Grey
“Miss Amicier!”
The maid knocked on her door, but Venviel wouldn’t open it. Too many of her clothes lay on the floor, and on the bed, and she didn’t like the idea of bringing the maid into her shadowy room either.
If there was a chance Hope would try to sniff out secrets or information she could use against her, Venviel preferred to avoid it. She didn’t think the maid had reason to bother her when she had a whole mansion to clean anyway.
Venviel pulled a card out of her tarot deck and placed it on the table next to her elven chess board. The card she’d drawn depicted an exquisite moon. Longing. If she’d been superstitious, she might have put faith in it, but she viewed it as no more than an old game.
“Miss Amicier…” Hope cracked the door to her room and peeked inside. “Oh. I’m sorry. Didn’t think you were in here.”
“It’s my room,” Venviel said. “Why wouldn’t I be in it?”
“Because you live in a huge mansion with dozens of rooms, a library, and a garden,” Hope said. “You’re fortunate.”
“Would you leave your library if you didn’t have to serve us?” Venviel pulled a card for Hope. Justice. The maid would betray them one day because the temple demanded it through their laws.
“I don’t live in a mansion, Miss Amicier.” Hope watched her from the crack between the door and its frame without opening it further. “I sleep in the temple. I’ve never had a home as grand as yours.”
“Sad,” Venviel said, like she could shake the twinge of sympathy she felt for Hope by labeling her life.
“If you say so.”
In the uncomfortable silence that followed, Venviel pulled a second card for Hope and threw it away like it would burn her fingers if she held it. The Lovers’ card landed upside down on one of her ruffled skirts on the floor.
“Do you want me to pick that up, Miss Amicier?”
“No, leave it. Please,” she said. “It lied to me. So we should leave it where it fell to teach it a lesson.”
“A card lied to you?”
“It did.”
“I’m sorry.” Hope sighed wistfully. “I’d never lie to you.”
Venviel slammed the deck onto the table and dug her nails into the palm of her hand. Hope would lie to her, yet she dared to promise she wouldn’t, as if they had a sacred bond. They didn’t know each other.
“Do you work for the temple?” Venviel asked. She may as well put the maid’s promise to the test.
“I’m training as a disciple.”
Venviel didn’t know how to react when Hope confessed so readily. She sat sort of baffled on her chair. Why hadn’t the maid lied? Was it because Hope knew any serious consequences would fall on Venviel, and her family, not herself?
“Why…? Why did you want to train as a disciple?”
“Um, I…” Hope paused. “I didn’t at first. I didn’t believe in their teachings, but this old woman I met, um, she… She said they’d give me food to eat, a bed to sleep in.”
“Did they?”
“Most days, some nights,” Hope said. “A lot of people want to become disciples. Not all of them like to have me around. I try to avoid the busiest weeks.”
“I saw the tomatoes on the windows in the library.”
“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t want to clean the glass with those boys outside.”
“Understandable.”
Venviel dropped the tarot deck on the table and walked over to the door. It had been easy to have a conversation with the maid when Venviel didn’t have to look her in the eyes, so it became particularly difficult for her to speak when Hope observed her with a newfound curiosity. She heard the twin tails thump the floor in the corridor.
A part of her wished to tell Hope how she found her mesmerizing, if only because she imagined no one had ever complimented her before, and she wanted to be the first. Maybe it would make the maid hesitate before she sold them out.
“You’re…” Venviel trailed off. She couldn’t possibly tell Hope she found her mesmerizing. “You want to go outside to the garden?”
“With you?” Hope furrowed her brow.
“With me.” Venviel nodded, grabbed the door, and opened it so they didn’t have to view each other through a crack. “The weather’s fit for it. Sunny. You haven’t visited the garden, right?”
“I like staying inside.” Hope lowered her head. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry!” Venviel offered her arm. “Let’s go outside. Together. The garden’s lovely, and I’ll be with you. No one will dare throw tomatoes when I’m there. They’ll think we’re dating, or engaged, and leave you alone in the future too.”
