Chapter 12: Kindness

A familiar replacement is found.
Gifts are given.
A melody plays.
Christina feels understood.

"Christina darling, why don't you go play in the garden for a little while? We need to attend to something inside the house, but we won't be long." Lena asked of me. 

Now that we had arrived home, it was only a few hours before dinner. Often at this time I was permitted some free reign, but I suppose today they wanted me out of the house for some reason. At one point I would have been absolutely fine with the request, but the past few days I had been avoiding the garden entirely when I could, and for one reason; Raphael. 

Ever since my last encounter with him, I decided I never wanted to be near the man again. Both times we met, he spent his time taunting me, only for me to be punished in turn. Recently I had even started to have nightmares about the man, often times him being depicted as some sort of demonic clown. Just the idea of being near him left me feeling demoralized. Yet despite this, if Lena wanted me outside, I knew there wasn't going to be any way around it. 

I nodded, staying silent in my discomfort. Regardless, Lena smiled at my cooperation, before ushering me in the direction of the garden, clearly eager to get started on what ever they needed me gone for.

Walking to garden, I briefly contemplated stopping in the library to get the book that I was currently reading, but opted against it. I didn't need my guardians deciding that I had a habit of wandering off while we were at home as well, and making the magical harness a regular occurrence. 

As I reached the garden, I was pleased to note that I didn't immediately see Raphael anywhere. Despite that, I still wanted to reduce the chance that I see him to as little as possible. Scanning the area I saw a little nook that was slightly more out of the way, between a tree, and a tall bed of flowers and grasses. It had a small bench to sit on, so it felt like the perfect place to hide away from any unwanted intrusion.

After making my way to the spot I had chosen I took a seat. From where I was sitting I had a view of the manor peaking through the different garden life, able to look into some of the windows, but without much ability to make out what was happening inside. The house was also big enough that even if I could make anything out, it was unlikely I would find the correct room that my guardians were collected in. Despite this my mind still wandered, thinking what exactly it was they were doing that needed me out of the house. Maybe it was something I did during our trip to the capital, possibly something to do with how I introduced myself to Regina? Maybe Cynthia knew about Hazel and they were discussing how to punish me for my secret friendship with her? For all I knew they were doing something to my room, making it less comfortable or taking away all the books I liked to read. I had no way of knowing, but I could only imagine it was something bad. 

While I was busy catastrophizing the unknown, I realized there was someone going about gardening work off in the distance. What made it even more interesting was that it wasn't Raphael.

The man was significantly younger, with brown curly hair cut short and tucked under a brown flat cap. Slim but muscular figure, with a face that even from this distance I could tell was tanned from repeated days in the sun. He also wore gardeners overalls, though his were significantly less worn through than Raphael's had been. They looked mostly cleaned, with only a few mud stains that looked relatively recent on his pant legs and sleeves of his white cotton shirt. At the moment he was knelt down, tending to a bed of flowers below him. He had a pleasant look on his face, clearly enjoying his work. I had never seen him before, every time I had been in the garden, the only one I had ever seen was Raphael.

As I studied the mystery man, he looked up in my direction. At first I wasn't sure if he saw me, but after a moment he raised his arm and waved, clearly aware of my staring. He quickly finished off tending to the flowers in front of him before pressing his trowel into the ground, getting up and starting towards me.

"How do you do Milady." He greeted my kindly, offering me a gentle smile. "I don't believe we've met." As he introduced himself, he offered me a small flower that looked freshly picked. I recognized it as some kind of Orchid, though other than that I couldn't be sure. 

I accepted the flower, trying to offer him a small smile myself, though it felt fleeting and I could tell he knew it was forced. Despite this, he took up a seat next to me on the bench and continued. "That there is a Napaesse Orchid. Native to the Napaea Forest region, west of Levin's Foot. Extremely rare anywhere else, even when botanists tried to cultivate them in different locations, they would never bloom." He spoke softly, but full of passion. "Legend say's they could only fully grow in places where both dusk and dawn drew long, and where songbird's soothed their sleep." He chuckled a small amount, before nudging me with his shoulder in innocent affection. "It's a silly little riddle don't you think?" 

