To Be Belle

Chapter 10

It's been two days since Alistar's appearance. Every day when I'm not home I worry about him somehow being found. I wonder how Gabriel would respond. How the castle would respond! After all they still blame him for the curse he supposedly put on the castle forbidding the servants to leave and for people to enter except for Gabriel. 

People around me were talking among themselves about the ball. Rumors and small talk had greeted me this morning about the ball. That it is to be put on in the library. It's been years since we have had one. I should be excited but I'm not. A part of me just doesn't care as much anymore. 

I sigh, wiping the sweat off my face with the back of my hand. There have always been rumors that Gabriel would put on a ball for us. I never paid attention but it seems this time he means it. Of course, he means it. 

I scrub the library floors the dirt and grime seeming to finally wear thin. Elizabeth and Sarah are on ladders cleaning the huge windows surrounding the library. Louise is supposed to be in the kitchen but I've noticed him  and Lukas spending more time together. They see me looking at them and wave at me. I wave back before they start continuing their conversation. To be honest I don't mind the alone time lately; I've been enjoying being alone with my thoughts.

My thoughts don't call me a bitch.

"Amelia!" Xavior runs to me only to slip on the water. I throw my hands out catching him. He looks at me astonished before busting out laughing.

"You almost got hurt silly boy," I laugh at his clumsiness. 

"It's so big in here isn't it?" He looks around his blue eyes wide with excitement. He hugs me once more before scurrying out of the library. He could never stay in one place for long.

Deciding my little patch of floor is clean I raise up and dust myself off as I throw the brush into the bucket of water and walk towards one of the huge windows. I stare at the garden thinking about a few nights ago when I overheard Gabriel and Isabella's conversation. I sigh at the memory causing my breath to be noticeable in the window.

"Amelia!" I hear Sarah whine. "We have been working hard cleaning these windows just for you to fog them up." 

"I am so sorry," I apologize meaning it.

"Calm down doll you know Sarah is just jesting you," Elizabeth smirks at me from the top of the ladder. I look at Sarah who is ground level with me whose face is looking at me with a worried expression.

"You seem tense lately, is everything okay?" Sarah asks genuinely.

"Give her a break her man is being took before her eyes." Elizabeth speaks bluntly earning a scowl from Sarah. 

"It's okay really I appreciate your bluntness Elizabeth-"

"Anytime," she interrupts me.

"-But I am okay now. There's nothing I can do to win him back and honestly I'm tired of playing cat and mouse with him." 

Sarah nods understandably and walks over to me putting a hand on my shoulder, "If you need to talk to someone I'm here for you remember?"

"I am too," Elizabeth gives me a genuine smile from her ladder.

"Thank you, but I'm okay really. I'm going to start dusting the books," I make an excuse up to get out of talking. I hate pushing people away but today I just need to be alone.

I grab a feather duster from one of the bookshelves that someone had abandoned. I begin dusting the shelves against the wall. I cough a few times the dust overwhelming. I read the spines of the books as I do letting my work consume me. I think about Alistair and wonder if he has thought up any new leads about my curse. I hope he can figure it out soon. I catch myself thinking about our laughter fit on the floor from two days ago and I can't help but smirk.