Vow Of Silence

CHAPTER TWELVE

1st PERSON: Pelomina Lorenzo-Capiz

I could feel my body caving in on itself. It was painful to the point it burned me from the inside and the air I was breathing in felt like boiling, I could feel it enter my body but it was not helping me get any oxygen I was just suffocating more and more as I breathe.

“My lady—oh dear heavens, please!” I could hear Polly scream in this muffled sound like my ears were filled with water but there was this loud and painful ringing in my ears that made my head hurt in all places, my skin felt like it was being crawled on by a billion ants.

My knees felt like they were being bent in the opposite directions and my muscles felt like they were tearing with the spasm I was feeling, by then the only thing I’m aware of is the pain, I thought that I was dying and for good reason, my eyes are getting dimmer and blurry despite knowing that it was in broad daylight.

I could see blotches and shapes, but that was it. I couldn’t process anything.

That is until I felt strong grasps on my arms and pressure on my back, I felt like I was being lifted but the sensation made my skin crawl even more that I started yelling but I couldn’t even hear myself; it was like I couldn’t yell because my mouth was being filled with water.

“MINA! MINA! Someone fetch the castle physician!” I could hear a deep voice roar; the voice echoing through the halls and in my head.

What exactly lead to this point, I cannot tell.

It started with me waking up in my room; I was too relaxed in the bath last night that I must’ve fallen asleep partway and they had to carry me back to my room, smelling great and wearing such a comfortable nightgown. That was the best sleep I’ve ever had in a while. Not surprising though, a fluffy bed and a warm bath?

‘No wonder I knocked out,’

I stretched as I looked out the window to see such a picturesque scene. Birds were singing and the sunbeams looked so warm that when I put my palm under them, it almost feels like someone was holding my hand in theirs. It was like a dream, something right out of a fantasy movie.

The room glowed as the light hit the window glass, emitting a faint glow that seeped into the room, the butler from before came in with a tray of food in his hands and blinked twice, mildly amused as he approached me with a smile, “Good morning, my lady,” he greeted with a deep bow,

“Good morning,” I replied, adding in curtsy for spice. He nodded and gestured to the vanity chair.

I did as he signaled and he set down the tray, “Please, eat up my lady,” he said and I hummed to agree since I did feel hungry, now that I think about it, I didn’t even have dinner last night, no regrets though. He started brushing my hair as I munched on the food and drank some of the tea. This is delicious.

“Oh, where were you yesterday?” I asked, I don’t think I saw even a shadow of him yesterday.

“My apologies, I couldn’t attend to you yesterday my lady, I had an urgent matter that I needed to settle,” he replied and I waved him off as I cleared my throat.

“N-No, I didn’t mean it like that—I was just curious as to why….” I trailed off with a shrug and he chuckled, brushing the ends of my hair while I remained eating and until I finished the food. When I finished, he took the tray in his hands and stood in the doorway,

“Your attendants will help you shortly, my lady, have a wonderful day ahead,” he said with a bow and he left, just like that.

I rubbed my stomach, full and satisfied. A good breakfast ought to liven up anyone’s mood and with a day like this it? It feels mandatory to have a good day. I’m not very good with plants and the likes, but I could probably ask the others to help me around too. If not, then I’m screwed.

Royally screwed, for that matter.

As the butler said, the three attendants came with their usual bustling energy, “Good morning my lady, did you have a good night’s sleep?” Java started with a knowing smile, wiggling her brows.

I snorted, finding her expression funny, I nodded with a big smile, “Why of course, I felt so relaxed I fell right to sleep,” I replied, giving them a curtsy, starting to get a grasp of it, and they returned the gesture before sitting me down on the vanity chair again.

“I will pick the dress today,” Java announced and Eustace mocked her mimicking her voice with a higher pitch and using her hand to act as Java’s puppet, but the former didn’t seem to mind, in fact, she was already diving in deep into my closet in search of the dress they’ll imprison me with for the day.

She pulled out a marvelous bright silver and white dress with long flowy sleeves. “This one,” she said with a wide grin, tracing her fingers on the intimidating amount of fabric.

