Her daffodil queen, p.10
Her Daffodil Queen, page 10
“Hush, my darlings. I will bring you your feast in the morning. You are greedy things, aren’t you,” Morghan said. Ceryse noticed a shift in the shadows lurking under the water, almost retreating at the stern voice Morghan had presented.
“Step, my sweet, to not wake the babies.” Morghan alighted once the platform drifted into a mooring on the other side of the river. “Remind me you need one or two of your dresses hemmed and boots with a higher heel when we arrive at the manor,” Morghan mentioned, seeing the torn hem of Ceryse’s dress.
“Babies?” Ceryse questioned, scanning the field that stretched out in front of them—looking around to see if she could understand the reference to children being present in the darkened lands. Stories of the haunted moors, where they sucked naughty children who did not listen to their parents, were only a tale to instil goodness. Or was the tale real? This place that loomed in front of her was as real as the hay she was racking yesterday.
Chapter sixteen
Morghan
Morghan tapped her figure on the dark wood of the banners running the length of the terrace overlooking the meadow gardens. A smile teased the corners of her mouth as she saw the young broken boy from the village had in fact been correct that the ferryman took his task of bring those fallen to the fields, regardless of if he might get payment.
“My lady is this not where the child will be for his final resting?” the ferryman asked. His eyes were downcast, not daring to look at the Goddess that ruled over this realm.
“Thank you for ensuring that the young boy made it to my gardens. Thank you for making sure that the young boy reached my gardens, where Odette and Gaia would want him to be after the failed life he was given in the moral realm. I have not heard a word that his young soul might be destined for anywhere else. Henrik is not lurking behind something, is he?” Morghan said to the longest servicing member of the Underworld. The ferryman shook his head, gesturing to Char as he stepped out onto the terrace.
“Morghan, we need to talk about this,” Char said, a look halfway between panic and fury lined his face. Morghan’s brows knitted together as she stepped towards her advisor.
“What is it?” Morghan asked, her tone shifted between annoyance at Char. “Is it the fact that I could not let the child drift along the river unclaimed, cold, and alone for the rest of eternity? Or are you more concerned about the young woman in the guest wing?” Morghan said, deciding to go with an air of nonchalance. Char had respected and guided her through a range of issues as she ascended to the onyx throne. As well as assured that she kept control over the realm, and it is varying resistances.
“This is a grave issue and will create ripples through the marble halls. I have contacted Odette and Henrik about your addition during your last time in the in-between realm. You know your brothers all hope for your failure. “They may use this event as evidence to your father that you need to be removed from your place here. “And either of them should be installed instead,” Char warned as they walked off the terrace and into her office, letting you know that your brothers all hope for your failure and may use this event as evidence to your father that you need to be removed from your place here. The walls of the manor house seemed to shiver at the thought of either of brothers ruling over the Underworld, it sent a wave of sick through Morghan herself.
“You and I both know that Odette prefers me over those two,” Morghan said.
“And you and I both know that the crone and oracle don’t control the ruling seats,” Char said, reminding her of the dangerous game she might have started.
“However, her voice faltering with false hope, Morghan said that my father must listen to her and her tomes before causing an issue of how the realms are balanced.” She was all too aware that Char would cement the issues in that argument.
“Odette is female and that will count against her with those fighting for power. Not only that, but she’s an older female who hides herself away from most of the residents in the marble halls.” Char said with a look of authority on his face.
“Okay, I might have made a rushed decision. I mean, who decided that killing girls for the Gods each year for a harvest was an okay idea?” Morghan asked, rolling her eyes, and However, Char was there with an answer. He listed off five God who enjoyed seeing mortals kill each other for any reason at all.
Chapter seventeen
Ceryse
The tall, shadowy man stood in the suite’s entrance. “Hello, Morghan asked me to make sure that you settled into your chambers. I am Char. One of the Goddess’s advisors. I see Hunter is already monitoring you,” Char said in a polite tone. Ceryse’s eye widened, looking at the gentle, large, half-solid body of the man in the doorway. “If the hound gets under foot or you need space. Kick him out,” Char said, looking disgusted at Hunter.
