Common (The Lora Fletcher Chronicles Book 1)

by Andrea Irving

  Catty’s face lit up. “It was amazing!” She twirled and sashayed and fell onto her bed. “I’m ruined for regular life forever. Why can’t every day be a ball?”

  “So, a good time then? Did you dance with Regan?”

  “Yes, I danced with him,” she replied. “I danced with him, his friend Geoffrey, Dain, his brother Phillip, Lord Harr—“

  “Dain was there?” Lora was hurt that Dain couldn’t be bothered to visit even though his brother obviously had made the time.

  Catty nodded, missing the way her friend’s face fell at the news. “We danced a few times,” she said. “I drank too much sparkling white wine and fell down when Regan tried to kiss me—“

  “Catty…” Lora chided.

  “I know, I know,” she groaned. “But it was my first ball, and I was determined to live it up! I guess this is why girls can’t be out until they’re sixteen. We’re too reckless. Oh well.”

  Lora took a deep breath. “I’m glad you had fun,” she said. “I um, I met Dain’s brother last night. I thought he was Dain and I ran up to him… Well, I think he thought I was the type of girl, you know… The type of girl who…” She took another deep breath. “He kept watching me. Lord Cedric noticed and I think he told Lord Michael. I think that’s what happened to the door. You don’t suppose he really would’ve followed me in here?”

  Catty stared at Lora. “He might’ve,” she admitted. “I guess we both could do with a little extra etiquette and decorum in our lives. No more public displays of affection then?” Lora nodded and hid her face in her knees. “Would you really have run up to Dain and thrown your arms around him?”

  “That’s what I thought I was doing.” Lora’s voice was muffled. “I was so excited to see him. It’s been a while since I’ve had even a letter from him and I miss him. I didn’t even think about what I was doing. I would’ve done the same to my father or brother.” She turned back to her friend. “You didn’t kiss anyone but Regan, did you?”

  “No,” Catty replied. “And I don’t think anyone saw us, but still. I’m not a child anymore, and I have to start thinking about my reputation.”

  Lora was about to reply when the door slammed open. Dain looked furious. His brown eyes were dark with anger and snowflakes were melting in his curly auburn hair. “Are you alright?” he asked.

  “You’re not supposed to be in here,” was all Lora could say.

  He strode over to her while she stood up. Dain leaned over her while she cowered down, terrified of her normally jovial friend. “I don’t care,” he growled. “Did Phillip—Did Phillip—“ He shook his head. “He said he met you, Lora. He said… Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine Dain,” Lora tried to assure him. She looked over at Catty, who was trying to make herself disappear in one of the corners of the room. “Come to the common area and sit. We can talk there.”

  “I don’t want to sit.” Dain ran his hand through his hair. It was obvious he hadn’t slept. “I just… Was I right to have punched my brother in the face? Should I have drowned him instead? Flayed the skin off his back?” He turned away from her and glanced at Catty who ran toward the bathing area and disappeared.

  Lora crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Dain. Yes, I met your brother. The circumstances were a little unusual. I did not like him at all. We parted ways and that was the end of it. Why are you so upset?”

  Dain let out his breath and sank onto another girl’s bed. He eyed her as if seeing her for the first time. “No matter what’s happened to you over the past two years, you’re a child. I’m no saint, but my brother is shameless.” He took a deep breath. “He said he tumbled you in the stables. He said he obviously wasn’t the first. I know I shouldn’t have believed that of you, but you don’t know him, Lora. You’re like my little sister…”

  She swallowed. “That’s very kind of you, Dain. I mistook him for you and in doing so, I acted a little foolishly. I caught him in a big hug. I know I shouldn’t have done that even with you, but I think he took it the wrong way. I got away from him—“

  “Did he hurt you?”

  “No,” she replied. “He just grabbed my arm and accused me of being your plaything.” Lora blushed. “Lord Cedric noticed I was uncomfortable in the dining hall, and I think he told Lord Michael. Catty couldn’t open the door until she spoke with him.”

