Shift

Eyes

I take the next hour and a half learning how to properly navigate my room. It's bigger than my childhood home, larger than any single bedroom I've seen in my life. The bed itself is an ocean of feathers and fabric, a large drape covering the top and cascading over the sides. A wardrobe sits stark against the wall, dark walnut wood polished to a mirror like finish. Most of the room is a deep blue, the only accents done in silver. A crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, catching the first glimpse of morning light in its prisms. This room would pay for the meals of the city for a week. Every child and mother, every father and son, would have something to eat, if only the entirety of the room would be sold. 

I don't have time to think about what could be. There is no chance that the Whisp family would give up their positions, especially when it's so obvious that everything has been coordinated for me. Everything I've had has been dark blue and silver. The tiara, the dress. The room. Rowan and Erin put a lot of work into this, for whatever reason. 

After digging through piles of dresses, all hung in the wardrobe, I find more suitable clothes hidden in the bottom. Pants and shirts, every single set dark blue with silver accents. I would have to talk to Erin about getting me different colors of clothes. Of course, I would soon be stuck in dresses again. I should be happy for the opportunity to wear these clothes while I'm given the chance. 

I try and slip off my dress, only to find that I can't take it off without help. It takes me fifteen minutes to find the bell to call for help, of which I spend the duration switching between wandering around the room in desperation and trying to undo a corset by myself. I finally ring the bell, and Zana quickly enters. 

"Lady Blackwell," she says, bowing deeply. 

I wave a hand at her. "Please, it's just Kella. Can you help me out of this thing?"

"Of course, Lady Blackwell." I sigh at her. Is this my life now?

Zana quickly undoes the corset, her delicate fingers moving quickly along the lacing. As soon as it's off, I take a deep breath. It's amazing that people can even breathe in those things, let alone dance. If Rowan expects me to fight in a corset, he has another thing coming. There's no kind of training that would make me ready for that. It was a miracle I stayed upright the night before. 

"You can leave, Zana," I tell her, slipping my training clothes over my head. 

"With all respect, Lady Blackwell, do you know the way to the training room?"

Dammit. 

I sit on the bed and pull on black boots. Zana comes over and tries to lace them for me, but I refuse her help. I can't put on a dress by myself. I can't take off a corset by myself. I can, however, lace up my own boots. I've been doing it for years. If the rest of my life is changing, I'm going to make sure that little element of independence never does. 

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. I look up at Zana. She stares at me, expectant. 

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"I am afraid not, Lady Blackwell."

I stand and sigh. Zana turns without a word, leading me out of the sapphire room. The door shuts behind us, a gentle gasp of air the only indication of its closure. The mansion is as beautiful during the day as it was the night before, decorations still hanging from every ledge and window. Most of the electric lights are turned off, the windows thrown open to let natural light in. Even High families avoided the cost of electricity whenever they could. Only the royal family could afford it during the day. 

The mansion is just as much of a maze above ground as it is below. I've always been good with maps, but this is insane. If I would get lost, I probably wouldn't see another living being for the next week and a half, and by then, all they would find is my rotting corpse. I try to keep track of the steps to the training room, but I lose track halfway through. After we start descending down stairs, I give up entirely. There has to be a map of this place somewhere. I would have to ask about getting one.