《Rich In Deception》


 Chapter 1: Ivory Winds

    A series of cold winds flow past spruce wood trees, rustling them, making an echoing sound that anyone in the vicinity could hear. As mist gathered, the rain poured softly through the endless woods filled with a multitude of pine trees and quickly dampening rocks. Nearby Appaloosa horses let out a hearty sigh, and dusty candlelight flickered upon the nightfall''s presence. "Ms. Vierrei, I insist that you hurry along. These trains are not going to wait for you." said a man dressed in black. He was wearing a professionally ironed suit, white gloves, and had a handkerchief neatly tucked in his right shirt pocket. The man received no reply from the girl. She stood next to him staring forward, her eyes dead and sucked of any delight inside her. The girl wore a heartless demeanor, and her hair reflected the auburn aura of nearby candle flames. It was brown, and delicately combed. She was fitted with a white collared shirt, complemented with a matching brown beret and cotton vest. Her black dress shoes were firmly planted in the ground as her skirt blew in the wind. The whole charade was all tied off with white socks. Despite her well kept clothes and hair, she had bruises on her knees, scarred knuckles, and appeared as though her heart had rotted from hurt. The rain settled slightly, and the train horn blared as it came to a sudden halt . "Ladies first," the old man persuaded her as he opened the door to the railway carriage and motioned for the girl to enter. She stared at the man for a moment, her reluctance present in her hesitant movement, before finally accepting the invitation. He followed swiftly behind her, suitcase in hand like a pawn at her disposal, as they walked and seated themselves before the train started up again. A moment of silence passed before he looked at her. "Ms. Vierrei, your absence of words proves heartbreaking." the man stated, yet the girl yielded no reply beyond a disturbed look. "You do understand the reason behind doing all this, right?"


    "Yes," her voice barks, attempting to sound as accepting and calm as possible. Strange, it was. The Vierrei family were known for being exceptional people. They were well kept, intelligent, the family decided upon a majority of the political decisions within the city in fact, as the Winchester citizens heavily relied on their wits. Yet, the Vierrei daughter was unlike the parents. Cold and stubborn, weak or bruised, and often angry. Certainly, no such child could be that of a Vierrei, right? At least, that''s what the townsfolk would think. There was silence from the couple. The girl had no desire for conversation, nor a desire to entertain the man''s attempt at opening her mind to new things. New, undesirable, and draining things.


    The man sighed and looked at her with an unexpected break of character to follow, "Your father is only doing what''s best for you, you''re a Vierrei you know? Each of the Vierrei female children had to attend the Boarwood Academy exactly as the last once she turned 13. It is the best academy for our family, as it teaches everything you need to know to uphold business. Your mother went through this very place as well as you will, Noelle-" the man yelps in agony to a sudden pain in his shin. The young girl stands towering over him, a sour expression on her face which is the first sign of emotion she''d shown since they arrived at the station. "Silence Atticus, you are merely a servant. You will not remind me of my family''s customs, nor will you ever dare to address me by my first name again or I will have your head on my wall. Understood?" Noelle''s burning disappointment made the chairs themselves feel inflamed, a representation of her distaste towards Atticus'' callout. Hence the unbearable pain, Atticus could only manage a weak nod. Satisfied with his obligation, Noelle sat back down in her seat. The Vierrei family had a widely known history as far as their social status in Winchester. Men in the family were trained as knights or politicians, as their expectation was to serve or manipulate anything of value to the family''s advantage. Their grueling training began at the young age of 13, especially if the boy was the eldest out of the children. The eldest sons were expected to be prepared and educated to reign the family in an Aristocracy ruled society, such as the one in Velmont Hollow, UK. The brothers of Noelle, George Arthur and Thomas Barette, had left to begin their training 5 years ago. George, the eldest, was mannered to conclude government decisions, while Thomas was strengthened in combat and command as a constable. As a Vierrei, they were responsible for maintaining the family appearance because no man was allowed to see any flaws with the family. To the public eye, they were brilliant. The women in the Vierrei family had to uphold a more economic appearance while the men directed part of the military system or improved the family''s reputation. Women had to manage the business exchanges that took place within the family, as such, a Vierrei female was expected to be intelligent in finance or trade. These were Boarwood''s primary teachings. When Noelle''s brothers left, their absence marked her as an only child in the Vierrei Mansion, with only her Father and Atticus to accompany her.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Growing up, the girl was always cheerful and shy. She loved plants and the family gardens, the staff would often find her with dirt on her clothes, yet, the girl began to grow explosive after the disappearance of her mother. Noelle grew angry, and resented her father. She blamed him for not protecting her mother when she was still around, for not begging her to stay at the Mansion the day she disappeared. The household staff were growing more concerned with the family''s well-being. Noelle and her father fought constantly, yelling could be easily heard from across the halls. In all those arguments, Noelle could only remember the suffocating smell of alcohol on her dad''s obnoxiously loud shouts, and the paralyzing fear that came with his presence.


