Her Rightful Place

25: The Letter

To His Royal Highness Prince Xavier of Mordalce, may God bless his health and his kingdom,

I hope this letter finds you well, and that your mother is also doing well and that no one suffers too much under her reign. I expect that you and Jerôme, if I may be so bold as to call him that, are doing all you can to alleviate such sufferings, and I wish you all the best in such endeavors.

I apologize if you find this style of writing too formal or bothersome, but I am practicing for my lessons in royal deportment, which unfortunately include correspondence. This is also why I write in Vyrunian; I hope you do not mind my atrocious hand and poor grammar and that you will see fit to correct me where corrections are due.

In addition to royal deportment, I have lessons each day in horsemanship, dancing, music, painting, history, language, geography, politics, and religion. Of these, the religious instruction is my least favorite, but none of it goes badly. My tutors all comment favorably on my progress thus far, except the priest, who is never pleased with anyone or anything and seems to have taken a decided dislike to me. Apparently one can never fast or pray too much, but Mother fears that I am too thin and thus for now those activities are limited for me, much to the priest's chagrin. He also objects to my learning to dance and play musical instruments, as he says these are idle pastimes and a gateway to sin, but Mother insists that such skills are necessary for mixing in high society and with the royals of other cultures. The priest's warnings against the painting of animate beings, however, are heeded, as most here are of the opinion that such paintings encourage idolatry. I am thankful for this only because it means that I will not have to pose for a royal portrait, which I fear would be unbearably dull.

Music, dancing, and riding lessons are the most enjoyable. My horse is a spirited black mare named Soraya, and she has already taught me how to take jumps and sit a canter, all sidesaddle, no less. They do not permit me to ride astride, which I think ridiculous, but I am powerless to argue. It is funny that I have the third highest rank in the kingdom and yet I am expected to obey all these pompous tutors. I am certain you can relate. As for dancing, well, Christelle has taken to flirting with our partners to get valuable palace information, and as such we now know all of the secret passageways and tunnels and hidden rooms. We have even learned how to get onto the roof, which I for one find most enjoyable. When I cannot sleep some nights, there is great solace in sitting on the roof and staring up at the stars. I only wish it were not so lonely.

But I should not complain, for I am very seldom alone anymore. Servants and tutors surround me practically all of the time. Speaking of tutors, my history and etiquette instructor, Countess Orelanjara, is a very stuffy woman whom I do believe could take great benefits from loosening up. Christelle and I have tried many things, but we are at our wits' ends to discover stunts that she might find humorous. I do not suppose you have any suggestions? But maybe that is too forward of me. I do hope that if you have advice on this matter, you will let me know sooner rather than later.

To that end, my brief reprieve is over and I must once again subject myself to these lessons that seem to dictate my very existence. Do not trouble yourself about me, for it is no more difficult than my life was in Adrennes and the food is better. Also I do enjoy having the opportunity to become an educated and cultured young lady, even if my instructors are less than desirable. And should you see fit to reply, I am most curious about how you occupy your time as Crown Prince of Mordalce, as I expect that you are well beyond the age at which lessons such as mine would be required. Indeed, my education ought to have ceased at the tender age of thirteen, should I have been in my rightful place all my life as you have. I also suspect that your lessons included fun things like jousting and swordsmanship, which regrettably I am forbidden to learn. But now I ramble more than is fit, and I am being summoned.

Yours truly,

Princess Mireille of Vyrunia