Chapter Thirty-Two

I suspected that Elspeth was hiding something. That her story and poem was a reflection of her life. I wasn't sure if it was true but somehow, I felt that it was. Why her writings so sad and concentrated in one theme? The poem and the story was all about a girl who leaves or let goes for a certain boy. Her writing was also not like the other stories that I have read. Yes, some of the novels were about love but it was rare for love to be so tragic and hopeless. The writers always wrote love as something that you will get once the time has come. And they do write obstacles in love but it was never the decision of at least one of the lovers to leave. I knew that I should find out more.

"Elspeth," I asked her while serving her some raisin bread, "Where do you come from? I always ask this to the people who come here because I want to know if more Ayorthaians or Kyrrians or Frellans come here."

"You do? That's a very interesting hobby. I come from Jenn actually but I decided to travel alone because…you know writers, they always look for inspiration!" she replied.

"I think you should start with inspiration in your own home because that is where you started as a person. By the way, how is the story coming?"

"Very well actually. I thank you for your encouragement. I wrote so many words in only one night!" 

"If ever you do finish…could you please tell me? I really like your story and it would be a great pleasure to finish it."

"Of course I will! It is also a great pleasure for someone to like it so much."

"What did you write?"

"Oh, something about her past. I realized that I wrote too soon and that there was not a thing about her past."

"I'm sure it would be a great story!"

"Thank you."

"I still have work so, I'll see you later." I said. Then I moved to another table and took the person's orders.

Elspeth came from Jenn. Was it a mere coincidence from the story? Maybe she wanted to start writing in her roots. Or maybe she wanted to write about a girl in a place that she knew by heart. But the poem and the story and her old home…Was Elspeth Eliza?

~

Mandy was finished with her cooking when I came to the kitchen after all my duties. I wanted so badly to ask her something. And if I didn't get answers, I might foolishly call once more for Lucinda.

"Mandy, can you tell something secret about a person?" I asked.

"Why, no child! Whatever made you think I could do that? Only gnomes do." She replied with a laugh.

"Gnomes don't do that! You said yourself that some gnomes get to see the future. Not about a person."

Mandy stared at me. "You might as well go to a tarot reader because, no, I cannot do it." She said firmly.

"You can do it! Can you?"

"No I can't. Sweet, we only have magic and not mind reading skills. And even if we do, it would be very big magic that could change so much!'"

"You're lying. I know you can do it! Maybe a truth potion you could somehow concoct?"

"Honey, we are not witches who stir big cauldrons!" Mandy laughed. "And remember, big magic."

"Oh, how could I forget?"

"You better sleep now. You always have a big day tomorrow."

"But—"

"Go upstairs, Ella." Mandy ordered. 

I stood my ground and balled my hands into fists. No, no, no! I would no longer listen to for-your-good orders.

"Ella, you know that you will only suffer if you keep on being so stubborn."

I breathed a sigh of defeat and went upstairs. If only Mandy would understand how I felt when there was an order! If she could only be like me for a day, I was sure that she would never give away orders like a snap!

I stomped up the stairs angrily. Not only did Mandy frustrate me for denying her magic, she even sent me away with an order. I passed Elspeth's door. Mandy's order only said to go upstairs. Not go to your room. I decided not to go to my room for a while. I didn't want to sleep. There was still so many questions in my head left unanswered.

"Psst…Ella…"

I spun around, almost afraid that it was a ghost.

It was Elspeth.

"Ella, come in here. I promised to let you read my book and will right now. I'm halfway finished." She whispered.

"Halfway finished??"

That fast? In only one night?

She ordered me to go inside so I wasted no moment in entering her door. I didn't want to face the consequences once again.

Her room was lit brightly and in her bed were papers scattered about. I sat on a chair and waited for her to shut the door.

"Yes, it is halfway finished. I haven't told you that it was a short story, and not a novel." She giggled.

"I thought it was a novel. And I thought you were joking." I replied.

"Here, here is page one. I hope you like it."

I read it slowly. When I finished, I was almost tragic.

"Why are your eyes red?" Elspeth asked worryingly.

"Oh, it's alright…it's just that… it so tragic…and it reminds me so much of something…" I said.

"It does to me too."

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm sure I haven't told you that I based that story to my life…" Elspeth said slowly.

"It is? And you are…Eliza?"

