Clementine was already in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the girls at dawn. Since she had been gone for over a week, she had considered making something special for them, especially for Daniela. The kitchen was quiet at the moment because she was the only one there; the other staff members all got up at six, leaving her with the kitchen to herself.
Ingrid quietly entered the kitchen without Clementine noticing. The maid was still sleepy and dizzy at the moment so when she entered the kitchen horror filled her eyes seeing the woman who died yesterday was cooking she froze. She began to tremble and massaged her eyes to see whether or not she was hallucinating. But no matter how hard she tries to tell herself that it was only an hallucination, Clementine didn't go away she was still there in the kitchen, cooking a meal. When Clementine turned around to get something, she finally noticed Ingrid standing in the doorway, her face already pale.
"Good morning, Ingrid," Clementine smiled as she greeted.
Ingrid froze and bolted from the kitchen, screaming in horror. Clementine rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Good job, Lady Dimitrescu." She shaked her head and chuckled, continuing what she was doing.
Ingrid dashed out of the kitchen as quickly as she could, stumbling into Adela in the corridor. Due to the impact of colliding with one other, they both tumble to the ground.
As Ingrid slammed into Adela, she moaned in anguish. "Why are you running like you've seen a ghost?"
"I saw Clementine in the kitchen and she's cooking!" She yelled.
"What are you talking about? She died yesterday let her rest in peace."
"I'm telling the truth! She even greeted me!"
Adela stood up and fixed her wrinkled uniform. "You haven't got enough sleep again last night did you?" She laughed.
"You won't believe me?! Fine come with me!" She said dragging Adela towards the kitchen.
The two of them entered the kitchen, but there was no sign of Clementine. The stove has been well cleaned, and there are no traces of cooking or even used equipment.
"There's no one here! You're hallucinating earlier," Adela poked Ingrid's forehead.
"What? She was here! I'm sure of it, she was here!"
Adela shaked her head. "Maybe you're just hungry that's why you're seeing things."
Ingrid wrinkled her brow as she remembered what had transpired earlier. Maybe she was just seeing things because it was still early in the morning and people have a tendency to see things early in the morning. Adela began cooking, with Ingrid assisting her with the supplies. Clementine entered the kitchen silently, seeing the two quietly working.
"Good morning," she said, drawing the two maid's attention to her.
Adela and Ingrid's eyes both widened when they saw Clementine standing in the doorway of the kitchen holding a basket of strawberries. The two of them screamed in fear and hugged each other.
"I told you she was here!" Ingrid yelled.
"What do you want from us?! Do you want a prayer for your death?" Adela also yelled.
Clementine laughed hysterically and shook her head. Who'd have guessed it'd be so entertaining?
"Guys, i'm not dead! How do you think i'm holding a basket full of strawberries if I am?"
"Ghosts can still hold things!" Adela said.
"That wasn't me in the cellar; it was a different body," she said with a wry grin. "Please don't yell; it's quite early in the morning."
Ingrid took a step closer to Clementine as she gently withdrew from Adela's embrace.
"Is it really you, Clementine?" She inquired, a little cautiously.
Clementine extended her arms in front of her. "In the flesh!"
A flying shoe hits Clementine's head before Ingrid can even touch her, causing her to groan in pain.
"What was that for?!" She turned to face Adela.
"I was just checking to see whether you were real!" Adela defended herself.
"Well i'm real and i'm hurt," she said massaging her head.
"Go get an ice pack! Oh my goodness! Hit her with a shoe? Really?!" Ingrid made a sneering remark.
"I didn't have a choice!" She shook her head.
Adela took an icepack from the fridge and handed it to Clementine putting it onto her head where she was hit. The three of them sat down on the table as Clementine told them what really happened and why she was gone.
"You mean to tell me you were punished because you covered for Lady Cassandra?" Adela asked.
She nodded her head. "I was at the north side of the castle and I spent five days there altering all of Lady Dimitrescu's clothes."
Of course this wasn't the truth, this was what Alcina told her to tell people if they asked and she obliged.
"Lady Dimitrescu has been feeding you right?" Ingrid was curious.
"Yes, of course. I was placed in one of the castle's frigid areas, so it's no surprise Lady Daniela hasn't found me," she burst out laughing.
A sigh of relief passed Ingrid's lips as she said, "I'm pleased you're okay."
"We were convinced you were no longer alive. When Ingrid told us you were tortured in the cellar, we said a prayer for you last night in the hopes of bringing you some relief." Adela expressed her thoughts.
"Enough with the fake death discussion. I'm going to surprise the girls, so I need to fix the dining table," She got up from her seat and walked over to the dining hall.
"Lady Daniela will be overjoyed to see you once more!" Ingrid clapped her hands.
Adela smiled as she said, "She was grieving all day yesterday, she cares so much about you."
"Could you help me with setting the table?" She inquired courteously.
