«DESTINY CALLS, NOWHERE TO RUN : SHAME...»
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That evening, I thought of what my choice would be. Even as I pondered hard on the fact that I knew him from a past, and I'd sworn to kill him, I didn't want to now. In fact, I wanted to see him again.
He was dumb. That was enough for me. Evil was different as it corrupted people and manipulated them. Power made men evil. This man was nothing and where was the brain for the darkness to manipulate?
Still, it didn't make any difference. I had nothing to wear and for the first time in my life, I didn't like the realization of that knowledge. What was that feeling?
A knocked was heard on the door and I instantly knew it would be her. "Come in Laura," I said, not that it was needed. Laura barged in whenever she wanted. Waiting patiently for her words of insults as she usually offered every damn time, I saw no one. With the door, slightly opened, I knew someone was indeed there. "Laura?" I got up from the tiny wooden structure of a bed and slowly, with moderated steps, I stealthily ambled towards the door.
"Mistress," called out a voice. An oddly familiar one, but it was coming from behind.
"Who is that?" Stopping for a brief moment, I turned around to observe my scenery perhaps if I would see the owner of the voice, then brought back my gaze to the door just in case anyone was there. The voice had called from behind, but someone was at the door opposite.
"Mistress, you must remember..." It called again, louder this time but instantly trailed off as if something or someone had stopped it. The window. The voice was calling from outside. I quickly turned towards the window to see if I would find anything. Perhaps a floating person... It was coming to me now. I called a man dumb, yet, here I was thinking I'd heard the voice of some sort of magical being from a life I'd lived before.
Dolion or was that not it's name? I was certain that was it. The hope of finding some strange being was quickly vanquished by the mild cold air that seeped in as it blew gently, filling in relieved energy. I was instantly consoled for how I'd been feeling. I took the moment to shut the windows closed, lit the candles as it was getting dark already.
My whole past was a revelation of complete darkness that needed luminous light to add meaning to it. I left my bed and sat on the tiny chair that paired with a medium table. This table had written notes on part of the things I've discovered from my hellish dreams. But they just didn't add up.
"Melissa?" The door swung opened as Laura ambled in with a big smile on her face. I'd always been slightly envious of her looks. Laura was the definition of beauty. Unlike I had been born, the dazzling physical traits of amazing women was never something to claim. I hated myself, not because in my own way, I wasn't beautiful. Some morons might look at me and smile, say that I indeed was attractive. The only part of my looks I admired were my eyes. For some reason, they were as blue as nothing I'd ever seen before. Like they held some sort of magic in them.
Compared to other women, I was a few inches shorter. Slim, with messy brown hair. My stare always resembled that of an evil witch who had failed to get a decent sleep in years. I was always tired and I looked it all the time, but not from work and stress. Rather, from the hate and guilt that weighed me down every moment. To some moron, I was beautiful in a way. The Hathaway fed me well enough for a slave, yet, I still suffered from a pale skin and minor acnes.
In my eyes, she was the exact image of what I'd loved myself to resemble. Slender tall darling with smooth rosy skin that were obviously healthy. Deep set eyes that shone brilliantly bright, and sculpted brows with long dark lashes creating the magic behind the dazzling brown eyes. Her long auburn hair resembled that of a goddess, especially whenever she braided them up. Then, there was the pointed nose and those pink lips...
"Moron? What sorcery have you done?" Her tiny sonorous voice brought me back to my reality and I couldn't believe that I still hadn't gotten over the strange jealous I'd always felt since we were little.
"Sorcery? What... What do you mean?" I was still quite dazzled by her green emerald dress. She always stood beautiful in it.
"Yes. Magic." She said again and I wondered if it had been just not me who was fantasizing.
"Laura, please get out if you're here with your sad, sad words again," I said to her and she only folded her arms and shot a big frown at me. "I am sure my ears have grown attached to them already, so your words don't hurt anymore." I lied, like I always did to myself. "So if you don't mind, I was in the middle of selecting the perfect dress for a -"
"Exactly. And why do you think I am standing right in front of you?" She flashed a raised brow at me, then swung her hands back and forth before me. It was then I saw a wrapped clothing in her hand. She walked forward and threw it on my bed.
With alternated glances from the bed, to her, and then back to the bed, I demanded an explanation.
"I don't understand as well. This well built man was standing outside, waiting for some Melissa Hathaway downstairs." She said, and I waited for more.
Well built man... Perhaps the prince?
"There's a goddamn carriage outside, waiting for you. You have been personally invited to the palace, Melissa. It is good news I tell you. What magic have you done?" She asked again and I couldn't help myself from smiling. He really did wanted to see me.
