SORT OF EDITED.
Chapter Cuatro
What Arlette was going through was total madness. Anger had been blooming in her chest ever since she had arrived. They weren't supposed to come here, yet they did - she just couldn't understand her parents. They could've stayed someplace else... But now that she thought of it, there had been no other place to stay but this one.
Her luck couldn't get any better, could it?
Now she was here, feeling like a prisoner, not being able to go outside or get out of her room. Regardless of the space, she was feeling sickly claustrophobic and suffocated. The emptiness of the room made her sad and miserable—she needed another living soul beside her, not just furniture and a bed. Even though her mom, dad, grandma and sisters came every day, it wasn't the same. It just wasn't.
It had been almost three weeks since they moved here, and Arlette hadn't been with another soul except, of course, her family and the maid who sometimes brought her food. She thought that living a life like this would drain her soul. She needed fresh air, the sun, the feeling of grass and flowers brush against her skin, she needed to hear the river's furious current, and to feel the dying sun in the evenings. She missed all of that so much. Too much.
Maybe it was because nature was always on her side. Nature had always helped her. It guided her and taught her. This wasn't the way she was supposed to be. She needed nature, otherwise she'd feel weak, longing, and just plain miserable.
Even though she'd tried to escape multiple times, either her parents or the guardians caught her. The first time, the guardians were the ones to catch her. She had wondered how that had even happened since they didn't know anything about her. But then she thought of her parents and what they were capable of doing if it had to do with her safety. Maybe they'd made a deal, Arlette thought, or maybe they just convinced them not to tell the King since she was just a "little, weak, blind girl" - Arlette scoffed at herself. Stop the stupid self-pity.
Arlette laid on her bed, still letting her mind go over the past events. Not much to say the least. Nothing had really happened. She shook her head. Maybe a lot happened and she didn't even know about it. She was so out of her own world, she felt as if she was going crazy. Never had she ever felt so... lost.
There was a soft knock on the door. Arlette sat up, wondering who it might be since it was way too early in the morning. Her mother's soft voice then found her ears, indicating that it was her behind the door. But Arlette stayed quiet, she didn't want to be with her mother right now. She'd been doing a good job avoiding her.
"I know you're awake, Arlette." Her mother spoke from the other side of the door.
She groaned, throwing herself back on the bed and pulling the soft blankets up to her chin and the pillows over her head as she heard her mother enter the room.
After a few seconds, she felt the bed sink a little at the place by her feet where her mother was sitting.
"Arlette," Her mother urged.
"Hmm?" She hummed, not moving.
"We need to talk," her mother said concretely.
Arlette stayed quiet, her pillows still over her head. She didn't need to talk to her mother about anything. Everything was already too clear.
Couldn't her mother understand? This wasn't her. She didn't belong here.
There was a silence. A long, almost painful silence. That is, until her mother blurted out, "He met Ember."
Arlette froze.
She sat up very slowly, pushing her disheveled hair out of her face, then faced her mother.
"What?" Maybe she didn't hear what her mother just told her, at least, not very well, she needed to hear it again.
"The Prince met Ember, Arlette. He. Met—" Arlette cut her off.
"Yes, mom, I understand what you said, it's not like I'm deaf." Arlette said, extremely frustrated with her mother. "How?" Arlette wondered out loud as she sat crossed legged, ignoring whatever her mother was going to say next about previous remark.
Her mother took a deep breath. "I-I don't know..." She mumbled quietly, "Ember said she was walking down the hallway and he just appeared out of nowhere..."
No, Arlette thought. For some reason Arlette knew Ember was hiding something. She could feel it. That was the thing about Ember. She manipulated minds and thoughts. She was able to make anyone think what she wanted them to think. She was very powerful, but she never used it against the good.
Maybe she was scared. Maybe she couldn't manipulate his mind for self defense and so she made up a story. Maybe she wasn't supposed to be in that hallway.
"Where is she?" Arlette was up and going through her closet.
"Arlette, calm down, they just met, he isn't going to marry her. He has yet to choose..."
"Can I just be with her? I need to talk to her, that's all." She said quickly, tying her dress' bow.
Arlette's mom neared her, placing both hands on either side of her shoulders, shaking her a little. "You're not going anywhere, Arlette. You're going to stay in this room until we settle things." She said strictly.
Arlette yanked herself away from her mom's grip, stumbling and almost falling back, "No," she shook her head furiously as tears threatened to fall.
"Don't you understand, mother?" She cried out bitterly, her voice cracking, "I can't live like this! We can't live like this! I'm not a prisoner. I don't need any of you to come and 'visit' me and then lock me up like I'm some kind of delinquent," her voice boomed against the tall walls. "I don't need maids bringing me food or guards protecting me. I thought it wouldn't be this bad but it's actually bizarre. Let Fate protect me, mother, not you or the guardians or dad or grandma or anyone. Fate is the best protector, or do I have to remind you again?"
Arlette was breathing sharply in and out, her fists were clenched and her jaw was set, about to explode.
"Just... let me out," she said lowly, before her mother could respond. "I just want to be with Ember."
Her mother let out a long sigh. "Okay, but you're not going anywhere else."
Arlette nodded, ignoring the stupidity of her mother treating her so coldly.
Her mom then grabbed her hand, lacing her arm through hers and walking out the door. The air was different. Fresher and less cluttered—something she wished her room was. She breathed in.
It wasn't nature, but at least it was fresher and more spacious. She let her fingertips delicately grace over the smooth wall as she walked, something she did very often.
It seemed like hours had passed until they stopped and her mother knocked on a door.
No answer.
Her mother knocked again.
Still no answer but a faint sob.
Arlette grabbed the knob desperately, yanking the door open.
She wasn't about to let her sister sob her eyes out alone.
She ran towards where she heard Ember's sob. When she was close enough, she grabbed her hand, while strong, mortifying emotions came from Ember like thick waves. Ember let out another sob, this time louder.
She was fluttering different words, and Arlette couldn't understand anything of what she was saying. Ember was a mess, that was the only thing Arlette was certain about.
"What's wrong, Ember?" Arlette asked softly.
Ember took several deep breaths to calm herself. "Nightmares," she breathed. "I-I've been having nightmares lately. Not like normal nightmares, but bizarre and monstrous nightmares." Her voice was raspy. "They've been haunting me lately, all because I 'misbehaved'." She let out another sob, letting go of Arlette's hand and instead, hugging herself.
"According to who?" Arlette asked. Tear were already stinging her eyes.
"The Prince," she whispered, her voice sounding frightened. It then hit Arlette that Ember was really vulnerable at this moment. This wasn't her usual self. Her usual self was sassy and never taking anything too seriously. What the Prince did to her was beyond horrible.
"What did you do, Ember?"
"I-I tried manipulating his thoughts..." She mumbled guiltily.
"Why? What was he doing?" Arlette was curious about the Prince's actions that brought her sister to try to do such a thing.
"Nothing. He did nothing. He was just showing interest but I didn't want it. I didn't want it and so I started manipulating his mind. He soon noticed and messed up my head and dreams."
"Arlette... I should take you back to your room. Your father and I will take care of this. Let's go." Her mother inquired, taking Arlette's hand quite hard and pulling her out of the room.
"Mom, I need to go back; Ember needs me." She said matter-of-factly, but frustration was seething out through her words.
"No. She needs some time alone so we're giving it to her."
Arlette gave up. She would deal with this later, but for now, she would make her mom think she'd be laying in her bed, about to fall asleep, when in reality she'd be far from doing any of that.