𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓭𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓻

V

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."
Winston Churchill

I woke up for the second time already today, with a pounding in my head as if someone was hitting me with a hammer. I painfully open my eyes and face the same ceiling I saw this morning after my raw awakening. Quickly recalling everything that happened, I sit up on the bed. I see, to my right sitting on a chair, the same blonde woman who walked on me in the halls. I back away from her in fright as she looks at me with careful eyes, probably afraid I'm going to lash out at her like I did last time. In her hand, the lady is holding a wet washcloth.

"Miss Auclair, are you feeling better after this rest?" She asks, keeping her distance from me which seems to soothe both of us.

I think about what I should do next. I just got knocked out without even realizing it, so rebellion isn't an option at this moment. The boy I met also called me by my last name and both of them seem to believe I was someone in particular. Maybe I should play along with whatever they have in mind and hope the orphanage will signal my disappearance.

"A little," I answer, not sure of myself.

"Fabulous! You scared me to death Miss, I thought you had gone mad." The lady looks relieved and relaxes more, getting closer to me.

She lifts her hand to my forehead and presses the cold cloth on my skin. Flinching at this touch, I observe her with apprehensive eyes. She does look inoffensive with her heart-shaped face, her porcelain white skin and her delicate gray eyes looking at me with a motherly look. It has been a long time since someone looked at me that way. Despite the danger I'm probably in, I feel my heart warm up.

What am I saying? This woman kidnapped me!

"I'll run you a bath, Miss." The blonde offers me a beautiful smile before getting up and walking to the double doors leading to the bathroom. Opening them, she disappears into the room. A few minutes later, I hear water flowing and the sweet smell of lavender fills my nostrils.

My eyes skip to the exit door but my better judgment wins over my desire to get out of here as soon as possible. I should play it smart if I want to escape.

"Your bath is ready, Miss. I will be back in half an hour to help you get ready." The young lady says after a few minutes. She then leaves the bedroom, not once dropping her kind smile.

They want me to take a bath, should I be offended?

I shake off the sheets and get out of bed to take a look at the bath. Entering the second room, I feel a change in temperature coming from the hot water. Filled to the brim, the bath is covered with bubbles. That is another sight I haven't seen in a long time. I am suddenly unable to resist the temptation and hop into the bathtub after taking off the clothes I'm wearing. Doing so, I notice the pyjama I have on me is not the one I went to sleep in. The panic I felt sooner comes hitting me back like a bullet. No matter how luxurious this place is, I can't forget how weird and scary my situation is.

Since I'm already naked, I decide to step inside the water. I lower myself in a lying position, leaning against the cold ceramic. The hot liquid caresses my skin just like the ray of the sun on a hot afternoon. God that feels good.

However, no matter how beautiful this place is or how good they treat me for now, the fact is I still woke up in a place I don't know with people, I've never seen. I take deep breaths trying to reassure myself into thinking the police are probably looking for me right now. They'll arrive soon and I will be able to go back to my normal life at the orphanage. Everything is going to be alright, I tell myself again and again in the hope to calm my nerves.

I rapidly lose track of time, half asleep in this wonderful bath. Eventually, I hear a knock signalling the blonde girl is back. Sighing, I get out and wrap a towel I find on the wall around myself. Just play along, I think.

"C-come in!"

The door opens and the woman rushes inside with a pile of clothes in her arms.

"I picked out one of your favourite dresses for today, Miss Auclair. Your father is organizing a dinner to welcome his new sorcerer." She doesn't stop talking as she lays the mountain of fabric on the ground. "Call for me when you need help putting on the corset Miss." The blonde disappears into the bedroom as fast as she came in.

My father? His new sorcerer? The people here are mental. My father's dead and what do they mean by sorcerer?

I quickly walk to the pile, uncomfortable at my lack of clothes before digging and finding some undergarments that I put on fast. Then, the rest is more complicated since this dress looks like it has many layers. Using my logic and the knowledge I got from reading about gowns like this one, I do my best to dress correctly.

Unfortunately, when I get to the corset, things start to complicate themselves and I realize the woman's help would be much needed. Ignoring the little voice in my head telling me to run out of there, I call for her as she said.

"Hum- ma'am?"

The lady comes back into the room as soon as the words leave my mouth. It scares me how fast and obedient she is. She acts as if she was at my service.

"Come on Miss, you wouldn't want to be late"

As she pulls at the lace of the corset, I ask myself if this is their way of torturing me because that thing is way too tight. The young woman gets me all dolled up and before I know it, she is rushing me into the many hallways.

While she talks frantically about being late, I look down at the clothes I am wearing. If I was in different circumstances, I would be jumping around in excitement at how pretty I look. In a dark blue colour, the gown flies around me with every step I take. We go a lot further than I did on my own and this time I see some types of guards roaming the corridors dressed in black attires and carrying heavy weapons that look like swords.

I must be in a coma or something. At least, I sure hope because those guards don't look so friendly to me.

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With love, L

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