𝑺𝑵𝑶𝑾𝒀 𝑫𝑨𝒀𝑺 - Gilbert Blythe [1]

TWO

2|NEW LIFE

A soft groaned escaped her lips as she rolled over and fluttered open her eyes, the bright sunlight streaming through the window causing her to squint in annoyance. She pushed the long braid over her shoulder as she sat up, stretching her arms above her head.

"Marie, wake up!" Mrs. Kincannon called up to the girl. Amaryllis smiled gratefully at the thoughtfulness of the older woman, forever in her debt for the kindness she had showed in the few days Marie had been in Avonlea.

Today was her first day of school. She was nervous, to say the least. Back in Montpellier, she was home schooled by many tutors ensuring she was properly educated. From learning multiple languages to musical instruments, Amaryllis Bonnefoy was pushed and prodded to perfection.

She stripped off her silk white nightgown and slipped into an emerald green gown, a white ribbon tied gracefully around her waist. She styled her hair into a simple braided updo, some of the strands falling out and shaping her pale face. Her blue eyes watched herself through the mirror, a sigh escaping her lips as she calmed her racing heart. Her hand clenched over her chest, deep breaths pushing through her body. She stayed like that until she had grounded her thoughts.

"Good morning, Mrs. Kincannon." Marie greeted the older woman as she walked down the stairs and entered the kitchen. A bowl of porridge sat on the table waiting for her.

"Good morning, dear. You look dressed up." Mrs. Kincannon smiled at her, her eyes scanning over the girls appearance. "Eat up, you have school soon."

"Merci." Marie sat down at the table, her spoon immediately digging into the hot oats, humming in delight at the delicious taste.

She slipped on her shoes, dusting off her dress as Mrs. Kincannon handed her a bag filled with the supplies she would need for school. Her father had gifted her plenty of money to survive years in Canada, something she kept hidden under her bed. A very safe place.

"Good luck at school." The older woman waved her off before locking the door and heading home.

"Thank you." She quickly scurried towards the school house, gripping the white scarf around her neck tighter, conserving any heat she could. Her feet soon led her up the steps of the schoolhouse and into a cloakroom attached to the main school classroom.

"Marie!" Diana noticed the frightened girl standing in the doorway, not expecting to see the French girl again. "What are you doing here?"

"I start school today." Marie replied, smiling with joy as she knew at least one person. "To continue my education while in Avonlea."

"Come, hang up your coat and you can sit next to Ruby." Diana helped the Marie take her coat off and hang it up before dragging her to the chair next to a small brunette girl.

"Bonjour, my name is Amaryllis Bonnefoy." Marie greeted the small group, nervous from all the curious eyes of the other girls. "But please call me Marie."

"I love your accent." One girl piped up. "I am Tillie Boulter."

"Prissy Andrews."

"Josie Pye."

"Ruby Gillis."

"I am Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. It is the most scrumptious pleasure to meet you." A red-headed girl grabbed her hands and grinned at her joyfully.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all, I hope we can all be friends." Marie smiled back at them all.

"Alright class, be seated." A man waltzed into the room like he owned the place. "Ah, you must be the new girl. Introduce yourself."

Marie hesitantly stood up, "Bonjour, I am Amaryllis Bonnefoy, it is a pleasure to meet you all."

"Are you from France?" Mr. Phillips asked, squinting with confusion from her thick accent.

"Oui." Marie answered before sitting back down and waiting for the lesson to start.

"That must be what that smell is." A boy from across the room said obnoxiously, holding his nose and wafting his hand across his face.

"Maybe you should get your head out your father's ass and grow up." Marie sassed back at the boy, narrowing her eyes at him. She had grown used to the prejudice stereotypes from travelling around Europe with her father.

"Miss. Bonnefoy." Mr. Phillips sent her a warning look before turning back to the class. "Open your books to page 124."

Amaryllis slumped in her seat, sending the boy another spiteful glance as she refused to admit defeat. She leaned her head into her palm, dully rereading a story she first read when she was barely ten.

"... answer'd Lancelot, the chief of knights: 'And with what face, after my pretext made, shall I appear, O Queen, at Camelot, I before the King who honours his word, as if the word-" He read aloud to the class, his voice filled with boredom.

"I think the entire poem is shameful. They should be tarred and feathered." Josie cut him off. Marie swung around in her seat to watch Josie argue her point, fascinated in what she had to say.

"Josie?"

"Guinevere is married to the King, not Lancelot." She stated, spitting out Lancelot's name like it was a vile taste in her mouth.

"Oh, Mr. Phillips, can't you skip to the part where Elaine's pure and true love turns most tragical?" Anne begged.

"No." He stated harshly. "Do not interrupt me again."

"'Yea,' said the Queen, 'A moral child without the craft to rule, else he had not lost me..." Mr. Phillips was once again cut off by Cole Mackenzie jumping up and knocking his book off the desk.

"Cole?" Mr. Phillips glared at the blonde boy. "What have you got there?"

"My apologies, Mr. Phillips. I'll clean it up." Cole apologised, avoiding eye contact. Marie watched in confusion, not knowing what the harm was.

"Are you doodling while I'm tirelessly dedicating my life to your education?" He seethed, invisible steam hissing out his ears. "Blackboard! Now!"

As Mr. Phillips wrote on the blackboard, Anne quickly rushed over to the fallen book on the floor and placed it carefully back on the desk, observing the carefully drawn lines creating the kingdom from the story they were reading.

"You like to draw? Draw that." The sentence 'I will not draw in class' had been roughly wrote on the blackboard. Mr. Phillips harshly placed the chalk in Coles hand. "Make sure it's legible."

"Back to your readers!" He commanded, his loud voice causing Marie to jump in fright. "'Yea,' said the Queen, 'A moral child without the craft to rule, else he had not lost me..."

The class laughed lightly as the watched Cole put the chalk down after gracefully writing the sentence. Marie stared at it with awe, her eyes getting lost with every curve and detail.

"Less flourish. You're gonna need room for 50 of those." Mr. Phillips cleaned it off the board dramatically, emphasising his point.

Amaryllis quickly grew to dislike her new teacher, much preferring the stuck up professors back in France. Instead she could only slightly pray for the day to finish or at least for lunchtime to come faster. Anything to not have to listen to Mr. Phillips monotone voice.