A month passed them in a blink of the eye, and Lenore found her group of girls had grown from just Krine and Ophelia to almost twenty women in total that had joined their cause. They made scrolls together and protested areas that the university council had deemed appropriate.
After a long day, Lenore and Ophelia had said goodbye to the others and returned to their dorm. The hammering of nails could be heard as far as the flower court, which is where they met Santh who was coming in as well.
He had been watching over them, mostly Ophelia and the other girls as Lenore was all but ignored by those that didn't agree with their message. His attempts were in the shadows as he didn't want them to believe he supported their actions, but he had grown tired of Ophelia's bruised arms or stained clothing from the thrown foods.
He had discovered that he was not the only one concerned and had more than once seen Krius spying on the protesting women. The adviser had even shoved a man over that had punched one of the girls in the arm, even though it had nothing to do with Lenore. Krius seemed just as concerned as he was, but he knew better than to speak to the large man as much as he would rather coordinate so they weren't covering the same ground.
The large adviser had attempted to beat him only a month before, but his concern made Santh realize that perhaps he was a worthy Mondue even if he was part of the Royal Party. Though it had raised questions as to why the Princess seemed to loath him as well as fear him.
Lenore had noticed Santh lingering, but she knew better than to say anything to him about his actions. If he was hiding behind the trees, he obviously thought he was being stealthy and she would allow him his silent protector assignment.
As they entered the dirt court without a word spoken, they could see that Jolon had been rather busy on his rest day. Though he had been building the canopies after classes, he hadn't been able to get much done.
Anton was nearby sanding down the table that he and Jolon had built together. Though Anton was a thatcher, he was able to pick up Jolon's skills rather quickly though he was no master carpenter yet.
There was a large canopy in the center of the court that still hadn't received it's roof but the frame work was all in place. He had been ordered by Santh and Remus to finish the girls' canopy behind the dorm first and since it was smaller he had agreed without much of a fuss.
They were simple constructions as he didn't want to build anything that would eventually be pulled down. Both canopies were merely a square roof on four secured legs. The one in the dirt court had to be large enough to cover the table they were building as well as the beds. It wasn't pretty, but it would do the job that it was built for.
Santh watched as the girls praised the two commoners for their hard work that day as none of the canopy frame had been completed when they left that morning. When Jolon informed them that their canopy was finished, they retreated behind the dorm.
Remus appeared next to him after he had left the university grounds to attend to some business. "My, they were certainly busy today."
Santh nodded his head.
"I assume you were as well, considering the number of girls is growing. Are you certain that I can not hire others to lend a hand?"
Santh had no idea how Remus had learned of his activities but he had long ago decided to stop asking Remus how he came into so much knowledge. "They are behind the dorm. Keep your voice down." He mumbled. "My answer is and will always remain no. If you continue to pester me over the topic, then..." He cut himself of as Remus began to walk away.
"How women fawn over you, I shall never understand. Unbearable." Remus spoke out loud so that everyone within earshot could hear.
Krius returned to the dorm and made his way down the hallway where he found Armand was also in transit to meet with the Prince. The two didn't talk often even though they had been friends their entire lives, but their friendship was a silent one where they could understand each others meaning without much words shared.
Of course, growing up they had been closer even more so then they were with the Prince, but they were separated and forced to pay more attention to their future king. It was perhaps that act that caused them to end any real friendship between them, though when they did talk the closeness was clear enough.
"You have been disappearing quite often, Krius. Getting into trouble?" Armand asked as Krius came to walk beside him.
He grunted a yes.
"I wonder who you have been getting into trouble with. Have you and the Princess reconciled?" He smiled, but it faded when Krius only cast a glare his way.
"Lenore is causing trouble with her protests. If she continues mayhem is bound to follow and the only the message she will send is that she is not a worthy leader." He shook his head. "Since the day she was born all that woman can do is cause chaos and divide people."
Armand chuckled, "Perhaps that is her purpose in life. There are those that hold the belief that how a person is born affects their personality. A child born during battle will become a warrior. A child's birth creating chaos and that is what the child will thirst for." He shrugged his shoulders gently as they began to climb some stairs. "It may be a complete myth, but in her case it seems to fit."
As they approached, Lesatan's study, Krius opened the door to find that Lesatan nor Enoch had arrived yet. Stepping inside, Krius leaned against the wall while Armand sat in the chair in front of the desk.
Krius was growing weary of watching over Lenore and he had seen the Mondue from her dorm nearby as well. When he noticed that the man was protecting all the women and not just Lenore, he felt as if the man was attempting to prove himself the better. This prompted Krius to also assist all of the women from any abuse that they were receiving which created more work for the adviser. However, he would not let that Mondue commoner prove himself to Lenore when Krius knew he was more than capable.
"These actions may bring down the Queen's ire, and how long will that last before she acts against Lenore?" Krius asked after the two had sat in silence for several moments. He turned from leaning against his arm so that his back was against the wall and he could see Armand.
Armand pulled the leather strap from his blonde hair and quickly pulled it back into a ponytail, before he spoke. "Lenore doesn't even sneeze unless there is a outcome that she has planned or a reason that will benefit her or whomever she is doing the action for."
"Are you suggesting that she is truly assisting and believes she can pass this through the school's council?" Krius snorted. "That woman is truly naïve."
"Perhaps if you believed in the woman who you supposedly love, she would have remained at your side." Armand leaned back in his chair and threw his hands over his head as he stretched them. When he finished he yawned as he brought his arms back down and realized that Krius was glaring at him. "Have I offended you?"
Krius did not reply and only continued to glare.
"Ah. I suppose then no matter what you have done, she would not still be at your side? You have never informed me what occurred that would force Lenore's affections to die so quickly?" Armand watched as Krius' face began to grow red with anger. "Very well, friend, keep the secret. It has no bearings on my life."
Lenore sat on her bed behind the dorm with her newly made canopy above her. She was working on her own assignments before the others would begin their study group which she would take charge of as per usual. Her brother had been coming every day and there was some improvement in his marks though he didn't apply himself enough to get anything other than passing.
Walking around the dorm, Santh knew that Ophelia had gone with Remus to check the stall and that the commoners were sitting on their own beds. Routine was also studying and didn't want to be bothered. He had become more upset as time went by that he had no room to himself and would often times ignore everyone while he studied to the point of not acknowledging any one for hours.
"May we speak?" Santh asked as he turned the corner of the dorm and found Lenore reading one of her books.
Marking the page with a small piece of paper, Lenore shut her book and laid it on the bed beside her before reaching over and patting a spot on Ophelia's bed.
He took the offer and sat down, before he began to speak. "I must believe that you are not blind to the injuries that many of the girls are obtaining while protesting. Krine is capable of taking much abuse, but most of the other women are not."
"Well, we all can not be Mondue females, Santh." Lenore informed him with some playfulness in her voice.
He did not smile in reaction, but instead kept his face stoic. "Ophelia has bruises, twisted joints, food matted in her hair, and that is what I can remember initially."
"They have yet to complain to me, which tells me that you are speaking on their behalf without their permission." She cleared her throat as she leaned back on her arms. "I understand that you are concerned which is more than obvious from your attempts to watch the protests from the shadows, but I do not believe it is your place to speak for them."
He tried to ignore that she knew he had been watching them and continue with what he had planned to say. "I have to watch over them as their Princess certainly isn't."
Lenore cocked her head to the side as she looked into his eyes. "I can not be in all places at once. I informed each and every one of these women personally that this would be a difficult challenge. There are many that do not want wish to see an equilibrium between the sexes, and they may stop at nothing to ensure this does not happen."
Santh snorted, "Well then I suppose if one of them is beaten to death, it matters not as you did inform them that there would be negative consequences."
Lenore scoffed.
"Your world is a very different place, Princess. No one will ever dare to speak against you or place their hands upon you." Santh pointed at her briefly. "Protection of the highest order stands on guard to ensure your safety, but yet you lead others into danger and demand that they stand willing to take the consequences for your actions."