    ¡°What is this filth you¡¯re wearing? You¡¯re covered in mud and you reek of fertilizer, you weren¡¯t born in the horse stables with the animals!¡± He drunkenly shouted. Noelle let a chuckle out under her breath, he was one to talk considering he reeked like a man who consumed five bottles of pure rum and gin. Mr. Vierrei didn¡¯t find the situation so amusing. ¡°What, you think it¡¯s funny to behave like a pig?¡± The fight from Noelle quickly turned into submission as his words struck through her. He stumbled out of his office chair, Atticus catching him before being pushed away. Noelle could only watch as he came closer and grabbed her shirt collar. ¡°You bitch,¡± he mumbled ¡°get your ass in the bath immediately before I break one of my good bottles over your head. It would be such a waste now wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Noelle just shakily nodded her head, and stumbled out of the room when he released her.


    "We''re here," Atticus says as he rises and grabs her suitcase out of the storage unit. Noelle snaps out of her thoughts from the unexpected cease of motion, and notices Atticus'' hand out to her. She takes it and follows behind him, trying to forget the irritating memory that arose a few moments ago. The two step out of the train and into an ordered taxi parked on the side of the road. They drove for a few hours along a narrow road bordering Boarwood. Trees and rocks seemed to repeat while the time never felt like it was passing, and the conversation between Atticus and the driver seemed to float by like a foggy cloud of words. Once they had arrived, the driver unlocked the car doors and Noelle stepped out of the vehicle, looking up at the high-end building before her. It was rectangle, made of spruce wood and stone with a conceitedly crafted grand door for an entrance. She noticed pillars that appeared to be made out of a rich marble, purposefully overgrown with mossy vines and flowers. "This is due part my lady. I do wish to serve you again after these three years." The reminder of time she''d have to stay at this Academy for almost made Noelle collapse out of pure exhaustion. Atticus hands her the suitcase looking unusually proud. "What is it Atticus?" Noelle questions and raises an eyebrow at him. Atticus suddenly pulls something out from behind his back to give to her, a ditsy grin on his face. "I packed your stuffed bear before our initial departure. I believed you''d be rather lonesome without her knowing you can''t seem to sleep without her at night." Noelle let a soft gasp escape her, and quickly gathered herself from slight embarrassment. "Thank you, Atticus." She coughs as she takes the bear and case in hand, "Return at once before father thinks you''ve gone wild and ran away." He chuckles, "my lady, I believe he''d think that of you before I."


    Atticus bids farewell before entering the taxi once more and entrusting Noelle to the Boarwood Academy. Noelle stood there, watching the black smoke dissipate from the exhaust of the vehicle as it faded out into the mist. "click, click, click, click..." The stone stairs echoed loudly, perhaps it had recently been smoothened or waxed. Whatever it was, it had the illusion of glass as shoes impacted it. "Excuse me ma''am, are you the Vierrei child?" A soft voice asked from behind her, frightening Noelle as she quickly turned around to appear tall. "Yes, that''s me." Noelle responds flatly, uncertain of the figure before her. "Ah, perfect! It''s a pleasure to meet you, milady." a young woman bowed before Noelle, her actions graceful and in accordance to addressing superiority. "My name is Evelynne Athenia, I will be your personal maid during your time here. I take care of all the girls within the East Wing of the Boarwood Academy."


    Evelynne wore a black dress suited with a white apron, finished with a small white bow around her neck. The brunette had her hair tied up into a ponytail, and curly bangs hanged down from her face. Noelle observed Evelynne before giving her a response, "Oh, I see. Piacere, Miss Athenia." Evelynne was young and pretty, presenting a tall and slender figure. Surely, she couldn''t have been much older than Noelle, she thought. Evelynne looked at her with a warm smile before holding out her hand, "It will be my honor to serve you, my lady. Please, come with me."

