Yes! I am back!
I gave myself several... hours as soon as I got home at 5 am a few days ago to start writing again, and right now... I am way ahead of schedule. I wrote the next chapter and a half after this, so I made sure that I had everything I wanted in this chapter. Oooh I'm excited. I'm on a roll! There are probably some ridiculous typos I missed, but who cares? (Don't answer that)
SIDENOTE: I had forgotten I posted this last chapter before I left and... well... sort of began adding different, small details to that. So, I reposted it. Nothing has changed, just some minor descriptive elements you probably wouldn't notice. You can look if you want, but that's just a fun fact. Typos are being fixed right after I finish these author notes.
I'd like to thank you all for being patient with me, and a special thanks to REVIEWERS!
xN00DLES: I'm glad you like it that much! Start recruiting readers! I WANT REVIEWS! Hehe. Thanks for reviewing! Keep on reading, keep on reviewing!
B. Harris: Thanks for the typos... I am ridiculous when it comes to noticing what I've typed wrong. Haha... Go me! Yeah, the fact that the baron sounded like a woman was partly inspired by all of my... more flamboyant male friends (though they are much more manly than the baron), and all of whom I love way more than this stupidhead.
vanderspektacular: Things definitely aren't in favor of Sophie at the moment. Life is throwing a hard punch at the poor girl! I'm glad you're liking it so far! Keeeep reading, it gets oh-so-awesome!
FaylinnNorse: I like making the introduction vary from the actual story- it makes it easier to get across more information without having one person's point of view. It helps me get ideas together, I suppose. I am in love with the next couple chapters, so I hope they keep everybody at the edge of their seats, waiting for more!
Read on!
The library floor was cool against my hot face
The library floor was cool against my face. It felt heavenly against my hot, tear-stained cheeks. Nobody ever comes back here, I thought. I'm safe. I'm safe…
"Princess Marjolaine?"
Not even close. I looked up to see my instructor looking curiously at me.
"May I ask what you are doing on the floor?"
I kept staring back at him. What was his name again?
He shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable. "Would you like me to get you anything?"
My eyes didn't waver and he continued to squirm. My mind finally clicked, understanding that he was speaking to me. I finally managed to find my voice and hoarsely said in a whisper, "Don't call me that."
"I… what?"
"Marjolaine. Don't call me that."
He blinked and nodded. "Yes, milady."
"Sophie. I'm Sophie," I continued to whisper, though my voice stronger.
"Let me help you up, milady," he insisted.
My eyes dropped to look at his boots.
"Come, let me at least get you to a chair." He stooped down and scooped me up in his arms. He was surprisingly strong for a simple instructor. Again, I found myself conjuring no name.
"What am I supposed to call you?"
Startled, he looked down at me with confusion. "What?"
"Who are you? I know you're my instructor…"
"Professor Auttenberg, milady."
"What's your actual name?" I heard myself speak, but it sounded dull and slow to me. I wasn't sure if I was making sense.
"Holmes," he replied as he set me in a chair by a large fireplace.
I stared at the fire. "Holmes." I was silent for a moment, and he was as well. He began to fidget and I asked quietly, "Holmes, is he gone now? For good?"
He didn't respond right away, but spoke quietly and soothingly when he did. "I'm afraid so, milady."
"Sophie," I immediately mumbled incoherently.
He knelt down beside me. "Is there anything I can get you, Sophie?" he repeated.
My name sounded so sure in his voice. I wanted him to keep talking. I shook my head. My father was gone. I couldn't think. "Tell me a story," I rasped. I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to cry.
"A story?" he asked, once again startled. "I'm afraid I can't tell very good stories. I can read to you if you'd like."
"No. Tell me one yourself," I urged.
He grimaced and nodded. "As you wish, milady."
"Sophie," I reminded him.
He gave a small chuckle. "Of course." He stood, pulling a chair closer to mine. "Tell me, Sophie. Do you believe in magic?"
I blinked at him. "Hardly."
"Well that should change." He grinned, his eyes betraying his sympathy, his wish to help me. "I grew up not far from here. About a day's walk, I suppose. I grew up in the deep forest. My mother adopted me and six other boys. My youngest brother, as I've told you, is but eleven years of age. My eldest is three years older, twenty-two. I am nineteen. The twins are seventeen. Then there's one that's sixteen, and the other thirteen. That makes seven of us.
"My mother told us stories at bedtime, ones of daring knights on quests, others of beautiful cursed maidens. She should be the one telling this story." He paused. "She hardly claimed any of them to be true but one in particular. It was of a girl and a cursed man, a prince."
I stared at him skeptically. He merely grinned again in response.
"It was never in the same place or time, but she swore the story itself was true. The place didn't matter she always told us, but the characters were what made it happen. This particular story was of a young girl, not far from your age. She lived with her father, her mother gone. They were fond of each other, this father and daughter. The father traveled often, unable to find work as a shoemaker. They were quite poor, but that was no problem for the young girl. She found a solace in books," Holmes said, sweeping his arm to indicate the rows of books surrounding us. I smiled. I liked the story already. He smiled warmly back, happy to get a response from me.
