Okay, just real quick, this picture is NOT what Brie looks like. It's only what the dress looks like later on. Kk, now back to the story.
***
Brie sat on her bed, back against the headboard with her knees up to her chest. She rubbed her hands over her face, her fingers instinctively running their way to the little bumps and acne scars. She had terrible acne when she was in high school, and she had constantly picked at her face. It had been one of her many insecurities.
Now, the acne had long disappeared, except for the occasional blackhead or blemish, but her face had been left with many tiny scars. And whenever she was feeling anxious or stressed, Brie's fingers would find their way to her face to scratch and pinch at them, trying to stimulate some form of relief.
To her surprise, her face felt unusually smooth. She could not feel any blemishes or signs of acne scars.
Hopping off the bed, Brie scurried over to the vanity and looked into the mirror, turning her face over with her hands. She almost gasped. Her skin was exceptionally smooth, free of any and all scars or imperfections she had not even 24 hours ago.
Her eyes were even brighter in color and liveliness. She also noticed her hair was shinier and looked the healthiest it had ever been. The blond strands glistening in the dim candlelight. Her hair wasn't as nearly fair or beautiful as Thranduil's, but it was close to Elven quality. Her hair had always been prettier than average. Her dad said it was something that she got from her mother. But now, her hair was truly beautiful. She could pose in an ad for hair shampoo.
Heck, she could model for a skin product, hair treatment, and even contact lens advertisements.
Brie let out a small laugh.
Was it the fruit she ate this morning that was making her see things? Maybe the berries were fermented.
She literally looked like one of the Elves. Minus her lack of height and thicker thighs. She also guaranteed her double chin wasn't a common trait among the race of supermodels either. It was something she got from her dad -- the double chin. It looked adorable on him, especially when he laughed. But Brie hated it on her. For pictures, she made sure to tilt her chin upwards and stick her tongue on the top of her mouth, just so the crease would be less prominent. Sam always told her not to worry about it, but it wasn't that easy to forget about.
And there was also the little part about her ears.
Once upon a time they had been pointy, like her mother's. Brie's ears had reminded her father the most about her mother. And when her mother was alive, she always felt a special connection between her and her mom because of their shared attribute. Not that they had already been close because of their relationship, but it was something that only they had. They were the only ones in their whole town who had pointy ears, and at that time at the age of four, it had been extremely special to share something like that with her mom.
Then, when her mother had got in that car accident, it was as if that special bond had died with her.
Years trickled away and eventually, Brie found herself hating her ears. The other kids were vicious with their bullying and picking, saying that her ears grew into that nasty shape because she never ate her greens. Some of them called her an ugly elf, or Santa's slave, and would tape Christmas lists on her back for her to give to her "master." And many of her classmates would run up to her at the playground and tug on her ears and push her over.
She had walked home almost every day, crying and hugging herself. One time, a group of older boys caught her sobbing on her way home and cornered her by a large tree. They yelled at her many nasty things, and at the time she didn't even know what most of them meant. They had slapped her and kicked her. Then one of them threw a pocket knife down at her feet and told her to go cut her ears off.
When they left her, running away laughing, she grabbed the knife and raced to the barn where she hid. Inside, she did as instructed.
Her dad had found her bloodied and screaming. It was the first and only time she had ever seen him tear up. He was distraught to see his little girl, the only thing he had left of his beloved wife, hurting herself.
The tips of her ears had been removed, and unfortunately, the hospital could not simply "sew" them back on per her dad's demand. Brie received stitches, yes. And the doctors warned her that she would have terrible scars. And they weren't wrong.
Brie's dad pulled her out of school after that. Cursing the ways of public education. It was during this time that Brie spent most of her days reading, trying to escape the horrors she had experienced. Then one afternoon, when had gone outside to play and rest her eyes, she had found a girl in the pasture talking to her horse. The girl said her name was Samantha but preferred Sam, and that she had recently moved next door. Sam was homeschooled just like Brie. And though she was two years older than Brie, Sam became her best friend.
After that first day, the two were inseparable and Brie's father even began to love Sam like his own. However, when she was of high school age, Sam's parents put her in public school. And after two years of begging, she finally convinced Brie's dad to let her go back to school with her.
