Erudition

In the Kingdom of Gattis in the year 713...

Madeline Tintern felt, at present, an unusual range of strong emotions as she dashed away the tears welling up in her eyes, blurring her vision. She was perplexed by the mixture of fear and sadness over her present situation. She tried to think, but was unsure of exactly how much time had already passed since her arrival at Thall Castle; a few weeks, perhaps, but no more than a month. Her surroundings were elegant and comfortable. Her expectations, so far, were few.

Madeline never knew what it was like to have parents and a room to herself. She lived her entire life in the large institution known as Herridge House. Herridge House was a lovely place. It was often chaotic and noisy at times, but life within the walls of the orphanage revolved around routine and tradition. Girls were expected to attend their schooling and perform various household chores with the expectation of attracting a suitable master or mistress, for marriage or household servitude. Rare was the occasion that a girl found neither. If that was the case, she'd have to fend for herself in whichever way she could.

When her 18th birthday came, Madeline moved to the dormitory reserved for the older girls on the third floor. There, she shared space with nine other girls who had reached the eligible age for courtship and marriage. And though less than a month had passed since her birthday, Madeline and a few of her fellow inmates (she thought of them as sisters) had already begun the rituals and rites of courtship.

The girl gazed through the glass of a narrow arched window. The serene beauty of the garden and rolling countryside stretched towards the tree line of a dense, dark forest. Madeline contemplated the impenetrable barrier of surrounding vegetation. There could be anything in that forest beyond the garden. The sight was lovely, baffling and a little frightening. It reminded her of her last days at Herridge House, before she came here.

The matron, Miss Heister, sent for Madeline shortly after the evening meal. A housemaid named Endla showed the girl to the matron's sitting room. The room's main purpose was to receive distinguished visitors and parties interested in procuring one, or more, of the girls for whatever suited their needs and wishes. The furnishings within were sensible and plain; the kind of furnishings you'd expect to see in a middling merchant or farmer's house. Miss Heister sat behind a large writing table. Madeline gazed absently while the older woman situated her trailing skirts. "You may take your seat there in front of me." Miss Heister nodded at the lone chair across from her.

Madeline sat and watched while the matron wrote something down in the ledger opened in front of her. A few awkward moments passed and she was finished. Miss Heister closed the book and looked up at her charge. "Madeline Tintern...I trust you recall the events of last week."

"Yes, Miss Heister, I think I do." Madeline said.

Of course she remembered; how could she forget? An afternoon gathering with light refreshments brought Madeline and her companions to entertain the visitors who arrived to meet the girls and decide which ones to take into service and which to take as a wife or lover. The two oldest, Rion and Dioste, were already familiar with this custom. At the age of 19, both girls flaunted considerable beauty and grace. The Duke of Normot was taken instantly with Rion, and Dioste left that evening with his lordship, Count Winblad, who lived in the kingdom of Mays.

"Two days ago, a letter arrived from Thall Castle in Gattis. It was delivered by page with a...very generous gift of gold Trimaar. Enough to sustain Herridge House for a year or more."

Madeline's lips tightened and stretched in a wan smile. "Oh...I guess I'll be going away soon."

"You've guessed correctly." The matron said. "Her ladyship, Maximilla Mardykes, has taken quite a liking to you."

"But we hardly spoke!"

Lady Mardykes...she was an odd bird. She was the only woman among the small cohort of nobles who came to visit that day. Madeline busied herself pouring glasses of sack wine for the guests while the haunting notes of Rion's lyre played on. She heard Miss Heister exchanging witticisms with the dashingly handsome young Captain Bradt. When she turned her head, she thought she felt a pair of eyes staring intently at her from across the room. She was right.

Her ladyship stood tall and very slim. She was old, but not ancient. Madeline guessed the woman was in her late 40's or early 50's. Perhaps she'd come to choose for herself a new lady's maid or housekeeper. The woman's hair, cropped very short, undulated in deep waves the color of light sand. In rushlight, the waves were almost ginger. Ice blue eyes, pale as her skin, pierced through the ovals of wire rimmed glasses. Lady Mardykes looked unusual indeed. She looked positively striking, but that was not the least of it.

