𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝑶𝒇 𝑳𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 ~ 𝑊𝑎𝑙𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑎 𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑘

chapter two

Novembre 1941,

Walburga holds her breath as Lisbeth, the maid, tightens her corset and she places a hand on her stomach, trying not to faint under all this oppression. She hates these kinds of events that serve to expose herself. She remains straight as she was taught, but her face is neither ice nor stone. Her eyes express what she feels which tends to annoy her parents who do not hesitate to let her know, but Walburga can't help it, her pure heart is only here to see the world and its beauty.

Growing up in this family should have broken her long ago, made her as icy and cruel as her peers, but her purity has always managed to survive in the midst of darkness. She hides many things because she is not crazy, she knows that she still has to make her family accept her. Prunella, the house elf, enters the room before bending down in a curtsy so low that the tip of her nose bends on the floor and Walburga holds back a smile. Lisbeth puts the black, puffy dress on her before tightening it too. Walburga grits her teeth and stands straight.

"Miss Black," Lisbeth says, "I’m sorry, I forgot to take the pins to tighten it at the waist."

"That’s not a problem," she replies. "My parents are not going to bury their noses in my dress."

Lisbeth is a slave, that’s how Walburga sees it, because her parents treat her just like one, but she makes sure to make her understand that blood doesn’t count, it’s the heart that’s important.

"Prunella, lie down, I’ll apply the paste."

"Mistress Walburga must get ready for her birthday."

"Look," replies Walburga. "I'm already ready. You need care so no discussion and lie down."

The elf obeys. She was whipped that very morning by Walburga's father and she blames herself because she didn't move to help her. She thanks Lisbeth who leaves the room and she grabs the mixture before kneeling on the floor. The creature's back is horrible and she suppresses a retch.

"Kreacher is an idiot," she mumbles. "I'm sorry that because of him, you had to suffer my father's wrath."

"Mistress Walburga is much too nice," says the little elf.

Walburga hates Kreacher, she is sure that he did it on purpose to push Prunella so that she would knock over the dishes. He tries to be the only elf in the house and she spends her time glaring at him with her deep, dark eyes. She applies the green paste and spreads it on the creature's lacerated skin before massaging it a little. She hopes that it will relieve her for the evening because these kinds of events are rather harsh for elves.

"Here," she says, "normally, you should feel the effects right away, Prunella."

The creature gets up and keeps thanking her while bending over, but Walburga dismisses all this protocol with a wave of her hand. She doesn't want thanks, she just wants the elf to stop suffering. Lisbeth then knocks on the door and her voice rises in the silence of the room.

"Miss Walburga," she says, "the guests have all arrived, it's time to make your entrance."

Walburga takes a deep breath, celebrating her sixteenth birthday doesn't enchant her, she's going to have to go through the hundred guests, hold a discussion, not be able to refuse an invitation to the dance and hear all these people say how pure blood is the best.

"I'm ready Lisbeth," she says.

She takes another breath, having bent down to take care of Prunella in this dress has taken her breath away, however, she remains straight and opens the door, letting the elf slip away. She follows the servant in the long corridors then she stops at the top of the stairs, hidden while Lisbeth goes back down to whisper to her father that Walburga is ready.