The Deathly Scream - 𝟙

༒ Forty-two ༒

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I spent two days observing Madame Orsini's routine and with all the things I knew about her, this plan had to work out. Around noon, she would leave the study room to get some coffee and most of the time stay away to order the maids their assignments. To make sure she'd stay away, I told Jade to keep her busy if necessary and asked another maid to join me into the study room. She had no idea what she was doing in the first place.

Estelle, a small girl with white curls all around her head, joined me when we walked over to the study room, making sure no one was in the hallway.

'If Madame Orsini comes back you warn me', I tell her and it seems like she doesn't dare but agree.

'Princess, I don't want to offend you, but how are you going to enter this room. She always locks it', Estelle whispers unsure when she keeps looking around nervous.

'We have our powers', I wink at her and she sets a step back when I tell her too. One of the great things about being a princess was that you learned about a certain magic at a young age, by controlling your feelings. I laid my hands against the door, closing my eyes until I found a point where I could connect with something deeper, a kind of hidden magic.

'Aperire ad dominam tuam', I mumble concentrating on a clicking sound.

'Aperire ad dominam tuam'.

Estelle looks at me stunned, never seen the use of magic before. The door makes a clicking sound and before I realise it opens right in front of me, my hands still on it.

I look over my shoulder at Estelle who has turned completely white and I walk in after checking the corridors again. Madame Orsini would be disappointed if she knew I had lied to her, but on the other hand she did the same to me.

I walk in, at first a little unsure when I see the gardeners through the window, but they shouldn't' ask questions. That wasn't their work. I look up at the shelf, seeing the corner of the greyish book on top of it, too high for me to reach it.

I had to think fast, if Jade couldn't keep her busy I may get in huge trouble. Without realising, I take a chair and place it before the large bookshelf, trying to get a grip on the other planks of it. Even when I stretch my arm I'm not tall enough and for a second I realise that maybe Ezra wasn't tall, maybe I was indeed to short. I jump of the chair, quickly taking our thick bibles from the desk and lay them on top of it.

Standing on a bible was maybe one of the most unrespectful things I could do, but I had to take that book. She was keeping something from me, I had seen the history pages of Ivory. I wasn't going mad and I would prove it.

I stretch my arm again, while the chair moves a little under me. Once my hand touches the book, I sigh in relief and take it, looking at the front page.

'Forbidden Magic', it read. I stare at it confused for a while, not understanding why this wasn't a history book. But I knew it was the book I was looking for it, it was exactly the same, even the old smelly pages. I browse through it quickly, not thinking of my time when the door opens in a rush and I almost fall of the chair, not expecting any guests.

Madame Orsini stands in the doorway, her arms crossed over each other, looking mad at me. Behind her Estelle looks down at the carpet, too afraid to look me in the eyes when Jade tries to get my attention by gesturing that she couldn't stop her auntie.

We keep staring at each other, not saying a word when I slowly step of the chair. There was no way I could bring up an excuse this fast.

'I can explain ....', I start but she holds up her hand, keeping me quiet in a second.

'Honestly Rosalia, I do everything to make sure you are following the right path and now you lie to me? Come up with a whole plan only to take a book?' She hisses louder than I expected she would. It makes me startle at first but I try to get a grip of my emotions again. 'You could have asked me to lean that book', she notices again, her eyes wide open to make her point clear. I shouldn't have lied.

'I thought .... I thought something was wrong with it, you pretty much pulled it out of my hands when I took it that day', I say desperate but she shakes her head, not agreeing with me.

'You three are going to the King with me right now. You may be a princess but you have to learn some respect', she says before taking the book again and lays it down on her desk, making sure the three of us leave the room. I can't bring out a word, I make one mistake and all of a sudden I'm unrespectful to her. I follow Jade and Estelle into the corridor, all our gazes focused on the carpet.

'I expected more from you, Rosa', Madame Orsini walks behind us after closing and securing the door again. I don't answer, trying to come up with something I can tell my father. But there was no excuse, lying would be horrible now.

'I can't lose my work', Estelle squeals next to me.

'That won't happen, I promise you', I assure the frightened girl, but I wasn't that sure myself. My father was unpredictable.