Chapter 1.3 The way of Things
POV Rebecca
April 7th 913 (2016)
"I want a room near my brothers." I insisted as the butler bowed apologetically.
"I'm sorry my lady, but their rooms are in the men's wing." He replied.
"What about it?" I insisted, still refusing to enter the room the butler had shown me to. He stammered but couldn't formulate a reply, so I continued on.
"I want a room closer to my brothers." I pressed him as he tried to look for a way to escape. His face washed with relief as a maid tried to get my attention.
"Excuse me my lady, but the Earless wishes to speak with you in her study." She curtsied.
"Can't you see I'm busy?" I asked with exasperation.
"Fine, I'll deal with this later…" I glared at the butler as I turned to the maid. I followed her back the way I'd just come. We crossed the main floyer and up the grand staircase and down a hall into the opposite wing of the manor. I was shown into a small room, the maid stayed just outside, gesturing for me to enter.
"You must be Rebecca." The woman stood from her desk and walked around it with a pleasant smile. I was rather surprised, I'd expected some old attire and perhaps a posh attitude one expected from upper class British folk. But her warm pleasant greeting made me smile involuntarily.
"I am." I replied as I shook her hand. Wait… wasn't she a noble? Why was she treating me like this? Wasn't this some medieval world thing? It must have shown on my face as she chuckled.
"Don't worry about formalities for the moment. Just call me Sera for now." She reassured me.
"Alright." I replied as I examined her again.
The Earless's hazel eyes appraised me as I looked at her scared face. It started just above her left brow and ended just under her lip. She wore a shirt with a ruffled collar, though the sleeves had been rolled up to reveal her muscled arms. Her gaze was kind but there was an underlying hardness to it, as if she'd struggled all her life with the difficulty of the tasks set before her.
"I'll be arranging tutors for you about our history,as well as etiquette tutors for your brothers." Sara smiled.
"That sounds… etiquette?" I was somewhat confused. What in the world would my brothers need etiquette classes for?
"So they won't be embarrassing you in high society, most male heroes of the past have… poor ideas of how society works… It's for the best." she explained with a sad smile.
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to get her to explain what she meant by my brothers needing etiquette tutors. Frankly the idea of Smith being lectured on etiquette struck me as ridiculous though.
"I think a brief talk of our history is in order then. Perhaps it would clear the air a bit?" Sara gestured for me to sit and sat next to me. Having made ourselves comfortable she continued.
"The Queendom of Monrovia was founded over seven hundred years ago by the adventurer Queen Bianca Vandamme, it is from her sacred Covenant that our civilization has grown and prospered."
She began recounting her history, I tried not to yawn… this was drier than the sahara. "From the Covenant were her teachings, and our creed as women to uphold the natural way, forgotten by the rest of the world."
"What does this have to do with these tutors?" I asked impatient.
"I was almost there hero…" Sara replied with a twitch of her brow.
She waited a moment but I waited oh so patiently for her to continue. "Men are creatures of the fairer sex, and it is the duty of us women to protect them from the horrors of the world."
I stared at Sara for a moment. Was this crazy woman pulling my leg? Who in their right mind would come to that conclusion? She sighed after a moment, smiling sadly. "I see you don't believe my own words. I can not blame you, but our institutions have stood for seven hundred years, proof of the righteous ideals of our foremothers."
"That… doesn't make any sense." I muttered as I shook my head.
"It will make sense with time, you'll come to understand our ways." She replied as she took my hand. I tried to discreetly pull my hand away. The hell was wrong with the woman?
"I have arrangements to make, but I'll see to it that the Queen is informed of your arrival." She promised as I tried to bite back a retort on the inside. Why would I want to talk to some even more self important lady? You're bad enough!