The Ring Master's Fair

PART 6

The Ring Master's Fair - Part 6

A cold breeze swept through the garden as the pair made their way to the patio for afternoon tea. Lark shivered and huddled closer to Atticus's side. He took her hands in his and rubbed them together, trying to warm them up. "Your hands are freezing Love," he exclaimed.

Atticus led her to sit on a ivory bench for a moment. He wrapped her in his arms in attempt to warm her up.

Why can't he always be like this? Lark thought while she rested he head against his shoulder. He wasn't in his... mood at the moment. But one wrong move or one wrong word might snap him into it.

She looked up to the sky and saw a storm brewing. Lark was terrified of storms; and back at the farm, her master always used this fear to his advantage. "Atticus, we should get inside."

"Hm? What was that you said?" He asked distracted.

"The sky. It's going to rain. I need to get inside."

"It's just water. We'll be fine," he said.

Lark tried to worm her way out of his grip, but Atticus only tightened it. "Please let me go," she stuttered. "You don't un-understand,"

"Seriously?" he snickered, "You're afraid of storms?"

"It's not funny," she whined.

"It kind of is. There is nothing to be afraid of. I will show you." He seemed so confident that he would be able to get Lark over her fear of rain. But he didn't know the whole story.

Lark once again tried to escape his tight grip. Atticus let her get as far as almost escaping, but he pulled her back down at the last second. "Let. Me. Go!" she shrieked.

The sky slowly grew darker and darker. Lark trembled in fear. "Please let me go," she tried to beg.

"Would you seriously just relax. Nothing is going to hurt you." A plump rain drop landed on the end of his nose with a plink.

With a sudden burst of strength, Lark tried pushing Atticus away one last time, and this time succeeded.

She ran as fast as she could away from Atticus and away from the rain. Raindrops came down one by one. It quickly sped up until it was a steady, but pounding, downpour. Her tears mixed with the rain. She could barely see what was in front of her. She shrieked as a booming clap of thunder came.

Lark found the patio easily. It was wet and slippery, due to the fact that there was no roof of any kind. She saw Rylan inside the translucent double doors. "Hurry up," he called, holding the doors open.

She skidded across the patio and landed in Rylan's arms, the door banged shut. The two of them crashed into a wall. Rylan put one hand around her waist to steady her, and one hand on the wall to steady himself. "You okay there?" he asked softly.

Lark just nodded as she huddled into Rylan's warmth.

"Are you sure?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

She gave up, 'No' she mouthed over and over again.

"Do you want to talk about it? Do you want me to get Chrys? Do you want to go up to your room?" he pelted her with questions.

"Ro-room," she hiccupped. She slowly stood up, leaning on Rylan for support, but she fell back down the minute she was on her feet.

"Whoa there," He scooped Lark up into his arms.

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Chrys looked at her youngest cousin who had Lark bundled up in his arms. Chrys's eyes went wide with shock and her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Around the parlor, women looked at Lark with either disgust or sympathy. Men looked at her like they didn't care.

"Who is she?"

"What happened to her?"

Quiet conversations came to a halt as Chrys's mother, Lucinda, stood up with a look of horror on her face. "Who in the world is she, Rylan?" her horrible high-pitched voice rang through out the room. Lucinda looked far too young - but not in a good way - to be the mother of Chrys, who was already 19 winters.

Lucinda's platinum blonde hair was piled up high on top of her head. Her cheeks were to red, and her lips were a horrible shade of pink. A stagnant, prominent perfume made Lark want to gag, but she restrained from doing so.

"Atticus purchased her from The Ring Master's Fair," Rylan explained to his aunt.

"Why would Atticus spend his money on something like that thing?" Lucinda wrinkled her pointy nose in disgust.

"The thing's name is Lark," Chrys said protectively. She moved to stand in front Rylan and Lark.

"Alkis!" Lucinda shrieked.

King Alkis appeared at his wife's sister's side at once. "What?" he groaned, he wanted nothing to do with the beast of his sister-in-law.

"Get this thing out of my palace."

Lucinda said, causing Rylan, Chrys, and King Alkis to laugh.

"You can't be serious," the King chuckled. "This is my palace, not yours. I don't even know why I let you live here. I should have only taken Chryste in."

Lucinda scowled at Lark and stormed off to her seat, sitting down all prim and proper.

The King gave Lark a gentle smile. "You are welcome here, though, my dear."

Lark barely managed to send a smile back as she was weak and still scared from the storm.

"I am going to take her up to her room," Rylan stated.

"I will join!" Chrys chimed in.

"You will not go anywhere with that piece of trash," Chrys's mother lectured her daughter from the other side of the room.

Chrys just scoffed and shook her head as she followed Rylan away from the parlor.

Up several sets of stairs and through too many corridors, was Lark's new room. Compared to this one, the room she first woke up in was a barn.

This room had a gold and red theme to it. It was majestic and grand; but the elegant detailing on the celling made the room seem smaller. The walls were a lighter shade of crimson with swirly gold details on it. The four-poster, king sized bed was made of a beautiful cherry wood. The covers and pillows were white with red and gold stiches. There was a balcony on the wall opposite of the bed. There was a wardrobe with wood that looked like it came from an old, beaten down castle door. A set of three plush loveseats and a couch surrounded a low table in front of a dying fireplace which made the room homier.

Rylan set Lark down on the couch as Chrys built up a thriving fire. "What happened after I left?" Rylan asked as he settled down next to Lark.

"I do-don't want to talk ab-about it," she stuttered helplessly. Lark was at least happy to be away from the bipolar monster, and instead with people who might actually care.

"Here," Chrys said soothingly as she wrapped a fluffy gray blanket around Lark and handed her a cup of hot chocolate.

The chocolaty drink spread warmth throughout Lark's body. She snuggled closer to Rylan. The three of them sat in silence, listening to the howling wolf of the wind coming from the outside.

They were interrupted a few moments later, when the bedroom door burst open.