On the first day back, a boy had made a crude remark about Brie's ears and Sam had punched him three times for it. And though she got suspended for a week, no one ever dared speak a word about Brie's ears again.
Oh, how she missed Sam.
Brie stepped away from the vanity and went to the wardrobe. Her clothes were dirty and smelled. Maybe she could find an Elven nightgown or something similar to borrow.
Through the help of Sam, Brie was able to get over a lot of her insecurities, but still to this day, the scars on her ears bothered her. Maybe because it was a reminder of how easily she was influenced to harm herself. And she was ashamed for it. Ashamed for also hurting her dad by doing it.
She opened the door and starting flipping through the hangers when a cold gust brushed her face. That was weird. The windows were closed and the breeze felt as if it had come out of the wardrobe.
Brie stepped inside and tried to feel her way for the back. She was getting some major Narnia vibes when she suddenly had walked completely through the closet and was now standing in a damp and dark hallway.
Behind her were still the rows of clothes, almost crying for her to come back and not go any further.
The walls were tight and stony, the floor covered in tiny puddles slowly growing from the water dripping from the unseen ceiling.
Brie could see her breath, shivering when another gust blew past her.
Maybe it would lead the way out of the castle; another chance for escape. Then she remembered what Thranduil had said. She could not risk her father getting captured again.
But still, she knew she wanted and needed to explore the mysterious chambers. But not tonight. She was tired, stressed, and drained of all her energy.
So, she went back inside the wardrobe and back into her room where she drew up a warm bath and picked out a soft under gown to sleep in.
***
The next morning, Dessielle brought Brie breakfast, and apologized multiple times for her current state under house arrest, though those weren't her exact words.
She also brought her a silver and blue dress. It was simple, and the sleeves reached down to her elbows, giving her a sort of comfort. The skirt was a little too long, obviously meant for a tall Elf, but Brie assured Dessielle that she didn't need to raise the hem. She kinda liked the sound of the fabrics swooshing across the ground. Dessielle also gave her an assortment of rings.
"These are from the King," she had said.
"What's the special occasion?" Brie asked after turning around in the mirror.
"Oh, nothing. Just thought you'd like something more suitable than the rags you came here in." She folded the blouse and jeans together, grabbing the boots.
"Leave them," Brie called to her before she left. "I know they're not much, but they remind me of my home."
"As you wish." Dessielle nodded and set the clothing in a drawer in the wardrobe.
Brie held back her tongue, crossing her fingers that Dessielle wouldn't discover the secret tunnel.
"Will there be anything else?"
Brie shook her head.
"Alright then. I shall be on my way. But don't worry, I'm positive his highness will get his head together and allow you to wonder about the halls freely soon enough." And after saying that, she left, the guards outside the door once again locking Brie inside.
By herself.
Brie went over to her bed and arranged the pillows in the sheats so that it appeared like she was sleeping. Just in case if anyone came in to "check" on her. It probably wasn't believable, but she hoped it would simply hinder further investigation if the guards popped their heads for a quick peek to see why the room was so quiet.
Then, lighting a candle, she went inside the wardrobe.
***
There were no lamposts, snowy winter wonderland, or even a faun waiting for Brie inside the secret tunnel. Just and a creepy, endless hallway. She passed a few vents, and if she squinted hard enough, she could see servants pass by on the other side of the wall. Cockroaches and spiders scrambled into the crevices of the floor and walls as the light of the candle revealed their existence.
Occasionally, the tunnel would fork out into different paths. And just so she could remember the way back, Brie always chose the furthest right. She hoped to be back in her chambers by dinner, and not get lost in the secret passageways of this castle, making a permanent home for her skeleton.
She came across a set of stairs, ascending up in a spiral. As she climbed them up, the atmosphere got dryer and the dripping walls turned dusty.
At the top of the staircase was a door.
Her hand grabbed a hold of the knob but didn't twist it open. She remembered what happened to Mary Lennox when she went sneaking around in secret passageways. She found a sick little boy with a nasty attitude. And Brie was in no mood to discover anything similar.
Who knows, maybe Dessielle was wrong and Legolas had already been born and was now being hidden away to avoid unwanted attention. Or maybe he was sick and depressed like Colin. But she couldn't remember if he was actually sick or not. It had been a long time since she had read the Secret Garden.
