Chapter Seven
"Mario, this is Charites. She will be staying with us." Adela said authoritatively. She placed her arm around Aglaia to show her conviction.
Mario sighed and made a face. "Adela, we have enough mouths to feed around here. We don't need another one. Chores will be harder with another person here and--"
"Mario! You will not be talking to everyone as if Charites isn't here. There is to be no bad treatment of Charites, does everyone understand?" Adela shook her head, appalled at her husband.
"But mama, shouldn't she be doing chores as well?" Catarina piped up, seeing the opportunity to pass on her chore duties to Aglaia. Catarina was the eldest of the two daughters.
Alessia shot her sister a look. Alessia was the youngest and the prettiest. She still had quite a few suitors even thought they were poor. She could've married and enjoyed a more luxurious life, but she refused to leave her mother in her poor state.
Adela nodded thoughtfully. "That is acceptable, I suppose. Charites, you will be welcomed in this family, but you must take a few duties and responsibilities as well."
Aglaia looked up and nodded. "Of course."
Adela looked around. "Yes, dishes of course and house cleaning. Of course, you are not alone in all of these chores. Catarina and Alessia are also cleaning."
Alessia nodded and smiled, trying to be supportive. She knew that Aglaia must feel lonely without her family. Catarina, on the other hand, made a face at her mother's suggestion. Fortunately, Adela was too busy preparing dinner to notice, or she would've fallen victim to her tongue lashing as well.
~~~
Leopold stared in horror at his hands as they started changing, resembling paws of a bear. He looked up at Akakios accusingly. "What have you done?" His eyes widened in shock as he discovered his voice barely resembled that of a man's. It was almost a growl.
Akakios laughed delightedly at his plight. "Of course I knew my spell would work, but not that well." Leopold's once human form became a beastly one. A lion's head and a bear's body replaced it.
"Oh, one more thing." Akakios muttered something under his breath and in an instant, winds swept around them, circling them until Akakios couldn't see anything but dust and Leopold. The wind soon died down and Akakios surveyed his surroundings. It was perfect. An abandoned castle in the middle of nowhere. There was no way that Aglaia would be able to find her prince now.
"Farewell prince Leopold. I hope to never see you again." With that Akakios flew away. Or at least tried. An invisible barrier held him down.
"What the..." Akakios was forced to stay. He shook his head and looked at Leopold, enraged. "It seems like I have forgotten something. Damned fairy rules! I have to tell you how to break the spell." Akakios sighed, frustrated.
"The only way you will be able to be human again is if you can get someone to marry you. But who will marry an ugly brute like you?" The glint in Akakios' eyes returned. "Ah, yes. Aglaia. She'll marry you, won't she? Not if she's married to me!" An evil smile formed on Akakios' mouth. And with that, he flew away, no more than a speck in the air.
~~~
"Your majesty?" Thais started flying with Akakios as he arrived from the palace. "What?" Akakios barked out. "The fairies are assembled in the great hall for the wedding." Thais was held back suddenly by Akakios' hand on his arm. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" Akakios said menacingly. Not waiting for his servant's answer, he flew to the great hall, barking out orders on the way.
"Fairies! You have come here today to witness my wedding. Unfortunately, at the last minute, it has been discovered that Gennadius has left an order that my fiancee and I to travel together before we get married." Groans and sighs were heard throughout the crowd, but there were also a few smiles and restrained chuckles.
"I have decided to stay here for awhile to take care of other things while my fiancee go on the trip. We are to meet in a fortnight." Akakios nodded curtly and flew to his chambers, leaving Thais to attend to the crowd. Thais motioned for one of the servants to handle the crowd and followed Akakios out.
"Start looking for her! It is important that she is here in a few months' time." Akakios dismissed his servant and flew to his chambers, shutting Thais out.
~~~
"We already have enough problems without having to add any more!" Mario pointed out.
"Are you implying that that poor little girl over there is a problem?" Adela put her hands on her hips stubbornly.
"We have enough mouths to feed and now another one! Another one of your lost pets. First the beggar dog, then the injured bird, then the hungry cat! Before it would've been alright. Before when we were still rich, you could pick up all the stray animals and we would still have enough money for everyone! But that has changed, Adela. We are no longer rich!" Mario said angrily.
"That's all you've ever cared about, isn't it, Mario? Money? Well we are no longer rich, so stop dwelling in the past! The past is the past! We are no longer rich, but we are still humans, with souls! We cannot let a poor girl alone on the streets! She has no one to turn to!"
"Well, she can go someplace else!" Mario exclaimed.
"Why, when we can manage with her? She has even promised to do the chores!" Adela said, gesturing with her hands.
"That is only because Catarina volunteered her to. What else could she do but agree or appear ungrateful? Catarina was smart. She thought of that immediately."
"Ah, Mario. It's Catarina again isn't it? She's the hero again. You are too proud of your eldest daughter that you do not even see what she thinks. She is passing on her chores to Charites. With Charites here, she can spend the day sitting around. When it was just her and Alessia, she gave most of the work to her younger sister and did the easiest tasks." Adela shook her head at her husband.
"That is because she is not used to work. She was raised rich and grew up with people obeying her every command. She needs time to adjust to this life."
"Mario, we have been here for five months. All of us seem to have no problem adjusting. Even Alessia has learned to get up earlier and her hands are now coarse from doing her chores."
Mario shook his head. "It's different."
After a pause, he sighed. "Fine. She can stay."
