Caged

Part 6- Establishing Trust

The next morning, Micheal sat up and reached over to the other half of his bed. He had dreamed that Arabelle was resting beside him, and, believing for a moment that she actually was, he reached over to grasp her small hand.

Sadly, she wasn't there, and instead she was already downstairs at the breakfast table, waiting for him.

He combed his hair and changed into a lifeless gray suit before heading down to join her. "Good morning," he stated, his voice like ice. "I hope you slept well after the storm."

"Yes," she replied, clearing her voice and making it clear that she refused to look at him. "I apologize for my behavior. You have my word- it will never happen again."

Jacqueline and a servant by the name of Marie stepped towards the table. "Your mail sir," Jacqueline announced as Marie began to serve breakfast.

"Thank you," Micheal smiled and patted her head as he took the stack of envelopes from the young child. He sorted through them, placing most of them in various stacks on the table in front of him.

"Oh look," he said suddenly, "There's a letter to you from your brother's wife." Micheal slid the letter down the table, causing it to fall off and land of the ground. "Was it so tedious for you to stand up and bring it to me?" Arabelle demanded as she pushed her chair back to retrieve the fallen mail.

"Pardon me," Micheal snapped, "I didn't think you'd want me anywhere near you, seeing as how I'm the lowest of the low and should be killed before I impose myself on the human race any longer!"

Silence filled the room. Arabelle was frozen, unable to pick up the letter from Wendy. "Fine then," she said at last. "I leave you to have your breakfast alone. Good day Micheal."

She swiftly swooped down and clutched the white envelope in her hand, then raced upstairs as fast as her legs would carry her.

Micheal was about to get up when Jacqueline placed her small hand on his arm. That would be a step out of line for anyone else's servant, but Micheal considered those who worked for him more as friends rather than employees.

Taking the girl's advice, he stayed in place and started to eat the food Marie had presented to him.

"Do you think she heard you last night?" Jacqueline asked him, her voice full of wonder. "Even if she did, I don't think she would care much for what I had to say," Micheal answered, feeling like beaten man.

Just as stress had gotten to Arabelle, he could feels it's heavy weight pressing down on his shoulders, causing the life in him to slowly leak out.

With plans to murder his adoptive father and begin a revolution, there was so much on his mind that he forgot he had a terrible temper that needed to be controlled, and he continually needed to remind himself that he wasn't the only person he had to consider when making decisions.

He was putting the lives of thousands of people in his hands. Sure, there were supporters within the government that would do what they could to help, but Micheal could not ensure that no one would be unharmed.

There would certainly be retaliation. Guards would most likely kill to make examples or to limit the number of available infantry for the citizens.

The weight of those lives and the stress of what was happening under his own roof caused him to feel broken down.

Just then, Jacqueline cut into his thoughts, saying something he had never imagined he would hear escape the lips of a small girl. "We are born not knowing how to love. Maybe the Miss just needs to learn to love you."

He turned towards her, his eyes widened in surprise. For such a tiny thing, she could sometimes say things far wiser than any politician ever could.