She nodded her head, "I agree, Santh. No one dares to cause me any harm, but I already have the right to stay as long as I like. They know that I will never become a target and they understand. I am not there to bleed along side them, but to lead them through the treacherous forest. My purpose is to make the people listen to their plight, while they fight on the field."
Santh's jaw clenched as he stood up. "You shall always be a selfish child." He snapped before beginning to walk away.
"You grow angry when you see someone of power allowing those without to fight their battles for them. It reminds you of your father, does it not?"
He stopped walking and merely looked over his shoulder without giving a response.
"The greatest tragedy of all is that your father was not a man without power, not a man without say. Varden Aguilar was a true warrior, who loved his king, and who chose to fight for him instead of beside him." Lenore stood up from her bed as Santh turned around.
Santh's nose was crinkled and his eyes barely opened as if he was holding back from attacking the woman before him. "Your mouth shall never speak his name again. No member of the Cromwell family has any right to butcher my father's memory."
Lenore slowly shook her head as she watched Santh storm away. "Ignorant ogre."
Lesatan sat at his desk as he tapped his nails against the dark wood. Krius and Enoch pressed themselves against the wall while Armand sat in his chair. A new member had been brought into the group, and Piera sat calmly beside Armand. She did not understand why the Prince had demanded she be present for these types of meetings, but she was beginning to find herself involved in them more and more. She had seen his temper more than once now and she kept the fear inside her heart always.
"Can anyone tell me exactly what Lenore is planning now?" Lesatan's voice was calm but there was a clear hint of aggravation.
The three men looked between each other as if they were trying to comprehend what exactly the Prince was asking for.
"Princess Lenore is attempting to help other females have the right to stay within the school for as long as they deem fit." Piera informed him. "Males have such a right."
Lesatan turned his attention to her, "Most males are allowed four years depending on their status, anything more than that and they are frowned upon. Females need to remain within their given positions and not attempt to rise above and marry outside their party."
"I am."
He looked at her with curiosity.
"I am marrying outside the Souchan party and into the Royal Party, am I not?" She swallowed unsure if she was prodding his very sensitive nerves.
Lesatan chuckled which cause Krius and Enoch to chuckle as well. "Political reasoning not withstanding, of course. I also recall that you will remain at the university longer in order to complete your ability to enter into my party."
Piera frowned, "I fail to see why Lenore and I would gain special privileges while every other woman no matter her reasons must be forced to use this school in an attempt to find a husband. Wouldn't it be better if women took their schooling more seriously, and honestly better for the males that stay longer to have their future spouses at hand such as what you are doing with my person."
The Prince cleared his throat and turned to his advisers, "I must knew the true reason behind Lenore's actions. The entire council can not ignore that she is rousing the students like this for very long before the professors begin to step in to ask why we have allowed this nuisance to remain ongoing." He then turned his attention back to Piera, "Let us eat together in half an hour. Armand, please, escort milady to her chambers."
Armand stood and offered out his arm to assist Piera and they both exited the room together. She could only frown and stare at the floor as she walked together with the adviser. It was a constant question in her mind whether Lesatan had heard her at all, or if she wasn't meant to speak and just sit there to agree with him. After a couple moments, she felt Armand pat her hand and she turned her attention to him. He smiled gently at her.
"You are doing well, Piera." He assured her. "Lesatan offers you a great deal more respect then he does to any of us. You find that I speak less when you are around as you are a voice of reason that Lesatan is willing to hear."
"Truly? It does not feel that way."
Armand grinned, "Lesatan has always been a difficult one to read and he is constantly trying to prove that he is a true man to his father, which I believe bleeds over to every man. However, when it comes to women in his life that he cares for or wishes to care for in your case, he makes a great deal of concessions to them."
"I fail to see how he does so for Lenore... eh, Princess Lenore." Piera stopped in front of her door as Armand opened it for her to step inside, but she remained in the hallway next to him.
"As you spend more time around him, you will see the truth about Lesatan's feelings for his sister. Surely, you witnessed how he reacted when a man dared to touch his sister without her permission. He has never told her that he did such a thing, but if I know Lenore, and I do, she has long ago heard of his attempts to make right that situation." He patted her shoulder. "Prepare for dinner, milady."
The group sat out in the dirt court, the girls sitting on pillows on the ground while they waited for Dalton to arrive for study group. Laughter filled the air as they chatted and Ophelia told of tales of how strangers in this school now look at her as if she has finally become the insane woman they always thought her to be.
Remus sat on his bed and crushed peanuts with his fingers before handing the meat over to Ophelia and Lenore who were sitting near his bed. Santh was positioned on the other side of the court and seemed to be sulking, though no one knew the story as to why, they could all tell that it had something to do with Lenore by the way he would glare at her.
Jolon and Anton sat on the same bed as they discussed what might be brought for dinner today. Routine normally answered the question, but he had gone to wash himself in the stream. He claimed that he could smell himself the entire day, though no one else thought he had any unusual odor emanating from him.
"Anton, I nearly forgot." Jolon pointed to the basket near his friend's bed. "When I arrived after class, there was a letter for you from home."
Lifting his eyebrows, Anton moved around the bed and grabbed his letter from the basket before sitting down on his own bed. He opened it and began to read it to himself, and the longer he read the more the small smirk on his lips began to vanish. When he was finished, he tossed the letter into his basket and grabbed one of his study scrolls.
"I am going to begin early." He mumbled to everyone before pulling himself completely onto his bed and beginning his work.
Jolon and Lenore shared a look that informed the other that they understood. No doubt the letter was from Anton's father and he had once more scolded his son for not getting absolutely perfect marks.
Santh noticed the odd behavior as well, and after a few moments of silence he spoke. "I wonder, Lenore, how long to you plan to keep these protests in motion?"
Lenore turned her attention to him and then to Ophelia, "That all depends on how long the girls involved want to keep trying."
Ophelia grinned, "Then it shall remain until females are welcomed to stay longer than two years."
"I have a great deal of patience, Ophelia. That is a course of action that I can partake in." Lenore told her with a smile on her lips.
The answer annoyed Santh and he turned his back on them while remaining in his bed. Remus watched him and shook his head as he crushed another nut before handing it to Ophelia. "One for the chipmunk." He said before crushing another and handing it to Lenore, "And one for the squirrel."
"Why am I a chipmunk and she a squirrel?" Ophelia asked playfully. Since she was sitting between Lenore and Remus, she had to look back and forth to see their faces.
"Because you are small, cute and darling," Remus touched the tip of her nose quickly with his fingers that were covered in a peanut scent. "and she is beautiful as the squirrel has that elaborate tail, but an outright pest." Remus teased.
Lenore stuck out her tongue that was caked with peanuts. "I'll show you a squirrel." Reaching into the bowl next to Remus, she grabbed a handful of nuts and began to put them into her cheeks. Ophelia laughed before doing the same thing and when both of their cheeks were full, Lenore began to squeak which caused Santh to roll over and look at them.
Ophelia followed her actions and even brought her hands up as she pulled a nut from her mouth. She broke it with her front teeth and began to slowly nimble on it.
Remus and Jolon laughed loudly, as Anton watched with a grin on his lips. He heard a chuckle from beside him and looked to Santh who was shaking his head at the display.
Jolon mumbled an excuse to exit the dorm before the study group began and found his way to the secret meeting place that he and Saena had chosen. Though it was so near the servant's path that it made little sense why Saena called it a secret. She had slipped a note into his letters that day asking to meet with him and discuss a serious topic.
It wasn't long before Saena appeared with a basket full of clean linens. She hurried off the path and sat down behind the bushes with her basket to her side. Jolon noticed that she tried to give him a smile, but she was nervous. She fidgeted with a couple loose strands of her blonde hair as she cleared her throat.
"Is something the matter?" Jolon finally asked her when she seemed unable to begin the conversation.
Saena looked up into his eyes as Jolon sat cross legged in front of her. "My father wants to trade me to another family. He can not afford to continue to feed me and my other siblings, and I must know are we friends or is there more?"
The questioned shocked him into silence.
"The reason I ask is because if you plan more for us, then perhaps I could convince my father to keep..." She fell silent when Jolon began to shake his head.
