Shackled Serenity

by Leon Logos

  “Yeah,” said Sixto darkly. “Sometimes publicly. Let’s get out of here. This is a broody subject to talk about. The jailhouse should be avoided.”

  The training grounds constituted an extensive grassy field, adjacent to the firing range and an obstacle course. Lily climbed on top of a wooden stump and sat there, watching them with her chin resting on hand. Serenity immediately regretted coming here; it seemed Sixto intended to spar with her. He grabbed two Kendo bamboo swords from a weapons rack and tossed her one. She nearly dropped it.

  “I’m no good with weapons,” Serenity admitted unabashedly.

  “From what you’ve said, I can tell you’re no good at anything,” Sixto ignored. “I’m not going to hit you, so just come at me.”

  “Why?” Serenity groaned. “So I can humiliate myself?”

  “So you can test yourself. Land at least one hit on me.”

  Serenity responded with a resigned shrug and stepped forward, holding the sword directly in front of her. Sixto gawked at her jocularly.

  “Your stance is trash! I can see three openings!”

  “I’m not here for a swordsmanship lesson, Sixto!” Serenity upbraided.

  “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Sixto said briskly. “Just come at me.”

  She wasted no time. They were two yards apart. She closed in on Sixto, swinging the sword where she thought he looked vulnerable. Sixto parried her lousy attack with ease. She tried again, aiming at the opposite side. Sixto responded with a perfunctory block. Mildly vexed, Serenity lunged forward—then launched an overhead attack—then a flurry of uncoordinated, sloppy attacks. This continued on for three minutes before fatigue caught up with her. Serenity dropped the bamboo sword, yielding.

  “Forget it,” she breathed. “I’m done.”

  “It hasn’t even been five minutes,” Sixto argued. “Don’t capitulate.”

  “Oh my god, quit it!” Serenity pleaded. “You’re just embarrassing me. You’re good with swords, and I suck. I get it!”

  Sixto lowered his weapon, realizing how impertinent he was being. The guilt was now surfacing.

  “Sorry,” he repeated shortly. “You’re right. I just wanted to have some fun, but there’s obviously a disparity between our definitions of ‘fun.’”

  Serenity didn’t reply, regaining her stamina. She threw the sword back at Sixto and turned to leave, eyes glued to the dirt. There were a couple of spectators that were Aurelian soldiers; they had been guffawing at her in the distance, entertained at her ineptness with swordsmanship.

  “Don’t worry, I suck at it too,” Lily said sympathetically.

  “It’s different for you, Lily,” Serenity shook her head. “But, thanks.”

  “Instead of sparring, how about some calisthenics?” Sixto ventured.

  “You’re pushing your luck, dude,” Serenity snapped back without looking at him.

  Sixto gave up, placing the swords back on the rack. Lily saw this as a signal to leave. Together, they vacated the training grounds. Sixto lumbered after them grudgingly.

  They headed to the Lunch Hall subsequently after leaving the training grounds. Fewer people occupied the table than usual. Destiny clarified, explaining that dragged-out Council meetings were in session. Dorian, Alistair, and the other members of the Council she could’ve recognized were missing. Their absence was appreciable, especially Alistair’s.

  Sixto kept distant with her, keeping his attention and eyes focused on his food. He chewed sluggishly, eating slower than an exhausted sloth. This was unlike him, as he was the one that normally engaged in conversation with her the most, next to Lily. Her refusal to train with him must’ve triggered the cold shoulder he was giving her.

  “Awww, what did you say to him?” Lyla jeered, putting on a sad pout.

  “Nothing,” Serenity replied, taking a sip of apple juice.

  “You hurt his feelings,” Destiny joined in, playing along.

  “I can hear you guys,” Sixto interjected exasperatedly. “Sorry, Serenity. I feel bad that I upset you earlier. Won’t do it again.”

  “Forget about it,” she waved him off. “It’s not a big deal.”

  She had truthfully gotten over it only ten minutes after they had left. It had never occurred to her how troubled she had made him. After brief reflection, she realized she had behaved rather irascibly.

