Marmalade's Love Potion

Chapter 15 - Recovery - Part 2

A day later, Penelope overheard an argument between the Sisters. Marmalade had taken Marmot on a venture to the Faewood. Steph was dozing by the fire, and Penelope had crept up the stairs to fetch a sketchbook from her room, intending to draw designs for their ball gowns. Keeping her footsteps light so as to avoid disturbing Steph with the creaking of wood, she paused on the landing when she heard sharp voices carry through from the Sisters' bedroom.

"—don't like it, Heels. The whole thing feels off. Maybe we shouldn't let her go—"

"We can't keep her from going if she wants to, you know how much she wants to see her parents again. How excited she is for this ball."

"I know, it's just, what we saw with the Grimwood Rangers and the forest... you weren't there, love. It was... sinister. Unnatural." There was a pause before Sister Rosin spoke again, voice resolute. "I don't want her to have anything to do with them. Grimwood, or their Rangers, or their creepy Royal family... I don't want her near them."

"I know, I understand, I do, but—"

"I know," Sister Rosin grumbled. "I know she's not ours, I know it's not our choice, I just wish—"

"I know, me too."

The voices faded, replaced by the sound of soft kisses, and Penelope stole back down the stairs towards the kitchen. She sat heavily in a chair, pressing the heels of her palms to her eyes to hold back her tears.

She loathed causing the Sisters so much stress when she wasn't even theirs. If they hadn't had to take care of her, raise her in the isolated forest, would they have had a family of their own? A family unburdened by blind sacrifices? Penelope felt a deep and familiar ache in her chest, the feeling that she didn't deserve them. They certainly didn't deserve the grief she caused.

"Hey." Steph's voice was gentle as he eased into the seat across from Penelope, a thick knitted blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

Penelope smiled at him, brushing at the few tears that had escaped.

"What's wrong?" Steph's brow was knitted with concern.

"I just... I'm not sure what I should do now." Penelope huffed, her thoughts a tangle of conflict. At Steph's puzzled look, she elaborated.

"The Sisters... they're worried about me going to the Dark Moon Ball in Grimwood, after everything we saw in the forest..." Penelope trailed off with a sigh as Steph winced. "They want me to be distant from it all. And I don't blame them. In a way, I want to keep away, too. But I also want to know what's going on, what those Rangers and their Prince were doing. It was so awful, the forest was so... wounded."

Steph frowned at a knot in the wood. "What do you mean... wounded? I rather thought it had done the wounding." Steph breathed a shaky laugh.

Penelope winced at the twinge of guilt in her chest. "I'm sorry, Steph. I'm so sorry you were hurt. The forest, it... it's like it was lashing out. It was furious and so... so sad. I've never felt a sadness like that before." Penelope fell quiet, recalling the wild storm of feeling with a shudder. "It's like the woods were acting in retaliation for what those Rangers had done and picked an innocent target instead... It wasn't fair to you."

Steph was quiet for long moments, digesting her words. "The forest listened to you," he said at last. "Marmalade told me what happened. How you, I don't know, shouted at the forest and made it heal me?"

Penelope quirked her lips in a grimace. "I usually ask nicely for what I need, but I'd say the occasion called for a bit of a shout."

Steph grinned, the corners of his eyes creasing. "I can't thank you enough. It's amazing, what you did. The forest doesn't even listen to Marmalade quite like that. At least, the way she tells it. But it listened to you..." Steph looked at her with awe. Penelope felt her cheeks heat under his gaze.