Beneath the Fountain

2. Another Surprise

I suck in a breath as Helena pulls the strings tightly, my ribs feeling as if they are going to crack from the sudden, immense pressure that was forced upon them. I grip the wardrobe for support at her next merciless pull, feeling the air leave my lungs. I'm becoming lightheaded already, and I haven't even been wearing this corset but a minute. I sigh in discomfort as I readjust myself in an attempt to loosen the corset although I know it's not possible.

"Only one more," Helena encourages, knowing that I absolutely despise corsets. They are so tight and constricting. When I wear them, I feel as if I could pass out at any moment. I hear the scratching of the strings as I brace myself for the final pull, which is also the worst. She pulls tightly, and I gasp. It feels as if I have lost my ability to breathe. My chest is constricted by the tight fabric, leaving hardly any room to inhale the sweet air.

I lean against the wall for a moment, trying to figure out my breathing rhythm. I have to take short, quick breaths compared to my usual long ones. I use my hand to fan myself, trying to get all the air I can. But there is something that is bothering me more than the corset, and it's been bothering me ever since breakfast this morning. "Is this right, Helena?" I ask.

She cocks an eyebrow at me, looking as if I offended her. "Of course it's right. I've been putting corsets on for years," she states. "It's supposed to be hard to breathe, Sage. That is the price you must pay to wear a corset."

I laugh shortly, almost sounding choked in a way. "No, I don't mean the corset. This feels as miserable as ever. I mean the ball."

"Well what would be wrong with it?" she asks confused as she brings out a wide gown covered in a white sheet. I can't see it, but I'm not sure if I really want to. Helena looks so small in comparison to it. Why would a dress have to be so big?

"Mother sent out the invitations during mourning," I explain to Helena, trying not to be distracted by the huge white mass in her hands. "Isn't that wrong? I mean, she shouldn't have sent them out. She disrespected my father."

"Well, I wouldn't encourage her actions, but I don't think what she did was completely wrong either. She was doing it for you, after all. I'm sure your father wouldn't mind, especially since she is just trying to make you happy."

"But that is another thing that's been bothering me," I state, leaving the wall and standing up with good posture as a lady should. 

"What's been bothering you?" she asks confused. She pushes some of her red hair out of her face so that she can see me clearly. Her violet eyes almost seem to have a glow to them. I've always loved them because I've never seen anything like them.

"This may sound crazy, but the fact that my mother went to such great extents to set this ball up, like breaking mourning and spending her time preparing this all for me is unlike her. She never does anything for me, so why would she start now? At many times, I truly believe that she despises me. I just don't understand," I admit quietly.

Helena looks at me with sad eyes. Her eyebrows are furrowed and eyes tired, almost as if she knows something, but she doesn't offer any hints. "That's ridiculous," she says. "Your mother doesn't despise you, albeit she does have a strange way of showing you how she feels. I wouldn't worry about it. This ball may just be her way of saying that she loves you."

I listen to Helena, wanting so desperately for her words to be true, but a part of me just can't accept it to be the truth, not after years of living with her cold, unfeeling eyes. I nod, though, not wanting to concern Helena anymore with my thoughts. She seems to think that this whole situation is fine so I feel as if I should stop worrying myself. Still, I can't help but wonder if this is as selfless as my mother claims it to be, because if there is one thing I know about my mother, it is that she always has an ulterior motive more everything. And that ulterior motive is always in her favor.