Sisters Three (Completed)

4. Brenna (2/2)

The glass cases glinted in the sunshine. She could see their rainbow prisms on the wall in front of her, and as she turned to face them her breath caught in her throat. On each of the glass shelves there was a black cushion, and upon each cushion there sat a diadem or a crown or a necklace or other glittering and golden artifacts from the previous generation. So many colors reflected the light into a dazzle that made Brenna almost shade her eyes against it. Rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and others that she didn't know the name of. She staggered toward the glass and rested her hand on the surface. A diadem with a teardrop diamond hanging from the center caught her attention, but then she caught sight of a necklace that looked woven out of silver thread. Her eyes bounced from one to another in rapid succession. And when she'd stared at each piece in the case, she ran to uncover all the other rectangular shapes in the room. Under the dust-sheets new glass cases filled with treasures surfaced. Hundreds of jewels and crowns. Brenna sat back on her heels, her mouth going dry.

What were her aunts doing letting the house fall into disrepair when they had enough wealth here to hire a small army? Brenna didn't know much about jewel forgery, but they looked real enough to her. She climbed back to her feet and edged forward, wondering if there might be a way to inspect the items closer.

It took a moment to find the seam that ran along the back of the cases, and the tiny gold hinges. A delicate lock kept the case's door shut. She didn't hold much hope for it opening, but her fingers itched to draw across the surface of the smooth stones, and she hooked her fingernails under the edge of the glass. It popped free almost instantly, the lock not actually engaged. They didn't think anyone would steal the fabulous wealth, apparently. It was hidden in a room no one used, and the thick dust everywhere captured her footprints perfectly. Anyone who tried to secret one away would have to explain their new gray appearance. Including Brenna. But she pushed that out of her mind as she reached inside and drew out the centerpiece of the collection.

It should have been a stunning piece of gold and silver and rubies. That was what she normally would have picked first. But this piece... somehow was different. It stood in the center as if whoever put it there was the most proud of it, yet it was only a medium sized crown of some sort of burnished metal. There were sapphires on the points, embedded with skill, and a padding of velvet around the inside of the rim to keep it in place. It shouldn't look very impressive at all, but something about it spoke of importance and power. Perhaps it was the way it was dented and scuffed, as if it had been worn into many battles. Or the heft and permanence of its make. This crown was not some silly little item pawned off on a marquis or a baron. This was something more.

Brenna held it reverently in front of her, and then slowly lifted it to hover above her head. As she lowered the cool metal to rest a bit loosely on her forehead she felt a thrill run down her spine and shoot out her fingertips. It was levelling a forest, breaking a horse, climbing a mountain. It was power and might and the world at her fingertips. She closed her eyes, straightening up and still holding the crown in place, as if moving her fingers from it might upset the spell.

This will be what I want, she thought. I want this.

And as the power slowly leaked into her heart, a sharp yipping noise startled her enough to jostle her back to the present. Her eyes snapped open in time to see one of the obnoxious little dogs that seemed to haunt the house come barreling into the room. It sniffed her dusty footprints for a moment and then came launching toward her skirt, jumping up and down and rendering the air with squeaks that could shatter glass. Brenna took a step back, trying to shove the dog away with one boot while still holding her crown in place.

She barely had time to wonder where it had come from when its brother joined it and a moment later the sound of skirts on the floorboards announced the arrival of Aunt Perta.

"There they are! They rushed off when we were trying to fit them for new collars. I think maybe they smelled you out here, dear, and wanted some treats..." Aunt Perta's voice trailed off when she really looked at her niece.

Brenna blinked in surprise at the sight of her aunt in the place that she was so used to seeing empty. Aunt Perta let out a breath in a hard little burst and strode to Brenna's side. At first Brenna thought she'd come over for the dogs, but then she saw the tightness in Perta's eyes and the way her fist locked at the side of her old-fashioned skirts.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed. Brenna swallowed, the blood emptying from her face and leaving it numb.

Aunt Perta didn't wait for an answer. She snatched the crown from Brenna so roughly that the metal tips caught on Brenna's skin and ripped painfully. Aunt Perta turned to carefully replace the crown in the glass case and shut the door gently. And before Brenna could make a move, her aunt faced her again and raised her hand to deliver a stinging slap across her face.

"Do not take things that are not yours," Aunt Perta said through clenched teeth.

Tears sprang to Brenna's eyes as she cradled her burning cheek, her finger trembling and just barely bleeding from the cut she'd sustained from the crown. Aunt Perta ignored her and dipped to pick up the little dogs under each arm and carry them to the door. It was when she was mostly in the hallway that she turned and looked back at Brenna, whose face now dripped with tears.

"Those crowns are from another time," she said. "They are hopeless dreams, and it's best to keep them in the dark." With that she swept from view, trailing the incessant yipping of the annoying dogs.

Brenna stayed behind for a few minutes to dry her tears and slow her breathing. Her cheek still stung and when she inspected it in the glass reflection it was mottled and red. She bit her lip and stepped back. The dust-sheets were hard to toss back over the glass cases, but she did every single one. And when the room was once again haunted by still ghosts, she shut the window and walked back to the east wing.