Over the five days since Damian had revealed his mistake, my sight had rapidly improved, just as he had said it would and the world was no longer a vague blur of color and abstract shapes. My lessons had resumed when my mom had said they would. I hadn’t seen Angus in this time either, which I found odd because he had become such a constant companion in the afternoons, but it allowed for more time to bond with my mom and dad when our schedules allowed, which was nice.

  On the morning of the sixth day since my talk with Damian, I wake up feeling pretty good which is a nice contrast to the previous few days, though to be honest, the first two days of my period were the worst. I take a look around my room and finally see it with perfect clarity, remarking to myself, as I had the past two days, about how amazing the size of my room is. It is much larger than any bedroom I had had as Michael, almost as large as the house my Korean grandparents owned, which was small by American standards.

  The bed, positioned closer to the front of the room, is large with massive oak columns on the four corners that support a cloth canopy the color of the midday sky. Tables sit on either side, though I had only noticed the one on the far side of the bed after my sight improved enough to fully appreciate the size of the room. I had spent most of my time on the side of the bed nearest the door and hadn’t really considered just how large it was in all the time I had spent lying on it.

  Across from the bed is a sizable dressing table that sports a decently sized mirror made of polished silver. It was here that Mary artistically styles my hair for me in the mornings and brushes it out at night. On either side of the dressing table are large windows, facing the rising sun, that allow light to flood into the room in the mornings.

  Towards the rear of the room, in the corner opposite my bed, is a large walk-in closet that, to my surprise, was almost completely filled with dresses. There are more dresses than I think I could ever be able to wear and, somewhere in amongst those dresses, were the ones Angus had bought for me.

  Siting in the opposing corner is a huge tub that is set into a raised section of flooring that takes up most of the space across from the closet. The tub can be filled with hot water by activating a sapphire that is set in the railing leading down the steps into the tub.

  In front of that is a dressing area with an ornate privacy screen that separates it and the tub from the rest of the room. The screen is painted with a field of flowers on the shore of a lake in the background, and can be either folded back against the wall, or stretched out to meet the corner of the closet, completely separating the dressing and bathing areas from the rest of the room.

  In the front of the room, beside the door leading into the room, on the same side as the dressing table, sits a small sink for washing up. The water in this, unlike in the tub, has to be manually filled and drained, though by who, I don’t know. I have never seen anyone do it, but Mary assured me of this when I had asked her.

  In the corner closest to the dressing table and sink is a large hearth made from a dark grey stone that I cannot identify. The hearth is set into the corner at an angle so that the chimney, which is at the center rear of it, runs up the corner where the two walls meet.

  On the other side of the bedroom door is a little reading nook sitting in the corner of the room. It has a plump oversized chair with a matching ottoman and is surrounded by a couple of bookcases, mostly filled with books, set into the corner walls.

  I out of bed just as Mary enters the room and, with her help, begin what has become my morning routine to get myself ready for the day ahead. In the past she would describe them to me, but stopped when I finally convinced her after a couple of day that I trusted her enough to pick out my clothing since I couldn’t really see it. Now that I could see well enough to actually pick my clothing on my own, she pulls out a selection of dresses for me to pick from based on my mood and the activities I have on my itinerary for the day. Once dressed, she brushes out my hair and, if I request it, styles it for me though most of the time I leave my hair down unless I plan on going outside in the afternoon.

  I take breakfast with my parents where, during the week my mom normally talks me through whatever lessons I have for the day, but today is Saturna so I have no lessons planned, or so I thought.

  “Biera,” my mom says as soon as I sit down. “Since your sight has returned well enough to be able to get around without aid, I have arranged for your old dance instructor, Mrs. Christies, to come by this afternoon. She has been instructed to start taking you through the formal dances you need to know for social events and that you will need to start with the basics of ballroom etiquette again.”

  “But Mom,” I start to say, but she cuts me off with a sharp glare.

  “She will arrive around three,” she continues. “Do make sure that you are ready and waiting for her when she arrives. I know you likely don’t remember, but she normally doesn’t like to waste any time on pleasantries and will likely be ready to get started as soon as she arrives. For the next month and a half, she will be working with you six days a week.

  “I know it is the weekend and normally you would have the day to yourself, but Princess Isabella’s birthday is less than two months away and the royal family is hosting a ball to celebrate. As one of her best friends, and as Prince Angus’s betrothed, you are expected to attend.

  “I realize this schedule is a bit intense, but since your sight has returned well enough to be able to get around unassisted, I feel that this should be enough time to adequately prepare you. Also, it is about time to start attending social functions again. You have had long enough of a break from them due to your injuries, but you have mostly recovered and it is only proper that a young lady of your standing attend social functions when you don’t have good cause to do otherwise.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  I pout a little and look to my dad for help, but he only gives me a smile in return.

  Damn, I thought for sure a cute pout would win him over.

  The rest of breakfast continues in silence as I sulk quietly to myself because I really don’t want to start training on an overly physical activity like formal ballroom dancing right after finally getting my sight back to proper working condition and my first period ending. I really just wanted some time to explore and learn the area around me to a degree that I wasn’t able to before my sight was restored. Yes, it was nice that I had had Angus, while aiding me with his magic, lead me around and describe to me what everything was and where, but sometimes seeing it for yourself is the best experience of all.