  “So Serenity, hopefully you’ve gotten the gist of how things work around here,” Destiny changed the subject. “It’s been two weeks.”

  “The basics, sure,” Serenity said, tilting her head slightly. “Hopefully you trust me more. You weren’t too friendly on my first night.”

  “Hey, I was just being forthright. That warning was supposed to make you scared, and I’m glad it worked.”

  “What warning?” Lily piped.

  “I threatened to kill her,” Destiny answered blatantly.

  “Destiny!” Lily reproached. “That’s not nice!”

  “Did Sixto get you to sneak out at night yet?” Destiny demanded.

  “I tried, but she wouldn’t come,” Sixto said. “Why? You going to tell on us? Throw us in the jailhouse?”

  “No, but I’ll warn you once again: STOP. You’re going to get caught one of these days. And don’t drag her into your antics.”

  “I see nothing severely wrong about stealing donuts from the kitchens,” Sixto said smugly. “It’s not like we’re traitors. I’m not going to slit somebody throat in their sleep. Besides, Uncle Ali would just pardon me.”

  “Do what you want,” Destiny scowled, rising to her feet. “We’ve got patrol duty today. You coming?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “Nope. Come on.”

  “What should we do tonight?” Lily asked her, as the pair vacated the Lunch Hall. “Should we watch Zootopia? How about Inside Out?”

  “Your choice,” said Serenity unconcernedly.

  It didn’t matter to her. The point was to spend time and bond with Lily. Watching movies with her was a key contributing factor to building a wholesome relationship with her—and with the family. Serenity never had sisters. But being with the Aurelians allowed her to learn what it was like. It was definitely better than having brothers.

  A throng of people suddenly trudged into the Lunch Hall. They all turned around simultaneously to ascertain who had entered. They were mostly members of the Council, Dorian and Alistair included. Their arrival was met by more kitchen staff, deftly adding more food onto the table and removing what was consumed and took up unnecessary space. Dorian took a seat next to Lyla, opposite Serenity. He greeted them politely and promptly started on his meal. Two kitchen staff members automatically glided to his seat on cue, setting down three bottles of wine. Dorian tasted all three of them before ultimately choosing “Pinot noir.”

  “That look of quizzical bewilderment on your face suggests you have a question, doesn’t it, Serenity?” Dorian said, not even looking at her.

  “Not really,” said Serenity. “I just find it funny how you’re such a picky drinker. How many wines have you tasted in your lifetime?”

  “The number surpasses the thousands,” said Dorian proudly. “And I wouldn’t call myself ‘picky.’ Just fastidious. A mere connoisseur.”

  “Oh…”

  “Would you like a drink?” Dorian proffered.

  “I’m not old enough to drink,” Serenity replied.

  “Not old enough in the States, and not even in the UK,” Dorian said. “But here, you are old enough. Our drinking age is unofficially at sixteen.”

  “‘Unofficially?’”

  “Meaning you are old enough to drink. Go on!”

  “No thanks, I’m all right,” Serenity said firmly.

  “What’s this? A teenager of the twenty-first century refusing to drink alcohol? How intriguing!” Dorian laughed.

  “I’m sorry that I’m not one of these kids that get drunk at parties every weekend, smoking weed and getting addicted to heroin at the same time.”

  “You’re a good
girl, congratulations,” Lyla snickered sarcastically.

  “Surely you’ve been exposed to drugs and alcohol with the Carlisles?”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I like it.”

  “I respect your choice, it’s quite commendable,” Dorian applauded. “You’ll be an exemplary role model for Lily. A fine influence.”

  “I thought that was Destiny’s job,” Lyla interposed.

  “And yours,” Dorian said critically. “But you’ve been slacking.”

  “All my sisters have been teaching me stuff!” Lily mediated happily.

  “Oh, please!” Lyla said snidely. “Serenity hasn’t taught you anything.”

  She had to agree. There was nothing she could teach the Aurelians. The one who was being taught was herself. Since day one, she was learning how to adapt and live with the Aurelians, observing and paying close attention. The smallest detail could be utilized to learn something new.

  “What was the meeting about?” Serenity asked.