 Chapter 2: The Rosebud Blooms

    Noelle followed Evelynne through the Eastern halls. She observed the apple green wallpaper, the ebony wainscoting, and the softly glowing lanterns hanging on the walls as they proceeded past various doorways. Each room was numbered with silver plating and black text, "E316... E318..." The "E" stood for "East", and the hundredth number represented the current floor. The stars were faintly visible through the pristine white arched windows between each dorm, yet they gifted a soft light to blend with the fires of the lanterns. "So, what do you think of this place so far my lady?" Evelynne asks, breaking Noelle''s focus on her surroundings. "It''s... quite passable, I suppose. Um, I''ve always liked green." Behind her cold appearance, Noelle was tense. She didn''t want to be here, nor was she familiar with this girl she was following, yet despite herself she obliged to everything expected of her. Evelynne stops and giggles, "Well, I''m glad it meets your standards my lady. This is where you will take residence during your stay, Room E322. Personally it''s my favorite room because it has a bay window which is quite comfortable, oh and the interior is quite lovely as well! You should see what..." Evelynne goes on about the details of the room and Noelle just listens for a moment.


    It was bizarre to see someone so chatty with a person they just met. In her family, it was a phenomenon to even see her father passing in the hallways. "Ah, sorry! I suppose you should go inside and see the place for yourself rather than hear me chirp about it." Noelle wasn''t fully listening, but she agreed regardless. Evelynne lightly knocks on the door of the room, and the handle begins to turn. As the door swings fully open, a girl stands tall in the doorframe. Her hair was long and curled, parted to the left side of her head. She was wearing a button up shirt with flared sleeves, covered with a navy blue vest and black trousers. She had a few scars on her face as well. "Good night Evelynne, who''s this?" questions the redhead, as she turns to look down at Noelle. Noelle felt slightly annoyed by the height difference, being significantly shorter than the other two. "Good night Lady Cuppett, this is Lady Vierrei. She is going to reside in your room during her stay here since you are both new to Boarwood." Noelle bows slightly at the girl, "¨¨ un piacere conoscerla." Unfortunately for her roommate, Italian was Noelle¡¯s first language. Her parents spoke it at home because Italian was commonly used between the Vierrei business partners, as most of their marketing was stationed or accompanied by her grandfather¡¯s organizations in Italy.


    "Ah... N-Nice to meet you. Please, come in." Noelle has a strong feeling Lady Cuppet didn''t understand what she said. The redhead moves out of the way, extending an inviting hand so the two girls may enter the room. It wasn''t very big, but it wasn''t very small either. Residing between two twin beds was a bay window, organized with blankets, pillows, and what appears to be a thickly paged book. The duvet was green on both beds, and the sheets a pure white. On the right was a burgundy desk, fixed with a lantern and a simple matching chair. Noelle also noticed a small plant on the desk, and lights hanging above the bed with photographs or drawings. On the left side there was simply a bed, and a door in the corner which she believed was the bathroom. Evelynne placed Noelle''s belongings on the bedside to the left, "There will be a button next to the door that you may press if you require my assistance, but for now please try to get some rest. I''m certain you''ve had a long day." She walks to the doorway and quietly shouts, "Goodnight Ladies!" before taking her leave. Noelle focused her attention on her luggage and dug through her bags, pulling out a silver pocket watch and reading "twelve thirty four" on its hands.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Hey.." says Lady Cuppet, Noelle''s attention was dragged away from the watch and towards the girl''s voice. "I know we just met but please, don''t call me ''Lady Cuppett'' while you''re here. I''m really not into all that title stuff," she says with a dramatic sigh. "My name is Cassandra, but you can call me Cassie." Noelle looks at her in complete bewilderment, causing Cassie to look away and hold her hand behind her head. Never had Noelle considered disregarding a respectful title so quickly, nor wanting to disregard her own respectful title. What would that say of her? In the Vierrei household, she wasn''t even allowed to address her father by anything except "sir."


    Noelle''s taken out of her train of thought when Cassie speaks up again, "Uhm, yeah... Make yourself comfortable, I''ll go to sleep a little later." She retreats to her desk and pulls out a homemade sketch pad, along with a sharp charcoal pencil. "What a strange request..." Noelle figures, still surprised from the short conversation. She carefully packs her things away, placing her stuffed bear gently on the bed as she does so. Collecting her night attire, she heads towards the bathroom and thankfully upon opening the door there is a neatly organized shelf filled with cylindrical towels. She turned on the water and took refuge within its warmth. Noelle sighed deeply, as her concerns washed away in the steaming water. It was nice to finally have a shower after traveling for so long. She was already aware of what her next few years here looked like, and it wasn''t something she was looking forward to. She could groan just thinking of the countless hours of etiquette training with people telling her she''s not holding her cutlery correct, the mind numbing literature classes where you read Shakespeare over and over again as you write about whatever depressing character he talks about, or the deafening sound of her financial teacher screaming "This is why our economy needs to pay better attention to the stock markets!" as he points to some random line graph, jumping up and down like a madman. At least that would be something entertaining for her to watch.


