Corinne shivered as she looked up towards the window of the stable. The sun was slowly starting to rise in the horizon. She smiled, happy to know that soon its warming sunrays would soothe her ruffled spirits and sore muscles.

It might have been only dawn, but she had been at work for several hours now, cleaning and repairing around the stables, tending to the animals and reorganising the tools. Just like the previous fall. The servants of the count de Perignan were truly sloppy, and the man gave the young cavalier woman whole responsibility to make sure that none of it became known to neighbouring noblemen. Anything or absolutely everything to cover appearances.

She shook her head slightly, sending bits of hay tumbling from her hat and strands of damp black hair flying around her shoulders. A small smirk floated on her lips as she rested both her hands on the window sill, hearing somewhere a rooster salute the arrival of the sun. Yes. Anything for appearances.

A horse neighed and the woman turned around, hearing footfalls approaching. She replaced her felt hat on her head and picked a coarse brush, starting on the grooming of the many noble animals.

– Good morning, Mademoiselle, she said as the newcomer entered, her rich baritone voice reverberating in the air. I trust that you had a good sleep?

She smiled at nothing, her back turned towards the door, as she busied herself over the horse, who whinnied its satisfaction.

A small gasp sounded from the doorway as a young woman entered and approached. Her blue eyes sparkled as she watched Corinne brushing down the animal then began to search around for another brush.

– Good morning, Rosee murmured, stifling a yawn. She scooped a brush up from where it had been carelessly tossed upon the floor by a servant the day before and had yet to be noticed.

Corinne turned and flashed an encouraging smile towards her. It had become a habit for the younger girl to join her in her morning duties, habit which had been frowned upon then dismissed by the comte.

Corinne didn’t mind. She appreciated her company and quick wit, and she was happy to find in Rosee a worthy sparring partner, activity which she looked forward to immensely every day.

Rosee moved over to a horse in the next stall, a broad black horse of indeterminable breed, and began to groom it carefully.

– Corinne, will we be able to practice today? she asked hopefully, standing on the tips of her toes to peer at the other woman over the horse’s back.

– Today, tomorrow, always, said Corinne lightly, finishing to brush the red and black animal which she had been grooming and moving forward to help Rosee on hers.

The horse suddenly whinnied loudly and a snigger broke through the quiet conversation. Rosee paled and peered around the animal to see a young boy leaning against the wall further down in the stable.

– You should be taking lessons Rosee, the little boy sneered.
– Father is not going to like this.

– Gaston please! Father does not need to know about my coming out here to take a break from those useless lessons!

Corinne looked over the horse’s back at the sniggering little boy, who’s face scrounged in a pout, noticing his sister’s interlocutor.

– Fancy you should be talking of lessons, young master, she said with her deep voice and a coy smile.
– Shall I tell Monsieur le comte about the apple tree incident of yesterday?

– Go ahead and tell him, he challenged spitefully.
– He will never listen to you. But I’m going to tell him about her and she will get in so much trouble!

He spat at Rosee’s feet and ran out of the stable towards the house. Rosee bit at her lip and looked conflicted and fearful, unsure whether to follow him or remain.

Corinne frowned, continuing to brush her side of the horse for a moment, before setting the instrument on the bench and turning around the animal to join Rosee.

– I’ll speak to the comte, she said quietly, pressing the girl’s shoulder.
– Once we finish grooming the horses, we can go in the fields and practice on our sword fight. What do you say?

She winked, lightly poking Rosee’s nose with a gloved finger.

Her nose twitched and she let out a small giggle.

– I think that sounds wonderful, she said with a sweet relieved smile.

She worked faster at brushing the horse now that she had something to look forward to rather than the dull teachers which she was hiding from.

– Speaking of which, added Corinne as she resumed grooming.
– Which so horrible and boring lesson did you skip?

A small chuckle rumbled in her throat.

– Embroidery, she snarled with a pout.
– How I hate it! It is too quiet, too slow for me.

Her side done, she moved on to the next horse with a sigh.

– How I wish I could leave here… But with Father making sure I am watched and that little monster making my life miserable, I may quite possibly lose my mind before I ever get the chance to escape.