The unusual looking woman's features were hard and masculine. She was neither pretty nor feminine, though it was fairly obvious she'd never pass for a man. But Lady Mardykes dressed like one. She wore an elegant doublet, breeches, and hose ensemble with a great, trailing frock coat. Richly embroidered shoes boasted broad ribbon bows of fine silk. Madeline stared at her ladyship for a moment or two, fascinated, but at the same time, put off, by the noblewoman's appearance. She poured another glass of sack and made eye contact with Captain Bradt. Madeline guessed the Captain was not much older than she, maybe a year or two, but no older than 20. He was tall and had a winsome smile that made the other girls giggle and blush.

"A little refreshment, sir?" Madeline grinned and offered the handsome young man the glass she just poured.

"Thank you, dear lady, yes." The Captain drank. "Your Miss Heister is a very gracious hostess. Generous! The last place I visited--"

"Ah, Captain, there you are!" Miss Heister appeared seemingly from nowhere. "I'd like you to meet our little Galene. She came of age just the other day, and this is her first party. I think she'd be a perfect match for you both..." The matron took the man's arm, intending to lead him away, when the glass fell from his hand and broke in a splash of wine and shards. "Never mind that, Captain, do come along!"

The two of them were already gone. Madeline stooped to pick up the broken glass. "Such a terrible mess! Let me help you with that, my dear."

The beautiful blond looked up and stared dumbfounded at the face of the mannish woman with short hair and glasses. Her fair skin was, indeed, as pale as her eyes. A network of fine lines etched into the flesh crinkled around them as the woman's lips stretched to flash a smile. She produced a handkerchief and collected some of the glass before Madeline stopped her. "Thank you kindly, madam, but it isn't necessary--"

"Lady Mardykes; Maximilla. But my close friends call me Max." She produced another handkerchief, holding it out to Madeline. "And your name is?"

"Madeline Tintern."

"Beautiful name for such a beautiful girl. I saw you talking with Captain Bradt, and I wondered if--"

"I beg your pardon, m'lady, but I must clean this up right away." Madeline was uncomfortable in the older woman's presence. Her face flushed with heat. "Perhaps..." Her voice trailed off. She knew perfectly well that no girl who'd come of age could refuse the attentions of an interested noble. Still, the damage was already done.

"Perhaps we can continue our conversation a little later," Lady Mardykes said. "When things aren't so messy." Her ladyship put out her hand, touching the girl's fingers briefly before excusing herself. Madeline hadn't realized Miss Heister had been watching their exchange nearby. The matron swiftly approached just as the girl finished mopping up the spilled wine and disposed of the broken glass.

"Lady Mardykes seems to have left you in a hurry." Miss Heister observed. "And you've broken a glass!"

Madeline managed a swift glance when she unintentionally locked eyes with the matron. Her cheeks flooded with fresh heat and she stared at the floor, ashamed. Miss Heister stood at average size for a woman her age, but to Madeline, she seemed at least a foot or so taller. "I--I'm sorry, Miss Heister." Madeline said. "I was talking with Captain Bradt when you came, and...the glass slipped from his hand."

"I see." The matron turned and looked across the room, as if searching for someone. She turned back and faced Madeline again, staring at the blond beauty for a few moments before walking away. "We shall discuss this later."

Later, Madeline supposed, was now. Her mind, back in the present, listened as Miss Heister spoke: "Tomorrow morning, a coach will arrive to collect and bring you to Thall Castle in Gattis. The journey is a long one, roughly two or three days, but her ladyship has informed me that your safety and comfort will be looked after. She doesn't say whether she will come for you in person or not." The matron then dismissed Madeline to bed.

The girl stood and went to the door. She was about to leave when Miss Heister stopped her. "I imagine you are disappointed with the news I've just delivered."

Madeline's eyelids fluttered and her lips stretched in a pained line across her beautiful face. She said nothing. "Captain Bradt is indeed a handsome young man. But he is not for you, and you are not for him. You never were. I've sensed for quite some time that there is something different about you, something you may not know yet. But you will in good time. Lady Mardykes will make sure of that. Now off to bed, young lady!"

*****

Back in the present, Madeline turned away from the window when she heard the call from her maid for supper. The dining room, like many others in Thall Castle, was a darkly sumptuous space. There was a grand fireplace and large arched windows. Servants stood sentry near a table with place settings for two. The pulsing, low light cast by a pair of ornamental lamps illuminated the table and cast strange shadows that seemed to take on a life of their own.

