Silence. Blissful silence.
Stolas settled into his seat by the fireplace, taking in a deep breath of the old beloved library. The royal library was his most beloved section of the castle; he cherished his vast collection of books, the soothing crackle of the fireplace, but most of all, the blissful silence..
It was not just a place for him to read books but a room to escape from the world, where he could forget about the weight of his royalty and marriage. He could read novels he had yet to finish or simply sit in a trance and listen to the ambient sounds of his imp servants as they cleaned and tidied up the library. Meandering in the background, they had nothing more to worry about than organizing the library.
Stolas was grateful for the privileged life he was born into, yet he often yearned for the uncomplicated lives of his servants; when they departed the library, their troubles were left behind. But when Stolas left his library, he had to return to his position of royalty, to the oppressive and unrealistic expectations of his cruel wife. He often wished to vanish into the night and never be found again.
But whenever he left his palace to visit his true love, that dashing imp, there was always one thing that kept him coming back home.
"Dad?"
Stolas's heart lit up with joy as his gaze fell upon his beloved daughter, Octavia. His face swelled with warmth and love as he smiled fondly at her.
"Octavia! What is it?" he asked. She looked uncomfortable, so he sat up and beckoned her closer. "Come, Octavia. Sit by the fireplace with me. It's quite soothing."
Octavia awkwardly shuffled over to the empty chair as if she wasn't allowed in the library before sitting across from Stolas.
"These chambers don't belong to me exclusively," Stolas said. "If you ever wish for a silent place to take your mind off the world, you're always welcome here." Stolas smiled at his daughter, who stared blankly at the fireplace.
Octavia didn't even acknowledge Stolas. The two sat silently for a while as Stolas shifted in his seat. "You wanted to speak to me about something, Octavia?" he asked gently.
Octavia averted her eyes to the floor. "Nevermind. I changed my mind. I'll just go," she said, starting to sit up.
Stolas quickly protested, his voice full of concern. "Wait, Via! You can talk to me about anything!" he said, seeing her hesitate. "Is it about schoolwork? Friends? A boy you're interested in?" He asked gently, hoping to reassure her.
Octavia recoiled in disgust. "What? No!" She said indignantly.
Stolas gave her a reassuring look. "A girl? I promise I'll be quite understanding."
"Dad, shut up!" she said with a flustered look before composing herself. "Just forget it. You'd probably like me less if I asked..."
Stolas was devastated by those words. He had always wanted his daughter to know that she could come to him for anything. He needed to find the right words to assure her that she could trust him with her feelings.
"Via, nothing you could ask me is off limits. You're my daughter," he said, smiling warmly at her. "You can come to me for anything."
Octavia's head dipped down. "Dad...I'm just scared, that's all."
Stolas softened his gaze. "Oh dear, what is it? Is something wrong?" He asked softly.
Octavia scoffed. "Well, my mum and dad hate each other, so yeah, a little, " she said.
Stolas gave a deep sigh. He had not wanted this conversation so soon but was determined to articulate his thoughts more clearly this time. He felt a pang of guilt for his earlier failed attempt to explain his complex relationship with Stella to his own daughter at that accursed amusement park.
Now, he had another opportunity to get it right, and he still didn't have the words.
"I...Your mother and I...We have a complicated relationship. The fights we have, they're nobody's fault. Stella and I..." Stolas trailed off, trying to find the right words to make this hurt less for Octavia. He wanted to tell her they didn't love each other and never did, but he didn't know how Octavia would take that.
"We're just going through some hard times, that's all. But don't worry, we'll make it work," he assured her.
"Will you really?" Octavia muttered bitterly. "How can you say that after cheating on mum?"
Stolas' heart sank in his chest. His gaze fell to the floor and stayed there for a few moments. He didn't have a very good answer to that. He tried to speak, but his voice failed him.
Octavia took the opportunity to fill the silence. "You and mum are always yelling. She seems to hate you, and you've already found her replacement. I'm not stupid, Dad," she said, looking back down at the floor. "I can tell it's almost over. I'm never going to see one of you again. And it'll probably be you who leaves me, right? All for some stupid imp." Octavia gazed downwards, her eyes filling with tears.
