Home for the Few - The Awakening of the Silenced Ⅰ

XV. The maids.

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   Kaira walked through the shadows of the hallway, the light of dawn filtering through the colored glass. All of Serendipity was under a blanket of blue light, while the birds sang announcing a new day. The full moon refused to leave, it still shone above their heads.
   The maids and some guards were the only ones awake in the castle. They ran around silently, polishing details, enjoying their favorite time of day: when everyone was asleep and they seemed to have the castle to themselves. The guards struggled not to fall asleep standing up, anxiously waiting for six in the morning to strike and their companions to come and replace them.

   The Princess went down the stairs, headed to the back door of the castle where the stables were. She threw her heavy coat over her shoulders and went out, with a book in one hand and a red apple in the other. The breeze ruffled her greenish bangs and froze her nose, snow began to settle on her shoulders as she walked down the stone path. Two maids were clearing the snow with rough brushes and shovels. They greeted her with a smile, surprised to see her so early, she usually stopped by after every meal.

   She entered the stables, closing the doors behind her. The horses watched her pass, bored, while her steps echoed on the wooden planks. At the end of the building, a compartment had its wooden walls filled with childish drawings made by a younger Kaira, with a brush and her mother's paints. The Princess did not remember what had happened next, but she was sure that her mother had given her one of her lessons.

   Angus neighed, eager to see her. A huge smile appeared on Kaira's face, as she did every morning and hugged him.

   "Hello, mate," she said in a sweet whisper, as she handed him the apple. He sniffed at her and gently took the fruit. While chewing, he gently nudged the young girl with his head, as a sign of affection.

   Kaira laughed, and began to stroke him gently.

   Camila entered the stable, with a bucket of water and a brush. When she saw the Princess, she stopped, bowed, and waited, not knowing what to do. Kaira watched her, turning to her, happy to have found her.

   "You... you have learned to read, right?" she said softly. Camila's rosy cheeks automatically turned fuchsia. Her huge blue eyes expressed terror. The Princess waited for an answer, but when she didn't receive one, she continued: "How did you learn?... you can tell me, don't worry."

   "I always... hid when they gave you lessons..." Camila remembered that first book she had stolen: "Eternal Petrichor." She dreamed of living such a sweet story. She felt like she was in a storm, but she had not yet found a grey cloud to accompany her on the journey. "I used to practiced in the library, at night."

   The Princess approached her with a sweet look. Remembering all the times she had found the maiden with one of the books that Kaira had written in her hand, she ended up giving her one: "The Emperor's Clothes." The story that the girl had written told how an evil emperor wanted to wear huge, heavy suits to show off his wealth to his people who barely had rags to wear. The story ended with his death, a flood soaked his suit. The weight was so much that his own greed sank him to the bottom... She also remembered all the times she bumped into Camila in the hallways, on the way to the kitchen to look for sweets for Lilith, or when she returned from her adventures.

   They had shared a childhood, raised together by Zervus. They ran through the hallways, played hide-and-seek in the private garden, sneaked into the kitchens and believed that they would never be separated. This continued until Lorenza decided she couldn't be raised with the crowd, ordered Camila to go to work immediately and filled Kaira's days with classes for young ladies. Threatening to kick Camila out of the castle if her orders weren't followed.

   Both of their hearts broke. Lorenza organized her days in such a way, taking advantage of the castle's vastness, that they simply stopped seeing each other. Zervus didn't give up, she waited until Lorenza focused on something else and entrusted Camila with the task of taking care of Angus, while promising both of them that when Kaira got married, she would make her the head maid of this one.

   However, time passed until only memories of this affection remained. Life continued on its course and there was nothing to do, they became strangers, breaking Zervus' heart.

   Their accidental nightly encounters began to break the ice little by little. However, neither dared to make the first move, even though they longed for it more than anything. They both kept each other's secrets, knowing that they would never give each other away.

   She gently took the bucket and brush from her hand, then placed them on the floor. The touch of their hands felt uncomfortable, but Camila was dying to hold her. Her voice shaking from the overwhelming memories of her childhood and what her life could have been like, Kaira whispered:

   "No one can find out that you have learned by yourself, you know that." The young woman nodded vigorously, without understanding much of what was happening. Kaira wanted to continue, but the mere thought of what she was going to say broke her heart. Her eyes filled with tears, she sighed laughing as she gathered her courage. "Otherwise, they will burn you at the stake... But we can change that." In her trembling hands she placed the book that Lilith had given her, about the Forgotten Goddesses. With its purple leather cover, black pages, no title, only the Moon painted in gold.

   Camila caressed the heavy book, it felt light to her. Her hands seemed to fit perfectly with the leather and the golden Moon gave off a sparkle. For her part, Kaira felt the sensation of déjà vu flooding her body. It felt right, her thoughts synchronized: they had been born for that moment, things could not be any other way.

   The most forbidden text of all, the most dangerous to possess and the most dangerous for Sauro. Saved from the burning of libraries during the Second Era, by a young woman who sacrificed her life by entering the flames, taking a book at random and fleeing. Her body wrapped in flames reached the great pine forest. They found her charred corpse, but with no trace of the forbidden pages. In that book was what was necessary to recruit the maidens in the fight. Kaira had no doubts, she knew they would feel it... that moonlight that seemed to whisper things to them, guiding them to freedom. Waking them up.

   "Here, read it for the others in the safety of the night," Kaira implored. "Help them know the truth."

   Camila was afraid, but at last she took it firmly, smiling and nodding slowly. She would show Zervus that her fantasies of freedom were much more than that, they could become reality. Desires of being free that had been born when she lost Kaira. From that moment on, little Camila was certain that things had to change, this only increased when the holes in the story became more and more evident to her when reading the private collection of books of the royal family.  Her family, the other maids, did not want to hear anything about it. That book would change everything.

   If the legends were true, they could give power back to the Forgotten Goddesses, forcing everyone to remember them. Camila would not disappoint the Princess, every night she would teach the story to all the maids. Soon, they would all remember them.

   They watched each other in silence, the urge to say something but with nothing to express. The need to hug a stranger. The uncontrollable desire to turn back time, for things to be different, life to be more fair. And their different destinies.

   With a lump in her throat, Kaira said goodbye once again, without a word. She kissed Angus and left, even though riding through the White Pine Forest was what she needed most. On the way to her room she thought about the maids: "they are the key," she repeated to herself.

   Once she was alone, tears began to fall down Camila's cheeks. She ignored them, and continued with her life as she had done when she was little.

   An ancient book, given to the right person. A small interaction between two connected souls. An inevitable action, the result of a Kaira thirsty for adventure sailing towards Verum, where she would meet Lilith. Small moments that would bring them here.

   Camila lovingly brushed the steed's hair, not knowing that her life had changed forever. Making awakening something inevitable, and her destiny... something different than she imagined.

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