10. The Black Maid (Part 3)

“And so, Silika’s condition is…?”

“Stable, Marquess”

Every two weeks, I gave a report to Marquess Everest regarding Silika’s condition. Contrary to his wife, Alfred Everest did not know the nature of my identity. He only knew me as the ‘charity case’ his mother-in-law had forced on the family for one reason or another.

He let out a long sigh. 

“Can she speak?” He asked.

“No, my lord. She is improving physically, but her mind still appears clouded. She is more responsive and is beginning to express herself, but language seems to be outside her grasp.”

Marquess Everest leaned back on his seat.

“I heard rumors. Rumors about Silika... And you. Servants have reportedly heard my daughter speak ‘in tongues’. Care to elaborate?”

I gritted my teeth. I knew her speech wasn’t random, but if he knew she just couldn’t say the words properly…

“Idle gossip, my lord. She is still saying the same nonsense as when you last met her.”

He nodded.

“Have her ready for dinner.”

“Dinner?” I asked, trying my best not to let my voice crack.

“Yes. I want the family to be complete tonight.”

I bit my lips, but bowed nonetheless.

“Of course.” I replied and excused myself before heading back to Silika’s room.

Just dinner should be fine, but there’s no telling what could happen. Luckily, they will think nothing of me attending as an aid to the ‘sickly lady’.

As I rounded the corner, I found Silika sneaking out of her room again, with her bunny rabbit in tow. It never left her side anymore. She had become quite the little explorer in the last few weeks. Her balance had improved, but she was still prone to falling, so unfortunately for her, I have no choice but to scold her.

She turned her head and finally noticed me. Her eyes grew wide.

“Oh, neo…”

“Oh, yes.”

I picked her up and made a show of scolding her as she sat on the sofa. Of course, I wasn’t angry with her. It was natural for her to want to walk around as she had done before, but I couldn’t let her go on her own. If she fell down the stairs or got stuck somewhere, she could get seriously hurt. 

By the time I was done, the time had inched forward and it was getting close to dinner time.

I wish I could have given her instructions on what to do and not to do, or how to act, but trying to do so might just create more confusion. 

I dressed her up and then carried her to the dining hall. She was still clutching her stuffed rabbit. With her age and ‘condition,’ I doubt anyone would question it thankfully.

As we entered, an air of discomfort swept the room. The mood at the dining table was awful, to say the least. 

From seeing Silika’s expression, she could tell, too.

Marquess Everest started dinner by addressing the table.

“I would like to start by saying how happy I am to see our whole family gathered around the table once again. As I have told you all before, no one is to blame for Silika’s fall, and none should feel guilty for it. Your mother and I hope that you will learn to accept Silika despite her condition.”

The marquess put his hand on the marchioness’.

“Now then, why don’t we share what we have been doing for the last few weeks with Silika? Knox? Why don't you go first?”

The young lord nodded.

“Well, I have been focusing on reading up Seeir's scriptures. Specifically, on the topic of contract blessings. It seems like a useful skill to have for the future.” The teenage boy said with a nervous voice.

The Marquess approved with a grunt.

“Blessings granted by Seeir have many uses, but remember to dedicate your study first and foremost to Meiriem's scriptures. Her blessings have more uses than they might first seem.”

“Of course, Father.” Knox answered as he bowed his head.

“Ela?” Everest asked as he turned to his eldest daughter.

She cleared her throat.

“Well, before the cold settles in, I took the opportunity to improve my horse-riding skills. I learned during our trip east that I needed to become stronger so I may be able to travel without discomfort in the future.”

Lord Everest smiled and nodded.

“Very good, Ela. Dalton?” He said as he turned to the cadet of the family.

The little boy seemed a bit at a loss. After all, he wasn’t quite 5 years old yet and, like Silika, spent most of his days playing games.

“I...I’m learning how to play chess.”

The Marchioness.

“Very good, Dalton. Chess is a true gentleman’s pastime.” She said softly.

Dalton smiled happily at the praise. 

The master then turned to Silika and was about to ask her the same question, but caught himself. 

He thought to himself for a moment and then looked at her again.

“Silika? Why don’t you show us what you have there?” He asked, referring to the black bunny sitting on Silika’s lap.

