She was never wanted. On the day of her birth, her mother displayed disgust, her father harbored abhorrence, and her brother nursed discontent.
Splash
"Wake up!"
Her day always commenced with a pail of cold water—an abrupt beginning.
"I said wake up!"
Why? Why was she loathed? Was it even in her control? The villagers also scorned her. She had numerous names throughout the village and was a part of various malicious practices; she was never treated as a human.
Bam
The blunt kick to the side was also commonplace.
"Awake."
She lived in a shack at the back of the mansion of the Asher family. She lived in darkness. The only time she would see a slimmer of light was when Ethan visited. Every time he did, it was not for peace or pity but for torment and whatever she could provide him that night.
"Did I order you to speak? Filth."
She shook her head. Had she not spoken, he would have kicked her till she did. What was she meant to say?
Ethan stood before the shed's entrance with the light seeping in and almost through him. It gave him quite the angelic countenance; with light sun-kissed hair and ocean eyes, he gave off such an innocent facade.
"Mother has been pestering me about my engagement with some chick named Pearl. I want you to examine what sort of person she is."
Another day, another assignment.
She was one of his many pets, a plaything. Ethan did not treat his toys well. He once had three dogs. They lasted for just a week each. He loved seeing them suffer, starve, and abuse them. If he were ever generous, like giving them a blanket, a bed, or food and water, he would take it away after three days and never visit again till a week later.
"Food."
"You'll get it once you complete the job."
"Day."
She could only leave at night, hidden in the blanket of darkness it provided. If she did go out during the day, the villagers would not be happy, for she could not conceal herself well in its harsh light. She had black hair and obsidian eyes, contrary to the villagers' blonde hair and blue or green eyes.
"Well, you won't eat till night then."
Ethan left with a cruel smirk lingering on his lips, closing off any light of day. She was left alone -again- in the dark, cold, wet, and hungry. Ember could only nibble at what was left of last night's resemblance of dinner. Now, less than a quarter of the half loaf of stale bread and the remains of the water Ethan used to wake her still in the bucket, maybe three to six drops if she was lucky.
Unlike his other toys, she served a purpose: she was his eye throughout the village. She would leave at night under his instructions and bring back any information Ethan could use to give himself the advantage: village gossip, answers to tests or quizzes; she even did his dirty work for him, burying those Ethan took his anger out on, destroying anything he wanted exterminated, cover up for his many other crimes and more. This also allowed Ember to learn behind Ethan's back to read, write, and speak fluently enough to converse with strangers.
Bam
Ethan had abruptly entered the shed with what could be a dark cloak and stacks of paper in hand. This time, the night's limited light bounced through him from behind. Unlike the day, Ethan's true nature was reflected outward under the night's little light; his blonde hair now looked a dark brown, and his eyes, once a beautiful aquamarine, now looked obsidian, making his face twisted in disgust worse as it also reflected in his cold eyes.
"It's night!"
He threw her the cloak. Upon further inspection, holes and dried blood from her last mission were scattered around.
She rarely got to leave the shed. However, every time she did, it felt amazing. Of course, she would have to return to the shed within two to three hours, which gave her little time to enjoy the night's crisp air, the moon's dewy glow, and the sounds that proved she was outside.
She could escape, but where would she go? Where could she go? None would accept her. Ethan had drilled that deep into her mind over the years. She was nothing like the people around her. The villagers hated anything different, and she was different. She had no choice but to go back with nowhere else to go, back to that damp, dark, and quiet shed. However, that did not stop her from enjoying her moments outside.
"Pearl Ivanova. A 16-year-old girl, eldest to the Ivanova family, who are fallen nobles."
The Ivanova family was commonly known throughout the village as a disappointment. They would have been treated like outcasts had it not been for their eldest daughter.
"Rumors say she is beautiful, smart, and well-mannered, which is why the family is still highly regarded."
She raced the wind past the village to find their home. Since they were still held in high regard, they lived in a medium-sized manor a little out of the town.
"In the far west part of the village lies the Ivanova manor. You better not miss it."
He was right. Ember could not miss it. At first, it felt abandoned and unkept—the opposite of the Asher manor, which had over one hundred servants. The garden was an atrocity. It could be barely called a garden; jungle was better suited to describe it. However, due to the overgrown flora, Ember was quickly able to hide among its leaves and vines.
Now, taking a closer look at the plants, Ember could see most of the garden was engulfed by weeds. Weeds that needed to be removed early or it would never go away. They were tough, strong, resilient, and clung to any root stem or leaves if it meant their survival—weeds like Ember herself. If not removed early, it would never die or disappear no matter how much weeding was done.
"She supposedly lived on the second level in the far right of the manor. Some creep must have stalked her to find that out." He chuckled, a soft and innocent chuckle contrary to his cruel and cold laughter at her suffering.
Ember did exactly as Ethan instructed. Thankfully, the garden's flora spanned out so far it surrounded the manor. Using the thick leaves, flowers, and night's blanket of darkness, Ember could transverse around the mansion quickly and, most importantly, unseen. Once Ember reached close enough to see through the windows, she traversed around the estate to find Pearl's bedroom.
Pearl sat by her dresser, close to the window; a giant cider tree blocked the view. However, she sat so close to the window that you would assume she wanted to parade her beauty to anyone who desperately wished to see her and climb the tree.
Once Ember could get a good look at her, Ember could see that Pearl was not just pretty. She, indeed, was a beauty. An orangish yellow fire colored her soft curls. She held sapphires in her eyes. Her voice filled the air with a mellow and comforting lullaby. One that could make anyone fall asleep.
