Proserpina

Chapter 4

Sweat glistened upon Proserpina's olive complexion and sudden breaths emanated from her lips.

"Tanya, how will I breathe?" The dress had shrunk since last she had worn it, almost a year before when it was made. Tanya put her hand to her temple and uttered a sigh followed by a few words.

"Tanya?" Proserpina nervously glanced at the maid and steadied herself on the handle of the wardrobe.

"I did not think it was possible for you to become even more womanly but I was mistaken." The maid hurried towards her wooden sewing box as a confused look set in Proserpina's pale face.

"Your hips and upper body have become more prominent in your figure since your dress was made." Tanya slumped onto the bed and muttered her worries away as Proserpina pushed inward against her curves in an attempt at minimizing them.

"I am dearly sorry Tanya, my grandmother has kept me on a strict diet, I don't understand. I thought I had finished...uh... gaining more womanly assets as she calls them.

" Just as Tanya began to ponder on an idea for how to solve such an enigma a soft rasp sounded at the door. "

"Proserpina are you dressed?" Master Robert inquired. Proserpina closed her eyes and clamped her hands over them as she gracefully flopped down on floor beside the bed. Tanya hurried to open the door as Proserpina began to nervously moan.

Master Robert tiptoed into the room with his elegant long limbs and glanced towards Proserpina's head. "Are you ready?" Proserpina turned toward him and a small tear threatened to trail down her watery eyes.

"I am sorry teacher Robert. I know that today is a very important day and a certain attire is expected to be worn but-" Proserpina stumbled up from her sitting position and walked near Master Robert in an attempt at showing him the problem.
Master Robert held her eyes for a second before taking in the rest of her.

Wherever her usual brown and oversized gown hid form the dress accentuated. He glanced away and gulped. "I uh-"

He looked at his feet. "I think that maybe a cloak would suit her and fix the problem?" His eyes darted to Tanya's and a grateful smile was given to him.

"Oh, that is perfect! I will get one immediately." Tanya hurried out of the room and her sashaying hips disappeared down the hallway. Master Robert began to think about where Tanya would be getting the cloak when he noticed that Proserpina was standing about a foot away from him.

"I am dearly sorry for inconveniencing you about something as simple as attire. especially on such an important day." she glanced toward the stone ground and whimpered.

Proserpina had been brought from a raided village not two months before when her whole family and Cantare, except for grandmother, had been massacred by the muertos. The ancestors of the muertos, the piraks, were soulless beings that had been unleashed from Pandora's box hundreds of years before. Since then many new species of beings had been brought into the world as a consequence of forbidden interactions between piraks and humans. Such new beings were called muertos, and shared the bloodlust and ability to control emotions as the ancient piraks but with a mortal body. Ever since Proserpina had been brought to his home to continue her training he could see something broken reflected in her eyes.

"She has become a wretchedly timid and fearful creature since that day. She used to be a stubborn and passionate soul and now she is lost." Proserpina's grandmother, Lila, had said that day.

He had thought that her voice would have been as well but he had almost cried that day when she had opened her mouth and resonated the walls with her tearful words. He had never heard such a voice as hers before and sought her grandmother out later that day eager to ask his questions. Whenever he asked her about Proserpina's lineage a lump formed in Lila's mouth and she glanced nervously around before clasping his hands in hers.

"There is a terrible secret that I must keep and hold. Only her previous Cantare knew, as well as her parents. I now have the need for you to know as well if you are to continue her development. You have to swear to never tell a soul." Master Robert had stammered his oath to this strange secret and had nearly cried out in exclamation when Lila's icy fingers touched his forehead and played a series of images into his head.

A few minutes later he had woken up and said and thought about one thing, protecting this secret, protecting Proserpina's life.

Looking at her now he smiled a shy smile and pulled her close before whispering in her ear and assuring her that everything was alright. Proserpina opened her eyes in surprise and tensed. As she began to breathe once again she melted into his scent of pine trees and honey and uttered a sigh of relief.