The Marí

Part 29

A soft knock pierced the silence, dragging me from my thoughts. "Come in," I called, the weight of my despair still pressing heavily on my chest.
"Mi lady," came Claire's voice, gentle yet bright.
"That was quick," I muttered, forcing myself to sit up, though the heaviness in my limbs remained. Claire's smile was almost infectious, her tone warm with a hint of mischief. "We don't waste time here, mi lady." My gaze wandered lazily to the figures standing just beyond the door, my eyes narrowing slightly as they landed on a familiar face. "Liz..." I mumbled, the name slipping from my lips before I could stop it.
"Good afternoon, my lady. My name is Alithaliz Monique Devague, and I have been assigned as your governess. It is an honor to serve you," she said, her voice smooth as velvet, dipping into a low bow. I blinked, trying to mask the surge of emotions that swept through me. Surprise? Disappointment? A dull frustration settled in my chest as I processed her presence. Of all the people in the world, why would he choose Lizzy? The thought twisted in my mind, raising questions that weighed heavily on my already troubled thoughts. This was certainly not a coincidence. Yet, a sense of relief surfaced despite her strange, otherworldly demeanor. Dr. Liz was someone I knew-someone whose presence brought an odd sense of comfort to this unfamiliar place. She had always been a little mysterious, a little spooky, but there was a connection between us, a thread that tied us together in a way I couldn't easily explain.
"So....Monique, huh?" I teased, clearing my throat with exaggerated mockery, a playful smirk tugging at my lips. I watched as she clenched her jaw, the annoyance flickering across her usually composed face.
"I'd prefer to be called Liz-or rather, Lizzy," she replied with a charming smile, though her tone held a hint of defiance.
"Well, I'd rather not," I shot back lightly, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and dragging my feet off the floor, trying to keep the mood as light as I could.
I turned to Claire, offering a subtle nod that signaled her to leave us alone. She responded with a slight bow and slipped out of the room. The moment the door clicked shut, Dr. Liz's formal demeanor faded like a mask falling away.
"Seriously, Merald? Monique?" she burst out, a flash of irritation crossing her face as she threw herself onto the bed, her movements far from graceful.
I arched an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at my lips. "From what I remember, Miss Governess, we were never quite close enough for you to be this... comfortable. Is this what you meant when you said you'd check on me later?" My tone carried a hint of teasing curiosity. Liz rolled her eyes, adjusting herself as she sprawled across the bed, our gazes locking like two old friends sharing a moment of unspoken understanding.
"Back then, I was just Dr. Liz to you," she said, her voice softer now as she settled in beside me. "But things are different now. I'm more than that-I'm your mother's sister, your friend, and now, your governess. And as your governess, I challenge you to figure out what's really going on with you," she added, her tone tinged with a mix of earnestness and a steady warmth as she caressed my chin.
"Exactly," I snapped, the frustration surging through me. "Every time we meet, you give me half-truths. You warn me, you heal me, but you never reveal who I should really be running from or who my true opponent is." I sat up straighter, the anger boiling just beneath the surface. "It feels hypocritical, Liz," I said, my voice sharp. "You're keeping something vital from me when I need the whole truth more than anything." I exhaled, the words a relief to finally voice.
"Mer...ald..." she drawled, a teasing note in her tone. "I promised I wouldn't say too much until you figured it out for yourself." She matched my intensity, sitting up and holding my gaze with an almost playful seriousness.
"But I have no one here!" I burst out, my emotions spilling over. "I'm so far from home. I don't know if Father is even coming for me. I feel like I have no one to trust and nowhere to turn. I'm confused, and I'm hurting. So if you're not going to help me, then just stop pretending you care and stick to being my governess." My voice cracked as I spoke, tears threatening to spill from my eyes, fueled by a mix of frustration and desperation. For a moment, the room fell into a tense silence, the air thick with the weight of what I'd just asked. Liz's face softened, a flicker of something vulnerable crossing her features before she covered it with her usual aloofness. She exhaled slowly, leaning back as if shedding a heavy burden. It was the kind of sigh that comes when you're about to say something that can't be taken back.
"I wish I could give you all the answers, Merald. But some truths ... they're not mine to share. You're stronger than you know, and maybe it's time you started trusting in that strength." Her words made my throat tighten, the knot inside me twisting even more. There was a sincerity in her gaze that tugged at me, even as her answer only added to the storm of questions raging in my mind. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to hold her gaze.  "Then tell me one thing," I whispered, trying to mask the desperation in my voice. "Who are these people? What do they want from me? Please, Liz, let me trust you.".
"Alright," she said, a note of resignation in hers. Her eyes held mine, her expression serious in a way that made my pulse quicken. "But you need to understand-once I tell you this, you can't let it get to Morpheus." Her words settled like lead in my chest, a finality that made my breath catch. She reached out, her hands taking mine, her grip warm and grounding. When her thumb brushed a tear from my cheek, I realized I'd been crying. There was a gentleness to her touch that contrasted sharply with the gravity of her words. "There's no turning back now," she added, her voice barely above a whisper, as if the room itself was listening in.  The shadows around shift, the dim light bending strangely against the old walls. Her gaze grew distant, as if she were seeing beyond the room, into a place that existed on the edge of memory. "In the deepest part of brushtn lies a realm called Marihíni," she began, her voice carrying an almost reverent tone, It reminded me of childhood stories-tales of the unbarred lands and creatures that thrived in the dark corners of the world. "A land where ancient secrets still breathe, where reality blurs with myth. Marihíni has stood since before our ancestors took their first steps, before human eyes ever saw the sun's light. It's a place where the boundaries between worlds are thin, where the stories you've heard in whispers come to life." I stared at her, trying to grasp the enormity of her words but she pressed on, each sentence heavier than the last.
