əˈrīvəl: the act of reaching a place
"Lillian, sit still!" Her mother snapped sharply at her for the third time, as she excitedly squirmed on the carriage bench.
She tried her best to follow her mother's directions but found that she just could not help herself. She was eager to finally be out of the house and spend the day with Mama– even if that meant being dunked unceremoniously in the bathtub and dressed formally for the occasion.
Being younger than everyone else in the family, with the exception of her baby sister Ella, meant that she did not get out of the house all that often. It was one too many times for Lilly that she looked on in envy when Lisbeth or the twins went out for the day to play with their friends while she was caged in at home, daydreaming about possible adventures awaiting her.
"Mama, where are we going?" Lilly asked, looking up with gleaming eyes at her mom sitting next to her on the bench. Unconsciously, she began to swing her chubby little legs.
Her mother turned away from the carriage window to look at her and sighed, realising that her daughter's inability to follow directions was rather a hereditary trait, deeply ingrained and seemingly impossible to correct.
"I told you before, Lilly. I received an invitation to visit one of my old friends that I haven't seen in a while. Your sisters are busy with their daily lessons and Papa took the day off to look after Ella. Since you've been wanting to go out, I asked my friend whether I could bring you along and she readily agreed. She has a son about your age and said she wanted you both to meet. But you need to be on your best behaviour. Mama's friend is a Marchioness."
"A marsh highness? What's that?" Lilly frowned. Did Mama's friend rule over a swamp?
"A Marchioness, not a marsh highness. She is a lady in a position of nobility. When you speak to her, always address her as 'Your Ladyship'. I also need you to act like a lady would during formal occasions. Now, how would that be like?"
"Prim and proper, always polite." Lilly recited from verbatim, the words branded in her brain from her mother's frequent lectures.
"Good. And none of your usual antics from home with the servants either. We wouldn't want Her Ladyship to go into shock from meeting you for the first time."
Lilly raised her chin defiantly and sniffed. "I don't know what you're talking about, Mama."
Her mother shot her a look. "Of course you don't. Nonetheless, do not forget what I said– best behaviour."
"Always, Mama." Lilly smiled mischievously in return. She picked up the doll sitting in her lap and began to absent-mindedly swing it around.
Mrs Linton turned away from Lilly and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. It seemed that in addition to disobedience, the penchant for dishonesty was also passed on to her daughter.
When the carriage halted to a stop at their destination, Lilly awoke with a jolt, realising that she must have drifted off to sleep at some point during the ride.
Her mother opened the carriage door and stepped out, holding the door open for her daughter.
Lilly grabbed her doll that had fallen on the floor sometime while she had slept, and slid out of the carriage. Surprisingly, her feet landed on smoothly polished stone of a courtyard and not on mud as she had expected.
"Mrs Linton?" A voice asked somewhere beyond Lilly's vision.
Lilly cautiously peeked out from behind her mother's dress to see two servants standing in front of them, clad in footmen's livery.
"Yes, that would be me." Her mother responded calmly, a collected façade already in place.
"Welcome to Battlewood, Madam." The servant on the left spoke as they both bowed deeply. "Hastings, the butler, is currently occupied with a more pressing matter to receive guests and her Ladyship is inside, already awaiting your presence. Allow us to lead the way for you and your daughter instead."
Mrs Linton gave a curt nod and started off, following the two men walking away from the carriage.
Lilly took a step, ready to keep up with her mother when she looked up and her breath caught, completely unprepared for the sight that lay in front of her.
Battlewood was massive– and most definitely not a swamp. While the country estate that Lilly and her family lived in was impressive enough for compliments, its appearance was nowhere near as breathtaking as this place. It could have been that the novelty of her family's estate had long worn off on her or the fact that as of late, she was tired of staying at home. Regardless, she stared at what lay in front of her, completely transfixed.
In the centre of the courtyard itself was a behemoth of a sculpted fountain, spraying water in all directions towards the sky. The bright sun glinted off of the water, giving it a sparkling appearance. In front of the manor was a garden, planted with an array of blossoming summertime flowers and freshly trimmed grass, aimed to please even the most dedicated of floral connoisseurs.
However, what stood out the most to Lilly was the manor itself.