“Rude shadow man. Mistress wants me here,” Hunter snapped back.
“Thank you,” Ceryse said. She paced around the room. Her eyes flicking between the large bay windows that had sprawling filigree iron bars across them. She stopped, pointing at the window, and looked between Char and Hunter, trying to select who to pose her question to, unable to decide.
“Why are there bars on the windows?” She asked. Turning around, she was met with Char standing with one foot crossed over the other, leaning against the wall, at ease.
“For protection,” Char said as a matter of fact.
“For whose protection?” Ceryse asked. He shrugged, and Hunter laughed behind her.
She resisted the urge to swallow the bile that was rising in her throat. Instead, she paced again in a square pattern, halted herself, as she could feel the cold creeping across her skin.
“The lady of the manor asked that you join her for dinner. She also instructed me to let you know you should take your time and settle into your surroundings. There is a clean dress to wear when you come to the meal,” Char said, motioning to the light mint green lace dress on the canopy bed at the centre of the room. Ceryse sucked her lips together, making a thin line across her face. Nodding, she looked down at the gown and traced the intricate design of embroidery.
“Stunning, thank you,” Ceryse said to herself. A small click was the only sound that responded. She lifted her head, looking around the room and back towards the doorway where Char stood had been standing, was now empty.
Shaking her head, Ceryse went back to surveying the room that she would call home for the next three seasons. She couldn’t help but keep looking at the gown the head of the house had asked her to wear.
Her gut was unsure how she felt, as it churned from hunger and from the worry of her family facing punishment for the failure of the harvest festival ritual. Crossing the room, she snatched up the gown. Looking around the room, Ceryse saw Morghan’s animal companion.
“Hunter, do you mind leaving please while I change into this for your mistress,” Ceryse asked. Her voice trembled, unsure how Hunter would take being told to leave. Hunter’s ear pricked at his name. He nodded, raising to his feet.
“As you wish. Close the door behind me then,” Hunter said, leaving her room.
Ceryse was unsure of what she expected the dress to feel like, but it was nothing like she imagined. A dress of the Underworld should be harsh, cold, and prickle under her fingers. It was the opposite of what she’d expected, the emerald fabric was soft and so light that it seemed to float in a non-existent breeze.
Ceryse could imagine the Goddesses in their marble towers and grand halls striding around in such fine garments. There was a soft knock at the door, jarring her out of her daydream. It shattered the silence that she’d let herself be comfortable within.
Ceryse crept to the head of the bed and clung to the corners of the room. Ceryse dropped the gown, letting it slither off the edge of the bed and pooled at her feet. A sound of wraiths sounded through the gap. She cried in fear as the door cranked open.
A small child stood at the door dripping muddy water in the doorway wearing a black waterlogged cloak. A nervous smile danced across the young girls first. As she scuffed her feet, not daring to open the door further or even meet Ceryse’s eyes.
“Hello, are you lost?” Ceryse asked before she had even considered what stood in the doorway or what danger it could pose to her. The girl looked up, her smile turning into a sinister grin. Ceryse sucked in a breath and recoiled; there were black pits where the girl’s eyes had once been.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you want to play?” the child asked, a laugh followed the question. Ceryse’s skin went pale as she tripped over the dress. Ceryse let out a nervous giggle in between ragged breaths as she pushed herself back to her feet.
“I think it might be best if I see what the Goddess would like me to do. As she has told me to come to dinner,” Ceryse said, her knees knocking together. The haunted grin on the child’s face shifted into a frown. Her eyes fixed Ceryse on the spot with pits of darkness before opening their mouths with an eerie howl.
