Read Online Lessons in Etiquette (Schooled in Magic series) by Christopher Nuttall - Free Book Online
Authors: Christopher Nuttall
Ads: Link
were almost identical to Emily’s, apart from the single golden star on the front of her shirt. It didn’t even cling to her body, refusing to reveal too much of her curves, although Alassa’s golden locks shone against the dark material. Maybe Alassa was just suffering from excessive nerves…Emily gave her friend a concerned look, then waved to one of the staff. A moment later, a bowl of porridge was put in front of Alassa and she started to eat automatically.
“You look lovely,” Emily said.
“Liar,” Alassa said, without heat. “They’re going to be sending maids to help me dress. And they’re all going to be reporting on me.”
It took Emily a moment to realize that Alassa meant the monarchs who hoped to marry their younger sons to the princess. They would all want to ensure that Alassa was physically healthy–and they probably wouldn’t trust a medical report from her parents, if such information was ever released outside the Royal Family. There was no reason they couldn’t ask a healer to perform a medical check, except that would probably have been intrusive . Emily rolled her eyes at the thought, then finished her Kava.
“I should have insisted on bringing my own servants,” Alassa continued. She sounded almost dazed. “I could have used it as an excuse to keep the others out of my rooms.”
“I can help you dress,” Emily offered. But she knew almost nothing about how to help someone dress, even if the dresses were designed to allow Alassa to don them without needing outside help. It wasn’t as if she understood local cosmetics; hell, even looking at makeup and perfume risked running into a political and social minefield. “Or maybe we could hire someone…”
“Probably wouldn’t work,” Alassa said. She finished her porridge and looked down at her empty bowl, as if she hadn’t quite realized that she was eating. “They’d still insist on sending in their own people to stare at me.”
She shook her head. “Let me try and get ready on my own first,” she added. “I’ll give you a call if I need help.”
Emily nodded. It was funny just how little privacy Alassa had, despite having been born a royal princess. Everything from her monthly cycles to her conduct when dealing with her social inferiors would be carefully recorded by someone . And while her servants back home had been there to help her, Emily had no doubt that they reported directly to her parents–and all other interested parties. No doubt the preparations for a royal wedding included a careful inspection of her health and fertility. No wonder Alassa had turned into such a brat.
“I’ll be in the library,” Emily said, as she stood up. “And I’ll meet you in the entrance hall at ten bells, if you don’t call me earlier.”
“See if you can research privacy spells,” Alassa said weakly, with a ghost of a smile. “There won’t be any privacy in any of the castles.”
Emily scowled at the thought as she walked out of the dining hall. Whitehall was a place of education, yet there were secret passages that ran throughout the building, some of them allowing their occupants to peek into various classrooms and dorms. She’d never managed to convince the grandmaster to tell her why they’d been built, or, for that matter, why Shadye had known of their existence. Perhaps the students were meant to find them, or maybe the staff wanted a way to move around without being noticed. But then, given the building’s mutable interior, it should have been easy to construct private corridors for themselves.
The library was dark and cold, but a touch of Emily’s hand against the charmed doorknob allowed her entry. One advantage of working with the librarian was that she was allowed access at all times, although she had wondered if that would still hold true now that term was officially over for the summer. She stepped into the massive room and through the silencing wards that kept students from talking above a whisper,
“You look lovely,” Emily said.
“Liar,” Alassa said, without heat. “They’re going to be sending maids to help me dress. And they’re all going to be reporting on me.”
It took Emily a moment to realize that Alassa meant the monarchs who hoped to marry their younger sons to the princess. They would all want to ensure that Alassa was physically healthy–and they probably wouldn’t trust a medical report from her parents, if such information was ever released outside the Royal Family. There was no reason they couldn’t ask a healer to perform a medical check, except that would probably have been intrusive . Emily rolled her eyes at the thought, then finished her Kava.
“I should have insisted on bringing my own servants,” Alassa continued. She sounded almost dazed. “I could have used it as an excuse to keep the others out of my rooms.”
“I can help you dress,” Emily offered. But she knew almost nothing about how to help someone dress, even if the dresses were designed to allow Alassa to don them without needing outside help. It wasn’t as if she understood local cosmetics; hell, even looking at makeup and perfume risked running into a political and social minefield. “Or maybe we could hire someone…”
“Probably wouldn’t work,” Alassa said. She finished her porridge and looked down at her empty bowl, as if she hadn’t quite realized that she was eating. “They’d still insist on sending in their own people to stare at me.”
She shook her head. “Let me try and get ready on my own first,” she added. “I’ll give you a call if I need help.”
Emily nodded. It was funny just how little privacy Alassa had, despite having been born a royal princess. Everything from her monthly cycles to her conduct when dealing with her social inferiors would be carefully recorded by someone . And while her servants back home had been there to help her, Emily had no doubt that they reported directly to her parents–and all other interested parties. No doubt the preparations for a royal wedding included a careful inspection of her health and fertility. No wonder Alassa had turned into such a brat.
“I’ll be in the library,” Emily said, as she stood up. “And I’ll meet you in the entrance hall at ten bells, if you don’t call me earlier.”
“See if you can research privacy spells,” Alassa said weakly, with a ghost of a smile. “There won’t be any privacy in any of the castles.”
Emily scowled at the thought as she walked out of the dining hall. Whitehall was a place of education, yet there were secret passages that ran throughout the building, some of them allowing their occupants to peek into various classrooms and dorms. She’d never managed to convince the grandmaster to tell her why they’d been built, or, for that matter, why Shadye had known of their existence. Perhaps the students were meant to find them, or maybe the staff wanted a way to move around without being noticed. But then, given the building’s mutable interior, it should have been easy to construct private corridors for themselves.
The library was dark and cold, but a touch of Emily’s hand against the charmed doorknob allowed her entry. One advantage of working with the librarian was that she was allowed access at all times, although she had wondered if that would still hold true now that term was officially over for the summer. She stepped into the massive room and through the silencing wards that kept students from talking above a whisper,
Similar Books
