Loki's Apprentice: A Tale Retold

Chapter 10: Consuming Fear

"Poor Beauty, much distressed, said to them, 'I have indeed caused this misfortune, but who could have guessed that to ask for a rose in the middle of summer would cause so much misery? But as I did the mischief, it is only just that I should suffer for it. I will therefore go back with my father to keep his promise.'"

-Madame De Villeneuve

Evelyn was the last to take watch over their father as, after many hours, one by one everyone left to sleep. Evelyn sat beside her father and watched his light breathing as the dying fire in the hearth slowly dimmed.

She slowly stood from her position and placed a few more logs into the embers and watched as the fire recovered and sprang slowly back to life.

She paced around the room as her thoughts weighed heavily down upon her.

Her sister's words from the previous might rang throughout her head as she glanced down at the provision bag she had resting against her father's bed. She knew that she shouldn't waste anymore time. The sun was close to rising and she knew her siblings would be up soon.

She slung the bag across her body and placed a soft kiss upon her father's forehead.

"I'm sorry Papa." She whispered as a tear slid down her cheek.

She stole one last glance at her father sleeping peacefully and hoped that that would not be the last time she would see him.

She made her way to where her brothers slept and smiled as the soft snores filled the air.

She placed small kisses on each of her brother's heads in a tearful goodbye. When she reached Winston she slid the letter she wrote not long ago, explaining her disappearance. They wouldn't really need an explanation though; they would know why she left. But it at least put her at ease that she was able to say goodbye on the pieces of parchment that were to be opened after she was long gone.

She glanced down at her older brother lovingly, he always treated her so kindly, even more so than her younger brothers.

"Thank you, Winston." She whispered as she placed a kiss on his forehead just as she did with her other brothers.

She glanced down at her sisters and didn't dare touch them, they were very light sleepers and she couldn't risk them waking. So she whispered a soft goodbye and made her way quietly out the door.

The morning air was damp and cold and she pulled her thin coat closer around her small frame.

She remembered that the note she had found the night before mentioned that the horse would bring her back to the castle, so she quickly made her way to the stables. She easily readied the horse and he seemed anxious to start the journey. She walked him out of the barn and mounted him, but her blood turn cold when she met the eyes of her sister, Loretta.

Loretta was sitting on the bench in front of the small house watching Evelyn with her intense stare. When Evelyn's eyes met her sisters, a smirk grew on Loretta's lips.

Evelyn's heart sunk as she realized she had no intention to stop her and was not going to wake the others. The hatred for her was evident and it was hard for Evelyn to accept.

Blinking away tears, Evelyn turned the horse in the direction of the forest and he began to gallop away. Evelyn didn't dare look back, because she knew she would probably begin to cry. Although her living wasn't as luxurious as in the past, it was still home.

The horse seemed to fly as he made his way back to the castle and Evelyn would have enjoyed the ride if it weren't for all the thoughts troubling her.