Hope’s twin tails stopped thumping the floor. A dark pink hue crossed her cheeks and the tips of her horns. Venviel hadn’t seen Hope blush before, but she was pretty sure that’s what she was doing.
“Do you like books?” Hope asked, hooked their arms together.
“Since you do,” Venviel murmured and cringed when she heard her own response. “I’m not an avid reader like you, I mean.”
Hold On
Larks flew into the sky when Hope and Venviel stepped outside. A couple of doves under a bush raised their heads to check who intruded upon their home, then they resumed their search for worms by sticking their beaks into the soil.
Hope had only viewed the garden’s grandeur from behind the safety of glass windows in the past. Its greenery smelled stronger than she’d thought it would, and overpowered her senses, yet she found herself indulging.
Venviel lead her around the mermaid fountain in the middle, while pointing at various plants her parents had cultivated. Hope only recognized the yellow, pink, and red roses since their petals looked the same. She didn’t know the names of the white or orange flowers, or the different types of bushes, and she didn’t ask. She didn’t want to risk sounding ignorant to Venviel.
She would have liked it if a higher hedge had run around the exterior of the garden, since it would have prevented outsiders from looking in on them. Yet even if the rude boys in their tattered clothes noticed her walk around the garden, arm in arm with Venviel, they did not throw tomatoes. They shared a few words with each other before they disappeared down a street which ran between the mansions of wealthy families.
“Told you they wouldn’t bother us.” Venviel unhooked their arms and sat on the edge of the fountain. “We can relax for a while. Don’t have to talk.”
Venviel appeared solemn in the sunlight. She had a fair sharpness to her facial features and often seemed serious because of her thin, straight lips and narrow green eyes. The elf wore a unique, extravagant blend between an onyx suit and a maroon gown that made Hope’s dress look like a cleaning rag.
Hope remembered what Corym and Thalia had told her. If she didn’t befriend Venviel, she would lose access to their library.
It was a shame Venviel didn’t share her love for books, or they would have become fast friends. They could have read in the library together for a week. Hope would have enjoyed a few stress-free days.
“Do you spend a lot of time out here?” Hope sat next to Venviel and tucked her tails to the side, so they wouldn’t fall into the fountain.
“I used to, when I was younger. When my family was…”
“Perfect?”
“My family’s never been perfect.” Venviel blew her bangs out of her face. Despite her short, boyish haircut, she didn’t trim her bangs. They grew long and wild. “We’ve only been less imperfect than we are. Less…”
“You don’t have to explain.” Hope disliked discussing her own problems, and imagined Venviel felt something similar in this case. She would have liked to help, somehow, but she hadn’t been taught enough by the high priestess.
Venviel stuck a hand into the fountain, stirred the water with her fingers. Hope clasped her hands in her lap and watched her tails dance across the grass. She could keep them under control, if she wished, but it took concentration. And she found it amusing to let them free. The
y liked to play with each other until she worried they might get tangled into difficult knots.
“When you leave, do you want me to walk with you to the temple?”
“That’s not necessary, but thank you. I appreciate it.”
“You will have to deal with those bullies, won’t you?”
“I’m used to that,” Hope said. She’d lived without a protector for years. Venviel might wish to be nice, but the elf ought to bear in mind that Hope’s tormentors could come after her too. She didn’t want Venviel to get hurt in her stead.
“You shouldn’t be. You’re…” Venviel made an attempt to gather the courage to say what she’d meant to say, but in the end, sat silent.
Hope knew the general gist of what Venviel planned to tell her whenever her courage failed her. She’d heard it many times from priestesses, when she’d grown up, and sometimes it had even come from people who’d had her best interests at heart. People like Venviel.
Hope may be a hideous monster, but everyone still ought to treat her with respect. After all, the goddess must have had a reason to put her in Lho Allanar. She shouldn’t give in to doubt because of intolerance.
