Partial Royalty

CHAPTER 8

A week elapsed since Amelia's leave; Jasper hadn't left his room since then. Meals and refreshments were delivered to his quarters respectively, but he made no attempts to touch any of them. He was still too shaken from the recent events.

A knock reverberated across the room and then a voice resounded.

"Your Highness, the Princess Courtney Rizelle Hames of Lemainry will be arriving soon. She will be staying here for a week as per requested by His highness, the King. He too mentioned you get acquainted with her highness." The boy turned a deaf ear, nuzzling into the covers in search of comfort. The King took the liberty to summon her in behalf of Jasper. But it was clear he was indisposed to meet her. He thought it was another one of his father's methods to distract him from his phase, but he deemed it futile as there was nothing that could plausibly draw him away from it at any rate. His parents had already shed light to the circumstances of her departure but leaving so soon like that, he wasn't prepared.

"The queen requires your presence downstairs as well," Still he refused to respond. His mother knew better than anyone about the state he was in, so why bother call him now? With this in mind, he bawls his hands into fists and abandoned himself to his sorrow.

"Where are we going mother?" Amelia asks her mother who had been nothing but quiet the entire travel.

"We are off to a school where you will be taught how it's like to be a proper lady." She reflected nonchalantly. It was a school that molds a girl into a woman, to become the ideal lady that her mother sought. Amelia was pining for Jasper, who she had left for this measly purpose.

"But I don't want to go."

"You cannot refuse, it is I who decides here."
Her mother replied with a raised brow. Perhaps it was only customary she had to take the lessons, thought Amelia. She hadn't been too conscious about it though, so it might be about time she took this seriously.
After a short while, when their carriage had skid to a halt in front of what seemed to be the gates of her soon to be home, a stout older woman came forth to greet the newcomers by the drive. Amber leaves first and Amelia follows behind.

"Ah, Good day madam." Greeted the lady who had her graying hair tied neatly into a bun and whose posture of grace and elegance; quite befitting a woman of blue blood. "This must be Miss Amelia you spoke of." The woman sounded disappointed rather than welcoming, she had an authoritative ring in her tone and emitted a sense of superiority that Amelia felt small beneath her gaze.

"Correct," And as the Queen replied, she urged her daughter towards the woman.

"I'll make a lady out of her in no time, I
assure you." Said the woman.

"I best take my leave now," said the Queen. Amelia remained silent. She presumed this a propitious moment to take everything in, one by one.

"Bon débarras, Amelia."

The woman ushers Amelia through the foyer, everything looked so different. So lifeless and boring. Her eyes met a two meter wide stairway the second she entered, a black, dim chandelier hanging by the ceiling, red curtains mantled the windows. Gray walls encompassed them that matched the black marble floor beneath. The woman ringed a bell and girls about Amelia's age who wore a similar uniform with the same braided pigtails sprawled into sight.

"Good morning, Madam Ofelia." They greeted with a curtsy.

"I'd like to introduce to you a new friend, Miss Regina Amelia Creesha Francine Knoxxlington."

"Good evening, Regina." The girls greet in unison.

"Lady Regina will be staying with us for three years, so please treat her with utmost kindness."