#21 A Day of Torture #1

Posted on Tue May 14th, 2024 @ 10:35pm by Piper Sanderson
Edited on on Wed May 15th, 2024 @ 11:13am

Mission: Aftermath
Location: The Palace

The Palace

“Tell me which fork is used for which part of the meal.” Reginald, the palace instructor, asked Piper. He looked at her as if he knew she would not be able to answer it.

Piper looked at the forks and spoke with determination. “The far left is the salad fork, then the fish, dinner, dessert and last is the oyster fork.” She stared at him and waited for his answer.

“That is correct.” Regional replied. “And the rest of the silverware?”

“There is a soup spoon and a teaspoon.” Piper continued. “Plus a dinner knife and a butter spreader.”

“You are improving.” Reginald stated. “Now what is the rule for sitting at the table?”

“We don’t sit down until the queen does.” Piper sighed. “I don’t understand why we have to wait? Does she really want us to just stand here? What if she doesn’t come right away?”

“You will stand until she comes.” Reginald said firmly. “We will practice that now. I am going to leave the room, stand just behind your chair until I arrive. I will pretend to be the queen for this exercise. He left the room while Piper moved to stand behind the chair. She stood for a long time. Piper was getting tired of standing there and waiting. She looked at the clock and it had been close to an hour. She was beginning to think he wasn’t coming back, maybe this was a punishment or something. When he came walking back in, he had an apple in his hand he was just finishing. He walked up and sat at the front of the table. She waited until he sat down and took a seat.

“You are beginning to learn.” Reginald stated. “We will do it again.”


“I’m hungry.” Piper said quietly. “Can I get something to eat first?”

“You didn’t use the proper procedure.” Reginald replied “It is May I please have something to eat. We will go through the proper way to wait for the Queen one more time and if you ask politely, you will be given a plate of food.”

Piper knew he was gloating. She felt like it was a power play. She stood once again behind the chair when he left. She really wanted to cry but she wouldn’t let him see that he got to her. For a moment, she thought of just leaving and going home but she had promised her dad she would not make any waves.

After another hour of standing at the chair and finally being able to sit down, Piper was at the end of her rope. She didn’t ask for anything to eat this time. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

Reginald then moved on to her walking across the room with a book on her head to learn to walk elegantly, with her back straight. She was not very successful at it and after a half hour frustration started to set in.


“I have shown you many times.” Reginald said with exasperation. “Why can you not just walk across the room? It is quite simple.”

“It is not that simple for me.” Piper replied. “Maybe it is because I am not used to all these royal rules.” She tried to hold back.”

“Or maybe the problem is you are only half Klavorian.” Regionald growled. “The human side of you can’t learn, it is inferior.”

Piper opened her mouth and then closed it. She knew if she was rude to him it would only mean more and more of this. She wanted to go home. Glancing at the clock she saw she still had two hours to go. It might as well be one hundred. She closed her eyes for a moment and wished she was telepathic and could send her father a message to come save her. She was miserable.

“Your mother was a very good student.” Reginald stated. “She has always had an elegance about her. She will make an excellent Queen. When I am finished, so will you. I never fail. Now, walk again.”

Piper put the book on her head and started to walk across the room and the book once gain fell. She could see he was getting aggravated, she tried again and when the book fell, she let it lay on the floor. “I can’t do it!”

Reginald walked over and picked the book up. He held it out to hers “Again.”

Piper sighed and once more tried to walk with the elegance of her mother. Forty five minutes later and her lessons for the day were over. Piper headed out the door for home. She ignored her grandmother as she heard her falling and ran for home. When she got there she ignored her family and went straight to her room and shut the door. She just wanted to be left alone.