  “I doubt my brother would stoop so low as that,” Dain said after a moment. “Lora, I am sorry. Phillip can be quite charming, as I’m sure you’ve heard. But he also, well... So you’ve heard.” He stood up and started toward the door. “I’ll leave you to yourself. I’m sure you have things to do. Please forgive me for telling Regan what my brother said—“

  “Dain, why?” Lora caught her fingers in her braid as she tried to run her fingers through her hair. “Does everyone know?”

  He shook his head. “I only told him in case I needed his help to get Phillip to quiet down.” Dain looked sheepish. “I’ll see you later. I’ll be here for a few days before I head back to James Lake with Lord Brandon and his son, Geoff.” He gave her a small bow and headed out.

  Lora and Catty spent the next few days sparring and fighting with Dain and Regan. Fortunately for Lora, Regan was easily placated about Phillip and talk of the unfortunate incident soon ceased. Especially since Lora set Regan’s cloak on fire when at first he refused to let it go. She had been startled, not because it happened, but because it was exactly what she wanted to happen.

  She and Dain walked to dinner together the last evening he was going to be in Glimmen. “I hope you’re right and this is the beginning of me being able to control my wielding,” she was saying. “After two and a half years, I think Lord Michael and Lord Robert were beginning to despair of me. The pompous Lord Jeremy gave up on me sometime last year, but this may bring him round. Maybe I’ll even start to call on the other elements consistently—“

  “Lora,” Dain interrupted.

  “Yes?”

  “I’ve been wanting to speak with you, but Catty and Regan have always been around,” he said. “It’s about what happened with Phillip. I know I promised not to talk about it anymore—“

  “Then don’t.” Lora pulled her arm from his and began to walk faster.

  Dain sped up. “Please stop and listen to me.” She stopped but did not turn around. “Lora, you’re almost of age.”

  “I’m only fifteen.”

  “You’re almost of age,” Dain repeated. “You’re young. Your social standing is… Well, you’re not of the same standing as most of our acquaintance. I hate to point that out, but it’s true. And those make you a target.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “No one takes young girls seriously and without a powerful family to back you up, if anything were to happen, you’d be left alone. Friendless. Possibly raising… Well, you’d be alone. If anyone ever bothers you in the future, please talk to Regan. He thinks of you as I do. He will do everything he can to make sure you’re alright. Even if what happens between you and whoever is consensual, if you’re left by the wayside, he will help you.”

  Lora stared ahead toward the dining hall. “You make me sound like a harlot. Or like I will be one once I start finding boys to kiss.”

  Dain shook his head. “I don’t mean to in the slightest, but you know how all the blame is placed on you girls when we young men are almost always the culprits.” He walked up to her and held out his arm. When she took it, he let out a breath of air he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I care about you, Lora. I want the best for you. I know you think you’re not good enough, but you’re wrong. We all think so.” He led her inside and didn’t say another word about it.

  CHAPTER 22

  The next term came quickly, much to Lora’s relief. Lora improved on her wielding almost exponentially. Lord Robert asked her if anything had happened to break her block, and she denied it. Lord Michael caught her eye and she just shook her head. He did not bring up the subject. She thanked him
for respecting her privacy.

  “Miss Lorana,” he had said. “You’re hardly the first girl we’ve had to seal that door for, and you won’t be the first one that gets talked about.”

  Lord Jeremy was removed as her independent study teacher, as her skills with multiple elements were beyond his level of expertise. He was a fire and essence wielder, but could not help her with water, earth, or air. Lord Michael could have taught her about wielding all of the elements, as his gifts were the same as hers, but he and Lord Robert both insisted that multiple teachers kept your mind from getting too complacent and unimaginative. Since she liked and respected both of them, she was happy with the change to their supervision.

  Sylvane continued to be a menace. People found out about Lora’s altercation with Phillip, the princess among them. There were red ribbons, bits of red lace, and a red sash left on Lora’s bed by someone, and she could only think it was her that put them there. She made a public display of burning them after each made its appearance, but they just kept coming.

