5
The sun lay warmth down onto her skin. She closed her eyes, feeling it lull on the top of her scalp and the bridge of her nose. Her vision was warm and red.
Her hands gripped the soft of the material on her calves. She breathed in. Again.
Her shoulders curved towards the floor. She could feel the warmth of the packed marble rise through the side of her feet, the bottom of her thighs.
She tried to think of the air that would play with her hair if she was outside. How it would toss through her strands, skitter through her scalp. It would-
‘You’re wrong. We’ve met before, your highness. Just once.’
Her eyes flew open.
Darkened shadow and vivid light connected before her. It was a little scattered away, dark brown shadows hiding the wall and shading marble grey. The conflicting bright lighting the marble as if it were shining.
She lifted her head to look up. The glass dome was blue. Expansive and freckled with swathy smears of white clouds.
Blue like winter fingertips and paintings of water. No. Lighter, freer. Born of air. Crashing and falling and starting and rising.
‘We’ve met before.’
No. She lay back. Warmth met the small of her spine and hit the lengths of her shoulder blades. The brilliance was almost too much, making her squint with the white sphere barely in her vision. Her eyebrows tensed, squaring.
The air exited her lungs, everything deflated.
They hadn’t. I’d remember someone like her. I don’t forget.
Her hand rose to shade her eyes. The faint relief in the shade of her eyes released the position of her eyebrows.
Who is she?
Sharp. Sharp shoulders, black cloak that encompassed her body. Faintly curling wet hair. Blonde, lank. Taller than herself. Red. Red eyes. Red magma.
Fine features. Red eyes. A soft smirk that poked up at the side but almost fluttered down immediately. Burning eyes that reached into her soul. Hands gripping her fork and knife, curled over the silver. Silver. Red. Like a gem.
“Bella?”
She sat up, blood running through her veins and air becoming static in her lungs. And warmth. Burning up her neck.
Alec’s head tilted and a single lock of hair moved with it. “I haven’t you seen you that shocked in a while.”
She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Letting the air live on her skin, the wamth, the sun. Think of the sun. “Has it been long?”
When her eyes flicked open she took in his soft smile. The blue cloak was almost hidden in the brown shadows. The glare of the sun on the floor beneath shot up into her eyes but she could see its navy well enough. He looked like a tall tower, always hidden beneath the fabric but never leaning. Or hunching.
“No,” he said, moving forward. One of his arms entered out to push back a dark hair as he walked up with leisure. He stopped at the edge and border. “But lunch is almost ready.”
She sighed, eyes drifting to the wall, “I don’t want to go.”
“You have to face her. Eventually.”
She frowned at him, “but you’re supposed to be on my side?”
His answering grin was playful, “who told you that?” Her eyes widened and he laughed, “stop it. Come, I don’t want to have to deal with a woozy Bella.”
“Unfed, woozy Bella is the best version of me! She doesn’t care about anything.”
“Including her behaviour around guests.”
She stood and then stopped short. “We have guests?”
Alec stopped too, his body half-turned towards the hall. “Only for dinner. It’s dignitaries.”
“Oh.”
He frowned and then extended a hand, “lunch first.” Just the barest tip of his finger touched the light. It sparkled for a moment but she ignored it, taking his hand and being pulled into the cool.
Goosebumps rose on her skin. “Lunch first.”
***
The taste of airy scone melted on her tongue. It spread with strawberry jam sweetness to the edges of her tongue and she licked up a crumb at the edge of her mouth. Despite its good taste, its thickness went down like sludge.
Sulpicia placed down her tea cup with a ‘clink.’
Jane refilled it with a smooth bend over, tea pot placed in one hand like it were silver, the other hand gentle in gripping the curving spout.
Her own arm locked in place for a moment before she moved again, reaching for her own cup.
The purple hyacinths in the porcelain was finely and thin. Bella lifted it to her lips and took a sip. It spread to the edges of her mouth into the space between her cheeks and her teeth and the sweetness stuck there.
Her lips folded before she could think about it. Then she tried to smooth it out, placing the tea cup down.
There was a tingle on her shoulder. Warmth that pierced but did not stray. Her head turned subtlety. Red stared her down and she turned as if she hadn’t seen it.
“I’m glad we’re able to sit and have tea together, doveling.”
Bella laid her eyes upon her. Sulpicia’s hair was done up rather than down today, her cloak laying on the back of the chair to reveal her fine collarbones and the silvery dress with soft network on the bodice.