"Saena, I do feel more for you then friendship but I can not lead you into believing there is a future for us." Jolon watched as the girl before him slowly went pale. "If I had plans to remain in the Commoners' Guild and take over the Carpenters from my father, then there would be a chance. However, I have plans to remain at this school for four years, I wish to move into another party and have more for myself. My father wishes this for me as well. You must understand."
Saena swallowed and looked down at her fingers that were pulling on the cloth of her dress. "I am in the Servant's Guild and without proper schooling I could never enter into another party with you."
Jolon nodded his head.
"Knowing this, you have never kissed me in order to respect my feelings?" Saena's voice was shaken and she appeared to be holding back her tears.
"I did not wish for you to believe any future existed where there was none."
Standing up, Saena picked up her basket and stared down at the man still sitting before her. "I understand and wish you well, Jolon. I will not be able to meet with you in the future as my father would not approve. He has already found someone that he believes would make a suitable husband for me, a traveling merchant that agreed last year and still writes my father. When he arrives in the summer, I shall be given to him."
The commoner stood up as she spoke while he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "I am truly regretful of this situation, Saena. I do not approve of your father selling you to a stranger. You are not property."
Saena snorted but tried to keep the look of disgust from her face though it did little good as her voice carried the tone well enough. "Of course, you do not live in a world where your family might starve if you do not leave and gain them coin to feed themselves for one more year. As a female in the servant's guild, it is my duty."
"I meant no offense." He reached out his hand to touch her shoulder, but she quickly pulled away so he could not touch her.
"Goodbye, Jolon. I do wish you the best." Saena made her way back to the servant's path where a group of servants were making their way to the stream with baskets of their own.
Dalton had his scrolls and books pulled up against his chest as he began his journey from his dorm to the unmentionables dorm. The paths were crowded as students were either studying with others or on their way to their own dorms to dress for dinner. Though they were crowded, everyone gave him a wide berth as if they did not wish for him to brush against them.
Nearby Jolon was making his way back to the dorm as well and noticed that the man seemed nervous as he moved through the crowd. He didn't know what possessed him, but he decided to walk near the Vinson and speak to him.
The Princess' brother seemed surprised when he began to walk beside him, but did not react negatively. It was almost as if he was relieved to have someone walking with him even if it was a member of the Commoners' Party.
"Your face does not seem to hold the same enjoyment as it did the day before." Dalton finally spoke and tried to ignore that everyone was watching them or so he felt was the case.
Jolon looked up at him, "I am afraid that I had to end a good relationship this eve."
He nodded, "With a woman?" Dalton watched the boy nod and then began to speak once more. "As a Vinson, I would know nothing of issues with women. Most hear my last name and become terrified and those that do not are certainly not meant for the bed. Assassins or those with a longing desire for what ever profits you may have."
There was a curiosity if Dalton knew how paranoid he sounded, but Jolon wasn't going to question him as this was the first time that the Vinson had ever spoken to him as an equal. "I never did anything unsavory with her. She believes it was because I was never looking for a future with her, but in truth I never had the courage to act."
"Perhaps, that is my downfall as well." He more spoke to himself than to the man walking beside him.
They walked together half way to the dorm before Jolon decided to chance another conversation with him. "May I be so bold as to ask a personal question?"
Dalton raised his eyes from watching the ground to the commoner beside him. "As long as I may deny answering it, if I feel it invades my privacy."
Jolon gave a nod before speaking, "May I ask why you and your family despise Lenore? Your mother in particular seems truly spiteful toward her."
There was a small smirk on his lips before he spoke, "As you know Lenore is the King's daughter that he produced with my servant mother. Queen Aletta is also a Vinson, her mother was a cruel woman that wanted nothing but power and wealth for her daughter. When the King was to be married, his bride was told of the pregnancy and her father ended the marriage. He had no other family to turn to in order to keep the ceremony on track as it was a difficult time for the people."
The commoner wasn't certain what this had to do with his question, but he continued to walk next to him and listen intently.
"Entire fields were eaten away by pests and the King's marriage was meant to be a bright spot in their lives. Queen Aletta was chosen by the Vinsons since she was a small and beautiful, and she agreed to not mind the bastard child. When she arrived, she was not pleased with my mother's constant attention toward the King especially when she became pregnant herself." Dalton looked over at him to see if he was still interested.
Jolon gave a nod to inform him that he was mentally available in those moments.
"The Queen decided to marry her to the Duke, her cousin as he believed from two previous marriages that he was unable to have a child. The King agreed as he did not wish to cause an incident with his new bride, and the unborn babe and my mother were sent away. My mother married the Duke and he called the child his own, but my mother always loathed her as she believed she would still be in the King's bed if she never become with child." Dalton licked his lips. "As for myself, my sister was forced to live in the stables as my mother hated her, and I would sneak food out to her using the stable boys. She promised me that when she was older that she would help the Vinsons break the curse surrounding them, but when she was twelve and I was ten, she went to visit her father and never returned. Not one letter written. She had abandoned us."
"I see." Jolon did not know what else to say to him.
"She left us to live the life of vile Vinsons, while she was able to become a Cromwell and live a life of luxury." Dalton pressed his lips together in disgust. "She is no better than anyone else, and certainly not the sister that I loved."
Jolon remain silent. He hadn't expected such an honest answer from the man, but something told him that he was rarely spoken to and he enjoyed the moments that he could have any conversation. He decided that he would remember this as Dalton never seemed opened to any friendship, but he was beginning to understand him in many ways. They had more in common with him then he had lead himself to believe.
Piera passed Dalton on his way out of the dirt court. They both looked each other over with uncertainty but said nothing as they passed by. Once she entered the court, she made her way over to her brother's bed and sat down at the end nearly sitting on Routine's feet.
Anton and Jolon were each on their own beds studying, while Lenore and Ophelia sat on pillows on the ground as they finished up their tasks over their desks. Remus and Santh were conversing while sitting on the stairs of the dorm. It was as if Piera's presence made absolutely no difference in their lives, and part of her enjoyed that as everyone else seemed to bend over backwards to pay their full attention to her.
"Lenore." Piera spoke after a couple moments which made the Princess look up. She seemed surprise to see Piera there. "I have not asked this of you since that night, but tell me why you gave my name to your brother as a suitable queen." She needed to know the truth as she hadn't been able to visit in the passed month, and though her temper had died down, she was still upset by the decision that was made without her.
Lenore looked back down at the scroll she was writing on, "I did not. He summoned me and asked if I knew any women that would be suitable. I told him that I only knew two women, Ophelia and yourself. Therefore, congratulations, you are a better option than Ophelia."
The sweet girl sitting beside her frowned and stuck out her bottom lip. "Wait, I don't want to marry him either." Ophelia spoke out loud to herself before smiling and returning to her work.
"It is an odd decision on our parent's part." Routine spoke still reading the book in his hands as his back leaned against the headboard of his bed. "It would be counterproductive politically for the Prince and Princess to marry siblings."
Lenore stopped writing and looked up at Routine, "I had not thought of that. Surely, he will be plotting some way to end our engagement if he hasn't already come to an agreement with your parents."
"Wouldn't you be the Souchan Guild Leader's wife and not his adviser if you married Routine?" Anton asked from the other bed. "Isn't that what he wants from you? An adviser?"
Lenore gave a brief nod.
"Byron, not Routine." Routine mumbled under his breath as he continued to study from his book.
"It is interesting that you would bring such a topic up," Piera began. "there was a meeting today between the Prince and his advisers about you. I was present..." She stopped speaking when Lenore lifted her hand in an attempt to end her from speaking.
Getting up on her knees, Lenore nearly crawled over to Routine's bed and placed her hands on Piera's knees. "Listen closely, Piera. I tell you this as a way to save you from my brother's wrath, and not in any way attempt to toss you out. Understand?"
"I understand."