Silika, realising she was being asked a question, looked up, but seemed at a loss.

“It’s simply a stuffed toy, Marquess." I answered for her. "The lady has become quite fond of them.” 

"I seem to recall her being quite taken with a a pink and blue bear last…?" My sister said as though she had ever seen it in person.

Had they had us watched?

"Simply not the one she's taken with at this moment. It's still around, somewhere."

Alfred Everest nodded once more.

“Good, good… Then without further ado, let us pray to Meiriem to thank them for reuniting our family once more.”

The lord then bowed his head and proceeded with the meal prayer. 

As usual, everyone repeated after him. Silika tried her best to sound like she was also doing so, but it could only be described as incomprehensible babbling.

She probably forgot what the prayer ever sounded like.

The family then proceeded with the meal. 

Marquess Everest conversed with his children and wife while leaving out the topic of Silika. The young lady, surprisingly, had a great appetite and finished her plate before the rest of the family. After which she simply sat on her chair looking bored for a while as she waited for the others.

“Doo as ood! Asit Alki?... Meu… Da ol ood, oi de mai inc um ic.” I suddenly heard her babbling.

I looked down, horrified. Silika had gotten so bored that she had started playing with her plush, but I had forgotten about her habit of speaking to herself out loud when doing so.

“Uoo li inc o? Ei peu o ou!” She continued, as I quickly  grabbed her by the shoulder and tried to get her to be quiet, but it was too late. 

The entire table was staring at her horrified.

“What in Diid’s name was that?!” Marquess Everest roared as he stood up knocking over his wine and staining the lady’s dress. “Did you not say she didn’t speak in tongues?”

“Marquess, it’s not what you…”

“Quiet! No more lies! The church will decide whether you have been deceiving me. If you did corrupt my daughter you will burn at the stake like the feral Scorn harlot you are!"

He composed himself, before looking back at me and speaking once more.

"Take her back to her room and have her ready in the morning. You better pray I heard wrong just now!” He said in a disgusted tone.

Fear grabbed my stomach. I bowed and quickly took Silika, leaving the dining room as quickly as I could. 

My mind raced.

Should I run? 

No, it's too dangerous.

They’d catch us before we reached the gates. 

I need time. I need a plan…

I bit my lips, I shouldn’t have waited, there never was any hope to hide her handicap forever was there? Why did she have to be born in this house?

I managed to put  Silika to bed, but as soon as I left, a guard was waiting for me right outside and escorted me to my room.

I thought of running away, but all throughout the night, I could hear shuffling right outside the door. 

I was now a prisoner…

The next morning, the same guard knocked at my door and escorted me to Silika. 

I dressed her up and got her ready to leave. She tried to grab her bunny plush, but I knew it could only hurt her right now. I promised myself to come and get it later before her parents disposed of it.

I didn't want Silika to lose her only friend in this place.

As I carried her to the coach, it felt as if I was sending her off to the gallows. 

I sat her in the coach under the threatening gaze of her parents.

After the coach departed, I was put officially put under house arrest in my room until further notice.

Later, I would come to learn that my worst fears had come true: they learned the true nature of Silika’s condition. She was branded a sinner and was indefinitely confined to her quarters. 

I was cleared of the suspicions of witchcraft, but, for lying to the lord, I continued to be under house arrest.

Once a day, they allowed me outside of my quarters to deliver food to the lady. Being a heretic, no one wished to approach her for fear of  receiving the same divine punishment as she did. As though deafness had anything to do with anything other than her fall. 

I was therefore ‘forced’ to deliver the food as part of my own punishment, accompanied at all time by a guard. 

Whenever the Lord or the lady were present, I was not allowed to deliver the meal.

One night, as I slid the food through the door, I caught a glimpse of her. She lay listless on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Her skin was bruised all over, wearing the same clothes I had dressed her that day now in tatters. 

Splatters of blood, vomit, and excrement could be seen everywhere around the room. 

My stomach turned as tears welled up in my eyes. 

If it wasn’t for the guard standing behind me… 

But there was nothing I could do… For now.

I bid my time, but I knew every day where I didn’t act meant another scar on Silika.

