Dissident

Arrangements

A girl of late teen years moved with graceful purpose in the middle of a windowless candle lit room.

The candles flickered as the young woman ended the eighth form. A drop of perspiration rolled from her forehead, landing on her lashes. She blinked.

Tsk, she wasn't concentrating. She winced at the grunt from the priestess, then took a breath and cleared her mind. The priestess' staff rapped twice against the stone floor of the dais, where she sat watching the progress of her pupil.

Kali began the eighth form again, letting her body move through the postures as she'd learned, mentally guiding all intruding thoughts toward the image of the flame she held in her mind, until there was only her and the flame. Until there was only her. She was halfway into the eleventh form when the door burst open and the duchess' maid's voice resounded in the cavernous room.  

"Come, Kali! The duchess has news-"

Kali gave a start and swayed, but lowered her leg gracefully and turned to face the maid. The exertion of the past hour poured from her pores and she blinked for the sweat dripping upon her lashes.

The priestess remained seated, a small frown marring her smooth features as she peered at the intruder to her realm from her dais, but her staff rapped the floor and her voice boomed, "You dare interrupt my lesson-"

Ethel's hands went to her ample hips and she sneered, "You dare keep the duchess waiting?"

The priestess' eyes narrowed as she hissed, "The duke would never-"

"The duke is dead. Her grace the duchess doesn't hold with your illusory traditions."

Kali flicked her gaze between each of the women, and decided to address the duchess's personal maid first. Ethel wouldn't have been sent if a page could have done, but Ethel could, at times, be reasoned with. The High Priestess' dignity was a different matter.

"Ethel," Kali said, "whatever stepmother wants can't wait? I've only -"

Ethel flicked a wave to hurry the girl, "The duchess wants audience with you now. If she wanted to wait, she'd have said so."

Kali sighed deeply, but turned and bowed respectfully to her priestess tutor, "Thank you for honoring me with the gift of your tutelage this day High priestess. I hope one day to be worthy of your effort."

"And one day you may be worthy, young pupil, but not this day," the priestess said, still glaring at the intruder. "Off with you, now. When you return tomorrow I expect you to be better prepared than you were today."

Kali gathered her skirt and rushed after the servant sent by her step-mother, falling into a brisk stride when she caught up to the taller woman. Servant barely acknowledged anyone they passed in the halls and courtyards along their way to meet with the duchess. Whatever it was the duchess wanted must be of incredible import indeed.

"How fares the mood of our duchess this hour?"

"Surly and spiteful if we keep her waiting," Ethel snapped. She spared a glance at the young girl striving to stay apace of her and reached into her apron pocket, "but she was light of heart when she sent me. Here," she handed the girl a soft cloth, "wipe your face. It won't do to sweat in front of your step-mother before you've heard what news she has for you."

When Kali tried to hand the cloth back to Servant, she was told, "You can hold onto that and give it back clean," and was handed a small spray vial of rose water, "and spritz this about you, you smell like a wet puppy. I'll take the spray back."

The two stopped short of the doors behind which the duchess waited. Ethel scrutinized the young girl, tugging her dress straight and smoothing errant curls out of her eyes. She  gave Kali another few sprays from the vial before secreting it back to a pocket. Then she nodded.