What If?
Winston pushed open the heavy blackout curtains, slowly bringing light into the dark chamber behind him. The room was enormous, the bed was set low with the pillars almost able to touch the roof and set with big pink feathery pillows. Books and maps were strewn about, the doors to a walk-in closet were open carelessly. A soft smile grew on his well-disciplined lips as he eyed the scene before him. Lara groaned, rubbing her eyes as she glared at him from underneath a mountain of covers before yawning softly and turning away from him, trying to recapture the bliss of sleep once more.
"Good morning, Lady Lara." Winston walked around to bring in a silver tray. "Today is a big day, Mister Nishimura is arriving with his wife and daughter."
Lara pulled herself up to a sitting position, grumbling, "Couldn't he arrive later?" She yawned once more, turning her head to the tray as her stomach grumbled gently.
"Staying up late again to read, I see." He shot her a disapproving look as she squirmed in her seat, looking down at her hands.
"Only a little," She tilted her head and looked up at him, a playful smile slowly twisting the corners of her lips.
"You still need to get ready," He fixed her hair back towards her messy braid. "Master Croft is expecting you to be bright and well dressed for the visitors."
She pouted, folding her arms, "I don't want to."
Winston removed the lid from the tray, revealing a glass of warm milk and eggs benedict, "There are things in life we have to do, even if we don't want to."
With that, he stepped back and excused himself out of the room, leaving Lara alone in her bedroom.
Lara took in a deep breath, rubbing her eyes once more before pulling the glass towards her. She was slowly getting used to being just a toy for display, to be primed and polished to show Dad's visitors but to be disregarded for the rest of the time. She felt pinpricks of tears starting to worm their way to her eyes, but she blinked them back, shaking her head softly for effect. She swung her legs over her bed, letting them fall on the soft rug below. She knew she was going to have a hard day just smiling amiably but she took a calming breath and prepared herself to face her day ahead.
Sam sat stiffly between her mother and father, the silence in the car bringing her close to tears. She was picking at the rough skin between her recently polished fingernails, fiddling with the lace of her slightly frilly soft pink dress, doing anything to pass the time. She tried to see if her parents were in a talking mood but after a rather harsh, "Be quiet, Samantha,", she didn't have the courage to utter another word. She was starting to wonder how much longer the trip was going to take, when the car slowed to a stop. Her father exited the cab first and she almost pushed him forwards, trying to get out of what she knew was going to bore her to death if she stayed any longer.
"Whoa," was all Sam could bring herself to say as she gaped at the huge looming castle before her.
It towered over her, seeming as to catch clouds with the tip of it, the giant clock seemed motionless and intimidating all at once. She followed her parents to the giant door and hid herself as her father took hold of the door knocker and knocked thrice. She listened to the sound as it echoed inside, wondering if maybe the cab driver got confused and brought them to a haunted house instead when the door creaked open, a tall slender man, standing straight as a pole, his suit shiny and the creases of them defined as he held his hands behind his back and his hair white as snow, although his face hasn't nearly caught up with his hair.
"Mister and Mrs. Nishimura, I presume?" He bowed slightly as Sam's parents nodded. He opened the door further, letting them pass. Sam hesitated in entering, looking at the immenseness of the inside of the castle.
"Miss Nishimura?" Sam looked back at him scared, but relaxed slightly when he gave her a small comforting smile. She thought he reminded her of someone familiar, an uncle or grandfather, but the thought flew away as instantly as it came the minute she walked in and the door shut with a loud bang. A soft shriek left Sam as she raced to cling to her mother's dress.
"My name is Winston, Master Croft and Lady Lara welcome you to the Croft Manor. Now, if you'll follow me this way, I shall direct you to the study." Winston continued as if he didn't notice, smiling at the adults, and leading them past the parlor towards a room to the right. The parlor was vast, a giant grand staircase centered with deep brown handles and warm red carpet on the steps and it split into two opposing directions as it reached the top. A large portrait of a mother and father with a small squirming child was positioned over the separation of the staircase.
