The Heart Of Spade

Chapter 1

"Alice!"

"Alice!"

"ALICE I SAID RUN!"

A young female opened her eyes wide, her heart frantically beating, cold sweats rolled down to her neck and hands clutching her sheets as if to hold on for dear life.

Just as she scanned her surroundings and a sigh escaped from her mouth in relief. For a while she lay on her soft matress and stared at the ceiling tracing crooked lines and dots. A soft knock across the room made her flinch.

"Miss Alice?"

Alice contemplated wether to ignore or respond, her emotions had yet to settle after all, but another call from the butler made her choose the latter.

"Ye-" she cleared her throat. "Yes?"

"May I come in?" he asked. After a few rustle of sheets and creaks of bed before an answer came.

"Yes, you may."

He entered the room with his small tray cart with a teacup and kettle on it, Alice was sitting at the edge of her bed.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked and advanced towards the balcony and pushed the curtains to side to open the transparent door, winter's breeze came in fluttering the curtains.

"Yes, I'd like some." she replied, the aroma of chamomile tea filling her senses. Maybe a tea would calm her down. The butler approached the small cart and proceed making a tea, adding a spoon of honey just the way Alice like it.

Hearing the whisper of rustling leaves and faint sounds of chirping birds was perfect to start the day, or so Alice thought.

The butler gave the tea which Alice grasp, for a moment she relished the warmth on her palm and took a sip of the tea, savouring the sweet flavor filling her taste buds and the corner of her mouth curled in content, though in her dismay, the butler decided to cut in, "The master asked for your prescence in the dining room."

Alice's lips tighten, her peace vanished. She continued to sip from her tea and the butler standing still as a mannequin. Uncomfortable silence unfolded in the room though one last sip from the tea, Alice parted her lips.

"I will be there in a moment."

The butler bowed and exited the room with the small cart. Alice breathed out a sigh in distress.

                            XXXXX

Alice slacken her pace towards the dining room, detesting the idea of even getting a glimpse of her so called stepparents. She quite prefer the cold-shoulder from her stepfather and mocking stares from his mistress rather than directly talking with them.

She glanced at the paintings hanged on the walls still awed by the tones and textures stroked by the brush of the painters. For two years she have been an occupant of the manor yet was not allowed to even explore at all, disobedience was not tolerated by the head of the manor after all. Nevertheless some times she act defiant towards the man, obviously the result of being stripped from one's freedom.

Alice was once a beast to the household, her claws called fingernails would rip a maid's skirt if she was touched, she would refuse the food given to her and would cause a scene because of her outburst, the man had enough and took an action and so Alice was forced to kneel on rock salt with feet bind together while her young body was beaten by a wooden cane made to last for years.

The humiliation still left a residue in Alice, the tears of pain and shame was mortifying for the female, having maids watch the scene made Alice so closed off the world. Since then, she abide the orders and commands of the man as if a puppet being controlled by a puppeteer though the diference is Alice harboring hatred towards the man.