"Her name was Anna. She kept to herself, mostly, since they moved so often. Finally, her father found a steady community to stay in. It was small, and she got lots of attention, something she was not ready to welcome. The pair both stayed home and as secluded as possible, making the them the center of gossip.
"Months after their arrival, and despite the talk about the family, Anna was given a marriage proposal. The most admired man in town wanted the most beautiful girl as his bride. She refused him. He was insistent, and returned every day after the first rejection.
"One day, when she saw him coming, Anna took off on her father's horse into the woods, far from the man. She was paying no mind to how far she went and…"
The doors suddenly flung open. They hit the wall with a deep thud, causing several books to lose their places, falling to the floor.
I jumped, startled at the sudden interruption.
Cosette stood in the doorway, her figure tall and stiff. "Marjolaine. You mustn't let the baron think he is unwanted here. We must go entertain our guests," she spat at me with eyes full of hatred.
I didn't make a move. I sat there in shock, confused at her words. Did her husband not just die?
"Now!" she hissed.
My mind was numbed and my previous courage was gone. I jumped from the chair, minding that my spine be straighter than the wall itself.
o.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.o
The baron smiled at me, not at all in a pleasant manner.
"I do not mean to sound brash, but it seems fitting to ask you now, since a respectable mourning period has passed. I have considered your situation," he began, lowering himself to one knee, "and with the Queen's blessing, I should like to ask you to be my bride."
I smiled back as charmingly as possible and said, "Not brash at all. I would be honored to become your wife." I felt sick.
Cosette, who had been standing to the side, smiled at my perfected response and embraced me. "I've always wanted to see you happy," she cooed, "and now I have my chance."
"Thank you very much," I replied. "It means so much to me."
She clasped her hands together, grinning joyfully, but not for my so-called happiness. "We must begin arrangements at once!"
Once small talk and pleasantries had been exchanged, and Cosette finally pleased with my performance, I retired to my chambers. I was exhausted from pretending. I curled up on my bed, unable to force myself from my deep despair. There was no such thing as a "mourning period." It wasn't measurable to me. It was a permanent part of your life that nothing could heal.
My head spun. My life would never be my own. I felt alone. My mind was the only thing I was able to fully control. Even my own body felt like it did not belong to me. My skin was far more pale than ever before, and my waist was tiny enough that the baron's bony hands could encircle it. My back always ached from the effort it took to stand, sit, walk, or do anything without slouching. I wrapped my arms around myself, eyes dry and mind numb. Exhaustion took over and all went black.
o.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.o
The Queen eyed the raven-haired girl from across the room. The young woman was only getting more beautiful, whilst the Queen continued to age and grow haggard. It was not fair that such a pitiful and mindless creature should have such beauty. She turned her gaze to the young man, expecting to meet his eyes. Instead, his were watching his future bride with a deep desire, not foreign to the Queen. She scoffed at him, her anger building. He had been watching her only yesterday!
She did not worry, however. Once the mindless pair married, the girl would be gone and the Queen would have all the power and beauty to herself. She would be the one everybody wanted. Her plan was unable to fail.
o.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.o
I awoke to my maid.
"Milady? Let me help you into your nightgown. You shouldn't sleep in those clothes."
I nodded, allowing her to guide me from my bed to my wardrobe, where she had my clothes ready for me. When I was dressed, she guided me back to bed, pulling my covers back for me. I smiled gratefully at her, mumbled my thanks, and she left the room, turning off the lamps on her way out.
Sleep would not come like I expected. I felt as tired as I had before, but my eyes would not rest. The baron and Cosette still spun through my thoughts. His proposal felt like the end, and Cosette worried me. It felt like hours before I gave up on sleep and lit a candle. I covered my shoulders with my thick shawl and walked quietly to the library.
It was eerie at night in castle. Shadows threw themselves like dancing demons on the walls as I hurried to get to the library, where I could light a fire. As I opened the doors, however, I noticed a fire had already been started.
"Hello?" I called tentatively.
A figure stood from a desk in a far corner of the library. "Sophie?"
"Who is that?" I asked, surprised by the familiarity with which I was being addressed.
"Holmes," came the reply.
I felt relieved and sighed. "Holmes. What are you doing here?"
"Working on… Well, I suppose I'm just reading now. I came here to keep working, but I got distracted." He shuffled his feet, looking slightly uneasy, as he always had.
"What have you been doing these months? I haven't seen you since the day…" My voice caught and I didn't continue. I didn't need to.
"I was assigned to the accounting staff. I'm afraid I'm not liking it. I will probably quit soon," he confessed. Silence followed and finally he asked, "What are you doing up so late?"
I stared at my feet. "I couldn't sleep. I'm afraid of nightmares."
"Nightmares?" He walked towards the fire, standing in front of it.
I nodded. "I haven't had pleasant dreams in years."
He looked into the fire grimly. "Nor have I," he said.
I walked to the fire as well and stood beside him. "Why is that?"
"A long story, I'm afraid."
I sat down on the floor by the fire. He looked down at me, confused. "I've got time," I replied.
