Inside the Beast's Castle

Chapter 21--Old Promises

For the first time in a very long time, I actually slept well.

Well, for the remainder of the night, anyway.

I woke up in my bed, with no memory of walking there myself. The sheets were placed on top of my shoulders, almost carefully. On the side of the bed I wasn't on, a small rectangular object rested on the mattress.

I poked my fingertips out from under covers and touch the thing, rubbing my thumb up and down the hard top. I found the groove of an engraving and traced the spiraling shape up and down the cover. I gave a tiny grin. The thing on the bed was what I read the night before, Eleven Chimes. A small slip of paper was poking out from the pages marking the spot I had left off at.

I sat up in my bed at stifled a yawn. The sunlight flooding the room made me feel like a cat--lazy.

A muffled noise from across the room made me jump.

"Gah!" I cried, throwing the book that I held in the direction of the noise.

A small "oof" told me I hit my target. Sadly, that target was Lia. She rubbed her head where I had hit her and held the green-covered book with her first finger and her thumb.

Oops.

"Lia! I'm so sorry!" I cried, rushing over to her. She sat up in the velvet chair she had been sleeping in.

"It's alright, Miss. Although it is best to not throw objects at sleeping victims."

I opened my mouth to apologize again, but noticed the small smirk hidden behind her blonde hair.

I laughed and extended my hand. "What are you doing in here anyway?"

Lia placed the book in my hand and smiled widely. "Would you like to eat something, Miss?"

Immediately, my suspicions arose. The smile the plastered onto her face a wide--too wide to be a real smile. That wouldn't have bothered me, except for the fact that she changed the subject so quickly.

"Lia?" I asked. I crinkled my eyebrows together worriedly. "What's going on?"

The smile stayed in place like it was painted on. At my question, she walked past me briskly to the other side of the room and picked up a tray with food on it, which she then brought back over to me.

"Have something to eat, Miss," her voice quivered. Her wide green eyes were filled with fear--at what I didn't know.

Surely she's not scared of me.

I walked over to my bed and sat, patting the spot next to me. "Come on."

Shakily, she came over and placed the tray where I had patted. I shook my head. "No, silly! That's where you sit."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh no, Miss! I couldn't!"

I smiled at her. She needs to calm down. "Of course you can. Just sit."

With warriness, the plopped down on the bed. A barely audible sigh escaped from her lips. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ears and gestured at me to begin eating.

Oh, yeah. Food.

I dug into the cinnamon roll on the plate, not caring about my "manners" at all. Why should it matter? It's just me and Lia..

After I was done with my food, I placed the fork that I had barely used on the silver tray. I could tell that Lia had calmed down significantly when I stopped acting like I was going to question her.

I got up from my bed and beelined toward the dresser. I grabbed a dress and went to the bathroom to change.

Lia didn't move.