  In the spring, Lora sat out on the stoop with Catty while she tried to light candles and snuff them out. She struggled with control and Lord Robert had set her this exercise to do in her spare time. As a result, she had a pile of wax lumps sitting on the bare stone of the courtyard with a large circumferential area around them free of all debris.

  “You need some new dresses,” Catty told her, her mouth full of caramel. The result of her recent trip to the confectioner was a large box of the things.

  Lora closed one eye and pointed at a candle. It went up in flames and a gust of wind blew the remains a few feet back before it went out. “I’m waiting until after the summer,” she said as she pointed to the next candle in line. She caught the wick, but the flame was about six feet high. A gust of air smashed the candle flat.

  Catty frowned and swallowed her candy. “You’ve grown,” she pointed out. “You’re still short, of course. But I can’t have you walking around my father’s castle with your ankles showing.”

  “I can’t go to your father’s castle,” she said, attempting to light the next candle. “Cousin Allistair will stop paying my way here if I leave.”

  “I told you that he doesn’t need to know.” Catty eyed a caramel and popped it into her mouth. “My father said he didn’t care if you came. Our carriage is coming for me anyway. He’s feeding our household anyway. The room you’d be staying in is always there. It’s no bother.”

  Lora shook her head. “What if Cousin Tiana comes and I’m not here? I can’t risk that.” She pointed and the entire row of candles went up in flames. Her eyes widened and a gust of air came down so strong that it knocked both of them over.

  Pursing her lips, Catty sat back up and regarded her friend. “You still need new clothes. You’re popping out of your bodice, if you couldn’t tell.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Why give her highness another thing to criticize?”

  “Nobody cares but her.”

  “That’s not true,” Catty said. She tsk’ed and shook her head. “No one would like it if your seams ripped in the middle of class, especially you.”

  “Fine. I’ll go tomorrow. It’s a rest day. I’m sure Mistress Bethany has something ready-made that will serve while the rest are being made.”

  “You’re not seriously going to wear the same dress every day while you’re waiting for your new clothes, are you? You’d be better off getting some sort of sweater, just in case.” Catty nodded. “Mistress Bethany will know what you need. Oh, and since we’ll have our own rooms in the fall—all fourth years and above do, you know—we can have our evening gowns with us. So, you’ll be needing corsets as well. We’ll wear them to dinner as practice.”

  Lora rolled her eyes. “I’m not sure what you think we’re going to do with multiple evening gowns and corsets,” she said. “You may be sixteen now, but I’m not. Even if I was, my social circle is not the same as yours.”

  “Lora, Lora, Lora…” Catty raised her eyes to the sky. “Someday I’m going to tell you just how ridiculous you are, and you’re going to listen. For now, think on this. You’re in our social circle. All of ours. Regan is the prince. He will be king someday. He is your friend. You’re in his circle. Regardless of your birth, financial situation, or looks, that’s where you are. It counts for a lot. There’s no arguing with that. Everything else is gravy.”

  The rest of the evening was fairly quiet. Lora did not try lighting any more candles, and Catty did not try to persuade her how to dress or spend her holidays. The next day was different. Lora was going to try and see if holding the candle while trying to light it would help her control. After all, her own powers wouldn’t hurt her, would they? Once Catty realized what she meant to do, she grabbed the candles away, chucked the across the room, and dragged her friend away to Mistress Bethany’s.

  “Tut, tut,” Mistress Bethany said as she took in Lora’s appearance. “I’d say you’re about done growing, Miss Lorana. At least in height. Perhaps I can leave extra seam allowance in the bodices of the dresses I assume I’m to be making. That way you won’t need to come back here for new dresses for a while. Just alterations.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” Lora told her. Mistress Bethany’s assistant was busy taking her measurements, so she was standing very still.

  Catty smirked. “You’ll want a set of measurements for an evening gown too,” she put in.

  Mistress Bethany looked up from her list of measurements. “Is that so? I guess you’ll be needing a corset too.”

  “She’ll need one for dinner as well as one for her gown,” Catty replied for her.

  “Three sets of measurements then.” Bethany glanced down at her sheet of parchment and nodded. “I’ll grab a corset, and we’ll get started.”