    Atticus had packed her lavender scented conditioner and bodywash, something she hadn''t thought of before leaving the Mansion. He may be just her butler, but she was grateful to have him. Lavender had always been her mother''s favorite. The smell of her perfume would always infect anything she touched, and it was always delightfully intoxicating. Back when her mother was alive, her father used to always gift her a bouquet of hand grown white roses and lavender plants. Her mother would even say that he was quite the charmer back then. They were special to her, apparently Noelle''s grandmother used to grow them in their garden, so being part of her mothers childhood only made them everso more endearing.


    Revived with the heartwarming thought, Noelle shut the water off and headed back to the main room. Her hair was neatly tucked away in her towel, and her nightgown was slightly coated in water. She looked over to Cassie''s side of the room to find her dozed off, drawing left unfinished on her desk and chair pushed slightly to the right. Noelle walked over and blew out the lantern''s candle on the desk before slipping underneath her own covers. With all the motion she was once used to being gone, she could clearly hear the sound of crickets chirping outside, and easily see the moonlight shining rays onto the ceiling. It highlighted the shadows of the pillows and blankets left on the window sill. The atmosphere was calming to her, considering the drowsiness was finally catching up to her, and she was finally able to relax for a while.

 Chapter 3: The Sky Before The Molten Rain

    Sounds of youthful laughter rang through her ears while the morning birds sang a nostalgic song. Noelle opened her eyes in a moment of consciousness, and saw what she assumed to be two boys and a young girl playing, running between rows and rows of flowers all organized into a perfectly aligned circle. She recognized it immediately, it was her mother¡¯s garden, but why was she suddenly here? There was a scream following splashes of what sounded like water from a garden hose to interrupt her thoughts, causing her to turn promptly toward the sound.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not fair!¡± The little girl protested, her voice had a heavy accent and a slight stutter. ¡°Thomas, you''re not allowed to use me as a shield!¡± The girl¡¯s hair was short with bangs, and freckles were peppered on her face. Her appearance was so uncannily familiar to Noelle, but Noelle didn¡¯t want to remember the girl, biased by a resentment deep inside her. The youngest of the two boys took a step back and brushed off his shoulders, ¡°George is a menace! I¡¯m not trying to get soaked by my mother''s dirty garden hose! That¡¯s disgusting!¡± He had similar features to the girl, short brown hair and green eyes, but he was significantly cleaner than the other two. ¡°You¡¯re a wuss, you¡¯d scream if dust got anywhere near you! Even Noelle is willing to get a little dirt on her clothes!¡± The eldest boy yelled back at him, a smug smile etched on his face. His hair was blonde, and his blue eyes complimented it charmingly. ¡°How do you ever expect to become a Politician if the very thought of your clothes being dirty drives you mad?¡±


    ¡°Because George, details as such are a Politician¡¯s job to pay attention to! I¡¯d certainly fit the job nicely, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± Thomas put his hands on his hips and gave George a prideful smile, George just rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Sure sure, still dunno why you would wanna work in an office with piles of paperwork up to your shoulders. Those campaigns always seem to be an endless ¡®pick-me¡¯ display, I can¡¯t stand two adults bickering over who¡¯s the prettiest one in an overvalued contest.¡± He scoffs, sounding like the very idea brought him exhaustion and annoyance. Noelle was completely stunned, looking down with pining and resignation as she watched the children. ¡°Maybe Noelle should be the politician, we both know she¡¯s very good at arguing.¡± George interrupts, chuckling at his own sarcasm.


    ¡°Hey! I don¡¯t argue with people!¡± Young Noelle scoffed and crossed her arms, ¡°And I don¡¯t want to be a politician, I¡¯m around politics enough already.¡± The young girl shivers when a sudden hand is placed on her shoulder, instinctively looking upwards with a hint of surprise in her eyes.


    ¡°Look at you three¡­ You¡¯re all covered in dirt and water.¡± A royally low and feminine voice came from behind her, her tone flowing with a pattern of adoration and care. The woman leans down and wipes Noelle¡¯s face with a loving attitude, looking down at the young children with a warm smile. ¡°Hi Mama! We were just playing, but George sprayed me with water!¡±


    Noelle¡¯s gasp was caught in her throat as it tightened, the face of the woman bringing back waves of hurt, longing, need, and immense guilt that seemed to eat at her very soul.


    The blonde boy dropped the hose immediately, fearfully hanging his head and tensing his shoulders. The mother turns to view his shame, her deep blue eyes calm as ever, yet there was a hint of empathy in her gaze. ¡°Well that¡¯s no good, you¡¯ll all have to take a bath then and right away. Let¡¯s keep this from your father, yes? He¡¯s asleep at the moment, so hurry along.¡± The surprised boy puffed out a relieved sigh, and his tense shoulders relaxed to his sides. Noelle just stood and watched, the realization of the torturous dream making her feel like her feet have sunken into the ground.


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    ¡°Mother?..¡± She stares in disbelief as she watches, the woman who was once mourned by Noelle stood alive again. She felt like a helpless spectator in a game of mind control, and sorrow rashly turned to desperation in her aching heart. She jumped to her feet and reached out with a prayer to bind their vulnerable souls with safety and love once again, yet, her pleading desires struck cold when her dirty hand passed-through her mother¡¯s shoulder. The woman turned to look at her daughter, displaying a pained smile to Noelle¡¯s desperate eyes as she slowly began to drift away as nothing but petals of beautiful lilac. The loving family was replaced with a hazy corpulent figure, standing right before her.


    The sight was¡­ beyond horrific. The man with a pig¡¯s head just stood there, greed was perfectly painted onto his persona with stained high end clothing and liquified gold dripping from the corners of his mouth. Noelle could feel the complete revulsion rise from her stomach to her mouth as the smell of gin utterly suffocated her, the taste only bringing pain and hatred to her. His roaring laughter filled with mercilessness grew louder as it watched her fearfully on her knees, staring up with distraught.


    ¡°You¡¯ve always been too childish to do anything on your own, do you actually think your life would have any value if you weren¡¯t born into Nobility? Be proud Noelle, you¡¯re a rich girl! Everyone loves you!¡± Noelle stared at its eyes, frozen with sickness at its demeaning tone. Flee¡¯s whisper tempted her desperately, yet the familiar voice of her father paralyzed her.  The creature''s eyes gleamed with the suffocating promise of love¡ªa love that bound, not freed. And just as the weight of it settled on her, everything went dark, giving her a moment of peace in her desperate state.


    ¡°Vierrei! Christ almighty, wake up!¡± Noelle sat up swiftly, her eyes widened and her breathing unsteady. Cassie was looking at her with concern and worry written all over her face, only centimeters away from Noelle¡¯s. ¡°Finally, did you have a nightmare or something? You were tossing and turning like crazy.¡± She could feel Cassie¡¯s warm breath on her skin as her voice wavered, and it was the only thing grounding her in the moment. Noelle just stared at her, wearing a blank expression on her face. ¡°You okay there?¡± Cassie asks, still looking at her with concern. Noelle finally snapped out of her trance, she felt diseased from the disgraceful figure in her dream. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m okay.¡± Acting oblivious of her current state, Noelle gets up from her bed and grabs some day clothes out of her suitcase. Cassie just looks at her, blinking rapidly in disbelief.


    ¡°Wh-hey hold on a minute! You can¡¯t just pull the ¡®I¡¯m fine¡¯ card after that!¡± Cassie tries to protest, but Noelle just waves her hand at her and changes the subject. ¡°You¡¯re still in your pajamas Cassandra, we have breakfast in fifteen minutes you know.¡± ¡°Wait, is it already seven fifteen?- Shit, why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner!¡± Cassandra debated pushing Noelle to tell her what happened against being on time for breakfast, but she had to take the fact that they didn¡¯t know each other very well into consideration. With a heavy heart, Cassie temporarily gave up her task and rummaged through her luggage for a set of clean clothes. She¡¯ll just have to ask her later tonight.


    After Cassie retreats to her side of the room, Noelle lets out a shaky breath, her mind alarmed from the hellish nightmare she endured. What was the point of all that? Why would the world punish her by giving her a sense of peace, only to strip it away and have her stare in the face of slavery? Part of it was a blur, so she didn¡¯t even have enough awareness to conclude any sort of answer. She just swallowed her worries and told herself that it was probably nothing. After all, dreams are just dreams, nothing more.