He studied my face for a moment. "I hope you don't mind, but I'd rather not explain now. Perhaps another day." He sat down beside me anyway. "I heard you aren't getting a new instructor anytime soon."
I winced. "No. It is not proper for a married woman to have a tutor."
He looked at me knowingly, hearing the spite in my voice. We both knew it was unsafe to speak of the baron's lack of qualifications to become king, even so late at night. In the back of my mind, I realized I should not even be in this room, in such close proximity to the young professor.
"I suppose you'll be busy with other things," he said. "You'll be helping your husband run the castle and the country."
"Do you have a family?" I asked.
He shook his head. "No, only my brothers and my mother. My eldest brother is married, though. They live with my mother, helping her run the household and keeping the farm. They took a huge loss when I left," he answered, looking slightly upset.
"Do you miss them terribly?"
"More than you can imagine," he answered immediately. He winced and shook his head. "No, I take that back. I'm sure you can imagine. Pardon me. Yes, I miss them."
I smiled sympathetically, not at all offended. "Will you go back to them when you leave the castle?"
He nodded. "I was never much of a farmer. However, I might be able to teach the local town children. They have no school."
I sighed. "Tell me more of your home."
Holmes glanced at me, confused as usual. "Pardon me asking, but why are you so interested?"
I looked up, into his eyes. "I want to know what it might have been like if I had been born as a normal girl."
His eyes betrayed the empathy he felt towards me. Somehow, I knew he wished to be normal as much as I wanted to. "I don't know what it might have been for you. Normal was never something my life could be described as," he said, confirming my guesses. "I grew up with six boys and a couple to whom I had no relation."
"A couple? You had a father?" I asked, for I had been assuming a single woman had adopted the boys. He never mentioned a father figure.
He looked down at his hands. "He passed on several years ago. Cholera took him."
We sat in silence for a few moments until I finally said, "I am feeling quite tired now. I should return to my chambers now." I stood, ready to leave.
He stood up as well and bowed. "It was a pleasure speaking with you again, mil- Sophie."
"I hope to see you again, Holmes," I said.
He smiled and I left, quietly padding my way to my chambers. As I was about to fall asleep, I remembered the story Holmes had been telling me on the day of my father's death. With regret for forgetting about it, I fell into a fitful sleep.
o.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.o
"Which flower arrangement do you like best, milady?" A woman wearing a plain, drab dress stood before Cosette and I, gesturing to the sight set in front of us.
I studied what seemed like the hundreds of bouquets running the length of the dining table. One exotic, yet simple, bouquet caught my eye. "This one." Not that it matters, I thought grimly. I have no choice in the matter in the end.
"Wouldn't you like something more traditional, Marjolaine?" Cosette asked as I predicted, her voice dripping with distaste.
I nodded, trying my best to seem as pleasant as possible. My late night left me tired and grouchy, making it much more difficult to please Cosette. I picked the least boring piece that would pass as traditional. "Perhaps this one?"
Cosette nodded her approval and we moved on to linens. "Would you like the more simple and elegant or traditional and lacy?" Two small tables were set up in the corner of the dining hall, covered in two different tablecloths.
"The more traditional, I suppose," I replied. Cosette made no move to argue and we continued to the patio, where more tables were set up.
In her usual monotone, the woman asked, "Which table display do you prefer, milady?"
I walked around the patio with Cosette at my back. I chose one blindly, not caring any longer about how my wedding would be.
"Wonderful choice, milady," the monotone woman said.
Cosette smiled graciously at the woman and thanked her. "We must now get you to your fitting, Marjolaine."
As we walked to Cosette's chambers, she spoke up. "Marjolaine, I am pleased that you have made a complete turnaround. It pleases me that you no longer defy me so. I have forgiven you for the day your father died. You were merely grieving and I understand that."
"I am glad you've forgiven me. I've always been to ashamed to bring it up. Thank you very much." I felt my hate burn inside me, and I struggled to contain it.
"I hope you can bring yourself to even think of me as your mother," she added, her voice daring me to defy her.
I chose my words carefully, my anger rising inside me. "That would be a very big step. I do hope you might understand that it might take time."
Disappointed in my passive response, she set her mouth into a stiff smile. "Of course I understand, darling."
I smiled pleasantly at her, pretending to be oblivious to her plot. Yes, I thought, she will make my life quite pleasant when I am queen.
Chapter 3- fourth installment, I suppose- is finished, and as soon as I get Chapter 4 done (it's far past the halfway point, I promise you), Chapter 3 will be up for your pleasure. Which will be soon! I want to get as much in as possible before August second- Nobody will want to be on the INTERNET when there's BREAKING DAWN to read.
Kudos to those who have read Stephanie Meyer's AMAZING series.
Suggestion to those who have yet to read it: DO IT. At first, I was like... "Ew. Everybody likes it. If the general public likes it... it's probably not that amazing. I don't want another stupid Harry Potter fiasco." (By the way, nothing against good ol' Potter- LOVED the books, but they are slightly below my reading level, you know?)
So, moral of my story: Don't judge a book by the public- READ TWILIGHT. It's amazing. The end.
