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The Banishing
May. 9th, 2005 10:20 amThe shadow-servant, Eddie, darts into the kitchen, vigilantly searching for his mistress. The vast room is cool now in the early morning, partly for the chill of its semi-subterranean location beneath the halls of the palace, and partly because She threw them all out last night before locking herself in. A few brave members of the staff managed to open the doors in the early hours of dawn, and now brave her displeasure by going about their daily chores - as silently as is possible. Eddie, on the other hand still searches, certain that he'll find Her behind the next butcher block, the next cooling rack, the next row of cabinetry, so that when he does, it takes a moment for him to take in what he finds. A swirl of crusted red trickles down between the tiles towards the center drain in this area, its source a pristine, ivory wrist fallen limp among pink petticoats. The hand is pale, paler than he remembers, and he suppresses a shriek by remembering that if She were truly gone, the Palace would have ceased to exist. Looking closer, he sees Her crumpled body moving slightly with each breath, and sees a bloodstained handle protruding from where She discarded it among Her skirts some time the night before. Gingerly he takes the object, and replaces it in the nearby butcher's block, hoping She will not mind.
She does not stir.
He hovers about, silently wringing long spindly hands until he can take no more. "Missstresss?" The girl groans softly from within her nest of petticoats, pulling herself hand-over-fist towards consciousness. Eddie extends a mug of hot tea in her direction, fragrant, sweetened to within an inch of its life, and nearly white with cream. She sits up, propping herself against the nearby cabinets, and curls her fingers gratefully around the mug, drinking deeply. When she notices Eddie still hovering, she puts the mug down with a sigh. "You want to know what happened, don't you?" A nod from the shadow, and the clatter of all industry in other parts of the kitchen ceasing, but the girl's thoughts have turned inwards already.
"They fought last night, here with me. The Wolf, and the Green-Eyed one. They could not abide each others' presence in my kingdom. In MY kingdom!" She scrubs at her face wearily. "Green-Eyes had right of Contract, and so he drove the Wolf out, against my wishes. And when he had done that, he presented me with a new contract. He will be leaving me when the leaves begin to brown. First he forced out the Wolf, then he tells me he, too, will leave! I could not bear it... I couldn't stand it anymore." She curls her arms tightly around her knees and their padding of skirts. "The rest you know," she glances significantly at the trail of dried blood on the floor, and the self-animated mop that has slowly been inching towards it while she spoke, "Or have guessed." She stands, shakily, and makes her way to the Kitchen door, tears already beginning down the invisible tracks from the night before.
"There is nothing I can do now, but wait the Contract out, and see if the Wolf will return."
She does not stir.
He hovers about, silently wringing long spindly hands until he can take no more. "Missstresss?" The girl groans softly from within her nest of petticoats, pulling herself hand-over-fist towards consciousness. Eddie extends a mug of hot tea in her direction, fragrant, sweetened to within an inch of its life, and nearly white with cream. She sits up, propping herself against the nearby cabinets, and curls her fingers gratefully around the mug, drinking deeply. When she notices Eddie still hovering, she puts the mug down with a sigh. "You want to know what happened, don't you?" A nod from the shadow, and the clatter of all industry in other parts of the kitchen ceasing, but the girl's thoughts have turned inwards already.
"They fought last night, here with me. The Wolf, and the Green-Eyed one. They could not abide each others' presence in my kingdom. In MY kingdom!" She scrubs at her face wearily. "Green-Eyes had right of Contract, and so he drove the Wolf out, against my wishes. And when he had done that, he presented me with a new contract. He will be leaving me when the leaves begin to brown. First he forced out the Wolf, then he tells me he, too, will leave! I could not bear it... I couldn't stand it anymore." She curls her arms tightly around her knees and their padding of skirts. "The rest you know," she glances significantly at the trail of dried blood on the floor, and the self-animated mop that has slowly been inching towards it while she spoke, "Or have guessed." She stands, shakily, and makes her way to the Kitchen door, tears already beginning down the invisible tracks from the night before.
"There is nothing I can do now, but wait the Contract out, and see if the Wolf will return."
