The Daughter Of Illéa

Chapter 23

I'm woken by a slammed door.
It must be one of the selected.

I crawl out of bed, to see my maids darting their eyes back at me.
"What time is it?" I ask, brushing my eyes on my sleeve.

"Eleven." Tinsley says, pointing to the clock.

"Well, y'all maybe should go sleep...that was kind of creepy." I yawn, and then I hear a woman's voice...wait, more than one.

I jump from my bed spread and to the double doors of my room, and pull one slightly open. My maids rushing behind me to see the ruckus.

"What's happening?" Wanda asks, scooting close behind me, peering into the lighted hall.

"Belle, from Baffin...she's leaving."
Belle rounds the corner, as the officer who guarded her door runs after her.

Once she's out of sight, I pull open the door entirely as Autumn, from Fennley opens up her door too.

"What happened?" I ask Officer Feldspar.

"Lady Belle decided her stay here was no longer needed." He scoffs pointing to her shadow that disappeared around the corner.

"What do you mean?" Autumns light voice replies.

"She's leaving. Voluntarily. Her and couple other girls are leaving because of the attack early today. They couldn't handle it." He exclaims.

"That's ballistic!" I say, shocked by their cowardice.

"Yeah, over heard their maids speaking in the women's room during supper. Belle from Baffin, Livia from Ottaro, and Nicolliy from Labrador. Pitiful things think it's the end of the world." He laughs.

I laugh along and yawn once more, "Well, thanks for the documentary on the cowards, but I'm tired. And ladies, go get some sleep. That whole watching me sleep thing is going to end up with a vague shadow in the corner, and someone violently injured..." I state with a quirky smile towards Tinsley, Wanda, and Patsy.

-
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I wake with rise of gloominess. Tinsley isn't pepping about, finding my hair care products.
Patsy isn't humming an old tune under her breath while running bath water.
Wanda isn't dancing around while adjusting the daily dress or gown.

I yawn from the nightly rest, and kick off the comforter to see them all abnormally trudging about.

"Mrs. Patsy? You feeling okay?"
I ask as I strip myself stepping into the tub.

She doesn't reply.

After my morning soak, I hop out and go to get ready.
The dress isn't stunning. It's a dull black. The collar doesn't go into any creases, but goes straight across my chest elegantly. The sleeves end an inch past my elbow. Then the length of the black gown drags across the carpet when I walk.

"Well, this dress is just tidy, don't you think?" I say adjusting certain parts of my body, with a smile as they ignore my comment.

"Why aren't you talking to me?"
They just form there lips in a straight line and continue lacing up the back of the dress, and curl my hair.

"I don't want to do this. I DEMAND you to talk to me!"

It was like I'm slowly diffusing a ballon, as they all take a gigantic swallow of air as if holding their breath.
"Black-" Wanda coughs out slowly.
"For-" Tinsley says in her light voice.
"Funeral." Patsy finishes.

"A funeral? For what?"

The question remained unanswered.

They placed a black flowered sunhat upon my head, and sent me off down the staircase.