainly not going to remain in your place." She added with a smirk which was returned.

Sophia watched the exchange silently knowing it was best to remain out of it for the time being. She looked away and resumed eating her dinner but the thoughts circulating in her mind wouldn't go away. She couldn't help but wonder why someone like Cassandra and another like Selina would become such fast friends. Most of the time, people like that, if they were going to be friends at all it at least took them a few weeks to take to each other. Sophia only said that they would be like long lost relatives just to be polite. She could see that these two were going to bring havoc to the school. With Cassandra's unconventional views which she no doubt made aware of to the headmistress and Selina's character they were going to prove to be a destructive presence at the school. There was a hierarchy which every kept in balance. Selina rebelled against it in her own way but she was rebelling against it alone. Now that she would have an accomplice in her schemes she would completely unbalance it. Then again when she first saw Cassandra and spoke to her she had a feeling she was going to change a few things in the school. When she watched her defiantly speak back to Aurelia Felnela she knew she was a young woman who knew her mind. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind.

"Now, now Selina." Sophia chided. "You are going to become a bad influence upon this young lady."

"Ha! She is already corrupted. She had no intention of marrying a rich man and giving him children. I'm sorry, dearest, but I simply cannot imagine you becoming a housewife."

Cassandra laughed. "That's perfectly fine. I had no intention of becoming one. Neither did my father."

"Really? What intention did he have with you then?" Selina asked suspiciously.

"He was going to help me get into the Interstellar Academy. I think he knew before I did that I wanted to be a Space Captain like him but he died and my brother has much more conventional views."

Selina nodded. "I see. Do you have any more siblings?"

"Yes. I have another brother, George. Who would be more sympathetic and helpful if he were the elder son but is not unfortunately. Then there is my young sister, Victoria. She is six now and such a dear little thing. It pained me to have to leave her. Then there is my adopted sister, Helen. She..." Then she stopped and gulped.

She had not thought about Helen for some time now. She was ashamed at herself that she had only thought of her own situation and not wondered or even wrote a letter to ask how she was. She was going to the moment she was able to. She turned back to them and plastered a smile on her face.

"She is living with a friend. My brother, Fredrick...didn't get along with her."

"Ah, I see." Selina replied understandingly.

"Hopefully she will be attending the Medical Academy by now. To become a doctor."

"Another woman after my heart." Selina declared. "I will have to meet this sister of yours, Cassandra."

"Don't worry. You will be doubtlessly introduced in the future." She replied with a smirk on her face.