♡┆BTLPF || tlc fanfic

08| Chapter 8

Ellé heard a knock on the door of her shop.

"Come in!" She said enthusiastically. She learned this skill from her mother, who ran the shop before she passed away years ago. Images of splattered red blood flashed through her brain, but Ellé put on a smile and prepared to greet her customer.

Her smile dropped immediately upon seeing the long white coat that belonged to one of her least favorite thaumaturges. The thaumaturge's glossy raven hair swayed as she moved her way towards Ellé, who narrowed her eyes and glared at her suspiciously.

"What do you want?" Ellé demanded, glancing back quickly. Her father still hadn't recovered from before and was laying on a bed behind the shop's counter.

"Nothing much." Sybil stood on one leg, scanning her surroundings. She picked up a moon pendant and twirled it around in her fingers. "Fancy stuff you got here." She sneered, then dropped the pendant on a shelf with a loud clunk.

"Quit ruining our shop items and tell me what you want." Ellé slammed her palm on her counter stand. Her father stirred in his sleep and Ellé instantly regretted it.

"Tsk, tsk. Is that how people treat customers these days?" Sybil smiled. "Her Majesty the Queen ordered me to come here and ask for a... What is it? Some peasant item, I presume. A sewing machine, yes."

Ellé glared at her fiercely. She thought about the sewing machine sitting in an old cupboard at the back of their house, but narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

"We don't have any on hand right now. It will take a week for me to build one if we close the shop for the time being."

"Deal." Sybil said, then handed out two gilded cards. "Her Majesty will be waiting for it in the palace. Also, you and your father are granted to come to the ball, for the honor of serving the Queen."

"Wait." Ellé stepped out from behind the counter. "You don't know what you're asking for. For us to close down the shop and have my father out of work cuts down a week of our salary. If you want me to finish in time for the ball, it will not be just an honor to serve the Queen. Machine parts cost money, and added with the labor, it will be about 1600 univs."

Sybil narrowed her eyes. "1600 univs...That's exactly the cost of a decent dress, isn't it?" She snickered. Ellé's eyes darted right. "Sure, deal. The palace awaits your... machine. Your payment would also be received once the object is in our hands."

Ellé watched the thaumaturge leave, before a million shards of memories pieced together in her head.

* * *

She was 14 when it happened.

Ellé's father was sick and unable to care for her, and no babysitters ever wanted to look after the daughter of the weirdest man in town.

So that brought her mother to the only solution left: bringing Ellé to work.

Ellé's mother worked in the palace as a maid, leaving no time for a teenage girl to trail aimlessly behind her. Ellé had promised her mother that she wouldn't go far, before wandering off and stumbling upon a beautiful girl with chocolate-brown skin and silky black curls.

"Hi! I'm Winter!" The girl said brightly as she held out her hand. "What's your name?

"I'm Ellé." She took her outstretched hand and gave it a small shake.

"That's a pretty name. My dad always says my name is pretty, named after a season on Earth. But I think your name is way cool. Sooo..." The girl stared at her curiously. "What are you doing here? Do I know you?"

Ellé quickly shook her head and she waved her hands. "Oh no, no. My mother Ellise Maverick works here as a servant. I kind of got lost... This palace is pretty big."

Winter giggled, her laughter sounding like chimes. Ellé smiled and awkwardly scratched her head.

"This place is gigantic. That's why it's lonely sometimes. Come, I'll show you the way back." Winter grabbed her arm gently and pulled her along. "Oh! Let me give you a tour on the way there too!"

"I- y-you don't have to do that."

"Oh no, I insist!" Winter said happily and took Ellé's hand. She skipped and chittered excitedly.

"I've lived in this palace my entire life, and I still get lost all the time - can you believe it? I don't have many friends, but I have a special relationship with your mother, fortunately." She smiled proudly. "You must be wondering why I know her, right?"

Ellé nodded hesitantly.

"You and your mother look super alike, did you know that? You two look like the same person with different ages!" Winter giggled. "But I bet I'm not the first person to say that, aren't I?"

Ellé smiled and nodded her head. Winter beamed and started skipping again.

"Everyone in this palace has some sort of glamour - it makes them look 'prettier', but it kind of creeps me out. You look very natural, by the way."

"Uh-um... Thank you?" Ellé said. "It's not like I have any choice. My glamour isn't very strong."

"Oh, that's alright. You're really pretty." She observed and turned away from Ellé, humming.

They turned a corner and came to a balcony, where at least ten maids were crowded against the edge of the platform.

Ellé will never forget what she saw there.

Beneath the balcony was a stone platform, where a fountain was cheerfully spraying water.

Beside the fountain... was Ellé's mother.

She lay unconscious in a crooked position, blood oozing from her sides and forming a huge crimson puddle. Her face was twisted in agony and her uniform soaked in the growing splashes of blood.

Winter gasped and stumbled back, eyes widened in horror. Ellé's heart twisted and a pang of sadness, depression, hatred, and guilt stabbed into her stomach.

Ignoring the pain, she dashed down the spiral staircase and ran even faster after slipping on the tiled floors. She collapsed beside her mother, tears welling in her eyes.

"Mother, mother!" She shook the limp body of her mother before breaking into loud sobs, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. Her fingers trembled violently as she tried to trace her mother's stone-white face.

Teardrops dripped and mixed with the pool of red blood, staining her dress and fingers.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

She couldn't die. She must still be alive, she must.

Her memory was all blurred when she felt strong hands grasp her shoulders and she tried to struggle loose. Her mother was carried away and the stone floors were cleaned, as if nothing had happened.  

Author's Note: 

Remember to comment your thoughts and press the star on the top right :) !! And btw, new gorgeous cover (made by 50xsluT101 :: go check out her cover shop <3 )