"You must never tell me or any one close to me of my brother's plots or even his meetings with others. I must never be told." Lenore watched as Piera's facial expressions told of her confusion. "There would be only two outcomes. Eventually, Lesatan would narrow down who the spy is and have you punished, or I would be forced to knowingly walk into his traps in order to protect you." Still, it looked as if Lenore was speaking another language to the woman though she believed herself to be completely reasonable in her explanations. "As his future bride, you must never betray him in any manner. If you two do wed, he must trust you completely. May I have your word?"
Piera looked uncertain as to why Lenore would protect her brother, and the others in the court didn't seem to understand the Princess' intent either. "You have may word. I shall not betray his trust."
Patting her knee, Lenore stood up and walked back to her desk where she returned to her work while Piera turned her attention to her brother. He could see her confusion, but in truth he didn't know Lenore's reasons any more than she did.
"Will you assist me in ending the engagement?" Piera asked and the question made Lenore's eyes snap up to view her.
"I am afraid that I can not cause that sort of trouble for him." Lenore frowned and her heart went out to the girl. "He would never forgive..."
"How dare you show yourself here!" Santh's voice broke through the conversation and the others looked toward the dirt path where Authin stood, as Santh stomped his way over to the man.
Lesatan sat calmly on the bed in the empty bedroom. The scent that a woman had taken over the room lingered in the air as a mixture of perfumes and lotions. All of which were floral in nature, which was a great contrast to his sister that always smelled like butter cream and his mother that had the harsh scent of what he could only describe as forest or perhaps wood.
Of course, he wasn't in the room to sniff it and had come to speak to Piera about the rumors he had heard of her sleeping with other men and sneaking out late at night. He had told Enoch that he was a twit when he informed his Prince and told the adviser not to listen to such rumors. Immediately he had gone to search for Piera as he wanted to inform his future bride that people were speaking of her negatively so they could create a plan to better assist her in the eyes of the people.
He knocked several times before entering after hearing no one respond from the other side. She had excused herself to bed and he wondered if perhaps she had already fallen asleep, but after hearing such rumors he had decided to take a look for himself and found the room empty.
It had been two hours since he had entered and there was no sign of her returning. He had sent Krius out to look for her around the dorm, in case she had simply gone for a walk, but he returned without her.
The window to his left began to rattle as a girl in her sleep wear appeared as she pushed the window open and stepped inside. She didn't seem to notice that the Prince was sitting on her bed, and brushed down her clothing before checking it for any foreign items such as leaves. When she was satisfied she closed the windows and turned to make her way to the bed, but Lesatan stood from the bed the moment she spotted him.
Her heart began to flicker with fear, but she stood firm as Lesatan made his way around the bed post with all the grace and composure one would expect from a prince. He came to a stop in front of her and looked down at the woman who defiantly returned his gaze.
"There are rumors that you have been leaving your room at night to meet with men." Lesatan laughed bitterly. "When I heard such a thing, I thought for certain that these were lies created by the masses in hopes to turn me against you. What a great surprise it was for me to find your room empty when I came to discuss these issues with you."
"I'm not..."
He began to speak over her, "I specifically addressed this issue and we agreed that you would not meet with men any longer, did we not?"
"Yes, and I am not meeting with men, milord." She hurried to spit it out before he could interrupt her again.
His eyes held nothing but disdain for the woman before him as he chuckled. "Then where am I to believe you are disappearing to?"
"Before tonight, I was wandering about the hamlet. I was attempting to get a moment to myself and enjoy the very place that you forbid me to go alone."
"And tonight?" He crossed his arms. She could see that he didn't believe a word that she had just said.
Piera cleared her throat, "I was visiting your sister and her dorm mates."
Her previous explanation no longer mattered to the Prince. "My future bride should not be consorting with such people or visiting places beneath her status."
"Your sister, whom I would assume is far above my status, lives there and I see you take no action against her gallivanting about unescorted. I ask why I have to be followed by guards as if I am your prisoner?" Piera raised her voice and stepped forward. This action caused Lesatan to take a step back and she moved him toward the door.
"My sister is a malcontent, a delinquent. A unsophisticated child raised amongst servants and horses, who insults the name of the Cromwell family since her birth." Lesatan hissed.
Piera stared into his eyes as he glared down into her own. "Did your mother have you rehearse those lines?"
The question caught him off guard as Piera reached around him and opened the door for him. "My friends and my brother live in that dorm. I was visiting that place long before you knew my name and I shall continue to do so."
"I forbid you! The future Queen can not be seen..."
"The future Queen shall do as she pleases, just as the present Queen does. I am not your prisoner and I will have free range at this school as much as the future King does." She stepped into him once more causing him to step out of the room. "Finally, we are not yet wed, you should not enter my room, especially if you fear rumors." With that said Piera slammed then door and quickly leaned against it as she took a deep breath. She was going to regret her actions in the morning of that she was certain.
Lenore stood in the forefront of the group with her arms crossed while the others stood behind her, even Ophelia was more than willing to join in and stare down the man who had dared to enter the court. All but Routine had to stop Santh from going after the boy while convincing Piera that she did not wish to be here as this would be something that Lesatan would desire knowledge of.
Authin's clothing was dirty and his hair was not well managed. There was some dirt under his jawline and near his ears as if he was washing in the stream but not getting completely naked to go all the way in.
The Princess had noticed him around the classrooms and she had heard what her brother had done to the man. Lesatan could not beat a man nearly to death even if it is in the middle of the night and word not get to her. Secretly, she had told him because she knew that only her brother could truly punish him, but even after what he had done she was beginning to believe this had gone too far. His life was being ruined and she hadn't truly wanted that.
Without saying a word, Authin dropped to his knees and placed his hands in the dirt before him as he kept his head lowered. "I beg of you, Princess Lenore. Forgive my actions and allow me to become part of this dorm."
"No." Santh grunted and was about to move forward when Lenore raised her hand to stop him. To the surprise of all, Santh listened to her silent command though he seemed ready to pounce on the Royal the moment she gave the signal. Routine was standing beside him and placed his hand on the large man's shoulder which was unusual for the Souchan to touch anyone other than Lenore.
Authin continued. "I have been thrown from my dorm. I am missing roll calls and meals. I have had to sleep around the dorms and hide from the guards at night. It won't be very long before I am ejected from the school entirely."
"Why should I show mercy?" Lenore asked.
The question was spoken in a heartless manner that nearly sounded like Lesatan was speaking and not Lenore. Remus and Routine mostly noticed the similarity and could barely look away from the angry woman at that point.
"I wasn't attempting to force you, not in the manner that you believe. You would truly be surprised how many stubborn women give into the act once you begin. I acted carelessly as I desperately wanted the part of adviser that your brother promised me, but if I can not have that reward I need to finish my classes." He briefly turned his head to look up at her and then lowered it again. "I beg you to show me mercy just once. If ever I make eye contact or show I am comfortable around your person in anyway, I will accept being thrown from this dorm as well."
Lenore turned her attention to Ophelia whose harden eyes were now full of sympathy for the man. "If at anytime I dislike your presence or your behavior, you will be removed from the dorm."
"Thank you." Tears could be heard in his voice.
"You would allow this cretin to stay among us?" Santh snarled.
She turned her eyes to him. "Ophelia and I are the only ones in danger, and I believe my dorm mate and I agree."
Ophelia nodded her head when the Princess looked at her.
Santh's chest puffed up as he looked down at the man still laying on the ground, "I shall be watching you." He hissed before turning around and hurrying to his bed. He laid down and threw the blankets over his head like a pouting child.
Routine and Remus lost interest in the ordeal when the verdict was made and also went to their beds.
"Ask Jolon and Anton nicely, and they may assist you in retrieving a bed." Lenore told Authin before heading around the dorm to her own bed with Ophelia close on her heels.
Authin looked up at the two commoners.
"You shall be sleeping next to Santh." Jolon spat. He wasn't pleased with the decision and didn't understand why Lenore had been allowed to make it without anyone's input.
Anton said nothing as he made his way toward the falling dorm to help fetch a bed. Authin hurried to stand and follow after the two commoners. He didn't know what good he would be in moving the piece of furniture but he would try to assist as he didn't want to appear worthless on his first day as an Unmentionable.