The flower was beautiful for sure. White petals speckled with black spots, and a deep purple center. The gift of the flower, his gentle tone, and sweet story drew out the smallest of genuine grins. I liked this man. 

"What do you think it means?" I turned to ask him, interested in hearing him talk more about the Orchid. 

He met my eyes, smiling with appreciation and approval. "Well, Napaea Forest its between two mountain ranges. So even when the sun is high in the sky, shadow's from the mountain spill over the forest, and the light filtering in makes a kind of fake dawn and dusk each day. So what I think is the secret to these flowers, is just the right amount of light. Not too much, not too little." He nodded towards the flower in my hand. "That's how I managed to get this little guy to bloom." He looked at me again, smiling kindly. "I'm Damien, nice to meet you."

  The way he smiled at me mirrored the passion from his story, and I felt charmed. I couldn't help but keep smiling back. "Christina. Thank you for the flower, and the story." I responded. Still curious as to where exactly Raphael was, I begged the question. "Why haven't I ever seen you before?" 

He nodded with some small realization as he continued. "Of course, I should have led with that. I've just been brought on a few days ago as the new Gardener." He nodded once more toward the flower in my hand. "I was raised in the area around Napaea forest, so I brought a number of seeds with me, and I'm hoping to be able to grow and entire bed of Orchids here. With some luck I think I can develop just the right habitat here with the shape of the house and surrounding trees. I'm glad Madam Southgard's given me the chance to work here. It's also been a delight to get to learn about the exotic Silencian flora they've brought with them from up north." He then looked back at me, his smile raising from the side of his mouth. "Though you don't sound Silencian. . ."

Before I could respond to Damien, we were interrupted by Lena's timely presence, almost like her name summoned her. "Ah, I see you've met Raphael's replacement." She said, walking up towards us both. Her authoritative presence, both to myself as my guardian, and as well to Damien as his employer, took control of the conversation. "Christina, this is Damien, the new gardener. Damien, this is Christina, She's our young ward. Hopefully she hasn't been giving you any trouble?" She asked, her voice hinted with caution. 

Damien stood up in Lena's presence, taking off his hat in respect and nodding in quick understanding. Both his reaction and Lena's words made me very self-conscious, I was worried what Lena might have already said to him about me that he only just put together. 

"Oh no, not at all. We were just getting nicely acquainted. Though I should be getting back to my work now shouldn't I?" He asked rhetorically, before giving us each a nod farewell. "Madam Southgard. Christina." Locking eyes with me he gave me a look like we shared some little secret, before breaking it off and turning back to continue his work. What that secret might be I had no idea. 

Lena smiled at Damien and waved to him as he left. A few moments later as he was out of earshot, I begged the question that was still on my mind. "What happened to Raphael?" I asked, trying to keep the enthusiasm I was feeling from seeping into my voice. 

Lena took this opportunity to claim the seat next to me that Damien had been occupying not a few moments ago, and as she did I realized that she had been casually holding a box behind her back, that she now rested on her lap. Smiling at me she answered my question. 

"Well you see, after both of your incidents raising your voice at Raphael; myself, Rowan, and Cynthia all had a lengthy discussion on the events that led to those actions. And while we are all in complete agreement that you were in no way justified in your reaction to Raphael-," She said sternly emphasizing her words. "I personally did not like way that Raphael was treating you." Lena then straightened her postured and pulled back. "So after speaking with sternly with Raphael, we agreed that it would be best if he went back north to our estate in Silencia to continue taking care of the grounds there. And then we hired Damien, who's local which we thought might also. . ." Lena trailed off, before looking back to me with a sigh, softening her composure once more, and gently placing her hand on my thigh. "I don't want you think its okay for anyone to make fun of you like that Christina." she said, her voice heavy with sincerity. 

I was speechless. The idea that Lena had effectively fired Raphael, all because of the way I was treated completely blindsided me. Every time I had any kind of confrontation with anyone so far, blame was placed solely at my feet, the idea that even despite the fact that I was reprimanded for my actions, that Lena saw the unfair way I was treated, and actually did something about it . . . I didn't know what to think.