The next room that Winston led them to was equally as massive, with floor to ceiling shelves covered in books and the occasional golden artifact. On the left was an ornate fireplace, decorated with red to grey stones similar to a mosaic. On the shelf of the fireplace were small picture frames, too high for Sam to reach, but centered between the frames was a golden warrior with a bow and arrow and a long flowing braid. The fireplace was lit, the fire crackling softly behind a clear glass. Surrounding the fireplace were two big chairs that seemed comfy, but Sam knew that those types of chairs had scratchy cushions. Centered in the room was a neat circular table, the dark brown wood making the white lace cloth strip on it glow. On top of the tablecloth was a fishbowl of assorted candies and lollies, twin candlesticks were bordering the bowl. Behind the table was an inviting white sofa, with a rocking chair on both sides. And towards the right of the room was a wide desk, with a white spiny chair and a big computer. Sam was tempted to go explore the desk, but her father shot her a look that killed her bravery. Sam opted instead to take a lollipop from the bowl, pull herself up onto a rocking chair and entertain herself with just looking around the room, her feet swinging as she tried to maintain a steady speed.
"Master Croft is currently on a call with a curator at the moment, but he and Lady Lara will be soon joining you here. Tea will be brought along shortly, but if there is anything else I can do for you, please do not hesitate to call me, or any of the other servants."
Winston waited patiently for a moment, before bowing and walking out of the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click. Sam looked up at her father who was looking around the room appreciatively, while her mother was straightening out the soft wrinkles that formed on her dress from the ride.
Within a minute, Sam saw the door open and a young lady wearing a maid's outfit brought in a tray with a kettle, a sugar bowl and six teacups and saucers. The woman looked around 19, with dark almost black hair braided and wrapped neatly in a bun and a small white cap. Her dress was black and soft, going down almost to the half of her calf, her white apron almost blinding against the black dress. She had knee high white socks and black shiny shoes that seemed almost entirely uncomfortable.
She smiled politely, replacing the fishbowl of sweets with the tray, and removing the candles so she can place two trays, one with triangle sandwiches set in a spiral pattern and another with a small circular tower of brownies. Just as the maid finished placing the tray down, the door opened again, but this time a girl around Sam's age entered.
Mr. Nishimura stood, as well as his wife, and smiled at the girl in a simple light blue dress. Her soft brown hair was pulled back into a topsy ponytail and she held her hands behind her back as she looked at the group.
"Good morning," She spoke softly, stepping inside and walking towards the adults, "I'm Lara." She extended her small hand, towards Mr. Nishimura, for a handshake. Her face was serious, her brows furrowed as she twisted her features into a stoic frame.
"My name is Hisao Nishimura," He smiled kindly, taking her hand and shaking it gently. He was slightly surprised by the tight grip she had. He gestured to his wife beside him as he let go, "This is my wife Antonia."
Lara extended her hand as well, holding Antonia's hand with slightly less of a tight grip. Her face softened slightly before she looked away, letting her hand slip out of the handshake. She turned her attention to Sam, who had stopped rocking, but made no efforts to get up. She had her right leg halfway up, folded under her left and her hands were clutching the handles of the rocking chair, her knuckles almost white.
"This is our daughter Samantha." Mr. Nishimura smiled before giving Sam a sharp look, "Sam, why don't you stand and say hello."
Sam looked at Lara, as if trying to read her reactions, before letting her grip loosen on one of the handles and taking Lara's hand warmly in hers. She pulled away quickly, a spark of electricity ran between their index fingers and she yelped in surprise. Lara flinched, looking at Sam concerned, taking a step back.
Before Lara can ask if she's okay, a man cleared his throat, his steps echoing through the parlor as he walked in. Lara spun on her heels, facing a tall nicely dressed man in a suit, his hair dark and slicked back, with the beginnings of grey starting on his roots. He was straightening his black bowtie, his lips curled into a cocky smile. He shook Mr. Nishimura's hand, while giving a polite kiss on the top of Mrs. Nishimura's hand.
"Lara, sweetheart, why don't you and Sam go and explore the playroom?" He gave Lara a dashing smile, before nodding towards the door. Lara took a deep breath and nodded, looking to Sam, who reluctantly followed her out of the room.
Sam kept her distance to Lara, who walked quickly and quietly down elaborate hallways as it twisted and turned like a maze that Sam couldn't remember, her head down looking at her shiny shoes. She wanted to reach out to the girl, but she argued herself against it, not wanting to make her upset. She almost believed that the girl didn't notice she was behind her, when Lara turned to a door and held it open for Sam to walk in.
