Chapter Four: Adventures in the Quad

 

            *She buried her head into the pillow and sobbed harder. For three days now she had holed up in her room, and no one could talk any sense into her. Her father was gone, left her alone in this strange place. None of her friends were here, she knew nothing of the different customs of this family, nor did she know anything about her new husband.

            Of course, that really was her own fault. Serenity had locked herself into the blue room and made a point not to leave or speak to anyone outside of the room since then. She could have spoken to her new husband, found out more than his name, learned about him and his fief. But she chose solitude instead.

            More than anything Serenity wished she was home again. Home, where she would be free to run in the fields and swim in the ponds. Free to go where she wished and do as she pleased. Now she was trapped in a cage, knowing her freedom and life had been taken away with one simple ceremony three days ago. But why should she let a marriage ceremony change her? She sighed. It was time to get out of this room and explore.

            Looking out of the small window, Serenity decided that Hiiro, her husband, was out in the fields working- or overseeing the true workers in any case. With him gone, she was fairly sure she could explore the rest of the fief without interference. Gathering her skirts and collecting herself, Serenity opened the door that she had locked tight only three days before. Two women were sitting at the door, practically asleep until they heard the creak of the door.

            “The Lady of the house is awake!” The younger one exclaimed excitedly. The other, more elderly woman simply stood, watching Serenity for any moves she might make against them. Serenity noticed the scrutiny and blushed. Gathering her courage, she spoke.

            “Please, my name is Serena.” Still becoming bolder with each moment she was out of the room, she continued. “I have decided I merely want to take a look around.”

            “Then, Lady Serena, allow us to escort you…” The young one continued.

            “Just Serena, no Lady attached. And, I will embark upon my exploration on my own if you do not mind. I will return by dusk.”

            “Lady Serena, if you get lost…”

            “I will ask another to help point me in the correct direction. Thank you for your concern, however it is unnecessary.” She paused, taking in the wistful look of the younger servant. “If you wish to do me a service, however, there is something I would be very grateful for.”

            “My Lady, what would that be?” The older of the two servants finally spoke.

            “I had a trunk of very important things brought with me here. Might you know where I could find it?” Serena asked the servants.

            “The trunk you speak of is in the next room over.” The older woman replied calmly. Serena had to smile at her for the appearance she kept up. She could tell the older woman thought little of her, not that she blamed her, and she was hiding her ‘hate’ well.

            The instant her new Lady smiled at her, the older lady could not help but return the favor. While Serena’s face had been sour and harsh during the wedding ceremony, now that she was finished with her tears and her face was brightly lit with a smile, she was a lovely creature who radiated warmth of a degree she had never before felt. The entire dim hallway had felt warmer, brighter with the one smile, and the older lady thought twice of her first opinion of her new Lady. Perhaps this girl was not as she had first appeared. Perhaps there was more beneath her surface than anyone had bother to dive for in the first place.

            “Thank you.” Serena looked to the door that the older woman had indicated held her trunk. Entering the room, she took in her surroundings. This room was decorated much in the same way the blue room had been decorated, save the color was a simple dark, mahogany this time. She found her chest seated at the end of the bed, and flinging it open, she found her clothes and old trinkets. She heard a gasp from the doorway, and was surprised to find the two women were still standing there, watching her. She had an idea.

            “Excuse me, do you think you could answer me a question?” Serena asked them. They nodded. “Am I to continue sleeping in the blue room?”

            “If you so wish it. My Lord had said nothing to us of your accommodations other than to see that you are made comfortable.” The younger one said, giggling.

            “Hmm.” Serena though a moment. “Would you both be willing to help me move this trunk into the blue room?” She asked them.

            “Help you?” The older woman cried.

            “Of course. I don’t believe I could move such a heavy chest alone.”

            “My Lady, we shall move it for you.” The older woman replied with dignity.

            “No, I merely need help. I can do things on my own for the most part. Help me?” Serena explained, slightly put out. Every time her father had gotten a new servant it was the same thing. She had to constantly remind them to call her by just her name, and ask them to help her, not do things for her. She figured she would be going through this process a lot from now on.

            “Very well then my Lady. We will help you move it.” The younger one replied suddenly.

            “Wonderful. Grab that end, will you?” Serena pointed to the end opposite her own. “I’m sorry, I know I’m a bit unconventional, but it makes for a more interesting life being so.” Serena grinned. As the two women lifted the heavy trunk, they managed to move it across the hall and into the blue room. Setting it down at the foot of her bed, Serena pulled out a thinly woven white cotton dress and began undressing herself from her dirty and stained traveling clothes from three days before. Finally dressed in fresh clothes, she felt slightly more hospitable.

