As her servant Estella helped her out of her nightdress, Rina bit back a yawn and pondered the wisdom of going out in the cold without piles and piles of extra blankets. The cold would wake her up if nothing else would.
"How cold was it when you emptied the chamberpots, Estella?" Rina asked as she looked at the ridiculously large stack of blankets and quilts in the corner of the room.
"I wouldn't even think about it, ma'am," Estella laughed. The passive had witnessed many of Rina's parties and knew exactly what Rina was thinking. "It's brutal out there. I think the chamberpot contents froze before they hit the latrine."
Rina laughed, her laughter vibrant and full-bodied. "Well, damn. Okay, let me get some blankets, then," she said as she stood up from her bed shakily. She let out a long breath as her back protested the movement.
"How bad is it?" Estella asked, her voice worried. "I can get blankets for you if you need me to, ma'am."
Rina waved a hand, dismissing the passive's worries. "It's been worse," she said simply as she walked over to her the pile of blankets in the corner of the room. Every step felt like someone was stabbing knives into her back, but she was determined to do at least some standing today. She knew that once she was on campus, people would raise a fuss if she dared to stand for longer than it took to transfer to a toilet.
Rina flipped through the blankets, tossing some of them on the bed. She hobbled over to her wardrobe and picked out a paisley scarf to hold her hair back. She didn't want it to be crushed when she put her ear muffs on. She sat down next to the blankets with a shaky breath as she bit back whimpers of pain. "Clocking hell, Essie. That may be the last of it today," she said as she waited for the pain to ease down. "Can you please get me my medication? I should take a couple doses with me."
"Of course, ma'am," Estella said as she put a stack of blankets on Rina's bed. "Do you need some now?"
"Probably a good idea. Otherwise, the trip to campus is going to leave me unable to concentrate."
Estella nodded. "I'll let Barclay know while you do what you can. I'll be back in a few minutes."
Barclay was the only one who had access to Rina's opiate medication and he always kept the key on his person. Not even Rina herself could access her medication without his approval. Rina didn't mind the inconvenience. Her parents made it clear that she would have the privilege of taking morphine for her pain taken away if she was to become addicted. Having Barclay manage her medication was just another layer of safety protecting her from addiction.
While she waited for Barclay and Estella to come back, she put a bra on and slipped her undershirt over her head, followed by sweater for her uniform. She finished just as Barclay entered the bedroom with her pill and a glass of water, closely followed by Estella. "How many doses would you like to take with you, Miss Aeinsa?" the human asked as he handed her the medication.
"Two, please," Rina said as she swallowed the pill. "Gustav is getting the horses ready, yes?"
Estella stepped up with a smile. "Of course, ma'am," the passive said as she gestured for Rina to lie down so she could help with Rina's skirt. Once the skirt was on, Rina took the jacket Barclay gave her and slipped it on.
"Did you want to go to the bathroom before you get in the chair, ma'am?" Estella asked. Most galdori would be appalled at the question, but Rina took the question in stride. She was well-used to needing help with intimate functions at this point. She would need the help if she wanted to use the bathroom. She couldn't walk the distance on her own, which was why she was stuck relying on chamberpots for any bathroom visits during the night.
Rina waved her hand again. "I should be fine," she said as she stood up, leaning on Estella as the two of them made their way to the door. Rina's bedroom was too small for the wheelchair, so she kept it outside her door when she was sleeping. Estella helped her down into it and took Rina's hand for a second, giving it a tight squeeze before walking back into the bedroom to get some blankets to cover Rina with.
Rina smiled as Saida, her copper-colored miraan flew into the hall, chirruping her morning hello. She landed on Rina's shoulder and nuzzled her.
"It's cold out, Saida. You'll need to get under the blankets," she told the miraan, who nibbled her ear before flying down to nestle next between Rina's leg and the side of the wheelchair. Rina wasn't sure if Saida knew all of what she was saying, but she knew that the miraan understood that blankets meant warmth.
Once Rina and Saida had been safely buried under blankets and all Rina's bags had been handed to her and positioned comfortably, Rina wheeled herself out the front door to the awaiting carriage. A ramp had been added to her carriage to help her get into it. It was her father's invention and, while it was a bit complicated to use, it meant that Rina didn't have to go through the embarrassment of having to be carried out of the carriage. The ramp tucked between the bottom of the carriage and the stairs when not in use, so it didn't impact the carriage's travel. Inside the carriage, most of the seats had been removed to make room for Rina's wheelchair, leaving Estella to go first into the carriage so she could sit on the far side.
Once Rina was comfortable, she closed the door and waited for Gustav to start moving. Once the carriage started moving, she closed her eyes and let herself rest until they reached campus. The drive to campus was, unfortunately, all too short. She had barely dozed off and the carriage was pulling to a stop.
"Will you be going to the cafeteria?" Estella asked as she helped Rina out of the carriage.
"Ugh, no. Not today. I'll go the library, but if you can bring me some coffee, I would appreciate it for all eternity," Rina laughed. "I'll be in my usual spot."
"Of course, ma'am," Estella chuckled as she stepped aside to let Rina take the lead. Once they got close to the cafeteria, Estella broke off, handing Rina the bag of breakfast foods Cook had given her before they had left the house and leaving Rina to navigate the familiar halls of the school.
Rina had gotten more confident over her years at Brunnhold, but the first week of school was always hard. It was all the damn firsties, making jabs at her when she got off the elevator or asking questions about her wheelchair or why she was in it. Yes, the questions were innocent, but that didn't mean it wasn't tiring to go through the same damn questions over and over. But once school picked up and everyone was thrown into the deep end of the river, Rina knew that the questions would become much less frequent.
Even though how other people treated her annoyed her, Rina was glad to be back at school. Her winter break had been busy, as her parents had decided it was time to try to find her a husband. There had been a few more events as usual and, unlike school, they never got comfortable. She was extroverted and liked a good party more than most people, but the parties her parents threw were difficult to deal with. Only her parents' friends seemed comfortable with Rina's disability and, if her parents had asked her, Rina would have told them she'd be surprised if anyone would want to marry her. Cripples weren't exactly desirable partners and, while Rina had plenty of experience with managing her household, that wouldn't overcome the fact that she was wheelchair-bound.
But that didn't mean her parents wouldn't try to find someone.
At least I have a break from all that now, Rina thought to tucked herself away by a window. She nibbled on her breakfast – some jerky and fruit – while Saida flew low above her head. The phosphor lights made the miraan's scales gleam like freshly wrought copper. The administration generally didn't like Saida flying around campus, as they thought it'd be too much of a "distraction". But she wasn't in class yet, so there wasn't anything they could really do to her, unless they wanted to punish other kids for fighting or talking too loudly.
Estella came back with coffee and Rina took it thankfully. The passive sat in a chair nearby, keeping an eye on the time for Rina. Rina had about another half hour before she had to leave for class and she chose to use her time relaxing, enjoying her coffee and the sense of anticipation that marked the beginning of the school year.