"Octavia..." Stolas stood, then knelt before Octavia, clasping her hand in his. There is nothing that I love more than you." He was thankful she was looking down at her lap; that way, she couldn't see the tears welling up in his eyes. I want you to know that nothing in this world could make me disappear from your life. My love for you is a mountain; everything else is just a pebble."
Octavia stayed silent for a moment. "What about mum?" She asked. "Does she even care about me?"
Stolas sighed. It would have been such an easy answer for any other family. Yet, for him, the words tasted like lies as they left his mouth. "I can't speak for your mother, but I'm sure she feels the same, deep down." He had no idea whether or not this was even true and certainly had his own opinions. Still, he didn't want to hurt Octavia's feelings just to take a stab at Stella from behind her back, even if he knew that harpy would never offer the same luxury to him.
"You promise you'll never leave me?" Via asked. Stolas smiled, before wrapping his arms around her, pulling her into a hug.
"I love you too much to do such a thing, Via."
Octavia smiled in her father's embrace, taking it all in before gently pushing back against him. Stolas stubbornly held on for a few more moments before letting go. "Alright, alright. A bit too much affection for my little owlette?" He said, chuckling.
Octavia smiled and brushed her bangs aside. "A little...But thanks, Dad."
"Any time. I mean it." Stolas said, sitting back in his chair as Octavia turned to walk away.
Octavia paused for a moment before turning back to face him. "I meant what I said back at Loo Loo land. You really are pretty cool sometimes."
As Octavia left the library, Stolas grabbed a new book from his shelf. He needed something to distract him from that emotional rollercoaster of a conversation.
"I am pretty cool sometimes," he mumbled proudly to himself.
"Please, Stella! I meant nothing of it!" Doctor Wilkins exclaimed, taking cover behind the couch as a glass shattered against the wall. "Plenty of my clients want to kill their partners! I didn't mean to imply it was abnormal!"
"The FUCK you didn't, you insolent prick!" Stella shrieked. "'Ooh, I have my work cut out for me,' like I'm some sort of fucking nutcase!"
Stella leaped over the couch like a nutcase, hounding Wilkins around the room. Wilkins scrambled backward, rushing to the table as Stella stomped towards him with murderous intent.
"And for the last time, it's LADY Stella!" She yelled, grabbing the second glass off the opposite side of the table and winding her arm back.
Wilkins snatched a chair, holding it up as a shield against the next glass, which smashed into the cushion and sent droplets of water cascading down his shirt. "Yes, Lady Stella! I apologize, Lady Stella! It won't happen again!" He dropped the chair and raised his hands in a pacifying gesture as the two circled around the table. "Just calm down, Lady Stella! Please remember why you're here!"
"CALM DOWN?!" Stella cried out indignantly before letting loose a ferocious scream. She vaulted over the table, leaping up in the air before colliding with her therapist, knocking him over.
Stella straddled Wilkins' waist, pinning him to the floor as she grabbed him by the throat with both hands. "Do I look upset to you?!" She shouted while scrambling to wrap her spindly talons around his neck.
Wilkins frantically shook his head. "No! No no, you don't look upset! I just think that maybe you could be a little more calm!" He choked out in a strangled voice, grabbing at Stella's forearms.
"How am I supposed to be calm when my fucking family is on the VERGE OF DISOWNING ME?" She screamed hysterically as she squeezed Wilkin's neck, thrashing him around. "I'm gonna be homeless and you're not even trying to help!"
Wilkins kicked around frantically under her. "Please, Lady Stella! Deep breaths-urk! Take deep breaths!"
Stella cocked her head. "My parents just threatened to fucking abandon me. How is breathing supposed to help me out of this mess?" She asked in a sharp tone.
Wilkins shook his head. "Ngh...It won't, but it'll help you take a step back and provide you with...clarity...ghk..."
Stella eyed the snake skeptically, her hands still wrapped around his neck, before she started huffing and puffing, taking deep breaths in and out.
