The Caged Bird

06. The Party

The next morning she slept later than usual. Her nightmares had prevented any restful sleep and she rushed to her lesson with Bernard still rubbing her eyes. She burst into his office clumsily, dropping one of her books. He watched sternly as she retrieved them and set the stack on his desk.

"You overslept," he scolded her. Lark hung her head, still breathing hard from rushing across the castle.

"Yes sir," she sighed. "But I have read all of the volumes you assigned." She pointed at the stack of books. Bernard appeared impressed.

"Please try to be here promptly next time," he replied, but his expression had softened. "But I am glad to hear it. Are you prepared for a review, then?"

Lark met his eyes with an exasperated look.

"I wasn't aware there would be an exam," she mumbled. Bernard clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Not an exam," he insisted. "Just a review." Lark nodded wearily.

She was able to answer most of his questions to his satisfaction and he put the books back on their shelves. She expected him to select more reading materials but instead he came to her side and offered his arm. She rose to her feet and took it.

"Dance lessons today," he explained curtly. Lark nodded and followed him into the ballroom, which was largely empty. There would be a party held that evening to celebrate the lord's return, so it had just been cleaned. The hall was open and cool with high windows and a beautiful chandelier. In the corner, a piano and bench sat on a raised stage. To Lark's surprise, gentle music trickled from it and throughout the ballroom. But there was no player at the keys. She turned a quizzical eye to Bernard and he explained that it was a player piano, a machine that did not require a musician. She was impressed. Village people rarely had the privilege to see any of the inventions discovered or recreated from the time before the pandemic. Even common appliances had been abandoned and forgotten over time. This was truly a novelty.

Bernard swept her out into the center of the room, his hand firmly gripping her waist. He focused on a simple waltz for their first lesson. He was an accomplished dancer and excellent leader and she found the dance easy to grasp. He even gave her a few small compliments, coaxing a genuine smile to her face. She would have struggled much more with an inexperienced teacher, but Bernard had taught dozens of harem girls and was fully capable. After a few hours both had run out of energy. Lark considered that she might waltz in her sleep for the rest of her life. Once dismissed she barely had the strength to eat before she sunk into a comfy chair in the harem and fell asleep, still holding a piece of toasted bread in her hands.

Ariane woke her hours later as the sun began to set. It was nearly time to prepare for the party. Lark tried to come up with an excuse not to go, but thought that might attract more attention towards her. Pushing aside her exhaustion she put on the dress Airane had brought and fixed her hair. Her long nap had prevented her from working on her escape plan and her frustration was obvious. Distracted and irritated, she accidentally bumped against her vanity as she went to leave. She noticed a small box that she hadn't seen before. It was wrapped in black silk with a gold satin ribbon and was tucked against the mirror. She had almost missed it. Intrigued, she opened it carefully, setting the wrappings aside. Inside lay a beautiful necklace. A tiny gold bird pendant on a delicate chain sparkled in the dim light of the lamps. The bird's eye was a small diamond or other clear stone. Though unexpected, the gift was certainly to her taste. She wondered where it had come from and searched the package for a note. But she couldn't find one. She assumed it was from Lord August and fastened it around her neck. It matched her dress perfectly. She joined the other harem girls and they made their way to the ballroom. But she couldn't help but notice that Ariane and Rose were wearing no jewelry at all. Vayn and Fae had earned their gems, gold and silver over many years to reward them for their loyalty. Even a few other pets with other duties in the castle had received similar gifts. But Lark had only just arrived. She couldn't help but feel it was unusual.