Even if people like Venviel tried to assuage her worries with such silly claims, Hope understood that no one could love her. The elf would marry someone of status in the future and forget her entirely. She didn’t have to make a half-hearted attempt to console her. Life would carry on as it always had, and Hope would make the most of it. She would not crush on Miss Amicier. It’d be pathetic.
Loss of Hope
“See you tomorrow.” Thalia held the oaken entrance open for Hope.
“You performed adequately today.” Corym winked for whatever ludicrous reason, yet Thalia didn’t react to his blatant flirting. She should have. What kind of example did it set if he could flirt with the help?
“Thank you.” Hope curtsied and walked out onto the paved path which lead into the streets. “Have a nice night!”
“You too!”
Venviel watched her parents close the door behind Hope from the shadows on the third floor. Neither Thalia nor Corym detected her.
She waited until her parents had disappeared into their office before she jumped onto the broad railing of the stairs, slid downstairs, and landed with light steps. The floor did not creak, she’d learnt how to avoid making noise after hours of practice.
She tiptoed over to the entrance, grabbed a cane her father kept in the hallway in case he had to fend off intruders, and hid her face underneath one of her mother’s wide-brimmed hats. Then she left the mansion.
Hope turned the corner of a street, and the four snotty boys from earlier followed. The maid had explicitly told Venviel to not help, but it wasn’t about her. The boys had thrown tomatoes at her family’s windows. Venviel ought to teach them a lesson for that alone. If Hope happened to be there when she did, well, great. The maid would be impressed by her bravery. Maybe she’d even thank Venviel.
Not that she cared if she impressed Hope or not.
Venviel hurried after the maid and found everyone on the same street. The boys walked a fair distance from Hope. They weren’t alone. Wealthy elves eyed the five with distrust as they passed, and none greeted them. They evidently did not belong in this upstanding quarter of Lho Allanar where trimmed hedges, expensive gardens, and mansions lined the streets.
Venviel hid under Thalia’s hat before any of the elves could recognize her. She dressed like she belonged among them, and even if she didn’t know them personally, they were bound to know her through her parents. She needed to remain inconspicuous.
Hope glanced behind her as she reached the intersection next to a crowded square, walked faster when she noticed her pursuers, and crossed the busy street.
Venviel wondered if this hunt happened to the maid every day. And if it did, why hadn’t she told the temple? Surely, she wouldn’t have had to walk alone every day if someone knew the truth. These bullies didn’t just let hatred into their hearts. They welcomed and treasured its presence.
The boys broke into a run to catch up with the maid and forced Venviel to jog if she wanted to keep them in sight. She’d not expected Hope to move quite as fast as she did, but her pursuers must have, or they wouldn’t have run.
“Hey! Watch your step, missy!” The driver of a horse-drawn cart shouted when Venviel crossed the intersection. His two horses neighed, stomped their hooves against the street, and threatened to crush her if she got closer. He’d almost run her over.
“Apologies,” she said, fled into the crowd, and realized she’d lost sight of Hope. The maid had either vanished behind taller elves or taken another street.
Luckily, Venviel knew the area, and what street someone had to take to reach the temple. She could see its grand marble pillars on the hill, bathed in sunlight, far beyond the triangular roofs of mansions. The sun set later in the day on the temple than the rest of Lho Allanar. And unless Hope had another place to visit before nightfall, she would be headed there.
Venviel pushed her way through the crowd in search of those she’d chased. When she didn’t spot them, she chose the street that would take her to the temple the fastest.
A little later, she discovered Hope’s bullies, but not Hope herself. Either the maid had managed to shake her pursuers, or she was even farther ahead. Venviel had no idea which. She could see plenty of hiding spots in hedges, in the trees of gardens, but she couldn’t tell whether Hope would have had the chance to slip away without anyone noticing.
It didn’t matter. Venviel reminded herself that Hope didn’t have to watch her teach the boys a lesson. She’d reap the benefits in the end anyway.
