Broken Soldier ~ Assassin's Creed 4

Chapter Twenty

I had spent two hours playing a plethora of songs in the library. A few of the younger girls sat in a semi-circle in front of me, and some sang softly along. They also read to each other from their books, though were easily distracted by my music. Teachers who passed by would stop for a few moments to listen and, once I finished each song, I was given a round of applause as I fumbled with my music sheets. The pressure of having an audience got to me by the fifth song, so the fumbling slowly got worse and worse. 

After an hour of playing, the young girls got bored and left the library. I continued playing, just background noise at this point, before the librarian told me I could leave. I took that time to simply stroll around the corridors while most other girls were in their lessons. The gardens were empty and  the flowers could all be seen. Bright reds, oranges, yellows and greens spread across large flower beds in neat rows. However, the gardens here didn't even come close to the gardens on our estate. Dave was an amazing gardener, and far better than the one who tended the gardens on the school grounds. The smell was incredible, though, and I could have stayed there forever amongst the plants. A small box had been built, filled with herbs. I guessed that they were used for cooking, just as the orchard was, and carried on my walk past them.

I eventually reached the playground. One girl was kicking a pebble around in a circle, giggling to herself when it hit the wall and narrowly missed hitting her. She dashed over to pick it up and spotted me by the gate. I made my way over to a bench with a smile towards the child. She sat opposite me, grinning. I set my violin case down with it propped against the seat.

"Shouldn't you be in your lesson?" The girl shook her head.

"I didn't feel well so the head mistress told me to get some fresh air. I decided to come out here but I'm starting to get bored." She frowned. "I'm Catherine. You are the girl who plays violin in the library, right?"

"Elisa. Yes." Her eyes travelled down to the violin case.

"Is that it?" I nodded. "I thought violins were bigger than that. My sister used to play. Maybe I just forgot what they looked like since I have been away from home so long."

"How long?"

"Seven years. I came here when I was four to start my education because my parent couldn't find a tutor after my sister's one passed away. My sister was with me for the first year, but then she turned twenty and had to leave. So, I have been here, alone, for six years." She spread her arms, as if signalling to everything around her. "I didn't really make many friends since I prefer to be alone, but I doubt I'll be leaving any time soon. I will probably leave at the same age my sister was. And she only left because she had a baby." I winced.

"Pregnant so early?"

"That's what I thought. Not me though. I don't even think I ever want to have children." Her arms folded across her chest so hard that she forced out a grunt. I nodded.

"I feel the same. Though, I fear that I can no longer decide my fate."

"Why not?"

"My mother organised a marriage for me but did give me the choice of who I wanted to marry. Martin Labrousse, a French nobleman! To be honest, he sounds lovely, but I am terrified of marriage and married life." I looked at her to see her gazing at me. I chuckled. "I'm sorry, I don't think you really understand or care about my problems."

"I definitely understand. My sister was going through the same thing just before we came to the school. She wanted to get married, though. But I remember how stressed she was. She barely ever saw me because she was practising to walk in high heels and then she was planning other things for the wedding." Catherine leaned over the table to whisper in my ear. "The wedding was awful. My dad broke my sister's husband's arm." I gasped.

"How?"

"He pushed him down some stairs because he got annoyed at him. I must admit that I had to hide in an empty room because I was laughing too hard." I giggled, imagining Daniel pushing Martin down the stairs. As horrible as that sounds, it was still enough to create a hilarious image. "Then, about a week before she came to the school, she decided to start trying for a baby. She got one. Kyle." She smiled. "I've only seen him once. Charlotte came to visit with Kyle for a day. I still had to do take my classes so I didn't get to see them for too long."

"I'm sorry. But, at least you got to see them. My family aren't allowed to visit me at all. I'm not sure of the reasoning behind it, but the headmistress will not let them come and see me." I sighed. "I do suppose that you are here for a lot longer than I am, so that should allow more visits for you."

"I'm okay. Once I get back home, I will be able to talk to my nephew. If I was at home right now, he would only be six so he probably wouldn't be too fun to talk to anyway. I might even have another nephew by the time I go home!" She giggled, swinging her legs wildly under the table. "And I can help look after him! Or I might have a niece. She could play with my old dolls and I could plait her hair or put beads in it and dress her up in beautiful dresses."

"My sisters hated me dressing them in pretty things. Once I'm back, they will all have husbands and might even have moved into homes with their husbands. I wouldn't be surprised if I had a few nephews and nieces when I got back." The bell rang for the next class.

"She said I could only miss three lessons so I should go." Catherine stood up. "It was nice talking to you, Elisa."

"You too." She nodded and skipped back towards the building.

The breeze began to set in towards the end of the day. I could smell some kind of meat being cooked and some of the girls were running around giggling. Lessons were finished and it was time for the homework break. Everyone had to stay either in their rooms or in the corridors near their rooms. Most of them chose to walk about and talk to their friends. Those rules mainly applied to the younger girls, so I usually sat outside.

I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and turned my head to see Freda. She smiled, taking the seat next to me. She had a thick parcel in her hands.

"Since I didn't get you anything for your birthday, I crept out a little while ago to grab you something." I smiled and unwrapped it. Inside was an empty, leather-bound book, with blank pages to fill in. "It's just a small journal. I always see you writing in that battered old diary, so I wanted to get you a new one."

"Thank you." I gave her the best hug I could from the side. "I love it. How did you get the money for this?"

"I clean the kitchen once everyone else has gone to bed and the cooks give me a shilling a week since they don't want to do it. I spent all that I had saved up to get this. I think it was about three or four shillings. But I also bought myself a pair of nice shoes." She produced a little box from her lap and opened the lid to reveal a pair of light blue heels. 

"Wow. They are beautiful! But, when will you get to wear them?" She sighed, placing the shoes back into the box.

"My father has organised a marriage for me. I decided to pick out some beautiful shoes."

"Please invite me if I leave school before your wedding." She chuckled.

"Of course I will. And, I think we both leave in the same year. So, you can expect an invitation. You and your husband."

"I doubt I will get married before you. But he will most definitely be my fiance. Make the invitation out to Elisa Ward and Martin Labrousse." She nodded while pulling the shoes on.

"You had better find some nice shoes and a pretty dress." Freda suddenly gasped, clapping her hands over her mouth. "We should go out tomorrow! We can have the dress delivered here with your step-father's name on it and tell head bitch that it was a birthday gift from him. Elisa, can we, please?" I grinned.

"Of course we can! I have some money saved up and my mother sent me some for my birthday." She hugged me tightly and chuckled.

"I am so excited!"

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(A/N) You may be able to guess what the next chapter will be about XD. I do realise that Elisa being at school is getting boring but I don't think she will get out of school until at least chapter twenty five to thirty. I know exactly what I want to write once she gets out but I just have to fill in a few years at school first. Sorry about that, but the story has to have enough chapters or I will feel so guilty. I don't know why but I just will. Anyway, I should go. Goodbye!!