Madeline sat down and watched as, a few moments later, Lady Mardykes appeared and sat across from her. Heat flushed the girl's cheeks and, for a second, she averted her eyes. She was ashamed because she remembered the first few days after her arrival, unsure of what to make of her situation. Twice, Lady Mardykes made advances towards Madeline, and twice, the girl rebuffed her mistress. And although she never pushed, it was obvious that her ladyship's patience was beginning to wear thin.

Miss Heister's parting words haunted her. "Remember Lady Mardykes has sent a sizeable gift. Such gifts in the past have provided you, and others, a comfortable life at Herridge House. You are expected to return the favor in kind and delight her ladyship and serve her demands, whatever they may be. If you fail to satisfy her ladyship, you will be sent to a workhouse in Foldeshu. And I assure you that it is a very different place; one I'm sure you'll regret being sent to if it should come to that."

Lady Mardykes eschewed her usual mannish attire and Madeline did her best to avoid staring outright at her mistress. With head tilted slightly down, the beautiful blond glimpsed Lady Mardykes through half lidded gaze. The tall, slim middle-aged woman looked regal in a simple kirtle with richly ornamental high collar framing the masculine features of her thin face. The pulsing glow of fire and lamplight played against the pitching waves of her cropped hair. She acknowledged her young charge with a barely perceptible nod before uttering a command to an attending servant in a language Madeline could not understand.

Moments later, a manservant appeared. He served a course of broth followed by a rich meat and root vegetable stew which were eaten in almost total silence. Little conversation beyond a few questions with one word answers took place as their meal came to an end. The lack of conversation worried Madeline. She was almost certain she'd angered her ladyship by seeming distant since her arrival.

The male servant cleared away the chargers and returned with a strangely slender, crystalline carafe and two small glasses. A dish of crocoda was placed in front of Madeline. She stared at the strange looking fruit--a lovely sight that soon broke the wall of unsettling silence. Seedy, purplish flesh sliced into sections peeked from a shroud of thick cream sauce. "I do hope that you will enjoy the final course, dearest." Her ladyship said. "A small crocoda from the garden and a glass or two of Avocress."

Madeline swallowed hard. She watched as an amber colored liquid poured from the mouth of the carafe. "What is Avo...Avo..." Her voice trailed off as she struggled with the pronunciation.

Lady Mardykes responded with a laugh. "Ah-vah-cress. It is a favorite of the nobles, both here, and in your own kingdom. They sometimes call it 'water of love.'"

Madeline reached for her glass, hesitating for a moment, not knowing why. "Drink deeply, my dearest Madeline." Lady Mardykes urged as she brought her own glass to her lips.

Lady Mardykes stared at the blond beauty who, with a bewildered expression, took a reluctant sip. Her darkened gaze mesmerized; pulling Madeline into a glacial vortex that left her lips frozen against the rim of the glass as the liquid coursed down her throat. The effect was almost instantaneous. Without a second thought, Madeline took another drink, and at once she started coughing and sputtering. Her stomach tightened and a scorching heat grew and spread in her throat like blobs of molten metal. And now, the girl was overwhelmed by a strange buzzing sensation. It caused her skin to tingle and made her head swim. At first, it was frightening, having no control, but soon Madeline realized that the feeling was actually quite pleasant. Before she knew it, she'd finished the glass and the servant poured her another one.

Suddenly Madeline stood up and stumbled backwards, nearly falling to the ground when the chair tipped over. It seemed as though something suddenly burst inside her and she was reeling while the servant caught her in his arms. Her chest drew shaking, hitching breaths and everything around her seemed to tremble and vibrate. Her ladyship stood and uttered another command to the servant in that lilting, foreign tongue. Madeline thought she heard her say "Well, I'm off." She retreated away before everything went black.

*****

Madeline Tintern woke from her deep and dreamless sleep feeling, strangely enough, more peaceful and less anxious than before. Her eyelids fluttered and instinctively she rubbed at them as her vision acclimated to the dark. By the serene, pulsing glow of a nearby ornamental lamp, she was in a bedchamber; but not hers. The long slitted window showed the night sky through many small, jewel like panes of cut glass.

