In the Darkness of the Night

Chapter 10

Aralynn woke as the first rays of sunlight began seeping through her red curtains. Sitting up she streched as a small knock came from the door.

"Come in." Aralynn spoke. A small girl with a head full of red curls walked in with a tray.

"Your breakfast ma'am. Simon said you must hurry your lessons begin in thirty minutes. Aralynn stood and smiled at the girl.

"What is your name?" Aralynn looked at the girl, waiting.

"Jewel, ma'am." she curtsied quickly. "Will you need help dressing?" Aralynn took the girls hand and pulled her to the wardrobe.

"I need your opinion." Aralynn tapped her chin looking at the dresses, the queen ordered a dozen more gowns for Aralynn, even after Aralynn insisted it wasn't necessary. "Which one should I wear?" The little girls eyes raked the dresses hungrily, then she looked at Aralynn. Looking back at the dresses she reached in and pulled down a lovely blue gown, one of Aralynns favorites.

"This one." Jewel nodded simply, as if knowing Aralynn would agree.

"My Jewel, you're quite the little stylist aren't you?" Aralynn winked at her and took the dress to change. "Are you to to my hair as well?"

"Yes miss, if you would like?" Jewel eyes Aralynn's long black curls and smiled. Aralynn slipped into the blue dress and Jewel buttoned it to the top. The neckline swept in an elegent curve framing Aralynns chest. The edges were lined with a light gold and the sleeves belled out. Aralynn sat at her mirrior and began eating as the young girl braided several sections of hair and weaved them together expertly.  After some how managding to gently twine a golden ribbon through the braids she tied it into a bow. Aralynns hair was half pined up i braids the rest flowing naturally.

"You are fanastic Jewel. I love it!" Jewel beamed at her. Picking up the tray and bowing out Jewel left. Aralynn went down the main stairs nervous for the lesson she would be learning today.

Walking through the marble floored hallways her golden heels clicking with each step Aralynn felt surprisingly happy. Even after last night she felt like singing. Humming to herself she practically skipped through the hallways lit with morning sun. Smiling she twirled into the room where she was to be tutored, and looked around. It was the largets of the two libraries at the palace. with four levels of books and ladders and passages to each level, the room was emmense. It had a large floor and about a dozen or so large wooden desks, the deep mahogany gleamed. She could tell it had all been freshly polished. Walking up one of the sets of stairs she buisied herself looking at all the books about sword techniques and eighting styles she could find. Finding a desk she sat down and began to read. Not long after she started to flip through her second book a frail little woman came into the room. Aralynn closed the book and stood.

"You are Miss Aralynn I presume?" Her accent was thick and presume sounded more like pray-sume. Aralynn smiled to keep herself from laughing.

"Yes, Ma'am. May i ask what i may call you?" Aralynn asked.

"I am Marylin Teeple. Now we must get started follow me.

For the next four hours Aralynn sat with her shoulders tied against a chair at the emmense dining table while she was taught with of the numerous spoons and forks were used. Each time she reached for the wrong one the old woman smacked her knuckles with a slim strip of wood. Aralynn barely flinched. It stung of course but she had had much worse and was prepared to endure this. Though after the first few hours of reaching and slapping, and reaching and slapping, and reaching and slapping. Aralynn was growing weary and her fingers ached. Finally when she'd memorized everything she was set free. Aralynn stood out of the chair and said her goodbyes to her teacher and nearly ran from the room making it outside the room she sighed and looked down at her hands. They were raw and red, luckily fighting had toughened them up quite a bit. Decided to look at a book she had found before, heading to the library she grabbed the book and headed to the tree where she'd sat the day before. She took shifts between reading and watching the training sessions. Trying to see if she could identify the different fighting styles they used and how she could apply them.

As she watched them she started to wonder how she could start training again, she dosed off in the tree thinking as the cool breeze caressed her into sleep.