– I know how you feel, sighed Corinne, walking around Rosee to get to the other horse behind her and starting on him.
– I cannot tell you not to flee, since I did just that, but a life like that is very burdening. I am quite lucky I got to meet you and your family. I have known mean and dark people, and lived experiences which I would rather forget.

She bit at her lower lip and played with the bristles of the brush with the tip of her fingers.

– If you considered being a prisoner of this house lucky then where you came from must have been rather horrible, Rosee said sadly.

She came over to stand beside her and after a brief moment, wrapped her arms about Corinne in a hug.

The older woman tensed up, shocked into a motionless stupor for a moment, then relaxed as she squeezed Rosee back, tapping gently on her shoulders.

They worked fast and efficiently, and finally all the horses were groomed and busy enjoying their oats and straw, each in a clean and fresh stall.

– Well then, Corinne said cheerfully.
– Lets get out in the fields for some well deserved practice!

Rosee hopped on the balls of her feet and grabbing the older woman’s hand, pulled her outside, laughing with happy excitement.

Corinne grabbed at two swords hanging from a nail in the wood as she went out, chuckling at the younger’s enthusiasm.

They walked side by side until they reached the fields, which had been harvested and lay bare for the coming of the cold season.

– What would you like to learn about today? asked Corinne, pulling the blunt blade out of the old batty leather sheathe, and handing it to Rosee, before pulling the other old weapon out for herself.

She paused in thought, tapping against her foot with the flat side of the blade, looking up to the slowly drifting clouds as if they held the answer.

– Perhaps… some more defence manoeuvres? I think I still need to work on those.

– Fair enough, Corinne nodded, smiling.
– You are a little what we could call “trigger crazy”, after all. Being bold is a good thing, but being too carefree is not. Here, I will show you a few basic moves of defence, and then you will try to block some of my attacks.

– Alright.

She settled her feet into an appropriate stance, gripping the blade’s hilt tightly. As Corinne watched her in wait for her first attack, she lunged but her foot struck a small pocket in the dirt and she dropped. She growled in frustration and stood again only to swing the sword in a wide strike to Corinne’s right side.

– There are many ways of parrying attacks. The most common is to change the line and deviate your opponent’s sword like so, she said, demonstrating as she deviated Rosee’s sword out of the path of her side and blocking it at the base of her hilt.
– They are rather more difficult with a fleche attack, as one may not have enough time to deviate the blade without being touched. Try to attack me again.

Rosee hopped back lightly, stumbling a bit on the landing, and nodded with a frown. She shifted from side to side on her feet as she thought and suddenly leapt forward with a lunge to her stomach.

– I forgot to tell you that the easiest way to parry a fl?e attack…

Corinne withdrew slightly to the side a mere few seconds before the blade could touch her.

– … Is to avoid it altogether.

She reached out and grabbed Rosee’s shoulders to prevent her from falling.

She pouted but nodded anyway.

– Very well. Is it alright if I try now?

– By all means, smiled Corinne.
She took stance a few steps away from the younger woman and thought for a moment. She rose her sword and attacked, much the same way that Rosee had done earlier.

Rosee attempted to copy what the older woman had shown her earlier but she found her sword in the wrong line to perform the defensive move and her feet tangling about themselves. She dropped to the ground at Corinne’s feet, face flushing shamefully as she pushed herself up to rest on her knees.

– Are you all right?
She checked her over to be sure that she had not injured herself. Once her inspection satisfied her, she thought for a moment, then picked Rosee’s sword from the ground.
– Here, I will show you another way.
She went behind Rosee and engulfed her in her arms, so that the younger woman held the sword with her. She gently guided her in the parade, correcting her posture and her technique at the same time.

– So that is how it is supposed to be! She said with a surprised laugh as the pair went through the movements together.

– Yes, answered Corinne, somewhat distractedly.
She smiled as Rosee’s loose strands of hair flew in her face with their every move, and she half closed her eyes, breathing in the flowery scent that was a mix of spring and rain from the wavy honey coloured locks.
She bit down on her lower lip with a frown. What was she thinking?
She pulled away from Rosee.
– Shall we try again?

Rosee pouted, having enjoyed the assisted demonstration Corinne had given her, but nodded regardless. She was about to return to her stance when a sharp, cruel voice split the air. Her face turned the colour of snow and she spun to face the man that approached at a strict march.

