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The stars are mansions built by Nature's hand
ISOLDE'S POV
"Dayuu, you must believe me! I haven't done anything they accuse me of."
Please believe me. Do not forsake me like the villagers. Do not ignore me like the Gods.
I was close to tears, holding back from weeping by sheer willpower at this point. Everyone was pointing their fingers at me and talking in low voices as we quickly made our way towards the Assistant headmaster's office in the central castle. All the noble children were glaring at me.
Why was it that I was always getting accused of things I have never done?
I wasn't proven guilty yet the people around me already gave out their verdict. I was the jealous peasant girl who had humiliated the beautiful noble princess. I was the villain even though no proof of my crime came forward.
Why is it that people loved painting the nobles as victims in stories and not the peasants who actually suffer?
I didn't like the feeling of being watched, of being made fun of. It reminded me too much of the hushed whispers of the village gossip, their fingers pointed at mama for birthing an illegitimate child of an unknown father.
I tried to ignore but the more I tried, the louder their voices grew. Their voices started to echo inside my head and I felt suffocated. I looked around to see the world spinning and the onlookers' faces morphing themselves into village elders. Their accusing glare; questions about mama's purity rang in my mind like the morning bell. I staggered behind Dayuu and sat down in the sheltering darkness of a pillar with hands on my ears, eyes shut tightly.
Go away, Go away, Go away, Go away, please leave me alone
I chanted the words I had said so many times before, to the elders, to the village kids, to the nosy gossips mongers and so many more.
My chanting was interrupted by someone shaking me by my shoulders. I looked up to see Dayuu saying something at me with concern laced to her beautiful face.
It took me a moment to realize I couldn't hear her because of my hands blocking my ears. I removed them and heard her clearly, "Isolde, sweetie, are you okay?
How long has it been since someone had looked at me with her so much concern?
Long, very long. At least, not since Mama had left me.
My throat burnt and the tears I had been holding back broke through like a dam, "I haven't done anything, Please believe me. Please, don't kick me out. I don't want to leave, I can't leave. The villagers, they will look at me like that again. They'll scorn me even more.''
It was truly ironic how much I didn't want to go back to the village that I was so reluctant to leave in the first place. The harsh loneliness, scornful judgment and the open spite were like a long forgotten night mare that I didn't wish to relieve.
My childhood, the years of joy and innocence were spent trying to make them like me. To fit in at any cost because I nor my mother knew the vast world outside it. And despite my efforts, the exclusion followed me.
It never went away until the day Inayat came knocking on my doors and gave me the chance to be part of something, to finally fit in.
So despite my fears, I threw away the thing I had been working on my whole life. I threw away the measly chances of ever fitting in that cruel, cold village.
So what do I do if the very academy that came knocking on my doors to take me in decides to throw me way? Where will I go? Back to the village where the seal of illegitimacy in the eyes of Holy Temple follows me like a shadow?
My words must have made themselves comprehendible through the sobs wreaking my body as Dayuu hugged me to her chest.
"Where did you even get the idea that we would send you back? Huh?" she said while patting my back. She broke the hug and brushed some hair from my forehead, "Silly girl, of course, I believe you! And don't you worry, here in the academy, unless you kill someone, we don't expel students. At most students get punished. And Why are you even scared to begin with? You're innocent!'
She believes me! Even if no one does, she does. That's enough for me.
And even if the Assistant Headmaster doesn't believe me, Dayuu said he'll only punish me! That's not a big thing, I can tolerate anything as long as I get to stay here. I had tolerated much worse.
The Assistant Headmaster's office was a cluster of books, finished bottles of ink, and mirrors. Telescopes of various sizes were pointed towards the sky through the open ceiling. The circular observation cavity on the roof was graced by the glorious presence of full moon today. Its shimmering beauty was enough to put me in a hypnotic haze.
The moon-drunk illusion was soon broken by the sound of people entering the office. My eyes rested on a now clean Eboni whose bloodshed eyes looked at me in scrutiny as if to confirm something. I met her eyes with my own earnest ones, hoping she would see and believe in my innocence. She held my eyes for a moment then turned them towards the boy standing next to her. The boy half hugged her from her side.
Akira, I realized. The boy with pet snake was here too, glaring at me with the fury of thousand burning suns. His snake also mimicked its master and hissed at me.
Great, even the ugly looking snake is accusing me.
The snake however cowered behind the boy after seeing something behind my back. I looked to see Dayuu glaring at it.
