Sheilah and Fialla’s bows and quivers were secured in a cart that followed the carriage that Magdalene, Andrea, and the two dragon clan girls climbed into. They rode out of the castle and through the labyrinthine city, and through an exit that seemed to Sheilah to be in the opposite direction that they’d initially come in from when they’d come in from the Thorheim forest.
The trip lasted several hours, with the girls feeling restive and impatient. Sheilah herself was looking forward to the hunt as a welcome way to blow off stress. Magdalene herself was irritable, seeing no value in the hunting exercise.
“When we left, I sent messages to my seamstresses- when we return, you two will be measured for proper dresses. Once you are correctly dressed, we can begin your education in earnest.” Her remark seemed more like a threat than anything else.
“Dresses.” Fialla muttered, eyeing Magdalene’s own dress.
“Yes, dresses. There are dresses for morning, both formal and informal, dresses for daily wear, both formal and informal, dresses for meetings, outings, and entertaining company. There are dresses for dancing, attending functions, church, and formal ceremonies.” Magdalene ticked them off, continuing. “Naturally, there will also be the appropriate accessories and the like for each.”
Magdalene added a put-upon grimace. “And since Toril- your father- has decided that your beastly pursuit of the sword be encouraged, I’m sure there will be outfits for that as well.”
“I’ve never needed so many clothes for different things.” Sheilah objected, but Magdalene shook her head. “It’s required, in order for you to take your place as the Princess of Stormheim.” She explained. “Andrea will keep track of your schedules and make sure your outfits are coordinated with that schedule.”
She leaned forward and prodded Sheilah’s dragonskin armor. “And no more of... this.”
Sheilah’s eyes narrowed warily at that, but Magdalene matched her, glare for glare.
They passed through another stone wall into what appeared to be a town big enough to host an entire clan, but when Fialla asked about it, Magdalene revealed that it was apparently only used for when the royal family requested an outing.
The large mansion was there for the King and Queen to stay, there were wings of suites to host guests while on their outing, there were buildings set aside for the game wardens, as well as gardens and vintners and the like to provide food and drink for the occasional hunting expedition.
There were cultivated landscapes with carefully tended grass and tasteful hedges and topiaries with gazebos set aside for luncheons while the men hunted; there was even a small music hall where musicians would perform for those who had arrived for the hunts.
“Of course, most of the services will be unavailable today because of your insistence we leave right away, but in the future, it’s important to schedule these things in advance, as you were told.” Magdalene explained sourly.
“Services?” Sheilah looked puzzled.
“Food, drink, places to rest, guards, chefs, entertainers and the like. We’ll have to tell the wardens that you’ll be the ones doing the hunting...” Magdalene complained. “So who knows what sort of outrage that will cause.”
“What can we hunt?” Fialla asked eagerly.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care to know. Hunting is something for men to do.” Magdalene immediately replied, withdrawing an ornate fan with lace and feathers and fanning herself vigorously.
“Ask the game warden.”
Once they arrived, there was a short but heated argument; Sheilah wanted to immediately head to the forest, but Magdalene explained that there was a proper procedure to follow, and instead directed the carriage and carts to the manor house, which revealed a new surprise: a number of carriages with different symbols on their doors.
As Magdalene, Sheilah and Fialla swept into the foyer, several maids seemed surprised at their arrival and bobbed hasty curtsies, one immediately disappearing further into the manor.
“This should be... interesting.” Magdalene began drily. “Attend.”
Sheilah and Fialla, who had grown up in the Redstone where unspoken communication was just as important as spoken, stiffened and became wary.
Sheilah had left her rapier back at the castle since she had no idea how to use it correctly, but she’d brought the long knife that accompanied it, so she reached for it. Taking her cue from Sheilah, Fialla reached for her own.
“Oh, I don’t think it’ll come to that girls, but... we’ll see.” Magdalene warned, a note of anger in her own voice. “Pay attention, because you’re about to receive a lesson on how to deal with someone...” She trailed off, and then let out a short, hot sigh.
A disheveled young man, a bit older than Sheilah appeared, straightening his coat. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, and stumbled a bit as he walked.
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“He’s drunk.” Sheilah noted to Fialla, who nodded. Magdalene raised an eyebrow, but said nothing at this.
He rattled down the steps from the second floor, his boots clocking on the polished stone floor.
“Aunt Magdalene!” He exclaimed hastily. “I hadn’t expected your arrival! No one sent word-” He began, but Magdalene simply moved the hand holding her fan in a short horizontal move, as if cutting whatever the young man was going to say short- and indeed, when the older woman motioned like that, he immediately shut up and gulped, as if he was swallowing his words.
“Let me guess, I’ve interrupted another of your debauched salons, haven’t I?” Magdalene interrupted coldly. “I am not interested in listening to excuses; you simply have exactly fifteen minutes to get your ‘friends’ to leave.”
