A Court of Song and Shadow

Chapter 24

Everything was about to change.

Azriel was my mate.

And I was about to be married off to another male.

Did he know that we were mates? There is no way that he knew--unless he is better at hiding things from me than I realized.

Do I tell him? No I cannot tell him, I have to wait until it clicks into place for him to--but that could take centuries.

I let out a groan and fall into my bed. I then smile to myself, even though my whole life has gone to absolute shit--Azriel was my mate. I let out a squeal and cover my face with my pillow. I hear a thump on my dresser and I pull the pillow from my face and see the house must have put a book on my dresser. I go over to look at the title--A Ladies Guide to Proper Etiquette and Politeness.

"Really?" I say to the House with a short laugh. In reply, it plops down another book and I read the title and smirk to myself, "Now this is more like it."

My father would have given the House orders to reteach me the stuff I learned as a little girl--when my father thought me to be powerless, he stopped with the lessons saying it was a waste of time. I go open the doors to my balcony that looks over the north side of Hewn City and as I go to sit on my bed to read my book--the door bursts open.

Four middle aged women barge into my room and begin taking some of my belongings, "Excuse me?" I ask them but they keep taking my stuff away. One actually opens my drawers and takes my daggers. I jump out of my bed and walk quickly over to her, I go to take my daggers back but she hits my hand away. I wince at the sharp pain from her rings.

"Who are you people?" I demand, the one woman who took my daggers grabs the book I was reading from my hands, and her eyes widen as she takes in the title. She shows the other women who actually gasp at the title. I cross my arms and wait for them to answer me.

"We are here to teach you how to be a proper lady." The eldest one says.

"I am a proper lady." I point out, knowing full well I am not a proper lady. The women look me up and down in unison and one clicks her tongue in disapproval.

"Your lessons will begin in one hour in the dining hall." The one with white hair says to me, and they abruptly leave my rooms. I stare at the door they walk out of in confusion. Too much is happening in such a short amount of time and I do not even know what to think about.

"You would not happen to have another copy of that book, would you?" I quietly ask the house, I smile as another copy appears on my dresser. I pick up the book and spend the next hour reading instead of dealing with the problems in my life. I look at the clock and see that an hour has passed already and I swore to myself I would not go to these so called lessons those bland women spoke about--but curiosity gets the best of me and I leave my room to begin walking to the dining hall. I find the one woman with her brown hair in a bun and a grey dress already sitting--waiting for me. She slowly looks at me and then to the clock.

"You are five minutes late. A lady is never late." She stands from her seat and pulls up a chair, I reluctantly go to sit in it.

"Apparently I am not a lady yet." I say as I sit in the chair. She grabs my shoulders and pulls them back so I sit up straight. "Ouch." I mumble.

"A lady never complains." She says, and I make a face at her. Did this woman have any personality?

"What is your name?" I ask her.

"A lady never speaks out of turn." She repeats herself--again.

"Oh by the gods--" She smacks my hand with a wooden stick and I flinch and pull my hand back, she hits my back next since I began slouching again. "Would you stop that?"