Annabeth's first teacher was a middle-aged woman, always clad in black, a Victorian style of dress with a corset tied so tightly that Annabeth was actually suffering just by looking at her. How could this person breath? The woman had a stern expression on her face, never a smile to be seen. Since the very first second actually, Annabeth had wanted to change professor. She had, later in the day, been called in the living room to salute her teacher that came.
"This is Countess Emery, your preceptor," had introduced her grandfather. "Countess, my granddaughter."
Annabeth had smiled at her grandfather before turning her head towards the woman, lifting her dress to curtsy -a curtsy that had been severely criticized later- and introduced herself,
"My name is Britannia Annabeth Delacour, daughter of Grand Duke, general Delacour, and granddaughter of Duke Tulip, it's a pleasure to meet you."
The woman barely glanced at her before looking at the old man again,
"Her posture is all wrong, her neck is stiff, her back is like she's ready to fall at any time... I see now why you fetch for me so quickly, your grace."
The duke didn't respond, though, his eyebrows creased a bit.
Annabeth's smile turned stiff. The woman was talking as if she wasn't in the room with them! When the Duke didn't talk after a time, she finally turned to her new pupil,
"Since it's the first meeting, I'll let it pass," she said, displeasure lacing her voice. What a picky old woman! Annabeth was doing her best to still be courteous. "My name is Eleah Emery, Countess of Emery and from today onwards you are in my charge. Likewise, it's a pleasure to meet you, miss Delacour." She finished her introduction with half a bow of her head.
The woman's lips moved in dissatisfaction,
"This is Countess Emery, your preceptor," had introduced her grandfather. "Countess, my granddaughter."
Annabeth had smiled at her grandfather before turning her head towards the woman, lifting her dress to curtsy -a curtsy that had been severely criticized later- and introduced herself,
"My name is Britannia Annabeth Delacour, daughter of Grand Duke, general Delacour, and granddaughter of Duke Tulip, it's a pleasure to meet you."
The woman barely glanced at her before looking at the old man again,
"Her posture is all wrong, her neck is stiff, her back is like she's ready to fall at any time... I see now why you fetch for me so quickly, your grace."
The duke didn't respond, though, his eyebrows creased a bit.
Annabeth's smile turned stiff. The woman was talking as if she wasn't in the room with them! When the Duke didn't talk after a time, she finally turned to her new pupil,
"Since it's the first meeting, I'll let it pass," she said, displeasure lacing her voice. What a picky old woman! Annabeth was doing her best to still be courteous. "My name is Eleah Emery, Countess of Emery and from today onwards you are in my charge. Likewise, it's a pleasure to meet you, miss Delacour." She finished her introduction with half a bow of her head.
“Annabeth", the little girl said brusquely, "please call me Annabeth."
The woman's lips moved in dissatisfaction,
"That won't do miss. You can't be overly familiar with everyone."
Annabeth's eyebrows ticked, holding back a grimace as she sat down on the sofa, restraining herself from outright glaring. She was only half-listening at this point.
"I will be in charge of your etiquettes for now."
Glancing at her grandfather who was giving her a stern look, Annabeth could only bow her head and say without any bit of enthusiasm or gratitude,
"Then I'll be in your care."
It appeared not long after, when she started taking courses under the person, that the woman was ridiculously strict! Annabeth had to walk with her back straight and to do so, she was forced to walk around having books on her head. God knew how many times she was forced to copy again and again the disposition of spoons, knives, and forks before she got to remember which was for what. A full month of that hellish training passed before her grandfather reduced her pain and, judging her acceptable to be seen in public, her other preceptor was finally introduced. Before even getting to know him, Annabeth was blessing him in her mind for having got the tyrant to stop coming every day but instead twice a week now. Really, God blessed him!
"I am Herrman Wild, a pleasure to meet you."
This time, Annabeth gave a respectful curtsy. For all she criticized Countess Emery, one had to recognize that her methods did bear fruits.
"Britannia Annabeth Delacour, I will be in your care, Sir Wild."
Contrary to Countess Emery, Herrman Wild wasn't a noble and he was also much younger than her. In his early twenties, he had dirty blond hair with light blue eyes and wore way too serious clothes to be teaching a child. But well, he was teaching a noble one.
The man was in charge of instructing her on language, history, geography, and mathematics. He came four times per week. The Mondays,Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays while Countess Emery came on Tuesdays' mornings and Thursdays' afternoons. So, Annabeth's week-ends were free.
Concerning Sir Wild's teachings, there wasn't really a fixed day for a lesson, instead, he taught depending on her difficulties, making it so that in a day they could actually do as much as three lessons or sometimes they could use one day to do just only one lesson. The girl was quite proficient in Language and Mathematics, obviously, but had a rather hard time with history and geography.
Concerning Sir Wild's teachings, there wasn't really a fixed day for a lesson, instead, he taught depending on her difficulties, making it so that in a day they could actually do as much as three lessons or sometimes they could use one day to do just only one lesson. The girl was quite proficient in Language and Mathematics, obviously, but had a rather hard time with history and geography.
