Hey guys and gals.

Is it okay to say I love to bicker like a pair of old ladies? ;)

Have fun!

Polished To Perfection

I waited in my room, afraid to leave my bed's side. I was sitting up and looking and the lock. The lock still had wood on it so it must have been ripped of somehow without me knowing. The door was still banging with the draft that came in. There was a knock on the door, still weaving so I could see glimpses of a pale hand.

A small young girl, about six or seven, came in, holding in her arms, dresses of the highest fashion and a corset for suiting that fashion. There was also a pair of ladies shoes and a bow containing hair clips. The young girl dropped them on my drawers and ran outside quickly, coming back with equipment for my hair. She turned to me and curtseyed. I stopped her before she left, holding her arm and whispering.

"What's going on?" I look towards the lock. The girl turned around and looked at me, with the most frightened eyes. She came closer and gestured for me to lean in so she can whisper in my ear. I leaned down and she cupped around her mouth, like a game of whispers.

"There was an attack last night. Master Aro says that you are a noble guest now and his wife has donated some dresses to you. Aro also said that you may entertain yourself in any way you like whether it be punishing someone, eating, singing or helping us." The blonde girl curtseyed and ran off, leaving me alone in my room, with a fine gown. I sighed.

"Yeah, donated from the wife or Aro?" I walk over and pick up the dress. It was the most gorgeous blue silk dress I'd ever seen. On the dress were beautiful floral pictures sewn in white with white lace filling the petals. "Let's get to it." I began to put the dress on.

I gaped and stared at myself in the old vanity mirror. I'd placed the pins in the same way as I used to. My hair was held together and two ends of the ponytail then I wrapped it around and pinned it down with the gorgeous pearl hair pins. Pearl earrings dangled from my ears and. I left my fringed down. Because my hair was a crumply wavy style, my hair was thick and once again looked beautiful.

Satisfied with my appearance I left my room and didn't bother to close the door behind me. I walked up the spiral staircase and picked up the dress to prevent it from getting dirty and I breathed deeply before entering the corridor with the red rug. I place the dress down, and remembering manners, walked gracefully forward. I knocked when I reached the kitchen; I knocked and opened the door. I peeped around and saw that Anne was still here, sleeping away, snoring. I walked over to her, hopefully the sound of my shoes against the stone floor not disturbing her. I placed a hand on her shoulder and shook gently.

"Anne. Come on, wake up!" I shake her again and Anne moans and groans awake looking around, completely ignoring me and what I was wearing. Anne's gaze focuses on me and she looks up and down at me, her eyes widen at the end and she fumbles.

"Oh my, oh my, oh my! Look at you! Pretty as a picture. I bet your family would be proud. May I ask why?" She puts her hands together and leans towards me. I giggle and look down quickly before looking back at her.

"I'm no longer a maid but a noble guest. I have my nobility back Anne! Isn't this amazing?" My smiles soon faded when Anne shot up and curtseyed, staying in that position. "Anne, what are you doing?"

"You're a noble guest, Miss. You're to be treated as a noble. I'm must do as you say!" I gape. I felt all of a sudden horrible. Anne had been so nice to me but now I have my nobility back and people bowing to me like they used to, I'm not sure if I want to stay noble. I go up towards Anne and hold her shoulders, lifting her out of the curtsey. I hold her face gently to look at me.

"I don't care if I'm a noble again. You're my friend and you treat me as an equal. I never want to see you curtsey to me and I want you to call me by my name. Same applies for Wendy so tell her if you see her." Anne grabs hold of my hands and takes them away from her face, holding them briefly and smiling at me, tears forming in her eyes. I hug her tight and go in the store cupboard to grab a tissue and hand it to Anne. There was a knock on the door.

I turned and stood in front of Anne. Thomas came in and when he saw me, with annoyance he bowed, and waited for me to pardon him.

"What are Anne's orders's today? Will she clean the kitchen, do the lavatory or peel unused vegetables? What are her chores?" I stare at Thomas and make sure he knows it. I walk up to him and stand next to him, he's still bowing.

"She is to polish the brass and gold in the brother's rooms." The brother's room, that's likely that Jane or Alec, will make a show. When Thomas says Anne's chores, she gives a painful whine and something lit up in me.

It wasn't just me getting hurt by Jane. Everyone who works in the brother's rooms after lunch get's tortured in some way by something. I stand straight.

"Stop bowing now. I shall help Anne with her chores today. Where is Wendy being posted?" Thomas turns around and his face is grim. He fidgets and by the looks, doesn't know how to approach the answer.

"Wendy is… she's in the lower dungeons of the castle. She was caught looking at the wives personal collection of jewellery. She was given twenty lashes last night." I wince, the lower dungeons. Alright that was step one.

"Anne and I will be in the brother's rooms shortly. We're going to visit Wendy in the meantime." I gesture for Anne to come over and she does, following me as I walk out of the kitchen, letting Thomas bow as me and Anne walk off down the corridor. I lean towards Anne, "Where is the lower dungeon?" Anne points to a door I didn't notice before that led off to the side before you reach the stairs towards the brother's rooms. I walk over quickly and open the door, holding it open for Anne as we head down a set of spiral steps and at the bottom, we end up looking at two cells.

One cell had a limp body of a girl in it. I run over and take the keys hanging on the wall and unlock the door, rushing to Wendy when Anne stops me with a hand on my shoulder.

"You don't want them to know you've been here. You can't hold her, she's covered in dirt! Roll her over!" I kneel down on the stone floor and gently roll Wendy over so she's facing me. Her breathing is ragged and is harsh. Her chest is heaving and she's desperate for air. I hold her hand and whisper to her.