            “My Lady.” The younger woman knocked on the door. Serena opened it and the two women in the corridor gasped. Never before had they seen such a woman as Serena. She was in a different league, even from the beauties that usually graced the King’s court.

            “Did you need something?” Serena asked smiling slightly.

            “Oh, yes. Your friends left you a gift before they left. Here my Lady.” The young girl handed Serena a heavy, royal blue crushed velvet blanket of material. When Serena shook it out, she found it was a new cloak, embroidered with touches of silver and slight hints of gold around the edges. She breathed in sharply as tears came to her eyes.

            “They shouldn’t have.” She choked back tears.

            “It’s beautiful. Wear it as you explore.” The older woman winked at her. Serena looked up at her and smiled. So she had already gained the older woman’s trust. How long would it take for her to befriend the rest of the servants? Serena hated being alone. She draped her new cloak over her shoulders and brought the hood up to cover her head. With a slight nod to the two women in the corridor, she turned and began her journey exploring the rest of her new home.

            Soon she had seen everything from the kitchen to the great hall to the servants quarters to the stables. Yet she had yet to see the inner quad where, a servant in the kitchen had told her, there was a magnificent garden of roses. She failed to take notice of the setting sun, and she continued on her quest of exploration. She soon came across a door she could not enter, and it frustrated her to no end that she should be locked out of any room in her new home.

            “Stop, you there!” A raspy but healthy voice called to her from behind. She turned to face a woman she recognized. It was the woman she had met the day of her wedding. Rachel, hadn’t it been?

            “Hello Rachel.” She addressed her, a hidden smile playing on her lips.

            “Rachel?” A deeper, darker voice echoed through the cool hallway.

            “In here my Lord.” Rachel called. Serena balked. Her husband was coming! No! She couldn’t…

            “Rachel? Who are you?” The empty voice resounded in her ears once more. “Show your face.” He commanded. Serena had no choice. Raising both hands, she slowly proceeded to lift the crushed velvet hood from her face. At that moment the sun chose set over the horizon, casting the last of it’s glimmering rays through the darkened hall, highlighting her features.

            Rachel stood in awe. It was her son’s new wife. Only, she appeared to have transformed overnight. She no longer looked as the plain and ugly traveler she had played for the wedding. Instead she looked…different. An indescribable different.

            Hiiro’s eyes caught a vision he felt he was not innocent enough to see. An angel was standing before him in the dying light of the long day. Pale, flawless skin and azure crystalline eyes were framed by hair that dripped in cascades of spun gold down her back and shoulders past her waist. Stained rouge lips pouted through her downcast façade, and a gentle, calm, yet defiant and frightened look could easily be seen radiating through her eyes. Who was she?

            “I have showed you my face my Lord. Am I now free to leave?” She asked, slightly harsh, and slightly afraid.

            “If I am given a name.” He conceded. Serena felt hurt for an unknown reason. Her own husband did not know what she looked like, he did not recognized her. Not that she had given him much of a chance, but still, one would think you would at least make a slight effort to remember the face of the person you are to spend eternity with.

            “My name, my Lord, is Serena.” With that, she lifted her hood, then turned and walked away from the two figures who stared after her.

            “Rachel. Who was she? I’ve never seen her before.” Rachel looked hard at her son. He had almost sounded, out of breath. Surely such a treacherous woman as that Serenity would not have caused his strange behavior, would she? Perhaps she had misjudged this Serenity. Still, perhaps was only a maybe. Then she would see where this lead, if only just perhaps.

            “Hiiro, you did not recognized her?”

            “No.” He said, more collected this time.

            “Well then, perhaps you should find out for yourself who she was.” Rachel smiled, then she herself turned and waked in the direction Serenity had. Hiiro was left standing alone and stunned. His own caretaker had kept him in the dark about this mystery woman’s identity? There truly had to be a conspiracy in the fief against him, that much he was now sure of. Allowing himself a smirk, he turned on his heel and left the corridor. He did, after all, have to prepare for dinner, incase his ‘wife’ might finally decide to join him. Who was he kidding. A spoiled brat such as his wife would probably hole up in her room for at least a month before coming to join the world again.

