Swapped Fate

17: For the Love of Bangles.

I saw Jennifer off at the train station early Tuesday morning after  a long night of us reminiscing about our life together. I did not bring up Tristan Devereux and neither did she. I suppose it was such an intense spot for us that we decided in our hearts to leave it be until three months were up.

I packed light for my stay at Devereux mansion, but the one thing I was most excited to reconnect with were my bangles. Oh, how I had missed that musical jingle!

Now, I had different sets of bangles but the most precious were those I never wore. I kept them in a wooden case and only admired them once in a while. My other bangles were white glass bangles or plain silver and gold.

These special bangles...well, I couldn’t discern what they were made of but their design was intricate and a mix of gold, silver and blue colours. I had never seen bangles like them anywhere in Evindrear.

Those bangles were the first I ever laid eyes on since my time at the orphanage. Mother Reina told me that the wooden case of bangles was the only property she found on a 3-year-old me at the doorstep of the orphanage—along with the clothes on my back of course.

Ordinarily, I viewed those bangles as the only connection to my biological mother. I never wore them even as I grew old enough for my wrists to accommodate them, but I didn’t quite understand why. I just wanted to keep them...like a memento, if you please.

It was Wednesday, the 9th  of April. This date would mark the dreadful beginning of my courtship with Tristan Devereux.

According to Madam Felicity’s design, Tristan and I were to have twenty-six dates in total, and have at least two dates each week. Today’s date involved me escorting Tristan to pick up his brother’s long-awaited wrist-watch and him escorting me to shop the garments, shoes and jewellery I wanted.

Apparently, acting as Madam Felicity’s prospective daughter-in-law meant I had to look the part as well. I didn’t quite mind this because...why wouldn’t I wish to look pretty and desirable?

**********

“Wow, they’re very pretty!” Lea cooed as I showed off my bangle-clad wrist in the sitting room, my chin lifted in pride.

“Aren’t they!” I squealed, letting her touch the bangles on my outstretched arm. “They are my absolute favourite things to wear as I cannot go anywhere without them. And look, they are musical as well!”

In a rush of excitement, I swung my arms in a way that set off a rhythmic jingle from the bangles clanging together. “It is the most comforting sound to me!”

Lea giggled. “I can see why you favoured the tambourine over all the musical instruments last time. You must have missed having them on your wrists these past few days.”

“Ugh, you have no idea!” I chanted, raising my arms and wiggling them as I tapped my feet—dancing around in circles.

As construed, I was in quite a jolly mood today, courtesy of the reunion with my beloved bangles. The only thing that could possibly put a damp on this happiness would be—

“What is that annoying wretched noise? Did a rattlesnake find its way in here?”

—Tristan Devereux, who seemed to always be on the differing side of my views. I swear we were two sides of one coin.

The man of the hour at last made an appearance in the room, his nose poking in all directions for answers, his eyes searching the area for rattlesnakes. I had paused with my arms still in the air, and shot him a glare as soon as he walked in with his antennae.

“The rattlesnake is me,” I spoke up, “I am the rattlesnake.”

Tristan looked up and his eyes fell upon me for the first time today. He analysed my form and offered a small smile. “That comes as no surprise, seeing as it’s from a Mae-witch who is—” he gestured with his hand at my form. “—conducting a ritual this very moment.”