The Mysterious Headmaster
As mother emerged from the portal, I turned to her then she smiled, "I see you are admiring your future home. How are you feeling?" I took her hand as Jess emerged from the portal, "I'm not sure, check back with me after all of this is over. I think I may be experiencing a rush adrenaline." We stood there for a long time in silence and I finally decided to turn to my mother, "Why aren't we walking towards LDMU?" My mother shook her head, "When we went through the portal, that sent a signal to Blackwood that a Batiste has entered Vellum. The carriage will be here soon. It is improper for nobility to travel into LDMU without transport. You will be looked down upon and trust me decorum and protocol are everything in Vellum." I looked at Jess in a look that asked for confirmation since she had been in Vellum more recently than my mother, it couldn't help to see if the place ever evolved out of the old-world style. Jess shrugged and then nodded as if to say, it is what it is.
I looked up in the sky to see very large black birds in the sky and understood that those were probably the Toxzis in the sky going on about their messaging duties. After that I had heard the wind rustle through my mom's hair and then the clomping of hooves. I looked towards Blackwood to see four Friesian horses (on Terre we have four white horses) and pulling a navy-blue carriage with gold trimming. As it pulled up, I saw the confirmation that this was indeed Batiste owned. It had the blue and teal shield with the heart, sword and panther and motto: Prima Mea Semper. We climbed on board, mother first, then me and Jess after. This was the decorum of Vellum, Jess had to wait because she was merely a Lord's daughter. Mother had to go first being the matriarch to a noble family. We didn't observe these customs in Terre because the only ones to observe this would have been our servants and they would never judge their family. Vellum tradition is much like a mafia and once you become a servant to a noble house, you become their family. They don't get the benefits of a noble but they do get the benefit of the noble family's protection. No one would dare mess with a Duke's servants unless you were royalty.
We pulled into the gates of Lune De Minuit University and an elderly gentleman came out to greet us. It didn't seem like this was normal as there were several other students there to pick up their books as well. My mother stepped down from the carriage with his help and she kissed his cheek, "How are you, Josiah? I haven't seen you in ages." Josiah did a slight bow for my mother and said, "I am getting old but you can see that Your Grace. I am told by our headmaster that your daughter will be attending this year. I have to say between her ceremony, the rumor that the Grand Pretre turned King Lucien away to consult her charts and no one having seen her since her infancy; it has intrigued him greatly. As such he will be giving the two young ladies in your company orientation himself. He is also intrigued that Her Grace has chosen to become a royal scribe." I remember hearing the name Lucien before, where was it? I sat in my seat wondering where it was and my mind went to the night of my ceremony when meeting Burnett. He said at that time that Lucien would never be honest with me. Did he mean the King? If so, why would he say that? I sat there knitting my brows going through these thoughts when I was shaken them with a nudge from Jess. I looked at her, "Xan, your mother has summoned you out of the carriage." I climbed down and was assisted by Josiah as well. He immediately bowed his head to my hand and said, "It is truly an honor to meet you Your Grace." Immediately I said, "My best wishes upon you and your house." My mother smiled and I knew she was proud that followed proper protocol. He pulled his head up and said, "Well ladies, please follow me to the headmaster’s office." We followed him to the tall tower and went up the winding stairs. He turned to us before we went into the room, "Beyond these doors is a waiting room, you will wait your turns. He will see the Duchess first, then he will see Lady Kellen and last will be The Batiste." My mother gave him a pointed look, "This is out of protocol." Josiah shrugged, "The Headmaster has permission from His Majesty to follow this protocol in this case. His Majesty believes that The Batiste will need more time with the Headmaster than Lady Kellen." My mother nodded, "If His Majesty believes so, so too do I." He entered the door and held it open. My mother entered, then me and after Jess. When we entered the room, you could smell books and lemons. Lining the walls were mahogany book shelves, potted plants and green velvet upholstered chairs. On the far wall, you could see a lone desk with a name plate on it: Josiah Peaks, Royal Scribe to the Headmaster. Next to Josiah's desk was a large mahogany door with a crescent moon carved into it. He turned to me and Jess, "Ladies, please be seated but feel free to read any of the books here as you wait."
