The Royal Resistance

Chapter 2 - The John

The wind pushed against her, slowing her down while waging a hopeless fight against gravity. The air become stuffier as she fell further, the walls pushing inwards aa all perception of space, dimension and time were altered.

Lately, everything was being altered. Challenged. But she wasn't scared anymore. If anything, she felt alive. She had a fire burning in her soul, igniting her ambitions, challenging every obstacle that was put in her way. She loved it, she lived for it.

And it had all started because of the dancing nun.

~

Morning Prayers.

9 O'clock.

Etiquette and Mathematic lessons.

10 O'clock

Lunch.

12 O'clock

Meeting with the Count and Countess of Yorkshire

3 O'clock

Tea with General.

5 O'clock

Dinner

8 O'clock

Maria looked at the schedule for the day in her hands and let out a deep sigh. Another day full of royals, suitors and lessons. "How promising," she said feigning excitement. She rolled her eyes. A flash of colour outside the window stopped her mid-way: a horse galloping towards the stables. Maria smiled as memories of lush green fields, and the feeling of wind blowing through her hair crossed her mind. And then she saw him. A man wearing a blue coat was riding on the horse. Maria narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out who he was but was interrupted by the bell signalling five minutes to morning prayers. She rushed out of the room and arrived at the chapel flustered and panting, earning her a look of disapproval from Ms.Elizabeth.

Maria looked around for the man with the blue jacket. She saw Ms.Elizabeth, the priest, the count and countess of Yorkshire, Ms. Joana, the Baron of Edinburgh and the dancing nun. But no sign of the- Wait a dancing nun?

Two rows in front of her was a woman who looked about 60, with a jolly round face and crinkles around her eyes from years of smiling; she was wearing the standard white nun uniform but unlike the other two women next to her, she swayed to the rhythm of the hymns. Maria observed the way she stood out from the other two, the subtle finger tapping against the bench's wood to the beat, the way she sometimes raised her hands to the sky, blessing those around her.

She wondered how the nun seemed so happy and care-free when there were thousands of rigid rules imposed on her and a war raging on. The twiddling of the fingers stopped. The hymn had finished and with it prayers. She looked back up at the nun who smiled and winked at her... what kind of a nun is this? She thought. The nun walked out of the chapel, humming the last hymn to herself and Maria followed, confused but with a smile tugging at her lips. She reached out to stop her, wanting to ask her why she danced and tapped her fingers, why she wasn't like the others but was interrupted by Ms. Elizabeth in her path.

"Maria-" Elizabeth saw the nun and smiled a tight smile, "Good morning Sister Martha Rose."

Maria watched delighted as the nun stopped her humming and turned back, "Oh well, good morning Ms.Elizabeth," She said in a Scottish accent. "Fine weather we havin', ain't it?"

The royal's amusement, however, quickly disappeared as she saw the nun's lapel. Engraved in it was a small symbol, only visible to those close enough to see it - a target with three circles: the smallest was red, the middle white, the biggest blue. She'd seen that somewhere before. "Excuse me," she said. "What is-"