Forgotten

12 | The Winter Ball

"Arabella!" The shrill scream of Allianne Rosier rang out through the house. However, for the first time in over a year, Bella did not hear her mother. She was deep in thought, about everything and anything. Her mind was racing with panic and paranoia simply from being in the suffocating atmosphere of the Rosier Manor. That was not the only thing on her mind, although it was the most persistent, she was also wondering if a certain friend would be coming to the Ball this evening. She couldn't even say his name in her head without feeling disgusted with herself.

"Pull yourself together." She whispered to herself, still caught in the cage of her own head. It was as if she was trapped behind the metal bars she had seen in the dungeons of the manor before. She had only ever been the victims of them once, to her relief. Bella prayed she would never be put through such things again but knew that would be far too good to be true. 

She had not began getting ready, it was not to start until a good few hours after noon and the clock couldn't have even struck eleven yet, but perhaps she was wrong and more time than she originally thought had passed by. Her attention was pulled from the caverns of her mind to the present when a house elf she didn't know the name of apparated into her room.

"Master Rosier needs to see you Miss Arabella." The house elves were never to call Allianne or Geraint anything other than Master Rosier, Bella was almost certain it fuelled some sort of internal power complex both her parents held deep inside. It was what compelled them to do the horrid things they did to her. They both wanted a power that they couldn't achieve but what they could obtain, was utter obedience and submission from there daughter, for whatever reason they had never had such a problem with Evan. It was only Bella.

"I will be there in a minute, you can go, thank you." She never knew how to interact with house elves, she had always been told they were lesser than people, especially purebloods but they were magic in there own rights, in fact they were just as magical if not more than a pureblood witch or wizard almost ever was. They had the ability to conjure anything at any time and could apparate without any of the side effects people often faced. Nonetheless it did not make it any simpler to treat them as such when she had been brought up to hate them and abuse them if they took one step out of line.

All Bella could do was try her best, and she always did.

The walk down the creaking stairs was filled with anxiety and fright. She did not know what she had done to warrant for a house elf being summoned for her. It wasn't something her parents normally did, for they didn't want anybody other than Bella in her room, in fear it could affect the power they had over it. With the click, of either of there fingers, she could be powerless, that is if she was in her room at the time, but they had ways of manipulating her if she was elsewhere.

She wasn't even truly certain which of her parents she would be seeing when she reached the sitting room. The house elf had not specified such but she solely hoped it wasn't her father, Bella was yet to speak to him after the incident between the two just a few days ago. She wasn't even sure how long it had been. After such things begin happening she loses track of time much more severely than she normally would.

"Bella why did it take you so long?" Geraint shouted the moment she came into view through the large dark oak door of the room. She hated the way he managed to make her feel like she was being looked down upon even from his sitting position. It didn't take long for her to spot her mother lurking in the corner of the room but she failed to acknowledge Bella.

"What? The house elf only just came to my room-" She was cut off yet again by her father.

"Don't play dumb with me you witless child." Bella didn't understand what she had done to make him so furious with her.