 The guilt gnawed at me. I had failed her, but I knew better than acting on my emotions, one wrong move and we would both burn at the stake. 

Despite being under house arrest, there were no guards at my door. So in the dead of the night, I snuck out of the estate and started making arrangements in town. It needed to look like a kidnapping or murder gone wrong. Silika had to disappear and be presumed dead so we could safely smuggle her out of the reach of the church… And her family.

One night, I came to Silika’s door with her disgusting meal in hand and knocked. 

After all, it would do no one any good for me to slip food in while the lady or the lord were present.

“What is it?” I heard my sister ask from the room.

“Dinner for the young lady, Marchioness.” I said with an unsteady voice.

I heard her turn around and walk toward the door. 

The door handle began turning, but then I heard Silika. 

She let out a long, painful sigh. 

My heart stopped. The door handle immediately snapped back, and I heard Merilia's heel echo on the ground. 

I heard a struggle and the awful, muted gasps of Silika being strangled.

In a panic, I instinctively reached for the handle, but I heard the rasping of a blade being drawn. I turned my head to see the guard pointing his sword at me with a cold look in his eyes. I retracted my hand, and he sheathed it once more.

The noise continued with the intermittent gasps of Silika struggling for air.

Tears flowed from my eyes as I stood powerless in front of the door. Mere feet away from then.

Then the sound of slaps began. Sharp echoes echoed across the door and through the halls. Over and over again. The sound against skin. 

It felt as if it went on for hours, but then, it stopped. 

Interrupted by a dull thumping noise and then the sound of my sister gasping for air.

Did… Did Silika hit her back? 

How was that…

But then I heard it, a piercing, guttural scream. 

It pierced right through the door into my ears. I immediately dropped to my knees and shielded my ears. The sound was impossibly loud. Too loud to be natural. It was so strong that even the guard threw his helmet off and struggled to remove his gloves and cover his ears.

That scream. 

It wasn’t just rage. It wasn’t human. It tore through the marrow of my bones, into the deepest parts of my being. A sound like wrath incarnate. 

I sat there, frozen, trembling. 

It couldn’t be... could it?

“Is that..?” I mumbled to myself, but caught myself.

That scream. It’s a blessing. A Scorn blessing… 

No, that's impossible! 

She’s not even baptised for crying out loud!

Merilia stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her. Leaning against it for support. 

The screaming stopped almost as quickly as she did.

The scream no longer affected me, I slowly stood back up as Merilia turned to the guard who was struggling to regain his composure.

“Leave. Speak nothing of this or you'll pay the price.” She said in a strong, yet shaken, tone.

The guard bowed and walked away briskly. 

I was about to follow in his wake, but my sister raised her hand, stopping me in my tracks.

Once the guard was out of earshot, she looked at me with contempt for a few seconds before addressing me.

“She’s like you." She said in a spiteful tone. "Father’s dirty blood managed to stain my children after all...” 

I grit my teeth and cast my gaze downward.

She hesitated before continuing.

“I guess animals attract each other. I’ll give you a choice: make her disappear before sunrise, or I will make you both disappear.”

She looked at me as I stood in place avoiding her eyes, and, without another word, she left.

I waited until she turned the corner before rushing inside the room. On the floor laid Silika, battered and bruised under the soft moonlight seeping through the gaps of the barred windows.

I ran to her, dropping the food tray filled with half-rotten food I had been carrying.

Her eyes were half open as if her mind was between life and death.

“Oh by Seeir, what has she done to you?” I began to sob. 

As I wiped the blood and mucus from her bruised face, I saw something I wish I never did between SIlika's swollen eyelids. 

Her eyes, they had turned a warm shimmering golden gold, the same as mine. A spark. Of me. Of her. Of something more than either of us had been allowed to be. It should’ve terrified me. But all I felt was a mix of joy and sorrow from the weight of knowing that she was like me now. 

Someone who could never truly belong to her own family.

I hated to admit it, but my sister was right. No matter how it occurred, if the Marquess or the church caught wind of this, neither of us would see the next sunrise.

I picked her up and used my apron to cover her.

“It’s going to be ok. I’m getting you out of here.” I whispered to her and myself.

The preparations weren’t finished, but they would have to do...