Chapter 3: A Woman's Place (3)
"So mother, when will I see him?"
"I have learned that the special guests today are your future family. Your fiancé will be there too. They are coming to finalize the marriage contract. You can watch the proceedings behind a screen. No one will be the wiser that you are there."
"Thank you, mother!" A-Narah gave a light kiss to her mother's cheek before leaving for lessons.
Lady Talley felt her heart warm at her daughter's energetic response. When it came affairs outside the boundaries of this household there was little that she could do, but if it had anything to do with the going-ons with these walls then she had the ability to make all of her daughter's wishes come true.
When A-Narah left her head was filled with ideas of what her future husband might be like. The men she knew best were her father and elder brothers, and she vaguely remembered some uncles and cousins that visited long ago. Otherwise, all the men that A-Narah had seen had been servants working in the household, and she only saw them from a distance.
The walk to the side hall where she and her sisters took lessons wasn't too far from the main family's dwellings. She was able to take her time and wander with no need to rush. She walked out of her mother's courtyard and into the garden which connected main residences in the house. The illegitimate children and wives were separated into back gardens and had a longer walk to reach the main household.
A-Narah leisurely made her way over a small white bridge. Across from her she could see one of her sisters rushing with her maid to reach the music room. She almost felt an urge to call out to remind her sister that a daughter of the Talley family should always show grace and decorum. To behave in such an inelegant way was an embarrassment. She was sure to arrive at lessons with a forehead full of sweat and a wrinkled hem which was unladylike, but to raise her voice to give her sister this reminder would be unladylike herself.
When A-Narah entered the music room, she was the last to arrive. She discreetly looked sideways to see her sister trying to disguise her heavy breathing, with little success. A-Narah looked up at her maid and handed her a handkerchief and tilted her head toward her sister. Her maid was quite skilled. She understood right away what A-Narah wanted to do. The maid quietly made her way over, bringing no attention to herself, and passed off the handkerchief. She said nothing to the girl and returned to her master.
The girl seemed dazed after receiving the cloth, but quickly came to her senses and began patting off her sweat. A-Narah could only sigh. Even her dabbing looked unrefined. The girl looked like she was trying to sop up a puddle rather than gently dab away beads of sweat. Truly it was a debate of weather her beauty was wasted on her or if it was her one redeeming quality.
The tutor entered and saw this. She looked unhappy with the behavior but made no comment. Everything in the lesson would be related back to their parents. She could already imagine her sister being scolded and her blaming A-Narah for setting her up. Some people no matter how you tried to help them would never take responsibility an always claim to be the victim. The girl was an embarrassment, and it would be unlikely for her to marry well.
Lessons continued until break. All of it was dull. Music and etiquette consisted of just rigorous practice. There was never anything new, interesting, or exciting about it. All of it was just lift your elbow here. Pour tea from this position, neither too high or it will splash, or too low or it would looked unnatural. In music they only learned a few songs and were to practice them until they were perfect. Not a single note off key. After years of study even the untalented would be considered passable. Only the lazy and absentminded would continually fail.
Once it was over A-Narah got up to leave for her mother's rooms. From there her mother would lead her to the place where she could catch a glance of her future husband. But before she could leave her sister pulled on her arm and stopped her.
"Ara!"
"Yes Seena?" Despite being yanked back, A-Narah kept her composure and patiently waited for Seena to continue.
"You made a fool of me on purpose! The entire lesson the instructor criticized me. None of this would have happened if you hadn't set me up." After her tirade the girl was breathing heavily. The other sisters who were about to leave all stood back and watched the drama unfold.
How her sister currently acted was coarse and like an uneducated woman on the streets. A-Narah looked down on her. People who were taught better but still persisted in such behavior were really unforgivable.
"Sister," A-Narah calmly said, "you give me too much credit. I do not possess the capabilities to turn you into a fool."
"Admit it! You had your maid give me a handkerchief to draw the attention of the tutor to me." Seena was overly excited. If she hadn't had that handkerchief then none of this would have happened. The music instructor had berated her the entire class and then the etiquette instructor only pointed out all of her flaws. The instructor would then ask A-Narah to demonstrate and overly praise her. Because of A-Narah she had always had a bad reputation with the instructors. If it wasn't for her then no one would look at her with such disdain. If only A-Narah admitting to her underhanded behavior she would finally be punished.
"Sister you misunderstood." A-Narah took her arm back and left. Her maid followed after her leaving Seena fuming.
Bina couldn't help but giggle at the scene.
"What?!" Seena glared back at her younger sister who had made the offensive noise.
"Sister, your behavior just now will told to father and lady mother. If you can't even understand who made you into a fool then you truly are an idiot beyond redemption." Bina and her maids continued walking toward the door, but she stopped on the threshold to turn back and leave one last remark, "well, it's a good thing you're pretty but right now it might be better if you cover your face," and left.
Seena was then left alone. "Is what they said true?" No one was there to answer, but then a quiet voice spoke up. "You are the prettiest daughter in the household my lady." In the corner was her long-forgotten timid maid.
"But of course." A-Narah might have received all of their father's favor and the high praise of everyone, even her own mother would compare her shortcomings to her, but no one could deny that she was the most beautiful of all her sisters. She was bound to earn her husband's love. Someone like A-Narah would end up as a glorified housekeeper. With her pride restored she left the room.
Later when she would look into the mirror she would scream at the state of her face. Because she had vigorously wiped her face with the handkerchief, instead of removing sweat she had smudged her makeup all over, making her once beautiful face turn into a blotched and discolored mess.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone