Tambourines echo in the night — or perhaps it was the uncoupled beating of her heart? Lips part as she struggles to breath slowly, the two servants behind her reduced to shadows. At an automatic pace, she hears herself above the thunders, voicing orders as the storm grows weary — blankets, clean water, tea, clothes, fire. She goes on the list silently, gaze stuck to the contorted figure.
A sudden wave of fear trespasses her senses, the worst scenarios trailing across her mind. The wind blows violently against the window drawing her back to the present. She opens her mouth to call for her husband, but no words escape her. A shake of head pushes the worries aside as she forces herself towards the vision of blood and desperation. Ella kneels beside the child, a firm - yet gentle - grip around her shoulders, supporting the weight as fine as she could while helping the other to seat. ❝I’m not going anywhere, I promise.❞ - she hums sweetly, fingers pulling away strands of hair soaked in blood.
She was in shock — both of them. ❝Abby, I need you to breathe, alright? Deep slow breaths.❞ - she follows her own order, air filling her lungs before vanishing away. It wasn’t enough, but she only needed to be calm on the outside. ❝There’s nothing to fear. You are safe now.❞ - Ella ignores the stickiness of her own hands as well as the ocher metalic smell that twists her stomach. She tries to force a reassuring smile across her trembled lips, but fails miserably.
The door creaks subtly, remind her they’ve been alone. With the corner of her eyes she sees shadows moving, growing by the fire, dancing on the walls. ❛Madame?❜ - the voice alarms her. Attentive blue iris drift to the face that hangs above them. Ella accepts the butler’s help and soon finds herself staring at the girl seated on a chair by the fire. Someone suggests that the king should be warned — or perhaps it was just the voice inside again? Another shake of head and loose curls cover her eyes, brushing stained cheeks as she speaks. ❝No one must know until further notice.❞ - she declares firmly, head turning ever so slightly towards the two grown ups. ❝ — s'il vous plaît.❞ - she adds appealingly, a spark of gratitude painting across her eyes.
She waits until the room is empty again to turn back at her niece, hands reaching out to the girl’s, giving them a gentle squeeze. ❝Abby, does your mom or dad knows that you’re here?❞ - in the morbid silence, Ella tries to calculate the next steps. ❝You must try to remember.❞
She stiffened from the touch, feeling how tears slowly made their way down her cheeks while she curled up further against the wall. There wasn’t a lot that scared her and never had but now everything made her feel uncomfortable. How couldn’t she remember anything? Would everyone think she had done something? Something terrible.
She slowly took a few breathe while she repeated the word safe in the back of her mind. She didn’t feel safe, not at all in fact. How could she feel safe when she had blood all over her. Blood that was probably not even her own. Her stomach twisted at the very thought and she tried to ignore how sticky she felt. The look on her aunt said everything, she didn’t know what to think. For all Ella know, she could have been out and killed a man. Which she hadn’t. Well, so she thought she hadn’t.
❝ I haven’t done anything ❞ The words left her tongue quieter than she expected. She felt guilty for coming there. Guilty for waking up and not knowing how she had gotten there and what had happened. The shiver that traveled down her spine was the worst thing she had felt in that moment and all she wanted was to take a long bath and then hide from the world in her mother's arms.
Before she knew it she was in the chair in front of the fire, eyes closed when she tried to just ignore everything around her. Perhaps this was just a terrible dream that she would wake up from and feel ridiculed over but deep down she knew this wasn’t a dream. Not a dream at all in fact even though she wished with all of her heart that it was.
Abby tensed again and shifted slightly in her place. ❝ I don’t think so ❞ She whispered and tried to rub away the dried blood from her hands. How could this have happened? Sobs wretched her body when she watched the fire. Nothing would be alright. Nothing at all. ❝ I-I want momma... ❞
