Victoria

Chapter 15

It was all a dream. No, not a dream; a nightmare. The cloaked people were not actually there. Rosalind never woke me up by screaming. In fact, even after my screaming and murmuring in the night, she did not awaken. She slept through all my moans that woke Felix. 

When Felix heard me screaming in my sleep, he looked into my mind and saw I was having a nightmare. He naturally shook me, but I did not wake up. That is when he carried me to the City Hall and told someone to look after Rosalind.  

The whole City Hall was in a dilemma of what was happening and Felix told them I had these before, but that I usually woke from them. 

So now that I am awake, the council has ordered me on tablets to help these nightmares go away. But the tablets are such nasty things to put into my mouth! They are made of crushed bee wings, grass, and powdered flower with a special mixture I cannot know what it is called. But Felix tells me it is something I do not want to know and that if he told me, I would never be able to eat again! Now I am worried in a sarcastic way. 

"You must leave so soon?" Ashland asks. Felix nods as he loads a bag onto the carriage. 

"Yes; I told my cousin we would arrive in Italy by next Thursday. It is already a week from now and we have so far to go." 

"Oh I guess you are right." She says. She walks to me and bends down to Rosalind who is on my hip and is now able to hold her head and back up by herself. Rosalind looks at Ashland and then quickly away as if saying, "Mommy, who is this person?" I laugh.  

"Alright..." Ashland says. She stands strait and then looks at me with a smile. "I do hope your journey will be safe. And hopefully safer than the last time you left here?"  

"Yes! I really hope we will actually be able to live somewhere for a long time." I say. Ashland sighs and for some reason looks sad.  

"I will pray you will live as long as you can and be safe. Best wishes, Evelyn." She says. She reaches out to me and hugs me. I am surprised by this, but I hug her back eagerly.  

When Felix, Rosalind and I are seated in the carriage, the driver (who is someone from my family) says Yah and we wheel forward. We reach the end of the woods and are hit by rain and wind. Typical Fambridge/ Harpet weather. 

I set Rosalind on my knees and hold her by her torso and bob her up and down. She smiles and laughs, even though she hasn't gotten her belly laugh yet so she sounds almost like a donkey. But a very cute donkey!  

Her cape that Ashland made for her is absolutely adorable on her. I lean in to Rosalind and kiss her on her nose. She does her donkey laugh and I laugh along with her. But Felix does not laugh.  

I look to Felix and his eyes are closed. My heart beat skips; oh come on Evelyn. I lean in to his chest and I hear his heart beat. I smile. He is finally getting rest, the poor soul.  

FOUR HOURS LATER 

In those four hours, Felix slept the whole time. But I was able to have perfect alone time with Rosalind. We, it seems hard to believe because she is not mine and she is a baby, actually bonded. She at one time leaned in to me and laid her head on my stomach with her sitting on my knees. She stayed there for five minutes, but it actually felt much longer than that. When I breathed, her head went up with every inhale, and down with each exhale. And then for a time we played with some toys that was lend to her from some of my family members. She was, in a way you could say, perfect. She thinks of me as her mother. And that to me is all I want.  

The carriage stops at an in so the driver can go to the restroom and Felix and I can walk around with Rosalind to stretch our legs. 

"I am glad you were able to get some rest. You needed it." I say. We are by the carriage, not wanting to go far.