Seven has been by my side since that first day we arrived. We’ve seen countless others come and go—some of them our dear friends—but we’ve always had each other. Until now, that is. We both knew this day would come, it was only a matter of who would start first. Even with that knowledge, thinking about parting with her makes me feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest.
Seven is my opposite in every way that matters. I’m plain, she’s unique. I’m a peacekeeper, she’s a firecracker. I’m self-conscious, she’s confident. And while her boldness has occasionally gotten her—and by default, me—into trouble, there’s no one else I’d rather have by my side.
My friend notices I’ve retreated into my mind, as I often do, and loops her arm through mine. “Let’s go, Tenny. Time to bite the bullet.”
We walk together toward the Headmistress’s office, both of us in the mood to reminisce now that we know she’ll be leaving soon. “You still owe me, by the way.”
She places her hand over her heart, whipping out her terrible foreign accent. “Whatever for, darling?”
“Oh, I don’t know, that time I covered for you so you could sneak away to make out with that cute guard?” I bump my hip into hers.
“Mmm,” she hums. “He was a great kisser.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, well, I was caught out of bed after curfew and had to muck out the barn for two weeks, so you’re welcome.”
She smiles deviously. “Thank you.”
I groan. “Or what about the time you stole wine from the cellar and got so drunk you could barely walk?”
She shivers at the memory. “That wine was awful.”
“I carried your drunk ass all the way across the grounds. My legs were sore for a week,” I grumble.
She pulls me into her side and hugs me so tight it hurts my ribs. “You love me.”
“Unfortunately, yes.” I tickle her side so she’ll let me go, and sure enough, she squeals and releases her grip.
Our playful mood ebbs the closer we draw to our destination, like a flame suffocated under a jar. As much as I don’t want her to leave, Seven’s right; girls have tried to hide their periods from the mistresses before, but they always find out. We’ve witnessed—and endured—countless punishments over the years, all of them varying in severity depending on the offense.
This particular act will get you ten lashes with a leather strap to your naked backside in front of everyone. Painfulandhumiliating.
Minor infringements warrant minor penalties, while more severe offenses warrant less-forgiving consequences. The worst one I’ve seen was shortly after we arrived. One of the girls tried to escape in the middle of the night, and she was sent to solitary confinement fora week and then had to sleep in a straight-jacket for a month. Needless to say, she never tried to run away again. She never was quite the same after that…
We’ve heard rumors from other Institutes that some of the worst-behaved girls have had their mouths sewn shut. It’s just hearsay, of course. The mistresses probably started those rumors as a way to scare us.
We stop outside the office, and I give my friend a quick hug. “You’re gonna be an amazing wife.”
Seven smiles, but the usual light in her eyes is dimmed. “Not as good as you, that’s for sure. But I do have a great pair of tits.”
I roll my eyes again, knowing she uses humor to mask her discomfort. “I’m sure your future husband will appreciate those.”
“He’d better.” She winks at me. “I’ll see you later, Tenny.”
She knocks on the door and enters a moment later at the Headmistress’s beckon, leaving me alone in the hallway. I walk back to the main hall and sit on my bed—the same one I’ve had since I arrived—and retrieve my knitting needles and yarn from the basket underneath, letting the repetitive motion soothe me.
At fifteen, Seven and I are among the last of the girls from the same raid to be married off. Most seemed to start their period around thirteen or fourteen and were married and sent away that same year. I shift on the bed, ignoring the discomfort in my lower stomach. My fingers move quicker and quicker until they start to cramp, but it’s a welcome distraction. While Seven’s always been comfortable talkingabout all the things that make me squirm, I know I’ll need to move past my uneasiness sooner rather than later.
Headmistress made it very clear what would be expected of us as wives, but I can’t say I’m exactly excited about the physical part of the relationship…
Being a lord’s wife is the greatest honor one could hope for,Headmistress had said.One of your most important duties will be to pleasure him, for tenet number five says…
A woman’s body is not her own,we repeated in unison.
Exactly.She revealed a detailed chart of male and female anatomy.Giving a man pleasure is rather straightforward, but the most important thing to remember is to submit to his desires. Your husband may ask you to do things beyond the necessary act of procreating, as is his prerogative.She went on to explain the mechanics—for lack of a better term—of the physical act of sex, none of which sounded particularly enjoyable to me.You may experience some discomfort or bleeding the first few times, but this is normal. Eventually, your body will adjust to the act; you may even find your own pleasure, but that is secondary to your husband’s.
My stomach twinges painfully again, bringing me out of the memory. I chalk it up to nerves about Seven leaving in a few weeks and continue knitting.
Unfortunately, the stomach cramps worsen until I go to the bathroom, hoping it will help alleviate the pain. To my surprise, the toilet paper comes away stained a light pink. An odd mixture ofemotions fills me; nervousness, excitement, hope that Seven and I might be sent to the same region and could remain friends.
