This Kind of Life

Reginald heard the gong for dismissal and laid down his quill. The school wagons were lining up outside, and he could hear the students hurrying through the halls.

He looked at the sheaf of papers on his desk and sighed. No matter where he went, there was always paperwork to do.

He left his office and went down to the main entrance. The students were flooding out of the building, chattering loudly. Reginald pulled out his watch and examined it. She should be there soon.

    *      *      *      *      *      *

Valerie closed her locker and put on her satchel. Linden caught up with her as she made her way down to the main entrance. “Why did you run away during lunch?” he asked, sidestepping some dwarf children.

Valerie shifted her satchel higher on her shoulder. “Is everyone here so direct?” she wondered aloud.

Linden laughed. “Not everyone. If you ask a Lammasu a question, it’ll be hours of rambling and you still won’t have your answer.”

“What’s a Lammasu?” Valerie asked.

Linden looked perplexed. “You don’t know? How do you not…”

Valerie saw her uncle waiting by the main entrance. “See you tomorrow, Linden,” she called over her shoulder, disappearing into the crush of students.

She approached her uncle hesitantly. He straightened up and snapped his watch closed. “Are you ready, Valerie?”

She sighed. “Yes, Uncle Reginald.”

*      *      *      *      *      *

Reginald wiped his mouth and placed his napkin on the table. He looked at Valerie's still full plate and sighed. “Valerie, please come eat. You’ll feel better once your stomach is full.”

Valerie barely looked up from her history book. “I’m not hungry.”

Reginald picked up her plate and brought it over to the window seat where she was curled up. “I taught the cook how to make fried chicken. I know that it’s not like the chicken you’re used to, but it’s still good. You should eat it while it’s still hot.”

Valerie looked at her uncle, then at the plate. She grudgingly closed her book and took the plate from him.

“Good girl. You’re going to like it here, Valerie. This is a wonderful world filled with magic and adventure. You’ll fit right in.”

Valerie took a big bite of chicken, savoring the greasy flavor. She closed her eyes and licked her lips appreciatively.  

Reginald handed her a fork and returned to his seat at the table. “Have you met anyone interesting today?” he asked.

Valerie took another bite. “I met Linden Coeden in Species Studies. He’s a He-Dryad, whatever that means. And I met Gorn in study hall. His dad’s the head of the Ent Council, which sounds important.”

Reginald nodded. “It is. The Ent Council is one of the most ancient forms of government in history. They are highly respected.”

Valerie swallowed and took a long drink of water. “What about He-Dryads? I keep hearing about how rare they are. Why is that?”

Reginald felt a twinge of sadness. “A few centuries ago, many of the He-Dryad trees were destroyed during the Giant Wars. When they died, so did their Dryad partners. Since Dryads don’t procreate as often as other species, it’s taking a very long time for them to recover. Linden represents the hope of his kind.”

Valerie wiped her mouth thoughtfully. “Does Linden have a dad?”

Reginald nodded. “Of course. His father was one of the ones killed during the wars. Linden would have been a baby.”

Valerie paused. “You said that the Giant Wars happened a few centuries ago.”

“That’s right. Linden’s only...oh, three hundred years old, give or take.”

“Only three hundred years old?!” Valerie said incredulously. “He doesn’t look any older than me!”

“By their standards, he isn’t. Dryads are virtually immortal, unless someone kills them. And very few people are willing to harm a Dryad.”

Valerie thought about this. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this kind of life.”

Reginald smiled. “You are your father’s daughter. You’ll adapt quickly.”

Valerie's heart sank as she thought of her father. She swallowed her food with difficulty and looked out the window. The night sky shone brilliantly with stars. If it wasn’t for the additional moons, Valerie could have pretended that she was home.

She lay there for a while, thinking about her first day at the academy.  She was grateful to have made some friends. She wondered what Kelly, her best friend, would have thought about a He-Dryad and an Enting.  Kelly had such high spirits. She would have jumped at the chance to live here.

Valerie picked up her history book and got up, taking her blanket with her. She padded down the hallway to her bedroom, the floorboards creaking underneath her feet.