“Hah! Are you an i***t, Java, that dress? Are you trying to punish our lady?” Eustace spat back, making Java scowl but not say anything in return, thus their argument of what dress I should wear commenced for yet another day.

“I heard that you will be working in the gardens today?” Keion asked from behind me as she started working on my hair,

I hummed, “Yes, I hope I don’t ruin the plants,” I replied and she chortled as she combed my hair,

“You won’t my lady, so I suppose you’d want to have your hair out of the way as you worked? Keion asked, I nodded.

She hummed as she thought of what to do, my mind suddenly wandered to the floral ornaments I had in the drawer, there was a bunch of them and even though they’re not originally my thing I want to try them on, so I raised my hand to catch her attention, both of us ignoring the ruckus between Java and Eustace,

“Can… Can we use those flower ornaments? If it’s too much trouble, we can just not do—”

“Oh! Of course, splendid idea, my lady,” she cheered as she reached over and opened the drawer to pick and choose from the flower ornaments that she’ll use. I was starting to get excited about that too. After choosing she turned to the other two who are still bickering rater loudly now,

“Java, Eustace… please, how hard is it to pick a dress that suits the day’s occasion?” she asked in a calm demeanor, but the two paused on their words and gathered their composure, going about to hiss at each other in hushed voices.

“Right, forgive us my lady, but would you be alright with this one?” Java asked, showing a bright blue dress, it seemed puffy like one of those Victorian-styled dresses but not to that point, it was subtle in a sense, it has flowy puffed out sleeves that tighten at the wrists and the corset’s lace was gold.

‘It kind of looks heavy, will that be okay?’ I thought, placing a hand on my chin,

“Good choice, that is made with light fabric and it’s cool against the skin,” Eustace noted and Keion hummed,

“Well, let’s get the lady dressed, first and foremost, before we do the hair,” Keion suggested and the other nodded.

I stood up, and they helped me put on the dress and the clothing pieces before it. Once the dress was fixed, Keion took her time to do my hair, I could hear Java and Eustace’s side comments as she did so.

“Oh~ how pretty, you have such nimble fingers, Keion,” Java noted with a proud nod, and Eustace agreed. It seems to me that apart from the dress I’ll wear for the day, there are actually amicable with each other.

Makes me feel like I’m the one creating barriers and disputes between the two of them, like two little girls fighting over a doll. Once Keion was done, they looked at my hair with gaping jaws. I stood up and looked at the mirror. I can't help but do a twirl because the way the dress moved was so fluid and mesmerizing. Adding in the hair, I looked amazing.

“You look lovely, my lady,” Eustace sighed as she placed a hand on my cheek, Keion nodded along looking at me with such kind eyes,

“Yes, you look like a flower in full bloom, it makes me at peace thinking that your health might also start to improve soon,” Java added.

The warmth I felt in my chest was unbelievable. I had never felt so loved and adored before. I was also very average looking, so being called lovely, or beautiful, or even be compared to a flower is all new to me and I don’t know how to react. It felt so empowering that I was almost jealous of the life Pelomina lived.

But how could I forget Lykus? He must also be the single most burdensome bane in the real Pelomina Vaustero’s life.

But Well, with all of that set we headed out, and they guided me to the garden, being tended by quite an amount of servants, most of which are men. Is that why Lykus was intent on supervising it? Thinking that maybe one of these men is the man I was spending such a wrongful night with? How scandalous.

When we got there, I could see his towering figure above everyone else, with his signature scowl already taking over his face.

“What took you so long?” he asked.

Out of spite, and newly developed habits, I gave him a curtsy, and he seemed not impressed with it. Is anything I do not good enough for a man like him?

“Good morning lord Lykus,” I greeted in a whisper, hoping that maybe that will ease his mood a bit to make him tolerable at least, but instead he scoffed at me,

“Morning, you say? One would already assume it’s high noon, best get to work before the sun starts scorching your skin, wife,” he spat,

‘he’s the devil!’