CHAPTER 50: THE LESSON SAGA

The lesson had begun already by the time Lumina arrived, guided carefully to the I class Stella.

Even though she wouldn’t admit it aloud, her entire body still throbbed from yesterday’s punishment.

Lady Freya stood in front of the ladies and she addressed the group of noble girls.

Rhynera sat near the front, lips curled into a satisfied smile the moment she saw Lumina walk in. Just then Stella gasped as she noticed the seat Lumina usually used had been removed.

"My Lady, your seat isn’t here... why..:" Stella started to protest.

But Lumina gently reached for her, pressing her hand down on her wrist in warning. "Don’t," she whispered low, her voice barely a breath. She could already feel the sting of eyes.

"Do not distract the class," Lady Freya said without looking back at her.

"Let the princess find her place and not distract the whole lesson. A lady must learn to adapt without complaint." Lady Freya let out

One of the ladies gave a small, mocking clap and the rest followed.

Humiliated, Lumina lowered herself onto the edge of the cold stone at the front, where everyone could see her.

Her skirt brushed dust but she made no sound. Stella helped her sit there and the lesson resumed.

"We have spoken of dining decorum," Lady Freya said, pacing before them.

"Now, let us speak of conversational conduct. If you are seated beside a Duke from Aereth or a Minister from Drahvann, how do you speak? What words are permissible and what tones are deemed improper?"

A few hands lifted, answering questions until it got to Rhynera.

"Princess Rhynera," she called with a slight smile. "You are the crown princess, surely you can demonstrate." Rhynera stood, gracefully. "Certainly, Lady Freya. If I may..."

She turned to the girl beside her and launched into a dialogue, the room watching with admiration. Her tone was pleasant but commanding, and her etiquette sounded so nice.

Everyone praised her for being good at it and she was fit to be called a crown princess.

"And now," Lady Freya continued, turning toward Lumina. "Princess Lumina, would you care to demonstrate the correct way to receive a compliment during such a meal?"

There was a pause from Lumina’s side, she already knew it would come before she would even talk after all they are all finding a way to ruin her.

"Lady Freya, my sister isn’t good at that... she wasn’t in class yesterday and I bet she learnt or was aware of anything taught yesterday." Lady Freya glanced at Lumina.

"Are you saying you didn’t ask them about the preps class and you know nothing about it?" she asked in a stern voice and Lumina chuckled understanding what Rhynera had done.

Playing the caring card but pushing her more into the fire. Lumina slowly turned her head toward Freya’s voice.

"Yes, my Lady....But... I will demonstrate it. " Her voice held no hesitation, though her fingers dug into her skirt.

"Good now..." but she was interrupted when Princess Aurelia stood up and Lady Freya gave her full attention.

"Princes.." she called worriedly and Aurelia smirked, " Lady Freya, forgive me," she interrupted sweetly.

"I believe that Princess Lumina did not complete yesterday’s proper courtesy lessons. It would be improper for her to speak on etiquette when she hasn’t yet mastered the most basic part, wouldn’t it?"

Whispers swirled instantly and Lady Freya arched her brow. She recalled that Lumina had received punishment the previous day and decided to use this as an opportunity again.

"Is that so?" Lady Freya asked like she hadn’t known at first.

"Yes my lady..." another lady answered and Freya glanced at Lumina who quietly sat like she wasn’t being talked about right in front of her.

"The time you had asked her... she only bowed once and with the wrong foot forward. We were all there." Aurelia’s voice dripped with innocence, even though all she wanted was to humiliate her.

"Surely it would reflect poorly on the Drakonis court if an unrefined Celestial represented us during meals with foreign dignitaries." Lady Freya turned to Lumina.

"Well?"

Lumina clenched her fists, her voice low and calm. "I attempted to curtsy as instructed because we weren’t taught then, and I wasn’t in class the previous day," she explained.

"Are you trying to say Lady Freya isn’t teaching well... or has bestowed a punishment on you wrongfully?"

Aurelia asked loudly. "You are useless..you need help walking back to her chambers afterward. Such frailty may be mistaken for disdain by a foreign court. I wonder how you could be a princess." The girls laughed quietly while Rhynera smirked excitedly.

Now seeing Lumina tasting her own medicine made her feel happy.

Lady Freya’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Very well, Princess Lumina. Come forward. You will demonstrate a proper curtsy for us now... three times. One for a king, one for a duke, and one for your future husband."

Stella grabbed her lady’s hands, annoyed. Lumina had gone through all these etiquettes and she knew every one of them right from the celestial realm.

Now they are making it seem like she was useless. Her only imperfection was the fact that she couldn’t see. But her lady could do what a seeing person does and still they weren’t taking it easy on her.

Lumina rose slowly, not on the moon to talk, but her body screamed in protest with each step.

As she made her way to the center of the floor, Stella gripped the edge of her robe, her nails digging into the wood.

"Now, begin," Freya ordered.

She bent into a curtsy, slowly, shakily. Her balance nearly gave way as her legs trembled. She adjusted and tried again.

The third time meant to represent a curtsy for her husband her ankle wobbled, and she stumbled forward slightly, catching herself before hitting the floor.

Murmurs echoed across the room, and Aurelia smirked. Aurelia had purposely brought up that topic because she knew Lumina was exhausted and she would make a mistake when doing this.

Lady Freya’s voice rang sharp. "Perhaps the last prince prefers pity over pride for accepting you as his." Everyone broke into another round of laughter and Lumina straightened slowly.

"A true lady accepts corrections with grace," Lumina said, her voice steady despite the burning in her legs. "Even if the lesson is wrapped in brutality. So I will let this go." That silenced the room once and this pissed Lady Freya off.

"After class, you won’t go home and make sure to master this before leaving..." Lady Freya declared giving no room for negotiation and Rhyenera was happy with that.

Lumina turned and walked back to the corner of the room, she passed Rhynera, whose smile had faltered ever so slightly. But her eyes still held malice.

Only that thought was ringing in her bed. "I will make sure to break you Lumina."