Just Call Her Syndre

Chapter 9 | Lovely Houses and Lovely Cups of Tea

"Sasha!" I yell-whispered. She turned towards me, a hand gripping her long dress against the wind.

"Yes?"

"Whose house is this?" Her face twisted in disbelief. "My father's, obviously."

I glanced back up at the house taking in the ultra modern appearance. The house was three floors, flat across the top with large bay windows, four on each side, a single double pained window between them on each floor. A large glassed area jutted out of the front with an old oak tree growing straight up in the center and spilling out the top. 

When we stepped inside it opened freely, greedily eating up the light cascading down between the clouds above. Gurgling in the center of the house brought me to a fountain featuring mermaids and seahorses. I didn't dare touch it, regardless what my mind desired.

Jatic proceeded us up the elevator, his arm clasped around the poles on the cart he had to carry our luggage. The elevator quickly jolted to the third floor, letting us out into the bright red carpeted floors. I stepped out behind Sasha, trailing as I took in the grandeur. Stark white walls cut in half by a bold stripe of periwinkle greeted me underneath the evenly staged photos and paintings of the Elliot and Grossen family. I easily recognized the moving pictures of Sasha as a child, her rosy cheeks and smiling lips always stole the show.

Our little trope passed five doors, three on the left and two on the right, before coming to a stop at the end of the hall. Sasha pressed her hands against the silver doorknobs hung on stark black double doors to step into a small foyer. A table sat in the center, decorated with a tall vase of white lillies and babies breath. Without even thinking about it, I stepped forward and pressed my nose against their soft petals to smell. 

"Your room is here." Sasha pointed to the left at a set of teal painted doors, partially sitting open. "Mine is here." Her door was thrown wide open, exposing the sitting area. "And this," she took a step forward and threw open the doors, "is our shared bathroom."

My nose drew up at that. I hadn't shared a bathroom in my life and the thought didn't please me now. Her chuckle brought my attention back to her and she stood with her arms crossed against her chest, "we only share a bathtub. See?" We walked in further and she motioned towards the only exposed bathroom fixture in the wide open space.

"That door," her hand came up again, guiding my confused eyes over to a door on my side with the same teal paint, "leads to your shower, sink and toilet. I have the same on my side." I cringed a little, thinking of how little she must think of me. It was a kindness for her to even let me stay with her, especially knowing how lowly I was treated in my own home. 

"Don't think that changed my opinion of you, Syn. I didn't want to share a room or bathroom either," her hand reached out to grab mine, intertwining our fingers. "I love you, but I'd kill you if we shared a bathroom." 

I laughed with her, half relieved and half proud that she thought this far ahead. "Is it okay if I go lay down for a bit?" 

Her head was bouncing, yes, a mile a minute. I know my own was bouncing in anticipation, ready to finally see what my room actually looked like. She released me and started in the direction of her room. My steps were halted by the sound of her voice.

"Dinner is at 8," the clock dinged in the hallway six times, "two hours until we have to go down and be respectable and presentable."

"Darn..." I joked, "both respectable and presentable? Maybe I should just go home."

Sasha's hands pressed against her hips in mock fury, "Don't you even think about it. I expect you downstairs, little lady. Otherwise," her thumb came up to throat and she made a swift horizontal cutting motion across her neck. "It's sleeping with the fishes for you."

"You don't have the heart for murder!"

Her back was turned and she was partially inside her room when I called back to her. She froze, peeking around the side of her door and slid a cold smile across her pretty face. My heart stamped in my chest. Sasha was in rare form today, normally she stopped the crazy talk between us long before it got this far.

"Who said that I wouldn't make you do it to yourself?"

A wide eyed stare was all I could muster when she shut her doors, leaving me suspended in the hall. I shook myself after a moment and gathered my wits about me to step into my room for the week. My back was firmly pressed against the inside of the door when I finally got a gander at my temporary digs.

Sunshine now streamed to the big bay window, the clouds were long gone, illuminating the white walls with gold trim. Matching loveseat and chaise were in the center of the sitting room colored a complimenting chartreuse accompanied by a resin table that was clearly restored. My fingers slid across one of the two end tables as I quickly rushed through the room to the second set of double doors.

I threw them open! Nearly screaming in delight at the king sized bed at the back of the room. It was made out of ebony, handcarved, with roaring lions mid snarl as the base of the four posts. A chartreuse shawl was wrapped about the top of the posts creating a canopy over the stark white pillows and sheets on the bed.

Jatic had kindly placed my toiletry luggage at the foot of the bed, the rest was nearly stacked underneath, and my clothing had been hung inside the palatial closet to my left. The doors hung open slightly and a low light was giving the space a romantic glow. I fingered my dresses in slight dismay, they simply wouldn't do in a place like this.

But what did it matter? I reasoned to myself, running new fingers and new eyes over the material. My future had been decided. Who cares if a prince liked my outfit? I certainly didn't and after this week, it wouldn't matter in the slightest for I'd be free of this land and the horrible people who knew me.

With determination I headed toward the shower, discarding my clothing along the way. The heat instantly warmed my chilled bones and I had to force myself to get out in 30 minutes. My naked feet sunk into the white carpeting as I padded back to the bed. Soft as goose feathers the bed cocooned me as I lay there, letting sleep take me to oblivion.