Bonds that Burn and Bind

Chapter 8 Part 1

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WARNING: Mention of suicide
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I awoke to banging on my door. Groggily, I stumbled out of bed, checking that Nikos was gone before opening it. My maids, Lucia, Basil, and Philippa, bustled in, wearing shapeless black servant dresses. White handkerchiefs held back Basil and Philipa's blonde and Lucia's red hair, a rarity in Dalmar.

While I undressed, they prepared a fragrant bath with oils that made me smell like an entire flower garden.

Once dry and out of the water, they went to work on my hair, skillfully braiding it into a halo interwoven with white and yellow daisies, along with bluebells, before applying blush to my cheeks and tinted creams under my eyes to conceal my dark circles until I hardly recognized myself in the mirror.

Then Magpie, our healer, was summoned to clean and redress my hand wound from the night before.

I slipped on my sapphire engagement ring, surrounded by a halo of diamonds.
I left my maids with strict instructions to keep my rooms locked if neither they nor I was in them before heading to the Great Hall.
Sunlight filtered in through the large windows onto around seventy wedding guests who sat at long tables adorned with white tablecloths and laden with fruits, cheeses, pastries, and enormous flower centerpieces. Conversation bounced off the high vaulted ceiling, turning into hushed murmurs as I entered. Like me, my guests wore pure white dresses and had flowers woven into their hair.

At a table pressed against the far wall on the elevated platform, Lady Aimsworth sat with my little sister. Alongside them were Lord Fredrick's four elder sisters and their daughters, all of whom sported Lady Aimsworth's strawberry-blonde hair. Catching my eye, my future mother-in-law waved me over to a chair adorned with a wreath of sprigs next to hers.

I ignored stares as I passed the various tables. I greeted everyone at the head table before settling into my seat between Viv and Lady Aimsworth.
"How are you feeling?" Lady Aimsworth asked.
"Hungry," I replied, loading my empty plate with fruit and cheese.

"What was it like meeting the Fae Prince?" Viv asked, and the table grew quiet while many ears strained to hear my answer.

"Don't speak of such things!" Lady Aimsworth scolded, peering past me to give my sister a stern look.

"Lady Aimsworth-"

"Please call me mother since I will be your mother after tonight."

"Mother-" I began, the words feeling foreign and wrong on my tongue. "-it's fine, I don't mind." I concealed my discomfort by offering Viv a mischievous grin. "He and his court were terrifying, just like the stories—with long ears, sharp teeth, and strange magic."

Viv's eyes grew wide. "And handsome?"
I recalled his tassels of auburn hair, mossy green eyes, and his arousal as I pressed against him.
What would have happened if I slipped my hand into his pants and...

I dug my fingers into my arm. Why was I thinking about that?

"I suppose," I replied, stabbing at a piece of fruit and shoving it into my mouth—sweet, cold juice splashed against my teeth.

A disturbance at the Great Hall's entrance drew my attention. A male servant was trying to prevent two girls, one blonde and the other brunette, with a small male child in her arms, from entering.

I stood as I recognized Winnie's siblings.
"Let them through!" I yelled, and a hush fell as I sank back into my seat.

The servant stepped aside, and Cassie rushed forward with Tula on her heels. Their green clothes made them stand out even more in the sea of white.

"Who's that?" Viv whispered beside me. I turned to her. She was looking at Cassie with a dreamy expression, the kind she usually wore when talking about her romance stories.

Cassie stopped before our table with Tula and Fergus right behind her.

"M'lady." Cassie curtsied. "Does your offer still stand to train your sister?" she asked, rising.
"No! No! I wanna go home!" the little boy wailed, attempting to grab at Tula's face, but she expertly dodged him like it was something she did often.
"Train me?" Viv mumbled, and I realized I had yet to inform my sister about hiring sparring partners for her.

"Yes, to brush up on your fighting skills. You aren't where I was your age," I explained before turning my attention back towards Cassie. "This is my sister you'll be training, Vivian," I gestured to Viv beside me.

"I need to make a change to that deal," Cassie said, chewing on the inside of her cheek, her image momentarily overlapping with that of her deceased brother and sister, who had the exact same habit. I felt a pang of grief. Last night, I hadn't processed that I had likely witnessed Winnie's horrific death, but now that her practical twin stood before me, it had returned to my mind.

"Could we discuss the details of your employment later?" I asked, lowering my voice as the room filled with low whispers, like rats scurrying into every corner, ready to infest the walls with wild rumors that could tarnish my reputation. Now, three children from the deep woods had barged into my maiden breakfast.
At least the Queen of Dalmar isn't here because of her illness.

"Sorry, m'lady, but I need to know if my brother, Fergus, can come live here too. Otherwise, we can't accept.

I eyed the little boy still grabbing at his sister. "He can't stay with your ma?"

Most of the servant's children lived outside the manor until they were old enough to work.
Cassie moved closer, placing her palms flat on the white tablecloth, and rocked forward, keeping her voice low. "Earlier this morning, what remained of Winnie showed up on our doorstep. Ma must've woken, found her, and decided she couldn't take no more because she hung herself from the rafters. We buried them both before first light."

My fingers found the scale and began to twist.
This was my fault. First their father and brother, then their sister and mother—all dead because of me.

Lady Aimsworth slapped her hand over her mouth in horror. Even though the rest of the table tried their best to look like they weren't eavesdropping on our conversation, I caught a few soft gasps and dabs around the eyes with handkerchiefs.

Tula looked at the ground as tears splattered at her feet. The little boy had stopped struggling and was now covering both ears while his gaze swung around the room with apprehension.
"That's so awful," Viv whispered.

"Yes, of course he can. I'm sorry for your loss," I said, swallowing my grief as I let the necklace go.
Cassie shrugged. "Surprised she didn't off herself sooner."

"Don't say that about Ma," Tula hissed.
I looked towards the exit. The servant who had tried to block their entrance earlier still lingered at the door.

"Claude!" I called to him, and he hurried forward, stopping behind the three children. "Take them to the servant quarters, find them beds, and feed them."