Chapter 6: Visions

“Christina honey, come hold my hand please!”

The crowds were thick, and I could barely see Lena through the sea of people around me. I couldn’t remember where we were going but I knew I need to stay close together. Letting her slip away would mean I would surely get lost. I knew I didn’t want that.

“I’m coming, I promise! Please wait up!” I yelled over to her, but the sound of the crowd drowned everything out. Through it all I could just barely see Lena calling back to me, but I couldn’t make out her words. She was so distant now, and there was nothing I could do to get to her. The crowd only grew, and people started to shove past me, buffeting me around endlessly.

As more and more people passed me suddenly I couldn’t see Lena at all. She was gone, and I was lost. I could feel tears and a child like panic building in my chest.

“There you are Christina. Come on its too crowded for you to be on your own.” I looked up and standing there behind me was Cynthia. Her usual attire, and head still half shaved with the other side combed over neatly. Exactly as I remembered her, but now she was missing the signature smile and look in her eye I had come to closely associate with her. Now she was looking down at me with a reassuring grin.

“Come on squirt, lets go get reunited.” Cynthia said and without a second thought she scooped me up by my lower back resting my entire weight on her hip supporting me with one arm, letting me cling my arms around her shoulders. Somehow I wasn’t panicked or surprised by her sudden action, I just accepted it, holding on dearly and nestling my head on her shoulder.

Cynthia strode her way through the crowd, her commanding presence and confidence making it easy for her to cut right through the densely packed area. As I held on to her I felt safe being escorted high up from the rest of the scene blow, and Cynthia kept a tight hold on me, making sure not to let me slip.

After a few moments we neared a place where the crowd dispersed revealing a wider open area resembling a town square. I saw Lena there waiting, and Rowan too standing with her. As we strode closer to them the pair spotted us and waived eagerly. Together we approached the smiling couple.

“There we are, all together again.” Cynthia said satisfied. Though even now as we were out of the crowd she didn’t put me down and continued to carry me. And I didn’t make any attempt to get down myself.

“Oh thank goodness! I’m so sorry we got separated darling; I hope you’re okay!” Lena said as she placed a gentle hand on my cheek reassuring me.

I blushed a small amount but responded earnestly “I was a little scared, but Cynthia found me! And I’m glad I’m back with you now, Lena.” I said ending with a smile. Being with them, together and safe… it felt right? Why had I been fighting against it so much?
Lena Cynthia and Rowan all giggled a small amount, and Cynthia even started to bounce me in her arm a bit. “Lena? Isn’t there something else you should be calling me, darling?”

A giddy smile spread across my lips as somehow I knew exactly what she meant.

“You’re right, I’m sorry Momm-”

************

Suddenly I woke up in my room. I jolted up in my bed panting heavily as if I had just woken from a horrible nightmare. But the dream that I just had, that wasn’t a nightmare, was it? I had been so happy in it but, it was so strange. Why was I dreaming happily about being carried by Cynthia? What about that strange scenario made my mind feel so at ease? Thinking about it again now It made me feel uneasy, and uncomfortable. But was that because I disliked everything that I dreamt? Or because I disliked that I didn’t…

I rose from my bed and removed my nightgown, now half naked I took another seat back at my bed. This was day fifth day with the Southgards, but only the third since they had laid out the rules. I was still adjusting to my new routine every morning.

I had learned that there was a bathroom just down the hall from my bedroom, conveniently located right next to the laundry chute. In the mornings I would now take my laundry basket down the hall with me and dump all my clothes down the chute to be washed. After that I would go right next door and get washed myself. The first morning after my punishment had been lifted and the door was opened for me, I asked how I would get into the bath each morning by myself. To my surprise the three of them all convened and agreed that for the first thing in the morning, the bathroom would be open once for me so I could access it to wash myself. This morning I did exactly that.

I started by trying the best I could to make my bed. Rowan had actually shown me how to do it, and while I tried to follow his example I was still clearly very sloppy. I couldn’t ever get the sheets and blankets to be in place without bumps or perfectly straight first time, and I didn’t bother with second attempts.

