Belle's P.O.V
Raina gripped my wrist, helping me to my feet. My knees felt as if the will collapse but I managed to stay up. I found Raina staring at me her kind green eyes. "I knew you were too beautiful to be a bird," she said with a smile. My lips went into a tiny grin, which made Raina's smile raise from ear to ear.
The next thing she said shocked me. "Come along. You're staying with me," she said with full confidence, grabbing her dark blue cloak frim the rack.
I started to protest waving my hands and saying, "No, you're being too kind, I'll ma-" I was cut off by her finger on my lip.
She then lifted my chin up, so that I was staring full on her. "You are staying with me and that's final, you are wounded and it looks like you haven't had a proper meal in a while," She said with a small smirk, knowing that I was convinced. She looked at my dress, noticing some holes and rips from the other night. "I'll also fix that amazing dress of yours," She said grapping the fine fabric between her fingers.
"Who made it?" Raina questioned. A tear fell as I rethinked back to the memory. "When I became cursed..." I mumbled, looking at my dirty bare feet. She just nodded and didn't push it, which was good considering I probably would be bursting out in tears.
As she was about to open the doors, I realised something and grabbed her arm gently, tugging her back. "What about the guards?" I whispered, gesturing to me, that could not be seen by guards without suspicion.
Her mouth formed into an "o" as she thought plan to smuggle me past the guards without being seen. Suddenly, she draped her cloak of my shoulders and putting the hood over my head. She then opened the door and started lead the way with me limping behind, winching every time I put weight on my bad side. Raina seemed to notice this and putt my arm around her shoulder, carrying some of the load.
The corridor was poorly lit. You could hardly see a thing, which made it perfect of us. As we rounded a corner however, we came across huge oak doors with 2 guards on each end. This must be the throne room I thought to myself. Raina exchanged nods from the guards and started walking down a winding bridge sort of thing, when a, "Halt!" came from one the guards.
We stopped, me shaking as we heard the guard's footsteps coming closer, Raina must have noticed this because she grabbed my hand. I gulped when the guard stood in front of me, examining closely.
"Take off the hood, sir," he ordered. I just stood there, not moving a muscle. "TAKE OF YOUR HOOD!" he commanded, making my shudder in horror. I heard him mumble a "fine" before reaching for my hood.
"Erm hm." Someone cleared its throat from behind me and the mean guard. We all turn around to see a beautiful elf with gorgeous green leave eyes and snowy white hair. She was stunning. That's when I noticed the crown on her head. She's the Queen! I gulped, lowering my head in respect.
After what seemed like forever the queen broke the silence by saying "Now, what's going in here?" she said sternly, looking at all of us. I started shake crazily again scared at what my happen, which the queen noticed and asked, "Are you okay?" Her voice and expression filled with worry
I nodded violently to assure her, but she didn't believe me. Gently, she pulled my hood back, revelling my face to everyone.
With stained tears on my face from earlier, and the scared and fear shown on my face, the queen looked mortified. Quickly, she pulled me into a hug. I stood their siff and akwardly, shocked at her sudden actions. As a kid I thought all queens were stern and powerful. Not sympathetic and sweet.
The quuen pulled back a little, with a hand on my check she gently rubbed the newly formed tears away.
I was about to say thank you but no words came out. The queen gave me a confused look, but Raina spoke up saving me from embarrassment.
"My queen, my patient is facing a throat infection, which makes it painful to speak. I was going to bring her back to my house to make sure she has plenty of lemon juice and sleep. Also company!," she hasitly added to her lie to assure the queen she woulld take care of me.
The queen looked Raina right in the eye, seeing if she'd blinked. But Raina was a master.
The Queen looked away and sighed, "Okay I believe you Raina, my old friend. Be nice to her, she's a sweetheart and I like her," she said gesturing to me.
Raina replied with a laugh. "Of course my queen, she'll be good as new in the morning."
The queen smiled then turned back to the others and said, "As for you two, I suspect you to leave from your duties early, and grab a few hours more sleep." They bowed with grateful smiles and ledt their post.
The queen turned her gaze back onto us. "I'm also going to my chambers, so I bid you goodnight." she waved and walked away.
"What just happened?" I asked in shock, but Raina didn't reply. Instead she grabbed my arm and led me to the entrance where another guard also stood. He nodded to Raina and opened the door, the sound of running water came to my ears, I gazed down to see a river beneath the bridge that we were currently walking across. But when I gazed up, I could seee small lit houses, built into trees, torched light surrounded them.No wonder I never saw the village, its up hidden in the trees.
I stood their gobsmacked, the village was beautiful, along with the stars that gleamed above. I smiled, the stars always lifted up my mood.
I heard a giggle come from the left, Raina stood there, with a hand covering her mouth trying to stop, but her eyes started to water, her face bloomed with red as she burst out laughing. Apparently, "I had an expression on my face, which was too hilarious to stay hidden," her words not mine.