My mother knocked on the door and you could hear a commanding voice, "ENTER." My mother opened the door and entered. I had decided to look around at the books before I sat down. I had wondered at this moment if cell phones were a thing in Vellum. I felt a presence at my back and heard Josiah's voice, "Your Grace, if I may suggest reading material?" I looked over my shoulder at him, "Please, I'm not sure what would be good to pass the time." He moved to the side of me and scanned the shelves until he came upon a book with a blue cover and handed it to me. He said, "I believe that you would benefit from reading about the royals. You will be seeing them around especially with your being nobility attending noble functions and the possibility of you becoming one of the chosen." I cringed at the mention of the chosen because I really didn't want to be seen as a frivolous bimbo trying to get close to the King. I sat down to read about the royal family. It appears that this volume started with King Thierry. I read through the first part of the volume detailing how he was born to King Vance and Queen Pernilla on a Tuesday morning in the spring. I read through his life and it seemed like he was a very good King. There was peace amongst the races during his reign which appeared to not always be the case under previous rule. Just as I was getting to the part about the dragon attacks the door opened and my mother emerged. She looked at Jess and said, "Lady Kellen, he will see you now." Jess sighed and rubbed her hands on her skirt before pulling herself up out of her chair. She turned to me and said, "Here goes nothing Your Grace." She walked up to the door and knocked, she too got a commanding, "ENTER." Jess went quietly into the room but looking at her, it seemed the color was drained from her face. This meant that she felt like the Headmaster was all bark and all bite.
I turned back to my book as my mother decided to sit near Josiah and was quietly speaking to him. The dragon attack came by complete surprise, the only indication they were coming was the watchtower in Blackwood and the book states that the Batiste family and Ms. Tannen was quick in sending word to the Citadel through a portal she opened up for our messenger to the Citadel. It went directly into General Talon Esperanza's office. He jumped quick action sending his troops to man the walls with the harpoons and he went personally with a small guard to the King's tower. He had pulled King Thierry out of bed; Queen Helena was away from Tarn visiting her family in Mesha. She was the Duchess of Mesha when she wed the King. She had to return to her home now and again to run things there as she was the only child of the Duke of Mesha. Her son Blake is now the Duke of Mesha since he did not inherit the throne. Unfortunately, as my mother had said both the King and Uncle Talon were killed in the rubble. As I finished reading about the dragon attack, the door opened again and a flushed Jess stumbled out. She turned to Josiah, "H-he s-said h-he wants to see you before seeing The Batiste." Josiah nodded and knocked on the door, "Josiah, come." He entered the door and stood in there briefly. He held the door open and said, "He wishes to see The Batiste now but I will be in with her." I rose and handed the book to my mother. I straightened my back and walked like my mother usually does, with an aristocratic air.
As I entered, I saw a screen in front of me with a chair placed in front of it. The room smelled of sandalwood, it was likely the Headmaster's cologne. Josiah led me to the chair and sat me down. I saw a tall figure rise from his seat and paced right in front of the screen. He spoke, "Your Grace, I have called you here today to give you a run down of how Lune De Minuit University works. As I understand it, you were raised in Terre and didn't know of Vellum until recently. Is that correct?" His voice was deep but soothing and it made my stomach do flips, I could understand why Jess reacted the way she did. His voice was really sexy, I sat up in my seat, "Yes sir, that is correct." He cleared his throat, "As such, you will need extra studies so I have signed you up for private study time with Josiah and I to teach you the customs here so that when you inevitably meet the King at the Midsemester Ball here, you won't embarrass your family or us as an institution." That statement really pissed me off, how dare he assume I would be an embarrassment. I clenched my fist in my lap as he continued, "You will meet with us in here in both the morning and after your classes. You will dine with us so we can teach you Vellum dining etiquette. The King will have his eyes on you and I feel I owe it to the Esperanza and Batiste families to take care of one of their own for their deeds for this land. Any questions so far Your Grace?" I didn't know if he could see me but I shook my head and said for good measure, "No sir, I understand completely."
He sat on his desk and continued, "Your application said you would like to become a royal scribe. These lessons will also serve as useful in your quest to become one of the chosen." I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat at this point. He leaned forward, "Your Grace, you seem to have something to say?" I slinked in my chair a little, "I don't wish to become a chosen sir. As I understand it, the noble women use the position to try and get closer to the King. I have no such desires." He leaned back, "You don't wish to try to become the Queen?" I unclenched my fist and shook my head, "I'm sure the King is a lovely person but I don't believe in using position to win the heart of someone I've never even met. Further, I just want to complete my studies and be useful to my new home here." He rose from his spot on the desk and walked around to his chair and sat down. He picked up a pen and scrawled on a paper, "You would be the first noble woman I know that did not desire the King's position and his bed." I shifted in my seat and blushed. He continued, "You are indeed very intriguing."