"Wendy. Wendy, it's going to be fine!" Her eyelids got heavy and her lips were moving though nothing came out. Wendy shook with pain and fear as her head turned towards me and she spoke. I winced, pained by how hoarse he lovely voice was because of her screaming.

"They said the…relation…is getting stronger. You…soon…be…vam…!" She started coughing and I held her hand tighter. I shake her shoulder a little to keep her awake. Tears were forming in my eyes. She was weak and pale and faint.

She was broken. She was dying.

"Wendy, what's a vam?" My voice was shaky as my tears began to fall. I could hear Anne in the background, snivelling. I look to her and see she's crying as much as me. I turn to look at Wendy who was crying herself, to my surprise.

"Vam…vam…re…vam…ire…" There was a certain syllable that Wendy couldn't say. Either way, I couldn't make any sense from what she said. Wendy breathed deeply and started crying visibly, her chest shaking. She whispers with her strength a full sentence that sends my tears falling. "Marie, I'm so scared. I don't want to go." Tears fall down her cheeks and she heaves her breathing. Heavy breathing not helping her, her body jutted with desperation for air.

Wendy looks at me, panic in her eyes.

"I didn't…touch…I didn't touch…I heard…I…plans…with you…" And with one final jitter of her body, Wendy crumpled and laid on the floor, still as a statue, her eyes forever looking at me. He hand became limp in mine and I let it fall to the floor. Wendy was dead.

I stood up and headed to Anne, who was now sobbing and I wiped my eyes. I pulled up from her sitting position and held her to look directly at me but she continued to sob like she'd lost a daughter.

"We can't let anyone know we were here or we had this conversation. You need to be strong and act natural and that's going to be hard. Wipe your eyes and straighten yourself." I walk back towards Wendy's corpse and used my middle and index finger of my left hand to close her eyes. I got up and walked back to Anne, taking her hand and tugging her along while wiping my eyes with the other hand. We locked the door to Wendy's cell and placed the keys back on their hook and after covering our tracks, me and Anne left the lower dungeon and went up the staircase.

Closing the door behind us, I looked around and saw Thomas, waiting opposite the door. I let go of Anne's hand and charged right up to Thomas shoving him against the wall. He winces at the pain and I hold him by the collar, whispering in his face.

"My friend just died in there. I held her hand and she died. I want you, half an hour from now, to go to the Grand Hall and tell the brother's that the girl in the dungeon is dead. I want you to make her coffin and I want you to clean her body. You were the one who gave her lashes right? RIGHT?" I shove Thomas harder and he winces but quickly nods. "I want you to dig her grave and put her there. I want you to speak of this to no one and last but not least, I don't want you to touch Aro or shake his hand. Don't touch him." I shove again and let go. I storm off and Anne follows me.

"Or what?" I turn around to see Thomas rubbing his shoulder, looking at me with hatred. Something clicked in my head. His breath…

It was the same smell on my pillow. On my nightgown and hair.

"Or I'll tell Aro that you broke into my room last night and watched me sleep. I'll tell him you've been in my room, smelling my things!" I walk off smiling, knowing I have Thomas in the corner now. Me and Anne reach upstairs and she stands in front of me.

"I just want to thank you. Thomas has been perverting on the girls ever since he got here. I'm sorry he managed to do it to you. I should've told you." Anne looks down.

"It's alright. Let's go to Marcus's room. I've had too many bad experiences in Aro's room for a lifetime." I point towards the third door on the left and once there, I knock and open the door and peep around, seeing there's no one there. I walk in and head to maids cupboard and pick out the polish. I pass a cloth to Anne and we get polishing.

"Ladies." An emotionless voice spoke to our right and I looked to see Marcus in the doorway, his eyes brighter than yesterday and still wearing the same expression. He looked completely bored.

Me and Anne stopped working and we turned to him, curtseying in unison. Marcus comes over and waves it off. He points at Anne and to polishing. Anne continued to work. I was left standing in front of Marcus, trying to figure out what he wants with me.

"You have you nobility. Why do you work?" He whispers.

"I like polishing it turns out. It passes the time and it's nice to admire your work." I smile gently although I gather today, I won't be grinning. Wendy's last words had me thinking.

"You shouldn't work, It's not your class but Aro did say you could pass the time anyway you wanted. I guess there is no reason to argue." He smiles briefly.

Me and Marcus stood there for about half an hour talking to each other. We talked about my family and my past. We also went over how Marcus 'came to be here', which I now am not sure about. We were disturbed by a knock on the door and Caius came in. No glares but just brighter eyes.

"Marie, your room is ready. Aro requests you are present to every meeting now as you're a noble. This way." He gestures for me to leave Marcus's room. I turn to look at Anne, who nods at me quickly and I walk out with Caius as he leads me to the end of the corridor to another set of stairs and lead me up. We reach the top and at the end was one door which I was guessing was my room. I walk towards it when Caius clears his throat. I turn to look at him.

"Just thought you should know Thomas came by earlier and said that the girl, you're friend Wendy has died in the dungeons due to infections and blood loss. Thomas has offered to do all funeral arrangements for her." I nod and Caius nods before walking off. The way he said that made me feel sick. He said it as if he couldn't care. It was as if he found it amusing.

I walk towards my new room and tears begin to fall.

Just when i thought things were getting better. I had friends. Anne and Wendy were the best people i knew and now to have one taken away from me...

I felt alone again.

Dun-dun-duuu!

How do you feel to the departure of Wendy? What do you think she was trying to tell Marie?

Give your creative reviews.

Love Ya

Emma 'EePee' Paige