Moongrace

Part 31

"Let me show you your breakfast." He took her hand which startled her even though she had heard his movement, but he didn't seem to notice. He guided her hand to the stuff on the tray. Somebody had already spread butter and the cheese cream on the bread. She took a bite with great pleasure.

Meino watched her a bit, but then got up: "I will return later for your lessons. Enjoy your breakfast!"

"Meino?", she asked quickly. "I need to use the bathroom."

She heard him stop: "A hell! Sure, I will send our servant, she will take you."

"Thank you."

He left and she enjoyed the bread and an apple, as well as the mint tea which she had found on the tray. After a while she heard the scuffing of heavy steps closing her room and then a knock on the door. Eleeza leaned back and closed her eyes, she didn't want to frighten the servant.

The door squeaked and opened, the servant took three steps inside, quite out of breath.

"Oh, wow!", was all she said. Her voice was nice, she seemed still quite young.

"Hi!", Eleeza answered. A bit irritated about the start of their conversation. She tried to sense the woman, whose heartbeat was raised probably from climbing the stairs. From the origin of the voice Eleeza guessed, that she was quite as tall as Nioru. But else she couldn't find out more.

The servant cleared her throat: "Hi, I am Cathryn. Meino said you need a woman's help?"

"Yes, thanks." She was quiet for a while and Cathryn seemed unsure what to do. Eleeza was surprised how directly and open Cathryn spoke. She liked open humans for she despised the net of lies humans wove around them.

"Why do you take such strangely heavy steps?", Eleeza asked, thinking that if Cathryn truly was an open person, she would mind the straightforward question.

"Lenrio wanted to keep me from running away, so he used some kind of magic." And she ruffled with her clothes. Her voice had gotten very annoyed and yet her words had a sad tinge.

"What did he do exactly?" Eleeza asked curious when nothing followed.

"Well, if you wouldn't simply lie there with eyes closed like a queen, but looked, you would already know!" Cathryn said now in a very annoyed tone.

Eleeza raised to a sitting position and opened her eyes: "That wouldn't change a thing. I am completely blind. So, simply opening my eyes only frightens you and would help about nothing." Eleeza fired back, but in a soft voice. Still she heard Cathryn's heartbeat rise.

"Oh... I am sorry! I mean, I didn't know..."

Eleeza leaned back again and closed her eyes, which made Cathryn very quietly release her breath. Eleeza registered it anyway.

"So, what did they do to your feet?", she asked again in a soft voice.

"Uh. They transformed them to solid iron, from the toes halfway up to my knees. That's why my steps are so heavy."

"Solid iron? That sounds horrible. How are you able to walk?" She asked, putting true felt compassion in her voice.

"It's damn hard! Each foot weighs several kilos and it hurts where the skin turns into iron." She seemed close to tears, yet spoke stronly.

"I am very sorry for you, Cathryn. Those men are truly cruel!", Eleeza expressed. She heard Cathryn move her head, probably she nodded.

"And who are you? Why are they keeping you here?", Cathryn asked curiously.