Ch 2~ Settling In

Frannie tried to listen as it was explained; she did, but everything after adoption was a bit of a blur. Smiling and nodding, holding herself together just long enough to get to her bedroom, as soon as Gerdie closed the doors behind her, Frannie finally broke down into bawling tears. It was all too much for her.

She had just lost her father, in what capacity had not been made clear; at least, she didn’t recall it being discussed. It sounded like he had been executed! She vividly remembered the word treason being tossed around, which was such a final word. Frannie held onto a sliver of hope that he was simply in prison somewhere and that this would all be cleared up; in fact, this must all be a dream. The room was spinning.

She flung herself onto the bed. Sobbing and screaming to Gerdie, her maid, caring for her ever since childhood to —

“stop pu — pull — lling things from the closet, I am clearly de (snort) ler (snort) ious with fever! I need a cool cloth and a cordiaaaaaaal.”

Hiccupping and burping out her insensible instructions, the last word elongated as another wail escaped her throat. The scene caused Gerdie to pause at her task. She was stuck in a loop of packing, tending to Francine, and sputtering out a “there now” every few minutes as she dashed back to the closet, grabbing Frannie’s favorite dresses in a vain attempt to cheer her up. Gerdie was as big-hearted as they come, and with no family of her own, she tended to dote on Frannie.

Sobs echoed throughout the castle wing; it wasn’t long before a knock was heard on the door. Isabella walked in with a stressed look pinching her face, followed by the young knight, Genevive.

“Francine, I know this isn’t easy, but you know you’ll still have all of us as your family, and you’ll be able to see us anytime you want. I can’t stay with you and help you pack, my dearest, but I also can’t leave if I know you are so unhappy.”

As Isabella sat on the edge of Francine’s bed, fretting her hair and dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, she offered her a tiny vial. The young knight, Genevive, took the opportunity and spoke up for nearly the first time.

“I came to help you pack?”

She hadn’t meant it to, but her offer came out more like a question, so she cleared her throat and tried again.

“Azure sent me up to help you get your things in order. I’m not sure how much they’ve told you exactly, but you won’t need to pack everything you own; you will still be able to return to this house.”

She said, eyeballing the colossal pile of dresses Gerdie had already pulled from the closet. Francine sat up in bed and drank her sister’s reviving draught.

"M'Lady has a fragile constitution, so getting worked up drains her vitality and makes her tired."

“We are living in Shadowmirre in a townhouse. You’ll need some fine dresses, to be sure, but some day dresses, too, some outdoors wear, and any special activity gear you might require.”

“Outdoor wear?! What could I possibly need that for? If we are coming back here, Isn’t this where the outdoors aaaa — “

Francine was back to crying again, so Genevive turned and spoke to Gerdie directly, helping her decide how many clothes were needed and the degree of finery necessary. Francine had more fine dresses than any shop Genevive had ever been in, but her outdoor clothes would not do for anything more rigorous than sitting in a boat or carriage. Azure would not be pleased about that, thought Genevive, as she instructed everything be packed into steamer trunks and brought downstairs by the porter.

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After a good couple of hours, Franny was finally packed and composed. She’d put on her favorite traveling dress in a lovely shade of seafoam green and a dainty hat covered in kelly green paper roses, with copper wire flourishes topping the outfit off perfectly. Gerdie had done her hair up for the first time in several weeks. That had done more to calm her than the draught her sister gave her.

The stiff brush glided through her glossy black hair. Gerdie’s nimble, artistically inclined fingers pinned and fanned long, thick sections of her tresses into rolls and waves to give the appearance of a cascading bouquet. With her hat pinned atop, she was a vision in green and black. And with a spritz of her favorite perfume, Eau de Vert, she was revitalized and ready for the hours they would be trapped together in the carriage to Shadowmirre.

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“A true lady keeps her composure at all times.”

Francine nodded to Genevive and flounced onto her stack of trunks waiting outside. Sniffing haughtily, trying to avoid any unpleasant thoughts that might dampen her eyes once again, she pulled on her gloves.

Azure and her entire party of soldiers were also already waiting outside. Frannie looked around; she expected to see a carriage or maybe two. The orc woman Fury could take up an entire carriage alone. While Francine was imagining Fury bursting out of a carriage too small for her, she walked over and, in one swift motion, grabbed up her trunks, both in one arm, with Frannie still sitting atop them. Thankfully, Francine is an extraordinarily poised and graceful young lady, and after a short gasping squeak escaped her mouth, she managed to strike a pose of sorts and hold on for dear life.

Azure began issuing orders to all assembled.

“Everyone form up! Cinnamon, where are you? Anyone who hasn’t formed up around Fury will be riding back to Shadowmirre in a carriage! Ginny, Argento, Gerdie, that means you. Fall in!”

It doesn’t take a genius to hear an order and Fall in. So they all did; Cinnamon, the red-haired knight, came running out of the front door and literally slid into the group, nearly bouncing off Fury, causing everyone to jump. Francine clung to the trunks she sat atop.

The first sound uttered by Fury was a burst of deep barrel-chested laughter, jangling and rattling Frannie; she started to scream but clapped a hand over her mouth lest she anger the giant green woman beneath her. Azure even laughed and shook her head, stepping into place as the veiled elf pulled her spell book out of its pack and quickly recited words in a thick accent.

Before Franny could even consider where the accent might be from, they were standing inside a building, presumably in Shadowmirre. Fury dropped the trunks, Francine and all, and silently disappeared down the tunnel. This must be a basement thought, Francine, shivering in the damp cold.

It hit her as the rest of the team started to disappear down the tunnel in the other direction —

“Hey, wait, how am I supposed to get these… wherever they’re supposed to go?”

“Now there, Francine, you don’t need to worry about that. Someone will bring it when we have the space for it. Come upstairs; we will make your room. We didn’t exactly expect a new family member when we left this morning.”

Azure smiled and put her hand on Francine’s shoulder before quickly striding off down the tunnel as well.

“A new family member, oh, fresh meat, you mean… mmm.”

Frannie turned just in time to see a six-and-a-half-foot-tall crocodile person emerging from the tunnel. Fury had gone down. Before any more questions could form, the gleaming, toothy smile sent Francine crashing to the floor.

K.B. Silver

The story continues in chapter three, Building A New Life.