The Villainess Doesn't Want to Deal With This Shit

Chapter 9- Stolen Moments and Stolen Children

The days passed quickly at the capital manor. My time was filled with lessons from my new tutors, who all complimented me tutors at home for how far along I was in my education. I, of course, didn't clue them in to the fact that I had already learned most of these things before. I guess that's a point in favor of the American education system... and God knows it has so few points in favor of it.

Father and mother spent a lot of time away from the manor, probably at the trial. Though sometimes father would poke his head in on my lessons when he was free, an odd, thoughtful look on his face.

On my breaks I took tea with grandmother. I didn't even have to call for Hanson, as he was always close by.

Sometimes the two of them seemed to forget I was present, lost in their own little world. I was content to sit back and watch them dance around each other. It was sweet.

I had thought that now that we were in Faramin, where Marcus and Aunt Alex were, I would be able to visit them. But apparently that wasn't allowed. I guess they didn't want the witnesses to interact until after the trial. I hoped they were doing well.

My new magic tutor, a woman named Rina with two familiars (a small, sleek, black and white cat named Moo and a medium sized, shaggy gray dog named... Gray, I guess she named them in childhood), informed me that my father had instructed her to allow me to begin practical lessons, and most of my time spent with her was spent channeling Control through Blizzard and manipulating a single vine until I was too tired to continue. She taught me a few of the chants I could use to better modulate the power, but I was still young and exhausted easily.

If your familiars weren't available, or were too far away, there was a way to use a weaker form of your magic, and she made a point a few times to send mine away so I could practice.

She was a short no nonsense woman that didn't have the same flair for storytelling that Mr. Varen had, but while she was very strict, she wasn't mean.

Once I told her that my telepathic link with my familiars had just developed, and complained about the constant distractions that came with it, she told me a few ways that I could deal with it. We meditated together so I could learn to 'control my inner volume'.

I fell asleep at the end of every day as soon as my head hit the pillow.

Week by week passed with no sign that we were going to be allowed to leave any time soon.

One morning, as I was eating breakfast and steadfastly ignoring Ruger's pleas to share, there was a knock on my door.

"Food?" Ruger asked again hopefully as the door opened.

"No food. This is my food." I told him for the umpteenth time.

I set aside my plate when Katherine let my mother in.

Mother looked worn out, but still had the energy to smile at me as she sat down on the other side of the table, in the chair that Kale wasn't perched on. "Good morning Lessy."

"Good morning mama." I greeted her brightly. "What can I do for you?"

She laughed, "Right to the chase then?" Mother teased.

"I always like her perfume." Blizzard said contentedly as she leapt gracefully up into my mother's lap.

I shrugged good naturedly. "I know you're very busy right now. " I pointed out. "Blizzard likes your perfume." I added after a moment.

"Thank you, Blizzard." She said directly to the purring cat, scratching her behind the furry white ears. Mother's shoulders slumped slightly, and she reached up to rub at her eyes, smearing the light make up there. "I feel like I've been too busy lately." She muttered. Then changed her whole mood. "But not too busy to take my darling daughter shopping today!" She finished cheerfully.