Elwanda

Chapter 24 - Mysteries and a Trick

In no time, Elwanda grew accustomed to a new routine.

Every morning after dawn, Serine would await by the door, carrying freshly picked flowers and a basketful of bathing scents with her. Fylve was in charge of dressing and cosmetics (only when the latter was necessary). After a bath that was usually filled with light chattering and gossips, she would go back into her bedroom to have breakfast.

Alone.

As it turned out, the Steward never spent a single day nor night with her in their bedroom. In fact, after their last meeting, he never showed his face again.

Surely he was occupied with responsibilities - many of which concerned Alodie's health - yet it still ached to discover that on the those rare days when he was free, he stayed away on purpose. After craftily asking Phineas about it, she learned that he slept in his old bedroom instead, which was located on the same floor as Alodie's. In order to be able to speak to him, she had to go herself even though there was never the guarantee that he would agree to speak to or even see her.

It seemed as if his dislike for her suddenly soared, and he was bent on keeping the distance.

She was not very certain why, but she began to hurt each time he refused to see her.

Oftentimes, she glimpsed him from a distance. But he never was by himself. He was usually surrounded by councilmen or strange fellows she'd never seen before. Her maidservants informed her that he was speaking to emissaries, and ambassadors, and heralds from faraway kingdoms in place of Alodie as a result of the Advisor's condition.

"He's ladened with obligations at this time, my lady." Serine had comforted on one such occasions. "His attention is needed at almost every hour of the day, and there's the sick Advisor too."

"I understand." Elwanda had sighed, staring right at the Steward from her position on the balcony in the hopes that he would look up and catch her eye. But he'd walked farther and farther away, until he and his escorts turned a corner and were lost to sight.

A week passed.

Elwanda began to experience severe nightmares that she could not remember very much after waking.

On the third night of said recurring nightmares, she fell into another. It was more horrible than anything she had ever dreamed.

First, flashes of an unclear event.

Then, a grave disaster in the form of hail descending the skies.

Fires swallowing up a large town.

A woman and two boys.

In the dream, Elwanda was lost in the chaos. Scorching heat seized the atmosphere and burned her eyes til tears fell down each of them. Her worn-out clothes were burnt, hot and sticky, her nails blackened from contact with coals. She trudged in heavy steps through heaps of hot sand and soot, her lungs filling with the smell of brimstone and smoke. Her heart was pounding from sheer fright as her reddened eyes tore through the amber tinted surroundings in hasty search.

She realized that as she tried to speak, she belted out quivering sobs instead.

"Kieran?" Her voice was too low to carry past a few kilometres. "Kieran!"

She walked in tired limps, feeling heaviness wear down on her lower half. Until she fell to the ground, she did not realize her fingers were in the grasp of a small person.

"Mama?"

She turned and found herself staring into the face of a young boy, possibly around the age of five. He looked very much like she did - a victim of fire. Some parts of his hair had burnt off and his soot covered face was also bathed in tears.