"Well, here goes nothing," she whispered and turned the knob, half expecting it to be locked.
The door swung open into a dimly lit room. It was dusty, the room, and gave Brie an odd feeling that she should desperately go back the way she came.
The floor was covered in broken glass and random shrouds of fabric. Torn curtains hung over the french doors, leading out to a terrace. A sofa was placed next to the doors, with three arrows sticking out of the cushions. There was also a large messy bed with bloodstains on the pillowcases. The mantle of the fireplace was covered in ash, yet the pit was still smoldering from last night's fire.
Someone had been here before her.
But why had someone lit a fire in the remains of a post-apocalyptic room?
Then she saw the painting hanging crookedly on the wall. It looked as if someone had taken a weedwhacker to it. The person in the picture was a silvery blonde, and an Elf, obviously, but she could not make out anything else.
As she was studying the artwork more carefully, a sparkling from the corner caught her attention. Brie set the candle down on a small table and walked over to where the light was shining from.
She knelt down by a chest and lifted the lid. She gasped. Inside were the most gorgeous gems she had ever seen, not that she had seen many gems anyways. But they were still beautiful. They glistened and sparkled, shining miniature rainbows on her dress and on anything nearby. Though, some of them were staring blankly up at her, dull as pebbles and not shining like the others. One of the jewels made a popping sound, like a lightbulb going out, and lost its light, joining the pebbles in darkness.
Brie reached to grab it but quickly retracted when the lid was abruptly shut, the edge of a silver blade resting on top. The sword was raised and aimed at her throat, and at the other end was a very angry Elvenking.
"Why did you come here?" Thranduil snarled, his eyes piercing hers.
"I -I just..."
"Did I not explicitly explain what would happen if you tried to escape again? And now you are trying to steel. From me!"
Brie backed away from his blade and scrambled to her feet. "I wasn't escaping or stealing! I'm sorry, I was just curious and-"
Thranduil slashed his sword through the leg of the table she had set her candle on. The table, now unbalanced crashed to the floor. The wax stick splatted to the ground like a scoop of ice cream falling off its cone.
"Do you realize what you could have done?!" He shouted.
Brie continued to back up until she hit the door she had come in through. She eyed his sword wearily. He was bringing it closer to her.
"You could have damned us all!"
She flinched at his rising anger. Her hands fumbled for the doorknob, but before she could place her fingers on the cold metal, Thranduil slammed his fist on the door over her head. His nostrils flared, his breath heavy and close, blowing on her eyelashes.
"GO!" He screamed in her face.
Not waiting to find out what would happen next, Brie ducked underneath his arm and ran. Her feat got caught up in the length of her dress and sent her to the floor, pieces of glass cutting into her hands as she broke her fall. She heard Thranduil smash another piece of furniture and she hurried to get to her feet again.
"I said GET OUT!"
The hairs on her arms and neck stood on end as Thranduil continued to shout at her. Brie scanned the room as she tried to get away from him. On the other side of the room was the main entrance, but it was too far away. Then, in the corner of her eye, she saw it. Another way out.
Brie bolted for the terrace, jerking the glass doors open, the cold morning air pinching her sweat plastered face. She raced across the tiles until her body met the edge of the railing. She turned back to see the higher levels and towers of the castle sticking out of the mountain. Her heart still shooting pulses like a sniper, she didn't dare try to see if Thranduil was still on her tail.
Turning her back to the castle once more, Brie scanned the outside world past the terrace. Dense trees shot up like an overgrown garden full of weeds and bullheads. And though it was dark inside the forest, she could sense creatures lurking and waiting.
It was at least a hundred-foot drop, but another scream for Thranduil didn't make her think twice.
Brie swung her body over the railing, and just before she jumped, she saw Thranduil rushing towards her, his face wearing something of fear and regret.
"WAIT!"
Then she let go.
***
I know. Shorter chapter, BUT... hopefully you still liked it. It was super hard to write the beginning so pls pls pls let me know what you think/felt and/or if was realistic or not. I would really appreciate the feedback. Anyways, hope you all are faring well and living life to the fullest. If not, that's okay too! You'll get through it! I believe in you! Everyone is at different stages in life.