There were pearls strung up in her hair and her fine fingers were circling around the saucer. It was also inlaid with purple hyacinths.
Her favourite set. She thought, staring at it.
Jane placed more croissants onto the base tier of the muffin stands. Her fingers were softly wrapped around the metal tool that placed them and Bella lifted her eyes to the window.
“We haven’t seen much…of each other since I… reprimanded you.”
A view of sun hitting green was a bit obscured by the white lacy curtains that were drawn across it.
Her gaze lowered to the scones on her plate. Golden brown on top and then softer yellow on the sides. The one she’d been eating was fluffy and exposed with cream stark as snow and red berry jam covering the clouds.
“I’m…sorry for being so harsh.”
She stilled. And then her head lifted to catch the glance of worry that flitted over Sulpicia’s face.
“Mier-“
“You know I only want what’s best. For you, us. I’ve…tried so hard my dear. Raising you has always been a highlight of my life.”
Sulpicia’s hand was warm on her cheek, curving over her cheekbones and a thumb stroking her side burns.
She blinked and then shook her head, “no- No, I’m sorry for my outburst yesterday, Mier. I was out of line. Completely-“
“All is forgiven.”
“No, I-“ Bella swallowed, the sweetness sticking toughly to her teeth and the top of her tongue, “I deserve punishment.”
The hand on her cheek fell away. And the lace curtains surrounding the window fluttered before falling still.
Sulpicia picked up her teacup, fingers delicate and took a sip. Bella waited, her fingers resting on the white tablecloth embroidered with small flowers. She almost squished them into her palms.
Clink. “If you say so, my darling.” Dark hair met Bella’s eyes as Sulpicia’s head turned. Bella looked at the curls collecting around her ear before she took a small shaky sip of her tea. It had lost its floral notes. “Jane. You’ll escort Bella to the dining hall, this evening. Please assist her in getting ready.”
The handle of the tea cup snapped off completely in her two fingers holding it.
***
The china was getting old. Bella said.
The handle was most likely faulty. Jane said.
They both cleared away the cracked pieces, removed the tablecloth and brown filled saucer. Jane bent over her right shoulder and it burned at the nearness.
Another cup was put in its place.
Sulpicia frowned and Bella gripped the edge of the armrest, underneath the table.
“There’s no need for Jane to help me get ready, Mier. I’ve done it alone for so long now, there wouldn’t be any point.”
Jane appeared and Bella twitched hard at the feeling of palms and fingers on her right shoulder, pressing her back into her seat.
Jane was not warm. The gloved smoothness was cool. The slight grip of textile covered fingers and Jane’s palm was fluid in its drop of temperature. Something she only felt when gripping metal.
Blood rose underneath her skin to burn and thrum, catching up to her neck and her right ear.
The hand disappeared as quick as it was there, the entire touch blocked from Sulpicia’s sight as Jane leant over to fill the cup, hand now beneath the spout of the teapot.
Bella’s teeth grit together and she breathed in deep once and twice and a third time, letting the air reach her. Fill her lungs and run up into her brain to empty it of thoughts and anger. The burn that had been starting levelled a bit.
“Consider it your punishment,” Sulpicia said when Jane leant back and away from Bella. The blood still ran through her entire arm, the warmth that of earlier - the sun collecting her from the inside out. “You both seem reluctant to work together, so this will continue to make sure you’re getting over your differences and trying to get along.”
“I mean no offence by speaking.” A soft voice cut in. Bella did not turn at the voice that came from over her shoulder. It should have been sharp like her appearance, that voice.
Instead it curved into her ears and made the hairs at the back of her neck spring up in awareness.
“Oh, not at all Jane!” Sulpicia said, two hands gripping her cup. Her body leaned towards Jane with energy, her attention on her with focus.
Bella felt like her shoulders had become planks of wood and her spine was playing a part in a wind up toy.
“I believe that it would be a delight to assist her highness this evening. I feel as if we have gotten off on the wrong foot somewhere. I look forward to it.”
Bella’s head whipped around. Her neck ached at the action but she gripped the headboard with both hands and stared at the blonde and blue and red.
The red stared back, cut and silent.
“Then it’s perfect!” Sulpicia exclaimed. Clink.
The headboard creaked dangerously beneath her hands. She whipped them off as Jane nodded at her, something living there in the silence.
“Thank you, your highness for the opportunity.”