The girl realized she'd been asleep on a large bed with the blankets turned down. The resulting cold she felt told her, without looking, that she was completely naked. What's happening, Madeline wondered.I'm so cold! Why am I naked? Where am I? She sat up now, intending to get up and retrieve a nightgown she saw draped over the bench of a dressing table. But before her feet touched the floor, she abruptly stopped. There, she recognized the shadow shrouded silhouette of Lady Mardykes sitting on a kline against the wall by the fireplace, across from the bed. The middle aged woman sat there, silent and still, watching her surprised young charge.

She was dressed in a shapeless and modest high-collared robe called a Holler. Madeline remembered that Miss Heister wore, on occasion, a similar garment, though hers was fashioned appropriately for a woman of non-noble standing. Her ladyship remained still and sternly upright. The golden glow of fire and lamplight danced and reflected off the lenses of her wire rimmed glasses. Another silent moment passed, and the woman's hand raised to take them off. She produced a small case and placed the glasses safely within before setting them aside.

Face unobscured, the older woman exuded a stern, silent wisdom and confidence that Madeline never noticed before. By now, she'd grown used to seeing Lady Mardykes dressed in men's attire looking unwomanly and brash. But tonight things have been...different. As Madeline's eyes adjusted fully, she could see the lines etched into her ladyship's face and the eerie coolness of her lips as they slowly stretched to form a knowing smirk.

To say that Madeline was embarrassed would be an understatement. Waking up naked in the darkness of an unfamiliar room was shocking enough. But waking up under the watchful gaze of Lady Mardykes transcended mere embarrassment. The girl was absolutely mortified. She felt completely vulnerable and it made her more aware of her nakedness, her body, and her womanhood than ever before.

Like many of the girls who lived at Herridge House, Madeline Tintern was blessed with sublime natural beauty. But she never developed the full, fleshy breasts that attracted the Duke of Normot to Rion. She possessed a small frame with slender build to accommodate the twin little swells on her chest. Thankfully, light blond hair and sweetly delicate features more than made up for this perceived shortcoming.

Still ashamed by her nakedness, Madeline instinctively hugged herself while averting her gaze. "Uncross your arms and do not look away from me." Her ladyship's voice, though quiet, was deep and almost terse.

With some reluctance, the girl obeyed. "I've angered you, m'lady." She muttered. "I didn't mean to." Lady Mardykes issued no reply. "I've left the only home I've ever known to another kingdom, and..." The girl heaved a ragged sigh, struggling to find the words she wanted to say next.

"The matron, Miss Heister, had such high expectations of you." Her ladyship said. "She saw a quality in you that the others lacked. I saw it too, from the moment I first set eyes on you."

"I--I don't think I feel like myself, m'lady--"

"My given name is Maximilla. Call me Max."

Madeline ignored this and continued. "You've treated me very well and I should be grateful, but I haven't shown it. I'm sorry. Please don't send me to the workhouse--"

"I have no intentions of doing so." Her ladyship said. "Miss Heister advised me of your inexperience and...reluctance after our encounter." Madeline was taken aback by this remark. She wasn't quite sure what her ladyship meant by that. Was she pointing out some perceived horrible fault in her, or was it some kind of critique of Miss Heister's way of presenting the girls who lived at Herridge House? The girl's eyes narrowed a little while she stared into Lady Mardyke's eyes. The silence between them grew until her ladyship, recognizing Madeline's confusion, elaborated.

"When girls in your situation come of age, they are chosen for different paths. A respectable, though plain girl, might enter household service. Another may marry a merchant or tradesman and become a wife and learn a valuable skill. But a girl who is respectably brought up and possesses enviable beauty can attract the attention of a nobleman--or woman--and there are traditions and expectations that are very important and very different."

"I think I understand." Madeline said softly.

"I know you understand, but inexperience compels your reluctance. You could not help that. But I'm hopeful that things will change after tonight." Lady Mardykes stood up now. The rich fabric of her Holler fell in straight lines, gathering in a dark and crinkled pool on the floor. She looked very statuesque and superb. Her hands went to her collar, and moments later, the lovely garment parted.

She shrugged the Holler from her shoulders and it fell to the floor around her. She wore none of the usual undergarments. Madeline saw no stays or shift. With the exception of her shoes and hose, Lady Maximilla Mardykes was completely bare. Until this moment, the girl had never seen a woman as old as her ladyship in any state of undress let alone naked. She averted her eyes, trying to look instead, at the fire crackling in the grate. Its dancing golden glow illuminated the older woman's frame, casting an eerie long shadow. "Look up, Madeline, do not avert your eyes."