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5 Kingdom’s School - Excerpt
Carraige Back
It turned out that they would be riding in the back of a carriage. It was covered at least and the interior was smooth and splinter free. But it was a one week trip to Danseg and there were no benches to sit on. Morance knew that it was because there would be many more girls joining them, but she was still uncomfortable sitting on the floor like chattel.
There were two girls in there with her, on opposite sides of the wagon. The girl on the left looked Luzian, like Morance, but her hair was tied up in a very Uissian way. Morance guessed that wherever she was from it was near the border. The girl was in a red dress that was obviously her worshipping best with a contrasting blue corset. She sat with her back straight and her legs tucked dainty under her full skirt. Morance knew that she was just a fifteen year old peasant like herself, but with her half closed eyes she had an air of nobility.
On the right the other girl was wearing field clothes and smelled of fresh straw. It wasn’t an unpleasant smell, it reminded Morance of the autumn harvest and all the hustle and bustle that came with it, but it was a strong one. It wafted off the mish-mash of bright yellow and green skirts and blouses she wore in waves. Morance scooted towards her. The hay girl stopped glaring at the noble girl for a second to smile at Morance.
“Don’t worry,” the hay girl said to Morance with a heavy Allmance accent and a smooth, fairly high voice, “I’m sure the others aren’t all pretentious turncoats like her.”
The noble girl opened her eyes a little, but not for long. Soon she returned to her regular calm demeanor. Hay girl scoffed and sneered and patted the space next to her for Morance to sit.
“We’re going to a school to teach us enough to marry nobles, I know that, but that doesn’t mean we have to act like we’re better,” hay girl seemed optimistic, “I’m not going to forget where I came from, no matter what they want me to do. I’m going to find a gentleman who won't mind marrying a peasant, and I won’t get married until I do.”
Morance thought about what hay girl said. Her roots, the violin that she had insisted on bringing even though she knew that she would have to get rid of it. Why she was going to the school in the first place; who she would marry and when. Her father receiving a twenty silver allowance every month, he had basically sold her just so he could be more comfortable. But Morance had agreed to it for a reason.
In a decisive step Morance sat next to the noble girl, the hay girl sneered and said something about both of them being turncoats. Morance wanted to laugh, but the noble girl was letting the comments roll off her back so Morance did the same. Marrying well and maintaining her father’s allowance was why she had decided to go, and she wasn’t going to let being headstrong get in the way of that. What did the hay girl think she was getting herself into anyway, Morance thought, they needed to pass as nobles and nothing else. So what if she was a turncoat, that didn’t matter as long as she was able to find a husband.
“Nothing else matters,” Morance whispered to herself, almost wincing at how painfully Luz she sounded.
Normally I would do something spooky for Halloween but the idea well isn’t running on Halloween fuel right now. But I have been thinking of this story for a while and I finally pulled it out of my imagination and onto a google doc. The theme and moral for this story is a bit sad, but I love the journey to get there nonetheless. Maybe I’ll post more about it, but no promises. Life is weird like that, and nothing is ever certain.
Anyway, have an amazing week.
Gilbert: the answer is modifier, sir, and I managed to learn that with no extra time from you
Me:
