CHAPTER THREE

The Visitor

Eleni stood, surprisingly patiently, in front of the door of her room. She had been forced into a velvet green dress that she was sweating in so much she thought she'd pass out soon. Her so-called parents had sent a servant to tell Eleni what to wear. Though they hadn't spoken to her she could guess what her 'parents' were thinking. "Let's just torture her a bit more, Silas!" She could almost hear the words form on her mother- no… Pearl's lips. Eleni clenched her teeth at the thought.

Did they get me from an orphanage just to torture me in dresses, and insult my entire being! She thought as a head of a blond, Scanran, maid stuck her head in the crack of the door to tell her that the Master, and Mistress wished for her to come to the dinning room. Eleni nodded, and pushed past the maid a little ruder than intended.

When finally stomping into the dinning room she found not only her fake-parents waiting, but also a woman with greying curls, and wearing breeches, a white shirt with a blue tunic. Eleni gave the woman a questioning glance, then, in a very un-lady like fashion, plopped into her seat.

"Eleni, sit up straight!" Rose scowled as she walked in behind her. Eleni rolled her eyes, and leaned back in her wooden chair, lifting the forepaws off the marble floor. Rose scowled a bit harder, and came up behind her. Eleni, who was having a ball pissing her off, something she couldn't have done when she thought Rose was her aunt, didn't know Rose was behind her until she slammed backwards into the floor.

"Gods that hurt…" She muttered, clutching her head, and getting up. Her head was throbbing. Why did Pearl have to have marble flooring in the dinning room? She asked groaning inside, and outside. Because she's a normal woman, her sensible self answered. She made a mental note to drink lots of spirits soon to get Miss Sensible to stuff it.

"Good! Now sit up straight! You're a young lady, not a commoner!" Rose scowled, sitting down. Eleni scoffed.

"How do you know that I'm not a commoner? I mean, for all anyone knows I could have been a slave!" Eleni sat back in her seat. The unknown woman hadn't said anything, but Eleni could tell that Miss Curly Grey was shaking with silent laughter. "And who are you? What's so funny, I thought hitting your head on marble was bad!" Eleni said scowling. The woman imeadately stopped, and stared at Eleni.

"You do have a temper, don't you?" The woman said as Eleni raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were as hot-headed as your grandmother." Eleni blinked at this. Her what!

"My what?" She voiced the thought. She didn't have any grandmothers! She was an orphan!

"Your grandmother. She's a friend of mine, hot-tempered." The woman answered simply. Eleni blinked again. She had a grandmother! If she had a grandmother, she might have parents! Although the thought had reached her head it hadn't reached her mouth yet.

"I don't have any hot-headed grandmothers, Ma's is quiet, and Da's is dead." She blurted out. The woman raised an eyebrow, and turned to a shocked Pearl.

"I thought you said you told her about her parents?"

"Well… I only told her that I wasn't her mother…" Pearl looked like an old grandmother who had been caught eating something that she wasn't suppose to, but Miss Curly Grey smiled.

"Good, we shouldn't mess up her life." She then turned back to Eleni. "I'm Daine by the way, it's a pleasure to meet you, Eleni." Daine held out her hand. Eleni didn't even glance at it before getting to her point.

"Who are my parents?"

"I can't tell you, not yet at least." Daine answered, putting her hand down. Eleni took in a deep breath.

"Who are my parents?" She repeated. Daine didn't answer. "Fine, don't tell me." Eleni said standing up just as food was being brought in. Nobody protested as she walked out of the room. "But I swear on my raft that I will get an answer out of you yet, Miss Curly Grey." She muttered mixed between happiness that she had parents, and anger that she didn't know who her parents were.

A crow was perched on her bedside table when she came out of the privy. "Do you have answers?" She asked the crow. It squawked, she could almost hear the words 'Yes, but I won't tell you' hidden within the noise. Eleni shrugged, and climbed into bed. "Fine, leave me in the dark." She sighed blowing out her candle, leaving the room basking in the light from the moon.