As we strode down the path, dead leaves crinkled with every footstep we took. After a while, with my feet begging to hurt, Raina stopped at a big, old strong tree. It's roots that came up to my knee, or Raina's hip. I gazed up the humongous trunk, admiring the bark design that seem to swirl here and there, till finally reaching a house with a sign printed "Willowood's Bakery".
Raina a baker, I thought she was a healer? I turned to her and asked "Are we at the right house" She laughed and nodded "Yes my dear, you are correct, this is my house" she said in a proud voice. I gave her a questionable look. "But you are a healer not a baker, right?"
She sighed and said "I specialize in healing but this was my family's business and also my home and I can't just change traditions, just like that," snapping her fingers. "Like my mother always used to say 'Baking is in the blood, that's why we are sweeter than orcs" She chuckled at the memory. "You see my mother always hated Orcs, because they killed her father for pleasure. So I never gave up the bakery. I work part time as a healer, and the other, baking goods for the village. Apparently I'm the best baker in the south, even sometimes the Queen herself comes to buy some of my goodies," Raina said with a smile before turning her head to me.
"Anyway, no more distractions missy, we need to get you in bed before you freeze to death," she said grabbing my arm. She dragged me closer to the trunk before dropping my arm and reaching for a nob that was camouflaged with leaves, pressing it hard, hearing a click before a supposed hidden door opened to reveal a hallow lighted small room. The room would only fit about 3 people confused, I turned to Raina seeking for some answers only to push into the room with her.
Closing the door behind us and pressing another button, suddenly there was a julk. I gripped her hand as we were going up, she turned to me with amusement in eyes and a toothy grin. "I see you have never been in a lift before." I shook my head. "Well basically it's a box pulled by elven rope, which goes round gears that are outside the box." I gave her another confused look. She sighed, "Never mind."
We came to a stop, Raina opened the door to revel a well-lighted warmly looking room. I raced out of the 'box' and went on my knees and hugged the floor. Raina saw this and laughed saying, "Welcome to my home my dear, now get off the now dirty floor and lay on the couch while I will make us tea."
I peeled myself off the very soft carpet, and plopped in the comfy couch. I looked around while fiddling with my necklace. Across from me stood a fireplace, the fire created shapes as its reds and oranges danced around. Above the fireplace hung a picture. This picture was of a women with a sleeping baby in her arms, the women was smiling down at her bundle of joy.
My gaze stretched further the room, until it landed on pan of some sort, which also hung on display. Strange, why has she got a pan on the wall? I heard Raina humming a tune from the kitchen, probably likes company. The tune was an odd tune, but a sweet, more like a lullaby though.
She kept humming it, over and over, but I never got sick of it. It reminded me of the time I made my first bow, I remember carving patens of flowers, ivy and mice because they were cute. I remember, stringing my first arrow and firing it, nowhere near the pinecone. I laughed at the memory.
I was a stubborn and a determined child, never giving up. Again and again I went, ignoring the rude comments the other elflings said.
One day my mother came running out of the house with a very worried look on her face, her saddened eyes on me, as I lifted my bow in the air showing her my craft.
That's when my father came into my view, with his stern face and piercing eyes filled with hatred. He came stopping his big boots over to me, his body over powered my small figure, as he grabbed me hard by my ear, dragging me along the tall grassed fields.
I fought against him as any child would do. But my father had the upper hand. Hr threw me to the ground, ripping my bow from my grasp and breaking it in half with his knee.
I was crying my eyes out as he broke it into smaller pieces, enjoying my misery before throwing them at me. He then roughly grabbed my chin, forcing my reddened eyes met his demon ones.
"No chid of mine will disrespect me or this household, am I clear?" He ordered,
I nodded my head furiously, more tears streaming down my eyes down my cheeks as he walked started to walk away. I quickly grabbed the broken remains of my favourite bow, when a hand connected with my cheek, forcing me to the ground again.
My father stood there above me, his hands clenched into fists, his face was red with anger as he kicked me with his boots saying "You will obey me, you ungrateful, spoilt child!"
He kept kicking me, chanting the words, "You will obey me," over and over again until he was pushed off me.
There stood my mother, her hair hung loosely against her shoulders, as she wasted no time and picked my broken figure up, cradling me protectively as she ran. She stayed with me the whole night with me in her arms. Even though she could not speak, she was there for me, never pulling away. It was the best thing I could ever ask for.
I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of china braking. There stood Raina, with widen eyes and smashed bits of china at her feet. She was pointing at something. "Where did you get that?" her voice was shaky, as she slowly comes towards me.
"What?" I asked, confused at her sudden approach.
"That!" she stated pointing at me. I looked down to see I was fiddling with my mother's necklace. Why is she so shaken up? It's only a necklace.
"You mean my mother's necklace?" I asked, worried at what may happen next. Raina froze, her breath hitched and not blinking. A tear fell down her cheek. I quickly jumped off the couch and came towards her.
"Are you ok?" I asked, putting my hand gently on her arm. I heard her mumble "What is your name, dear?"
"Belle."
"Your full name," she said sternly.
"Eáránë Tinúviel," I said in elvish. (Belle Azalea)
Her eyes widen in shock; her hand came over her mouth as she...
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