But after a few moments of stunned silence Lena continued. "Now, moving on from that, the reason I asked you to wait outside was because we were readying this for you." 

Lena placed the box she had been holding onto my lap. It was a simple paper box, decorated with gold curved lines wrapping around it, clearly a gift box. I remembered it was roughly the same size as the package that Lena had brought with her from the tailors shop, and realized that there was no way it could be a coincidence. Looking up at her I still felt blindsided by it all. "You got me a gift?" I asked quietly, almost as if speaking too loudly would shatter the moment.

Lena gave a heartfelt smile, and nudged her shoulder to mine encouragingly. "Open it." she said. And for the first time I wasn't entirely worried about doing as she asked. As I took a breath in, I pulled the lid off the box to reveal what was inside.

Looking down, inside the box laid a stuffed teddy bear. He had golden brown fur and two small black marble eyes. His ears small and furry, protruding from the top of his head, which rounded out to a brown nosed snout and a lightly outlined mouth. His face so covered in thick short fur that his eyes were nearly concealed, and his neck being pinned off with a royal red bow tie. He was just barely smaller than my chest, and fur gently soft to the touch. 

As I took in the stuffed bear, Lena spoke up. "Sometimes when I pass by your bedroom at night Christina, I can hear you tossing and turning in your sleep. I've started to worry you've been having nightmares without telling us." She said, her words laced with genuine concern. She then picked up the bear and placed it in my lap facing towards me, resting the now empty box on the ground beside her. "Of course, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but I hoped that if you are having trouble sleeping well, then maybe he might be able to help protect you at night, and make you feel a little safer." She said, tapping the bear's nose.

Without saying anything I took hold of the bear, looking into its eyes. Lena was right about having nightmares most nights, I was starting to forget what it was like to wake up without them. I remembered my stuffed animals from when I was younger, and how my mother had even told me that they were there to protect me at night. I slowly pulled the bear against my chest, the feeling already bringing me some small level of comfort, but at the same time a deeper feeling overshadowed it. The bear served as a reminder to Argus, my stuffed wolf who protected me for so many years. I could only imagine Argus was still collecting dust in that old store house along with the rest of my past possessions. The thought of him there all alone broke my heart.

Lena then moved from her seated position, and knelt on the ground in front of me. It was the first time that I had ever found myself looking down at her instead of up. "I know that all this change, all this transition has been hard on you Christina. You're still learning so much, and trying to navigate a world thats new to you. I just want you to know I understand how scary that can be." 

Her words struck me, weighed with so much compassion and understanding. I instinctively gripped the bear a little closer to me as Lena spoke, looking deep into her eyes. 

Lena continued "If at night or anytime you're alone, something is making you feel scared, overwhelmed, or unsafe, I want you to know that you can always call for me and I'll be there to make it better." She said, resting her hand on my knee once more. "I care about you Christina, and I promise that if you ever call for me, I'll hear you and come right away. Always."

I must have been crazy. A few days ago if she had said this to me I would have felt like it was some kind of trap, but now something was different. I thought back to more than a week ago, when she came to me truly wanting to understand how I felt about my mothers music box, how apperently she noticed that I'd been having nightmares, having a stuffed animal made for me to help me sleep. She had even fired the man who had been harassing me, making sure I knew that what he did was wrong. I must have been crazy. 

Because I believed her. 

I could feel tears welling in my eyes, but for the first time since arriving here and living with the Southgards, they weren't tears of fear, sorrow, or regret. 

In an act that I never would have believed I could be capable of, I launched off my seat toward Lena, wrapping my arms around her and gripping tightly. Startled, Lena grunted as I threw myself at her, before catching my embrace with an uncertain one of her own, though after a second she pulled me in as well, sharing in the comforting moment. As I settled into her arms, the tears that were welling in my eyes started to pour through me, and I gently sniffed them back as my breathing grew unsteady. I didn't realize just how badly I needed this simple bit of kindness, how just the little that Lena offered meant so much to me.

