Ambivalent

Chapter 3

(Announcement: Orick is now Orban, apologies for any confusion)

A tall, graceful woman danced around her bedroom, getting ready bit by bit – her open green dress spinning and flowing behind her as she did. She pulled the top part of her hair – set in many uneven, voluminous twists – behind her head and tied it in one, leaving the twists by the back of her neck hanging. After tying the corset of her dress up on the side and slipping her feet into her sandals, Giselle wrapped her mottled red scarf around her neck. The discolored red adding a splash of contrast to her coco skin and green dress.

As if it contained a piece of Axel in it, she nestled her face in the scarf and sighed. She recalled how the last time had seen him, his hands were blood-red from dying the scarf, the memory associated with the cloth was more valuable than any material or color. Lingering on the scent of coffee and cinnamon, Selle stood as if frozen in time.

An encounter with Orban that early in the morning – like the scent of a dead rat outside a kitchen – threw off her routine, but Axel's scent had a way of setting things right. Maybe I should check the rest of his clothes, she thought to herself, then deciding that seemed a little creepy she went back to getting ready. Selle dusted off the sheets of her bed and made it up; knowing Axel would like his room to be in order, she made sure to also stack up the sheets of papers she was working on last night. Giselle had combed through tax records, business reports, and letters from council members last night, trying to catch up on all town affairs. Determined to run the town perfectly, she would make sure to crack down on all issues she found.

She looked at herself in the mirror, a small one made of black glass no bigger than her hand – a gift from her husband. The image quality was so much better than other mirrors she had used in the past – it made her shudder to think of the cost. Selle headed down the stairs and briefly paused by the main room – hoping in vain to meet Axel's awestruck gaze, she hated it when he was gone. she muttered, exiting the house, "I hate it even more when I can't think of anything else but him being gone either."

The streets of Sapphire were still damp from yesterday's shower, but the noon sun pulled the water into the air. Thin wisps of vapor danced above the cobbled sidewalks and the light danced with them. In the residential district, clothes were set on lines between the top floors of buildings, casting frequent small shadows down on pedestrians. While the women managed the houses, children ran up and down the street, playing a game with a ball – bouncing it back and forth using their legs, chest, and head.

Giselle stopped and watched for a while, recalling scenes from her childhood. As her gaze passed over the district – looking for any repairs that needed to be made – it fell on a single vendor. He was selling sweets and small toys to the children. The man was short and had untamed, densely curled, brown hair on his head. Begrudgingly, Selle approached him,

"Good afternoon, sir, how are you doing?"

He looked at her, up and down – and then up again, "Plenty better now baby, what can I for you?" His accent was thick, and he smelled of burnt sugar and sweat. Mentally, she rolled her eyes at the man's lingering gaze and continued,

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid you can't set up a stand in a residential area."

His expression changed from hunger and pleasantry to reproach in an instant, "Ah? who are you to tell me where I can and can't sell my goods!?" His accent became more noticeable, his Rs were barely audible, and he stressed the words 'you' and 'can't'.

Taking a deep breath before continuing, "It is a residential area, you'll have to move to the market-"

The man sucked his teeth, "Woman, leave from round here, you're disturbing the children."