The Twilight Line

Chapter 6 The Servant's Plight

Chapter 6

Headmistress’ Office April 22, 2786 10:34 a.m.

“So, Lady Hostetler, do you understand why you’re here?” I furrow my brow. It’s all so confusing, “Please, call me Laney. I’m starting to understand, but there are a few things escaping me. You say the entire royal line carries the gene for special abilities, but I’ve never seen my father do anything out of the ordinary.” The headmistress rolls her eyes. She’s actually much younger than I expected. I always pictured an old cranky woman when I hear the word Headmistress. “Like I’ve stated before, every person in the royal line carries the gene, but does not necessarily have an active power. Let me put it this way. You may carry the gene for red hair, but your hair isn’t red. However, if you were to have children it is possible they would have red hair. Do you understand now?”

“Yes, I think I do. Thanks for dumbing it down Dr. Lynn.” She insists I call her doctor simply because headmistress makes her feel old. I don’t blame her. “Good, then we will have Laya here show you to your room. She will be your personal servant and guide. Should you need anything just ask her.” This time I’m shocked. “Hold on, you said everyone in this school has abilities.” She nods, “Including the servants. Some of the lower class have abilities, but not as many as the nobility. My theory is illegitimate children, but it’s always possible they just mutated the same as us.”

With that settled, I curtsy. Laya has been quite the entire time, “Let’s go Laya, I’m in bad need of a shower.” She dips her head, “Oh, Laney, one more thing.” I turn back to her, “You are strictly forbidden to use your powers until you’ve had more training.” I don’t ask why because I know. The hole in my chest still aches at the thought of what I’ve done. “Yes ma’am.”

Laney’s Room April 22, 2786 11:20 a.m.

“Ah, so much better.” I finish drying my hair when my stomach makes a loud rumbling. “Laya, is there any food in here? I’m starving.” She walks briskly to a small cabinet and pulls out a tray, “Will this suffice m’lady?” I look greedily at a trey filled with mouthwatering food. A sirloin steak topped with mushrooms with mashed potatoes and a steaming hot roll. “Oh that looks delicious…” I take the trey, “and stop calling me that. Call me Laney.”

“My lady, I am required to call you by your title. There are consequences if I don’t.” I hand her a piece of the roll, “First of all, there’s no one here. You can call me whatever you want and nobody would know but me. Second of all, you have to try this roll!” She backs away as if I held a snake in my hands. I can see this isn’t going to be easy. “Look, I’m not used to this whole ‘my lady’ thing. Growing up the servants were more like family. My mother died when I was young and my father had to work a lot. So please, humor me.”

Reluctantly she takes the roll. Her eyes widen as she pops it in her mouth. “This is wonderful my la- I mean, Laney.” I smile. Mission accomplished. I share the rest of my food with her and enjoy each other’s company. It’s been a while since I’ve been so at ease, and I can feel some of the darkness slip away. “So, what is this place really like?”

“Well, for the nobles it’s not all that bad. You go to classes, and then you have free time. Once you’ve learned the basics of your powers you are allowed to use them whenever you wish. There are rules of course, but they are a given.” I frown, “So what about the ‘lower class’. Is it not the same for them?” She shakes her head, “No, we have classes, but they aren’t as intricate as yours. Instead we are trained how to suppress our abilities. We are not permitted to use our abilities at all.”

This shocks me, “And why the hell not?!” She shrugs before grabbing a tasty looking piece of cake from the same cabinet, “I suppose they don’t want to risk an uprising.” I shake my head and offer her half the cake. She gladly accepts and digs in, “I just don’t get it. You’d think servants would be more useful with abilities.”