Donna's Love

9

Eva pov

I sigh putting up Ma's stuff and fixing her chair while Bela leans on the desk watching me "Do you know where Belladonna is?"

She nods "Yeah she's outside in the garden".

I squeak when she grabs me pulling me with her "Come on little one".

She suddenly swarms around me causing me to gasp I start gagging and spitting when I accidentally end up with a fly in my mouth, once I spit it out I cover my mouth talking behind my hand "Keep your flies to yourself".

She chuckles as I'm dropped on my feet "You'll live".

I huff crossing my arms as I look around "Where are we?"

She hums "Music room".

She pulls me to the bench in front of the piano and lifts her hands "I'm going to teach you how to play instruments, Mother has already looked into hiring people to come to remodel the castle to make it better for her size".

I nod watching as she plays a song then gets up and grabs multiple books "Let's figure out
what you like".

Nodding I look at the choices "I want to try this" I point.

She smiles grabbing the book "Flute it's different than what we all learned, it would be easier
to play both as a child and adult once you learn".

I smile looking at all the instruments noticing some that are huge she chuckles "Those are mothers, she had them specially made to accommodate her size".

I smile as she hands me a flute case and opens another much larger one "Mother was the only one who could play the flute before, when she spends time with us individually or as a
group sometimes she likes to bring us here and we play together".

I nod as she closes the larger case and tells me how to put it together then starts her lesson.

A few hours later

Walking out of the room with her arm around my shoulders I smile at her "Remember to teach your body that when you breath not to suck your stomach in let it push out it allows your lungs to fill fully, people tend to suck it in it's a vanity or self-confidence thing trying to not look bigger but it hinders your breathing, I recommend breathing exercises lay on your bed put the heaviest books you can handle on your stomach here" she points where she means "and breath deeply it will strengthen your lungs".

I nod then scream being swarmed and taken off somewhere when I'm let down I see weapons everywhere and Cassandra standing there looking at me.

She spins opening a cabinet full of wooden weapons grabbing two and tosses one to me then takes a stance in front of me "copy me" she grunts at me I nod and pick up the swords.

Following her movements over and over I bite my lip unsure.

Two hours later

When she's done she swarms out with the wooden sword leaving me there, "Thank you Cassandra for teaching me" I say smiling.

I see Ma by the door and she motions me to come, I go to put the sword up "Keep it on you dragon".

I frown looking at her but shrugs going after her "Why?"

She hums "Cassandra will randomly attack you".

I look at her worried "Why did I do something?"

She kneels in front of me "No dragon it's to train you to defend yourself".

I relax and nod smiling "What'd you do while I was gone dragon?"

I smile looking at the floor "Bela started teaching me the flute and about breathing, then Cassandra took me away and we did this" I lift the sword.

She nods walking with me following "Sounds fun, Daniela will probably teach you something herself, and I will teach you something, my maid is looking for someone to come teach you as well".

I frown up at her "Someone to teach me what Ma?"

She smiles "Reading, writing, and math stuff you learn in school I know you have the basics down and have taught yourself more but they will help you do better with it".

I nod biting my lip and looking down "the orphanage lady said I was stupid when she was teaching me".

She leads me into her room "That is not okay, do you know why she did or was it your looks?"

I shrug looking at the ground "I didn't understand stuff sometimes, if I tried to use my hands to count or other ways to count she would slap my hands for it, if I had trouble spelling or
reading I was pulled in front of the other kids and talked to me like I was stupid."

She sits in a chair and pulls me on her lap "Okay it sounds like you need different methods of
learning, some people are visual learners some need hands-on, and sometimes people need
something completely different it does not mean you're stupid. It means you learn differently
can you tell me about your reading problems did the letters look wrong, move around, or
something?"

I frown shaking my head "No nothing like that just it was hard to understand what she called
simple words and sight words, I took longer to learn, know them right away, or spell and sometimes I had to sound them out".

She nods "Okay it sounds like you learn slower it just means your mind is having trouble taking in the lessons and retaining it, it's not uncommon we just have to work on a lesson plan and make it more stimulating for you we will find a teacher who works in special education learners".

I look down "so I'm dumb?"

She shakes her head holding me closer "No you are not you just learn differently, lots of children have that problem it's why many zones out in lessons or disrupt the class and sometimes do not try".

I nod looking down "I will make sure the teacher is trained to handle this and will not be rude
about it" she says.

I sigh and nod "Do you know if any lessons you liked were easier to learn?".

I shrug "Not when there but after I ran away the Duke would find me books to read, I liked reading about serial killers trying to understand how their minds worked and animals".