  “I can’t wait.” Catty clasped her hands together and giggled.

  Lora was nearly purple with indignation. “I’m standing right here,” she said, taking the corset Mistress Bethany handed her. She fastened it as she had seen Catty do and frowned.

  Catty led Lora over to some hand grips that had been bolted into the wall for just such a purpose. Lora grabbed them and took a deep breath as she was instructed. She felt Mistress Bethany take her laces and begin to pull. A noise escaped her mouth with her breath. It was a sound of surprise, shock, and discomfort.

  “All done,” Mistress Bethany said. “Get her measurements so I can get the other corset.”

  Lora’s eyes were practically bulging out of her head. “Catty you lied,” she wheezed. “You said it wasn’t that bad. You said that you got used to it quickly. I can’t wear this.” She gasped as she tried to hyperventilate. The dratted thing even denied her of that.

  Mistress Bethany returned as her assistant was just finishing up. She unhooked the corset and quickly slipped the other one on. It was snug before the laces were drawn and was even tighter than the other one afterward. It was cut low, and Lora blushed as she saw herself in the mirror. “It’s a woman’s garment, Miss Lorana,” she said. “Your birthday is later in the winter, if memory serves. Hopefully you’ll be able to resign yourself to that by then.” She looked over to Catty. “I assume I’ll be waiting to use these measurements until then, Miss Catherine?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so,” Catty told the tailor. “She won’t come to Arbor Cove with me this summer or else she’d need a gown sooner. Probably at the start of the winter holiday. I’ll bring her by and you can modify them.”

  “Very good,” Mistress Bethany said. She looked thoughtfully at Lora. “I’m sure I can come up with something that your cousin will approve of. Now let us pick out some fabrics and styles. I can’t bear to have you wearing that same boring dress style anymore. Three years is long enough.”

  Lora sighed. Or sighed as much as she could with an evening gown corset on. In the end, she chose a russet, a dark blue, a dark pink, and a muted green for everyday and a slate grayish brown color for dinner. She refused the elaborate styles Mistress Bethany and Catty wanted f
or her, but she was certain the tailor had ideas of her own about what she would make. Lora figured it was just as well. She took the vest that Catty picked out for in case she busted a seam in her bodice and bid Mistress Bethany farewell.

  The parcel containing her new dresses arrived a sevenday later, which Lora expected. Mistress Bethany had shown herself to be extremely consistent over the past few years. The dresses were mostly as they had discussed. Her biggest concern was the fit of her dinner dress.

  “It looks fine,” Catty told her before they left the dormitory for dinner. “Your chest is not showing. Just your collarbones. It only feels like it’s showing because of how the corset emphasizes your curves. Puts them on display, if you will.”

  “I don’t need anything on display.” Lora looked down and frowned. She had been walking back and forth for several minutes hoping to get comfortable before they headed to dinner.

  Catty crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I was going to save this conversation until we got you ready for your first ball, but I think now is a good time—“

  “Save it.”

  “No, now is a good time,” Catty said. “Your actions here at the Academy have raised you far beyond the station of your birth. You may not have money, but you will always have your title. You’re a swordwielder and that is more important than most of the so-called important people in Ydris. That alone would make you a match if you want one, which I’m not sure you do. Secondly, you’re not the same person you were when you got here. You’re confident now, sure of yourself. You walk taller—you are taller. You have the body of a woman, and an attractive one at that. You complain about your hair. It’s lightened up into a nice golden brown, which has completely changed the shade of your eyes. Yes, you are my friend and I am biased, but you should know me well enough to know that I won’t sugar coat things for you.”

  Lora looked down at her hands and walked toward the door. She opened it, realized that Catty was at her shoulder, and grasped her friend’s hand. Coming out like this was a big step, especially after the words of encouragement Catty had foisted upon her. They walked down the two steps leading from the dormitory to the ground. She looked up and caught Genea’s eye as she winked at her. The healing wielder had begun wearing a corset to dinner as soon as Catty had and she came over to Lora’s other side and took that hand. The boys weren’t there yet, but she could see them across the courtyard.