"No magic, Laura. No magic at all," I smiled again and began unwrapping the special present I'd received. There was a magnificent dress, even more prettier than the one Laura had on, and a perfect shoe to match. I truly would be going to the palace. My heart was calm at last and it felt rather strange. I had thought it would be beating fast as I wouldn't be able to contain the joy I was feeling.
"So, you truly were invited by a noble into the palace?" She asked, slowly advancing towards me. She took her seat and began to physically observe the dress herself.
"Don't act so surprise, Laura." I said to her and she brought up her gaze. "You and your mother always get invited to the palace almost all the time. You are a noble yourself, aren't you?"
"Yes, but you aren't." She said, reminding me as she usually did. Typical Laura.
"Why thank you for the awareness, dear sister. I almost forgot how unimportant I am." I flashed a rather warm smile, at least it was warm on the outside. Inside, I found myself struggling to breathe fine but I felt as if it was for a course. If I had let myself raged, something terrible would happen. It came to me, like a vision. And I just had to calm my nerves for the greater good. "Thank you so much-"
Laura was frozen, but not still. She wasn't breathing and slowly, as I watched closely, I saw her... choking.
"Laura?" I shook her, hugged her and did all that all I could to, at least to try something that would stop her from the struggle. She was dying. Tears of pain dripped down her already bulging eyes and I swore I could feel her every thoughts in my head. She was crying, begging me to save her.
It was happening too fast and I was loosing my mind. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't explain what was happening. She was truly dying right before my eyes. Her gaze pierced through me like a blare of ice.
"Laura. Laura!" I couldn't do anything. "Lau-" My mind was roaring with panic as anxiety gnawed at me. With a wildly beating heart and stifling wave of fear, I took a shaky breath and did what I was being told to do.
Muffled voices in my head, they were saying things to me. Parables in a strange language that I somehow seemed to understand perfectly. It was in the old tongue. Language even I could not speak.
Calm your spirit, Kerik.
Kerik. That was the name they called me.
I closed my eyes tight, slowing my breath. I had invoked a curse on her. Not that it had been intentional.
Calm your spirit, Kerik.
The voices were whispering again, and I let their words seep deeply into my head. Everything was a deadened hissing. My spirit was calm.
"Melissa?" A faint voice called and I could make do of it's caller. She was alright. None of it had been real. The attack on Laura had been a vision of the destruction that would have occured if I had let my rage out. They were warning me.
The spirits were speaking to me, forcing me to listen. For some reasons, I didn't feel obliged to abide by their rules. I wasn't threatened. Nor was I willing to conform to their dictums.
"Melissa?" Laura called again and I flinched. "What is wrong with you?" She asked, staring as if deep in those eyes of hers, were care and affection.
"I'm fine." I replied blankly. I was far from 'fine'.
"If you say so," she rose up and headed to the door. Halfway out she turned at flashed bright eyes at me. "You have fun tonight. For two."
"Wait," I called back as she had instantly darted off. "Wait!" I rushed out and saw her standing. Waiting. "You're not going?" I waited attentively for her reply.
Frozen still, she gave a shuddered smile. "I won't be attending, you know." She said, and even in her tone, I knew she was not delighted. "I'm going over to my soon-to-be husband's house. Spending the night-"
"Why? You are no mistress to that man. Why should you-"
"Because this is reality, Melissa." She brought her gaze straight up and our eyes locked. Her eyes were teary already. "One that you too should soon accept."
I waited for more but she didn't utter another word. "What do you mean?"
"The prince. You mean nothing to him, no matter the fancy happenings that might be going on now."
I wanted to disagree with her. It would be the right thing to do, because he made efforts. Attempts that not many men would make, so I wanted to believe that deep down in his heart, he meant good. I wouldn't say he loved me, but, he fancied me.
At most.
"He would do to you, what he does to other women. Abandon them." Laura said. What scared me the most was her confidence. She strongly believed in her words. "You mean nothing to him, Melissa. Because you are nothing more than a slave in the Hathaway household."
A slave. I wasn't a slave.
"And you are not my sister. You'll never be." She slowly spew her words out and they somehow pierced through me like poisoned darted arrows. "Ever." Her whispers echoed loudly in my head, and I feared that no matter how hard I tried to run away from that truth, I would never escape it. I was a slave. I would forever be one.
To her, Lucinda, the prince, the palace... This whole universe.
Unless, someone stopped it from happening. Something must be done. Otherwise, I would remain a slave... Forever.
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