Grown Enchantress (Book #2, Young Witch Series)

Chapter 3

The next day, Madeline's explosion about being asked to work like a servant, went exactly how Jessamine was expecting.

"Lesson one." Jessamine started, getting ready for the verbal lashing that she was sure was coming, "You have to be able to do things without magic before you can do them with magic."

"What does that mean?" Madeline asked, shocked. She had already been upset when asked to change into a plain wool gown, no bright flashes of colour, and no embroidery on it like she always wore. This gown was just plain old brown, the colour of dust.

Jessamine handed her a broom, and picked up another for herself. "This morning, while waiting for your tutors to settle themselves and get your school room ready, we are going to make a start. We haven't used the school room in a long while, and never for so many subjects. I will leave them to what they are best at. While they get that ready for you, we are going to clean. Today, we start with the corridor floor. After that is swept, we will move on to polishing it, and then waxing it. After we are finished, my servants will do the rest of it for today. You and I will be back tomorrow to polish the silver work."

"You mean I have to get my hands dirty?" the princess said with disgust, throwing her broom down in frustration and anger, "Never!"

"Madeline, you don't have much of a choice." Jessamine stated firmly.

"You can't make me." Madeline sat down, hands crossed over her chest, and a pout on her face.

"Have it your way then." Jessamine said, getting angry, "But you're sitting where I need to sweep."

"Sweep around me then." Madeline said in contempt.

"Fine." Jessamine stood there, and let the broom go. Instead of falling on the ground like Madeline expected, she watched in fascination as the broom moved its way over to her, and started to sweep her along the floor, kicking and squealing.

"Let me up! Let me up! Why can't I get up?" Madeline screamed, expecting to see people running into the corridor from all directions. What she didn't know, and Jessamine had no intention of telling her, was that everyone had been told that, under no circumstances, no matter what they heard or saw, no one was to come into the corridor until the bell rang. Since everyone in the house was used to magic, and Madeline had already rubbed many of them the wrong way at dinner and breakfast, they were more than happy to listen to her squeals of displeasure at the thought of working, and went about their own chores.

"Are you going to work now?" Jessamine asked after a while, when Madeline had been silent for a bit. The broom was still pushing her backwards and forwards on the floor, using her as a big wiper for the dust. Madeline could already see the front of her gown was filthy from being pushed around the floor.

"No." She said sullen.

"Okay. Because you're going to have to be shaken out soon. You're getting full of dust." Jessamine calmly went back to her book, turning another page.

"Shaken out?" Madeline asked, looking in horror at Jessamine. "Shaken out how?"

"Usually, I shake rags out the window."

Madeline looked out the nearest window as she went past it. All she could see was sky from her position on the floor, and she knew they were on the second or third story. The corridor had had the rugs pulled up so that they could sweep, and Madeline had watched as they were hung half out of the window to air.

"You're going to shake me out of one of these windows?" She squeaked.

"Oh yes. You're much to dirty to be walking about on my nice clean floor." Jessamine turned another page in her book.

"You wouldn't dare." Madeline said, trying to put as much confidence into her voice as she could, but she wasn't sure. Already that morning, many of her fine gowns had been sent home, as well as Claire. Jessamine had decided after the horrible behaviour towards the servants, many of whom ate dinner with Jessamine and Thomas each evening, that Madeline didn't deserve to have a maid. Jessamine had written a note to the Queen saying that Madeline could have Claire back, when she earned the right to have a maid.

Madeline had also lost all of her hair ribbons, and pins, and her hair was now tied back in a simple plait, tied up with some string. She had lost all of her shoes, except on pair of fine slippers, to go with the one gown she had kept, and one pair for what Jessamine called her morning lessons, simple black shoes, a pair for her afternoon lessons, a simple leather wrap around Jessamine had bought for her, and a pair of bed shoes, since she was a sleepwalker. Jessamine had also said she was confined to the house until she earnt the next pair of shoes, which was some walking boots. She would then have to earn her riding clothes back, not that she was expecting her horse for several weeks.

"Time to shake you out." Jessamine said, placing a bookmark in her book and gently putting it down on the small table next to her.

"No!" Madeline said, trying to scramble backwards, but she couldn't. "No, no, no!" She felt herself slide upwards, upwards until her feet were dangling up off the floor. "You can't do this to me!"

"Are you going to sweep the floor then?" Jessamine asked sweetly, coming to stand next to her. With Madeline hanging up off the floor, they were the same height.

"Yes!" Promised Madeline, desperate to get her feet back on solid ground, "Yes I'll sweep, and mop, and polish, and wax, and anything. Just don't hang me out that window!" She begged, tears streaming down her face.

"Good." Jessamine said, slowly lowering her to the ground, letting her feet touch the ground softly, almost as if she was just taking a step.

Madeline sank to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. She looked up, startled, as Jessamine hung a strip of cloth in her face, and gently pulled her to her feet.

"I wouldn't really shake you, just hang you out there." She said softly, drying the younger girl's tears. "You need to learn you're a person, just like the rest of us. I'm a grand lady, or so they tell me," She grinned, "And I can get down on my knees and scrub, just like a servant. If I can do it, so can you. My knees have hurt, so has my back, and my arms. My hands have been raw from scrubbing and washing dishes. My hair has been knotty, my dresses filthy, and my hands felt like they would be impossible to get clean some days. But I learnt, and I became good at what I do. I learnt just how hard servants work to keep us happy. I learnt how to do things for myself. And it's a lesson you need to learn as well. If you know how servants get treated, and the work they have to do, you will be kind to them. In turn, they will be loyal to you. Loyalty buys more than coin." She tucked the strip of cloth back into her gown, and stepped back. "Are you ready to learn?"

"Yes." Madeline whispered, looking at the ground. "Can I go and change?"

"Be quick, and bring the gown back. I'll show you how to beat it clean after you sweep." Jessamine said, going back to her book, "I'll be waiting."