Sing Me A Lullaby

Storm

A light breeze rustled the palm leaves gently beneath the balcony and sent a rich aroma from the flower gardens into the room. The sun was high in the sky signalling noon and shone a bright light through the transparent door curtains, which hung across the balcony door way into the bedroom.

It lit up the detailed frames decorating the walls and the pale colours of the paint and furniture. A dresser was placed opposite the bed out of the glare of the light. On the stool in front of the mirror sat a young girl with black hair that was currently being pinned up by a woman who stood just behind her.

The young girl sat on the stool wouldn't keep still and let out a short wail of pain each time she moved too quickly and caused her hair to be pulled. Each time the woman would shake her head and take up the piece she had let go of to pin in with the rest. She wore a simple but elegant dress.

The skirts were a pale cream and framed the bodice and the pointed V shape at the front before flowing down to the floor in gentle summery pleats. The bodice was a soft cream and was laced with a golden silk ribbon at the back, and the same cream coloured material floated across the top half of her arms and floated out at her elbows, leaving the bottom half bare. A strange but beautiful golden caramel braid of hair hung down to her hips.

Shifting in her spot again, the young girl on the stool sighed.

"Are you nearly finished Storm?" She asked the woman behind her.

"Almost Maribel. I am trying to hurry, Jolene wants me to go and do her hair for her next" The woman, Storm replied.

"Jolene does?" Maribel sniffed whilst turning her nose up.

Storm laughed at the young girl's reaction.

"Yes, Jolene does" She confirmed.

"I thought that she didn't like you?" Maribel asked her curiously.

"She doesn't, but Mollie and her are taking a trip into the market so Jolene made a request for me to do her hair"

Sometimes Storm despised her natural talent with styling hair. It meant that she was in demand when someone in Rose Harbour was throwing a ball or a large event had been planned. Not that she minded so much, it meant that she was being paid to do something that she found easy and enjoyable. Truth be told, she never really despised her talents, she just didn't like all of the clients. Jolene being one of them.

"That's not fair! Father never let's me go into the market for trips!" Maribel cried out.

"Your sister's are older Belle, you'll be able to as well in a few years" Storm reasoned, using the short name that she used for her.

"But I want to go Storm!"

"Perhaps you will soon, it is your father you must talk to. Now sit still while I finish this last section of hair"

Maribel didn't answer straight away, but when she did she asked something that Storm would always gladly oblige to.

"Can you sing whilst you are finishing it?" Her voice was full of hope.

"Of course I can" Storm answered smiling, and then took a breath as she began to sing Belle's favourite song about the mermaids that live in the sea.

"Beneath the shining stars and the gleaming moon, veiled creatures of the sea make careless sailors swoon" Her voice seemed to lull the air surrounding them and Maribel ceased fidgeting as she listened to the words. Storm didn't even have to concentrate while she sang.

This song was one that she knew off by heart, but she couldn't fathom why. She hadn't been taught it whilst she was at Rose Harobr. It was one of her favourites as well as Belle's. Nicholas had said once that she must have known it before the ship wreck, and that was why she knew it so well.