Her room was beautiful, with pink walls and a white four poster bed.  White curtains were drawn over the windows, and the oak floors were smooth and strong. There was a picture of this room in Valerie's favorite storybook, and when her uncle had discovered this, he had designed her room to be identical, making literally something out of a fairy tale.

She got ready for bed, ignoring the nightgowns in her closet and putting on her favorite pajamas, a gray tee shirt and blue plaid Titans pants. She brushed her teeth and cozied down under the luxurious quilt, watching her candle burn for a while before it guttered and left her in darkness.

*      *      *      *      *      *

As the weeks progressed, Valerie began to settle into a routine. She learned that she was in Tylwyth, a vast collection of provinces and districts filled with all kinds of incredible creatures, most of whom she had never heard of before. She asked her uncle where it was on a map, but he just smiled and shook his head.  

After she had been in Tylwyth for a month she decided to confide in Linden and Gorn about her past, if only to stop their questions. She went to school that day with a determination that faltered as soon as she saw her friends in the atrium.

“Valerie!” Linden called loudly. Gorn waved, his long arm creaking loudly. Valerie sighed and went over, allowing Linden to hug her. “What’s the matter?” he asked concernedly, searching her face. “You look like you’ve hardly slept.”

Valerie pulled her books closer to her chest. “I have something that I need to tell you,” she said quietly. “Let’s go to the fountain.”

Out by the conservatory was a graceful marble fountain that splashed pleasantly in the morning light. The three of them sat down on the edge, the spray cool on their necks.

“You’ve been asking me where I come from, and I wasn’t ready to tell you until now,” Valerie began. “But I need you both to promise that you won’t tell anyone.”

Linden and Gorn exchanged a glance, then nodded.  

Valerie firmed her jaw and took a deep breath. “I’m not from Tylwyth.  I’m from America. From Maine, actually. My sister and I lived with our dad in a little town by the sea. My sister left when she turned eighteen to move to New York, so it was just me and my dad. Then one day,” she paused, that familiar lump in her throat cutting off her voice. Her friends waited, too surprised for words.

“One day,” she continued, “I came home from school and found my dad on the bathroom floor. He took too much medicine…” a tear leaked from her eye and she bent her head, ashamed. “After that, Uncle Reginald came and took me away to live with him here. He’s all the family I’ve got now.”

They sat in silence, the gurgling of the fountain drowning out Valerie's soft sobs. Then as though awakened from a dream, Gorn brought one rough arm around her and gently pulled her into a hug. Valerie had never been hugged by a tree before and found it oddly soothing. Linden knelt down in front of her and placed a slender hand on her knee. “We’re so sorry, Valerie,” he said softly, his voice breaking a little.  

Valerie looked at him and gave him a teary smile. “It’s okay,” she said, sniffling. She sat up and began wiping her face with her sleeve. “That must sound crazy.”

“The only thing crazier than you is that frizzy mess you call hair.”

The all looked up at that. Ealis Borae was standing there, twirling one perfect golden curl around her dainty finger. “What’s the matter? Were they all out of beds at the beggar home?”

Ealis’ friends tittered and Linden stood slowly, his eyes narrowed. “This is none of your business, Ealis.”

Ealis frowned. “That’s Princess Ealis to you, freak. Why don’t you and your little tree friend run along so the girls can talk?”

Gorn stood, keeping a protective hand on Valerie. He towered over the girls, forcing them to crane their necks to look at him. “Leave, or we’ll be reporting you to the headmaster.”

Ealis and her friends laughed. “Ooh, I’m so scared of the headmaster!  What if he sends a note home to my father, King Albert?” she said, clasping her hands dramatically.

Valerie stepped forward. “I don’t care who you are or who your father is,” she said hotly. “You’re a bully and the most prejudiced person I’ve ever met. Leave us alone.”

“Or what?” Ealis taunted. “You’ll report me?”

Valerie punched her soundly in the face. Ealis went sprawling into the dirt, blood oozing from her nose. “She hit me!” she howled, clutching her face. Her friends tried to help her, but she pushed them away.  

Valerie didn’t blink. “Where I come from, that’s how we handle bullies.  Think about that the next time you want to mess with us.”

Ealis clambered up, her blazer dusty and speckled with blood. “You’ll get expelled for this!” she hissed angrily. “I’ll make sure of it!”