It was expansive, seeming to span out on both sides for an immeasurable distance, reminding her of the wings of a bird she had seen in Papa's zoology book. She had to think for a few moments to recall the name. An…eagle? Or something like that.
Her memory did not seem to be as sharp as it usually was, considering her current state of distraction. As she looked, she noticed the sides of the manor were supported by a range of pillars with six even taller pillars holding up the front porch to emphasise the manor's entrance.
"Lilly? Lilly, keep up! We don't have all day, Her Ladyship is waiting for us inside." Her mother's vexed tone was enough to snap Lilly out of her temporary reverie and remind her why she was there in the first place.
The harsh slap of her rapid footsteps echoed throughout the courtyard as she sprinted to catch up with her mother and the two servants. As she stood next to them, her breath came out in quick pants, earning a look of disapproval from her mother.
Lilly took longer than the others to climb up the stairs leading inside the manor, her noticeably smaller stature making the task a tad more challenging. Once inside, she went to stand beside her mother, noticing that the footmen bowed to a lady and announced, "Mrs Linton and her daughter, My Lady."
"Thank you, Oscar, Allen. That will be all for now." The lady spoke in a soft, gentle voice as she nodded to them both. The two men bowed again and exited the foyer.
The lady turned to look at her guests and for the first time, Lilly noticed that she was clad in all pink– a colour that she guessed as the lady's favourite.
"Greetings, Your Ladyship. I wanted to express my utmost gratitude for extending your gracious invitation to us." Her mother stated demurely, while dipping gracefully into a low curtsy.
"Oh, stop the formalities, my old friend. There's no need for that between us." The lady retorted with affectionate familiarity.
She stepped forward, pulling Lilly's mother in for a long, warm hug. When she let go, both women were smiling at each other.
The lady turned her head and focused her attention on Lilly, an inquisitive gaze honing in on her.
Lilly had the strongest urge to run and hide behind Mama but then she remembered her words earlier in the carriage and did her best to stand still. It was no easy feat for Lilly but she somehow managed to accomplish it.
"Ah, and this must be…" The lady said, voice trailing off towards the end as she looked at Lilly's mother.
"My daughter, Lillian Linton." She promptly introduced. "Lillian, this is Lady Samantha Ambrose, the Marchioness Ambrose of Battlewood."
"Hello, Your Ladyship. It is an honour to meet you." Lilly said timidly, attempting to curtsy as gracefully as her mother did, without dropping her doll. However, judging by her mother's unimpressed look, it probably resembled more of a newborn goat trying to walk for the first time. Nonetheless, Lilly was thankful she did not misstep and fall flat on her face. That would have caused quite the scene indeed.
"Hello, my dear. Lillian, was it? May I call you that?" The Marchioness asked. Lilly's eyes widened, then she nodded.
Lady Samantha bent down so she was at eye level and facing Lilly directly. "It is nice to make your acquaintance, Lillian. Welcome to Battlewood Hall." Lady Samantha smiled at her, baby blue eyes shining with warmth and friendliness.
Lilly immediately decided that she liked Lady Samantha; she seemed like such a kind person. It was not often that other adults directly acknowledged her presence. To them, it seemed that children should be neither seen nor heard.
Straightening, Lady Samantha stood up and looked at both Mrs Linton and her daughter, still smiling. "Tea will be served in the parlour, follow me."
She turned and walked away, with both of her guests trailing after her.
The three of them were settled in a small pink drawing room, a place that Lilly deduced was specially reserved for Lady Samantha– if her attire was anything to go by. Lilly and her mother were both comfortably seated on a pink chaise longue, being plyed with homemade biscuits and tea.
Lady Samantha and Mrs Linton chattered away, catching up on missed events in each other's lives during their period of absence. Lilly restlessly swung her legs and played with the teacup in her hands, small fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim. After some time had passed, she sighed loudly, capturing the attention of the two women who turned to look at her.
"Lillian, is there something not to your liking?" Lady Samantha enquired.
Lilly panicked and frantically shook her head, not wanting to displease her gracious host, lest her mother give her an earful later on.
The Marchioness gazed at Lilly for a few moments, then lowered her eyes as she arrived at a realisation.
