Bride Of The Shadows

Chapter 4: Funny thoughts

Some hours later in the day, The Queen, Blair sat in the gallery along with her friend, Agnes. The maid was over the table, pouring brewed tea into the cups while her mate served cookies for refreshments, they bowed their heads and turned on their heels to leave the room, to give the women space.
Along with Agnes, was Celeste, her very own daughter with Alex.
The beautiful child had arrived after a year when Blair had conceived.
Celeste was the complete opposite of her parents' nature, while her mother was quiet and peaceful, the little girl was quite talkative, and spoke words the way she thought of them. But she was kind and beautiful, also demure. She was similar to a butterfly, always hovering around without staying on just one flower.
"Why don't I introduce Hermione to you, you two can make great friends?" Blair's eyes landed on the little girl who was beside Agnes, she was gently sipping her tea and looking around with a bright smile on her face.
When she heard the Queen speaking to her, she immediately turned focused, "You have a daughter? That'll be great, I love making friends"
Her lips widened.
Celeste felt someone bore a hole into her, and her head revolved to the side to see her mother glaring daggers at her, "What might be wrong, Mother?" She pouted her lips, wanting to act cute to avoid getting reprimanded. Oh, she disliked it when her mother raised her voice at her. Even Papa had tried to calm her down but Agnes wouldn't listen.

Celeste grinned inwardly, that she could escape her mother's fierce clutches for the main time till school resumed.
"How many times do I have to tell you that, a proper lady doesn't raise her voice and misbehave!?" Her eyebrows furrowed, she had turned on her seat and her sitting position was unlike before.
"You are doing the same mother, your voice is loud" She silently whispered, with a lowered head.
Although the little girl spoke subtly, Agnes heard it loud and clear and she shrieked, "What did you say?"
Blair interposed right at that moment, she placed her hand on her friend's arm, "It's alright Agnes" Her other hand covered her lips to stifle her laughter. Celeste hadn't been wrong. It was true that Agnes's voice had raised higher and she must be ashamed to be corrected by her daughter and was trying to scold the girl for it.
"You- Are you laughing also?" Agnes stared at her friend, whose cheeks had turned red, and the tip of her nose. The smile was contagious, Agnes felt a smile tickling at the corner of her lips.
Back to the young lady's question, "Yes, I do have a daughter. And she is Hermione, you might like her" Blair said. A maid was sent to call the princess from her bedchamber to join the women in the gallery at once.
Agnes and Blair resumed talking, while Celeste waited in anticipation for her new friend. Oh, she is going to love me! She thought inwardly. Celeste hoped that she would be able to spend a long time here with these people.
Blair seemed nice to her and she could guess already that her daughter would just be the same. She cosseted with the hem of her dress, her eyes twinkling in mirth as she earnestly watched the door, hoping for when it would burst open and she would see a dashing princess emerging from the door.

Blair watched her from the corner of her eyes and she sighed inwardly, perhaps this was what she needed to make Hermione better. She needed a good influence on her daughter.
After what seemed like an eternity, the door went open and a pallid-faced princess emerged from the door. She was not what Celeste was hoping for.
Celeste's eyes took in the princess's appearance, scrutinizing her from head to toe and a look of disappointment washed over her.
Blair saw this and was down-hearted, her only hope was crushed right before her eyes. But she wasn't going to give up on Hermione, the little one would become better soon, if not now, later.
Hermione stood rooted to the ground, her body trembling as if the weather was too cold when it was just the right temperature, her head was lowered, her eyes looking at the marble tiles as she walked past them. She stood beside her mother, whom she was familiar with, and then innocently looked at the two strangers sitting across from her mother, their eyes pairing down at her. She felt sick.
"Hermione. This is Aunt Agnes" Blair began to regard her friend to her daughter.
Hermione bowed her head gently.
"Ah. Such a cutie, come here" Agnes beckoned. Wearing a friendly smile so that she wouldn't shoo the girl who was looking 'dead' , away.
Hermione hesitated. No, she didn't even want to go when she was told to come. She only wanted to remain with her mother whom she was familiar with, not the people in front of her.
They reminded her of vultures, the ones she painted in her papers. Dark hair and violet eyes. She was scared. She didn't want to go. Any minute, their beaks would pop out, she thought to herself. Her heart began to pound, and sweat beads appeared on her face.

Blair gently placed her hand on her shoulder and Hermione shook,
"Sweetheart, Aunt Agnes is waiting for you" She gave her daughter a slight push.
Hermione took some steps forward and then turned to her mother. Blair winked at her. 'You're doing fine' She mouthed to her baby girl.
She nodded subtly. Eventually, she approached Agnes who waited patiently for her. She hugged the girl.
"And this is Celeste. Aunt Agnes's daughter" Blair continued to introduce her to them.
Hermione's gaze shifted to Celeste, who was sitting, she gently walked over to meet her just like she had done to Aunt Agnes. She was surprised when the girl brought out her hand for a shake, rather than squeezing her like her mother had done. "Hi, I'm Celeste. Are you a mute?" She blurted.
"What the hell!" It was Agnes who screamed from where she sat, her piercing voice frightened Hermione and she rushed back to her mother, yanking her hands away from Celeste's.
The Aunt had gone crazy, she thought. One minute, she was all smiley, and now she was looking like a vulture, a real one.
"What did I tell you about thinking before you speak!?" Hermione watched
Agnes reprimanding her daughter.
"B-but I did nothing wrong. I only asked the obvious" She countered.
"Don't you dare talk back to me!"
Blair caressed Hermione's hair with a saddened look, she tried to stop the two from bickering. Not wanting to be the cause of Agnes getting mad at her daughter. "It's fine, please stop"
"No, nothing is fine. That was rude of her"

"It's okay Agnes. I am not offended, even Hermione isn't" She spoke and then glanced at her daughter, Hermione nodded. Also wanting them to stop bickering.
"I. I a-am not" Her soft voice reached their ears and they both stopped.