"Mario, this is Charites. She will be staying with us." Adela said authoritatively. She placed her arm around Aglaia to show her conviction.
Mario sighed and made a face. "Adela, we have enough mouths to feed around here. We don't need another one. Chores will be harder with another person here and--"
"Mario! You will not be talking to everyone as if Charites isn't here. There is to be no bad treatment of Charites, does everyone understand?" Adela shook her head, appalled at her husband.
"But mama, shouldn't she be doing chores as well?" Catarina piped up, seeing the opportunity to pass on her chore duties to Aglaia. Catarina was the eldest of the two daughters.
Alessia shot her sister a look. Alessia was the youngest and the prettiest. She still had quite a few suitors even thought they were poor. She could've married and enjoyed a more luxurious life, but she refused to leave her mother in her poor state.
Adela nodded thoughtfully. "That is acceptable, I suppose. Charites, you will be welcomed in this family, but you must take a few duties and responsibilities as well."
Aglaia looked up and nodded. "Of course."
Adela looked around. "Yes, dishes of course and house cleaning. Of course, you are not alone in all of these chores. Catarina and Alessia are also cleaning."
Alessia nodded and smiled, trying to be supportive. She knew that Aglaia must feel lonely without her family. Catarina, on the other hand, made a face at her mother's suggestion. Fortunately, Adela was too busy preparing dinner to notice, or she would've fallen victim to her tongue lashing as well.
~~~
Leopold stared in horror at his hands as they started changing, resembling paws of a bear. He looked up at Akakios accusingly. "What have you done?" His eyes widened in shock as he discovered his voice barely resembled that of a man's. It was almost a growl.
Akakios laughed delightedly at his plight. "Of course I knew my spell would work, but not that well." Leopold's once human form became a beastly one. A lion's head and a bear's body replaced it.
"Oh, one more thing." Akakios muttered something under his breath and in an instant, winds swept around them, circling them until Akakios couldn't see anything but dust and Leopold. The wind soon died down and Akakios surveyed his surroundings. It was perfect. An abandoned castle in the middle of nowhere. There was no way that Aglaia would be able to find her prince now.
"Farewell prince Leopold. I hope to never see you again." With that Akakios flew away. Or at least tried. An invisible barrier held him down.
"What the..." Akakios was forced to stay. He shook his head and looked at Leopold, enraged. "It seems like I have forgotten something. Damned fairy rules! I have to tell you how to break the spell." Akakios sighed, frustrated.
"The only way you will be able to be human again is if you can get someone to marry you. But who will marry an ugly brute like you?" The glint in Akakios' eyes returned. "Ah, yes. Aglaia. She'll marry you, won't she? Not if she's married to me!" An evil smile formed on Akakios' mouth. And with that, he flew away, no more than a speck in the air.
~~~
"Your majesty?" Thais started flying with Akakios as he arrived from the palace. "What?" Akakios barked out. "The fairies are assembled in the great hall for the wedding." Thais was held back suddenly by Akakios' hand on his arm. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" Akakios said menacingly. Not waiting for his servant's answer, he flew to the great hall, barking out orders on the way.
"Fairies! You have come here today to witness my wedding. Unfortunately, at the last minute, it has been discovered that Gennadius has left an order that my fiancee and I to travel together before we get married." Groans and sighs were heard throughout the crowd, but there were also a few smiles and restrained chuckles.
"I have decided to stay here for awhile to take care of other things while my fiancee go on the trip. We are to meet in a fortnight." Akakios nodded curtly and flew to his chambers, leaving Thais to attend to the crowd. Thais motioned for one of the servants to handle the crowd and followed Akakios out.
"Start looking for her! It is important that she is here in a few months' time." Akakios dismissed his servant and flew to his chambers, shutting Thais out.
~~~
"We already have enough problems without having to add any more!" Mario pointed out.
"Are you implying that that poor little girl over there is a problem?" Adela put her hands on her hips stubbornly.
"We have enough mouths to feed and now another one! Another one of your lost pets. First the beggar dog, then the injured bird, then the hungry cat! Before it would've been alright. Before when we were still rich, you could pick up all the stray animals and we would still have enough money for everyone! But that has changed, Adela. We are no longer rich!" Mario said angrily.
"That's all you've ever cared about, isn't it, Mario? Money? Well we are no longer rich, so stop dwelling in the past! The past is the past! We are no longer rich, but we are still humans, with souls! We cannot let a poor girl alone on the streets! She has no one to turn to!"
"Well, she can go someplace else!" Mario exclaimed.
"Why, when we can manage with her? She has even promised to do the chores!" Adela said, gesturing with her hands.
"That is only because Catarina volunteered her to. What else could she do but agree or appear ungrateful? Catarina was smart. She thought of that immediately."
"Ah, Mario. It's Catarina again isn't it? She's the hero again. You are too proud of your eldest daughter that you do not even see what she thinks. She is passing on her chores to Charites. With Charites here, she can spend the day sitting around. When it was just her and Alessia, she gave most of the work to her younger sister and did the easiest tasks." Adela shook her head at her husband.
"That is because she is not used to work. She was raised rich and grew up with people obeying her every command. She needs time to adjust to this life."
"Mario, we have been here for five months. All of us seem to have no problem adjusting. Even Alessia has learned to get up earlier and her hands are now coarse from doing her chores."
Mario shook his head. "It's different."
After a pause, he sighed. "Fine. She can stay."