Taint
"Sister, sister! Oh, please wait sister!" called a little figure as she ran through the field. A girl of about six years old stopped running and turned around to face the toddling five year old girl. Her blue dress was a wreck, covered in mud and briers. The little child finally reached her elder sister. She bent over, bracing herself on her tiny knees. The elder girl put her arm around the younger's shoulder.
"Come now, I 'twas not running that fast!" she said, tightening her arm in a hug.
"But you were!" whined the younger sister.
"Sandra!" she said sharply. The younger child winced, and moved away from her sister. She watched the elder warily, but with awe. As all older sisters are to their younger sisters, she appeared to be a goddess. But the sister was even more awed by the way the light caused a halo around the eldest's golden curls, and the way it made her ice eyes shine, and her milky skin golden. The elder put her hands on her hips.
"Cassandra, what are you staring at?" she asked the younger girl, in a mother's voice.
"Nothing sister." the little child responded meekly, whishing that she was as beautiful as her sister.
"Stop calling me that Sandra! I have a name!" the elder girl giggled to prove that it 'twas only a jest.
"Yes, Fee." Sandra said using her sister's nickname. The elder girl glowed in the obvious worship from the younger child.
"Come on Sandra! Catch me if you may!" she said, running off again. The five year old sighed and chased after her beloved sister to their country home.
They bursted through the front door, laughing and running, ignoring the looks the servants gave them. They ran into their Father. Fee skidded to a stop, and a breathless Sandra came after her, still giggling. Their Father looked at them, one to the other.
"Felicity," he started, the elder girl gulped, "Why do you look like a dirty field hand? Girl you are six years old, you should know better! And why is Ana like this too? You should take better care of your sister! What are you some dirty street urchin, that does not care that they are a very esteemed lord's daughter?" he glared at his eldest daughter. She gulped and blinked, fighting the pricking sensation behind her eyes. For it was always her fault.
She watched as her father swooped down and pick up her younger sister. She watched in pain as her younger sister laughed and her dark curls bounced with her as her father twirled her around in the air. The elder girl watched, her hands clenching at her sides. And thus, that was all she did.
The next year she watched as her father once again picked up her sister, and then presented her with pearls. The elder's eyes smarted.
"Father?" she had asked tentatively, but when he looked at her she hushed.
The year after that she watched her father present her younger sister with sapphires.
"Father?" the eight year old had asked again, tentatively, the look he gave her silenced her quickly.
The next year the elder stood in the front hall her sister beside her.
The elder held her head high, her childish face lean and hard, like the rest of her body. Her golden curls not long repressed back in a bun, but hanging around her face, barely reaching her chin. Her blue eyes glittering like ice.
The younger child next to her bounced up and down, her white dress swishing every time she twirled, her dark curls disciplined back with a small clip. Her dark eyes shone as she waited for her father. Around her neck hung milky white pearls, on her small fingers a Sapphire.
Their father entered. He picked up the younger child and swung her around. He set her on the ground and presented her with a locket of amethyst.
Again the elder stepped forward.
"Father?" she asked again in her tentative voice, he gave her the look that silenced her. She sat back and watch her younger sister bask in her father's praises.
The next year the father presented his nine year old with emeralds.
This time the ten year old girl with curls the color of flax to her chest stood still and quiet, staring up into the rafters of the hall.
"What child?" he asked her. She blinked slowly and looked at her Father. Her eyes held wisdom beyond her years.
"Nothing Father, I was just thinking of my love for you." she said. Her sister giggled.
"Fee, you cant; think so hard about those things." The elder nodded her head.
"Yes, Ana, I shouldn't." and she went back to staring up at the rafters.
The next year the father presented his ten year old daughter with emeralds, why the eleven year old elder child with waist length flaxen curls merely stood and looked at the rafters.
"Well child?" the father asked again.
"Yes, Fee, what are you thinking of?" the younger's eye glittered with love for the elder girl.
"Oh, nothing, just my love of my father and my baby sister." she replied, and went on looking up at the rafters.
The next year the Father presented his youngest with rubies. The twelve year old girl with hip length flaxen hair and ice colored eyes merely stood, her eyes focused on the ceiling, rosary beads clutched in her hand, her lips moving silently.
"Child to whom do you speak?" the father asked her. She looked at her Father and sister.
"Just of my love for my Father and my sister to the Lord." she said, turning her attention away from them.
