You did bring it upon yourself.
“I know.” I sighed. “But the fun and games are over. Tomorrow I need to focus on us, and Bonding.”
I have faith.
I wished I did. I put on a smile and tried to feel strong and determined for Auwei, but I felt a niggling fear deep within me that I’d not be able to Bond with Auwei and I’d be sent back to my previous life.
That fear manifested in my dreams that night, returning to a life filled with a thousand tiny mundane horrors, everything reminding me how worthless and rejected I was.
Suffice to say, I didn’t sleep well.
Chapter 6
A knockon my door started me awake.
I sat up. “Yes?” I said before I fully understood what was happening.
“Breakfast, m’lady.”
I didn’t recognize the woman’s voice.
“Thanks!” I called, then flopped back onto my bed. A faint rim of light silhouetted my curtains. It was easy enough, from the bed, to pluck at one of the curtains and lift it away to reveal a small patch of window. The day was overcast and only barely light out, grey and gloomy. What an auspicious start to my time at Silverveil.
You’ll want to make sure you get a good breakfast, Auwei said.There is a lot to do. These days will feel very long and full.I’m sorry, I didn’t think to let you know I could wake you whenever you like in the mornings. If you want time before breakfast tomorrow, to get ready, I can give you that.
“Get ready?” I asked. I groaned as I pushed myself up to sit once again, then slid my legs over the side of the bed. My new dress was a bit rumpled; I’d slept in it. I tried futilely, to smooth it out. “And do what?”
Some of my previous True-Bonded liked to take baths or showers in the mornings and do their hair or even put on a little cosmetics.
Cosmetics? I’d never owned any. Also: “What is a shower?” I knew what a rain shower was, but I didn’t know how a person could have one every morning.
Oh… I see. There are facilities here where you can bathe, but also, you can have warm water pour over you in a consistent stream, called a shower. It is very revivifying.
“Perhaps I’ll try one this evening. But no, I don’t need to get ready, just wake me in time for breakfast.” I rose and left my room. It seemed most of the other Chosen here had woken earlier as the great hall was full when I got there. I took some scraps of what food was left from the buffet and found a spot on a bench to sit.
“Oh… hello,” said a curious voice from beside me. “You’re… ah… Legs… aren’t you?” the young man’s voice broke awkwardly.
I hadn’t paid much attention to where I’d sat and, with a mouth half-stuffed with warm bacon, I looked up to see I’d taken a seat amidst a group of boys. They stared at me with eyes full of… hunger, and not for the food in front of them. I’d never felt this…seenbefore, and I was just a bit unnerved.
I blushed, suddenly wondering how I looked. I hadn’t bothered with the looking glass in my closet. I usually had a rather frumpy tousle of hair in the mornings.Spirits!
Still, I tried to put on a winning smile. The boy next to me, the one who’d spoken, was small and slight with tanned skin and a tangled mess of light brown hair. Yet it was his eyes which caught my attention: soft brown eyes, so deep and curious and caring. His was a tender soul, I could tell instantly.
“Yeah… Legs, that’s me,” I said after finishing my bacon. “My actual name is Birch though.”
“She’s out of your league, Pebble!” one of the other boys called over. Instantly the one next to me — Pebble, an unfortunate name — blushed and seemed to shrink within himself a little. “I’m Creek,” the other boy said. He was across the table from me and was actually my height… at least sitting down he was. A scruff of a beard grew on his chin, and his face was hard, eyes dark brown. I could tell instantly he was another charmer, like Oak, sure of himself and ready for action. All the boys at the table seemed to defer to him.
“I wish they’d let you keep that dress from yesterday,” Creek said with a wink and a grin.
“Lady Kitsune had a conniption when she saw it,” I said in response. “It’s probably been burned by now. Hope you got a good look yesterday.”
“I did,” Creek said low and soft. “And if you ever want to show me… more…” he left the invitation hanging.
Yeah… no, sorry buddy.
Not your type?Auwei asked, but seemed to know the answer already.
Definitely not.I turned to Pebble, the smaller young man next to me. There was something about him, something in those eyes.But him… maybe.
