Arabella’s eyes opened at dawn, with the first stretch of violet severing the northern hills from the night sky.
Within her burned this urge to leap out of bed and run straight into Silas’ arms.
It scared her to know that she’d have done it had she not been aware it was a result of the Mirari.
The desire to capture that hint of fresh wood that always lingered on him was strong. The need to lose her way in his diamonds dire...
But the young woman held strong, putting her best efforts into grounding her feet in reality.
Every ti her mind threatened to cave, the image of Edna would flash before her eyes. The thought of sharing her fate alone had that effect.
After her morning routine, Arabella paced back and forth in her room, very tightly clutching at the skirt of her gown whenever the voices screaming at her to seek him out grew too loud to contain.
Thankfully, the grinding of the breakfast trolley ca to distract her from it all.
"Morning, Miss!" Ada chirped, "It is quite the lovely day today!"
However, no matter how bright the maid tried to co across, sothing unkind tainted her features. It prevailed through her voice as well.
"Morning, Ada!" Arabella’s pitch rose too, "Is everything alright with you?"
"Yes, yes," she nodded furiously, "In all honesty, I feel as though I should ask you that question,"
"Why might that be?" the young woman ripped her fingernail from between her teeth at once, feigning neutrality.
"You seem... Quite agitated,"
"So do you," Arabella muttered, still fiddling with her fingers.
"I’ll tell you mine if you tell yours," Ada half asked, a sort of grimace on her face.
In response, Arabella straightened up and braced to receive the information, but no amount of preparing helped keep her deanor from falling upon hearing the news.
"Miss Katherine has been sent to the dungeons," Ada did not et her gaze.
"What? But why? What happened?" she’d hurled all of those questions at once.
"She attacked Edna," the maid spoke in a little voice, "She was quite violent too," she added.
"Why would she do that? That is so not in her nature," the young woman shook her head while grabbing the back of a chair for support in order to lower her body into a sitting position, "How is Edna doing?"
"Still shaken," Ada too took a seat, "She’s refusing to leave the maids’ quarters,"
"That is understandable," Arabella marked a short pause, "Would you have any idea as to why Katherine might have done that? Anything at all?"
"According to Allegra who witnessed the attack, it was unprovoked,"
Two frowns crumpled their faces as they both sat in complete silence for a mont until Arabella broke it again, "What about Katherine? What will happen to her?"
"Master Silas and the Lady have decided that for now, she can’t be trusted, especially around humans,"
"She’s still sick, isn’t she?" Arabella’s eyes fell to the floor as a pensive look overca her before they snapped back onto Ada, "Can I see her? I am worried,"
"I truly doubt that’s a good idea. Perhaps you can bring that up with Master Silas,"
The light on Arabella’s face dimd further at the ntion of Silas.
A second wave of silence washed over them. Only that ti around, it was Ada that put an end to it.
"Your turn," she started, "What’s gotten you all so fidgety?"
Instinctively, one of her hands rose towards her own neck where the two little holes peeked at the world, "I suppose the Mirari is taking effect," she said sheepishly.
"You wish to see him, don’t you?" gradually, Ada’s lips flipped, curling upwards instead of the opposite, "Perhaps that’s not a bad idea,"
The maid had barely finished speaking that Arabella leaped to her feet, "Absolutely not! I’ll bite at the fra of that door if my feet no longer obeyed , but I won’t seek him out!"
The little bit of excitent in Ada’s eyes wavered, "I understand, but may I ask why?"
"Because it isn’t natural," she simred down, "I’d like to keep control over my actions for as much as I can,"
The maid looked back at her as though getting ready to speak, but then she swallowed and nothing ca at first.
"Alright," Ada gave long and slow nods, "But we still shouldn’t visit Katherine right now," her gaze drifted through the open window, "Today is especially beautiful. Should we go to the gardens?"
"Can we go a little bit later in the day? I’d like to spend so ti at the library, I made a promise, and I want to start working on delivering,"
The two of them began unloading dishes from the trolley onto the table.
"Do you an the wolf folk scriptures?" Ada asked while settling the cheese plate down.
"I an exactly those," Arabella nodded, her eyes on the fruit tray between her hands.
Ada paused almost every motion and turned to face Arabella, "You know, I’d wanted to tell you how brave I thought you were... For facing Alpha Cynric after what he dared do to you,"
The young woman copied Ada’s actions and made eye contact, "Thank you, Ada. But I didn’t do it alone," she shook her head, a faint smile on her.
"Yes, of course," Ada too bead, "Having soone like Master Silas by your side does help,"
"I have you too. Please, never forget that," a more serious look dawned on her, "I never had that before. Edna was always wrong for what she said to you. You an a lot to and I don’t know what I would’ve beco if I had to spend my days on my own or with soone that wasn’t you,"
"Oh... That is so kind," Ada tried to keep the reins of her vocal cords in hand, but failed miserably as her voice cracked. The tears welling up in her eyes betrayed her as well, "I value you too. More than I can ever let on,"
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