The next year the father presented his youngest with fine opal pendants. Her elder sister stood, in a simple white dress, flaxen hair in a braid thrown over her shoulder, reaching down to her hips, a rosary bead necklace dripping from her hand, her ice eyes skyward as her lips moved fast with silent words.
"My child, to whom do you speak?" the father asked of his thirteen year old, while the younger sister stood and looked at her jewels.
"I speak to the Lord of my love for my Father and my baby sister, and of the betrayal that shall be committed against me." she replied. The younger looked at her sister sharply.
"I am not a child." she snapped, but her elder sister had gone back to her silent words.
The next year the fourteen year old stood beside the thirteen year old. Her flaxen hair piled on her head, using pins, in a simple blue dress, and apron. Her violet eyes trained on her younger sister's dark bouncing head. Their Father entered the grand hall.
"My child, form the finest mines, I bring you white gold, and diamond." he gave the thirteen year old the pendant. She looked it over greedily, assessing it, in every way. Finally she said "Thank you Father", and pecked her father on the cheek and gave him hug. He turned to his eldest.
"What of you child?" he asked her.
"I simply wished to be called Fee." she said, and then trained her eyes on the sky.
The next year the fifteen year old stood by her fourteen year old sister. The fifteen year old wore her flaxen hair to her waist in a braid, her dress was a simple green with a white apron her violet eyes were trained on her younger sister. Who stood in a blue dress with a white petticoat and pearls on the bodice. her dark curls were hidden in a neat bun, with straighten pieces of hair falling out. The sister watched the door impatiently, with her jewels upon her.
"Where is he?" she asked to her elder sister.
"Patience Ana. Father shall come." she replied, watching her sister carefully.
"I cant bare to wait any more!" she cried out. "I want my jewels!" she through her milky hands in the air.
"Shush, sister, for we only get to see Father once a year."
"Who cares about Father? As long as he brings me jewels!" the youngest spit.
"Ana! Do you not love father?" the eldest asked.
"Fee! No! for he never sees us, I only love him until this time of year, then my love must be rebuilt with a gift." she replied, and then eyed her fair sister carefully. "What of you Fee? He has never brought you a nice dress, or jewels, or his love, you dress like a maid, and when ever he walks in here and gives his attentions to me, you turn your eyes skyward and talk to some unknown person." the younger spit. The eldest turned her eyes skyward once again and moved her lips silently. The younger glared at her sister. Their Father walked in suddenly and swept his youngest into a hug, who squealed with delight. He gave her an Aquamarine bracelet and then turned to his eldest.
"My child, Fee, to whom do you speak?" he asked her, anticipating the answer. Without moving her eyes from the rafters she spoke her answer with précis clarity.
"I speak to my Lord, of my love for my Father, and my fervent hope that my Lord shall save my baby sister from becoming corrupt, and betraying me" her lips moved again in silent words as her sister flushed and swept out of the room, their Father following shortly after. The next year the sisters stood side by side. Their father swept in and took the youngest in his rms.
"Hello, my dear." he said. The fifteen year old looked at him expectantly.
"Is there anything you want to give me father?" she asked. The flaxen haired girl that usually stood beside her sister fell to her knees, her and clasped her hands in front of her, her raged patched dress pooled out about her, her bald head rested against her hands and she prayed.
"No my child." said the Father to the younger girl, who were ignoring her sister, "I brought you this." he pulled form behind his back a golden encased compass. The younger took it and then through it on the ground. "That is worthless! Just like my elder sister!" she declared. Stomping on it. The Father watched in horror
"Do you love me?" he asked her.
"No Father, for you not have brought me jewels." she stood in the room, waiting for the rest of the routine.
"My child!" the man declared when he saw his eldest daughter's bald head. "What have you done to your flaxen hair? And to whom do you talk?"
"I speak to my Lord, so that he might hear of my love for my Father, and my pity and mercy for my sister." she said. The fifteen year old sputtered indignantly.
"My child what have you done with your flaxen hair?" the father asked, again
"I have cut it off and sold it so we might have money to pay the good people that keep the castle going while you art away." she responded. She bowed to the ground, touching her hairless head to the floor. She walked over to her sister. And bowed her shaved head slightly and said to her, "May God save you from Lucifer." The younger sputtered, but the Father watched her go thoughtfully. The net day the girl seeked out her father before he left port.
"Father?" she asked him tentatively. He beckoned her closer.