  “That’s confidential, you should know that,” said Dorian, cutting his steak into five separate portions. “Very presumptuous of you to ask.”

  “Sorry…”

  “No worries. Don’t you girls have somewhere to be?”

  “Do we?”

  “Oh! Lyla and I begin having classes tomorrow! Serenity, come with me to meet our governess,” said Lily.

  “You guys are home schooled, that’s right,” Serenity said, which was to be expected of rich kids. “Is it just you and Lyla in the class?”

  “No, there are other girls,” said Lyla. “Daughters of Council members mostly. You’ve probably seen them around. You call this place an estate, but it’s more like a town if you think about it.”

  “Were you guys on break?”

  “Just a short two-week break,” Lily nodded. “But we start again tomorrow. Classes are only three hours long a day.”

  “That’s awesome,” Serenity said, remembering the standard seven-hour school days in the United States. “What do you learn?”

  “Arithmetic, language, science, anthropology, history, all sorts of subjects,” Lily explained. “Hey, do you want to learn with us?”

  “No thanks,” she shook her head; strangely, school didn’t appeal to her anymore. The whole system of school-season felt obsolete and archaic. It was a trivial fragment of her previous life

  “Okay, that’s fine. But come with me anyway?”

  Lily bounded out of the Lunch Hall without even hearing her reply.

  Mrs. White was the Aurelian governess. It was her sole duty to educate and instruct the girls under sixteen living in the estate. Serenity wondered why there weren’t any other teachers besides Mrs. White. Surely the Aurelians could’ve easily hired four or five more governesses? But there weren’t many kids to teach, she heard. According to Mrs. White, who was a stern middle-aged woman with short silvery hair, her class consisted of only twelve kids. Mrs. White appraised her upon first glance, as she and Lily entered the classroom the lessons took place in.

  “You’re the new girl, aren’t you?” she asked sharply, her tone sharper than the edge of a newly-forged blade.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Serenity nodded.

  “You must be the reason Lily has been neglecting her studies,” Mrs. White said bitterly. “Her education is of paramount priority.”

  “Sorry, Mrs. White,” Lily giggled sheepishly. “But I needed to help Serenity. You know—show her around and teach her about us.”

  “I understand; I daresay her naivety must be rectified,” Mrs. White nodded, finished with organizing books into the bookshelf.

  “Are you the only teacher here?” Serenity asked curiously.

  “Yes, I am. Why? Because my skill set as an educator is preeminent, and the addition of another governess would be ridiculously superfluous. Besides, only thirteen girls under the age of sixteen reside here. Sixteen marks the arrival of adulthood in many cultures around the world. Therefore, adolescents above the aforementioned age don’t require my services. I can extrapolate from your previous life of woe that you weren’t aware of this, am I correct? Of course, I know I am. The acquisition of knowledge is contingent on the indulgence of reading. Have you read before? If so, what level of literature have you immersed yourself in?”

  Serenity stared speechlessly, trying to process everything Mrs. White had rapidly spewed out of her mouth. Her vocabulary was beyond her ken. Furthermore, the woman’s pedantic personality caught her off guard.

  “I barely went to school,” Serenity decided to say. “Sorry…”

  “Hmph,” Mrs. White condescended. “In that case, I implore you to partake in my lessons. How old are you?”

  “Sixteen,” Serenity answered gleefully. “Sorry, I guess I’m too old—”

  “Nonsense!” Mrs. White snapped. “We’ll make an exception for you.”

  “Oh!” Serenity exclaimed, pretending to be moderately delighted. “That’s okay. You don’t have to. I’ll probably be a disturbance.”

  “Conduct can always be amended—we start tomorrow,” Mrs. White said ultimately, mincing out of the classroom with a stack of papers in her arms. “I ensure you will be castigated if you are absent!”

  Serenity turned to Lily, perturbed. “Is she always like that?”

  “Yep. But you’ll like her once you get to know here, don’t worry!” Lily assured. “I guess you are learning with us now! Yay!”

  “I might not be the best student,” Serenity said. “That’s okay! Her class isn’t that hard. I’ll help you out!”

