Malee remained in that position till the discussion between Mary and Georgia had completed. All that she could remember was that there were voices talking about dresses and shoes. By the time her senses had fully woken up, Mary had left the room, leaving Georgia to pick up another book. Malee felt her whole body ache from the limping position she was in the whole time. She stood up, and stretch her arms and legs as Georgia remained engrossed in the book. Malee turned around to look at Georgia.

“You want to have more practice, right?” said Georgia while turning to a new page. Malee was no longer surprised nor annoyed by her remarks such as those. Malee nodded and walked around the room. Georgia looked up briefly and dived back into the book.

“Slower” whispered Georgia.

Malee thought she was walking as slowly as possible and wondered if she would even do her assigned tasks if she were to go any slower. Malee slowed her walking till she was sure it was slower even than the funeral procession that she had encountered a few months back. The procession blocked the entire road till she couldn’t push the cart past them. She remembered how her father gave her a severe beating with the broomstick that night and the tears she shed with aches all over her body. She touched her cheek to look for the tears only to remind herself that she was in the room with a real life princess.

“You need a band.” said Georgia.

“Band?” asked Malee.

“Yes. Hold on.” said Georgia before walking over to the drawer besides the door and took out a band, a larger version of a rubber band that Malee used to play in the slums. She came over to Malee and dropped the band on the floor.

“Wrap it around your legs, near your knee.” instructed Georgia. Malee nodded and placed her legs in the band before pulling it up to her knees. Suddenly, she couldn’t move with the band restricting her legs movement effectively as intended.

“Now cover it with your skirt and try again.” said Georgia.

Malee did as instructed and fell on her floor as soon as she moved her leg. She got up and took a deep breath before moving her leg again. That time, not forcing her leg to push the rubber band like before, but step down as soon as she felt the tension. It was a narrow step, much more narrow than she expected. She gathered, with such a narrow step and speed, it would take her several minutes to walk from the room to the kitchen.

“It is not about speed but grace.” said Georgia, still with her eyes fixed on the pages. Malee wondered if they were in some other parts of the country, would she had been accused of witchcraft by then.

“I am not a witch.” said Georgia before she slips to a new page. Malee nodded and continued with her walk. After an hour, she could no longer feel the tension. Instead, her body had become used to the distance available to her legs by the rubber band. She realized not only her walking, but her breathing had also slowed down.

“Well done.” said Georgia. “Maintain the form tomorrow. Now, go bathe and come back here in an hour.” Georgia got up from her chair and walked into the bathe room.

Male looked at the clock on the wall. It had been more than an hour since she had walked with the band around her legs. She took off the band and placed it back in the same drawer that Georgia had taken it out from. With that done, she walked out of the room and down the stairs to the basement. Mary was nowhere to be found but Malee knew she was effectively under Georgia. She rested for a while before taking a long, satisfying shower. She came out of the room refreshed and hungry from all the walking that she had done that day. She couldn’t remember having to walk that much as even when she was pushing the cart around, she would rest frequently to watch television shows through the windows while taking a few fried potatoes.

She cut off her memories of the past with a deep breath and looked at the clock. It was close to an hour since she had left Georgia’s room. She stood up from the bed and walked out of the room, while trying to maintain the form that she had nearly mastered earlier.