by Holly Law
“I made it,” Elisha told the man cautiously.
“Fascinating,” the man said with a smile. “May I join you?”
“Sure,” Elisha said, wondering why the man was bothering with them. He was clearly among the same class as the girls upstairs and they rarely wished anything to do with her. The man sat down beside her, and Elisha felt almost uncomfortable having him so close. He smiled at her, and Eldwin rolled the ball in his direction. The man reached for the ball and it rolled away from him. He looked intrigued by it. It took him several seconds to capture it.
He held the ball in his hand and turned it. His eyes were critical of all the details. “Who are you?” Eldwin asked him bluntly. He, too, clearly thought there was something very different about the man.
“My apologies for failing to introduce myself,” the man said with a friendly smile. “Corpal kassar Melink, at your disposal. May I have your names?”
“Eldwin.”
“Elisha.”
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I have never seen a machine like this before,” Corpal said twisting it in his hand. “Where did you get the inspiration?”
“I was bored,” Elisha confessed. “I was just messing around with some extra parts I had.”
Corpal handed the mechanical ball back to her. “You have a rare talent, Elisha,” he told her, looking pleased. “I had heard rumors of you in the city. They say that you can fix anything, is this true?”
“I’ve been able to fix what I’ve found so far,” Elisha told him.
“I understand the basic concept of the machines, but have no skill at building them or fixing them. If you were to take this apart I could tell you what every piece does, but I would not be able to put it back together if I took it apart.”
“That must be frustrating,” Eldwin commented. “Most have no idea at all so they don’t realize what they’re missing.”
“It is,” Corpal agreed. “Would you be able to fix something for me, Elisha? It’s been in my possession for some time, but I can’t remember the last time it was functioning.”
“I can try,” Elisha said at once. “Let me see.”
Corpal slid a mechanical ring off of his finger and handed it to her. Elisha studied it, fascinated. It was the most delicate piece she had ever seen. All the pieces were very thin and fragile. Even as she touched it, she could make out its purpose. It could activate machines at a distance. It would have been a very useful machine. She could also tell what was wrong.
“Can you fix it?” he asked her eagerly.
“Um, I think so. Let me go see if I have the parts,” Elisha said, slightly distracted by the machine before her. She walked out of the room and up the stairs without noticing who was around or where she was going. She sat down in the chair in her room and shuffled through her tray of parts—a recent and useful addition Lenora had given her to help her keep everything organized. Elisha carried the machine back down the stairs. The man was still sitting at the table chatting with her brother, apparently at complete ease. He noticed her entrance immediately.
“It’s fixed,” Elisha told him happily. She felt very proud of herself for fixing so intricate a machine. She had never seen a machine so small before.
The man took the machine and examined it with interest. He slipped it back on his finger. “You did fix it. Perfectly I might add. That didn’t take you long.”
“It was only one small part that was out of place,” Elisha informed him. “I replaced it.”
“Thank you,” the man told her. “Here, for your effort.” The man handed her a coin. Elisha stared at it. A gold coin sparkled up at her.
“Sir, you must have made some mistake,” Elisha said handing it back to him.
Corpal looked at the coin confused. “No, that is the payment I meant to give you. Is that less than you normally charge?”
“No, I never get paid in gold. A few coppers is what I normally get.”
“A few coppers? You are the only one in the world with the talent to fix the smaller machines. I would think the price I paid standard.”
“No, far from it.”
“Never take less than that,” the man told her.
“But…”
“Your highness,” Lenora said from the doorway. Her tone was startled and that surprise quickly transferred to Elisha. She looked at the man sharply and felt her features go pale as she realized she had been speaking with the Prince the whole time. “I hadn’t heard you had arrived.”
“Then your servant is lax,” Corpal said simply. He looked at Lenora and his features were unreadable. “But that laxness gave me the opportunity to acquaint myself with Elisha here. She has already done me a great service by fixing this ring for me.”
“Elisha is quite skilled,” Lenora agreed, looking very pale.
“I would like a private word with you, Lenora,” the Prince said standing.
“Of course, my Prince,” Lenora said simply.
Chapter 8
Lenora cringed internally as the door closed to the office. She knew the Prince was angry only because she knew him so well. To all others, he would have seemed calm. Lenora knew very well how much danger she was in. The Prince was not one you risked angering. His anger was quick and fast.
The Prince did not speak immediately. He went to her chair and sat down. He pressed his fingers together and only his eyes showed his irritation. “I am very disappointed in you, Lenora,” the Prince said softly. “You have betrayed me. I charged you with finding Elisha and informing me immediately. I trusted you to complete this task quickly and efficiently. I was surprised when Amalia told me that Elisha was here and more, had been here for some time. I didn’t believe her and came here to prove your loyalty, confident in Amalia’s mistake. And here I find that you have betrayed me. Will you explain yourself, Lenora? How will you defend yourself in this case?”