Valerie picked up her books and walked away, Linden and Gorn following behind. Ealis’ howling continued, drawing the attention of other students. They reentered the building and Valerie sighed heavily, flexing her sore hand.

“You..you just…” Linden ran his hands through his hair, stupefied. Valerie ignored him, her heart still pounding.

“You just punched a princess,” Gorn stated matter-of-factly. They stopped by the lockers and Valerie turned to look at them. “She deserved it,” she said defiantly, looking at each of them in turn.

“Sure she did,” Gorn replied, “but this is going to have major consequences, for you and your uncle. Her father is one of the kings of Tylwyth. How do you think he’s going to feel about the headmaster’s neice breaking his daughter’s nose?”

Valerie rolled her eyes. “He’ll probably thank me for it. I can’t imagine being related to that terror.”

The gong sounded and students began rushing to class around them.  

“We’d better get to class,” Valerie said, and she turned away and left her friends standing there, shocked. A doubt niggled at her, but she shoved it away. That brat deserved it, she thought as she entered Species Studies, Linden right behind her. She could feel his disapproval and ignored it as they sat down.

Professor Octavian spiraled down from the ledge that served as his desk and landed, the class hushing immediately. The professor smiled congenially, tucking his wings in neatly. “Good morning all,” he rumbled, nodding to each side of the room.

The students chorused back a greeting politely.

“You’ll find your graded reports on pixie history on your desk. Most of you did very well and should be proud. But I did want to…”

Professor Octavian paused, looking over his spectacles intently. “Has anyone seen Miss Borae this morning? She isn’t in her seat.”

Valerie folded her hands carefully, disguising her bruised knuckles.

“No one?” the professor asked incredulously. He scanned the line of students until he settled on one. “Mr. Coeden.”

Valerie glanced over at Linden. He sat pencil-straight in his seat, his chin lifted confidently, though she could see him wringing his hands under his desk.

“Have you any knowledge of Ms. Borae’s whereabouts, Mr. Coeden?” Professor Octavian asked, looking directly into Linden’s eyes. Valerie saw a bead of sweat trickle down the back of Linden’s neck and disappear under his collar. He remained silent, and Valerie silently blessed him for not ratting her out. The professor opened his mouth to say something when the door was thrown open, making a dull boom above their heads.

“Yes?” the professor called out, still looking at Linden. There was a whoosh and Belladonna sprang off of the bannister and alighted with a somersault at the bottom of the stairs. Some of the students applauded and she gave a smart bow.

“May I help you, Miss...Belladonna?” Octavian asked, his tail twitching slightly. Belladonna tripped over to him and stood on her tiptoes to whisper into his large, scaly ear. After a moment, Octavian’s eyes shifted from Linden to Valerie and Valerie knew she had been found out.

“Miss Mason, it would seem that your presence is required in the headmaster’s office,” Octavian said, raising an eyebrow, or where one would be if dragons had eyebrows. Valerie gathered her things and followed Belladonna out, squeezing Linden’s shoulder gratefully as she passed him.

Out in the hallway it was deadly quiet, save for a few gnomes stumping about purposefully. Valerie found herself fascinated with Belladonna’s appearance. Her hair was purple and spiky, and her clothes featured a lot of studded leather and metal decoration. She reminded Valerie of some of the girls back in Maine who rode motorcycles and listened to heavy metal, but Belladonna seemed much happier than those girls. Comes from being a fairy, I guess.

Belladonna glanced back at her and smiled. “So, you really let that princess have it, didn’t you?” she said conversationally, falling in step with Valerie.

“Someone needed to,” Valerie said before she could stop herself.  

Belladonna snorted. “If you ask me, all of the royal kiddies could stand to be taken down a notch or two. You did all of us a big favor, really.”

They came to the big oaken door that had Headmaster engraved on it in gold letters.  

“Let’s hope Uncle Reginald sees it that way,” Valerie said nervously.  Belladonna gave her a curious look as she knocked on the door, but before she could respond the door opened and Valerie stepped into the room.

