Chapter 3

I’d already been warned plenty of times about how handsome a man I was becoming, though it was always said as more of a compliment and less with actual concern, of course. I’d never really cared about that sort of thing. I’d jalways ust accept it with a smile and a little bit of disbelief, like most kids do.

Now, though… 

For the first time, I wondered just how handsome I would have to become to have a girl like her look upon me with fondness.

Beside me, I watched Dornell shuffle his feet and look at the floor. My mouth felt dry.

“Children” announced maiden Threwon of the two who’d led us here, “this is Mr. Veille of the Northern Ward, and Mr. Dornell, also of the Northern Ward. They will be joining your company starting this evening, and taking classes with you beginning tomorrow. Please treat them kindly, and make sure to show them everything about this place. Those of you who left the Ward long ago will remember what it was like to be new here in a big and scary place, surrounded by people whom you haven’t met. And to all of you – make friends with your new bunkmates, alright? They will now have the chance to pick their own beds and drawers to keep their things in. Go on, you two.”

“We can sleep anywhere?” I sputtered, feeling my legs suddenly fill with nervous energy. The beautiful girl who’d caught my eye noticed me staring, and gave me a friendly wave.

I practically pranced across the floor with Dornell in tow, who looked a good deal less sociable than me. I led us straight over to the bunk next to the girl’s, hardly able to believe that beds on both sides of her weren’t already filled. I set my bag down confidently.

Dornell, however, didn’t look convinced. Much to my shock, he took a sheepish look at the bunk, and at the eyes watching us from all around, and continued walking till he stood beside a bunk near the back corner of the room, whereupon he set his things down and immediately began to unpack.

“Dorn– !!!” I felt my throat working feverishly. Was he stupid? Maybe the maiden I’d spoken to had been right after all!

I felt my body begin to sweat. I looked frantically between him and at the goddess who now watched me from behind, her face like a ring of faeries and the glow of summer behind two perfect, unthinkably pretty lips, with an enchanted smile now playing across them. I felt dizzy. I’m pretty sure I nearly dropped my bag.

Finally, in a feat of willpower for which I’ll forever be proud – or perhaps horrified – I dragged my eyes back over to the corner in which my friend was now unpacking his supplies. With feet like balls of lead, I walked sulkily over to him, threw my bag down, and began unpacking my stuff as well. A few pitters of laughter followed me from behind. I tried to imagine which of them might be coming from her.

“I’m taking the top bunk” I growled. Dornell merely shrugged, though he looked a little bit grateful that I was there. So much for camaraderie.

The other maiden came up to us as we continued to fill the dresser with our clothes. “Once you both get unpacked, you’ll be coming with us for a nice hot bath, and to add a little to your wardrobe. You’ll be encouraged to wear your new outfits in the coming days, though I hope that you’ll find them much more to your liking in any case.”

And with that, the maiden went back to stand beside maiden Threwon over by the door, so far away from us by Ward standards.

I was still a bit red several minutes later, burying myself in my task, when the most unthinkable thing happened: the girl from before came over to stand beside us.

“Hello” she said warmly, smiling and waving at each of us in turn, before addressing me primarily. “I’m Elodie. I’m happy to have some new faces around here! I’ve been here a few years already, so if either of you have anything you’d like to ask me, please don’t ever hesitate.”

I felt like my eyes were beginning to sweat. But somehow, the fact that she’d sought us out on her own initiative made me feel a little calmer, and I began to like this girl more and more beyond simply just a physical attraction.

“I’m Veille” I said clumsily. “I’m ten. This is my best friend, Dornell. Say hi Dornell.”

Dornell waved at her shyly, making an indiscernible sound while he continued his unpacking.

“He just turned eleven” I added.

Elodie’s smiled broadened. “Well, it’s nice to meet both of you! I’m sure you’ll both be back from your bath in no time, and we can get better acquainted. Maybe we can even play a few games before bedtime?”

As she turned to walk back over to her bunk I blurted out, “how old are you??”

She laughed, shooting me a playful look. “Oh, I’m not that much older than you two. Maybe one day I’ll even tell you!”

Her friendly laughter continued to haunt me the entire time that Dornell and I bathed.

When our new outfits came I donned mine without question. Dorny put on his more slowly, as was his fashion, looking carefully over every patch and every seem like he always did. His eyebrows began to knit with concern.

I couldn’t help but smile at my friend. Goddess or no, I was very glad I hadn’t abandoned him in our new bedroom in a fit of passion. The thought that I might have done so made my heart ache.

Together with Elodie, the three of us sat and talked and played some simple numbers games until the maidens came back to snuff out the candles and tell us all it was time for bed. There was very little grumbling, and I made sure not to add my own to the mix. I was, truly, very tired.

I wished both of my friends goodnight and fell asleep almost immediately when the time came. Strangely, my dreams were filled with images of Madam Dro for the first time in years – not of Elodie, as I might’ve hoped.

In them, she came up behind me as she had on the balcony. Her perfume tantalized my senses just as it had when we’d met in real life; however, when her velvety hand caressed my cheek this time, along with the arousal came a slight sense of… fear.

I realized that it wasn’t just a new element made purposefully for this dream; rather, it was indeed my old memory of what had happened, seen again now through older eyes.

Just like before, her hands roamed lovingly across my youthful body. It could’ve been motherly; after all, I had no memories of my real mother, or anyone who’d ever really acted in that role before. And just like before, I felt the same sense of excitement mingled with a bittersweet longing, and that odd feeling of danger, of unease.

As I continued to dream, it hadn’t yet occurred to me to wonder why the outfits chosen for us to wear were so oddly revealing, almost as if we were done up to put on a performance. Elodie’s certainly was; though if I’m being honest, I was more distracted by the warm glow that appeared to surround her than by the ample showing of her skin. And of course Dornell and I were now dressed in much the same fashion. Surely that had struck him as odd when he’d examined the attire closely before putting it on.

My dreams continued until they eventually gave way into nothingness, and I spiraled into depths of unfathomable blankness before the day would find me again and give me new purpose. I could almost hear a small voice crooning in the back of my mind: “Sleep well now, my handsome young boy. I think you are going to have a VERY bright future ahead of you.”

For the first time ever, the maidens’ playful warnings regarding my looks began to take on a more foreboding tone.