Clap.
Clap.
Clap. Clap.
Blaire jolts up, shoulders curled and eyes widened by the strangeness of her surroundings. She realises herself to still be in the mechanised contraption built for travel, what the rich call a 'car.' She whips her head and finds Courtney standing outside, tapping the ground with her foot as she makes conversation with an older woman.
"We're here," the driver announces as soon as Blaire sits straight, "Please exit the vehicle."
"Ah, yes, um, thank you!" Blaire exclaims, smiling sheepishly as she ducks out of the car. In front of her stands a majestic castle with rustic stone walls decorated with floral creepers. The cold-stone structure exudes a strange warmth with its earthy hues and sixteen spearing towers over the span of…well, Blaire couldn't imagine how many acres. "Are we at the royal castle?" she gasps, stunned the serenity of her surroundings.
"We're at the Charmity Academy." Courtney jabs.
"Of course," Blaire huffs, shaking her head. Just yesterday, she was at the town square trying to sell her sculptures in the morning because she wanted to buy more clay to build something whimsical for her mother's liking. Her life was centred around dry hands, resin fumes, clay, milk and bread. Never in her wildest dreams had she even fathomed the thought of standing on a clean cobbled path, central to the Empire, on her way to study in the modern equivalent of the Imperial Academy.
Blaire huffs and turns to the trunk.
"Your stuff's been taken care of," Courtney informs, a layer of authority seeping through her tone.
Blaire stares at the strawberry blonde with general distrust. Courtney's eyes scream, 'LANDFILL!' but Blaire has no proof but her own sense of suspicion to back it up. "Thank you," she says, instead. Nothing at the moment seemed believable to her.
Courtney smiles a satisfied smile and gestures a hand in the older woman's direction. "Meet Layla, she's the Chief of Miranda Tower, your tower. She'll be helping you hereafter. Make sure you're ready by 4 because the Welcome Ball begins at 6 sharp." She turns to whisper something in Layla's ear while Blaire's thoughts spiral.
I get a tower? I own a tower? A ball? What ball? A dancing ball? I've never danced in my entire life! What the hell would I do?!
"I shall take my leave now," Courtney says before walking ahead. The elegantly carved brown doors open as soon as she nears them and swallow her inside.
Blaire gulps and holds out a hand for Layla to shake. "Hello!" she exclaims, painfully hoping to veil the awkwardness in her voice.
The older woman stares at Blaire with stern blue eyes.
"Hi…?" Blaire tries again, waving stiff fingers in the woman's face.
"We begin with a curtsey," the woman says, voice soft yet stern.
"Oh! right! yes!" Blaire's dark eyes sparkle up. Of course, she'd seen it in movies! Instantly, she bends her back in a ninety-degree-bow and exclaims, "Hello! Nice to meet you!"
Layla sucks in a harsh breath and holds her hand over her pearly necklace. In her head, she cries: Oh my, this poor adorable thing has so much to learn! She holds out a thick pink file folder for Blaire to take.
"These are all the admission documents, key cards and IDs you shall be needing. I took the liberty of using the information on your application form. Also, you're a Lady now, Ms. Winston and Ladies don't bow so low. Have some integrity and let's move on."
Without an explanation on how to bow or how to have integrity, Layla turns on her heel and walks away. Blaire follows, hands weighed down by the package, face akin to a lost puppy.
As soon as the main gates open, estranged opulence greets Blaire like a jilted lover. She's slapped in the face with fluorescent yellow lights, diamond encrusted chandeliers, colourful carpets, bejewelled paintings and unending hallways laid like the emotions of a pubescent teen.
"Your living quarters are the Miranda Towers. It's the fourth on the left, followed by Delphine, Strauss and Loraine Towers. On your right are the boys' dormitories with their respective towers. Beyond the central castle is your class building, adjacent to its right is the gymnasium and to its left is the auditorium. The cafeteria is a crescent shaped building between the student block and the club block. There's an administrative block in the basement of each tower along with a library. The central library is in the student block, behind the class building. Did you get that?"
Blaire did not. "Yes, totally!" she exclaimed, hoping the Chief wouldn't look down on her more than she already, probably, did.
"Good. Follow along," she gestures Blaire to the entrance of the Miranda Tower. The door, like every other, was a carved hardwood brown and the tower itself was a soft crème blend of equal opulence. A red carpet ran throughout the foyer, the staircase and all the floors. Thankfully, the towering heights were not to be bested by sheer effort. There was an elevator, within which, Layla pressed the button numbered 14.
Blaire followed silently, basking under the warm glory of the shiny golden elevator. One look in the high-definition mirror panels had her gasping and questioning all believes. She inches closer, eyes widened, baffled over the number of open pores she could see on her skin. Whilst Layla and Courtney had a face of matte glow, Blaire touched hers only to find it grainy and textured.
The elevator dings and the doors open silently. Everything around was so eerily silent, Blaire realises, unlike her rowdy streets and chaotic neighbours. Even the sound of her footsteps was muted by the thick carpet underneath.