“I fully intended to tell you about her presence, my Prince,” Lenora said quickly. “I was just going to give it more time. Elisha is temperamental. It took little research into her past to uncover the fact that she has a tendency to run when spooked. I feared when she first arrived that she would run. She was uncomfortable here the first day. The girls around her made her unhappy, and she didn’t know what to do with comfortable living quarters or the classes on etiquette. I feared she might disappear after a single day here. She was not ready for your acquaintance yet. She is slow to trust and has been badly mistreated in the past. I wanted the two of you to meet on solid footing.”
The Prince was silent for a long moment, clearly taking in what she had said. “None of that matters,” the Prince said, his tone harsh. “I wished to be informed immediately. If she was a bit skittish, I would have understood and maintained my distance from her until she was ready to meet with me. Your actions are borderline treasonous, Lenora.”
Lenora flinched and felt herself shaking in fear. Those were words she had never expected to hear out of the Prince. They had been allies for her entire existence. Never had she been accused of treason before.
“I am sorry, my Prince. It was not my intention to betray your trust. I promise I was going to let you know of her existence.”
“Tell me how you found her.”
“She was being pursued by the guards and ended up being trapped in the alley behind the school. I bargained with the guards for her freedom. And…”
“Why was she being pursued by the guards?” the Prince asked curiously. His expression was truly intrigued by what she told him.
“They accused her of stealing machines and parts for machines and then selling them again. She denied it, but apparently her word doesn’t hold much credibility with the guards. I’ve learned they view both her and her brother as a sort of nuisance.”
“And you convinced her to stay here?”
“Yes, as a sort of business transaction. Lodging, classes, food, clothes, and pocket money in exchange for her fixing machines.”
“Hmm, she truly doesn’t know t
he value of her craft.”
“No idea at all.”
“Is she the troublemaker the guards seem to think she is?”
“No, not at all,” Lenora said shaking her head. “Elisha is a very kind and sweet girl. Thoughtful and courteous to those she considers friends, but very skittish around those she doesn’t know or has learned to not trust.”
“Why is that?”
“She hasn’t said much about it when I’ve tried to ask her, but I have my suspicions.”
“Which are?”
“I saw most of her when she was being fitted for a new dress her first day here. The girl was covered in bruises and scars. Life has not been kind to her, and she has been very badly abused. Some asking around would put most of the blame on the woman who runs the local orphanage, and Elisha has also told me the others there were mean to her.”
“Hmm, that will be worth checking into. Would it please Elisha to have this woman dealt with?”
“I don’t know. Elisha never speaks of her, but I know both she and her brother were glad to be free of the orphanage.”
“I will see what I can do to make an example of this woman.” The Prince leaned back, seeming to relax and forgetting his previous anger. His eyes were thoughtful as her considered Elisha and the situation. “Tell me of Elisha’s ability to fix machines.”
“She is quite amazing,” Lenora said smiling proudly. “She is very different from the Mechanic. He is slow at his work, accurate, but slow. Elisha is very fast and accurate. She seems to need only to touch a machine to know how to fix it. She excels the most at the smaller machines, the ones the Mechanic won’t even touch. She also can tell the use of a machine instantly as well. I have seen her create only that one small machine she was playing with in the basement. It seemed to be a sort of experiment for her. But you have seen her work one time before. She fixed the rose that I presented to you upon your last visit. She is almost thoughtless with how she fixes her machines. She never thinks of the pay first, only that the machine needs fixing. She’s a very open and honest girl in that way.”
“Good, she takes some pride in her skill?”
“She begins to. I have taken care to praise it frequently. I understand she was called a freak often growing up. She expects criticism.”
“Maintain your praise then. She is in need of it. Do you feel she will serve me when the time comes to make that decision?”
Lenora hesitated. She knew her answer was very important and would impact Elisha’s fate. “I don’t know,” Lenora was forced to say. “She may; she may not. As I said, she is very skittish and slow to trust. You cannot push her into such a choice too fast, or it will be a guaranteed no. I also don’t know how she would respond to being expected to work on machines for a destructive purpose. If you were to keep her working on the more everyday useful items, that might suit her better.”
“Hmm, I will keep your recommendation in mind, and I will proceed with caution. She seems to be a sweet girl, and I would hate it if I were forced into unpleasant actions. I will take care to earn her trust. I have plenty of time for such actions.”
Lenora felt doubtful of the Prince’s ability in such an area. He was very smooth and noble, but she wondered if Elisha would see through some of that guise. Lenora very much admired the Prince, but he had a very brutal streak under his smiles and polish. Lenora was frequently amazed how many people fell for his white teeth and blond hair. She thought Elisha smarter than that.
The Prince stood and walked to her window to look out. He stood there silently for several long minutes, and Lenora watched him, uncertain what to say. “Has Elisha been accepted at the school here?” the Prince asked, still not looking at her.
“Yes, my Prince.”
“I would like to fund her at the school. You can give her a bit more pocket money that way—perhaps I will provide that as well.”
“As you wish, my Prince,” Lenora said, surprised by the generous offer.
