When Charlotte re-entered the cottage she carefully placed the diamond Alastor gave her into the small box where she kept her most precious things. Once that was done she went back outside to get water from the well and then hung over the flame Vaggie had started in the fireplace. This was how the three women prepared for their baths. Get water from the well, heat it in the fire place, and use it to fill up a tin tub once the water had reached the right temperature.
"When you've finished your bath Charlotte." Dolores began when the family had reached the end of their morning meal. "Would you mind going into town and picking up some herbs for me. I need them for Vagatha's medicine."
"Of course." Charlotte answered.
"Granny I'm too old for that nasty medicine." Vagatha complained. "I don't need it anymore."
"Don't tell me what you need. As long as you live in my cottage, you'll obey my rules." She said.
"Would you like to come with me Vagatha?" Charlotte offered.
"No I have to weed the garden." Vagatha said.
"Didn't you do that yesterday?"
"Yeah but they grow back pretty quick."
"Okay then. I'll try not to be long."
"There's no need to be in a rush." Vagatha said. "We're not doing anything important today so take as long as you need to."
"Alright. If you say so."
Charlotte quickly took her bath, changed into a clean set of clothes, then walked down the usual pathway that lead to the local village. She didn't go there often but she had gone often enough to know the location and the shops there. The villagers were very much amazed by the maiden's beauty, whispering about how strange it was that a seemingly common peasant girl could posses such loveliness. In fact she was so lovely that no one she encountered could bring themselves to be rude to her.
"Good morning." Was said to her by nearly every person she encountered.
"Good morning." She would say in return. "Have a wonderful day."
When she reached the shop or stand she was seeking she would purchase what Dolores requested with the money she had been given, placed the items into her basket, and start back home with a smile on her face and a melody in her voice.
"I am home." She announced when she approached the cottage front.
She heard no one respond to her announcement and no sound of footsteps coming to greet her. Though she did hear Raphael bark, she heard nothing else. It was completely quiet inside the cottage.
"How strange." She thought. "Did Dolores and Vagatha leave?"
But when she opened the door the silence was broken by two voices that cheered,
"Surprise!"
On the table was a delicious six layer apple cake topped with fresh cream, her favorite and next to the cake were two boxes. One was small and the other was medium sized. Gifts presented to her by Vagatha and Dolores.
"Happy Birthday Charlotte!" They sung.
"Oh you shouldn't have." Charlotte replied with a stunned smile.
"Nonsense." Dolores said. "You're a sweet and considerate young lady who we adore. It's only natural that we celebrate your birth."
"Here Charlotte, open my gift first." Vagatha handed her the small box. Inside was a bracelet woven from stands twine and adored with colorful beads. Not worth very much to most people but to Charlotte it was more precious than gold because she knew that her sister had made the gift with her own two hands and all the love in her heart.
"Oh Vagatha I love it." She embraced her gratefully.
"Are you sure? I know it's not as pretty or grand as the jewelry your father gave you."
"To me this bracelet is no different from what my father would give me. His jewels were given with love just like this bracelet. I'll treasure this just as I treasure the necklace he gave me. In fact I'll never take it off."
She quickly slid the bracelet on to her wrist.
"Now for my gift." Dolores said.
Dolores's gift was a cream-colored shawl made from fleece, it's design exactly like Vagatha's cloak and it's material just as soft and warm. Charlotte immediately tried it on.
"How do I look?" She asked.
"Beautiful." Dolores commented. "Just like your dear mother in Heaven. You've grown to resemble her very much. Your father would be very pleased if he could see you now."
"Thank you. Thank you all so much. The gifts are wonderful." She hugged the old woman and her granddaughter close then kissed their cheeks. "When shall we have cake?"
"Right after dinner. I need to get started on it right now and since today is a special day, no more chores girls. You're free to do as you wish, within reason of course."
While Dolores set to work cooking a mouth-watering chicken, the young ladies went outside to play with their pets. Vagatha chased and wrestled around with her fully grown dog Raphael, Charlotte just sat under a tree with her fully grown cat Eli resting in her lap as she read one of her books. However the princess found it hard to focus on the story because there was something about this date that would sadden her.
For you see this day did not just mark another birthday for her, it also marked another anniversary for the death of her mother. The good queen Evangeline had died just as Charlotte was being born and that fact alone would forever make this date a bittersweet one for the girl. Sometimes she would feel guilty about being alive because she felt that she had killed her own mother. A dreadful and untrue idea which her stepmother would cruelly plant into her head
"Do you know that your father secretly cries to himself on your birthday? It's because you took away the love of his life. I can't imagine how he could possibly bring himself to look at you. If my child had killed the one I loved I would have given her away to another family."
Of course she would never say such things in front of her mother, her daughter or anyone else. Only when she was alone with her stepdaughter so as far as most people knew, she was only distant to the princess, unaware that she was downright wicked to her.
"Are you alright?" Vagatha asked seeing Charlotte's normally cheery smile fall into a melancholy pout. "That's not the kind of look to have on your birthday."
"Sorry. I'm on a really sad chapter."
"Nice try. That's your storybook. There's nothing sad in there. Now tell me the truth, what has you upset?"
"It's nothing really."
But it didn't take long for Vagatha to deduce the source of her sister's negative feelings.
"You're thinking about your mother aren't you?"
"How did you know?"
"I'd recognize that look anywhere. It's the same look I make whenever I think about my father. Then again it's not completely the same. At least I had the chance to get to know my father."
Vagatha sat next to Charlotte and held her hand. Eli nuzzled deeper into his mistress's lap, purring to give her a warm comfort.
"Can I ask you something Vagatha?"
"Anything."
"Do you think...Do you think I...I killed my mother?"
"What?" She replied aghast at the notion. "No. Of course not. Where would you get a ridiculous idea like that?"
"Well you know my mother died in childbirth."
"That doesn't mean you killed her."
"But she'd still be here if I had never been born."
"Charlotte it's not that simple. You know plenty of women have passed away birthing children. It's actually quite common in these parts, and while it is very sad and terrible, no one is to blame for it. Granny says it's just one of those tragedies that can't be helped."
"And I'm right." Dolores said having over heard the conversation when she came out to tell the girls that dinner would be ready in an hour. "Charlotte I know you blame yourself but your mother knew the risks when she became with child. She knew there was a good chance she wouldn't survive the birthing process but she didn't care. She was so desperate to have you. There was nothing she wanted more than to give you life. Even if it was at the cost of hers."
"How do you know this?"
"Let's just say your mother once came to me for help. When a woman is going to have a child, she may need a great deal of assistance and I tend to be a bit of a miracle worker."
"You never told me you knew my mother."
"Yeah Granny how come you never mentioned it?" Vagatha asked.
"I'm afraid it upsets my daughter. It makes her feel like she's being compared to her."
"Did Desdemona know my mother too?" Charlotte asked, recalling something that her stepmother had once said to her when she was little.
"It's not for me to say." Dolores said.
"What do you mean Granny?" Vagatha said.
"your mother's secrets are her own dear and she wouldn't take kindly to me telling them. Can we please leave it at that?"
Both young ladies nodded.
"Good. Now go wash up for dinner. The sooner we eat that chicken, the sooner we can cut into the cake."
But Charlotte was still curious. She always suspected that Desdemona had known her late mother more so than she let on and what Dolores said all but confirmed it. But what confused Charlotte greatly was, why would Desdemona keep something like that a secret? Evangeline was not someone to feel ashamed of having been associated with. In fact Desdemona probably would have been more adored having known the first queen. What reason could she have for hiding that information?