Her glare was quickly schooled into a mask of impartiality with the sound of another person coming into the room.
All eyes were trained towards the entrance.
I saw the pile of books before I saw him. maybe because the pile that was hovering in front of him towered him by an inch or two.
With a thump, he sat them on the side of his table and a face became visible. Almost half of it was covered in gold-rimmed glasses. They framed two clear dark eyes that crinkled in a smile as they fell on us.
The man who found this serious situation humorous looked to be about thirty years old. His Midnight blue robes covered the ink-stained white shirt he was wearing paired with black pants. Short spiky hair cascaded a gentle face with a dark stoned diadem around the forehead.
"Greetings to the Assistant headmaster. We were waiting for you," Dayuu's cart voice sounded accusing even though it was probably meant to be respectful.
So he was the Assistant headmaster, Orion Chronis.
"Oh! well, my apologies, Dayuu. I went to the library and there were these books I had to get and then I saw some other books, so I took them too but then I saw this book on..." his ramblings about books was cut short by Dayuu's ever formidable glare. "So let's get started on the verdict then," he said, cowering under the woman's hard gaze.
"So these children are accusing you, Isolde Morozova of sabotaging her speech by dropping- err", he looked closely at the paper then read again in a shaky voice, "Horse-crap on her?" and immediately burst into pearly laughter.
So it really was horse crap.
"Yes, But I didn't do it", I said calmly like how Dayuu had instructed me.
"Oh please, everyone saw you pulling the rope", the boy with pet snake pointed his fingers at me again.
"Mister Abbas, You are to answer only when you are asked," came the oddly serious voice from the Assistant Headmaster. The gentle man was now sporting a look of authority and it was directed towards the boy.
"My apologies, sir," he said while looking down at his feet.
"So Miss. Morozova, You say you didn't do it but eyewitnesses testify against you. You were seen holding the rope. Care to explain that?" he interwinds his fingers under his chin and peered at me through those thick glasses.
"I was asked to pull it by a second-year student. She said she needed to powder her nose", I tried to explain the situation shortly.
"And who was this student?" he asked.
"Miya, sir. Miya Morgan," thank the Gods, I remembered her name, I wasn't usually very good at it.
"Hmm, Miya Morgan?" this time the question was directed towards Dayuu.
"Yes, Sir. There is a girl of that name in the second year I believe. However she wasn't the one who was tasked to pull the curtain ropes." Dayuu said, frowning.
"Interesting. She wasn't supposed to pull the rope, you weren't supposed to pull the rope. Sounds like a conspiracy", he said, eyes twinkling with interest.
"It could be. Who would conspire against Eboni?" Dayuu asked, looking at the other three.
"It's probably that girl, Esmeralda. And you ! don't you dare lie. We saw you with her this afternoon!" Mister Abbas spoke again.
They saw me with Esmeralda? When? Oh, This morning when I was talking to her!
"Hmm, Esmeralda who? And why were you with her, Miss Morozova?"
"Esmeralda Garcia, Sir. A girl in the year above us. She dislikes Eboni. I was only with her because I was trying to help her when I saw her crying", I answered, trying to inject a dose of confidence in my words.
"Huh! as if anyone would believe that!", the boy scoffed and his snake hissed again.
"Naeem Abbas, this is your last warning. Do not interrupt", Dayuu said with a pinch of ferocity.
The boy gulped at the threat and the snake quickly hid itself in his scarf.
"So you say you were not aware of what will happen if you pull the rope but these people say you were in a conspiracy with this Miss Garcia. Now, It seems to me it would be wise if we call the leading lady of this drama herself", with that he clapped, and a small humanoid creature flew out from one of the telescopes and stood on Orion's palm.
The creature was about the size of my hand with its dark skin covered in white constellations. It yawned and stood on the man's open palm.
"Star-Dust, please go and get Miss Esmeralda Garcia from the Female dormitory, will you?" with the order, the tiny fae flew out the open ceiling without wasting a moment.
"Now then let's wait and see what Miss Esmeralda has to say for herself and this intriguing drama. Your claim of innocence might just depend on it, Miss Morozova" He said before giving a bit too large smile for my liking.
Oh Gods, please help me with this one! I prayed quietly as I caught Akira's thoughtful gaze on me.
GLOSSARY
*Fae: A Fae is a type of being found in multiple European cultures (including English, Slavic, Celtic and German folklore), usually described as tiny humanoids with wings.
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