In a matter of months though, Annabeth adjusted herself and could now actually finish all her homework and even had the time to be bored during her weekends. Maybe it was the fact that, that the body was still that of a child so the mind couldn’t quite adapt, thus, she had the tendency to act like a child. She couldn’t help it. And she especially hated boring things. So, during those two days which were previously used to perfect her lessons by herself, now that she understood the basics and could finish her homework the day they were given, her week-ends were simply empty and the little girl grew incredibly restless. Lyanna had been a teenager who couldn’t do anything previously, other than lying in a bed; now, in the body of a child, she didn’t mind throwing away her dignity and throwing a tantrum. When Countess Emery had wanted to restrict and prohibit many of her activities deeming them unbridled acts and unladylike ones -the Countess heard the maids gossiping about the little miss who was still sometimes running in the morning in her sleeping dress-, Annabeth simply didn't care about learning under that woman anymore and locked herself in her room. She had been so obedient and diligently learned all her courses even memorizing who was whose son and who was the head of which house yet she wasn't authorized to distress by running every other day? She was unwilling! That matter gave headaches to Countess Emery and in the end, the Duke of Rosacrea took his granddaughter's party and the Countess could only sigh. Unwilling to be defeated she proposed another idea.
Since the little girl had so much energy, why not let her redirect it somewhere else, in dancing maybe? It was usually taught around ten years old, when the children would be more sensible and obedient, listening to their teachers thus permitting that two years later, the children could participate easily in the school's opening ball. Though it was generally like that, there were also some families letting their children learned to dance earlier.
Actually, Countess Emery had wanted to teach her ward how to dance for a time now but the Duke was against it. Now was a good time to persuade him once more. Thinking like that, the next time she came, the countess brought a musician to play the tempo, while one of the male servants who knew how to dance was made Annabeth's cavalier.
Actually, Countess Emery had wanted to teach her ward how to dance for a time now but the Duke was against it. Now was a good time to persuade him once more. Thinking like that, the next time she came, the countess brought a musician to play the tempo, while one of the male servants who knew how to dance was made Annabeth's cavalier.
With the music resounding in the corridor, it wasn't long before the Duke was aware of it. Hearing that such a thing was happening without his knowledge, the old man's hands which were holding his papers shook and the documents fell on the floor. His face blanched as he hastily got up from his office and almost ran to the ballroom. However, before he could push the door, he heard peals of laughers coming from there, underneath the music, and his feet halted. The countess was giving instructions while clapping her hands. The Duke entered slowly, without making any noise and he saw the scene of his granddaughter waltzing. She had a smile twice as wide as usual, her hair following her swinging movements, her robes fluttering along with her feet' rhythms. She looked particularly happy.
The Duke's frown decreased and he heaved a sigh of relief. He had obviously been thinking too much. She was still fine after all. However, her next words froze his blood,
A couple of weeks later, as the young miss made a tour of the manor, again and again, while walking -she stopped running around, for now anyway, she kept on going to the stables. She was adamant on wanting to learn how to ride. Everyone thought it was a phase but she never let the subject alone. From sternly saying no to discussing the dangers, in the end, the old man relented and let her learned how to ride. On a small poney. Well, it was still better than nothing.
The Duke's frown decreased and he heaved a sigh of relief. He had obviously been thinking too much. She was still fine after all. However, her next words froze his blood,
“Did you see, Derry, I’m so good at it now,” She praised herself once the dance was finished as she bragged to the servant.
She didn't get to see the puzzled look of the servant for the moment she caught sight of her grandfather, she ran to his side, not hearing or maybe ignoring the Countess's reproaches all the way,
She didn't get to see the puzzled look of the servant for the moment she caught sight of her grandfather, she ran to his side, not hearing or maybe ignoring the Countess's reproaches all the way,
"Did you see just now?" She asked excitedly but the Duke of Tulip wasn't really listening,
"What did you just say?" he inquired himself,
"That I danced very well, right Countess Emery?" she turned to her instructor for some praises and though exasperated by the girl's clear lack of etiquettes, the Countess still nodded. For all the girl's faults, her dancing was quite good and needed very little instructions. It was hard to believe it was actually her first lesson.
The head butler, the old Jake, who had followed the Duke in his precipitation, whispered in the latter's ear,
The head butler, the old Jake, who had followed the Duke in his precipitation, whispered in the latter's ear,
"I believe she herself had no idea she spoke the name, your grace. It was simply the force of habit."
The Duke's hands shook, the rim of his eyes going red but he controlled himself and praised her curtly before going back to his office, shutting himself in there not letting anyone in. She couldn't remember but her body sure did. He wondered a bit now if it was really alright to not say anything.
At the very least, dancing didn't trigger any painful memory. Was this really a consolation?
At the very least, dancing didn't trigger any painful memory. Was this really a consolation?
The duke had a grim expression on, not knowing what to do. He looked at the vase on his shelf and sighed.
***
A couple of weeks later, as the young miss made a tour of the manor, again and again, while walking -she stopped running around, for now anyway, she kept on going to the stables. She was adamant on wanting to learn how to ride. Everyone thought it was a phase but she never let the subject alone. From sternly saying no to discussing the dangers, in the end, the old man relented and let her learned how to ride. On a small poney. Well, it was still better than nothing.
Thomas was her valet and the one who shouldered the responsibility to teach her. He was a red hair teenager with freckles over his small nose and an easy smile usually. He was used to the horses and they, to him, mostly that small poney under his responsibility so it was very easy under his lead.
The horse riding was done in the weekends and, as long as she couldn't ride by herself without anyone holding the reins, they couldn't go out of the field. It hadn't been easy actually and it took months, for she wanted no accident to occur. Something told her that at the first sign of trouble, she wouldn't be permitted to try again.
The horse riding was done in the weekends and, as long as she couldn't ride by herself without anyone holding the reins, they couldn't go out of the field. It hadn't been easy actually and it took months, for she wanted no accident to occur. Something told her that at the first sign of trouble, she wouldn't be permitted to try again.
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