Unknown L (Book 1)

~ Actions And Reactions ~

"What have they been arguing over?"

She needed to know what was going on now more than ever. Maeve was a part of the Council, too, but she hadn't said a word about any arguments.

Matilda lowered her head slowly, and her lip was still wavering.

"It's about Demons near the forest. Something is happening, and they're all extremely worried. It makes them argue, and it's why Vadim hasn't come to talk to you. It's because he has to keep the peace in there. I don't know if you know this, but we haven't all always been friends in there. It took a lot of time and a lot of meetings to bring us together. But the problem is that it would only take a few minutes and a few bad words to break us apart. Then the damage would be done... maybe forever."

L did know, but she decided not to tell Matilda. She was too focused on what could be happening inside the Council. Bryce had said that it was a Keeper's duty to help out with conflicts between different species. She was supposed to be a Keeper, but she didn't have a clue how to be one.

What Bryce had taught her wouldn't help with this. She needed more knowledge and more background on her parents and Keepers as a whole. Maybe if she got a better idea of what was happening, then she could suggest a way to fix it. Maybe then she could get the answers she needed.

An idea started to form in her mind, one that would allow her to do just that. She would need to make a decision, but the possible outcomes could be troublesome. That was something she'd have to deal with later.

"Matilda," she started reluctantly before diving in with her idea. "I'll try these dresses on, but after that, can I go for a walk, alone? I need to clear my head, and that's the only way I know how."

She said it politely, not wanting her to suspect what she was planning. Matilda didn't seem to think anything of it, however, she quickly recovered from her previous worries.

She held onto L's hands with a wide grin, "Yes, of course. I'm surprised you're willing to try them on, actually. Maeve said you'd probably prefer the trousers and blouse. They're in the bag, too." She added, waving a hand towards the bag. "I'll wait down here for you!"

L rolled her eyes as she watched Matilda skip away. She was so oblivious to everything around her, despite being a Nature Sprite. It was like being around a child- a human one.

L scooped up the dresses and the bag and headed upstairs. She had moved her stuff to the biggest bedroom in the last few days and stored her things away in there. It came as a surprise to her, too, since it's something she'd never done in any of her foster homes. Her assumptions about the big bed had been right. It was very comfortable and very warm, and she'd managed a few hours of good sleep thanks to that. She'd settled in much more quickly than she'd realised as she closed the door behind her.

The idea of just putting the trousers and blouse set on suddenly popped into L's mind, but she knew she needed to stick to her original deal. She wanted to keep Matilda as sweet as possible. That way, she'd be more likely to let L go for a walk by herself.

It took her a few minutes to get into the first dress. It was cream and silver, falling down to the floor and hugging her body, way too tightly for L's liking. The fabric was really soft to touch, but it didn't breathe very well. Each dress was similar to the last. Nearly all had slits up to her knees that would make running and climbing a lot easier. They differed in colour, length, and shape of the sleeves, collar, or no collar, but they all got the same reaction from Matilda.

She squealed and jumped up and down on the spot. "You look stunning, beautiful, gorgeous, oh gosh! Oh gosh!"

Then she made L go try the next one on. No matter how nice they were, L felt ridiculous in the dresses. She was glad when it was finally over, and she reached into the bag to pull out the trousers and blouse. The trousers were darkish brown and baggy, made from a stretchy material, making them easy to move around in. The material felt durable, and L knew she would have a hard time ripping them when she climbed. Every aspect of them suited her and her hobbies.