He gaped at her, “There simply isn’t enough-” He began, but switched tracks, “Auntie, please. Let’s not speak hotly with each other.” He offered with a placating gesture.
“I am speaking as your queen, Sten Jurgenson. You now have less time to do what I’ve asked. To incentivise your feet to start moving, I will personally order the executions of anyone I find still here, with the sentence carried out in the front yard. I will listen to your lies after. Go.” She gave him an imperious gesture, and Sheilah watched him wilt under her hot gaze for a few seconds, then saw him backpedal and bolt back upstairs, the sound of his bootheels revealing his panicked running.
“What’s an aunt?” Fialla asked.
“He is my sister’s son.” Magdalene clarified. “And an indulgent idiot.”
Sheilah and Fialla traded confused looks. In the Redstone, family was simply family, with degrees of family explained differently.
“He is... Second Blood?” Sheilah offered cautiously, and explained direct inheritance against indirect.
Magdalene winced. “It’s more complicated in Stormheim.” She stated curtly, but paused for a moment and added, “If I understand you correctly, you would be First Blood for my House as well as Toril’s.”
Sheilah traded baffled looks with Fialla.
“Ehhhhh.” Sheilah began, but suddenly there was a flurry of activity as young men and women in varying degrees of dress surged from the halls, each ostentatiously avoiding eye contact with Magdalene.
“It’s no use trying to hide your faces from me.” Magdalene offered helpfully. “I’ve already seen and marked the House heraldries on the carriages outside. Do not at any point think you will have escaped discipline.”
Some of the young men and women let out strangled cries at this pronouncement, but they continued to race outside. The young man that Magdalene identified tried to leave with the others, but Magdalene called him back.
“Oh no, Nephew, not you. You’re staying.” Magdalene called, and the young man made some sort of squealing noise in the back of his throat.
“Come on, over here. Front and center.” She encouraged, the dryness in her voice evident.
Sten let out a heavy, put-upon sigh, but approached the four women as if heading to the gallows, head down.
“Oh, there’s no cause to behave like that. Besides, I know full well you’ll have forgotten the events of today by the time you decide that it would be a great idea to host another on royal property.”
“Aunt-” He began, but she cut him off.
“I did say that I’m speaking as your queen, did I not?” Magdalene prodded. “You might be my idiot nephew, but don’t think at any moment that you have any claim to authority until you inherit a title.”
He flinched at that.
Magdalene thought for a moment, and then turned to Sheilah, shutting her fan with a click and tapping it against her chin thoughtfully. “Tell me, Sheilah. Have you ever been in a fight? With your fists, I mean.”
“Of course I have.” Sheilah replied. “Back in the-” She was cut off with a gesture.
“Yes, yes, I’m sure that’s all very fascinating,” Magdalene interrupted testily. “We’ll talk about all that later, but right now, I would like you to punch my stupid nephew in the face. Just once, mind you.”
Sten jerked his head up at that and for the first time, despite Sheilah wearing a brilliant, eye-catching red leather outfit, noticed the young girl.
“Huh? Her? Who is she?” He asked, but Magdalene simply gestured at Sheilah. “Go on.”
Sten turned a startled look at Magdalene, but suddenly he fell back, arms and legs splayed awkwardly on the tiled floor.
“And maybe now you’ll learn-” Magdalene began, fluttering her fan in front of her face, “Oh.”
She looked from the unconscious form of her nephew to Sheilah.
“Well, that was unexpected.” Magdalene offered in a surprised tone. “Also, take this as a lesson- it is wholly inappropriate to strike someone like that, with the possible exception of defending yourself.”
“You ask me to hit someone, and then tell me not to?” Sheilah asked, confused.
“Haven’t you ever wanted to do something you know you shouldn’t?” Magdalene asked curiously.
Fialla burst into laughter at that.
Magdalene sighed. “I’ve been wanting to hit him for so long...” She muttered. “I say, I let my impulses get the better of me. It helps that you haven’t had your debut yet, but...” She trailed off and shook her head.
“Still, that was some blow.” Magdalene wondered. “I dare say we shall have to wait for him to wake up. Andrea dear, fetch his staff and have them tend to him. Oh, and have a lunch prepared.” She twirled her finger. “And have the game warden summoned, I suppose.” She ordered, and Andrea, silent as always, bowed and moved off.
Magdalene pointed out Andrea to the two girls. “You see how she walks? That is how you two should walk. ‘When a lady walks, her feet point forward; not one to the right and one to the left. Make sure to have an upright posture, shoulders back but not all the way back but just in line with the ears. Walk with grace, rhythm, and elegance’.” She glanced at the two girls. “That’s what my instructor told me, and that is what your instructor will tell you two.”
Sheilah focused on Andrea for a couple of moments, part of her mind committing her movements to memory, while another fretted and impatiently waited to go hunting, something she still hadn’t been allowed to do.