"Yes…inspiration…right. I only have to remember what had happened and have it written on paper."

"The woods…the vow…everything?"

"Yes. Almost everything. I guess that story's a version of it all."

"I'm sorry…"

"Sorry about what? It's all for the good of Lionel—that's his name. And besides, if I did stay, everything would just crumble."

"I feel the same way…"

"What do you mean?"

"I also ran away from everything. For him…also. I was surprised why your story was a vague reflection of mine. I thought it was coincidence."

"I'm sorry also. But I am sure yours is not very bad. I'm sure you still have a chance."

I laughed in spite of the tragedy of it all. "No, no, I have no chance. You have a chance. If you would stand up on what you believe in, then nothing will go wrong. They will respect you—"

"No they won't Ella. You don't know…"

"Yes, I don't know but I do know that you will get through this."

"Ella, I am but a mere daughter of a maid," Elspeth said softly, "And Lionel is the son of the lord in residence. How could a maid's daughter and the future heir be one? I do not even know how we fell in love with each other! It was just too absurd to even think about!"

"What happened? Really?"

"I don't know if I can tell you…"

"Elspeth, it is your decision to tell me or not but if it will help you…"

"Surely you do not want to hear such a tragic story…"

I said nothing.

Then Elspeth began.

"My mother was the head of the maids in the Lord's home. When I was seventeen, my mother employed me there as one of the maids. It was family tradition to serve the Lord. Even my father was the butler. I never met Lionel until my eighteenth year. He was away to be in the kingdom and train to be the heir that he will be.

"The first time I saw him, I thought he was only a spoiled rich boy who cared nothing about everything. But I was wrong. He was handsome, intelligent and charming, just as he was appreciative of everything. He wasn't spoiled and unbearable like his sister Marcella. No, he everything a woman dreamed of. I never really cared about him but somehow I knew that I would find someone like him who will take me away from that cold dungeon-like mansion. And then it happened when I was twenty and he was twenty-one. It was silly really. I was reading some of my novels because unlike the other maids, I knew how to read and write. And he saw me reading and he conversed with me because none of his family ever cared about books and such. I told him I wanted to be a writer and he was the only one who didn't laugh. Everyday we talked about literature and soon almost anything under the sun.

"Then it just happened! We were in love with each other. Because he was so witty and charming…I simply couldn't hate him. And he said he loved me because I had a mind along with my beauty. We were so happy and we didn't care about our status.

"But I soon realized that all was a fairytale never to come true. I realized that if ever anyone found out about our clandestine romance then all would be lost. Lionel would be disowned! What shame it is to reveal to others that your own son fell in love with a common maid! And he would no longer receive his inheritance leaving him a penniless bum and a cast out.

"I was right. They did found out but they kept it first to themselves. But my full awareness came when my Lady came to me personally and threatened me. She would give him no inheritance and disown him. She gave me a day to run away from them. If I stayed…who knows what could happen?

"That mere thought broke us apart. Or rather made me break away. I ran away from them but not before leaving him an envelope with a letter saying that I hated him and that I was a vixen who tried to seduce him to get my hands into his treasure. But I prayed that he saw the message written inside the envelope. It said: I love you and I hope you will show this letter to your family to convince them that I was only a trickster and that you hated me also. Goodbye. I vowed never to go near him. I was lucky enough to avoid ogres and bandits but I wanted to die so then I would never dream of Lionel…but I was saved and I am here to write all about it as a reminder." Elspeth narrated.

I was shocked. And I thought my life was much more miserable! Char would never lose his inheritance with me and nor would he be disowned!

"You must come back! You must prove yourself. If you love him so much then why don't you fight for it?" I knew that what I had just said was clichéd but I knew it was right. Wasn't love also about fighting for it?

"Oh Ella! You do not understand! I am sure a brave girl like you could do that but I am coward and I chose to hide rather than face the dire consequences!" Elspeth replied, "And what do you know about this matter? You know nothing so do not tell me what to do!" she added angrily but pleadingly. Her confusion was so obvious. She didn't know what to do.

Then I realized that I was a hypocrite. I told her to fight for her love when I myself ran away from my own battle. My battle against the curse. What right do I have to say that she should fight when I myself ran away also?

"I'm sorry…I didn't realize we are in the same situation." I silently said.

