This is Prompt No. 1-Friends
Throughout the next weeks that Mitchie spent in Queen Victoria's court, Maria was almost constantly by her side. Mitchie found her incentive to learn the paths simply because she didn't want Maria constantly hanging over her shoulder, prying her with Queen Victoria's questions.
One day, Maria was bringing Mitchie back from the dining room after lunch, and Mitchie turned to her and said, "For dinner, I'd like to try it on my own."
Maria frowned. "Try what on your own?" she asked.
"Try finding the dining room on my own," Mitchie clarified.
"But-but, you can't!" Maria cried, her eyes widening as she realized that she had just told a person of higher rank than she that they couldn't do something. "I mean, you've only been here a few weeks. You might get lost."
"Oh if that's all you're worried about, then you shouldn't worry," Mitchie told her sweetly. "I took your advice and learned my way quickly. Now you won't have to worry about me for meals. I can find the dining room very well, thank you."
She turned and entered her apartment, pressing her ear against the closed door in time for her to hear the disappointed, "Yes ma'am," that Maria muttered.
She turned away from the door and grinned. "So much for that," she said aloud.
She made her way into her lavish apartments, skirting around the little pedestal that held an expensive Chinese vase as she always did. She knew that the first time she walked past it, she would trip and it would fall and shatter. She made her way through the different rooms into her bedroom and collapsed on the bed.
"Why me?" she asked the ceiling. "Why did it have to be me?"
She turned over and buried her face in her pillow, mentally calculating how many hours she had to wallow until she had to get up and arrive at dinner with a smile on her face. There weren't enough of them. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on thoughts of home. Time passed swifter than she had expected it to, aided by the slight nap that furthered the dreams, and Mitchie was left with only enough time to get up and change into one her borrowed evening gowns. After discovering that Mitchie possessed only two evening gowns, due to the "lack of baggage space," Maria had procured several outfits for her wear.
"You can't wear only two dresses," Maria had said, horrified. She had lent Mitchie four more dresses, refusing to say where they came from.
Now, Mitchie found herself grateful for the extra clothes. She slid into a pale green dress and struggled with the buttons. She had never used her ladies in waiting, claiming that she had no use for them since she always dressed herself at home, but secretly preferring the solitude that having no help afforded.
When it was time to set out for the dining room, Mitchie squared her shoulders and headed out for the first time by herself. She easily found the way and walked into the room with a grace she did not feel. She smiled and nodded at the few people that would recognize her as an equal, and simply granted the rest the respect of her downcast eyes.
As she walked to her seat, wishing that she had been granted a seat closer to the door so that her entrances would not always be so dramatic and long, Mitchie glanced around and noticed the looks on several people's faces. The bloodthirsty look of curiosity that fueled the friendships around the court gleamed in their eyes, even as they tried to make their friendships look appealing. "Come and confide all your secrets in me," their looks seemed to say, even as their minds plotted to ruin the status you had worked for at the court.
"Good evening," Mitchie said as she passed the earl who always sat next to her.
In response, he yanked on his tie and gulped. "Uh," he stuttered, embarrassed as Mitchie seated herself before his fumbling hands could reach her chair. "Go-good evening."
Mitchie smiled. It had taken quite a few dinners, and quite a few bruised calf muscles before she had been able to forge the friendship she had with the earl that sat next to her. She had never asked what he was earl of, and he had never offered it. He was the one person that spoke to Mitchie as an equal throughout dinner, if he spoke to her at all!
Everyone rose, as was custom, when Queen Victoria entered the dining room, and as usual, the semi-pleasant atmosphere seemed to vanish, morphing into the strained atmosphere that reeked of power. "Begin," was all Queen Victoria said, motioning to the dish set before her, a signal to all those around that they might begin their meals.
Mitchie picked up her first fork and began eating the first course, gauging how much she should eat since there were six more courses after that one. She glanced towards the head of the table and found the queen watching her intently. Mitchie quickly glanced back down at her plate, becoming engrossed in the delicate weavings along the rim. "Strange," she muttered.
"Pardon?" the earl asked, succeeding in dropping his fork in the process. Everyone looked up at the loud clatter, and the earl's whole face turned a deep shade of embarrassed red.
Queen Victoria sniffed disdainfully, but only snapped for a waiter and asked, "Would you please make sure that you give our dear earl another fork." The condescension in her tone made the poor man blush even harder.
"Don't worry," Mitchie assured him cheerfully. "I did that all the time back home. It was almost as though someone would wait for me to get a forkful of food before they would tell me some shocking news." The earl smiled slightly at that, but then blushed again as a waiter brought him another fork. "Everyone does it at some point," she assured him.
He looked at her and smiled weakly. "Yes, but not in Queen Victoria's court," he told her softly.
Mitchie opened her mouth, and then closed it again. "I have no reply for that," she told him honestly. He smiled and turned back to his dinner.
Mitchie turned and focused once again on her dinner, but chanced a look at Queen Victoria and found the queen once again looking at her. Mitchie smiled and dipped her head politely, but her mind was working furiously as she turned and glanced back down at her dinner.
The queen, of late, had been watching her often, regarding her with a look that bordered in between curiosity and wariness. Her gaze often pierced through Mitchie's defenses, as the stare had done the first day she had arrived. Mitchie bit her lip. Did Queen Victoria suspect her? Did she know what Mitchie was doing? Was she simply the type of person that would stare others down?
"All of the above," Mitchie whispered to herself.
"Pardon?" the earl asked again, thinking that she was talking to him. Mitchie was glad to see that he refrained from dropping any utensils this time.
"Nothing," she told him with an apologetic smile.
She glanced at the rest of the table and saw another woman watching her. When she realized that she had been spotted, the woman smiled her most charming smile and dipped her head, even though Mitchie realized that she was much higher on the social ladder than she herself was. Mitchie nodded back, but refrained from any other contact. Yet another person that wanted to know all about her and her reasons for being at court. Mitchie rolled her eyes as she focused once more on her dinner. So much for friends.
A/N: And yes, once again, that last sentence was indeed sarcasm! That was for you, Kacee! ;) LOL! Hope you all liked it! Review please!! Major thanks goes out to Rebekah, who reviewed for the last chapter. Thank you so very much! Your review touched me. I'm so glad you've liked it so far!