  Serenity was intuitive enough to know that statement was false. There was a considerable disparity between her and Lily’s level of education. This was fully realized when she entered the classroom for the first time.

  Two girls, around the same age as Lily, were solving a calculus problem on the board. To her, the arithmetic equated to hieroglyphics.

  Though they were different, each girl looked like a replica of their adjacent peer. All of them were dressed in identical school uniforms; the typical blazer-skirt-tie boarding school attire. Each one of them, their notebooks open and pens ready, were faced forward, attentively watching the two girls work out the problem. Serenity had never seen students so serious about school. High school students back in the States were the antithesis: lazy, slacking, insouciant, and ignorant.

  She sat at the back of the class, next to Lily. Lyla was at the front, pretending to be watching the board but surreptitiously doodling on the margins of her paper. She didn’t share the same earnest enthusiasm towards school as Lily or the other girls did. In fact, this looked like the last place on Earth she wanted to be. School tended to be the bane of apathetic people.

  “Miss Serenity!” Mrs. White suddenly barked after the two girls sat down after finishing the problem. “You care to solve the third?”

  All heads turned to her in unison. Lily nudged her urgently to stand up.

  Serenity stared at the board, flummoxed. Calculus had never been one of her math subjects in school. The highest level of mathematics she had taken was Algebra II. Plus, she had never been adroit in mathematics, to begin with. Her legs moved on her own, walking to the front of the classroom. Mrs. White handed her a marker, and she was left to work out the problem.

  She already had established she was incapable of solving it. The logical thing to do would be just to come clean and confess she couldn’t do it. But she lacked the courage to say this directly in front of Mrs. White. Serenity didn’t know how invested she was in teaching her, but she also didn’t want to disappoint the governess.

  When she was finished, she set the marker down and moved away from the board to display her work to the class. Nobody laughed, and nobody reacted. Their reactions were robotic. Blank and lifeless.

  “Is this supposed to be funny?” Mrs. White said pointedly, her voice trembling with a simmering monotone. “Repudiating your education, I see.”

  What Serenity had done was merely copy the answer from the problem b
efore. The act must’ve conveyed the message, “I don’t care,” more than, “I don’t know.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know to solve it,” said Serenity, looking down at the floor. “I figured I’d just write something down, rather than leave it blank.”

  “In other words, you found it acceptable to duplicate the rigorous, abstruse mental worked performed by a fellow peer?”

  “What—no, I didn’t—”

  “Sit DOWN!” Mrs. White shrieked peremptorily.

  Serenity bowed her head quickly and returned to her seat at the back of the class. Mrs. White subsequently summoned Lily to the front of the class to finish the problem. Lily obliged, prancing to the board and immediately erasing the “work” Serenity had done.

  Although she observed closely, she was still baffled at what Lily had done to solve the problem. The girl had deftly finished it in only two minutes, garnering nods of approval from the class and Mrs. White.

  “See Miss Serenity? That’s how it’s done!” Mrs. White chided. “Preposterous! This isn’t esoteric material! She’s six years younger than you!”

  The remaining two hours of class constituted more calculus, which naturally also composed of further puzzlement. One thing was clear: she wanted out.

  “It’s not that bad,” Lily said as they filed out of the classroom.

  “Maybe for you, but I can’t handle it.”

  “You’ll learn in time. I’ll help you,” Lily said optimistically.

  “I don’t think so,” Serenity maintained firmly. “American school was way easier. I’m too stupid to excel in this class.”

  “If you want to leave, fine,” Lily sighed. “Lyla hates it too. She’s the only one in class that hates being here.”

  “Do you talk to the other girls? Are they your friends?”

  “No,” Lily frowned. “They barely speak to me at all. They’re not focused on making friends. Just learning and paying attention in class. I don’t even know most of their names. It’s weird, right?”

  “Well,” Serenity shrugged, “if they don’t want to be friends with you, there’s no reason to befriend them.”

  “I guess… So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?”

  “We’ve got some time before lunch,” Serenity noted, checking the gold wristwatch Dorian had gifted her two days earlier. “What do you want?”