Eloise

Chapter 26: Flightless Bird

The sun has already risen above the horizon. Eloise awoke at the sound of birds chirping outside her window. It was the time of the day when she used to hunt with her mother, now it all seems like a distant memory. She smiled bitterly at the thought.

She got up from her bed, her face winced in pain. The fresh wounds reopened as she tried to sit up, the satin night dress brushed to her skin as blood gushed out.

Months had already passed since she started receiving the wrath of the Countess and when her mother burnt to ashes in front of her eyes.

Her nimble and small body was mottled with scars and wounds burning in pain. Through the previous encounters, she already grew accustomed to the Countess' visits and would silently accept every severe lashes and degrading words she spoke until she was satisfied and leave. She learnt that the sound of her crying or pleas would only fuel her anger. With that thought in mind, she would bite her lips hard and silently sob while clenching her fist tightly, her nails digging into her skin in an attempt to swallow her screams.

She stared at the blue bird from the little window of her cell. Thoughlessly, she reached out her hand and felt the warm light streaming from the window.

‘I wish I could be free as that bird. Not caged and flightless.’

As she reached further, the bird flew away startled. At first, Eloise thought it got scared of her presence until a stick cracked as someone trod on it.

Eloise immediately withdrew from the window, her body responded to the threat and she hid behind her bed, hostile of the possible intruder.

But to her surprise, a rope slowly descended from the cell window, with a balm attached on its other end.

Eloise stared at the object. She slowly peaked at the rusty cell window looking for the person holding the rope on the other side, but she failed to see even the shadow of that person.

The dangling object stayed until sundown. When she felt secured enough, Eloise slowly pulled the balm towards her. The rope holding the object descended while a piece of rock that kept a hold of it the entire day got stuck at the other side of the window.

Eloise quickly crawled back behind the bed to hide. She stared at the balm preciously, before removing the lid and scooping a small amount of the ointment. The little girl winced in pain every time the medicine grazed her skin, but it leaves a cooling effect that relieves aching feeling.

Eased, she was finally able to sleep peacefully after a long while. Her heart felt warmth for the anonymous person who extended the kind gesture.

Morning came and Eloise was awakened by footsteps followed by the door opening with force. Startled, she quickly hid the balm she held dearly throughout the night and fixed herself.

Eloise adjusted her blurry vision and her eyes landed to the man who have the same eyes as hers.

F ..father?..

She opened her mouth to ask the question she was longing to say but no words came out. Her parched throat and agitation failed her to utter any words.

The Count was accompanied by a few knights and servants who spared her with pity and unkind looks. In contrast, the little girl could not read what kind of expression her father had while staring at her.

The Count silently scanned the fragile girl in front of her from head to toe. Her scars and fresh wounds that reflects the Countess' displease, her bloodstained dress, and bruised feet marked purple because of the tight shackles that bound her for months.