            Serena was all the way back to the corridor of the blue room when Rachel managed to catch up with her. “You are Serenity, are you not?” She questioned the girl.

            “Yes, that is my full name. Please, Serena will do more than perfectly.” Serena replied tartly to the woman. She remembered their first meeting and did not like the woman very much as of yet.

            “I wish to speak to you then, Serena.” Rachel spoke again, after noting the coolness of Serena’s voice. They entered the room and Serena sat in a chair. Rachel continued to stand in front of her.

            “Very well. Speak.” Rachel began. How would she word what she wished to convey?

            “Hiiro is like a son to me. His mother died in childbirth, and I raised him. I am sorry if I came off harshly the day of the wedding my dear. I had just hoped that the wife he would marry would be able to cure him. I’m afraid I did not give you a chance to try.” Rachel apologized quietly. Serena’s heart lightened slightly for the old woman. Then her eyes narrowed.

            “My new husband is ill?” Rachel smiled and gave a short laugh.

            “Yes. But it is not an illness of the body. His soul has been quieted for so long that he has forgotten how to care for another. His illness is in the heart and soul.”

            “How does one quiet the soul so much?” Serena asked the older woman.

            “I do not know my dear. Hiiro may, but I do not.”

            “Hmm.” When all Serena did was appear to think, Rachel laughed and began to strike up a conversation with the girl.

            “You know he did not recognize you?”

            “I noticed. His eyes held no recognition in them. Shouldn’t a husband at least know what his wife looks like?” She smirked, hiding the unusual stab of pain that suddenly flittered through her heart.

            “I should say he should! I had half a mind to smack him and explain to him who you were. Then I decided it would be more fun not to tell him.” Rachel laughed.

            “He still doesn’t know?” Serena exclaimed, beginning to catch on to the woman’s devious plan.

            “He knows your name is Serena, and he knows his wife’s name is Serenity. He’ll come around eventually. He’s smart like that.”

            “I should hope so.” Serena smiled. This ‘double identity’ could be put to good use if utilized properly. Serena by day, Serenity by night. What an interesting concept.

            “Will you accept him when he realizes who you are?” Rachel asked, suddenly seriously. Serena took the time to think.

            “Perhaps. If he has accepted me, then I will accept him- though slowly. However, the more he tries to control me, the more I will hate him. You see, I understand why I had to marry him. I do. Still, I wish to be free more than anything. And there are ways I can be free within a marriage. But if he will not let me be free, then he doesn’t not deserve my affections, least of all my respect.” Serena replied.

            “Such big words.”

            “And I will follow through with them.” Serena nodded decisively.

            “Very well then child, you are welcome to try. Will you be joining us for dinner?” Rachel asked, her eyes twinkling.

            “No. I would like to take it in my room, here, if that is suitable.” Serena replied tiredly, yawning after she finished her sentence.

            “Of course. Molly.” The younger servant from before stepped into the room.

            “Yes Rachel?”

            “Fetch my Lady her dinner, please.”

            “Very good my Lady Serena.”

            “But Serena, you must come down one night. Hiiro will be pleasantly surprised.” The women both laughed together as Rachel stood and left the room.

>>>)(<<<

            Darien had been waiting for over an hour for his new wife to join him. When he was absolutely positive she was not coming, he decided to go check on her himself. With the knowledge that she was in the blue room of the main keep, Hiiro quickly made his way up the stairs and to the end of the hallway. Just as he reached the door, Rachel stepped out.

            “Rachel.”

            “My Lord Hiiro. Join me for dinner lad.” She commanded him slightly.

            “And what of Serenity? Will she still not relent on this idiotic fast of hers?” Hiiro mumbled, offering Rachel his arm.

            “She will relent, Hiiro. Give her time. She is a lovely woman, she is merely tired.”

            “And here I thought you disliked her.” Hiiro muttered as he escorted his caretaker down the stairs.

            “I did. But after the slight talk I just had with her, I understand why she seemed the way she did when I first met her. But Hiiro.” Rachel paused her walking. Slipping her arm from under Hiiro’s, she cupped his face in her hands. “Serenity is different. She has a strong will and free spirit. But most importantly, she is more delicate than any other woman you have yet to come into contact with. You can’t toy with her the way you can with most of the other women you’ve known. If you are not careful, she will best you, you can be more than sure of that.” With her final words of warning, Rachel hooked her arm around her son’s and lead him off again, leaving Hiiro to his thoughts on the fresh knowledge of the situation.*