The Girl in the Slippers

Chapter Three- Araluen

-Chapter Three-

Araluen

IT WAS AFTER the standard New Years Celebration that I received a letter detailing the Lady Calligenia's acceptance of my invitation. Papa was in a particularly good mood at the time because the fireworks master from Province A had been a hit among our citizens, and so they were praising him daily. When I informed him of our impending guests, he simply smiled before placing the responsibility of their comfort on me and then leaving for a cards party held by one of his acquaintances. In a way his absence was a blessing- I found that I got a lot more done when I commanded the household on my own. Three rooms were quickly prepared in the guest wing for the Greenwich family.

They arrived in the morning of the day of the full moon in a gleaming chariot made of solid silver and gold, with a overarching silk tarp to protect against the wind and weather. The youngest daughter, who was of the same age as me, exited first. She was plain in face, tanned and her peach-coloured hair curled upwards in a stack atop her head, making up a quarter of her height. As soon as her jewelled heels met the ground, another girl stepped out who bore a slight resemblance to the first, only with dark, straight hair. Lastly, the footman guided the Lady Calligenia from the chariot, her plump figure clad in a turquoise gown, until all three were standing in front of Papa and I.

'Welcome, Lady Calligenia, Miss Calliope and Miss Callidora to our home. We are honoured that you accepted our invitation.' I exhaled a sigh of relief as he announced their names correctly.

'Oh, but there was no true choice, my Lord Alpha!' the lady simpered in reply. 'To receive a call from such an important figure... Why, we're quite humbled!'

Her daughters nodded along with her, a look of self-importance plastered on their faces. The footman finally finished unloading their luggage into the castle, so I gestured to Papa so he would invite them in. Thankfully, he understood the shooing motion of my hands as I turned to enter through the front door.

'Please, follow us inside, you must be exhausted from your travelling, my Lady,' he said with a charming smile, extending his arm for her to take. The grin that beamed back at him was certainly promising and as soon as the four had headed inside I allowed myself a moment to relish in my triumph. If everything went according to plan, Papa would arrange a marriage proposal by the end of their stay.

By the time I had joined them in the living room, a steady conversation was overflowing on a trivial topic (the New Year celebration at the palace, I believe) so I was able to slide into it with ease. The two daughters were certainly well educated, if not a bit dull- they were the type of people who repeated the opinions of others rather than creating their own. Calliope, the eldest, chattered constantly about the royals and how she was looking forward to the birthday party of the Crown Prince, to which we all were invited to. Her sister was less talkative, mostly because she was too busy eyeing the expensive drapery around our bay windows like a starving man. The girl seemed more interested in our wealth than anything else and the only questions she ever voiced were in regards to how much things had cost.

'My Dora is quite gifted in mathematics,' Lady Calligenia boasted to Papa. 'She may not have inherited the beauty of our family, like darling Calliope, but her brain more than makes up for it, I believe. The top of here year all the way through school! We'll have no trouble finding her a suitor- perhaps even a royal- despite the colour of her hair, which she gained from her father's side.'

The girl in question seemed impartial to her mother's words, obviously having heard them many times before, and instead leant over to whisper something in her sister's ear. Both laughed and eyed the porcelain tea set I was using to serve the company. It was a family heirloom that dated back to the first court of Selene, when Araluen and Osiris reigned.