– No more of that you disobedient wretch! He snatched the sword from her hand and grabbed her forearm wthin his tight grip.

Corinne fell back a step, surprised at the sudden appearance of the comte. She bit her lips, angry at herself for letting her guard down and not noticing his approach until too late.
– Good morning, Monsieur le count, she said energetically, mimicking his manner of carrying himself a little, and pushing her hand in the grip he held on his daughter’s arm to pull it away and shake it.
– I trust you had a pleasant night?

Rosee immediately tucked herself behind Corinne as soon as she had been let free, rubbing at the new bruises that had formed under the comte’s strong fingers.

– It would have been a better night had I not woken up to news from my son about his sister’s disrespect in not showing up for her lessons, he glared viciously at the girl hiding behind the woman, a painful promise in his eyes.

Gritting her teeth, Corinne pulled a deep breath through her nostrils to help her keep calm and collected. She carefully placed herself between the two.
– Lessons, you say? Oh… I am terribly confused, she said with an admirably played shocked contrition.
– I am afraid I am at fault. I asked Mademoiselle for her help and was not aware that she had other things to attend to.

– Well I am afraid that it is now time for her to return to the house for her lessons. Come along brat.

He stepped around the woman, giving her shoulder a slight push, and grabbed Rosee by the upper arm and pulling her along with him. Rosee looked back at Corinne with a panicked look, causing her to trip and stumble. She dropped once and only half way as he kept wrenching her back on her feet.
– On your feet you graceless idiot! I do not have time to teach you how to walk again!

Corinne growled silently. Quickly gathering the two abandoned old swords, she ran to catch up with father and daughter.
– Monsieur le count, please allow me to repair my mistake by accompanying Mademoiselle to her lessons and seeing that she takes them personally. I am certain an important man such as yourself has other more important matters to attend to.
She swallowed back a mouthful of bitter feeling at her own words and forced a pleasant expression on her face.

– That I do. But this mistake of a daughter needs constant supervision, not endless distraction!
– Father, I could concentrate more if you were to let her…
– Are you contradicting me?! He snarled angrily.

He pulled his left hand back as she struggled to rip her arm away to flee.

Before it could fall down again on Rosee, Corinne had an iron grip on his wrist and was holding it firmly in the air.
– I insist, Monsieur, she said between clenched teeth.

He tossed Rosee to the ground and used his now free hand to pry off Corinne’s fingers. He gave her a vile glare and his hand suddenly met with her cheek with a loud crack.

– Fine. You may escort her to her lessons. But I do not want to see her deviate from them again!

He gave the young woman on the ground a nasty look to further enhance the warning and left, his head held high and whistling.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Rosee leapt to her feet and hurried over to Corinne, her features a mask of fretful worry. She reached up to gently run her fingers along her cheek where it was turning a bright red from the force of the blow.

– I am so sorry! Are you alright?

Corinne felt as though her cheek had just been introduced to a brick wall. Once he left, she flinched freely, pressing her hand over the one Ros?had pressed on her slightly bruised face.
– Well… That went rather well, she said, chuckling, though it sounded a little forced.
– I will survive. I have seen worse, believe me.
She felt her other cheek heating up unexpectedly at the soothing contact, and preferred to break it, using for her excuse the attention she gave the bruises on Rosee’s arm.
– He is by no means any gentleman…

– I am used to his behaviour by now, she muttered softly. Even if it does still frighten me. We had best head inside before he considers returning.

She walked ahead of the older woman, her head bowed and hands held folded in front of her.

Corinne watched her as she sadly crept up the stairs that led to the studies, and she tightened her hands in fists, trembling with barely controlled rage toward the Count. After a moment, she climbed the stairs to join Rosee and try to at least cheer her up somewhat.
After she had seen her in the study room, she continued on her way to the high tower, which had served of an attic, and was now her lodgings. It held close to no protection against heat or frost, but at least she was free to do as she pleased there. She walked to a small shaggy table and poured water in a basin next to it, undressing and washing herself thoroughly, before changing into clean clothes. She gathered the dirty ones in a straw basket and climbed down the tower to head towards the river and wash them.

