Bloom's Lesson

Chapter 5

"Okay line up girls, to get started on lesson one, Poise we are going to be working on your stance and how to sit straight." Jennifer said pulling out something from behind her, it was a wooden plank?

"What's that for?" Bloom asked uneasy.

"We're going to tie this to you, the wood will be at your back so you will be unable to bend or hunch while you walk." She said.

"But isn't that a bit too extreme?" Bloom asked backing away as Jennifer came closer.

"Not at all, every princess goes through this when they are in practise, now come over here and let me tie this." Jennifer said getting inpatient at Bloom hesitation. "A princess should not hesitate, but just do what she is told to so with a smile on her face and her head held high," she said.

"Come on don't be such a wimp" Bloom thought before taking a deep breath and stepping towards Jennifer who caught her and turned her in place.

"This will be a little tight but don't worry I'll try to be gentle" Jennifer said than tied the plank to her back forcefully with two ropes; Bloom winced when Jennifer pulled the rope tighter to her torso.

"Are you okay Bloom? Are the ropes to tight?" Christina asked looking at bloom with a worried expression.

Bloom looked down at the girl and smiled warmly trying to reassure the little girl that she was not being suffocated by this crazy teacher. "Nothing that I can't handle, don't worry."

Jennifer gave one last tight pull to the ropes before she stepped back to get a full look at Bloom, who was feeling like she couldn't move.

The wood on her back made it impossible to bend even an inch, "this was crazy, how could this be a reasonable way to teach about good posture, did they do this to Christina? Did she have to go through this terrible pain too?" Bloom thought to herself.

Bloom couldn't help but being reminded of them old movies that her, mike and Vanessa would watch when bloom was a child, when the duchesses were being pulled into these tight corsets, leaving them barely able to breath, she had never actually thought this is what princesses actually do.

"Okay I want you to walk across the room, and remember to keep your posture perfect the whole way and NO SLOUCHING!" Jennifer said in a hard voice making Bloom feel a bit scared for what will happen if she dose slouch.

Taking in a deep breath Bloom took a step, conscious of the position of her back, trying to keep it straight, but the ropes around her torso that helped keep the board pressed to her back were cutting into her sides and stomach.

Boom winced which caused her to bend over a few inches.

"Qw!" Bloom breathed before she knew it, and was now afraid again.

"Princesses don't complain, now straighten up again and start from the beginning and do not slouch again, I only have so much time to do this lesson with you before you have to go and meet the King." Jennifer said from a few steps in front of her.

Anger ripped through Blooms body at this woman's words, making her feel like a child who needs to be taught every step, she wanted to give Jennifer a piece of her mind, but she knew that wouldn't be the appropriate thing to do, so she bit her lip and turned and walked the few steps back to the wall.

Across the room, little Christina was sitting on the bench again looked at Bloom with a worried expression.

"Jennifer, maybe you're being a little too harsh, it's only her first lesson" Christina said in a small voice.

"It doesn't matter if it's her first lesson; she needs to be taught these things as soon as possible." Jennifer said, not even throwing a glance at the young girl.

Bloom, looked straight across the room at the wooden doors and thought, the sooner she walks this room without slouching, the sooner she can leave and go have lunch with Sky.

She took in a deep breath focused on one spot on the wall across from her and dared herself not to move from the spot, and she took her first step on her long journey across the room.

The second she took her first step, the ropes were once again cutting into the skin of her stomach, even over the fabric of her dress, she knew there were going to be marks left after the rope.

But she bit her lip and focused the pain out of her mind and kept walking, "one, two, one, two" Bloom thought over and over in her head as she walked across the hall.

She was aware of Jennifer and Christina's eyes watching her as she went and she knew Jennifer was looking for something wrong with her walk and waiting for the once slight bit of a slouch for her to come down on Bloom like a brick wall.

But no, she kept walking determined to prove herself, walking with her head held high and when she reached the wall she felt a burst of happiness grow through her and turned towards Jennifer and Christina.

Christina was smiling proudly at her, while Jennifer was glaring holes into Blooms head "not bad, but you can do better, now please walk again across the room, we are not leaving until this is perfect, now walk" when Jennifer said that Bloom felt her happiness flow out of her as quickly as it crept up.

"Ugh, seriously" Bloom said under her breath and took another painful breath and again started walking.

****20 Minutes later****

"she has done the walk perfectly over several time, I think she has done well Jennifer" little Christina said getting tired of Jennifer making bloom prefect her walk even though it was already perfect.

"Christina, last time I checked, I was the teacher, and you were my student. I say when it is time to finish, okay!" Jennifer said just as there was a knock on the door, and Kimmy popped her head in the door.

"so, sorry to interrupt, but Ms Samara would like to see Bloom" She said stepping into the room.

Samara, Sky's mother, Bloom didn't even know Samara was in the castle, she thought she was on a holiday break away with Erendor her husband or something.

Jennifer did not look like she was pleased the with sudden interruption "Fair enough, Kim, open the rope would you please." She said walking over toward the benches where her notes were kept.

Bloom couldn't help but notice, the slight faults in Jennifer's walk, what she would do if Bloom had the guts to mention them to Jennifer.

Kimmy nodded silently and came over to Bloom to untie the ropes. "Oh my god, these are tired so tight" Kimmy whispered as she pulled the ropes loose.

"yep" Bloom agreed and took a long breath then the ropes were removed, and the big wood pallet on her back was removed. She just knew there was going to be a mark on her stomach later.

"why does Samara want to see me?" Bloom asked Kimmy when she turned around to face her.

"I don't know, but she wants to see you immediately, so please, hurry up" Kimmy said coaxing her towards the door.

Bloom started to walk but then stopped and turned around to look at little Christina who was looking at her leave with sad eyes and a frown on her face. "Bye, Christina, I'll see you later" Bloom said with a smile.

Christina's face lit up and she waved as Bloom started walking with Kimmy again.

As bloom walked two questions kept repeating them self's in her head, First, why did Samara want to see her? And second, why was it just her asking, why wasn't the king Erendor also asking?.