"Long ago, under a sky where moonlight met the sun's dying light, a creature was born-The Marí. He was the child of Selena, goddess of the moon, and her lover, Helios, the sun god. They crafted him from stardust and shadows, a being who embodied both their powers. But their love was fraught with turmoil, and The Marí became the vessel of their shared curse." I could feel my pulse quicken, the blood rushing in my ears. Her words painted vivid images-of gods and beasts, curses that rippled through time. It sounded impossible, like a story spun to entertain restless children. But the look in Liz's eyes... it was too real, too haunted.
"He could shift between man and beast," she continued, her voice tinged with a quiet reverence. "A power granted by Selena's moonlight. But Helios marked him with a different kind of curse-one that filled him with unending lust, hunger, a yearning he could never escape. He wandered Marihíni for centuries, changing shape like a shadow slipping through the woods. He watched as kingdoms rose and fell, as the world forgot the name they once called him-Selios. Yet he remains, a relic of an age when gods danced across the sky." Liz paused, her eyes searching mine, as if looking for any sign that I might be ready to hear what came next. But all I could do was stare, my mouth dry, my thoughts stumbling over themselves. Part of me wanted to laugh, to dismiss it all as some elaborate joke. But the truth lingered in the way her voice shook, in the shadows that seemed to close in tighter around us.
"Selena's love for Helios was fierce, but it was also full of sorrow. She couldn't bear to see their creation-the embodiment of their love-lost and alone. So she created Alina, a woman who would be Selios' perfect mate. She crafted her from her own longing, from a desire for a love that could last." I felt a chill slide down my spine as she spoke. The story seeped into me like a dream, the kind that leaves you questioning what's real. Liz's voice softened, the sadness in it settling deep in my chest.
"Together, Selios and Alina became more than just a pair-they became the beginning. They were the first, the originals, and from them came the werewolves. They spread across the world, carrying with them a piece of Selena's magic and Marihíni thrived-creatures of all kinds drawn to the power that Selios and Alina wielded. Shapeshifters, witches, healers, and beings of every kind, all bound to this place where time runs differently." She fell silent, and the room seemed to exhale with her, the shadows shifting back into place. I could hear the beat of my own heart, the pulse of it a dull roar in my ears. I shook my head, the weight of her words pressing down on me. 
"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "That's not... it can't be real." But even as I said it, I felt a twist deep inside-a sense that something had twisted, like a door creaking open in the darkest part of my mind. I could feel it, this strange connection to the story, as if some part of me had been waiting to hear it all along. A tremor ran through me, and I wrapped my arms around myself, as if I could hold myself together.
"What does this have to do with me?" I asked, my voice cracking, desperation seeping through. "Why are you telling me this, Liz?" She looked at me, her gaze so steady it was almost painful. Her silence stretched, each second dragging out until it felt like the air itself might snap under the tension. When she finally spoke, there was a note of pity in her voice that made my stomach churn.
"You belong to Morpheus," she said, the name hanging between us like a shadow. "You are just as Alina was to Selios" Her words struck me like a physical blow, and I felt the room spin. Cold seeped into my bones, fear curling tight around my ribs. The name she spoke felt like an incantation, a truth that I wanted desperately to deny. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate to steady my breathing as the world shifted beneath me. The shadows seemed to lean in closer, listening, waiting for me to break apart.
"Stay with me, Merald," Liz said, her grip firm as she held my arms. "Deep breaths."
"Are you okay?" she asked wearily, her concern evident.
How could anyone be okay after everything I just heard? "Yes," I replied, forcing the words out and trying to appear calm despite the storm raging inside me.
"I guess your duty has already begun governess" I teased, waving off the weight of the moment.  "No.....no, you're not okay," she concluded, pulling me into a hug that I desperately needed. I melted against her, allowing myself a moment of vulnerability. A knock on the door startled us, and we quickly pulled apart. I wiped my face hurriedly, pulling the quilt over me as Liz scrambled to sit at the vanity, pretending to adjust her hair.
"Mi'lady," Claire chirped, entering with a tray of tea and biscuits.
"Uummmh," I answered, yawning theatrically to feign exhaustion, our gazes locking momentarily.
She set the tray gently on the dresser. "I thought you'd like some time to relax. It's already noon, and the ball is almost upon us," she added, humming as she tried to coax me out of bed.
I glanced at Liz, who wore a composed expression, her eyes betraying nothing.
"I guess I'll take my leave now. I'll see you tomorrow, mi'lady," Liz said, bowing slightly as she prepared to go.
"Wait!" I called out, the urgency spilling from my lips. "Would you mind being my chaperone for tonight? I'd like Claire to take some time to herself."
Liz's face lit up, a genuine smile breaking through her earlier concern. "That would be my pleasure, mi'lady," she replied, her joy palpable. I smiled back, warmth spreading through me, with Liz by my side I was more than reassured the night would turnout perfectly or so I thought.