Standing by that tradition, I threw the sheets over and moved the pillows a tiny amount before nodding in satisfaction and reaching for both a towel to cover myself and my laundry basket to dispose of on my way there.

Getting into my bath I let out a deep sigh. The magical pipes made sure the water was always the perfect steaming temperature that I wanted it to be. And with that luxury it was a small amount of time I could be transported back to my old life. I lounged back in the copper tub, the steam surrounding my face as I peacefully relaxed.

I knew it wouldn’t last. I thought to the last 2 days of this new life. Breakfast was simple: eat, take my dishes, and leave. But waiting for the Southgards was strange. It wasn’t horrible, both other mornings I had simply sat down by the fireplace and waited. Yesterday I even went and searched for a book to read from one of the massive bookshelves that sat around the perimeter of the room. Most of them were in Silencian, which though the same language had some minor differences in how it was read. The books were slightly confusing but not impossible for me to read.

When Cynthia had come to collect me both days, she told me we were simply supervising the house together. Well, she said that She was supervising the house and also supervising me. We made our rounds, introducing me to most of the staff in the different sections of the house, as well as asked me to stay put while she would take care of certain things, often times leaving me with one of the other staff. Yesterday one of the maids actually had the gall to ask me to help her clean dishes! I didn’t even grace that with a response and just stood there until Cynthia got back thirty minutes later.

One thing I hadn’t expected was that dinner both nights would just be me and Cynthia. “Lena and Rowan are out attending some important diplomatic business today and sadly won’t be joining us,” was all Cynthia had told me. In that light, each night’s ‘social time’ had been canceled and I was allowed back to my room for the remainder of the evening. Yesterday I asked If I could take some books to my room to read, and Cynthia allowed it. The books were still there right now; two stories of fictional work from years ago when magic was being discovered. I had read similar books before but now, seeing real magic made them feel different. Maybe there was some truth in theses stories?

After a little bit of time had passed I was content with my bath. I rose and dried myself off. I then went and did my messy hair up in a neat bun. Most of it had hung outside of the tub keeping it dry but a small bit of it was damp and wet, I let those strands hang down to dry freely. Once I was satisfied and honestly a little impressed with the makeshift fashion, I covered myself again with my towel and returned to my room across the hall. Upon entering my room I was greeted with a small surprise.

On my bed there was an outfit already chosen for me. It was a short dress, with short sleeves, and looked to be loose fitting with a knee length skirt. It had a simple chest pattern that had straps going over the shoulders of the dress, reminding me of the overalls I had worn on my second day here. The sleeves and detailing of the dress were white, while the overall section that led all the way down to the skirt was all pastel pink. I remembered what had been said how some days Lena would have an outfit already decided for me, and it seemed that today was the first day of that. There was even a set of underwear and bra, as well as shoes laid out for me. Nothing was left to my own choice.

“Oh no, absolutely not.” I said to myself as I entered. I still was determined that I would not let myself be Lena’s doll. But as I reached for the drawers to pick something else out, they wouldn’t budge.

“Gods damn it!” I sword loudly. Magic was the bane of my existence. It was so believably unfair to me.

Part of me wondered if there was anyway I could learn magic. I thought back to the books I had started reading about how they first discovered magic and learned to use it centuries ago. I dismissed it as wishful thinking. Crevicil hadn’t had any magic for centuries, and there surely must have been a reason.

Left with the only other option being to go down to breakfast in nothing but a towel, I accepted my fate and dressed myself in the clothes provided for me.

Shortly later I was finding myself entering the dinning room for breakfast. The food and setup was the exact same as every other day, but this time Lena, Rowan, and Cynthia were all in attendance, once more already eating. Upon my entry Lena put her hands up to her mouth in awe, clearly very happy to see the state of my dress.

“Oh wonderful! Thank you for wearing that Christina, I’m so glad it looks as good as I had hoped it would!” She was fawning over me in such a way, it stirred something in me.

“Yea, well I didn’t have much of a choice.” I replied dryly. I was careful to not let to much bite into my tone but also show that I wasn’t happy with the situation at hand. I nervously glanced over a Cynthia who just smirked at me like always.

“Morning Christina,” She greeted me warmly. “I hope you slept well, any dreams last night?”

The question threw me for a loop. Cynthia had never asked me about my dreams any previous morning, was there any humanly way that she knew? No that wasn’t possible. Even in my books, magic didn’t extend as far as mind reading.

“No. No dreams.” I lied.

Cynthia gave me a small side nod in response and went back to drinking her tea. In a way it was relieving to see her once more with her signature smug look and attitude, a far cry from the dotting nanny like babysitter character she played in my dream. I could still hear it in my head. ‘Squirt’ she had called me, it felt so strange. I pushed the thoughts away and decided to take the opportunity to sit down and get some food. This time I opted to go further down the table, leaving an empty seat between me and the rest of them at the head of the table.

“Its good to see you again, Christina.” Rowan said to me as I started my breakfast. “We’re so sorry we weren’t around the last 2 days. There is a lot of work to be done around the kingdom and specifically the capital city. Lena and I were indisposed for a while sorting out some issues, its nothing you need to concern yourself with.”
I suppose it made sense. When I had first met Lena she was working at that temporary set up office. And they were both clearly wealthy diplomats; I suppose like my own parents they had things they needed to be doing to maintain all of that.

Despite all of that I stayed silent.

After that silence had been hanging in the air a few moments Lena picked up the conversation. “But now we’ll have a better manage on our home and work life, so there shouldn’t be to many days where we up and disappear without much notice okay?”

I was mid bite of my bagel when she finished her sentence. I didn’t even bother to finish and just spoke to them through a mouthful of bread. “Its fine. I’m used to it.” It wasn’t a lie or a jab, just a fact that this was more often than not how my parents were. The only difference was I was never stuck being watched by anyone and had more freedom when they disappeared.

But despite the fact it was just an earnest statement Cynthia took issue. “Christina, manners. Chew first then speak, understood?”
I looked down at my plate. My fear of the sorceress’s magic was still very much there; I was just slightly better at hiding it now. My mouth still full of food I just nodded meekly.

“Please be sure to respond properly, Christina.” Cynthia asked again.

It was a trap I was sure. So instead I simply waited another moment to allow me to fully swallow and answered with an empty mouth. “Yes, Cynthia.”

Cynthia nodded, content with my answer and went back to her own breakfast. The rest of the trio also simply continued to eat. I personally finished my bagel, and quickly downed a small glass of orange juice. I had gotten used to eating and drinking very little at breakfast. My time spent shadowing Cynthia had only further demonstrated they had very little patience for my weak bladder, and would only open a bathroom for me to use in their own time. I had no desire to end up not making it, so I kept low on the water and other beverages and had forbade myself from ever having coffee.

Upon finishing I collected my dishes and stood up to take them to the Kitchen. As I walked out a thought occurred to me. Without turning around fully I just tiled my head slightly over one shoulder to address the three. “I’m going to go retrieve a book from my room before waiting in the lounge.” My pride wouldn’t allow me to phrase it as a question, but I still said it in hopes that I wouldn’t get in trouble to straying slightly off normal schedule. I then continued to walk to dispose of my dishes, not waiting for an answer, but my fear of retribution still demanded that I listen for any outbursts on the way out.

After retrieving my book from my room I sat on one of the many chairs in the lounge reading peacefully. The lounge was really nice, the fireplace was in the center of the room, there were windows on either side adorned with drapes to keep most of the light filtering in. There was a couch, two singular armchairs, and a carpeted area in front of the fireplace. Placed near each seat there were small tables to set a lamp or a drink. It was extremely cozy, and I didn’t dislike the alone time I had here. I probably enjoyed it even more than I did the garden.

I was reading. Though struggling to comprehend a few sentences in how they were written but it was still greatly enjoyable. It was a pity when suddenly Lena came into the room to join me.

I should have guessed that I would be spending the day with Lena considering she had taken the time to choose an outfit for me. I tried to let my frustration flow out of me, but I wasn’t ready let it go entirely. As Lena walked in she addressed me with a chipper tone, “Oh I’m glad you’ve found a productive way to entertain yourself! I know all of the books here are written in Silencian dialect but if you ever need help reading, please you can always come to me.” She offered. I rolled my eyes in response.

It was suddenly hard to focus on reading now that I knew I was about to be disturbed but I also tried as hard as I could to not look up from my book, and to pay Lena as little a mind as possible.

“But now I’ll have to have you put the book away. Today you’ll accompany me on some errands out of the house.”

Hearing the news sent a shiver down my spine. Leaving? I had been stuck in this house for the last few days. Leaving it was all I wanted at times. But on the other hand I knew that leaving meant being glued to the hip with Lena under her supervision, and with that in mind the victory of escape felt extremely hallow.

Regardless of that, I still couldn’t help but be curiously excited. “Oh, where are we going?” I said cautiously putting my book aside and standing up.

Lena seemed to notice that the news brought me some joy and smiled in turn. “We’re going to the Capital, there are a few different people I need to see, I also thought we might go to the markets, and if you’re well behaved we might even stop and get you a small something.” She was trying to make me happy, and I almost appreciated her for it.

But soon she paused, and her body language shifted a bit to a slightly more serious manner. “But while we’re out, I hope you know you must be on your best behaviour. This means that you need to listen to what I tell you, stay by my side unless I expressly say otherwise. Please remember to treat everyone around you with your best level of courtesy, and I cannot stress this enough: there are to be no outbursts whatsoever of any kind. Do I make myself clear?” She asked, looking at me very expectantly. I felt insulted, I felt belittled, and I felt controlled. But all these things were just now par to the course.

“Fine, I understand.” I said as dismissively as I possibly could.

Lena instead gave me a raised eyebrow and reiterated her question. “You understand what? And I also hope you haven’t forgotten what you agreed to since I’ve been away.”

I silently cursed to myself. I had forgotten, and part of me wanted to push back and refuse her but at the same time I very much didn’t want to get on her bad side if I was going to be with her the entire day. Even though it was Cynthia I was much more afraid of I didn’t want to see what Lena was capable of. “I understand I’m to be on my best . . . behaviour. Lena.” I said forcing out the last 2 words.

Lena smiled at me now that she had gotten my verbal agreement. “Thank you, Christina. Now come along, we have a carriage waiting outside ready to take us into the Capital.” She reached an outstretched hand to me once more. I stared it down for a few moments before figuring out how to respond.

“Do I have to take your hand? I would really rather not.” I said both with a hint of exasperation and a hint of disgust.

Lena looked me up and down and it took her a moment to respond. “It would make me very happy if you took my hand, Christina.”

‘All the more reason to not do it.’ I thought to myself, knowing I very much didn’t care what she wanted.

“So?”

Lena closed her eyes and sighed. And when she opened them I could see she had much less patience. “Take my hand, Christina.” I could tell now she really wasn’t asking.

I had already played the disobey direct orders card before and I had no desire to further push my luck, so I frustratedly slapped my hand into her palm with a little more force than I really needed to.

Lena simply ignored the excess force and clear look of discontent. She grasped my hand in hers and led me further through the house back to the front door. The upside was that unlike Cynthia who seemed intent on dragging me everywhere, Lena was much gentler with me. It felt like I was actually able to just walk next to her as she led me to the door. Upon reaching outside the driver, who’s name I had forgotten, was waiting for us ready to depart at a moment’s notice. Lena continued to lead me. Even as the door to the carriage waited open for me, Lena held my hand to stabilize me as I entered. It was only then as I was safely in the carriage that she let go. Even after that she was very quick to join me in the back, sitting right next to me. Soon after that the door closed, and the carriage started to bounce along. We were on our way to the Capital.