Melody Maigny
The first session with the Headmaster was tea etiquette since I was supposed to meet with the Queen for tea in five days. He pulled Josiah into the lesson after a while so that he could help me out physically. I guess I had surprised him that I picked up the lesson fairly quickly because he actually praised my etiquette as well as my posture. Tea etiquette was actually something my mother had taught me growing up, but I wanted to maintain a good reputation at this school, so I didn’t want to talk back about it. Although, given the choice between learning from my mother or learning from Josiah, well let’s just say Josiah was a kitten in comparison. The Headmaster also praised my efforts and promised that he would have information on Zebinezer the next day. I had seriously underestimated his connections but then I presumed he had an in with the King who would do everything in his power to help me given our friendship.
I strolled out of the Headmaster’s office and left the door opened as requested. Derek made his way to me and put his arm around me. Suddenly I heard the Headmaster shout from his office, “Chalshin! Keep your hands off the ladies until you are out of heat!” He pulled his arm off of me and whispered, “I wonder what bug got up his butt. I bet the old man is jealous I can touch the prettiest girl in Vellum, and he can’t.” He snickered in such a way it almost sounded like a snake hiss. We strode out to where Josiah had told us we could discreetly exit the building through the garden. We had gotten quite far away from the tower when I heard a female screech behind us, “Derek! You never called on me after the ball!” We all turned around to find a shorter blonde lady in a white plaid skirt suit and white pumps stride up to us. Derek immediately casted his eyes down at his feet, “Sorry Melody, I had a lot going on. The King needed to talk to me about my mission this school year. It slipped my mind.” She glared at me, then at Jess until she softened her look at Derek, “You owe me a date then. You can’t just make out with a lady and leave her wondering. Unless you moved on to the loser class.” She pulled her hand and gestured at Jess and I.
Derek looked up to her with an indignant look on his face, “Melody! That was uncalled for! Do you know who this is? She’s higher birth than you so you should show some respect.” She cackled, “I know who she is. No one can shut up about her but amongst these gates, her rank has no meaning, and you know that. Besides, I’m sure she’s trying to jockey favor with the King by coming here and ruining the balance of Vellum.” Derek shook his head, “You really don’t know her so why are you judging the situation.” She crossed her arms across her chest, “I really don’t care to know her.” She turned to me and Jess, “As long as you don’t steal my man or my crown, you’re nothing to me. Otherwise, I will bury you and bring down both the Kellen and Batiste families. I have that sort of power and once I’m Queen, I will make your lives hell. Understand?” I rolled my eyes, “You think your petty little threats hurt me? I have suffered from far worse threats and insults. You don’t scare me Melody.” She pulled her hand up to slap me, but Derek caught her hand, “Do you really want to be in the crosshairs of the Prince? Go ahead and summon his ire. You do realize that he is out there hunting down The Order just for scratching her face. It is not advisable to harm her. I would also like to mention if you hit her, you’ll never hear from me again.” She pulled her hand from his grasp, stomped her foot and marched away.
I laughed, “My knight in shining jogging shorts. Should I swoon and fall into your arms?” He rose one eyebrow, looked around and then put his arm around my shoulders, “If the Headmaster can’t see, I can protect my new favorite lady in Vellum. Also, Lex anytime you want me to hold you I am there.” Jess laughed at him, “Are you always such a flirt or does Xan bring it out in you?” He rubbed my arm as he walked me to Vanessa’s classroom, “I flirt with the ladies who interest me. Lex here is very interesting to me. I might piss off the Prince, but it would be so worth it.” He winked at me and then took his arm away from my shoulders to open the door to the building where witchcraft was taught. After Jess entered the building, she turned to Derek, “So did Melody interest you before Xan?” He pulled the door behind him, “She did but that display this morning is making me think twice about pursuing anything with her. Not to mention her designs have always been on the King so really there’s nothing there.” I shrugged, “Perhaps she wants her cake and eat it too.” They both looked at me funny, “What? Terre term, I guess. It means that you can have the title and fool around with the pretty boy.” Derek nudged me, “You think I’m pretty? What do you like about me? Want to go on a date?” I rolled my eyes, “Derek, I said you were pretty. I didn’t say I wanted to have your babies. Stop going 0 to 100.” I got that same confused look, “Terre term again, it’s like when you are riding in a carriage and it goes from still to the very fastest it can go quickly.”
