Saving Her Duchy

The Family Secret

Echo zipped her suitcase closed and sat back with a sigh. She closed her eyes and took a breath in. Although she was an adult, her family had forbade her from leaving, wanting her to stay and be their maid forever.

She stood up and pushed her blue hair out of the way. Echo grabbed her suitcase and walked out of her room, dragging her suitcase behind her.

Her 'parents' was in the loungeroom, watching the news. They looked up, their eyes widening as they watched her open the front door.

"Where are you going?" Victoria, her mother, asked.

"I'm leaving this rotten house." Echo said.

Her father snorted and turned back to the television. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." He mumbled.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Echo said.

She closed the door behind her and walked down the path, pushing the gate open. Echo made her way to the hospital, where her friend, Ricki, was.

Five months ago, Ricki thought her adopted daughter, Penny, had died. One month ago, the adopted daughter had turned up, bleeding and starving. She collapsed on the front step of Ricki's house

Now, Penny is slowly recovering in the hospital.

Two weeks ago, Echo had expressed her frustrations with her family and that she needed to get away, but she didn't have any money or a place to stay. Ricki offered for Echo to stay with her.

Echo entered the hospital and walked to the receptionist, asking where Penny's room was. After the receptionist told her, she made her way to the room.

Ricki was sitting on a chair, asleep. Her curly red hair had fallen over her face, obscuring it. Echo stopped in the doorway and looked at her friend, sighing with a small smile.

Ricki's pregnancy was affecting Ricki badly, preventing her from working at her bakery due to back pain and giving her awful morning sickness. She had lost a bit of weight, which the doctor had warned will be fatal to the child.

Echo looked at the bed Penny was on. The poor thing looked so pale that she could be mistaken to be a vampire. Her short, brown hair now changed to whatever colour it felt like, and her appetite had changed significantly. Sometimes, the nurses would shoo Ricki out so Penny could eat, which was weird, but maybe Penny had gotten an eating disorder during her time away.

Penny was slowly eating, or more like poking at, a sandwich, which had a few bites in it. She looked up and smiled at Echo with her mouth closed.

"Hey." She whispered.

"Hi. Your mother looks exhausted." Echo said, sitting down on a chair next to Penny's bed.

"Yeah. Stayed up all week worrying about me." Penny said with a shrug and grabbed her sandwich, covering her mouth whilst taking a bite. "The doctor reckons the child has a fifty per cent chance of living during the labour."

Echo pursed her lips, humming. "I think she should've terminated the pregnancy."

Penny sighed. "Yeah, but the child's future is very clear. I have never seen a future that clear before."

"You do know she would be tormented by memories of the assault every time she looks at the kid?" Echo asked, and Penny nodded. "So why won't you let her terminate the pregnancy?"

"I honestly don't care if it works or not." Penny said with a shrug. "It's just that... I have a feeling it won't work."

"The termination?" Echo asked, and Penny nodded. "Ah. Why?"