The morning after my conversation with Mariella's father was the bustiest morning of my life. I'm sure it was the busiest of Mariella's as well. Her body creaked, and it churned as I pushed myself to read through each file I was handed. The amount of numbers, and names I read was unfathomable. I didn't know so many could exist in one space. Nor did I realize how expensive jewelry could be.
I was left with the work of a secretary. I was mostly ignored, unless something was needed of me, and mostly nothing was needed of me. Whenever I finished combing through one book, I was given another. I never thought the day would end. But eventually it did.
"How are you making out?" I wasn't even sure what I was doing, other than rewriting things.
"Good. I'm almost done with this one." I was just transferring information from one book to another.
"Why don't we call it a day? Dinner will be ready soon." I looked between him and the work he had assigned me. It felt like a test, as if he were my mother trying to see if I'll take the easy way out.
"I'll finish with this soon. It'll be easier to just get it done." He looked at me precariously before sighing.
"Just be sure to come down for dinner."
I finished not long after he left. I leaned back in my seat, and stretched my tired ligaments. My head spun as my stomach reminded me that dinner awaited me two floors down. I pushed my palm against the table and stood up from the chair that consumed my entire day. I shut both books and stacked them on top of each other before lifting them. I put the one I had been writing in on her father's desk and turned around to put the one I extracted the information back on the shelf.
I sighed, stretched again, before I saw it. A slip of paper, I could tell was from the file on the shelf due to the hue of the paper, that looked as if it had been ripped out. I stepped out from behind his desk and bent out to pick it up. When I looked at the sheet I thought I would immediately recognize which page it came from, but there was only one entry on the page. I flipped it over, thinking maybe I somehow missed a page, but it was blank, not even the boxes were printed on it. To solve this mystery I thought that I might recognize the name of the owner, however there wasn't one. There wasn't even a price. There was only the name of the piece. My Baby Ella.
It was a sweet name for a piece of jewelry. I imagine it was commissioned for someone specific, but since there was no price, or owner I couldn't tell if they received it or not. I decided that this wasn't my mystery to solve, and I folded the paper and tucked it into my pocket. I hoped to talk to Mariella's father at dinner and resolve this nagging feeling then, but by the time I got downstairs it was only Ezekiel and Silas at the table.
"Where were you?" Ezekiel questioned.
It seemed the two were pretty much done with their meal, but were stuck in their own conversation.
"Finishing up some work I was given. Where's father?" I asked as I took the only seat with a cover still over its plate.
"He and mother went out for a stroll." Silas and Ezekiel exchanged a strange look as I lifted the silver cover.
Steam wafted my face as I looked down at the warm meal with greedy eyes. I had a sandwich for lunch, and only a tart for breakfast, so the juicy steak, and gravy covered potatoes looked more than just appetizing; it looked delectable.
"Why do you need to see him?" I looked up from my plate doe-eyed, as I had thought the conversation was over.
"I have a question for him." I said curiously, ready to dig back into my meal.
"What is your question?" I dropped my fork as I stopped my eyes from rolling out of my head.
"Why do you need to know? It is a question for father, you won't be able to help."
"Maybe I will." My face contorted, as my mouth dropped to retort him. I felt like I was talking to my younger brother, but I knew Ezekiel was older than the body I was in.
"Do you know who commissioned My Baby Ella?" I decided to fold, as I had no energy to fight him. I just wanted to eat my food while it was still warm.
"My Baby Ella?" Silas repeated.
"No I don't. Where did you hear that name?"
"Why do you care so much?" I finally asked, placing both my fork and knife down beside my plate. "Can you not let me eat without pestering me?"
Ezekiel and Silas both looked taken aback. "Are you alright? Why are you being so snappy?" Ezekiel questioned, and I finally stood.
"I've had a long day, Ezekiel. The last thing I wanted was to be nagged by you."
"I was only asking! Mariella!" I listened to his voice as left. My stomach was full of fury. Which was something that was clearly foreign to this body. She could hardly handle it. Her face was hot, and her fists were sweaty. She shook short jitters as I stormed into her room.
Anger was an emotion I was familiar with. It was one I was used to expressing, and it was something I understood completely, but Mariella didn't know how to handle it. Her eyes watered and her heat hit her chest at a million miles per hour.
"Mariella." A knock came on the door and everything in my stomach came out in a gross uproar.
"Go away."
"What's wrong?" Ezekiel pouted through the door. "Mariella." He tormented. "Would you just open your door?"