The two servants assisted her in preparing the breakfast in the table. It was about seven o'clock in the morning, and she expected the girls and Alcina to arrive at any minute. Adela and Ingrid stood in the dining hall, pretending to be the ones behind the feast on the table, while she concealed in the kitchen.
The dining hall doors opened, and the three girls entered the room, trailed by Alcina. They all sat down in their chairs and quickly turned their attention to the food on the table.
"What's with the fancy breakfast?" Bela inquired, her gaze falling on Ingrid and Adela.
Both of them exchanged glances and shrugged their shoulders.
"The food appears to be familiar." Cassandra remarked.
Daniela raised an eyebrow when she saw the strawberry scones on the tray.
"Who made these?" She fixed her gaze on the two.
Alcina imitated a cough, which drew the girls' attention to her. "It's a waste of time to just inspect and stare at the meal, we should eat."
The three nodded and sat down at the table to eat while they're all looking at Ingrid and Adela with skepticism in their eyes.
"Could you please bring me some sugar?" Bela inquired, her gaze fixed on her mug. "The tea is a little too bitter for me."
Ingrid and Adela exchanged nods as they entered Clementine's kitchen.
"Lady Bela is asking for sugar, you should bring it to her," Adela handed her the canister
"Now is the chance to surprise them; get going!" Ingrid said pushing her towards the door.
"Alright, alright," she burst out laughing.
Before entering the dining hall, Clementine took a deep breath. The girls didn't seem to see her at the door, and Alcina was the only one who looked at her, her smile hidden under her hand.
She took a few breaths before speaking. "Did someone asked for sugar?" She inquired.
The three girls turned their attention to her dropping their jaws with a shocked expression on their faces. The room became silent as the three stared at her.
"Uh... Hi?" She let out a nervous laugh.
The three girls screamed in horror and immediately hid behind Alcina's back. How can they be so terrified? This is not what she was expecting.
"Mother! Are you seeing what i'm seeing?!" Bela was in panic.
"Oh dear, Mother Miranda! Is she haunting us now?! Mother, I told you to give her a proper burial!" Cassandra yelled.
"I'm hallucinating right? Tell me i'm hallucinating!" Daniela screamed as well.
"Girls, please calm down." Alcina said in a soft tone.
"No! How can you tell us to calm down?! You should call an exorcist right now!" Bela screamed, yanking Alcina's dress.
Alcina pinched the bridge of her nose and stood up from her seat. The three girls followed her still not leaving her back as she approaches Clementine.
"Clementine is not dead, she's alive." She explained.
"What?!" The three asked in unison.
Alcina nodded and explained what happened and why she did such thing.
"I punished Clementine for covering Cassandra so she's not dead since I brought her to the north part of the castle where neither of you can go."
"Wow. Mother, I'm awestruck by your strategy for punishing us." Bela stated.
"So she's not a ghost? Does that mean I'm allowed to hug her?" Daniela inquired, a glint of optimism in her eyes.
Alcina smiled and nodded. "She's still alive and well, so go ahead and hug her."
Daniela was about to hug Clementine when a shoe smacked into her head, causing her to groan in pain once more.
"Oh, my God! That's the second time someone has smacked me with a shoe!" She said, her head bowed.
Bela and Daniela turned to face Cassandra, who was without a shoe on her right foot. As the two stared at Cassandra, she shrugged her shoulders.
"What? I was merely checking to see whether she was really alive." She stood up for herself.
"Can we please have an icepack?" Bela said to Ingrid who was looking at the door, who nodded to her in response.
Daniela dashed over to Clementine and hugged her, knocking both of them to the ground.
"I've been missing you so much!" Daniela admitted that her voice had cracked.
"I miss you too, Lady Daniela." Clementine also hugged her.
They sat up in their on the floor. Daniela's arms are still gripping her waist. She felt her shoulders getting wet, which made her turn to see Daniela, who was crying while nuzzled at her right shoulder.
"Lady Daniela? Why are you crying? What's the matter?" Clementine inquired, her voice tinged with anxiety.
"Nothing. I was just happy that you're alive." She admitted. "I was so sad when I thought mother killed you," she cried even more.
Clementine gave Daniela a comforting back rub. "Please don't cry anymore, i'm alive you don't need to worry about anything."
"B-but w-what if you really did die?" She sobbed. "You promised you won't leave me."
She stroked her hair softly. "Right now, I'm keeping my promise to you: I won't leave your side as long as you need me, and I never left you; I was still here."
Alcina's face lit up with a smile as she took in the scene in front of her. Bela's face was soft, and she was pursing her lips as she watched the heart melting moment before her eyes. Among the three of them Daniela is the one that requires most of the attention and she understands why she acts this way.
"I suppose... Welcome back, Clementine," Bela pressed her lips together, preventing herself to smile.
Clementine smiled and opened on of her arms attempting to hug Bela too.
"Come here."
