Tea party

Elena sat in front of the vanity, tapping her feet impatiently as Helen secured her hair into a braided bun, setting tiny yellow blossoms among the braids to complement her white chiffon dress, embroidered with delicate yellow daisies.

"Helen, look. If I throw this pin and it sticks to the painting, you make an excuse for me so I can skip Madam Candace's etiquette class."

"No, my lady. Don't destroy a thousand-year-old painting."

Elena threw the pin.

It landed on the floor with a dull thud.

Elena eventually made her way toward the flower garden with heavy footsteps.

She missed running around with Sammy.

A vivid memory surfaced from somewhere deep within her consciousness—Sammy throwing his black powder.

It had stuck to their eyes so badly.

Madam Candace had been furious. Even the Grandmaster had struggled to remove it, and parts of the wall remained stained despite hours of scrubbing. Eventually, they had simply painted over them.

Elena smiled at the memory.

Then tears flooded her eyes.

Still, she kept walking, carefully placing one step after the other.

A gazebo decorated with green flowering vines stood ahead. A round table had been set beneath it, with a tiered stand holding croissants, cookies, pastries, and a few assorted sandwiches. Cheeses and fruit had been arranged around it with precision.

The two girls seated there straightened slightly when they saw her approaching. Both wore the latest fashions that had become the talk of high society.

Lily, a brown-eyed girl with black hair, wore a maroon frilled gown, with ribbons and bows arranged through her hair. Beside her sat Lidia, dressed in purple, her brown hair falling in loose curls and a stylish pouch chosen to match her attire.

"Lady Elena." They bowed. "Thank you for inviting us. You look divine."

Elena put on a fake smile.

"My, my, ladies. The pleasure is all mine."

"Would you like this cake, my lady?"

"Oh, no. A lady has to watch her weight, Lily."

Elena refused while every fibre of her being begged her to gobble down the cake.

The girls laughed together while Elena secretly rolled her eyes whenever they weren't paying attention.

Elena suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching her. She craned her neck to look around and accidentally tipped her drink over Lily's maroon gown.

"Oh! Sorry, Lily."
"No problem, Lady Elena."

Lily's smile remained firmly in place. After all, she was hardly in a position to show her irritation toward the princess.

Despite her complaints about such gatherings, Elena managed to extract plenty of useful information about the latest happenings and affairs of high society before the tea finally came to an end.

Elena's hands drifted toward her pockets.

When she couldn't find the bottle Jack had given her, she started looking everywhere frantically.

She ended up turning the table upside down, only to realise she must have left it in her room.

Back in her room, Elena kicked off her shoes.

"Ow. I am so tired, Helen, but I still can't sleep."

Her eyes drifted toward the door when she heard a knock.

She had a visitor.

But who?

Nobody ever visited her.

Not at this hour, anyway.

Elena opened the door to find an exhausted Rowland standing there.

His eyes were red, and his face was completely confused.

After the brutal reading lesson imposed by his new teacher, he had sought out the only person who could offer him some comfort.

Elena stared at him in surprise.

For the first time ever, the one doing the seeking was not Elena.

She listened to the tale of this mysterious woman, her stupid haunted doll, her snivelling servant or assistant, the duel, and finally the lesson.

"But you must have learned something, Row Row."

"Maybe this is how she teaches."

"The book was so ancient, I bet nobody in the world has ever read that one. And no pictures! Can you imagine, pea-brain?"

She paused.

"Or maybe it's revenge for what you did to her."

She said it in a matter-of-fact way.

Elena glanced briefly in the mirror.

"I learned one stupid thing that was also kind of interesting. Apparently, a potion made from blooming nightshade can make you lose your sight if taken frequently."

Rowland sprawled back against the cushions, looking ridiculously proud of himself, and tucked both hands behind his head.

"Even a knuckle-brained idiot like you would remember that, right?"

Elena's expression changed.

The colour slowly drained from her face, and something in her green eyes seemed to darken.

For a moment, she did not move. It was almost as though she had forgotten to breathe.

Rowland's smug expression faded.
"Elena?"

She looked toward him.

"Rowland, I think you should leave."

He frowned. Something was wrong. This time, he did not argue.

Rowland pushed himself up from the cushions and left the room, casting one last uncertain glance at her before closing the door behind him.