"Would you just leave me alone?"
"Did I say something wrong?" He honestly asked, and I was beginning to believe my feelings were invalid. "Would you at least eat your food? I've left it outside your door."
I grumbled in my own misnomer before opening the door and picking up the food he left. My brother's would have never done such a thing. It made the anger I felt turn into pain. I knew nothing of Ezekiel, yet I projected my thoughts of my own brother onto him. I almost wanted to apologize, but my pride was too large to ever do such a thing.
I ate my food, however cold it got. It was still somewhat enjoyable. However enjoyable a pity steak could be.
I decided my question about the lost jewelry could wait until morning. It was obvious I had more work to do in the morning, so I was comfortable in the fact I would be able to see him again. Noa came to set up the bath, and she left with my plate. When I got out Noa braided my hair and I curled into bed.
"Do you want me to keep the window open tonight? It's supposed to be getting warmer now that the solstice has passed. They say summer is coming!" Her voice emanated the joys of a child awaiting summer break.
"Sure." I didn't see the difference but Noa smiled at the new task she had been given.
"Sleep well Miss Mariella." She skipped off having more energy than she had in the morning.
"You too, Noa." I squeezed in before the door clicked shut.
Crickets sang, and an owl hooted. Night crept in as I soothed myself to sleep.
Sleep came easy in Mariella's bed. I never woke up once. Insomnia never got me, and I only ever woke when I was fully rested. It was a much welcomed experience. Unfamiliar, but welcomed nonetheless.
That was why when I woke, crickets still singing, I was restless. I rolled in my bed. A familiar tiredness that I had thought I had escaped. My eyes grew heavy, and I assumed sleep was ready to consume me when a cold hand jolted me awake. I flung the blanket from my body and fell to the floor with a loud thump. I scrambled on to my feet as someone fussed with the comforter on my bed. I ripped open my door and stepped into the hall, ready to bolt even if I didn't know where to.
"Mariella." Silas' voice yanked back into my room.
"Let go of me!" His hand rushed to cover my mouth as I struggled to free myself.
"What is your problem?" My eyes widened as my brows furrowed.
What was my problem? He was the one who invaded my room while I slept. Then I remembered it wasn't my room we were in. It wasn't me who Silas was harassing. It was Mariella, and I didn't know anything about Silas and Mariella. Isabella didn't tell me anything about Silas. She didn't even warn me that he would be staying over extra days.
Once I stopped struggling against him, Silas lifted his hand from my mouth. His hand still dug into my arm, but looser than it was before. "Can't you just leave me alone?" I wasn't sure what I should say. I wasn't sure what their relationship was. If there was any. All I knew was that Silas felt comfortable enough to creep into Mariella's room while she was fast asleep.
"You seemed to be in a bad mood." I could feel Mariella's heart beat grow faster. "I wanted to check on you." His words didn't hold any malice, but Mariella still shook.
His sincerity was beginning to terrify me. "I'm fine, but I would be better if you would just let me sleep."
"What's with the hostility?"
"Am I not allowed to be in a foul mood?" His hand started to slip from my arm.
"What's the matter?"
"My grandfather has died, my father has pushed busy work on me, and you are in my room interrupting my sleep. There are plenty of things that are the matter." Most importantly I wasn't even me.
"I know you and Julian were close, but I thought you had come to terms with it."
"Does anyone ever really come to terms with death?" His hand finally dropped to his side as all my fury scorned Mariella's eyes.
"Mariella…" His pity filled voice only furthered the suffocation in my chest.
"Please." I couldn't help but muster a horrid laugh. "Just leave." He stared down at me with a soft gaze, but I only returned it with steel.
I couldn't go back to sleep, even after he left. The wind brought in a summer wind. The crickets chirped all night. By the time morning came their songs were replaced by the woeful singing of a bird.
I wasn't sure what to think. I wasn't sure how I should react. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to. I didn't want to deal with the consequences of being discovered. I didn't want to explain myself because I wasn't sure what the exploitation was. I was scared, alone, and I knew no one could help me.
It was all so infuriating. It felt like everything I felt was either entirely invalid, or weren't my feelings at all. All I could feel was anger. Anger for my situation, and anger for everyone around me. I felt like a dog chained up and left outside. The only time anyone ever cared was when I barked, or bite. They noticed me when I did a pretty trick, but couldn't care less how I learned it. They just wanted to use that trick to show me off.