Love Untouched

Better Understanding

            Bellezza takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. It doesn’t take long for the memory of that night to resurface. “My mother met my father when she was barely seventeen. They fell in love and, as most young couples in love do, they fooled around. Well such fooling around caused my mother to become pregnant with my older brother, Teddy.”

            ‘How could you do something so careless and irresponsible?’ Vita’s mother asks her. She shrugs and keeps her gaze down as her mother paces back and forth in front of her. ‘You can’t have a child out of wedlock! What will the people think?’ She looks her daughter square in the eyes and glowers. ‘You must get rid of it.’

            Vita wraps her hands around her flat stomach, trying to protect the child inside of her. ‘Get rid of it? Never- I’m keeping it.’

            ‘This will ruin our reputation,’ the queen sneers. ‘Is that what you wish to do, you ungrateful wench? Do you wish to destroy the family name for the sake of that…abomination growing inside of you?’

            ‘Abomination,’ Vita glares at her mother. ‘How dare you refer to my child as an abomination when it is nothing of the sort? My son will be the joy of my life.’

            ‘Are you so sure that the thing will be male?’

            Vita nods. ‘I have a feeling.’

            The next day, Vita tells Richard of the upcoming baby and, forgetting their betrothal all together, starts to plan for the new arrival. It is only days before the child’s birth that the two love birds remember their wedding. In haste they try to find the time to get married. But they are too late and their son is born: Theodore James Orson.

            The queen is quick to tell her daughter that because this baby was had out of wedlock, that he is not to be seen by any of the people. No one must know for fear of them calling their princess loose and their monarchy a mockery. Never one to ignore her mother’s direct orders, Vita does what she is told, keeping her son a secret from the world.

            It is only when the princess and Richard are married, does Teddy receive even more love than he had before. They allow him to roam the large Saharan palace freely but never is he allowed to leave the house. When the young boy is five, the family is blessed with another child, one they name Bellezza. The royal family announces their daughter to the kingdom and they rejoice at having a princess.

            While Belle receives the star treatment from many at such a young age, young Teddy becomes jealous. Why is he forced to hide in the confinements of palace while his babe of a sister is allowed to roam freely- both inside and out?

            When he turns fifteen, things took a turn for the worst. While most adored the king and his family, there are still those select few of people who want nothing more than to be free of his rule. It is the night of Teddy’s birthday when the castle is set aflame from the inside out. It starts with a loud clatter and a bang from the main floor. This wakes the king and queen and they go to investigate. As the palace catches fire, the royals try to get to their children in their rooms but servants and friends hold them back. Without the king and queen, the country would surely collapse. Bellezza is crying when the young butler kicks down the door and rescues her. As they run down the hall way, Bellezza hears her brother’s pleas for help through his door. The young toddler tried to get the butler to turn back and help Teddy but he was oblivious to the sounds for his hearing had all but left him. The princess reaches for her brother’s room and cries when she could not help him.

            Trapped in his smoke filled room the boy has no way of escaping the flames. But it is not the fire itself that kills him. Intent of making sure the royals die, the arsonists climb to the nearest room- Teddy’s room. The two men beat him and make sure his was dead before making their escape. Fortunately, the men too are captured by the flames and burned alive.’

            Bellezza opens her eyes and stares at Abernathy, completing her tale, “The castle burned to the ground and took Teddy with it.” She looks down at the grass as tear rolls down her cheek. “It’s the six year anniversary tomorrow. He would’ve been twenty-one.”

            Aber gathers her in his arms and rocks her slowly back and forth. She sobs quietly into his chest, wishing that all those years ago she would’ve done something more to save her precious Teddy. He was her protector and jester, the source of her joy and also her punisher. He was her teacher and friend.

            Slowly, the couple walk back into the palace where they can hear the laughter of men and woman downstairs, still enjoying the reception. The princess quickly strips down to her under garments and crawls into bed, not noticing the famer’s red face. He sits beside her and watches as she reaches under her pillow. Quietly, Bellezza shows her companion the only picture she has of her brother.

            He is young man in the photo, no older than fourteen. His dark hair is cut short with sparkling grey eyes and freckled skin. His lips are pulled back, giving the photographer a toothy grin.

            “It’s the only picture I have left of him,” she says putting the photo back under her pillow. “Everything else was burned in the fire.” With a sigh, she rolls onto her side, her back towards Abernathy. Tears escape her eyes as she tries to sleep. “Do you know why I loathe the nickname, Bells?”

            “I’m afraid I don’t,” he says curtly.

            “I hate the name Bells because Teddy gave me that nickname and by right he was the only one who could use it.” Silence stretches on. “Aber, maybe one day I’ll let you call me Bells.” Her eyes shut close and Abernathy stares at her sleeping form, mesmorized by the information he had heard today.

            Now he understands why she is so bitter all of the time and why she wishes to be left alone. The girl is still grieving over the loss of her brother. He had heard rumors of things that she didn’t like, one of them being Teddy Bears. It is now that someone other than her family understands her strange behavior. While others would use it to exploit her and hold it over her head, Abernathy will only keep the information close to his heart. He will give her more time and the support that she needs and maybe one day, just one day, he’ll have the privilege to call her Bells.