As she passed through, Sam took in the view of the room. It was yet another massive room, bigger than Sam's bedroom back home. The walls where a light orchid color, with the curtains a bright white lace. There were twin stands taller than Sam with big deep red vases with people painted on them in white. In one side of the room, Sam noticed a treasure chest, with tools and Barbie's and toys filled inside, masks were strewn about on the floor, some were hanging on the walls. On the wall to the left was a giant map, with dozens of strings pulled from England. Sam took a couple steps in, looking around the room. Towards the back of the room sat a big fireplace, not as ornate as the one in the parlor, but this one was still just as elegant. A fire inside was crackling gently with a glass blocking anyone from reaching in. Sam let her eyes trace up the fireplace before resting on the eyes of a portrait of a woman. Her face was puckered in a growl, her black hair pulled into a tight bun and her dress was black and ornate. Her eyes seemed to follow wherever Sam moved, glaring deep into her soul, sending goosebumps from behind her neck forwards across the skin of her arms and down her back. Sam gasped softly, taking some steps back, terrified of turning her back onto the woman and having the lady crawl out of the portrait and after her, when she felt hard cold marble on her back. She shut her eyes tight as a loud shattering crash resonated behind her.
"Look at what you did!" Lara yelled, pulling Sam away from the stand, her face was contorted in a glare. She pointed at the vase that was shattered on the floor, her small foot tapping impatiently. "That was almost 400 years old!"
Sam took a step back, to try to distance herself from the intensity of Lara's glare. Sam felt her eyes starting to sting and fill, her vision starting to blur and fog over. Her breathing quickened and a lump started to form in her throat. "I-I'm sorry. It was an accident. I didn't mean to break it."
"Yeah, well you did." Lara crossed her arms, huffing out and redirecting her glare to the vase.
Sam took the small break from her stare as an opportunity to turn on her heels and run out of the room, her tears spilling out on her cheeks. She was upset but refused to let a stranger, much less an angry stranger, see her cry. She was running blindly around the manor, not knowing her way back to her parents. She turned and turned through several hallways, each looking the exact same as the one she just passed, until she reached a dead end with a giant door, taller than all the others, towards the end of the hall. Sam hiccupped, her cries starting to come in choked out sobs. She reached over and opened the door which was heavier than she thought it would be. It leads out to a wide open field, a stable of horses was out towards the distance and a couple of closed off rings had different obstacles and sand instead of grass.
Sam ran, her hands flying to wipe at her eyes when she bumped into the legs of a tall white mare. She fell on her butt, looking up at the horse in fear and surprise. The mare stomped, starting to raise her front hooves and flailing them wildly, her whinny echoing through Sam's ears, making her heart skip a beat and pound heavily in her chest. Sam's eyes widened as she noticed the mare's stomps getting closer, nearly missing Sam's right leg and her hand.
"Cleo, stop!" Lara called out, racing towards the horse, pushing the mare's chest when she flailed her hooves, almost hitting Sam's head. Lara grabbed the horse's reigns and pulled her away from Sam, setting her off to gallop away. It was only when Sam let out the breath she had been holding, that Lara turned to her. "Are you okay?"
Sam was trembling, looking up at Lara with her face seemingly frozen in fear. Lara looked over Sam's body trying to see if she was hit or bleeding. She reached out her hand to help Sam up, who was still trying to process what happened before her.
"Y-You saved me," was the hushed reply that slipped out of Sam's mouth. She took Lara's hand, letting her pull her up to a standing position. She rubbed her palms on the sides of her dress, trying to calm herself down.
"Sorry about Cleopatra, she can be a bit temperamental. Are you hurt? Did she hit you?"
Sam shook her head, looking at Lara confused, "Why did you help me? I thought you were mad at me and hated me?"
Lara was panting softly, trying to catch her breath, "I saw you running out of the playroom and I wanted to make sure you were okay, I couldn't just let Cleo hit you."
"Thank you," Sam spoke softly, she patted the back of her dress, getting the debris and dirt off of it, "And I really am sorry about the vase."
Lara shrugged, smiling gently, "It's okay, I shouldn't have yelled at you. You didn't know."
Sam looked down at her shoes, smiling softly, before she turned to Lara again giving her a dazzling smile, "I have an idea."
Lara couldn't help but smile, "What is it?"
"Wanna start over?"
Lara giggled, reaching her hand out, "Hi, I'm Lara."
Sam just grinned and pulled her into a big hug. Lara almost stumbled backwards before regaining her footing and wrapping her arms around Sam.