“Do not tell her it is me funding her. I want her to think there are more people willing to help her. She will be a member of my court when we leave this city, and I anticipate her being so for many years. I want her well prepared for that role.”
“I understand,” Lenora said simply. She was confused by the offer and wondered why he was willing to be so generous. The Prince was never generous for no reason—everything he did had a purpose. His excuse for the action was too simple. There was another reason, she was sure of it. Yet her mind could not determine what it could be.
Chapter 9
Elisha was very tired after going through her afternoon classes. They were getting easier, but it still did not come naturally. She had managed to keep up some mundane chat about trade with one of the other girls and discussed for nearly an hour the character flaws of a major fictional character in the last sensational novel. Lenora and her teachers had been pleased with her, but Elisha wished it were easier.
As soon as she opened her door she saw the new addition to her room. There were five dresses laying out on the bed. They were all different shades and each very vibrant. They were made of fine fabrics and she suspected that some were even made of silks and satins. She went over to examine them. The fabrics were smooth under her finger tips and cut in the most current of fashions. She had heard some of the girls talking about those very details earlier.
Elisha immediately thought there must have been some mistake with them being placed in her room. They were definitely meant to be a delivery for another girl. Lenora paid for her dresses, but hers were just barely acceptable to the others. They were never as fine as what was on her bed. Elisha turned to go find a servant and saw Lenora smiling at her in the doorway.
“How do you like your new dresses, Elisha?” Lenora inquired.
“They’re beautiful, Lenora, but I expected no such generosity. My ability to fix machines cannot be worth so much.”
“It might very well be, Elisha, but the dresses were not a gesture of my kindness. There is one outside the school who has decided to fund you here and cover some of your expenses. These dresses were at his arranging, and I did not know about them until their arrival earlier this afternoon.”
“Who is funding me?” Elisha asked surprised.
“I am not allowed to say. I have been sworn to secrecy. He wanted to see you in style, and in style you shall be.”
“You’re sure you can’t tell me who sent them?”
“Let me help you into one of these dresses for dinner,” Lenora said smiling, ignoring Elisha’s question.
Elisha found herself changed into a pale blue dress. It was beautiful to be sure and fit her perfectly. The satin felt smooth against her skin. “Something more should be done with your hair I think.” Lenora sat her down on a stool in front of the mirror. Elisha’s hair was quickly undone and brushed by Lenora’s skilled hands. Lenora was soon pulling her hair back in a much more complex and fashionable style. A few decorative clips were added to her hair before the process was done.
“There, what do you think?” Lenora asked her, smiling at Elisha’s reflection. Elisha could tell that Lenora was proud of her, and Elisha looked at her own reflection critically. It was a testament to how far she had come in the past few weeks that she barely recognized herself in the mirror. Her posture was that of a lady, and she managed the calm repose that Lenora tried so hard to get them to emulate. The dress and her hair finished the process, smoothing over any of her remaining rough edges.
“You are very skilled, Lenora,” Elisha told her and smiled at the lady hesitantly. “Thank you.”
“Now let’s get you down to dinner so you can show off to those other girls. You’ll be more in fashion now than some of the rest of them, I would say.”
Elisha followed Lenora down to the dining room. She passed her brother in the process. He looked equally startled by the transformation. “Where did you get the dress, Elisha?” Eldwin asked her in his surprise.
“It was a gift, from whom I don’t know. Lenora
won’t tell me,” Elisha had little time to tell him before she entered the dining room.
The other girls were already there, sitting at the table, chatting amongst themselves. As always, Lenora’s presence was instantly noted. Elisha’s presence was noted only a moment or two later. She silently took her spot at the table, and the other girls watched her.
“That’s a beautiful dress, Elisha,” Stefana told her with a smile. Stefana was the kindest of the girls and Lenora frequently had her sit near her because of that.
“Thank you,” Elisha said simply.
“The cut is perfect on you,” Hillina agreed. “I was just describing such a cut to Demisi earlier, isn’t that right?” Hillina looked at Demisi on the other side of the table. Unlike Stefana and Hillina, Demisi was not one of Elisha’s almost friends.
“It is, but it is out of place on a peasant,” Demisi sniffed. “She is soiling that dress just by wearing it. I would never want a dress cut in that fashion after she wore it.”
“How did the likes of you manage to afford it anyway?” Asinoa sneered at her. “Did you steal that just like your machine parts?”
Elisha stared at the plate in front of her and wished the fine dress a million miles away. She knew Asinoa didn’t like her, but under normal circumstances the wealthiest girl in the room paid her no heed, not even noting her presence. Elisha very much wished it was one of those days.
“Where did you get it?” Stefana asked her eagerly, ignoring Asinoa. “Which seamstress?”
“I don’t know,” Elisha confessed softly. “They were a gift.”
“From whom?” Hillina asked, her eyes brightening.
“That I also don’t know,” Elisha said and was thankful when the salads were placed before them so the others might be distracted by food. She took a quick bite, taking care not to drop the salad dressing onto the fine dress. The others started doing the same.
