Living in a marble castle does not mean life is a fairytale, for Annalise it is anything but. It all started with flash backs of the old castle burning to the ground but these flash backs become more violent and frequent leaving Lise questioning abo...
A sharp intake of breath A startling realization A moment of silence "You can't tell anyone." I plead. I'm sitting up now, my hair is a dishevelled mess, makeup is smeared all over my white pillows creating an abstract piece of art. Rhea stands up turning her back on me.
My stomach ties its self into tight knots, panic rises throughout my body. "Rhea please," I beg. My voice is horse and it drips with urgency, she stays still making me talk to her back. In this moment I feel completely hopeless, I drop my head into my hands, even though I sob vigorously no sound escapes me.
A warm touch stops my crying, I look up and Rhea pulls me into a gentle hug. Her body radiates with a light few posse. She strokes my hair and tells me to breathe. In 1 2 3 4 Out
Memories of Rhea float into my mind. She has been my personal maid for as long as I can remember but she's so much more than just my cleaning lady. When my mother passed Rhea was right there with me through all of it. She stayed when I wept in the night and when I smashed all the glass in my room. She put up with me when others would have turned away, she paid attention to me when I was shunned by my father. I need Rhea, Today And everyday But especially now. She took my face in her hands and dried away my tears. "Annalise," She whispers,"I've always known." I stutter as I speak, "How?"
She takes both of my hand and speaks "It's been written in your face for months, besides I wouldn't be a very good maid if I didn't catch on to these types of things." I've never really looked at Rhea before, I mean really look at her. She's over fifty at the least, her hair is sun coloured and tucked into a blue headband. Her face is worn by the winds of time but her smile is unbreakable.
Squeezing her hands I ask a question that could break me "Will you tell anyone." I can't handle looking her in the eyes so I drop my gaze to our hands.
She squeezes back and reply's "Lise who do you think I am, every girl needs a confidant and with your mother gone, I'm all you got. I know Joels here for here too, but he's just as naive as yourself." I leap up and crush her into a hug, the embrace fills me with relief. "Thank you, oh Rhea, thank god I have you." She tucked a rouge tuft of hair behind my ear. "Let's get you cleaned up, tear stains will puff up your eyes."
I nod and take her hand as she leads me into the dressing room, she hands me a thin red robe and leaves to start a bath. When she returns I'm ushered into the bathroom and I sink into the steaming water.She takes a cloth and cleans off the make up she spent hours putting on. Rhea uses a lavender shampoo to wash away the pain of tonight leaving me feeling slightly better.
After exiting the bath I slip into plaid pyjamas and meet Rhea in my bedroom. She had changed the soiled sheets and replaced them with fresh ones the colour of midnight blue.
"I don't deserve you, Rhea. Go to your quarters and take tomorrow off." "Only if your sure miss." She replies. I nod and with that, she gives me a quick curtsy and heads towards the door. "Good night Annalise." "Good night Rhea." I sniffed. There was a click indicating the door had been shut and I was for the first time all night, alone.
After falling under the thick duvet I close my eyes and fall into a restless slumber. *********************************** Early the next morning just before sunrise a knock sounds from a window facing the main garden. I leap out of bed and throw open the panes knowing Joel will be waiting for me on the other side.
"I can't stay long." Is the first thing he says. I scold him in return "You don't know how long I've been waiting for you."
"Your little party created a lot of work for me you know." He smiles and reaches out to tug on my ear, a little gesture we made up to use when making a joke.
"What am I going to do?" Joel turns away from me and doesn't reply. "I don't think you can get out of this one." He says breaking the silence. In the time I've known Joel he has never given up on anything, he's always been so full of jovial spirit and hope. His words of defeat shatter my already broken heart.
" I can't leave the castle Joel, I can't leave you." I falter. A tear runs free down my cheek. Joel breaks the barrier between the outside and in and wipes my tear away.
" I know Lise, but the weddings not until the spring." He leans in and laughs, "We've been friends since I met you eight years ago, I'm not going to throw that away because you're gone." "I love you, Joel."
"You to Lise." The sun rises quickly which means Joel had to climb back down to the ground without being spotted. Once he's gone I shut the window and stare into the barely smouldering fireplace.
Outsiders may have looked into that conversation thinking we were star-crossed lovers but I could never look at Joel like that. When Rhea arrives at my door I try to send her away but it's evident I lost the battle seeing how she's found her way in.As she's getting me ready for another unbearable day, I know that it could be a lot worse if I didn't have Joel and Rhea to support me, even if it's in the shadows.
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Hey guys, here's an extra long chapter to start the new year off on a high note. I hope you enjoy. A reader commented in an earlier chapter and gave me some great advice to shorten my paragraph. Tell me in the comments if you think this is any better. Anyways thanks for reading and enjoy the rest!