“That is quite enough, child. Go to the meadow before you miss joining in with the hide and seek game,” Hunter said as he walked into the room, jumped up onto the bed and stretched out widthways across it. The child stammered their lips closed before waving, spinning on the spot, and skipping out of sight. Hunter huffed and lowered his head, resting it on his front paws, crossed in front of him.
“Thank you, Hunter. Who or what was that?” Ceryse asked, bending to pick up the dress on the floor. Hunter growled.
“The child of the meadow. They are the young from your realm, which Odette closed their books on earlier than most humans. Full of potential, yet their souls crossed the river early. Morghan supplied a safe home and a chance to live a half-life. She loves them the most. I mean, after me, of course.” Hunter said, his tone clipped. He jumped off the bed, sniffing the air. His red eyes narrowed as he looked at Ceryse. Hunter circled her in the large arch, sniffing her again.
“What makes you different from the adult in your world? Why did she pick up to come here?” Hunter asked. Ceryse watched as Hunter stalked around the room, trying to not cry at the events that had unfolded in the last two days.
“I don’t know. The Goddess gave me a chance to not die at the hand of my brother. I don’t I am any different from other girls from my village,” Cerys said. Her voice shook. She tried to balance her feeling of old submission to her nerves to curl up into a ball and rock herself to sleep. Annoyance that most people she had spoken to in the last two days have wanted to control her fate or answers she couldn’t give them.
“I’m sorry; I should keep my thoughts and questions to myself. And, of course, the dark Goddess adores you the most; that is not in question,” Ceryse said, bowing her head at the hound companion of the woman who held her survival in the palm of her hands. Hunter retook his spot on Ceryse’s bed. Another knock at the door broke the eye contact between Hunter and Ceryse.
“Who is it?” Ceryse asked. She turned to see the tall man standing in the doorway once again. Char’s eye flicked between the pair.
“You should leave the poor girl alone to settle into her chambers,” Char said, his eyes fixed on the beast taking over the bed of Morghan’s ward. The gentleman in the door frame clicked his tongue as he shook his head. Hunter snarled but took his advice as he slunk off the bed, padding his way out into the hall.
“I didn’t mean to cause any trouble; it seems I have issues with everyone this evening,” Ceryse said. She lowered her eyes to the floor. She was unaware of how to show respect to those around her. So, she would not misstep so early during her time here. If she had any hope of surviving this hellish realm and returning home like they had promised her, she needed to figure it out. She’d chastise herself later, thinking that she was naïve in her hopes she could escape this place. Nothing living has ever returned from the Underworld.
“You are not causing any issues here. Char informed people in his smooth voice, resembling her father's, that they should not disturb the guests reserved for our mistress in this wing, emphasizing that they were not causing any issues. The familiarity of the tone and his presence gave her reassurance that this may still work out in her favour.
“They have asked me to see if there are any foods that cause you discomfort or that you would like to try,” Char asked, explaining his presence in her doorway. Ceryse shook her head, not being able to think of anything she would ask about before making sure she affected the lives of those around her as minimally as possible.
“Thank you; I will let you get acquainted with your space. Will you be attending a dinner with Morghan? She is in the dining hall waiting for you,” Char said before turning around and closing the door. Slumped at the foot of her bed, she wondered what was going to happen in the coming months and how she would navigate it all. She was being left in Charge of her life, but also being shepherded through a situation quite foreign to her.
Ceryse let out a heavy breath through her nose. She untied the sides of her dress, loosening it up. Her torso shivered against the brush of frigid air that blew across her exposed stomach. Small goose flesh rose to the surface of her arms and stomach. Clutching the dress to her breast, she turned around, searching the room to see if anyone had opened the door again or if it had a window open. Relieved, she saw the small buffalo on the curtain in the far corner. She hurried across the room and pulled it closed, relieved to see that the window was small enough and high enough up on the second floor of the manor house no one could see her.
Ceryse lowered the dress. She watched as it drifted to the floor. Holding up the stunning mint green gown crafted with intricate lace motifs at the centre of the draped lace panels was a beaded belt. Ceryse held the neck of the dress open, stepping into it and pulling up her body.