"This is your floor," Layla breaks the silence as she opens a door, "This is your withdrawing quarter." She steps inside a living room. It is decorated with a modern glow of rose gold ornaments and vintage picture frames but the rustic brown fireplace and sofa set add a comfortable touch as well. Layla leads them across the room and into a narrow lobby, "That is Lady Harriet's room," she points to a room on the left, "And that is Lady Iyla's room," she points to the room on the right. "This, I believe, is yours."
Blaire's room alone is big enough to fit three apartments from her hometown. The realization glares in her face as a form of empty space. Never had she seen furniture placed so far away from a wall, she muses, as her eyes gaze over the round bed placed slightly in the middle of the room – with nothing else but a study table and chair on the right, facing the curved window wall behind the bed.
"The feng shui would be terrible in here," Blaire whispers to herself.
"You can move it as you please," Layla smiles and points towards the left, "That's your ensuite bathroom."
Blaire jogs and peeks inside, only to suck in a scandalised breath. If the golden engraved faucets weren't a culture shock enough, the three-person sized bathtub surely was. This is so exciting! This is so brilliant! Oh! my goodness I'm gonna have so much fun!!!
Unaware of Blaire's internalised screaming, Layla walks them back to the lobby. "On your right is the shared closet room and on your left are the pantry and kitchen. I'm sure you can explore everything in due time but we must make haste now."
"Hm? For what?" Blaire blinks, eyes bright and a mind devoid of thoughts,
"The Welcome Ball?" Layla snaps, rhetoric. "Would you require assistance to get ready?"
"Oh!" thoughts catch up to Blaire again, "Um, yes please! I've no idea how to—um, I've never been to a big formal event before. I don—um, I'm sorry, he he," she grins sheepishly, flicking her thumbnail with her fingernails, one at a time.
"Of course."
Layla claps and out of nowhere, two young girls, dressed in frilly blue and crème frocks and aprons, rush inside the room. They seem to be of Blaire's age, one slightly taller than her with shiny brown hair pulled in a neat bun and the other around Blaire's height with silky red hair pleated into pigtails.
"She's Juniper," Layla points at the redhead, "And that's Asper," she points at the brunette, "They shall be your maids hereafter. Any grievances—"
"Grievances?"
Layla blinks, raises her brows in exasperation and rewords, "Any problems or issues must first be addressed, told, to them. If it is something out of their work scope, you can come to me."
What is their work scope? Blaire wanted to ask but did not. "Yes, thank you," she says instead.
"Girls, get your Lady, Blaire Winston, ready by 4. I shall take my leave now."
"Yes mistress," the servant girls utter in synchrony and bend into a smooth ninety-degree-bow while Layla leaves.
"Oh—" Blaire mutters, falling into a similar bow, "It's nic—it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she greets.
"M'lady! Please, do not bow for us!" Juniper exclaims, taking the liberty to grab Blaire by her shoulders and lift her up. "You're only to bow to those of a lower social standing than you!" she clarifies.
"Ha, I know, but, I'm sure I've got the lowest social standing here," Blaire giggles, "I'm from a tier three town. What about you guys?"
Juniper and Asper share a look before grimacing.
"I'm from a tier one town…" Juniper begins.
"So am I," Asper sighs.
"Oh? why are you working as maids then? Um—if you don't mind telling me, that is. Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude." Blaire grits her teeth as word after word of intrusion escapes her tongue.
"It's alrighty! I was—am, was, yes, I was a daughter of a manufacturing business owner and my father got caught embezzling funds from the government. As punishment he was jailed and all our assets were confiscated. My mother is a tutor in the Citadel now and my brother and I work here, will work here, until our father is released or someone in a higher position takes us away," Juniper explains.
It was unreal how swiftly Blaire pulls Juniper in a hug. "I'm sorry you have to suffer for the faults of someone else but I'm sure better days will soon arrive," she whispers in the maidservant's ear.
Ever since the Astrallis scandal was made public, two years ago, Juniper had developed a habit of straining all the words and emotions forcefully brewing in her pot of life. Yet, the impromptu hug choked a sniffle out of her throat as she utters, "T-thank you."
Blaire pulls back and pats Juniper's back, "There-there, we'll get through it!"
Unbeknownst to her brain, tears whelm Juniper's eyes and she has to blink them out of hindering her vision. This girl was unlike anyone at Charmity, Juniper knew as soon as she'd been privy to the leaked sleeping picture of the lady. Though, one interaction was enough to understand that she was different for good.
"We should get her ready," Asper says, staring down at Juniper's freshly tear stained cheeks.
"We should! We should!" Juniper claps, "A Lady's appearance and behaviour is a direct reflectance of their maid's work! You can count on us to make you shine!"
"I would be grateful!" Blaire cries.
.
.
.
Dressed to the nines in a black and crème gingham short dress, paired with chunky black boots and a silver clutch – Blaire had never felt more out of place. She'd received spa sessions, hair care and extensive make-up from Asper and Juniper, yet, the gut wrenching feeling of walking down a red carpet at the Royal Castle did not falter. If anything, the constant clicks of the cameras only hastened the jabs in her heart.
"Do you think she'll survive?" Juniper whispers, still in the car which escorted them.
"They'll eat her alive," Asper says, bluntly.
Juniper gulps, nodding, "Oh poor soul, she's a darling!"
The maids get out of the car and use the backdoor to enter the servant quarters.
"Better she escapes sooner than later."