Claws of Eternity ✔️

Chapter 5: A sin

Giselle's mother's name was Leona Simon, but it wasn't her maiden name, that one Giselle had never found out. She was a beautiful woman and also, very secretive. Giselle's father knew this, but Giselle had trouble coming to terms with it growing up. Leona was respected in Carcassonne, even though she was nothing a woman should be. She was clever, literate and frankly, a bit devious. Giselle's father used to say her mother had the heart for everyone God's turned His back on.

Giselle thought about her mother as Rosa combed her hair and chirped about the stranger in Carcassonne and how evil Amalia is.

Giselle couldn't get her mind off her mother and the poem she once found in her mother's chest. She might need that poem now, that damn clue.

"He is handsome isn't he? Luckily for us, you are already married." Rosa chuckled as she spread out the dresses she picked for the ball on Giselle's bed.

Giselle's room was in a tower, she begged father to give her a room as far away from others as possible, and he never was able to say no to her. Therefore, the room was round and quite empty. Nothing but a large oak bed, covered in lilac sheets, a closet full of Rosa's dresses and Giselle's secrets, and a bookshelf were in the room.

And of course, a mirror, to remind them that all they have to do is remain beautiful.

"There's something strange about him." Giselle said, unable to explain why, but she knew it. Her mother used to tell her she would always recognize monsters before they came for her. "Again, you're imagining. He's a perfectly polite gentleman, look at how he saved you when Amalia picked on you." Rosa sad, fixing her hair high up on her head in a tight bun made of many braids. The rest of her raven hair loosely fell over her back and shoulders.

"I didn't need his help." Giselle murmured. They looked at each other in the mirror. Rosa had a certain appeal, because of her dense black hair and her eyes, such deep brown they reflected everything she looked at.

"Of course, Giselle never needs saving. Giselle is an all-powerful God-given saviour of days." Rosa smiled at Giselle's reflection.

Giselle saw how thin she became, Denise was right. Her once indomitable, golden hair now loosely fell over her shoulders in washed yellowish curls. Her huge eyes didn't shine anymore, her cheeks hollow and her once red lips, pale. Also, her tooth fell out when she returned from seeing Denise.

"Giselle needs more saving than you think." Giselle said.

"Come on, try this new dress I made." Rosa turned around and fetched a dress from the bed. She was good at everything a woman should know, she handled healing and patching up wounds, she sewed her own dresses and she cooked spectacularly.

Giselle always wore Rosa's dresses because her taste was splendid and different than anything worn at the time. Her dresses somehow spoke her true nature. Everyone rebels in their own way, Giselle thought.

The dress in Rosa's hands was pastel pink, tight around chest and waist. The cut around the waist parted the upper and lower part of the dress. From there downward, it spread in a halo around legs all the was to the floor, decorated with olive green flowers.

"No sleeves." Giselle commented touching the fabric. "Bold."

Rosa smiled lightly.

"That's what my bravery consists of." She said, a touch of sadness in her voice. Giselle clutched the fabric in her hands, her eyes filling with tears. Rosa noticed this.

"Giselle... will you, please, go see my father? You're skin and bones."

"I messed up, Rosa." Giselle's voice cracked. Right on cue, Rosa kneeled in front of Giselle, taking Giselle's hands in hers. Giselle could see herself in Rosa's eyes. She was so thin.