"Originally," She began to softly explain. "I asked my son to join me and greet you both so you two could meet each other. For the past few weeks, he has been sulking around the manor ever since his closest friend, our neighbour's son, went off to Eton. He seems so lonely and I thought another companion would be good for him. However he has also been quite stubborn and doesn't want to listen to anything his mother tells him."
She closed her eyes as she sighed and shook her head. Opening her eyes, she looked at Lilly directly. "I'm sorry that he couldn't be here to keep you company."
Her expression quickly brightened as inspiration struck. "Why don't you amuse yourself and take a look around the house instead, dear? You can ask any of the servants to give you a tour."
Lilly's eyes lit up at the prospect of exploring this maze of a house, it seemed like an open adventure awaiting her. She looked at her mother with pleading eyes, silently begging for permission.
Mrs Linton nodded surreptitiously, a small smile playing around the edges of her mouth.
"Yes, please." Lilly excitedly said to Lady Samantha.
"Ah, before I forget, one last thing. Make sure to stay on this floor and do not go up the stairs. My husband's rooms are on the first floor and the Marquess does not like to be disturbed while he is working." Lady Samantha warned.
Lilly solemnly nodded in understanding. After setting her teacup down carefully on the table in front of her and grabbing the doll she had placed on the chaise longue, she eagerly rushed out of the room.
Lady Samantha turned to her old friend, clearly amused. "Well, she certainly has your spirit, wouldn't you agree? She reminds me of how you like when we were younger."
Mrs Linton chose to respond by grunting noncommittally, continuing to sip her tea.
Battlewood seemed like a labyrinth– expansively filled with halls, rooms and mirrors. Portraits, paintings and statues adorned the manor at every turn, with furniture and curtains embellishing the otherwise empty spaces within the rooms.
Lilly always liked to do things for herself, even if others dictated otherwise, saying that she needed supervision or assistance. Rules were meant to confine little girls like her from having as much fun as possible. Every time someone tried to do something for her that she could do herself, she saw it as a disguised challenge– only fuelling her determination to prove herself as more than capable.
It was for this reason that she turned down the repeated offers from the staff to help show her around the place. The look of perplexity on the servants' faces from her adamant refusal sent a surge of gleeful satisfaction through her. Undoubtedly, they were completely bemused at this tiny spitfire of a girl, brazen enough to turn her nose up at social niceties and conventions. Torn between being unable to protest lest they appear inhospitable and having the responsibility of looking after her, the hapless staff was confined to the shadows, forced to discreetly keep a watchful eye on her as she explored the manor.
She heeded Lady Samantha's words and after passing the entrance hall, resisted the temptation to go down the hallway that led to the stairs. She instead skipped across to another corridor, her doll swinging around helplessly from one hand as the sound of her footsteps pattered off of the walls.
While she was traipsing down one of the many ornate hallways, Lilly heard something that made her stop dead in her tracks.
Clank, clank, clank!
What an odd sound. Her interest piqued and she decided to follow the noise, making sure to walk as quietly as possible. The sounds grew louder as she drew closer, finally stopping in front of a closed door.
Clank, clank! Clankclankclankclank! Clank!
She winced and reached up for the polished doorknob with her free hand, slowly pushing the door open a tiny bit so she could peer through the crack.
Inside the room sat a young boy on the floor, his back facing her. The only distinguishable feature she could make out from the distance was that he had smooth, straight, black hair cut short. He was picking up small wooden objects next to him and dropping them in something that was in front of him, producing the same dreadful noise that had initially brought her there.
The boy sighed frustratedly and muttered under his breath.
"…stupid things…just won't go…can't fit…"
Confused, Lilly pushed the door open a bit more so she could hear what he was complaining about. Unfortunately, as she did so, the door creaked loudly and the sound reverberated throughout the room.
The boy stiffened, his back ramrod straight. Slowly, he turned around to face her– somehow managing to maintain his uptight posture, cold eyes narrowing as they focused on her.
"Who are you?"
Hello, if you actually decided to read this story here! This is a fanfiction based off of the Storm and Silence Series on Wattpad, written by Robert Thier. The setting of this story takes place years before the first book does and is set in an AU where the two main characters end up meeting as children. In essence, this is a "what if" scenario in a parallel universe with inspiration taken from canon elements in the books. Noticeable differences include that the heroine's parents are still alive and that she lives with them in England's countryside instead of London during the 19th century.