The Maiden

Chapter 17

Bratty Freya makes an appearance in this chapter.

*Freya's P.O.V*

I paused in my skipping as I tilted my head. Where was I supposed to go now? I didn't really have anything to do since Mommy was in her office, Taylor was working, and the girls were busy doing other things. I could go to my greenhouse I supposed but I didn't want to plant anything. I wish I had some paint, I would love to go paint the greenhouse windows.

An idea came to mind and I headed to Mommy's room. I went to her vanity, finding a marker in one of the drawers. I tucked the marker into the pocket of my dress, not wanting to get in trouble for taking something from her room without permission. I made my way downstairs, tiptoeing slightly when I saw Daniela at the bottom of the steps.

"Faye, what are you doing?" Daniela said as she turned to face me. Apparently her hearing was greater than I thought it was.

"I am going to the greenhouse," I told her truthfully, carefully avoiding the fact that I was going to draw on some of the windows so I could paint them one day. "Am I allowed to do that?" I questioned curiously as I tilted my head with an innocent smile.

"Of course you are, I just wanted to make sure that you stayed out of trouble," Daniela said as she smiled softly. "Mother wouldn't be very happy if you wandered somewhere you shouldn't be," Dani said as she kissed the top of my head. I basked in the show of affection, my cheeks flushing slightly. I still hadn't gotten used to the affection that I was being shown at every chance she got. Bela and Cassandra weren't nearly as affectionate and Lady Dimitrescu's affection was through simple acts of holding me.

I interlaced our fingers together, walking beside Dani with a small smile. I swung our hands back and forth, practically pulling Dani along with me. She laughed at my excitement, bringing my hand up to her mouth. She kissed it gently, her teeth puncturing my skin when I tried to move away. Her tongue darted out and she licked the blood away, her pupils had dilated when she lifted her head up.

"I apologize," she said as her tongue ran over her fangs. "Your blood is divine little fairy," she said as she kept glancing at my hand. She continued with our walk back to the greenhouse, her thumb gently pressed against the wound in my hand. She kept pressure until we got to the greenhouse door before slowly pulling her hand away. She licked the blood that remained on her thumb. "Be good and don't wander off to somewhere you're not supposed to be," she said before she swarmed off, leaving me standing there.

I looked down at my hand, noticing that the fang marks were barely noticeable. I wondered why Dani had reacted like that, my blood couldn't have been that good could it have? I satisfied my curiosity by looking at the small smear of blood that remained on the back of my hand and my nose wrinkled at the taste. It tasted nasty like metal, I couldn't see why Dani had possibly seemed to vibrate from the taste.

I entered the greenhouse and made my way down to the end of it. I pulled the marker out of my pocket, pulling the lid off as I stared at the frosted windows for a moment. I wanted to draw flowers so I set to work doing that. The marker seemed to run slightly from the frost window but I ignored it for the moment since I could just paint over it. It would look a little weird from the outside but since no one really went outside to look at it, it would look fine.

I drew a bunch of different flowers with their stems, slowly working on the stems as I slowly made my way down the windows. I wasn't worried about the painting blocking sunlight since this was on the complete opposite of the end greenhouse from where I was planting at the moment plus you could always scrape the paint off.

I was snapped out of my drawing of a leaf by a soft cawing noise. I tilted my head curiously as I dropped my marker, wandering away from my drawing. I followed the noise and noticed a door that was hidden at the very back of the greenhouse. I smoothed the dust off the glass and realized that it led outside. I looked down at the door handle, giving it a small tug. A frown appeared on my lips when it didn't budge. I planted my feet firmly as I tugged on the door harder, the lock I hadn't seen had snapped off as the door was pulled open.

I peeked out the door, looking around outside curiously. I hadn't technically gone outside so I couldn't get in trouble, I told myself as my eyes spotted a black bird sitting by the door. "Hello little birdie," I whispered as I crouched down, realizing that it was one of the crows that usually visited the Village. I only knew that because it had a small streak of chalk on its tail from landing on one of the chalked up posts.

The crow tilted it's head as it hopped towards me, a soft coo escaping it. I held my hands out as it approached, gently grabbing it when it got close enough. I carefully pinned it's wings against its sides, gently holding it close. I used one finger to stroke it's head as I carried it with me. The crow was pretty calm but I was still cautious of it just in case it decided to attack. It looked like I had a new pet, I should go show Mommy!

The crow seemed to watch me with it's beady little eyes and I talked to it as I carried it all the way to Mommy's office. I found out it was a girl crow because when I asked whether it was a girl or boy, one caw for boy and two for girl she cawed twice. I knocked on Mommy's door before I entered, holding my crow carefully with one hand.

"Freya, what do you have in your hands?" Mommy asked as she stared at me, her golden gaze staring at the crow I was holding.

"She's a crow," I said proudly as I brought the crow over to her, stroking the head with one finger gently.

"And how did a crow get in the house?" she questioned as she stared down at me.

"It didn't. I opened the outside door of the greenhouse and it came to me but I didn't leave the greenhouse so I can't get a timeout for that," I informed her, letting her take the crow. The crow flapped her wings as she settled on Mommy's desk, perching on the side of it.

"Freya, you can't possibly expect to keep a wild animal can you?" Uncle Heisenberg asked to which I nodded.

"I caught her so I get to keep her," I informed him proudly.

"That's not happening Freya, it is a wild animal and belongs outside," Mommy informed me, much to my displeasure.

"But I caught it," I whined as I stomped my foot, watching her eyes narrow slightly at my action. I didn't care if I was throwing a fit, it was my birdy that I caught and she was being mean. I didn't like her right now, not at all. The crow watched me as it flew up and rested on the window sill.

"We can give it some food and water but it must go outside again, Freya, it is not a pet," Mommy said as she glanced at the crow. She shared a glance at Heisenberg which conveyed some form of emotion as I stormed over to her study door. "Do not slam my door Faye," she said warningly when I jerked the door open.

I spun around to glare at her, a frown on my lips. I was a big girl, I didn't have to listen to her and her stupid rules anymore. If she wouldn't let me keep my birdie then I saw no reason to behave for her.

"You're not my boss Alcina," I said, watching her pupils narrow before I slammed the door shut. I felt a tremble run through me as I ran from her study door, a frown on my lips. Maybe calling Mommy by her first name was a bad idea after all I thought as I heard something break in her study.