After a long day, Lenore and Ophelia had said goodbye to the others and returned to their dorm. The hammering of nails could be heard as far as the flower court, which is where they met Santh who was coming in as well.
He had been watching over them, mostly Ophelia and the other girls as Lenore was all but ignored by those that didn't agree with their message. His attempts were in the shadows as he didn't want them to believe he supported their actions, but he had grown tired of Ophelia's bruised arms or stained clothing from the thrown foods.
He had discovered that he was not the only one concerned and had more than once seen Krius spying on the protesting women. The adviser had even shoved a man over that had punched one of the girls in the arm, even though it had nothing to do with Lenore. Krius seemed just as concerned as he was, but he knew better than to speak to the large man as much as he would rather coordinate so they weren't covering the same ground.
The large adviser had attempted to beat him only a month before, but his concern made Santh realize that perhaps he was a worthy Mondue even if he was part of the Royal Party. Though it had raised questions as to why the Princess seemed to loath him as well as fear him.
Lenore had noticed Santh lingering, but she knew better than to say anything to him about his actions. If he was hiding behind the trees, he obviously thought he was being stealthy and she would allow him his silent protector assignment.
As they entered the dirt court without a word spoken, they could see that Jolon had been rather busy on his rest day. Though he had been building the canopies after classes, he hadn't been able to get much done.
Anton was nearby sanding down the table that he and Jolon had built together. Though Anton was a thatcher, he was able to pick up Jolon's skills rather quickly though he was no master carpenter yet.
There was a large canopy in the center of the court that still hadn't received it's roof but the frame work was all in place. He had been ordered by Santh and Remus to finish the girls' canopy behind the dorm first and since it was smaller he had agreed without much of a fuss.
They were simple constructions as he didn't want to build anything that would eventually be pulled down. Both canopies were merely a square roof on four secured legs. The one in the dirt court had to be large enough to cover the table they were building as well as the beds. It wasn't pretty, but it would do the job that it was built for.
Santh watched as the girls praised the two commoners for their hard work that day as none of the canopy frame had been completed when they left that morning. When Jolon informed them that their canopy was finished, they retreated behind the dorm.
Remus appeared next to him after he had left the university grounds to attend to some business. "My, they were certainly busy today."
Santh nodded his head.
"I assume you were as well, considering the number of girls is growing. Are you certain that I can not hire others to lend a hand?"
Santh had no idea how Remus had learned of his activities but he had long ago decided to stop asking Remus how he came into so much knowledge. "They are behind the dorm. Keep your voice down." He mumbled. "My answer is and will always remain no. If you continue to pester me over the topic, then..." He cut himself of as Remus began to walk away.
"How women fawn over you, I shall never understand. Unbearable." Remus spoke out loud so that everyone within earshot could hear.
---***---
Krius returned to the dorm and made his way down the hallway where he found Armand was also in transit to meet with the Prince. The two didn't talk often even though they had been friends their entire lives, but their friendship was a silent one where they could understand each others meaning without much words shared.
Of course, growing up they had been closer even more so then they were with the Prince, but they were separated and forced to pay more attention to their future king. It was perhaps that act that caused them to end any real friendship between them, though when they did talk the closeness was clear enough.
"You have been disappearing quite often, Krius. Getting into trouble?" Armand asked as Krius came to walk beside him.
He grunted a yes.
"I wonder who you have been getting into trouble with. Have you and the Princess reconciled?" He smiled, but it faded when Krius only cast a glare his way.
"Lenore is causing trouble with her protests. If she continues mayhem is bound to follow and the only the message she will send is that she is not a worthy leader." He shook his head. "Since the day she was born all that woman can do is cause chaos and divide people."
Armand chuckled, "Perhaps that is her purpose in life. There are those that hold the belief that how a person is born affects their personality. A child born during battle will become a warrior. A child's birth creating chaos and that is what the child will thirst for." He shrugged his shoulders gently as they began to climb some stairs. "It may be a complete myth, but in her case it seems to fit."
As they approached, Lesatan's study, Krius opened the door to find that Lesatan nor Enoch had arrived yet. Stepping inside, Krius leaned against the wall while Armand sat in the chair in front of the desk.
Krius was growing weary of watching over Lenore and he had seen the Mondue from her dorm nearby as well. When he noticed that the man was protecting all the women and not just Lenore, he felt as if the man was attempting to prove himself the better. This prompted Krius to also assist all of the women from any abuse that they were receiving which created more work for the adviser. However, he would not let that Mondue commoner prove himself to Lenore when Krius knew he was more than capable.
"These actions may bring down the Queen's ire, and how long will that last before she acts against Lenore?" Krius asked after the two had sat in silence for several moments. He turned from leaning against his arm so that his back was against the wall and he could see Armand.
Armand pulled the leather strap from his blonde hair and quickly pulled it back into a ponytail, before he spoke. "Lenore doesn't even sneeze unless there is a outcome that she has planned or a reason that will benefit her or whomever she is doing the action for."
"Are you suggesting that she is truly assisting and believes she can pass this through the school's council?" Krius snorted. "That woman is truly naïve."
"Perhaps if you believed in the woman who you supposedly love, she would have remained at your side." Armand leaned back in his chair and threw his hands over his head as he stretched them. When he finished he yawned as he brought his arms back down and realized that Krius was glaring at him. "Have I offended you?"
Krius did not reply and only continued to glare.
"Ah. I suppose then no matter what you have done, she would not still be at your side? You have never informed me what occurred that would force Lenore's affections to die so quickly?" Armand watched as Krius' face began to grow red with anger. "Very well, friend, keep the secret. It has no bearings on my life."
---***---
Lenore sat on her bed behind the dorm with her newly made canopy above her. She was working on her own assignments before the others would begin their study group which she would take charge of as per usual. Her brother had been coming every day and there was some improvement in his marks though he didn't apply himself enough to get anything other than passing.
Walking around the dorm, Santh knew that Ophelia had gone with Remus to check the stall and that the commoners were sitting on their own beds. Routine was also studying and didn't want to be bothered. He had become more upset as time went by that he had no room to himself and would often times ignore everyone while he studied to the point of not acknowledging any one for hours.
"May we speak?" Santh asked as he turned the corner of the dorm and found Lenore reading one of her books.
Marking the page with a small piece of paper, Lenore shut her book and laid it on the bed beside her before reaching over and patting a spot on Ophelia's bed.
He took the offer and sat down, before he began to speak. "I must believe that you are not blind to the injuries that many of the girls are obtaining while protesting. Krine is capable of taking much abuse, but most of the other women are not."
"Well, we all can not be Mondue females, Santh." Lenore informed him with some playfulness in her voice.
He did not smile in reaction, but instead kept his face stoic. "Ophelia has bruises, twisted joints, food matted in her hair, and that is what I can remember initially."
"They have yet to complain to me, which tells me that you are speaking on their behalf without their permission." She cleared her throat as she leaned back on her arms. "I understand that you are concerned which is more than obvious from your attempts to watch the protests from the shadows, but I do not believe it is your place to speak for them."
He tried to ignore that she knew he had been watching them and continue with what he had planned to say. "I have to watch over them as their Princess certainly isn't."
Lenore cocked her head to the side as she looked into his eyes. "I can not be in all places at once. I informed each and every one of these women personally that this would be a difficult challenge. There are many that do not want wish to see an equilibrium between the sexes, and they may stop at nothing to ensure this does not happen."
Santh snorted, "Well then I suppose if one of them is beaten to death, it matters not as you did inform them that there would be negative consequences."
Lenore scoffed.
"Your world is a very different place, Princess. No one will ever dare to speak against you or place their hands upon you." Santh pointed at her briefly. "Protection of the highest order stands on guard to ensure your safety, but yet you lead others into danger and demand that they stand willing to take the consequences for your actions."
She nodded her head, "I agree, Santh. No one dares to cause me any harm, but I already have the right to stay as long as I like. They know that I will never become a target and they understand. I am not there to bleed along side them, but to lead them through the treacherous forest. My purpose is to make the people listen to their plight, while they fight on the field."
