Chapter 7: Arriving at the school (1/2)

Upon arriving at the gates of Windsor School for Nobles, their carriage was halted to a stop.

”Let us go down the carriage first, the guards need to check it before entering.” Leonard explained.

”Good afternoon Lord Maxwell and welcome back. Please wait for a moment as we check your carriage.” The captain of the guards said as he bowed his head.

”Alright Sir Pierre, by the way, may I introduce you to my sister, Serena.”

”Good afternoon lady Maxwell, it is a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to Windsor, I hope that you will have a pleasant time here in school.” Pierre said as he bowed and smiled at Serena.

”Thank you, kind Sir. I do hope so too.” Serena curtsied and replied.

While waiting for the guards to finish checking, Serena observed the school's surroundings. The road they passed through must be the main street as it led straight to the huge gates of their school. From where she was standing, she can see that there were also side streets with shops that looked like the cobbled streets of York. There were some young nobles walking and some in groups shopping. She noted that there were a lot of guards surrounding the area. The school and its perimeter must be the most guarded place in the whole kingdom as it is where children of royalties and nobles from all over the empire congregate.

Not long after, Leonard called her attention to re-enter their carriage. Sitting in front of her, he started the conversation.

”Do you want to go out later?” Leonard asked, he saw her curious eyes earlier.

”Can we?”

”The gates of the school will close at 9 in the evening today. It is still 2 in the afternoon now, so we still have time after you settle in.”

”Alright. Are we allowed to go out of the school every day?”

Leonard shook his head. ”No, we are only allowed to go out on weekends. Tomorrow, there will be an assembly in the morning to officially start the school year.”

Serena nodded as she looked out of the window. The school ground was huge with perfectly manicured lawns.

”Here is the school dormitory for ladies.” Leonard said as their carriage stopped in front of a castle like building. ”I will need to leave you here as the school dormitory for men is on the other side. What time should I come back to fetch you?”

”You can come back after 3 hours. I'm a little tired from our long journey.”

”Alright. Do you wish to walk around the school before we go out later?”

”If time allows.” Serena replied as she smiled at him.

Leonard nodded as he went down the carriage again to help her. Serena blushed as she held his hand.

'What a gentleman' she said in her mind for the nth time.

Welcoming her outside is Beatrice (her maid).

”Please help your lady settle in.” Leonard instructed Beatrice, then he faced Serena saying ”I'll see you later.” Before he left.

”M'lady, I already got your key card and prepared your room. Thankfully, you don't need to share with another noble lady like the others.” Beatrice chattered as they entered.

Serena silently looked around the lobby as they were greeted with a curtsy by a lady in her 40's.

”Good afternoon Lady Maxwell, I am Nora, the head receptionist of the ladies' dormitory. Shall I walk you to your room as I explain the house rules?”

”Thank you, Madame Nora. That would be most helpful.” Serena replied.

”Please follow me.”

The dormitory was rectangular in shape with an open courtyard in the middle. As they walked the hall beside the courtyard, they came across young ladies who stared at Serena. Whenever she met the eyes of other ladies, they were friendly enough to smile at her. Serena knows reciprocity so she always smiled back.

”First of, curfew time is at 10 in the evening. We have a monitoring team that checks at 9 in the evening to ensure that you are in your room. Thus, if you return after 9 pm, you need to notify the receptionist in charge to avoid causing unnecessary alarm. Second, guests and visitors, except for immediate family members, are only allowed in the lobby and in the courtyard here on our right. Third, smoking is not allowed within the premises. The rooms are equipped with sensitive smoke detectors and alarms. Lastly, any major acts of misconduct, such as use of illegal drugs, will immediately lead to expulsion.”

After climbing a flight of stairs, they arrived at room number 218. Beatrice tapped the keycard on the keyless doorknob.

”If you lose your key, you may request a copy at the reception at an additional cost. That is all, thank you very much and welcome to Windsor School for Nobles.” Nora finished as she made a curtsy and smiled at Serena.

'Do I need to give her tip or something? It feels like she's a bellboy in a hotel...' Serena thought as she looked at Beatrice.