just how small you are [reine]

[DIDIANE MAISONET]

approximately 9 years ago ...

Didi hadn't known that mother wasn't going to be coming with her, and the thought of facing grandmother (grandmother, not grandma) without her was terrifying. They had gone to plenty of balls and stuff before but it hadn't been like this. Sure there were a lot more eyes on her whenever mom dressed her up to go to the balls and sometimes they said things, but in this house that was meant to be her family home it felt like a different sort of eye was on her. Whatever feeling it was, it didn't feel nice at all.

As fancy as mother might have tried to be, their house hadn't ever felt so much like you'd get yelled at if you managed to bring it a single grain of dirt. She didn't like that. She wished her mom was here to tell her what to do, where to go. Mother was the one that liked all of this fancy stuff anyway, not Didi. Didi liked running off and trying to fly on her broom or sneaking off to climb trees, not that she could do that in a stupid pretty dress she thought with a grumble.

Climbing the fancy staircase in these shoes really pinched too. She wished she could kick them off but she got the feeling that that would make grandmother mad. It'd probably make her mom mad, too. It didn't feel much like anything she could do here would make anyone happy, it felt too stuffy, but it was probably best not to get on their nerves more.

Now, standing at the top of the staircases looking up at the large door she couldn't stop herself from glancing back the way she had come. Mother was probably down there, back beyond the grand entrance. Didi wasn't sure how much comfort she should take in that. Steeling herself with a deep breath Didi gently smoothed out her dress before gently knocking on the door and calling out, "Grandmother?"

[REINE MAISONET]

Renie had hovered by the edge of the arched windows as she watched her guest arrive. Looking out, she had made sure that her servants did as they were told. Take the girl, leave the mother. There was no use for Cecily. If anything, she would get in the way, and Renie could not have that. Renie watched, seeing her disappointed face of Cecily and watching her go off on her own. A slight joy it brought Reine, after all, that Cecily had done a great job of desecrating the Maisonet bloodline and name. Any pain Reine could cause back; she would.

Finally, she walked from the window to the table set up for Didiane. Oh, even the name was awful to her. Why couldn't Cecily give the brat a more noble name? Well, that was in the past, and there was no changing it now. Renie could live with Didiane for the summer.

It was embarrassing enough that her son had gotten a woman pregnant out of wedlock, but he had to go make it worse by using some fifty-blooded women. Renie needed to keep the image of their family under control, and now that Didiane was getting older, she required her to learn the ways of nobility. She wasn't going to have some rugrat run around and destroy the image of the Maisonets more than it was. Didiane was coming into womanhood, and she wouldn't let her make the same mistakes as her parents. There were plans for Didiane.

While fixing some of the platings on the table, she heard a tiny knock on the door and the grandmother's call. A chill went through her. To think a half-blood was calling her grandmother. "The door is open. Come in, child." There was no grandmotherly love in her voice.

DIDIANE MAISONET // Notes:

[DIDIANE MAISONET]

Didiane shifted from foot to foot as she waited outside the door to be invited in. As soon as she was invited in she regretted it. Grandmother's voice sounded as cold as the winter wind with none of the fluffy snow to make up for the chill of it. She felt like shivering, almost, but she felt even more like fleeing. There was no getting out of this now, not when grandmother knew she was here. Not when she didn't know any escape routes except the front door. She was doomed.

Didi twisted the nob carefully, opening the door as quietly as possible and closing it behind herself just as gently. Already she could feel a knot of dread growing in her stomach. She walked across the room to stand before the woman and gave her best curtsy, which was really still quite bad. She should have practiced more, "Hello grandmother." Didi greeted as she righted herself from her curtsy.

"How has your day been?" It was proper to ask things like that, right? Mother had said so but mother had also had a lot of ideas that weren't the best before. All of those parties that they had gone to before came to mind. Though, with exactly how much tension Didi could already feel in the room, and how her grandmother was looking at her, Didi was coming to doubt that her mother had ever been right about much. Or at least as much as she had seemed to be right about.

"Mother said you wanted to see me," Didiane added, blinking up at her grandmother. It already felt like this was going to be a long summer.

[REINE MAISONET]

'Eh, Grandmother' Hearing those words from Didiane had almost nauseated her. Why did her son have to do this to her? After all, she did for him. Even now, she ensured his little mess-up would not shame them more.

The girl had curtsy at her. At least they were off to a good start, Renie thought, but a curtsy was just a start. Renie bowed her head at her to acknowledge her curtsy. "Good afternoon Didiane." Her voice was like ice, and it would never be one with a grandmother's warmth to Didiane.

"It has been a fine day so far." Not counting, she had to deal with her son's burden in the summer. "I hope you find yourself well also." Not that she had really cared, but she did have to set an example for the young lady. Who would? Cecily? Ha! What did Cecily know about class? Especially having a child out of wedlock. There was no class at all from Cecily.

"Yes, I did." Renie held on to the top of the chair she was sitting in front of. "Please, come closer, Didane." She waved her hand to come forward to her. "Let me get a closer look at you." Renie looked over at the young girl. Not bad; Renie thought a few changes were in store, but she could work with it. "I'll have the maids take care of your hair in the morning. For now, take a seat right here." She pointed at the chair. "Do you know why you are here?"

DIDIANE MAISONET // Notes: