All Of Us - Part 1: Summer

Chapter 14 - Every end...

- Evangeline -

"C... Ca... Cat !"

"Yes, exactly. What about this one ?"

"R.. Ru.. Rug ?" Wha's that ?"

"It's like a carpet."

"Wha's that ?"

"You don't know what a carpet is ?"

Her bashful face makes me regret my words. "It's, uh, something you put on the floor to protect it." Her features take on a bizarre expression. "What fer ? I mean, it's the floor, ain't it ?"

"I... I do not know. It does seem a bit absurd, does it not ?"

"Sure does. Must be some Court crap," she nods, then chuckles. I smile along, but stop as soon as I realize what I have done. She just mocked me. The Court, the Crown and I. Yet why is it so funny ? I have so many things yet to understand.

"Do you remember how to write your name ?" I ask, breaking my trail of thoughts.

She grins and takes the stick from me. With a trembling left hand, she traces ALINE in the dirt. The letters are wonkish, but definitely readable. "Good job," I congratulate softly.

"How d'ya write yer name ?"

"Huh ?" I stare at her blankly.

"Yer name. How's it spelt ?"

"Oh." I pause. "It is actually quite lengthy. It might be slightly complex for you."

Her face seems to cloud over a bit, and I feel as if someone punched me in the gut. What is this feeling ? Guilt ? I clench my teeth. Things were so much easier when I was alone. "But you can write Eva. It is like a simpler nickname."

"Eva. Sure !" The clouds on her face and the guilt in my gut evaporate.

"You spell it with an upper-case 'E', then a lower-case 'v' and 'a'. Can you do that ?"

"Yes," she affirms. Lifting the stick up once more, she traces the letters in the dirt.

"That... That is perfect ! You are quite good at this, Aline," I exclaim. Her lips twitch into a smile as she replies: "Only 'cause yer such a good teacher."

To my disbelief, I find myself blushing in embarrassment. "Ah, don't blush !" she laughs.                  "Alright, whatta ya wanna hear ?"

"What about that girl you mentioned last night, in passing... Pina, I think her name was."

"Ah, yeah. Pina."

She sighs and sits back. "Y'a might wanna rub the letters out before I start." I comply, and she takes a deep breath: "Pina comes from the same village as Mun. Donuba ?"

"Oh," I look away. "Right."

"Well... Remember that big fight that made the Isfalt call the Guard ?"

"Yes, but you never told me the details."

"Yeah... The Isfalt was pissed 'cause of the King cancelling, remember ? Well, he made everyone come out of their homes, in the dead 'a winter. Mun told me they were freezing their butts off. Well... He made all the girls 'tween 12 'nd 15 line up. 'nd... He picked one."

I inhale sharply.

"Her father lost it. He-he punched the Isfalt."

I gasp and cover my mouth with my palm. Aline looks at me, puzzled. No wonder... Wait - what was I about to say ? No wonder the Isfalt called the Guard ? Nothing could justify that village getting massacred in such a way. My eyes shine a little brighter. I can feel it and so does Aline. They shine ruby, star ruby.

"Then the other Servs followed too. And... Yah know the rest."

She falls silent.

"So..."

"Ah, yah can guess." She looks deep into my eyes. Melting emerald ice and burning fire. "Pina was the girl he chose."

Deep in my mind, my castle breaks into a million pieces.