Nonetheless, she could follow the boys for a while to ensure she’d catch them alone. She didn’t want to give them a chance to call for help when they’d brought their punishment down on themselves, and perhaps Hope would reappear.
Venviel tracked them for half an hour, but Hope did not show. They walked in the direction of the temple at first, yet when they seemed to understand that the maid had escaped, they veered off towards the market. She had to spring her ambush before they reached the stalls and shops. Hundreds of elves would be at the market this late in the afternoon.
Venviel waited for the hooligans to reach an empty street. They’d long since left the mansions and trimmed hedges behind. Small, rickety houses lined the streets in this quarter of Lho Allanar while refuse and animal feces lent a faint horrible stench to the air. Dreams came to this place to die.
She hoped to never live anywhere else than her family’s mansion. She would inherit it one day, and if Hope was alive at that point, she would invite the maid to live with her. At least it would cut Hope off from the priestesses and their teachings.
Then again, perhaps Hope would not live that long. Venviel didn’t know how old the maid was, but she assumed they were around the same age. Hope didn’t seem as wise as ancient elves, but she held a job with responsibility in their society, so she couldn’t be much younger than Venviel either.
The boys disappeared around the side of a decrepit house. Venviel cleared her thoughts, ran to finally catch up with her targets, and prepared to beat them if she needed to when she rounded the corner.
“What you want?” One of the unclean brats leaned against the wall of the house, while the other three lingered behind him.
Venviel flipped the brim of her hat up to reveal her face and poked the cane into the mud at her feet. She couldn’t tell if she looked scary without a mirror, but she enjoyed the anxious expressions she drew.
“She was with the hate monster, Laiex!” The smallest boy said to the brat in front. “Walking in the garden of that place she sneaks into and steals every day!”
“Hope doesn’t steal from us,” Venviel said. She didn’t believe the accusation for a second. If Hope had ever taken anything out of their home, it would have been a book, and she would have returned it later unless Thalia or Corym let her keep it. “She works for us. If you don’t leave her a
lone, I will teach you a lesson.”
“Teach us a lesson?” Laiex said. “Bet the hate monster set you up to this! Bet you like touching hate monsters!”
“What?” Venviel stirred up mud by moving the cane. “No, I haven’t touched—“
“She probably thinks we deserves the hate monster’s curse!” The smallest boy shouted. “Faraine, Faraine! Come quickly! We need saving!”
“Quiet down,” Venviel said and glanced around the street, but no one could be seen. “Look, Hope’s not a monster, and she isn’t cursed. Leave her alone, stop throwing tomatoes at our windows, or I’ll tell your parents.”
Laiex spat in her direction. “Our parents understand hate monsters. They told us to beware the curse!”
“Then I’ll tell the temple.” Venviel raised the cane. She had planned to whip Laiex once, for spitting at her, but all four boys suddenly appeared uneasy.
“Don’t.” Laiex stopped leaning against the wall and stepped back.
Truthfully, Venviel didn’t like to threaten children with the temple. It seemed inappropriate when it frightened her too. They didn’t deserve whatever the high priestess might do to them.
“Leave Hope alone, stop throwing tomatoes, and I won’t tell anyone.” Venviel lowered the cane.
“You best be right about the curse,” the smallest boy said.
“I am. Trust me.” Venviel smiled to smooth the situation over. “Hope’s a nice lady.”
The boys didn’t respond. They retreated into the nearest alley between two of the houses, so they probably lived in the quarter. Earlier she might have concluded that the stench suited them, but now, she kind of didn’t want to think about their lives. It would only make her realize that they had problems of their own. Similar to Hope’s.
Venviel should be happy that she hadn’t needed to beat sense into anyone, yet she only felt remorseful on her way home. She should have listened to Hope. It wasn’t necessary for her to get involved. One day, the boys would become adults, and by then, they should have learnt their lesson.
Never Enough Page 2