It was surprisingly cozy for a headmaster’s office, with plush crimson chairs and a thick brown rug on the floor. Her uncle sat behind a large mahogany desk, looking exhausted. Ealis was sitting in one of the chairs by the desk, and she turned around to give Valerie a withering look. Her nose had been heavily bandaged and her eyes were puffy from crying.  An old man in blue robes was standing in front of the desk, shaking his finger at Reginald. “...kind of children are you exposing Her Highness to?!” he shouted angrily. “This is supposed to be a modern, forward-thinking school, not a place for rabble to congregate and rough up whomever they choose!”

The man noticed Valerie and grabbed her by the arm. “This girl,” he said, dragging her across the carpet, “is a menace to the other students, and on behalf of King Albert I demand her immediate expulsion!”

“Release her immediately!” Reginald boomed, standing up quickly.  Belladonna tugged Valerie out of the old man’s grasp and Valerie rubbed her arm gingerly. The old man looked up at Reginald and held his hands up placatingly.

“The purpose of this school is to teach children of all species and backgrounds to learn to live together harmoniously,” Reginald stated heavily. “The Council of Kings, including King Albert, agreed that this was a necessary modernization that would preserve the peace and unite the provinces in new ways. While I regret the events of today,” he said, giving Valerie a sharp look, “I do not intend to expel Miss Mason.”

Valerie felt a surprising sense of relief. Ealis gave her a scathing look, but said nothing.

“However,” her uncle continued, “Miss Mason will be spending the next two weeks in detention.”

“What?!” Valerie burst out indignantly. Reginald silenced her with another piercing look and she folded her arms angrily. Belladonna rubbed her shoulder sympathetically.

“Is this satisfactory?” Reginald asked. The old man nodded reluctantly.

“Good. Please extend my apologies to King Albert and assure him that it won’t happen again.”

The old man led Ealis out, bowing as he opened the door for her. Valerie rolled her eyes and sighed loudly once the door was shut.

Reginald stood there silently, rubbing the back of his neck. Valerie folded her arms and sighed again. “I’d do it again,” she stated defiantly.

“Just tell me what happened,” Reginald said tiredly.

“You didn’t bother to ask me before handing out detention!” Valerie said indignantly.

“You were getting detention for fighting regardless of your reasons. As…” Reginald paused, glancing at Belladonna in the corner. “Thank you, Bell.”

Belladonna sighed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

“As your uncle, I want to know why you were fighting because I care about you,” Reginald said gently.

Valerie looked away, tears pricking her eyes. She brushed them away angrily, staring out the window. “She was being a bully,” she said quietly. “She attacked Linden on our first day, then she made fun of me by the fountain.”

Reginald removed his glasses and began cleaning them with a handkerchief. “And you were defending yourself?”

Valerie shrugged, squinting against the intense sunshine.

“I know you’ve been through a lot with your father’s death, and you miss your sister,” Reginald said softly, putting his glasses back on. “But this isn’t like you, Valerie.”

Valerie felt a tear roll down her cheek in spite of her best efforts. “None of this is like me, Uncle Reginald,” she said bitterly. She turned to face him, the sunlight warm on her back. “I’m supposed to be in Maine, learning geometry and English and going sailing with my friends after school. I should be eating pizza at Caretti’s and going to the movies and deciding which boy I like, not dealing with princesses and dragon professors and dwarf lunch ladies!”

The tears were flowing freely now, and Valerie bowed her head, overcome by emotion. Reginald made to hug her, but she stepped back and he settled for offering her his handkerchief. She took it and dried her eyes roughly, forcing herself to calm down.

“I know this isn’t what you imagined,” Reginald said, leaning heavily on his desk. “But I’m responsible for you now that your father is...gone.” He sighed and looked at the carpet before continuing. “I’ll make you a deal. Try to make this work until you’re eighteen. If you still want to go back to Maine after that, you have my full blessing.”

Valerie hiccupped, surprised. “You’d agree to that” she asked suspiciously.

“I would. It’s only eighteen months, Valerie. Do we have a deal?”

Valerie nodded and the bell rang sonorously, triggering the flow of students to their next class.

“Go on, no sense in missing any more class time,” Reginald said, prodding her to the door gently. Valerie took a shuddering breath and opened the door, slipping into the current of students seamlessly.