"No! Slower! Four seconds in, six seconds out!" Wilkins choked out, receiving a glare from the avian demon.
"I think I know how to fucking breathe, you peon!" She shouted angrily.
Wilkins looked her in the eyes. "Please...! Trust me, Stella!" He said, in as pleading of a tone as he could manage while being half strangled.
Stella rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated groan. She straightened her back, rolled her shoulders, and began pacing her inhale for four seconds in…
…
and exhaled for six seconds.
...
Stella Inhaled...
...
and exhaled.
...
She started to feel a strange sense of tranquility. Not the resignation of spite denied, nor the pressure of bottled rage; It was serenity. As if her anger was slowly dissipating. The feeling started in her belly and spread throughout her chest. It still upset her that Wilkins implied she was mentally unstable, of course, but she was beginning to see that strangling him didn't help her case.
Her grip loosened on Wilkins, allowing him to do some breathing exercises of his own. Wilkins gasped for air, panting and laying his head down to the ground. "Whew...hoo...feeling any better?"
"What...what just happened to me? What spellcraft is this?" Stella muttered, looking at her hands in confusion.
Wilkins wiped his brow. "Heart rate variability—it's basic HRV breathing exercises. You're slowing down your heart rate by slowing down your breathing, which reduces stress," Wilkins said, looking up at Stella, who was still sitting atop him. "May we return to our table?" he asked.
Stella bashfully stood up, allowing her therapist to get off the floor. "Alright, this is what I call progress, Lady Stella," Wilkins said, rubbing his throat as he bent over to pick up Stella's seat before returning to his chair. "Breathing in and out is a fantastic way to separate yourself from a hostile situation. Breath out the angry air, and breathe in the calm air. Remember this slogan!" Wilkins said, taking a seat across from Stella.
Wilkins outstretched his hands like a salesman giving his pitch. "When you want to strangle someone to death, stop and take a four-second breath." He gave a thumbs up.
Stella nodded approvingly, feeling much more composed. "Perhaps I...should have just yelled at you for your mistake rather than trying to strangle you," she grumbled, rubbing her temple. "Ugh, this is why I'm here in the first place. Why am I like this?"
"I encourage you not to think like that. We all make mistakes now and then. Like me," Wilkins admitted. "I shouldn't have made that comment earlier. I could just beat myself up over what I said and not move past it, or I can learn from it and do better in the future." Wilkins straightened his collar and gave Stella a friendly and encouraging smile.
"It's important that we not let our mistakes define us, for we will always come out as better people from them," Wilkins said.
Stella thought for a moment, considering his words. His honesty really resonated with her. He didn't make excuses like everyone else when they wronged her; he simply owned up to it. Furthermore, he didn't even seem upset at her for attacking him.
"Hm...Very well then," Stella said, tilting her beak to the ceiling. "From now on, you will address me as Lady Stella and treat me with utmost respect, and NEVER imply that I am mentally unwell, and I will…" She hesitated sheepishly. "I will not strangle you. Now then! Show me more of these...anger management techniques. With haste."
Wilkins gave a reassuring smile. "I assure you, we're just getting started, Lady Sssstella."
Later...
Stolas sat within his studies, cozied up by the fireplace with a truly enthralling book on the cosmos. It never ceased to fascinate him how there always seemed to be another galaxy beyond with its own unique wonders and curiosities. The library felt like its own galaxy in a sense. His galaxy. The one place that he felt at peace in. Away from the abusive tendencies of his wife, away from all his problems… the peaceful crackling of the fireplace was the only sound upon his ears.
He let out a content sigh, leaning back into his chair. He had not gotten up in four hours, and he didn't even feel slightly bad about it. He wished he could stay like this forever. Everything felt so perfect.
knock knock knock!
Stolas sat up. "Come in!" He presumed it must be an imp servant or maybe even Octavia again. But as the door opened, his hopes were dashed against the rocks. He slumped back into his chair in disappointment. Across the library was the one face he had hoped never to see.
"Stella. What an unexpected surprise."