Eskimo Kisses (Currently Under Reconstruction)

Chapter Twelve

Adeline POV

Fiona had left me alone for a little while with a tray of food, insisting that I eat it. I had gotten some of it down, but found myself very full, very quickly. It made me worry that she would get angry at me for not eating it all so I kept on placing food in my mouth.

I had gotten through about eight more big bites of food before I had to rush to the washroom, head spinning, and vomit in the washing basin. It smelt foul and I found myself hunched over the side of the large cast iron bath for a while, dry heaving after all of what I ate emptied itself from my stomach. Salty tears mixed with the horrendous liquid that sat at the bottom of the tub.

Contrary to what people in the story books say, vomiting hurts way more than it seems. It scratches at the throat and burns both your nose, eyes, and mouth. It wasn't a fun experience and I found myself having to take more than a few minutes to even recover enough energy to swallow.

The door reopened and Fiona quickly entered the bathroom. "Oh goddess! Adeline, are you alright? What happened?"

Her soothing hands on my back caused the tears to come back and I burried my head in her chest, disregarding my apperance or current stench as I cried. "I tried to eat all of the food," My voice trembled out between sobs. "But it was too much for me to eat!"

"Oh little one, you didn't have to eat all of it!"

"But I didn't want you to be mad at me for not eating enough!"

Her hands continued to rub circles on my back as she hushed me, lulling me into a calmer state. "Not at all love. I would never make you eat until you threw up. All you have to do is eat until you're full."

"Promise?" Her eyes held no lies as she nodded, and I found myself relaxing once more.

"I promise little one."

***

Fiona had taken me into another washroom so that I could clean myself while the wash basin in my room was clean. I had wanted to do it myself but was promptly ushered out before I could use what Fiona described as a "Luna's Command". I had no idea what it was nor what to even associate with it, but I chose not to ponder it too deeply. It would surely do nothing but hurt my already pounding head.

"Here you go little one,go ahead and change into these when you're done." Fiona held a pair of clothes out to me before exiting.

The clothes were wrapped in an elaborate gift-like ribbon and was as soft as everything else in the building seemed. It was as if the whole building was made of silk and velvet. From the duvet covers and the curtains to now thd clothes. Not that I was to complain though.

Upon further unraveling of the clothes from their elaborate ribbon hold, I found a light cream colored dress decorated with gold embroidery. It was woven with care and had an off the shoulder cut. The sleeves were long and filled out, only to be synched by a cuff at the ends. It dipped in at the waist and fell past my feet. Placing it to the side, I slipped off the gown I had been wearing since I had gotten here and made sure to fold it before I stepped in the tub.

I could feel myself relax immediately. When was the last tume I had properly bathed? Before this I had only bathed once, and that was at the palace before the dinner. Every other washing had been at the creek near my garden.

I was very thankful that Fiona had allowed me to undress and wash myself with no one else in the room. She was the only one who knew so far and the fear in me wanted to keep it that way.

Scanning the room, I found a small table next to the basin with bottles of different scented oils on it. There were also bottles of liquid soaps and bar soaps on the table as well. Following the steps that the palace maid had, I placed the liquid soap in my hand and and mixed in a familiar yet comforting oil, then proceeded to lather my hair in it. As I washed the rest of my body, purposefully avoiding the larger scars, my mind tried to identify the scent. It wasn't that lovely vanilla that was used at the palace, but it was nowhere near foul. It was strong and comforting, and I wanted nothing more than to sit and soak in the scent. However, my mind did nothing but continue to draw blanks on the scent. I sighed and removed myself from the basin and dried myself with a fluffy towel. A comb had been placed with the dress, so I used that to brush through the knots which I had accumulated from the past few days. It was a calming sensation in a calming environment. I smiled to myself, knowing that even a new environment couldn't take away the pleasure little things like this brought to me. I suppose it was my way of making sure that I stayed the same person no matter how bad things got. It was reassuring and I felt totally at ease knowing that I was still in some way, the same girl who put Xavier first.

But then the fog cleared up enough for me to find that there was another girl in the room with me.

My heart stopped and I let out a little yelp at the same time she did, yet it seemed as though only mine could be heard. She seemed to mimic my movements, performing them exactly as I was, even blinking at the same time. Was this girl mocking me? Attempting to match my every move as to humiliate me?

The girl was thin, and looked as though she would break if you touched her. She had dark circles under her eyes and a light sprinkle of freckles. She even sported a matching scar on her face.

My eyes widened and my hand flew over my mouth as I realized that I was staring at a clear reflection of myself, rather than just another girl. I had never had an encounter with a mirror before this and it was truly surreal. I really did look pathetic. No wonder father had called me such awful names back at home. I felt sick to my stomach just from looking at myself. The utter disbelief shocked even my tears into an unmoving silence.

I was about two seconds away from a full blown breakdown when a gentle voice and familiar scent washed over me as the king stepped into the room, taking me off guard.

"What are you doing in my washroom маленький?" (Little one)

***

Oof, filler chapters are hard😂😂 Love ya all for sticking through that with me, it was a rough one today. The next one should be better (should be, we'll see though)

Love ya!

~Sammi