Santh's jaw clenched as he stood up. "You shall always be a selfish child." He snapped before beginning to walk away.
"You grow angry when you see someone of power allowing those without to fight their battles for them. It reminds you of your father, does it not?"
He stopped walking and merely looked over his shoulder without giving a response.
"The greatest tragedy of all is that your father was not a man without power, not a man without say. Varden Aguilar was a true warrior, who loved his king, and who chose to fight for him instead of beside him." Lenore stood up from her bed as Santh turned around.
Santh's nose was crinkled and his eyes barely opened as if he was holding back from attacking the woman before him. "Your mouth shall never speak his name again. No member of the Cromwell family has any right to butcher my father's memory."
Lenore slowly shook her head as she watched Santh storm away. "Ignorant ogre."
---***---
Lesatan sat at his desk as he tapped his nails against the dark wood. Krius and Enoch pressed themselves against the wall while Armand sat in his chair. A new member had been brought into the group, and Piera sat calmly beside Armand. She did not understand why the Prince had demanded she be present for these types of meetings, but she was beginning to find herself involved in them more and more. She had seen his temper more than once now and she kept the fear inside her heart always.
"Can anyone tell me exactly what Lenore is planning now?" Lesatan's voice was calm but there was a clear hint of aggravation.
The three men looked between each other as if they were trying to comprehend what exactly the Prince was asking for.
"Princess Lenore is attempting to help other females have the right to stay within the school for as long as they deem fit." Piera informed him. "Males have such a right."
Lesatan turned his attention to her, "Most males are allowed four years depending on their status, anything more than that and they are frowned upon. Females need to remain within their given positions and not attempt to rise above and marry outside their party."
"I am."
He looked at her with curiosity.
"I am marrying outside the Souchan party and into the Royal Party, am I not?" She swallowed unsure if she was prodding his very sensitive nerves.
Lesatan chuckled which cause Krius and Enoch to chuckle as well. "Political reasoning not withstanding, of course. I also recall that you will remain at the university longer in order to complete your ability to enter into my party."
Piera frowned, "I fail to see why Lenore and I would gain special privileges while every other woman no matter her reasons must be forced to use this school in an attempt to find a husband. Wouldn't it be better if women took their schooling more seriously, and honestly better for the males that stay longer to have their future spouses at hand such as what you are doing with my person."
The Prince cleared his throat and turned to his advisers, "I must knew the true reason behind Lenore's actions. The entire council can not ignore that she is rousing the students like this for very long before the professors begin to step in to ask why we have allowed this nuisance to remain ongoing." He then turned his attention back to Piera, "Let us eat together in half an hour. Armand, please, escort milady to her chambers."
Armand stood and offered out his arm to assist Piera and they both exited the room together. She could only frown and stare at the floor as she walked together with the adviser. It was a constant question in her mind whether Lesatan had heard her at all, or if she wasn't meant to speak and just sit there to agree with him. After a couple moments, she felt Armand pat her hand and she turned her attention to him. He smiled gently at her.
"You are doing well, Piera." He assured her. "Lesatan offers you a great deal more respect then he does to any of us. You find that I speak less when you are around as you are a voice of reason that Lesatan is willing to hear."
"Truly? It does not feel that way."
Armand grinned, "Lesatan has always been a difficult one to read and he is constantly trying to prove that he is a true man to his father, which I believe bleeds over to every man. However, when it comes to women in his life that he cares for or wishes to care for in your case, he makes a great deal of concessions to them."
"I fail to see how he does so for Lenore... eh, Princess Lenore." Piera stopped in front of her door as Armand opened it for her to step inside, but she remained in the hallway next to him.
"As you spend more time around him, you will see the truth about Lesatan's feelings for his sister. Surely, you witnessed how he reacted when a man dared to touch his sister without her permission. He has never told her that he did such a thing, but if I know Lenore, and I do, she has long ago heard of his attempts to make right that situation." He patted her shoulder. "Prepare for dinner, milady."
---***---
The group sat out in the dirt court, the girls sitting on pillows on the ground while they waited for Dalton to arrive for study group. Laughter filled the air as they chatted and Ophelia told of tales of how strangers in this school now look at her as if she has finally become the insane woman they always thought her to be.
Remus sat on his bed and crushed peanuts with his fingers before handing the meat over to Ophelia and Lenore who were sitting near his bed. Santh was positioned on the other side of the court and seemed to be sulking, though no one knew the story as to why, they could all tell that it had something to do with Lenore by the way he would glare at her.
Jolon and Anton sat on the same bed as they discussed what might be brought for dinner today. Routine normally answered the question, but he had gone to wash himself in the stream. He claimed that he could smell himself the entire day, though no one else thought he had any unusual odor emanating from him.
"Anton, I nearly forgot." Jolon pointed to the basket near his friend's bed. "When I arrived after class, there was a letter for you from home."
Lifting his eyebrows, Anton moved around the bed and grabbed his letter from the basket before sitting down on his own bed. He opened it and began to read it to himself, and the longer he read the more the small smirk on his lips began to vanish. When he was finished, he tossed the letter into his basket and grabbed one of his study scrolls.
"I am going to begin early." He mumbled to everyone before pulling himself completely onto his bed and beginning his work.
Jolon and Lenore shared a look that informed the other that they understood. No doubt the letter was from Anton's father and he had once more scolded his son for not getting absolutely perfect marks.
Santh noticed the odd behavior as well, and after a few moments of silence he spoke. "I wonder, Lenore, how long to you plan to keep these protests in motion?"
Lenore turned her attention to him and then to Ophelia, "That all depends on how long the girls involved want to keep trying."
Ophelia grinned, "Then it shall remain until females are welcomed to stay longer than two years."
"I have a great deal of patience, Ophelia. That is a course of action that I can partake in." Lenore told her with a smile on her lips.
The answer annoyed Santh and he turned his back on them while remaining in his bed. Remus watched him and shook his head as he crushed another nut before handing it to Ophelia. "One for the chipmunk." He said before crushing another and handing it to Lenore, "And one for the squirrel."
"Why am I a chipmunk and she a squirrel?" Ophelia asked playfully. Since she was sitting between Lenore and Remus, she had to look back and forth to see their faces.
"Because you are small, cute and darling," Remus touched the tip of her nose quickly with his fingers that were covered in a peanut scent. "and she is beautiful as the squirrel has that elaborate tail, but an outright pest." Remus teased.
Lenore stuck out her tongue that was caked with peanuts. "I'll show you a squirrel." Reaching into the bowl next to Remus, she grabbed a handful of nuts and began to put them into her cheeks. Ophelia laughed before doing the same thing and when both of their cheeks were full, Lenore began to squeak which caused Santh to roll over and look at them.
Ophelia followed her actions and even brought her hands up as she pulled a nut from her mouth. She broke it with her front teeth and began to slowly nimble on it.
Remus and Jolon laughed loudly, as Anton watched with a grin on his lips. He heard a chuckle from beside him and looked to Santh who was shaking his head at the display.
---***---
Jolon mumbled an excuse to exit the dorm before the study group began and found his way to the secret meeting place that he and Saena had chosen. Though it was so near the servant's path that it made little sense why Saena called it a secret. She had slipped a note into his letters that day asking to meet with him and discuss a serious topic.
It wasn't long before Saena appeared with a basket full of clean linens. She hurried off the path and sat down behind the bushes with her basket to her side. Jolon noticed that she tried to give him a smile, but she was nervous. She fidgeted with a couple loose strands of her blonde hair as she cleared her throat.
"Is something the matter?" Jolon finally asked her when she seemed unable to begin the conversation.
Saena looked up into his eyes as Jolon sat cross legged in front of her. "My father wants to trade me to another family. He can not afford to continue to feed me and my other siblings, and I must know are we friends or is there more?"
The questioned shocked him into silence.
"The reason I ask is because if you plan more for us, then perhaps I could convince my father to keep..." She fell silent when Jolon began to shake his head.
