Chapter 21
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“Kione!” The tone in the lady’s voice explained well enough her feelings on the subject and that no matter how hard Kione tried to tune her out she would be heard. 3
Slowly she let her thoughts drift back into their one sided conversation only to hear the lady still rambling on about duties and not being ignorant of your station in life. Leaning back in her uncomfortable wooden chair she tried to stifle a huge yawn. 4
“Kione!” 5
She was the street’s orphan, the King’s advisor - why should she have to sit and listen to this? Her education was small, but enough to survive. Too much learning could end up rotting your brain anyway. Besides, the King listened to her fine, as it was. Why go and mix up a good thing? Just the other day she had marched in and told the King that kids who lost their parents in war should get a pence from the kingdom. 6
True he had laughed at her, but his figurings made sense. If all orphaned kids got a pence they would become jealous of her because she would have four times as much as them. Of course Kione did not understand this logic at first, but after a little more explaining from the King, it became clearer. If orphans got a pence then she would get one too and she already had so much - a place to live, her needs taken care of, and she was the King’s advisor for which she got paid a nice sum. Although Kione could not ever remember getting a shilling from the King… 7
“Kione! Child, return to reality immediately and stop this incessant day dreaming!” 8
Kione this and Kione that; oh how she just craved to be outside! Why would nobody listen to her when she said she did not need these classes or, as she put it, ‘confining torture’? To be stuck in a room for most of the day being taught to sew among other ladylike chores while being talked at constantly about nothing was her idea of torture. She needed to know none of this and had not been taught one useful thing since her arrival. 9
Kione knew ignoring the lady would do no good; only give her a headache for screeching her ear off trying to get her attention. You think some people could take a hint. “Yes ma’am, you were saying something?” 10
The lady sat next to her at the oak table, her sewing temporarily forgotten, a frown marring her features. More and more of late Kione had noticed that frown appearing, deepening each time she looked at it. “Look.” 11
She pointed her delicate hand at the table in front of Kione. 12
“Look at it closely.” 13
Kione stared hard at the table top unable to see what is was that distressed the lady so much. 14
“Do you see that?” the lady said adamantly, pointing her finger repeatedly at the table. 15
A swirling pattern covered the oak table. Supposedly it you counted the circles in a knot you could count the number of years the tree had been alive. Kione shook her head clearing her wandering mind. “See what?” 16
“Look at your embroidery.” 17
“What’s wrong with it?” Kione stared down again seeing the sampler for the first time, its pristine color untouched in its circular form. 18
The lady’s cheeks burned red and she let her emotions shown through to what she was really feeling. “You didn’t do it! If you continue this insolent behavior I’m afraid that I won’t even be able to teach you. Have you learned nothing?!” 19
“A lady shouldn’t frown…” Kione mused softly to herself. 20
“What?” 21
“A lady shouldn’t frown. When a person frowns like you are now it creates unbecoming lines that make you look old.” 22
“Why I…” for the first time the lady was speechless and could say nothing for Kione had spoken the truth. 23
The Old Mother walked swiftly into the room, her very presence commanding the attention of even the lady. Turning to face the lady she spoke. “Enough bickering you two. If you’re unable to teach this child then I will gladly take your duties from you.” 24
“I can handle my charge just fine, she’s just a bit of a handful.” 25
“Excellent, then you won’t mind. I’m getting old for my age and I could really use the help getting around, these old bones aren’t what they used to be. Of course I will have to teach her to read and write, but nothing other then the basics, just so that she can help me when my eyes go bad.” 26
The lady was stunned by the Old Mother’s words and just stuttered out, “Of course mother, if you believe it best.” 27
“I do, now run along and get back to your fripperies.” The Old Mother waved the lady away ignoring her further. 28
Bowing the lady quickly made her escape, trying to keep the last shreds of her dignity intact. 29
Kione chuckled silently to herself. Nobody ever got the better of the lady; everyone was afraid that if they dared to protest anything that the lady would then turn her gaze on them and that would signal the beginning of the never-ending lecture. She was prim and proper and as tough as nails, a dragon of matrons. 30
“Now pay attention! I have no use of slackers.” Kione, unimpressed with the Old Mothers words, continued to drift in and out of her thoughts until the Old Mother said, “I could always leave you in the hands of that dragon of a lady again.” 31
Amused by their similar thoughts Kione began to become more interested in the conversation. “Dragon lady? I think she would be quite upset by that.” 32
“And as if I wasn’t saying what you were thinking.” 33
“I won’t argue,” Kione said, smirking. Leaning back in her chair she steadied herself with her foot against the table. This room was starting to look a whole lot better. The Old Mother was a legend, one where some of the stuff was true and other stuff was fiction - you just could not tell which was which. 34
The Old Mother stuck true to her word and taught Kione all she needed to know. And Kione thrived on the information the Old Mother shared with her; reading and writing were just the beginning of it. Soon Kione was taught nature and the herbs that could help to heal the sick. She surprised herself in this. Since Kione had been given so few lessons in her life she did not know that she was able to learn, and was surprised further to find that she liked learning. Kione and the Old Mother formed a bond after that and they became quite inseparable. The Old Mother engaged her like no one else had. At first Kione had felt awkward with the Old Mother and unsure of how to react to such a figure. 35
Their unlikely friendship blossomed to the point where Kione spent more time with the Old Mother then anyone else. Kione believed in her ‘make believe’ so much that she began to see the Old Mother as her own mother. The seasons passed, and she watched them with greater attention than she had before the Old Mother had come into her life. She found that everything in nature interested her, and that she was happy to spend entire days walking the wide lands beyond the court gardens with no companion but herself. And she almost managed to convince herself that she too had no thought for the future. 36
What did you think? Please comment!
Comments
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Yeah...I've noticed I've had comma problems. Its just when I put comma's in its because I pause and I don't pause a lot when I speak. I know I need a lot of help on my grammer especially the comma's, its just really hard to spot them in your own work. I would love any help your willing to offer
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Erika, you tell a good story. The picture of Kione gets clearer and clearer as we go and I like her a lot. Still fascinated to see what will come next.
Only thought on this one is that there's a lot of "happening" crammed into the last two paragraphs. Maybe it will be expanded and clarified in the next chapter, but it seems that, to some extent, the details are in the "introduction" to this segment and the meat of the thing is compressed and summed up very quickly in a few sentences. The relationship between Kione and the Old Mother seems to be a highlight and I'd love to hear more details about that.
Also, this could use a lot of "technical editing." Story is great but there are missing words, etc., that I'd be happy to do if you'd like. Also, a general note, you seem to have a reluctance to use commas that is unusual. Many people use way too many.
On to chapter 3.
Paul
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