The Altercation Of The Heart

Chapter 14

"There you go, ma." Relief adorned the sisters' faces when they completed the task of helping their mother onto the worn sofa.

The early morning birds chirped their song from outside and the sun was starting to shimmer over the horizon, subtly signalling to her that it was time to leave for work. She looked to Esme, who already knew what Emmeline was thinking.

"It's alright, I know you need to get going," Esme said.

Grimace was marred onto her face as she gazed at her mother's now sleeping form, "I wish I could stay longer."

"I know, Em but I will be with her. You don't have to worry about a thing."

Emmeline stood to walk into the bedroom but Esme's voice stopped her. "Em, you remember you gave me money the other day for new clothes and necessities?" Nodding Emmeline stood confused. The expression on her face made Esme continue, "Well, I saw this very beautiful dress but they didn't have it in my size."

"Alright,-" Emmeline spoke mistakenly thinking that Esmeralda had finished her statement but was soon interrupted.

"However they had it in your size so I bought it." Her gaze finally lifted to Emmeline's eye line and she smiled softly, "It is on your side of the closet if you wish to wear it." Her attention was now on her mother as Emmeline had slowly left the room.

Disbelief was written on Emmeline's face as her back leaned on the door that she had just closed. She couldn't believe that Esme had bought her a dress, it wasn't that Esme had been inconsiderate-if anything she begged to buy her older sister something but many times Emmeline refused and told her to buy what she needed.

Taking a breath in, Emmeline wandered to the closet and opened it, anxious to find the dress that Esme had bought her. Her hand latched onto the hanger the dress was hanging from and pulled it out. Holding it in front of her, she admired its beauty and even gasped at the fine detail embedded in it.

The dress was a dark purple with black crystals jewelled upon the torso area, swirling and curling into an abstract flower at the breast. Upon putting it on, the torso defined her slight curves and flowed down a little at her hips. The purple plain sleeves started a little below her shoulders and wrapped around her slender arms. She decided that her hair should flow down her bare porcelain back but had half of it in a ponytail to make work easier for her. Emmeline had no jewellery to piece that outfit together, however, the purple cloak had the same pattern at the top of the cloak as the torso of the dress.

After minutes of getting ready, Emmeline said her goodbyes and left the home in her new dress and matching cloak that came with it.

Emmeline had immediately started with her work as soon as breakfast was delivered to the King and Queen's room which they were not in. It should not have bothered Emmeline as much as it did but she soon realised that she wasn't his significant other in any way shape or form. She continued to polish vases in the corridors and whilst doing so was deep in thought.

'I don't understand why I am feeling this way about King Silas. Is it normal? I pleasured myself over him- that is something I know I will never be able to say aloud. It isn't my fault, right? He does give signals of being interested in me but it is hard to believe when he is unalterably married. MARRIED, Em. He already has a queen, what could he possibly gain from me?' she sighed and moved on to the next dusty vase in the corridor. 'I have tried to forget about him. Well, not completely forget about him, just forget the way he makes me feel but it is impossibly irreversible. It is like he has taken an invisible dagger and with it slashed a permanent mark on my soul because every time I am near him or even think about him the speed of my heart increases and my breathing becomes...becomes...well heavy or non-existing.'