"Saena, I do feel more for you then friendship but I can not lead you into believing there is a future for us." Jolon watched as the girl before him slowly went pale. "If I had plans to remain in the Commoners' Guild and take over the Carpenters from my father, then there would be a chance. However, I have plans to remain at this school for four years, I wish to move into another party and have more for myself. My father wishes this for me as well. You must understand."
Saena swallowed and looked down at her fingers that were pulling on the cloth of her dress. "I am in the Servant's Guild and without proper schooling I could never enter into another party with you."
Jolon nodded his head.
"Knowing this, you have never kissed me in order to respect my feelings?" Saena's voice was shaken and she appeared to be holding back her tears.
"I did not wish for you to believe any future existed where there was none."
Standing up, Saena picked up her basket and stared down at the man still sitting before her. "I understand and wish you well, Jolon. I will not be able to meet with you in the future as my father would not approve. He has already found someone that he believes would make a suitable husband for me, a traveling merchant that agreed last year and still writes my father. When he arrives in the summer, I shall be given to him."
The commoner stood up as she spoke while he tried to swallow the lump in his throat. "I am truly regretful of this situation, Saena. I do not approve of your father selling you to a stranger. You are not property."
Saena snorted but tried to keep the look of disgust from her face though it did little good as her voice carried the tone well enough. "Of course, you do not live in a world where your family might starve if you do not leave and gain them coin to feed themselves for one more year. As a female in the servant's guild, it is my duty."
"I meant no offense." He reached out his hand to touch her shoulder, but she quickly pulled away so he could not touch her.
"Goodbye, Jolon. I do wish you the best." Saena made her way back to the servant's path where a group of servants were making their way to the stream with baskets of their own.
---***---
Dalton had his scrolls and books pulled up against his chest as he began his journey from his dorm to the unmentionables dorm. The paths were crowded as students were either studying with others or on their way to their own dorms to dress for dinner. Though they were crowded, everyone gave him a wide berth as if they did not wish for him to brush against them.
Nearby Jolon was making his way back to the dorm as well and noticed that the man seemed nervous as he moved through the crowd. He didn't know what possessed him, but he decided to walk near the Vinson and speak to him.
The Princess' brother seemed surprised when he began to walk beside him, but did not react negatively. It was almost as if he was relieved to have someone walking with him even if it was a member of the Commoners' Party.
"Your face does not seem to hold the same enjoyment as it did the day before." Dalton finally spoke and tried to ignore that everyone was watching them or so he felt was the case.
Jolon looked up at him, "I am afraid that I had to end a good relationship this eve."
He nodded, "With a woman?" Dalton watched the boy nod and then began to speak once more. "As a Vinson, I would know nothing of issues with women. Most hear my last name and become terrified and those that do not are certainly not meant for the bed. Assassins or those with a longing desire for what ever profits you may have."
There was a curiosity if Dalton knew how paranoid he sounded, but Jolon wasn't going to question him as this was the first time that the Vinson had ever spoken to him as an equal. "I never did anything unsavory with her. She believes it was because I was never looking for a future with her, but in truth I never had the courage to act."
"Perhaps, that is my downfall as well." He more spoke to himself than to the man walking beside him.
They walked together half way to the dorm before Jolon decided to chance another conversation with him. "May I be so bold as to ask a personal question?"
Dalton raised his eyes from watching the ground to the commoner beside him. "As long as I may deny answering it, if I feel it invades my privacy."
Jolon gave a nod before speaking, "May I ask why you and your family despise Lenore? Your mother in particular seems truly spiteful toward her."
There was a small smirk on his lips before he spoke, "As you know Lenore is the King's daughter that he produced with my servant mother. Queen Aletta is also a Vinson, her mother was a cruel woman that wanted nothing but power and wealth for her daughter. When the King was to be married, his bride was told of the pregnancy and her father ended the marriage. He had no other family to turn to in order to keep the ceremony on track as it was a difficult time for the people."
The commoner wasn't certain what this had to do with his question, but he continued to walk next to him and listen intently.
"Entire fields were eaten away by pests and the King's marriage was meant to be a bright spot in their lives. Queen Aletta was chosen by the Vinsons since she was a small and beautiful, and she agreed to not mind the bastard child. When she arrived, she was not pleased with my mother's constant attention toward the King especially when she became pregnant herself." Dalton looked over at him to see if he was still interested.
Jolon gave a nod to inform him that he was mentally available in those moments.
"The Queen decided to marry her to the Duke, her cousin as he believed from two previous marriages that he was unable to have a child. The King agreed as he did not wish to cause an incident with his new bride, and the unborn babe and my mother were sent away. My mother married the Duke and he called the child his own, but my mother always loathed her as she believed she would still be in the King's bed if she never become with child." Dalton licked his lips. "As for myself, my sister was forced to live in the stables as my mother hated her, and I would sneak food out to her using the stable boys. She promised me that when she was older that she would help the Vinsons break the curse surrounding them, but when she was twelve and I was ten, she went to visit her father and never returned. Not one letter written. She had abandoned us."
"I see." Jolon did not know what else to say to him.
"She left us to live the life of vile Vinsons, while she was able to become a Cromwell and live a life of luxury." Dalton pressed his lips together in disgust. "She is no better than anyone else, and certainly not the sister that I loved."
Jolon remain silent. He hadn't expected such an honest answer from the man, but something told him that he was rarely spoken to and he enjoyed the moments that he could have any conversation. He decided that he would remember this as Dalton never seemed opened to any friendship, but he was beginning to understand him in many ways. They had more in common with him then he had lead himself to believe.
---***---
Piera passed Dalton on his way out of the dirt court. They both looked each other over with uncertainty but said nothing as they passed by. Once she entered the court, she made her way over to her brother's bed and sat down at the end nearly sitting on Routine's feet.
Anton and Jolon were each on their own beds studying, while Lenore and Ophelia sat on pillows on the ground as they finished up their tasks over their desks. Remus and Santh were conversing while sitting on the stairs of the dorm. It was as if Piera's presence made absolutely no difference in their lives, and part of her enjoyed that as everyone else seemed to bend over backwards to pay their full attention to her.
"Lenore." Piera spoke after a couple moments which made the Princess look up. She seemed surprise to see Piera there. "I have not asked this of you since that night, but tell me why you gave my name to your brother as a suitable queen." She needed to know the truth as she hadn't been able to visit in the passed month, and though her temper had died down, she was still upset by the decision that was made without her.
Lenore looked back down at the scroll she was writing on, "I did not. He summoned me and asked if I knew any women that would be suitable. I told him that I only knew two women, Ophelia and yourself. Therefore, congratulations, you are a better option than Ophelia."
The sweet girl sitting beside her frowned and stuck out her bottom lip. "Wait, I don't want to marry him either." Ophelia spoke out loud to herself before smiling and returning to her work.
"It is an odd decision on our parent's part." Routine spoke still reading the book in his hands as his back leaned against the headboard of his bed. "It would be counterproductive politically for the Prince and Princess to marry siblings."
Lenore stopped writing and looked up at Routine, "I had not thought of that. Surely, he will be plotting some way to end our engagement if he hasn't already come to an agreement with your parents."
"Wouldn't you be the Souchan Guild Leader's wife and not his adviser if you married Routine?" Anton asked from the other bed. "Isn't that what he wants from you? An adviser?"
Lenore gave a brief nod.
"Byron, not Routine." Routine mumbled under his breath as he continued to study from his book.
"It is interesting that you would bring such a topic up," Piera began. "there was a meeting today between the Prince and his advisers about you. I was present..." She stopped speaking when Lenore lifted her hand in an attempt to end her from speaking.
Getting up on her knees, Lenore nearly crawled over to Routine's bed and placed her hands on Piera's knees. "Listen closely, Piera. I tell you this as a way to save you from my brother's wrath, and not in any way attempt to toss you out. Understand?"
"I understand."