"What do you—same situation? Ella? But—" 

"I am nothing like you but I prefer to say that I ran away too. I do not even know which one was worse; mine or yours!" I laughed despite of the happenings.

"Surely you are kidding me." Elspeth laughed with me, "You jest about it…surely you are kidding."

"No, to kid is the last thing I would do. I suppose yours is a bigger issue, having so many things involve…"

"And you?" she sounded eager.

"Is this for your story or do you prefer so much to question me so?" I asked innocently for I hated to partake my story.

"I beg forgiveness but pray tell!"

"I ran away because I could be his death." I said. My sentence was a complete summarization of everything. I ran away because of the curse that made it possible for me to become Char's courier of death.

"Dear me…" Elspeth whispered.

I was half expecting her to say, "Well it is a good thing you ran away. Surely you want the poor lad to live?" But she added nothing.

"I feel the same as you do but differently. I have no chance, no hope in this life. But you do though you are slowly giving it up."

"No Ella. Nothing at all, I have no choice just like you!"

"Elspeth…please prove yourself as a person who loves him."

"I wish I could Ella…I really wish I could…" Elspeth said in a tone that broke your heart, "I wish I could because I love him so…"

I hated to see her so sad knowing that it was all love. And I wanted so much to help her, as if I would be relieved of a burden also. Was I a fairy godmother of advice? A fairy godmother that comforts torn lovers?

~

Elspeth and I never talked about that subject again. She stayed for a week more. She was still the kind, soft creature that always sat at the far-end table. But one day she left during the morning and didn't return.

I was wondering where she was for we usually talked about things whenever I had the time. I didn't see her during the morning also and I thought she left early to buy something and would return by the afternoon. Where was she? It was ridiculous that she left because I saw her things in her room.

On the second day of her absence, I was thinking where she could be and what she could be doing. I didn't notice Gretchen approach me.

Gretchen was beginning to be exasperated towards me. "Ella, are you partially deaf? There are so many people here trying to get food. Please attend to them." She told me when I was just absentmindedly sweeping the floors.

"I was just thinking of something else…sorry." I apologized.

"Oh Ella, where has your mind been these days?" I heard her mumble behind me.

I pretended not to hear her and approached the tables and did my job. It was tiring, hearing them say mouthwatering dishes over and over again. One carrot cake…or one cinnamon roll…or a dozen bowls of chicken soup! And it was very hard to carry all they wanted; with them complaining that I was slow. How dare they! They should at least try my job for one day and I would laugh.

I was exhausted by the end of the day. There were still people but thank goodness they no longer told me what they wanted! I didn't even think of sweeping the floors. A childhood question popped in my head while I was sitting down, not caring.

"Why should I sweep the floors when they would get dirty again?" I once complained to Mandy when she ordered me to sweep the kitchen floors as to help her.

Mandy grunted at my insolent complain and replied, "Fine. But I ask you, why should we eat if we would get hungry again? Why should we sit down when we would stand up again? Why should we drink when we would get thirsty again?"

That closed my mouth. Mandy always knew how to make me understand the importance of things.

The inn door opened and in came Elspeth. She was in a jubilant mood, from the way her green eyes sparkled and the way she smiled. She spotted me and waved. She approached me eagerly.

"It is finished! And I just submitted my story to a publisher and he liked it! Oh Ella! My dream of becoming a writer will finally come true!" she exulted.

"Elspeth! That is wonderful news! When will it be sold?"

"The publisher read it and finished it in one sitting—it is a short novel—and he said it might be finished by this week!"

"I am excited for you!"

"But…I must leave the inn because the publishing house is in Frell. I traveled for two days just to get there. I must be there while they print and when they finish."

"It's alright Elspeth. You should go forth for your dream!"

"I'll write often. I promise."

"And I will send my replies."

That was the last time I saw Elspeth for she left early yesterday. But she left a note for me that said:

Dear Ella,

I am sorry for not warning you of my early departure. But I needed to leave early because I must arrive as soon as possible.

I haven't sent you a copy of my book and I regret it. Knowing you are the first to read it, I promise to send you a copy. The first one ever to come out!

Goodbye Ella. I wish to see you soon once again.

You have been a great and trustworthy friend.

Yours truly,

Elspeth  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yes! One more chap I finished!

Thanks to the reviewers!

And I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!