Chapter 8: A Family
Tira awoke in a small, 7 by 7 dungeon and could clearly hear two voices outside, two voices that were vaguely familiar. Tira scrambled up and wobbled over to the barred window in the door. Tira was ready to cut the bars off, but realized that she was unarmed. Tira looked out and saw King Christian II speaking with the troop commander.
"I just don't think it's a good idea," Christian complained. "Last I saw her she had some insane tendencies. Although I never thought she was capable of this, she clearly is and must be kept locked up, at least for now."
"My King," the commander retorted, "I understand your concern, but I am a trained warrior, and if it makes you fell any better, she will be watch around the clock by no less than five soldiers trained in secretive surveillance."
"I don't know, Viktor," Christian replied. "Sounds okay, but how does Driese feel about this?"
"She doesn't care," Viktor replied. "She always said she could use some help in the garden." Viktor began to chuckle but Christian seemed to miss the humor. Christian began to walk off until Viktor grabbed his shoulder and said, "At least think about it."
Christian nodded and replied, "I will, but don't get your hopes up." Viktor soon followed the King out of the room as Tira sighed. Tira then noticed that there was a guard standing outside of the door. "What where they talking about," Tira asked.
The guard didn't answer and Tira repeated herself. The guard once again remained silent. Tira was getting aggravated and asked once again, trying to keep her anger inside. Again, there was silence and Tira kicked the door, causing the guard to trip over himself.
"The guard managed to collect himself and looked into the room and asked, "If I tell you, will you shut up?" Tira nodded as the guard continued, "There talking about putting you under the care of the troop commander, Viktor." Tira was shocked as the guard explained. "It's actually quite common. People volunteer to take in an insane inmate and raise him or her into a working member of society."
Tira sat down and mumbled to herself, "A family. I could be part of a family?" Tira's mind boggled as the pieces of sanity that she had thought she had lost were popping back. Hours passed as Tira continued to think about the possibility of being in a family until the dungeon door swung open and there stood King Christian and Viktor.
Two guards came from behind the walls and grabbed both of Tira's arms and dragged her outside. King Christian bent down to Tira and said, "I'm sorry that we had to meet again like this Tira, but I have good news. Viktor here is willing to raise you as one of his own."
Tira was speechless as Viktor elaborated. "Mind you, you will not be given to royal treatment. You will have to pull your weight around in the house, and looking at you, you don't have that much weight."
"A family?" Tira asked, seemingly ignoring what Christian and Viktor had said. Christian and Viktor nodded as Viktor continued. "Until I can be sure that you won't revert to your old ways, you will be monitored at all times, even if you don't know it." Tira continued to stare at Viktor as she asked again, "A family?"
Viktor nodded again as he smiled. He turned to King Christian as he said, "I don't think she's listening. Maybe her choice of vocabulary will expand if she meets the rest of the family." The two guards once again began to drag her as she asked, "A family?"
Tira was shoved into the back of a horse-drawn carriage and was silent for the entire trip until the horse stopped at a lavish, two-story house. Tira stepped out and saw a slender woman in a flower dress organizing her flowerbed, which was just as varied in colors as her dress was.
It's odd," Tira mumbled to herself. "If I was here a year ago, actually, if I was here a month ago, I would kill them both on the spot, but now I don't want to. Why? I know. It's because I'm part of A FAMILY!"
Tira failed to notice her increase in voice volume until The two people in the front yard, not to mention the other people passing by in the street began to stare at her. Viktor shrugged and walked over to his wife. After a few seconds of talking, the woman came over and extended her hand and said, "Nice to meet you, Tira. My name is Driese." Tira looked at her extended hand. She knew she was supposed to shake it, but had never been offered to in her life. Tira reluctantly shook Driese's hand and looked at her as she smiled.
Driese returned to her flowerbed and continued to stare at it as if she was waiting for them to organize themselves. Viktor led Tira into the house and up the stairs as he said, "Since your clothes show that you were clearly raised in a barn, I think a change of wardrobe is in order."
Viktor led Tira into a large walk-in closet full of red dresses. Tira thought they were tacky, but she didn't care, because it her family was giving it to her. Tira looked at the clothing as Viktor said, "Now I know that there isn't much of a choice in wardrobe, but-"
"I love it," Tira interrupted. Viktor was shocked that Tira knew other words than just "a family," but was even more surprised that a girl deemed insane could have so deeply defined human emotions.
Viktor nodded and said, "I'm glad you do. Now how about the rest of the tour." Tira nodded in agreement and said. "Give me a minute. I'll be right with you." Viktor nodded and stepped outside of the closet. Tira looked around the closet and said to herself before stepping out of the closet, "I just hope Toren is having as good of a time as I am."
Viktor led Tira on the tour of the rest of the house. Viktor led Tira back down the staircase into the ballroom and through a door to the left, which lead to the lavish kitchen. Through the next door was a large table. Viktor led Tira back through the kitchen and through the ballroom and through a door on the right. The room was full of awards and trophies.
"Are these yours? Asked Tira. Viktor chuckled as he shook his head and replied, "No, there all from Driese as her award winning flowerbed. You see, Driese always wanted a daughter to follow in her footsteps and I wanted a son to follow in mine. I won ten years ago and our son Brendan was born."
"So I have a brother?" Tira interrupted. Viktor nodded and continued, "He's not here right now, but he'll be back later." Tira followed Viktor back up the stairs but instead of going right to her room, followed him left down the hallway. Viktor pointed out the first room on the left as Brendan's room and the first door to the right as his room. Tira saw something handing on the wall behind glass next to the door of his room that blew Tira's mind.
"Is that a ring blade?" Tira asked in anticipation. Viktor nodded and looked at the ring blade hanging on the wall. "Ah, you mean Aiselne Drossel. It's a family heirloom, well, not my family, Driese's family. She's a master at it, but I never got the jist of it."
Tira ignored most of what Viktor said and put her hand on the glass and whispered, "Aiselne Drossel…" Viktor was confused, but he expected confusion from her. Viktor glanced across the hallway and said, "You know, this ring blade has a very interesting story attached to it-" Viktor paused after hearing Driese call him. Viktor turned to Tira and said, "But that's another story for another day. Right now, I have to go."
Viktor left, leaving Tira to stare at the ring blade. As Tira stared at the ring blade, she could feel the pieces of humanity drift away from her. Tira turned her back on the ring blade and said to herself, "No, that was my old life. This is my new life. My life with a family."