The Royal Series 0 - A Royal Archive

Chapter 4

Two Weeks Later: April 8th, 2115

† Serafina †

Rising for another day of lessons could not have been more disheartening if Serafina had known there was another option. But there was not.

So far, her days were monotonous. She rose at five o'clock every morning, spent nearly an hour cleaning the chapel and then attended mass, before enduring hours of lessons. From half past six to noon, she was taught only by Sister Margaret, taking the entire first week to accomplish the single task of lighting a candle and extinguishing it at will. They had not ventured further because Sister Margaret claimed it was pointless.

Once morning lessons were over, Serafina had a half hour free for lunch, which was generally spent alone, though Sienna and Lindley had returned twice to eat with her and talk about her progress. Elías sat with her a few times, talking about her lessons and trying to teach her how to harness her magic without the need for concentration or meditation.

Meditation, he claimed was only necessary for new spells or after days of not practising magic.

Serafina had no idea what he meant, as she had to meditate for half an hour at the beginning of every class before being capable of any hint of magic. Just this week, Sister Margaret had encourage her to try lifting the candle, but it had only ended in disaster, so far. Every time it wobbled into the air, it crashed back to the stool, both extinguishing the flame and chipping pieces of the candle away from the main, until she had barely half a candle left to work with.

It was all rather pathetic. A complete disaster.

So when her door opened that morning, as she lay in bed contemplating the horrible day ahead of her, it was the first thing that had ever happened outside of her now routine schedule.

Serafina lifted her head to find that mousy nun hovering in the doorway, again. She seemed to check the 'cell' every day, perhaps for contraband or perhaps just to clean, she had never been quite sure. "Yes?" she asked, before remembering that she was not supposed to speak outside of her classes.

The nun, however, bobbed her head and scurried inside to deposit a letter onto the small table by her bed. Then she quickly escaped without a word.

With a sigh, Serafina reluctantly sat up and settled herself against the head of the bed before opening the letter. She could not think what it might be, unless it was some change to her routine that the nuns wanted to inform her of. It would be just her luck.

But then she noticed the seal on the back and she swallowed in immediate panic. The Royal seal of her family. Which meant...it could only be a reply to her letter!

Terrified, Serafina tore the envelope open and read the letter from her papa, with a sense of growing shame and fear.

Serafina,

I have no words to describe the shame you have brought your father and I with such a letter. You have no understanding of the sacrifices we have made for you – you! and not your brother – over the long years you have done nothing but cause havoc and flirt with disaster.

I am almost of a mind to send you to live with your aunt Sienna, but even she has not behaved so disgracefully in long years. But your father and I – regardless of what you presume – will not give up on you!

You shame us with your behaviour and your treatment of those impoverished souls who could never even dream of the luxury you have at your fingertips. To think that you have such low opinions of the people who most deserve your kindness and compassion, truthfully, sickens me. You have learned nothing from your father and I, nothing of the things we have shown you, of the things we have taught you.