"Hazelkar!"
Groca was already asleep when the calls wake him up. Oh no! His mind rang out. Auxillium doesn't know about Tabitha - Hazelkar's wife, at least his first one.
"Groca!"
"What happened to him? I heard he got married! I have come after leaving my meditation in the middle and now I have come to know he's sick."
"Oh Groca! What is this fate of mine!"
The woman lamented and cried in the moonlight, her wails echoing in the hallways. She was bent with anguish near Groca's bench. The commotion was enough to wake everyone over the next Seven Seas. Auxillium could hear the maids clattering down the stairs, their heels making the characteristic click-clack sounds. "Oh Mistress! Come with us! Your nerves are weak." Their lanterns swayed in their hands, the light of which lit up her face. Auxillium rubbed her eyes, trying to make out of the happenings. She had a tough time sleeping on the marble floor, it made her back ache. She looked at Groca with inquisition in her eyes. Upon seeing Auxillium wake up, the woman pointed at her - "Is..Is she the lady my husband has wed?" Auxillium could barely shake her head in response. Yes, she did marry him, without mutual consent...wait, hold the horses, did she say her husband?
"Uhmm.. Auxillium, this..this is Madame Tabitha, Master's First Wife."
"And Madame, this is Auxillium, Master's Second wife." Groca looked as though he was in the midst of being guillotined. Fear had his face ashen, his eyes wide with fear. How come no one had told Auxillium that her husband was already married? She was wide awake now, blood rushing in her veins. She looked at the maids but they shied away. No one had expected Madame Tabitha to have returned so soon. "I will.. I will be leaving for my room Groca." Auxillium was shooting daggers with her eyes - the lies, the magnificent lies - they told her all about their Master's pet, his forest, his palace and his world but somehow forgot to mention that he had a wife. Quite funny, actually.
Auxillium dragged her comforter back to her room, her mind in a state of confusion - how was he, who was she and why the hell did he marry her! Stopping at her doors, she looked back - maybe, just maybe all they had together was an agreement of usage - of being and making the other of your use. But what she could not understand was why - why did he marry her in a secret ceremony in his garden when his entire kingdom had come to know about her, why did he take her to the High Heavens. She did worry about him, but at the time something raged in her - something a quite close hit to jealousy and hatred. She lay in her bed all night, without a wink of sleep, turning over and over waiting for the sun to shine upon another day.
The first thing she did the next morning was to run to the dispensary, the doctor had told them he could be awake by the next day. She was still her nightgown, the satin showing off her cheeky collarbones. She had wanted to draw a bath for later but there were no maids around. Slowing down at the dispensary doors, she took a deep breath, tucking her stray strands of hair behind her ears. She opened the door, just the slightest bit, hoping not to scare him if he were awake.
There were noises coming from within, she was about to cross the thresh hold when her feet stood frozen. "Oh Hazelkar, how have you come to be so?" A voice so full of sugary sweetness, it could make your head hurt just by listening. "I waited all night yesterday, on the floor, waiting for you to wake up." Tabitha had his head cradled in her arms, caressing his head. "I..I am okay Tabitha, I assure you. You know nothing would happen to me." Hazelkar held her fingers, kissing the tips of which he said, "You having come here has healed me body and soul Tabitha." Groca stood in a corner looking at his Master and Mistress with googly eyes. She did not understand why but as quick as she was to run to his side, she closed the door as slowly as she could. But he had already seen her.
Groca had caught her eyes as she held the door by the handle, edging away. Her heartbeat raced, she took quick steps, as fast as she could without making a noise, away from him and his wife. She was expecting to hear Groca's heel cracking down to marble to stop her. But she never did hear it. A shard of disappointment tore her heart as she made her way back to her room. 'No, no! Why are you feeling sad? You should be happy that he already has someone to do his wifely duties,' her mind tried slapping some sense into her, but her head held hung.
"Ma..dame, w..we wan.." Her maids were waiting inside her soon, explanations on the tips of their tongues. They looked dismal, having have lied and being caught. "Madame.. we."
"What is it about?" The strain in her voice was clearly audible. "About Madame Tabitha."
"I already know what there was to know."
The maids looked scared, they had never before seen Auxillium like this. Her usual chirpy self was gone. A dark weather had enclosed them in. "I wished to have a bath in the morning, where were you all?"
They hesitated, looking at one another then at her, "Madame Tabitha had called us in to rearrange Master's room, to make it easier for him to go about after his injuries."