Rosee breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the room, in her hand a rather mangled cloth square spotted with tiny dots of blood from all the pricking of the needle. As she began to descend the stairs, a voice called out to her.
– There you are, dearest!
The voice was sickeningly sweet and loud. Rosee cringed then mastered her expression into one of some respect.
– Hello Mother.
A woman of a respectable age descended the steps, her dress a mass of frills and lace yet decent. Dark eyes surrounded by dark hair peered down at her from the tops of the staircase haughtily and critically.
– Your father is holding a dinner tonight to introduce your suitor to his friends. You are to make an appearance and it will be as a young lady and I shall help you prepare.

Rosee flinched visibly and pursed her lips in disgust. The woman laughed, holding a hand to her chest as if to hold her breath there.
– Now now, my precious child, do not be like that! You will look absolutely beautiful for your gentleman and it will be such fun to see all of your father’s friends again. Come along with me, my dear, so that we can start getting you ready.
She held out her hand for Rosee to take. Once she had mounted the steps, she led her away into a heavily perfumed boudoir.
Corinne reached up the stairs, holding her basket in her left arm and a black humid overcoat in her right. She flinched as she walked next to a door, from which heavy perfume spilled even though it was closed. She turned the knob of the door leading to the stairs of the tower, balancing her basket on her knee.

The door from which the perfume poured opened and spread its overabundant scent through the remainder of the hall that had yet to be soaked in it

– Ah Monsieur! What a pleasant surprise! The woman bounded out and stopped alongside Corinne at the hall’s end by the door. She smiled a rather strange smile at her and pressed a hand to her arm. Corinne flinched, repressed a gag at the sudden overflow of perfume that assaulted her, and composed her face into an amiable smile.
– Good morning, Madame la countess, she said warily, her voice reverberating in her rich undertone with just thinly veiled annoyance.

– You are in for such a treat this evening. My lovely gorgeous daughter, here she sighed and held her other hand to her chest, fluttering it dramatically against her pink skin.
– You will be unable to take your eyes from her all evening. She is not as lovely as myself of course but still very pretty.

– I look forward to that…
Corinne’s voice died in her throat as she saw Rosee standing at the door. The overcoat dropped to the floor, soon followed by the basket.
– … immensely, she finished. Mademoiselle…
Corinne walked to Rosee and smiled at her, taking her hand and brushing her knuckles with her lips.
– May I say that you look absolutely gorgeous.
She felt a flutter at her heart and she smiled warmly.

Rosee blushed, looking down at her feet which were now slightly squashed into a pair of borrowed pale blue slippers.
– Thank you Monsieur, she muttered, playing with a curl of hair.

The woman pouted childishly at the touching scene before her and crossed her arms. Her expression turned to a vile sneer and she pushed Rosee back into the room.

– Back in you go precious. There is much more work to be done! You cannot go to dinner with your hair in such a mess and I believe this dress I have you in does not suit you at all. We must change it.

– I think it suits her very well, said Corinne, seeing the look of utter desperation in the eyes of Rosee. The colour is as becoming for her as it would be for your fair skin, Madame, no doubt.

The woman’s eyes sparkled as she gave her wink and squeezed Corinne’s arm, the smile upon her face causing her to have the appearance of some sort of seductive viper. The lashes over the dark eyes flicked rapidly as she batted her eyes in a flirty manner and she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear to reveal the skin beneath it.

– Why thank you Monsieur, she giggled.

Corinne winced when she felt the long nails of the countess dig in the flesh of her arm, but she forced a courteous nod.
– Please forgive my rudeness, Madame, she said, gently pulling her arm out of the comtesse’s grasp. I must return to my quarters to prepare for this evening.

– Oh that’s too bad. Very well Monsieur, we shall hope to see you later. Come Rosee, I must fix that mess on your head. Honestly child, you would think that you had never learned how to use a brush. And I still think that the dress should be changed…. Perhaps something in blue or green….

The door closed with a sharp snap as the comtesse dragged Rosee back inside, the young girl sending Corinne a desperate, saddened look.

Corinne shook her head and gathered the dropped articles before going up to the tower.
Corinne came down just as the first rumble of hooves could be heard on the hard stone of the road leading to the castle.