"You must never tell me or any one close to me of my brother's plots or even his meetings with others. I must never be told." Lenore watched as Piera's facial expressions told of her confusion. "There would be only two outcomes. Eventually, Lesatan would narrow down who the spy is and have you punished, or I would be forced to knowingly walk into his traps in order to protect you." Still, it looked as if Lenore was speaking another language to the woman though she believed herself to be completely reasonable in her explanations. "As his future bride, you must never betray him in any manner. If you two do wed, he must trust you completely. May I have your word?"
Piera looked uncertain as to why Lenore would protect her brother, and the others in the court didn't seem to understand the Princess' intent either. "You have may word. I shall not betray his trust."
Patting her knee, Lenore stood up and walked back to her desk where she returned to her work while Piera turned her attention to her brother. He could see her confusion, but in truth he didn't know Lenore's reasons any more than she did.
"Will you assist me in ending the engagement?" Piera asked and the question made Lenore's eyes snap up to view her.
"I am afraid that I can not cause that sort of trouble for him." Lenore frowned and her heart went out to the girl. "He would never forgive..."
"How dare you show yourself here!" Santh's voice broke through the conversation and the others looked toward the dirt path where Authin stood, as Santh stomped his way over to the man.
---***---
Lesatan sat calmly on the bed in the empty bedroom. The scent that a woman had taken over the room lingered in the air as a mixture of perfumes and lotions. All of which were floral in nature, which was a great contrast to his sister that always smelled like butter cream and his mother that had the harsh scent of what he could only describe as forest or perhaps wood.
Of course, he wasn't in the room to sniff it and had come to speak to Piera about the rumors he had heard of her sleeping with other men and sneaking out late at night. He had told Enoch that he was a twit when he informed his Prince and told the adviser not to listen to such rumors. Immediately he had gone to search for Piera as he wanted to inform his future bride that people were speaking of her negatively so they could create a plan to better assist her in the eyes of the people.
He knocked several times before entering after hearing no one respond from the other side. She had excused herself to bed and he wondered if perhaps she had already fallen asleep, but after hearing such rumors he had decided to take a look for himself and found the room empty.
It had been two hours since he had entered and there was no sign of her returning. He had sent Krius out to look for her around the dorm, in case she had simply gone for a walk, but he returned without her.
The window to his left began to rattle as a girl in her sleep wear appeared as she pushed the window open and stepped inside. She didn't seem to notice that the Prince was sitting on her bed, and brushed down her clothing before checking it for any foreign items such as leaves. When she was satisfied she closed the windows and turned to make her way to the bed, but Lesatan stood from the bed the moment she spotted him.
Her heart began to flicker with fear, but she stood firm as Lesatan made his way around the bed post with all the grace and composure one would expect from a prince. He came to a stop in front of her and looked down at the woman who defiantly returned his gaze.
"There are rumors that you have been leaving your room at night to meet with men." Lesatan laughed bitterly. "When I heard such a thing, I thought for certain that these were lies created by the masses in hopes to turn me against you. What a great surprise it was for me to find your room empty when I came to discuss these issues with you."
"I'm not..."
He began to speak over her, "I specifically addressed this issue and we agreed that you would not meet with men any longer, did we not?"
"Yes, and I am not meeting with men, milord." She hurried to spit it out before he could interrupt her again.
His eyes held nothing but disdain for the woman before him as he chuckled. "Then where am I to believe you are disappearing to?"
"Before tonight, I was wandering about the hamlet. I was attempting to get a moment to myself and enjoy the very place that you forbid me to go alone."
"And tonight?" He crossed his arms. She could see that he didn't believe a word that she had just said.
Piera cleared her throat, "I was visiting your sister and her dorm mates."
Her previous explanation no longer mattered to the Prince. "My future bride should not be consorting with such people or visiting places beneath her status."
"Your sister, whom I would assume is far above my status, lives there and I see you take no action against her gallivanting about unescorted. I ask why I have to be followed by guards as if I am your prisoner?" Piera raised her voice and stepped forward. This action caused Lesatan to take a step back and she moved him toward the door.
"My sister is a malcontent, a delinquent. A unsophisticated child raised amongst servants and horses, who insults the name of the Cromwell family since her birth." Lesatan hissed.
Piera stared into his eyes as he glared down into her own. "Did your mother have you rehearse those lines?"
The question caught him off guard as Piera reached around him and opened the door for him. "My friends and my brother live in that dorm. I was visiting that place long before you knew my name and I shall continue to do so."
"I forbid you! The future Queen can not be seen..."
"The future Queen shall do as she pleases, just as the present Queen does. I am not your prisoner and I will have free range at this school as much as the future King does." She stepped into him once more causing him to step out of the room. "Finally, we are not yet wed, you should not enter my room, especially if you fear rumors." With that said Piera slammed then door and quickly leaned against it as she took a deep breath. She was going to regret her actions in the morning of that she was certain.
---***---
Lenore stood in the forefront of the group with her arms crossed while the others stood behind her, even Ophelia was more than willing to join in and stare down the man who had dared to enter the court. All but Routine had to stop Santh from going after the boy while convincing Piera that she did not wish to be here as this would be something that Lesatan would desire knowledge of.
Authin's clothing was dirty and his hair was not well managed. There was some dirt under his jawline and near his ears as if he was washing in the stream but not getting completely naked to go all the way in.
The Princess had noticed him around the classrooms and she had heard what her brother had done to the man. Lesatan could not beat a man nearly to death even if it is in the middle of the night and word not get to her. Secretly, she had told him because she knew that only her brother could truly punish him, but even after what he had done she was beginning to believe this had gone too far. His life was being ruined and she hadn't truly wanted that.
Without saying a word, Authin dropped to his knees and placed his hands in the dirt before him as he kept his head lowered. "I beg of you, Princess Lenore. Forgive my actions and allow me to become part of this dorm."
"No." Santh grunted and was about to move forward when Lenore raised her hand to stop him. To the surprise of all, Santh listened to her silent command though he seemed ready to pounce on the Royal the moment she gave the signal. Routine was standing beside him and placed his hand on the large man's shoulder which was unusual for the Souchan to touch anyone other than Lenore.
Authin continued. "I have been thrown from my dorm. I am missing roll calls and meals. I have had to sleep around the dorms and hide from the guards at night. It won't be very long before I am ejected from the school entirely."
"Why should I show mercy?" Lenore asked.
The question was spoken in a heartless manner that nearly sounded like Lesatan was speaking and not Lenore. Remus and Routine mostly noticed the similarity and could barely look away from the angry woman at that point.
"I wasn't attempting to force you, not in the manner that you believe. You would truly be surprised how many stubborn women give into the act once you begin. I acted carelessly as I desperately wanted the part of adviser that your brother promised me, but if I can not have that reward I need to finish my classes." He briefly turned his head to look up at her and then lowered it again. "I beg you to show me mercy just once. If ever I make eye contact or show I am comfortable around your person in anyway, I will accept being thrown from this dorm as well."
Lenore turned her attention to Ophelia whose harden eyes were now full of sympathy for the man. "If at anytime I dislike your presence or your behavior, you will be removed from the dorm."
"Thank you." Tears could be heard in his voice.
"You would allow this cretin to stay among us?" Santh snarled.
She turned her eyes to him. "Ophelia and I are the only ones in danger, and I believe my dorm mate and I agree."
Ophelia nodded her head when the Princess looked at her.
Santh's chest puffed up as he looked down at the man still laying on the ground, "I shall be watching you." He hissed before turning around and hurrying to his bed. He laid down and threw the blankets over his head like a pouting child.
Routine and Remus lost interest in the ordeal when the verdict was made and also went to their beds.
"Ask Jolon and Anton nicely, and they may assist you in retrieving a bed." Lenore told Authin before heading around the dorm to her own bed with Ophelia close on her heels.
Authin looked up at the two commoners.
"You shall be sleeping next to Santh." Jolon spat. He wasn't pleased with the decision and didn't understand why Lenore had been allowed to make it without anyone's input.
Anton said nothing as he made his way toward the falling dorm to help fetch a bed. Authin hurried to stand and follow after the two commoners. He didn't know what good he would be in moving the piece of furniture but he would try to assist as he didn't want to appear worthless on his first day as an Unmentionable.