The Offering

Chapter Fifteen - Daella

Varis's warning is on constant repeat in my mind. Over and over I can hear his words and see his expression. I can hear his laugh at the idea that he would take me home, like it had been hilarious to him for me to even think it was a possibility.

There was no going home. I belonged to them.

He would make me disappear. That is what he had promised.

Every moment I was aware of everyone around me.

"Miss," I wince as Lyari calls my name softly. "You're all dressed now." She smiles at my reflection in the mirror.

I try and clear my head and smile at her.

"Thank you."

I make my way to breakfast, as I sit and watch the other girls talking to each other about the ball tonight. I force a smile on my face as the food is served.

I feel sick. I can see Varis in the room, watching me. I know he isn't there, but there are so many servants, the Mistress, anyone of them could be watching me.

Fynley sits next to me, her curly blonde hair pulled away from her face and hanging down the back of her pale dress. "Morning Daella, excited for the ball?" She asks reaching for the porridge.

"Of course, are you?" I return with a smile.

She nods, reaching for the sugar and scooping in spoonful's onto the small mound. "I saw my dress for tonight, it's very beautiful. I still don't understand why we have to have a different dress for every event. Or why we don't share the dresses." She says softly.

I can honestly say I hadn't given it much thought. She was right though, why didn't we share dresses, we were all similar sizes, what happened to the dresses we wore after?

I couldn't think about that, not here and now. I reach for a piece of toast.

"I'm sure you will look beautiful." I comment, dipping my knife into the butter.

She let's out a small sigh. "We are all always beautiful, just like everything here." She stirs milk into her porridge. "I didn't think having so much beauty around you constantly would make you miss the ordinary."

"What do you mean?" I ask quietly.

She turns to me, then looks behind me at the Mistress and smiles.

"Just those places that aren't our homes anymore were not as beautiful as the fae kingdom, but something about them felt more real." She turns back to her bowl of porridge. I hadn't spoken to Fynley much at all. All I really knew about her was that she had a beautiful singing voice, she was always called upon to sing in the music lessons we went to.

I don't know what to say. Was she trying to tell me something important? I set my buttered toast down while she picks up her tea cup and sips at it delicately, looking ahead over the rim of the cup.

"Still, we are blessed to be given this life of beauty, even if it feels more like a dream then reality, only not all of us know it is not a dream." She looks at me for a moment before setting down her cup and smiling at Isbeth on the other side of the table. "Isbeth, have you seen your gown for tonight?" She asks.

I tune out their conversation as Fynley's words play in my mind.

She had compared this life to a dream, is that how she truly felt? That she missed her real life? Was she trying to tell me she understood, that she felt the same way as I did, only she was so much better at hiding it.

Maybe it was advice. That I needed to be better at acting, that I needed to go along with this dream.

I needed to talk to her alone.