We came up to Vanessa’s door and I turned to my two companions, “I think she wanted to see me alone before class. Can you guys wait here?” They looked at each other and nodded then leaned against the wall next to the door. I pulled it open and entered. The classroom was stadium style seating and Vanessa was at her desk on the ground level. She looked up upon hearing me enter, “Sweetie, I am glad you could make it early.” She met me halfway and hugged me, “How are you feeling today?” I nodded at her, “I’m doing much better. I think me drinking Lucien’s blood the other night likely helped with my recovery.” She tapped her temple, “Yes, I believe the royal bloodline is so powerful that their blood can heal wounds fairly well. Come here, I have something for you.” She put her hand in mine and pulled me towards her desk and pulled out a small black box, “Here, I made this for you. It is a pin made of Tarny crystal that will keep you safe when Derek and Jess aren’t around.” I nodded and opened the box to find a rose pin made of rose gold and crystals where the petals should be. She pulled the pin out of the box and pinned it on my shirt.
We heard a racket outside of the door and turned to the door just as Melody was bursting in and yelling at Derek over her shoulder, “Derek, next time I tell you to move out of my way, you do it! I don’t care of the Queen Mother herself is in here. I will not be kept waiting!” She turned to look at me and Vanessa. She smiled at Vanessa, “Oh good morning Ms. Tannen. I am pleased to see that you are in. I would like to get a preview of the first lesson if you would.” Vanessa narrowed her eyes at her and pursed her lips, “I don’t mind showing you a preview but please do not come into my classroom yelling like that. It is unbecoming of a lady.” Vanessa turned to me, “Ms. Batiste, you may allow the other two students in the classroom now.” I nodded at her and went up the stairs to allow Jess and Derek in who had taken Magical Tools 101 as part of their curriculum. They were required to know how to fashion magical tools since the citadel relied heavily on them and there weren’t many witches in the kingdom. I opened the door and waved the two in and we all made our way towards the front of the room and took seats in the front row. Derek chose to sit in between Melody and I with Jess on the end. Vanessa turned to the board, “Now the first class will, of course, go over the basics. We will go into detail on what tools we use to make the magical tools. Fire is a heavy element in crafting the tools and we will have to take a fire magic aptitude test. This will measure just how effective your first pass at making magical tools will be. On average, students will usually take three tries before the tool is useable. In my time teaching, no one has been able to pass through only once so I would expect you all will need to go through two to three times.”
Melody straightened up in her seat and flipped her hair over her shoulder. The hair smacked Derek in the face on the way back, “Melody, can you please control your deadly weapon there? I am trying to listen.” Melody glared at him and then smiled at Vanessa, “I am going to be the student that has a one pass through Ms. Tannen. I am very talented at magic; I was taught by my tutor Madame Geloń who is the most powerful witch in all of Vellum. I doubt the riff raff, commoners and practical humans here could top that.” I rolled my eyes and opened my mouth to say something before Vanessa mouthed at me, “Don’t. Let me.” She turned to Melody, “While I am sure that you had the finest magical tutor Ms. Maigny, talent can often trump being learned. We don’t know how the rest of the students will measure up. I will tell you in attendance that I will not tolerate competition in my classroom. We all should be equal starting out. I may also remind you Ms. Maigny that amongst these grounds birth and rank do not hold any weight. The Headmaster who is back by the King’s decree has made this rule and it is absolute.” Just as she finished the bell in the Headmaster’s tower rung. Vanessa smiled at us, “Seems like the first semester has now begun. Welcome to LDMU kids, it’s going to be a thrilling year.”