She gasped in surprise; it fit the curves of her body. The feeling that this dress evoked in her shocked Ceryse. It brought out the seductive power of her femininity and made her feel safe from men’s hungry eyes. The sensation spread over her tanned skin, seeping into her bones. Her skin. Ceryse sucked in a breath as She fastened herself into the dress. stomacher hands rested on her stomach as she took a long look at herself in the mirror set in the chamber’s corner. Turing from one side to the other, which only further informed her that this dress was the finest thing she would ever wear in her life.
Chapter eighteen
Morghan
Morghan stoked down the main hallway of the manor house, her breaths coming and a forceful Huff. “I mean, I should tell her and demand he come down and see her, should I?” Morghan said, spinning on her heels. Hunter skidded to a stop, yipping at the sudden change of direction as Morghan began stalking in the opposite direction up the hallway.
“And to think there was a great range of other people that were involved in that disgusting behaviour. Taking innocent people that had no right to their souls,” Morghan said in her voice, thinking with rage. A thud behind her stopped, tearing her tracks. She turned around and saw Hunter’s head resting against the wooden panel of the wall.
“Owl, that hurt. Will you please come down, mistress?” the hunter said, his voice whining as he pushed back up onto his legs and walked over to Morghan’s outstretch arms.
“I’m sorry, my love.” I’m just furious about God’s playing in realms where they don’t belong and gaining the sacrifices of people. And confused why my uncle disobeyed direct orders from my parents about going to the mortal realm and cavorting with mortals, which has led to Ceryse’s existence. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful that she exists, and my heart races when I see her, and my chest tightens, and I long to have my hands in her long, luscious brown hair and let my lips run down the crook of her neck and along the hollows of.”
A wet tongue that ran from the nape to her hairline cut Morghan off. A snigger escaped from hunters and snout as he looked at his mistress. Morghan’s nose turned out as she wiped his sliver off her face, her lips thinning as she blew out a breath.
“You know I despise that little one,” Morghan said as she straightened and walked down the corridor and out into the porch of the manor house more slowly and. Looking over the grounds at the children that had met their end before living a full life on the mortal realm Smiles from the older souls that had lived a full life coming to their final rest watching over the children’s free and reckless abandon or they played with each other and during the sound of the laughter on the brace.
“And what are you scared of Morghan? You’re the goddess of death; nothing can hurt you,” Hunter said, coming out onto the porch with his master’s head resting on the side of her knee. She’s crushed behind him, taking a long, hard breath.
“You see, telling someone they’re not who they think they are will change the entire world. That was a lie because I don’t even think either of her mortal parents is aware of the involvement my family has had in their lives before she even existed. She could despise me because I don’t know how to breach this with her or explain it. Making me part of the problem of keeping information from her about her is that she also has a bit more of a foot in this world. It would be my fault to twist it to my benefit to keep her, but everyone has a right to know their true destiny,” Morghan said.
“Make him tell her yes, you said you should make him come down here and face her; that’s what you should do,” the hunter said, his tail whipping the air.
“Who are we bringing here to tell who about what? We’re not taking real advice from the beast; we’re now mistresses who’s all cute and good at keeping you happy and a good companion, I guess, but in matters of a more delicate hierarchical manner, it might be worth noting someone who wasn’t expelled from his own,” Char said, his velvet tone pruning both Morghan and Hunter’s ears.
“It was a discussion I would have with you once I had calmed down long enough to comprehend. And how to proceed with distributing knowledge. And because you’re a trusted advisor, we would review any matters concerning the hierarchy of my realm and its interaction with other realms with you before making any firm decisions. People see me as a young goddess who possesses great power, even though others may be considered more worthy. Respect me enough, please, but I could rule with a level head,” Morghan said. She turned and fixed her straight on her shadowed advisor.
