My Fair Lady

Deranged

The moment Juliet stepped into Syvil's room, the scene shocked her.

Her best friend was sitting on a rocking chair, staring out of the window with a dazed look. Syvil's once glossy hair was now dishevelled and she looked as if she had aged tenfold.

"Syvil?" Juliet whispered.

Syvil didn't answer. In fact, she just stared off into space.

"Mercy, what happened to you?" Juliet said softly. She walked across the sparsely-furnished room and placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

At this moment, Syvil looked up and Juliet took a step back. Her eyes were blood-shot and there was something strange about the way she acted.

"Juliet?" Syvil asked hoarsely, her voice cracking like an old woman.

"Yes, it's me. I'm here to see you." Juliet noticed Syvil's bump. At least the child was still alright.

"You look nice." Syvil gave a ghostly smile, her face looking slightly haunted.

Juliet frowned. There was something off about Syvil's demeanor. She looked slighty...deranged. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and Juliet looked up to see Jasper enter. She was still heartened that Jasper was still her best friend.

"Is everything fine?" Jasper asked, looking a little wary.

"Is there something wrong with Syvil?" Juliet asked concernedly.

"She probably ate too little."

"No." Juliet shook her head. "I don't mean physically. She doesn't seem like her usual self."

"I..." Jasper looked away, looking unusually nervous.

"Are you hiding something?" Juliet demanded.

She turned back to stare at Syvil but Syvil had returned to staring at the sky.

"Did you do something to her?" Juliet strode across the room and stared at Jasper. "Answer me."

"No, I didn't," Jasper said. "Duke Roman came by a few days ago."

"Really?" Juliet exclaimed, delighted. "He's willing to accept the child? What beautiful news!"

"No." Jasper said guardedly. "He did not come by to do that."

Juliet's smile momentarily faltered. "What do you mean?"

"He came by to make things clear once and for all," he answered. "He told Syvil that he wasn't going to marry her because he couldn't accept the child. He told her that Sir Bernard won't marry her either because he didn't want to break off his engagement from Titania."

"How can he say that?"

"That's not all. Duke Roman said that no one in the haute society would ever accept her so he recommended that she move to another town."

"That...that bastard!" Juliet cursed. She didn't care about her language. That foul, wicked man. Syvil had loved him so ardently and this was how he repaid her.

"Before that, Syvil was holding out some hope that Duke Roman would accept her," Jasper continued. "But once she heard what he said, she just broke down. Both mentally and physically. She hasn't eaten for days and when the servants tried to force her, she vomited all of them out."

"Impossible. This won't happen to her. Syvil's strong. She's the bravest woman I've ever met," Juliet said firmly.

"That's not all. She has been claiming that she has seen visions and..." Jasper trailed off.

"What? Tell me, Jas."

"She doesn't remember me," Jasper said slowly, letting all the words sink in.

"How is that possible?" Juliet asked. "Maybe..maybe she will recover in a few days."

"Maybe," Jasper said doubtfully. "But I did call in a physician."

"What did he say?"

"He recommended that we send her to a mental asylum."

"What?" Juliet choked out. "How can he say that? Maybe Syvil's just sick, that's all. Maybe it's just an illness which will pass over soon."

"I hate to break it to you, Juliet, but even Gisors agrees with the doctor. I didn't trust the physician at first so I called in the apothecary." Jasper paused, averting his eyes away. "He said that Syvil's mental illness is incurable. It might or might not heal with time. There was nothing even he could do."

"Mercy, mercy." Juliet sank to the ground. "What has Syvil done to deserve this? 'Tis impossible. 'Tis impossible," she repeated softly.

Suddenly, Syvil looked up. She smiled fondly at them. "Freddie, you've come," she said.

Juliet stared at her friend in horror. "Syvil, this is Jasper. Not Duke Roman. You've got it wrong."

"Freddie, why didn't you visit me for such a long time? I've missed you." Syvil reached out her hand.

Looking a little awkward, Jasper moved over and took her hand. "Yes, I've...missed you too," he said.

He then said, "I forgot to tell you, Juliet. I apparently resemble the stout Duke Roman in some way or another. She constantly mistakes me for him."

"Jas...." Juliet sobbed. "What are we going to do?"

"There's not much of a choice, Juliet," Jasper said softly. "I can't keep her here forever."

"We can't send her to a mental asylum. They are cruel over there," Juliet protested.

"I assure you. I will help Syvil find a good facility. She will recover," he said.

Juliet suddenly stood up. "I've an idea. We should go visit the witch. She will know what to do. She knows witchcraft. She can make Syvil better."

"I don't know about this. This isn't a good idea. That witch is deranged herself."

"I don't care," Juliet said stubbornly. She stood up and wiped the dust off her skirts. "Will you accompany me anot?"

Jasper hesitated and sighed. "I don't know what to do with you, honestly. Fine, I will come with you. Only because a lady shouldn't go to Whitechapel alone."

Juliet nodded and gazed at Syvil who still had a blank stare.

"Syvil, I will save you, I promise," she whispered.