Grown Enchantress (Book #2, Young Witch Series)

Chapter 1

The wedding went off without a hitch. Everyone arrived when they said they would, the house was comfortably full, with several guests staying in the Dowager house to give guests more room, and everyone was there for dinner, coaches available for guests returning to the Dowager house to attend dinners.

The King and Queen had introduced Jessamine to Madeline, but Jessamine was too busy to really take in much, aside from knowing she would have her work cut out with this child, seeing the way she ordered Jessamine's trusted servants about.

When they got back from the honeymoon, gallivanting about London for a fortnight, Jessamine quickly set a room aside for the princess, and started to get it ready. She wanted to make sure it was properly styled for a princess, but not so over done that the girl would think she was any better than anyone else.

The King had sent a letter to say that she was to treat Madeline no different to anyone else that she would teach, even if that meant scrubbing and cleaning, and that she would be a better ruler for it. Jessamine was touched that the royal pair would giver her such control, and tucked the letter away, having a feeling she would need it in the next few weeks when Madeline discovered that no one here was going to treat her like a princess.

Once she had the room for the princess sorted out, Jessamine set about finding several rooms that would serve for the four tutors that Madeline was bringing with her, one for deportment and lady like arts, or, as the King had put it, her governess, a tutor for the basic schooling, her tutor, another for history and geography, since a future queen needed to know her kingdom, and her final one for sports, such as riding. She was bringing her own pony, and a horse was going to be coming in a few years.

Jessamine spent a few days putting some new additions onto the stable for the new mounts expected, and another tack room. She was fully expecting that once word got out about her teaching, she would have other students following in the King and Queen's footsteps, and asking for lessons. She made sure there were several more stalls ready, since she expected quite a few new horses, and owners. And she was willing to bet not all of them would be young, either.

Once all the bedding arrangements were ready, Jessamine set about getting a feast ready to welcome Madeline and her various tutors, who were set arrive in a few days. She soon set an order into the stone masons for enough bricks to make a cool room, since the castle would be getting ready for royalty, and would need bigger amounts of food on a regular basis. Not that Madeline could expect a feast every night, and Jessamine had no desire to butt heads with a thirteen-year-old about meals.

On the appointed day, Madeline arrived, and Jessamine and Thomas were standing on the steps, waiting for the carriage she was travelling in to pull up. When it did, Jessamine spied another carriage pulling into the drive, also with the royal seal on it, and expected that it was the carriage containing Madeline's tutors.

Both Jessamine and Thomas were surprised when the first carriage turned out to be the help, and not the princess. Introducing themselves to everyone, they turned Mr James Jenkins, the sports tutor, Mr Fredrick Holland, the academics tutor, Miss Luciana Florence, the governess, and Mr Gregory Mulberry, the history and geography tutor, over to Mrs Bell, the housekeeper, to show them to their quarters, and show them around the house.

Thomas was getting more and more annoyed with the princess before she pulled up to the house, since she was expected to be in the first carriage, not the second one. It was a cool day, and as they both pulled their jackets tighter around themselves, the second carriage finally pulled up at the base of the steps.

A footman jumped down and hurried to open the door, helping out an older girl, almost at the age of her majority, before helping Princess Madeline out. The older girl hurried to arrange the princess's clothing, even though it was a simple travel costume, before allowing the princess to climb the steps to her waiting hosts.

Jessamine pursed her lips, looking down at the girl with disapproval. She would never have allowed the girl to travel just with her maid, not that the maid was going to be able to stay, since Madeline would have no use of her after tomorrow, when she received the clothes she would be wearing for the foreseeable future, until she knew about making her own.

Thomas, looked on in horror as trunk after trunk was shown to be strapped onto the back of the carriage as it pulled around to the waiting stables. He was unsure where his new wife was going to fit it all, took one look at her disapproving look, and decided to leave it all to her, knowing Madeline was in for a bit of a shock.

"Good afternoon, Madeline." Jessamine said, holding out her hand as the princess reached the top of the stairs. "I'm Jessamine."

Madeline just looked at her, not saying a word. After a few moments, Jessamine slowly brought her hand down, unsurprised at this reaction.

"This is my husband, Thomas." She said instead, reaching out to grasp Thomas's hand.

"Pleased to meet you." Thomas said, holding out his own hand.

"How do you do?" Madeline replied stiffly, her hands not moving from her sides. "Where is my room?"

"Inside." Jessamine said, dropping Thomas's hand, "How about we take a walk before I show you to your room?" She said, in a voice that broke no argument.

"But I need to freshen up and take a nap before dinner." Madeline protested, her leg shifting as if she wanted to stamp her foot. Jessamine noted this, and resolved to fix this girl's behaviour. She was spoilt, and it was showing. "Why is your sleeve not unravelling?" She asked, confused.

As she said it, Jessamine could feel the questing of another's magic upon her, looking for a weak spot. "I'm a bit more advanced than you." She remarked dryly, picking at her sleeve where the magic was trying to unravel a thread to start pulling it apart. "And I'd advise that you stop." She looked at Madeline, whose face was growing redder and redder.

"I will report you to Lady Devall!" she cried, this time, actually stamping her foot.

"Madeleine, I am Lady Devall." Jessamine said, pulling herself up to her full height, which was considerably taller than Madeline, and looked down at her, full of disappointment and frustration.

Madeline gulped, and hung her head, looking up only as her maid came to stand next to them, taking in the scene. "This is Claire, my maid." Madeline said, looking up at Jessamine as she spoke.

"Welcome Claire." Jessamine said, holding out her hand. "Did Madeleine ask you to come?"

"No," The maid, said, looking at the floor, quickly grasping the offered hand, "The Queen sent me." She spoke softly.

"Of course." Jessamine said smoothly, smoothing the front of her gown, "If you'll follow Thomas to your room, I will detain Madeline only a short while before she will come and join you." She glanced at Thomas, and flashed him a smile. "I'll only be a while." She promised, standing on her tip toes to kiss him on the cheek, then watching him guide the young girl, the same age as them, into the mansion.

"I'm sorry Lady Devall. I didn't recognise you." Madeline had her head down, more at ease talking when there was now no on else there to see her shame and humiliation.

"That," Jessamine said, propping her hands on her hips, "Is besides the point. I accept that you wish you had kept your disgusting behaviour confined, but you didn't. That is something we'll have to work on."

Madeline looked up at her in shock and anger, "You can't do anything to me!" She cried, her temper getting the better of her again.

"Actually, I can. I have a letter to that effect from your father, in my office."

"When you speak to me, you have to use my title." Madeline demanded, her hands on her hips.

"No, I don't." Jessamine said, looking down into the small face, full of anger and fear, "As Lady Enchantress, I actually hold a higher position in the kingdom than you do. All the Lords and Lady's who hold the title do. Normal Lords and Lady's do not." She explained, not seeing a change in the face before her, "I outrank you, and we are informal here. You are now a guest in my household. If your father sees fit to let me address him informally, I see no reason to address you any differently." Jessamine said, "Come, walk with me." And started off down the steps into the garden.