"Father, I love you, you do not have to buy my love." the girl said. The Father nodded and sent her on her way. The next year the seventeen year old stood next to her sixteen year old sister.
"He had better bring me something!" she declared to her sister. But her elder sister had her head tilted back, her violet eyes trained toward heaven, her flaxen hair cascading down her back, her lips moving silently. "What use are word that are not spoken?" The younger scoffed. And turned towards the door.
Their Father came in. in his arms was a box.
"For my daughter." he said, giving the youngest a sapphire encrusted tiara. The girl grabbed at it.
"No." he said, shutting the lid. The elder girl's lips moved faster, her breath sliding over them, her eyes closed as tears danced on her lashes and two shined upon her cheeks. She lifted her hands toward her Lord.
"My child." said the Father, pulling out a dagger. "If you cut off your sister's hair, you may have the lace petticoat I have for you." he dropped the black iron knife to the ground. The younger picked it up and swiftly cut her sister's flaxen hair. The elder continued to speak to her lord as more tears trickled out of her eyes. The Father gave the younger daughter the lace petticoat.
"Daughter, of you cut off two of you sister's fingers you may have this dress." the younger took the knife and cut off two of her sister's fingers. The elder cried out in pain, and cradled her injured hand to her chest, but continued to speak to her Lord. The Father gave his daughter the dress.
"My child if you cut off you sisters hand you may have this tiara" the younger took the dagger and cut of her sister's hand that was missing two fingers. The elder screamed out, her breath harsh. She cradled her stump to her face, tears and blood mixing. The front of her dress was stained, her flaxen hair laid beside her- now red as red can be.
"Please my Lord." she murmured, unable to keep silent, "please show her the light, please my Lord, show my Father the light."
"My child. To whom are you speaking to, and to what are you speaking of?" the Father asked, giving the younger child the silver encrusted tiara.
"I speak to my Lord, my Savoir, and my Father. I speak to him of your follies, I pray to him to let you see the light Father, sister." the elder said, turning her eyes skyward, and she prayed some more.
"My daughter," said the father to the younger,"if you can plunge this dagger into your sister's heart without hesitation, then you may have my estate, and the prince who has requested to marry one of my children. That is if you can live with this betrayal."
The younger took the knife and knelt down behind her sister. She gripped the elder's shoulder and trust the knife between her shoulder blades and into her heart. The eldest cried out for a moment and then slumped to the ground. The father watched with impassiveness.
The eldest's body was flipped over and through a miracle, her hair grew out again, long and to her knees in flaxen waves, her dress was cleared of blood, and her hand grew back. Her lips were still open around her last silently spoken words.
"Father, when does my prince arrive?" demeaned the younger girl as she whipped the blood off her hand, but when she inspected it there was still blood there.
"Father get it off." she demanded holding our her hand. The blood turned black and started to eat her away, flesh, bone, and all. The child screamed as it happened, and the father retreated, like the coward his was. And then, the younger was gone and all that remained in her place were the jewels. The elder girl laid still, her eyes the color of ice, staring in the distance, while her lips held that one lat word. The father walked over and held his beautiful girl in his arms, he mourned her lost. There was a knock on the front door, and shortly after the Prince entered, upon seeing the eldest daughter he cried to the heavens in an angels voice: "Hallelujah! Praise my Lord." and swept over to the girl.
"She is dead, sire." the Father said.
"No, she is not. For the last word on her tongue was her lover's name, and she held onto that with her dying breath." the Prince said. As he picked up the girl in his arms and kissed her on the mouth. Her finger twitched and her hand raised to cup the prince's head, and then her whole body was awake.
"Come." the prince said. The Father watched in awe as the prince shed his human appearance and then angle wings surrounded the two lovers. "Come back to where you belong." the man said. The eldest smiled as her and the man ascended into heaven. The Father sat on the ground, and then quickly got up, for it was still painted with his eldest's blood, but there was a pattern. He watched it carefully.
"I speak to my Lord, and I speak to him of my love for my Father, and my baby sister, and I beg him to take pity on her." The words said, and the Father washed it away with his tears of regret, for the years he had wasted, corrupting his youngest child, and not loving his eldest to the amount she dissevered
A/N-Yeah, this was supposed to end with the younger sister- Ana, spontaneously combusting…but whatever, who doesn't love a happy ending? Let me know what you thought!! :D and let me know especially if it made you cry…