"Fetch me bath, now." There had been no eminent anger, no outbursts, no red ears or tears - but what they were seeing in Auxillium had them clutch their crosses and pray She was a strong contender against their Master, who's cruelty they had seen firsthand. "Madame, forgive me, but all the maids in the palace have been called by Madame Tabitha to shift her bed into Master's bedroom. We had come along the way to inform you about..."
"So you came up to show me your faces?"
"Madame, no, you're misunderstanding what.."
"Go on with the work you have to do."
"Out now!" Auxillium pointed at the door, her eyes fixated at them. "Madame, we are.."
"I said leave and that means to leave. Out now!" Slowly, they trickled out of her room, their lips tight shut. Auxillium heard her door closing behind her, exclaiming their exit. If there was no one willing to be by her side, she would be by herself.
She walked into her bathroom, the tub retaining its ivory shine. The dress she wore the last day lay by the tub, seeping blood into the grout. All the maids were busy, huh? If no one would help her, she would help herself. She lunged the dress into the tub, filling it with water. She drew her dress up to her knees and her sleeves to her elbows. The water had turned red as soon as it had hit the fabric, it was drenched in blood. She changed the water thrice before it turned a lighter red. Aiming to forego all her frustrations through the dress, she scrubbed it with all her might. She knew she seemed childish, her actions petty but all her tries to rationale with her mind went awry. If he was already married why did he marry her? She scrubbed the dress a bit harder. If he loved her, why did he marry Auxillium? She scrubbed harder. If he wished to have no business with her why did he take her to the High Heavens? Why did he hide the fact that he was married? Why was he cruel to her? Harder, harder, harder. Her hands only stopped when she saw the lace torn apart. She let out an exasperated sigh.
Wait, what is this? She reached her hands into the bloody water, picking out a now blood dyed paper. It was folded upon itself, like a letter. She didn't know where it came from - she hadn't worn the dress before and the paper itself was different from the one at the Palace. Gold edged, the paper was thick to the touch. She opened it, carefully, making sure she didn't tear it apart at the seams.
'Auxillium,
It is I. I apologize for not having been able to carry you the High Orders as was my responsibility. I had not known you had fallen into the Afterlife. Only after had you entered the High Heavens did I feel your presence. I rushed to your side, making up the story I had. I had not, even in my wildest dreams, imagined that you would have married Hazelkar. My laments now are of no use. Appearing the High Heavens has ripped me of any energy and will need years to recuperate. I am not allowed to appear in front of Immortals with a penchant guarding my soul, but after having felt your presence I was rushed.
You must leave Auxillium. Hazelkar is bad news, you must, must not stay. If you have any way to going out, do so. Go back home to Earth, to the Dew Sunset point and I shall be awating you in ten days time.
-Zaireen.'
Oh no! Now it came to her. No wonder Zaireen's voice sounded so very familiar. But how did he get it her dress? Was it when he came after them in the hallway? If it were true, she did not know. There was only one way of knowing, to go back home.
She read the letter over and over again, pausing her fingers over the rushed r's and t's, as her sleeves got drenched in the bloody water. By the time she finished reading and rereading the letter, the letter had dried with blood watermarks over it. As she turned it over to fold it, she saw the scribble he had made - 'If you wish to talk to me, write it down on this letter and burn it calling my name. But do so only in an emergency, as you have only this one sheet of paper.' She knew if she had to escape, she had only one way - the wish. He was supposed to grant her a wish for the drama she had put on for Delilah. Wait, if he was already married, why did he ask her to sort it out? Why did Delilah come over? The questions harangued her as she took the quickest bath she ever had and rushed to the dispensary. "Master went to his room," the doctor informed her.
As she made her way up to his room, she could hear the fluttering gossips making the round. She did not care who said what - it was time for her to know why had Zaireen come to see her when she died. She had learnt from the maids that all souls went straight to hell, no if, no buts. She had told them that she thought angels would come to see souls off and all they could muster was that it happened to some souls only, some very special souls.
She opened the door, full and wide; maybe it was her newfound hatred for the palace or her faith in the letter that gave her such confidence. Tabitha was next to Hazelkar, cooing to ease his pains. Groca as before stood in the corner, awaiting orders. Auxillium cleared her throat as she entered the room, her first time seeing his chambers.
Hazelkar tried to sit up, "Wh..at what are you doing here?"
"I want to use the wish you are to grant me."
"What do you wish for?"
"For me to go back home."