A Victorian Tale: A Puppet Masters' of Time Novel

5. Three years have passed, & another mystery awaits...

The walk to the ruins from her home went by too quickly for Calliope, no matter how many times she had walked the now-worn path, she never stopped loving the safe feeling she got from the rustling of the canopy of trees above her head.

The trees seemed to welcome her underneath, providing shade from the blinding sun and the prying eyes of her family's neighbors. She had been warned numerous times to no longer wander the forest, but a need that burned low at the pit of her stomach always urged her forward. For it was her decision to take the risk, and it was the only thing left she felt she could control.

Her parents had lovingly tried to hold off her debut season as long as they could, but today was Calliope's 18th birthday. Society demanded she be released upon it or her family's reputation would suffer a hit.

Her mother had fluttered about the house, her elegant honeycomb curls swung low on her neck as she nervously checked every corner that it was suitable for company.

"We have waited long enough to put her out in society." She turned back toward her daughter. "You will be considered an old maid before you ever make up your mind. You are graced with beauty, my dear. It would truly be a waste to see it fade away with age with no interest whatsoever bestowed."

Calliope blushed. She knew she had grown to be pretty, as it seemed to always be her mother's strongest arguing point, but she didn't wish to always be looked at as merely a pretty face.

Her father flicked his newspaper as he peered at the economy section. One eye glanced at his wife, who finally settled at his side at the dining table only for her fan to flutter like a nervous butterfly, "She is still young, there is plenty of time for her to go out and get a husband."

"Women are not like men, dear. They do not grow more exotic as they grow older."

At this Calliope lifted her head from her bowed position over her breakfast, where she had been trying to stay out of the argument; it never went well when she interjected, "I do not wish to be sold off to the highest bidder, Mother."

"Life will severely disappoint you if you believe you can always have what you want, Calliope. It is not up to you to decide these things, it's your father and my decision."

And there it was, the comment that blared so loudly in her ears, the comment that defined her whole life. It wasn't about what she wanted. She had always wanted something more, since she was just a small child, but she was never heard. Even when she had tried to do everything asked of her, she was still not allowed her own opinion.

"I am indeed older. It's about time I decide what I'd like with my life."

The woman looked shocked at her daughter, who rarely talked back. Her eyes raised to her daughter's eyes, as Calliope rose from the table, placing her napkin on the table as she did so.

"Thank you for breakfast, Angeline." She nodded towards the cook, who stood in the doorway about to bring out some more biscuits. "Good day, father and mother. I think I should take my leave before I say anything more that might hurt Mother's sensibilities."

And so she left the room, changed into a day gown, coat, and bonnet, and left for the forest. She went there whenever she felt out of sorts, or when the walls of her home seemed to be suffocating her, as they were today. She had never again seen the young man that she had seen three years prior, but she couldn't help the tiny part of her that always hoped she would. He had been so very different from the people in her small little world.

Her hand glided across the stone walls surrounding the inner courtyard, the coolness of the stone calming her from the angry stupor she had been in since breakfast. As she crossed the threshold of the courtyard; a familiar, mysterious mist seemed to welcome her by swirling around her feet. As she examined it, she noticed it was starting to dissipate back into the main castle's doors, as if it were further beckoning her within its inner sanctum. Her heart began to beat faster as she ran across the courtyard and through the wide-open entryway.