Someone did.
On the sixth branch of the cider tree lay a boy sleeping softly and soundly, a luxury Ember rarely had the chance to enjoy due to constant hunger pains, the sting wounds, or the chilliness of night as the shed's wooden walls and the door did not stop the chill of the night from seeping in.
He was comfortable; he looked safe and at home. He had been there many times before; he had even brought a cushion to have something soft to sink into as he drifted off to sleep.
With his placement, one would assume she was being stalked; however, upon further inspection, Ember could see Pearl knew of his presence. He lay on the branch, sure the cushion would be comforting; however, it did not help the night's chill. What did help was the silk sheets placed on over his person. The lilac silk sheets that he could not possibly own.
Why?
Because he is a commoner.
A commoner Ember knew very well. Someone whom she had spent many secretive nights with. His dirty blonde hair, freckled face, and hazel eyes were engraved in her mind. He was also a bit different since his eyes sometimes would be mistaken for brown. The people of Belua hated anything dark, which was ironic because their hearts were the darkest thing they owned.
It was something Ember and he would bond over.
She still remembers his callused hands that cupped her cheeks and wiped away her sorrows. The same hands that had just torn apart their trust and love. Once stained with her tears in times of distress, his beige shirt was now dried and clean as ever, washing away her stains like they never existed. His arms, which once warmed her in her cold loneliness, now belonged to another: Pearl Ivanova—the exact opposite of Ember.
The same woman he promised Ember that he had no feelings for. The same woman who swore she would never fall in love with a commoner.
She could feel something bubbling inside. A sense of joy, excitement, and a chance at revenge for the mental pain Ethan had caused her over the years.
Usually, the information and objects she fetched for Ethan never personally had any relations with him. Unlike Pearl's beauty, something that made any man in the village fall head over heels for her, including Ethan, much to his protest. Though different in attitude and better in looks, Ethan was still subservient to anything beautiful. He obsessed over beautiful things so much that he kept an extensive collection that Ember helped him grow. But Ethan was not one to give his heart out so quickly. He had to own Pearls before she could ever get a chance to hold his.
Hiding this affair was going to be bittersweet. The first time Ethan gives his heart out to someone will be the first time he will know what it's like not to have it reciprocated.
"Is that all?"
nod
He was disappointed. No, he was beyond disappointed. He was furious.
He already knew Pearl was beautiful and had many talents, but his pet needed to provide more information. He had heard about Pearl for a while. His village aunties would not stop talking about her and how perfect of a suitor she was for him.
In actuality, he had met her before. It was brief but left an unwanted impression. Unlike every woman in the village, who would be head over heels at receiving his attention, Pearl rejected him and embarrassed him. How dare she, a mere fallen noble, act like she was higher than him because she was far more attractive than the rest.
However, he believed everyone had a secret, a dirty one to be specific, that he could use to gain their complete loyalty. Pearl had to have some dirty secret she was hiding. Her father's embezzlement charge and her mother's infidelity, none of that information affects Pearl personally.
What would be a wonderful secret to hold over her little dainty head would be a secret lover. Something he deliberately sent his pathetic pet to sniff out. But it seems his dog went nose blind this time since all it brought back was garbage. How disgusting, how disappointing.
"How revolting. How utterly useless."
Those were his last words before he slammed the door shut once again. He ensured Ember heard his words. he hoped it rotted away at her so she could bring more critical information next time.
BAM
Whenever he was disappointed, it meant she would have to starve tonight.
Should she have told him about Jason? Would that result in a better treatment?
No. It had to work. Something told Ember it would work. All she had to do was sit still and let Ethan experience what it was like not to have her help. To let her lack of information that he depended on so much be his downfall.
He needed her just as much as she needed him. He was her fuel and way to live another day; on the other hand, she was his eyes and ears. She was the embodiment of his darkest secret. Now it was time he learned to live a day blind and deaf.
He would learn what it was like to be rejected and alone.
Alone? Was Ember ever alone? No, not really. She always had Ethan, who visited frequently for her first five years. She remembered that every time Ethan came, it did not matter what he had planned for her; she would be so happy at his arrival. She was a dog happily obeying and serving her abusive owner. However, it was the only show of love and affection she knew.
Until one winter night, her sixth mission, her sixth chance to prove useful enough to Ethan to live another day; if she failed this time, she would die from starvation and cold. Also, these missions only came once a week, and he would only give her morsels to live by that week if she failed.
It was a simple mission: go into the village and steal a blood-red jewel from a boy, a commoner, who had bought it before he could.
Ethan saw the jewel in the display that day after a shopping trip for his mother, so he had no money left to buy it; he swore the next day that he would buy it first thing in the morning. However, when he got there, it was gone. He was infuriated; he had to have that jewel. Anything that beautiful must be his and his alone.
So, she went to fetch it for him. How could she not? Her master wanted it, so it was his.
She was his well-trained dog, after all. She would do anything he wanted for his love and approval. Not to mention, this was her last chance to complete at least one of his missions successfully.
She had already failed five times before this, getting caught by the villagers, dropping his belongings on her way back, and making the villagers know of her existence. Troubles that even troubled Ethan.
It turned into an early morning when she returned from her mission. This was about the time she would generally fall asleep.
Sleep never came easy to her. She would have to pass out from exhaustion, hunger, or pain.
However, this time, she exhausted herself from a broken heart and the needless hours of crying due to one boy: Jason.
She loved Jason.
He had promised her an escape. He promised to help her find a home that accepted her. He shared with her what love truly felt like.
But after what she had witnessed tonight and probably many other future ones, she found herself alone.