Bela crossed her arms and turned away. "No, no, no," she pouted, she glanced at the two on the floor and rolled her eyes. "Fine! Only one hug!"
She finally knelt on the floor and hugged her and Daniela. Cassandra was fiddling with her fingers and pretending not to look at them when Clementine looked up. Cassandra turned around as she stretched her one arm.
"This group hug can still fit one person," she said with a pleasant smile.
Cassandra gazed at her with a surprised smile on her face, unsure whether or not to go hug her.
"Darling, what are you waiting for?" Alcina had inquired of her.
She bit her lower lip and said, "Oh.. um..."
Cassandra took a couple of steps forward before bolting from the dining hall. Because of Cassandra's reaction, Clementine, Daniela, and Bela all stood up and walked away from the hug.
Bela stared at the open door and wondered, "Why did she run away?"
"I think she was shy of Clementine," Daniela explained.
Bela offered, "Let's go after her."
Daniela agreed and followed Bela out of the room. Clementine groaned and turned to face Alcina, who was staring her down.
"You'll have no trouble finding her," Alcina remarked.
Her brow furrowed. "Are you going to let me find her?"
Alcina shrugged her shoulders. "She said she wanted to get to know you better, so I'll give it to her," she said with a smile. "Go to the east wing of the castle; there's a theater area there that's currently being renovated; the piano is now there, play it and you'll find her."
Clementine nodded. "Thank you,"
"Now get going if you don't want the two to find her first."
Clementine followed Alcina's suggestion and exited the room. She made her way to the castle's east wing, where the theater was housed. The venue was not as filthy as she had imagined; in fact, it appeared to be quite clean, except for the stage where it was still filthy since it was still under construction. The piano was there, and she sat down on the chair and walked over to it. Cassandra, on the other hand, was hidden behind the stage. She swept her fingers across the keys before pressing them down to produce a song. Cassandra, who was hiding on the stage, peered out and noticed Clementine playing the piano, which piqued her interest. (Song: white horse, piano version.)
Cassandra locked her gaze on Clementine, who was playing the piano. The piano's tune was both soothing and depressing. She finally exited the stage and walked over to Clementine.
"That sounds appealing." She finally got the woman's attention with her words.
"Lady Cassandra," she said with a smile.
"How did you find out I was here?" Her arms were crossed.
She chuckled, "I may have had a little help from your mother."
Cassandra scoffed and shook her head. She sat next to Clementine, staring at the woman's fingers on the keyboard.
"What was the song you were playing?"
"White horse by Taylor Swift."
Cassandra pressed her lips. "Can you play it again? Maybe singing it?"
Clementine nodded and began playing the piano again.
“Say you're sorry, that face of an angel
Comes out just when you need it to
As I paced back and forth all this time
'Cause I honestly believed in you
Holdin' on, the days drag on
Stupid girl, I should've known, I should've known—"
"I'm sorry."
Clementine pressed the wrong keys when she heard Cassandra's words.
"Sorry? For what?"
Cassandra let out a sigh. "Strangling you, tormenting you, and... judging you for everything."
"Everything is forgiven, but... judging? When did you start judging me?" She burst out laughing. "All you did was frighten the living daylights out of me."
She gave a small smile. "You've been close to Daniela ever since. I usually tell her that you're simply exploiting her for your personal gain, just like our previous servants did."
"I'm sorry to hear that," she gently caressed Cassandra's back.
"Seeing you earlier made me think that maybe you're different but part of me tells that I can't trust you."
She laughed. "Of course you can't trust me. I'm an intruder inside your home."
Cassandra laughed and punched her in the shoulder. "Seriously speaking, i'm sorry and thank you for what you did. Atleast I didn't feel mother's wrath but I felt awful knowing about your fake death."
"I'm alive and your mother did not torture me at all... Except for the part that I stayed up in the coldest place in the castle."
Cassandra bit her lower lip. "I would like to get to know you better," she muttered.
"What was that?" She raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Nothing!" She said turning her face around.
Clementine chuckled. "I actually think you're a softie inside but you're hiding it maybe because of trauma from the past servants?"
Cassandra turned her head and slowly nodded. "I would want to tell you but—" she stopped.
"You don't trust me? It's fine; you don't have to open up to me if you're not ready, and you don't know me well enough to tell me about your past."
Cassandra gave her a smile, a genuine one. "Thank you."
"Now that was a first."
"Shut up or i'll hit your head with a shoe again."
Clementine pretended to zip her mouth which made Cassandra giggled. Bela and Daniela were nearby as they watched the two.
"Should we intrude or?" Bela said asking Daniela.
"Let's leave them alone." She suggested.
The two of them left the room leaving Clementine and Cassandra alone, while the two of them tries to converse with one another.
--
I wanted this to be long but then again... I will have to give the sisters more moments in this book *winks*
Note: I don't always proofread so i'm sorry 😬