  I wish Angus was here with me because I would feel safer with him by my side. Oh well.

  After breakfast ended, I resolved to first find my way to town and do a little exploring on my own. I didn’t plan to go far from the gates to the keep, but I wanted to at least figure out on my own how to find my way outside and towards the gates. If I found them in enough time, I would explore the area surrounding them, staying close enough so that I could call the guards to my side if needed. That was my plan, at least.

  As soon as breakfast was done and I was able to excuse myself, I made my way towards where I thought the front of the manor was, based off when Angus had led me there and the memories that were slowly trickling in from my predecessor. Seeing a set of large sturdy doors in front of me after only a several minutes of walking, I knew that I had been led right.

  Cautiously, I push open the heavy doors, which are much heavier than I had anticipated, and am greeted with the sight of the covered porte-cochère where the carriage had been waiting for us on the day my father arrived back home.

  I wonder what dad and Angus talked about after I went to my bedroom that day. I haven’t seen him since then and whenever I try to talk to my dad about it, he changes the subject.

  There is no carriage waiting for me, not that I expected one, so I step boldly out of the door.

  “Lady Beira!” I hear two voices call from behind me as I walk out into the covered area designed for carriages to pick up their passengers.

  I jump, slightly startled since I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here, and turn to see two guards holding a ridged salute. One of the guards is younger, likely in his early twenties, while the other is older, in his forties if I had to guess.

  “As you were.” I say, secretly chuckling to myself since I had always wanted to say that to someone in uniform.

  The guards share a confused look with each other, but visibly relaxed a second later.

  “Might I inquire where my lady is heading this fine morning?” Asked the guard that was older.

  “I just w-wanted to explore the grounds a little.” I say, trying to keep things light.

  “The duke ordered that you were not to leave the keep proper unescorted, Lady Biera. Please understand and wait while we summon a guard detail to escort you around the grounds.” Said the older guard, popping off another salute as the younger guard entered the keep, presumably to summon the guards to protect me.

  “Is that r-really necessary?” I ask, not wanting to wait since it ate into my precious time after my mother’s revelation at breakfast.

  “Yes, Lady Biera.” The guard insisted. “His Grace has ordered that you are not to wander about freely due to fear of the assassin returning to finish the job, Ma’am.”

  Great, just great. I think, sighing to myself as I decide to sit and wait for a guard detail to arrive.

  It doesn’t take long before four guards show up, ready to escort me while on the keep’s property. All of the guards assigned to me are young, in their early twenties, and all of them seem to be sympathetic to my desire to be free on the grounds to explore, yet no matter how I try, they will not let me leave the keep grounds. As I approached the gates, they warn me of my emanate arrival and shoo me away, assuring me that the duke would not be happy if I were to enter the city, with or without guards to keep me safe. I even try approaching the gates to the city from different angles, pretending every time that it is a coincidence, but they prevent my accessing the gates every time, even when I try to assert my authority as the duke’s daughter. Clearly, they fear my father more than me.

  Sighing to myself externally while screaming internally, I resign myself to the fact that I won’t be able to go off and explore the area outside of the gates. I stomp my feet a little while scowling and finally head back toward the keep, guards in tow, since my plans have been foiled. I realize I was acting immature, but I really didn’t care and it made me feel a little better having minor tantrum.

  I decide to take my time returning and meander off the road and into the woods that separate the main body of the keep from the gates leading into the city. The woods are not overly dense due to all of the trees being quite large and, I assume, old. The vegetation at their base, while natural, is thin and short. It takes me a few minutes of walking to get far enough from the road to where I can’t see it anymore.

  Once the road is no longer in view, I stop and close my eyes, taking in the sounds and smells of the area around me. The air smells of wet wood and earth along with the faint fragrance of some unknown flower hiding nearby. I hear my guard detail shuffle to a stop behind me and overhead I hear the song of birds as they play in the branches. To my left, there is the faint sound of water running, and the crackle of some animal stepping on a fallen branch.

  I turn to the left and lift the hem of my skirts slightly to prevent them from dragging on the short vegetation and making any extra sound. I look back to my guard detail and place my finger to my lips in a shushing manor before proceeding as quietly as I can towards the sound of running water.

  It doesn’t take long before I find the source, a small creek, through the trees and I pause, noticing that I have not heard my guards behind me. I turn and look to confirm that they are still there. They are, but they have not moved from the spot they were at when I motioned for them to be quiet.

  I guess they figure if they move, they’ll make noise and as long as they can see me, they are doing their job.

  I continue forward the small creek and after another twenty feet, I hear the guard shifting closer. They generate less sound than I would have expected to be possible considering their armor and weapons they have equipped.

  I arrive on the banks of the small creek and freeze when I see three sets of eyes staring at me. I stare back, not moving a muscle even to breath. I take in the beautiful deer those eyes belong to as we continue to stare at one another. After what feels like an eternity, I finally breath and in that moment, the tension in the air is broken. The youngest of the three deer breaks his stare and gracefully bends his head down to drink.

  I sigh happily to myself and turn to leave, smiling as I make my way back to where my guards wait. I tell them that I am ready to go back to the keep. Having at seen something special makes my exploration worth it in my eyes and I am now content to return.

  Looking at the sky, what I can see through the thick foliage, I deduce that I still have a little time before lunch which is perfect because I wanted to visit the stables to see the horses at some point today.