Purge

A knock sounded on Felicias' door, but he was too lost in trepidation to respond. What had he done? What would his mother think? He'd been so consumed by anxiety that Felicias didn't know if his suite had windows, or how large the bed was. He had no clue if the room was bigger than his entire house back in the commons. His clothes were too soft. The bath that had been set for him was too hot. His skin felt exposed and too moisturized. The shoes he wore hugged his soles causing a strange sensation.

It had been six weeks since he'd left his mother at the imperial palace. No one had come searching for him. Not a single person had questioned Captain Rotan's sudden child. No one other than his sister, Leetha.

"Felicias," A woman's voice called out, a voice that was nothing like his mother's. The air changed in the room as the door opened. There was no creak of the wood, nor did the floor make a sound indicating that someone was moving across it. Felicias cringed, squeezing his eyes tighter together.

A soft cold hand caressed his cheek and Felicias held his breath. He'd heard of the Imperial Ladies taking advantage of young boys. The rumors went from terrible to grotesque along with their descriptions. Felicias stopped his quaking and took a deep breath, he opened his eyes and kept his mouth shut. . He'd already left his mother, and she was his world. He was prepared for a lot, but only in theory.

"Felicias." A slender woman with birdlike features smiled down at him. Her eyes were grey and complimented the mass of dark brown curls that surrounded her head. Her skin was a smooth porcelain that hinted at luxury, but in his heart Felicias felt that his mother was prettier with her ash hair and yellow eyes. "I am your aunt, Felicias. You may call me me Aunt Leetha." She grabbed Felicias's hand and led him out of his room. "My brother mentioned that you were raised too close to the soldier camp so your speech is ungodly. Don't worry. We have several weeks to fix that before you go off to Takturn." They stopped at a large winding staircase that Felicias couldn't remember climbing. "Now greet me."

"Guid mornin', Aunty Lee'tha." Felicias flinched at Leetha's darkening expression.

"No. We speak with education and enunciation. Good. Day. Aunt. Leetha." Leetha repeated, over pronouncing each word.

Swallowing his fear, Felicias tried again. "GooD Day, AunT LeeTha."

"Wunderbarr!" Leetha clapped returning to her sweetener self and Felicias pocketed the information that she was wearing a mask of sorts. "You will call my mother, Grandmama. She quite likes that. My father, Grandpapa. Your father, Papa. These are proper ways to address family in public." Leetha began to descend the stairs and Felicias stayed on her heels. "You want to show affection and propriety. I do not know how gentry survives so close to camp, but we will not be finding out this day. Understand, Felicias?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Felicias grinned after using the most proper phrase he'd been taught.

"Why don't we just avoid talking for the evening?" Leetha's answering smile caused a cold feeling to pit in Felicias's middle. "One last thing -" She stopped before the double doors opened. "mar'm, ma'am, and the likes are servant words. I am your aunt. You will refer to me as just that and nothing else."

"Yes, Aunt Leetha."

The doors opened revealing an expansive dining room with a table covered in more food than Felicias had seen his entire life. He held his mouth shut for fear of drooling and followed Leetha to a group of people dressed finer than those he had seen at the marketplace.

"Everyone! This is Felicias! He's not up to chit chat today - misses his Mama - so excuse his ill manners." The group laughed with Leetha and eyes took Felicias apart. A bell rang and they all turned to the front of the room.

The same butler that had taken Felicias to his suite bowed swiftly. "Dinner is served." The gentry chattered as if the table full of food hadn't existed until that moment. The butler pulled a chair out near the head of the table and inclined his head at Felicias. The child sat down silently. He had expected more of a spectacle from Rotan's family, but there was none. It had already been a shock to Felicias to learn that Leetha was not in fact Rotan's sister, but the daughter of his father's second wife.

Captain Rotan arrived late for the meal and no one scolded him, something Felicias found strange and unloving. After dessert Felicias's grandparents prepared to leave, taking a few moments to rub his head and straighten his clothing.

"You will make us quite proud." His grandpapa exclaimed - though it seemed a demand if anything else.

"Yes, Grandpapa." The grouping paused and Felicias realized too late, the mistake he had made. Aunt Leetha had told him to be silent, and he had broken it.

"My! My!" Leetha's mother clapped her hands. "Here we were thinking that you were just some country illiterate. Look at that, Darling, the boy speaks proper."

"Good." Was all Rotan's father responded with and the couple left. The rest of the party cleared out leaving Rotan, Felicias, and Leetha.

"Go to bed, Felicias." Leetha snapped and Felicias exited the dining room. He was more than happy to go somewhere that was far away from her. Running up the winding staircase, Felicias dashed into his bedroom and leapt onto his bed

The covers were lush and his body sank into them comfortably, which heightened his upset. Rolling onto the ground Felicias let the hardness comfort him. It was closer to the bed he'd had at home than anything else in that house. Once there he began to grieve. There was a reason change was frowned upon in the Commons. There seemed to be a reason for everything.

As he slept Felicias dreamt of being a General. In his dream a messenger brought news that his mother was dying. In his upset Felicias rode with all his might to a hospital near the mint farmers and fruit orchards. The hospital was seated at the heart of a bustling town, where women wore festival dresses as daily wear and everyone worked for their keep. Once in the hospital Felicias climbed several stories until he found his mother lying in a crisp white bed, a nurse tending to her every comfort hovered. And with that Felicias found peace in his heart.

He awoke the next morning with new vigor. He would see that village built in the Commons. He would see luxuries become the norm, even if he had to die for it.

"Felicias," Leetha entered his room without knocking. "Come along. Today we will teach you how to interact with your peers properly."

Brushing himself off, Felicias straightened his shoulders and squared his jaw. He was, in lack of a better worlding, ready.

"Yes, Aunt Leetha."