Feeling this Lena only tightened her grip on me, cradling my head on her shoulder as she softly caressed the top of my head. "Shhhhh, it's okay. I'm here." She whispered, her gentle tone reassuring me. "I've got you, its okay."

I didn't feel crazy, I believed her. 

************
Day 17
************

It was late into the evening, I had finished dinner a few hours ago, and now was getting ready for bed. My music box was softly playing a light melody. This wasn't The Night's Song, but instead a new tune that Lena had picked up a new comb to play, she picked it out just for me, and I liked it. 

Sitting on the floor in front of my standing mirror, I was gently brushing my hair, holding my teddy bear, Arthur, in my lap. After Lena suggested it, I agreed the name was a good one. Now most nights I fell asleep with Arthur in my arms. Having him with me made me feel better each night, even if he wasn't enough to stop the nightmares. 

As I sat there brushing, I could hear the music of the box start to slow as the gears wound down, and the amount it was cranked ran out. Slowly over the next few seconds, the music notes drew long and tune distorted, before it ran out of steam and stopped all together. I sighed to myself, every night I found the music box had already been cranked, which I attributed to either some magical enchantment, or possibly even just one of the house staff, but if I let the tune play as I settled in for the night, it was common for the gears to have wound down fully by the time I actually went to sleep. Some nights I would go and spin it back up myself just enough to fall asleep to, but often enough I would leave it be. Today I decided I wanted to hear the music just a little bit longer, and rose from my spot on the carpeted floor to spin the crank myself. 

As I opened the music box to wind up the music, something strange happened. In a flash a single bolt of what looked like purple light reached from the winding dial and up to my arm, and suddenly my erupted in a jolt of pain. I recoiled suddenly, letting the lid of the box slam shut, and Arthur who had been nestled in the crook of my arm fell to the ground as I jumped back. 

Rubbing the spot on my hand where the bolt had struck me I sat dumbstruck, unsure what exactly had just happened. It felt like a static shock, but much stronger and much more painful. Whats more I could have sworn that the shock was made from purple energy, almost like magic. 

I cautiously inched my way back to the box, slowly opening it and peering inside. There was nothing unusual to the box, it still sat motionless, the teeth on the comb still frozen in place from the last note played, and as I held my hand over the lid, no other shocks erupted out towards me. I reached in and gave the crank one singular turn, which after a moment of resistance brought the music to life, continuing on the melody for a few more notes before it too faded out. All completely normal.

I shuffled back again from the box, looking at it inquisitively. I wasn't sure exactly what had shocked me like that, but the purple bolt did remind me of the magic I had seen spring forth from Cynthia's hands before, at least in colour if nothing else. But I had owned this music box my entire life, there was no possible way that it was magical. I did think back to how Lena had said Cynthia added an enchantment to my clothes on our trip to the tailor's shop, was it possible that Cynthia had enchanted my mother's music box as well? 

Thinking about it, I had no idea what they would even enchant the box to do, for the week's the music box had been in my room there was nothing special about it, save the possibility that it was being magically wound up during the day. On the other hand, the entire house did have some magical qualities, I'd seen that from the locking doors and magical water pipes. It seemed much more likely that if there was some kind of stray magic that shocked me, it was innate magic from the entire house rather then from the music box specifically.

Even as I settled on that reasoning, I felt uneasy about the box, even if I didn't believe there was anything magical with the box itself, the fact that it had shocked me while I attempted to wind it up left me feeling much less interested in continuing its music. 

Instead I decided I would call the night early. I scooped Arthur up from the floor, before snuffing out the lights of my room, and heading to sleep.

*******************************

Hours later, deep into the night as Christina slept, a soft clicking emitted from the music box. Following shortly after, the gently melody of the comb quietly began playing on its own without anybody there to wind the gears. The song gently echoing in the small room, the sharp notes that rang out from the metal teeth almost hauntingly sweet in the darkness of the night. As the song continued, Christina began to shift in her sleep. Her face gently strained as she began to let out soft moans. She unconsciously began to trip Arthur in her arms tighter as every so often she would flinch about in her sheets. 

Even as she tossed and turned in her sleep, the music continued, its sickly sweet melody ringing out for only Christina's unconscious mind to hear.