The bond

6. The song

The following morning, Aiden is already gone. It's sometime after breakfast, judging from the sun. He didn't wake me. I find it strange since he seems to enjoy his usual morning torture sessions with me.

I get dressed, pulling on my brown leather pants, black boots, and white shirt. After I pack my book into my leather satchel, I decide to go to the kitchen to grab some food and drink for my visit to the bloom tree.

When I get to the kitchen it's quiet, too quiet. I move around the massive space. No one's here, how strange. I move around a corner and collide into a woman, knocking her and the culinary items she was carrying.

"I'm so sorry," I squeak, moving to help her up.

She stills when she sees me, a small yelp escaping her lips. I hold my hand out to her, encouraging her to take it, but she is looking at my hand as if it's going to grow legs and bite her.

I sigh. "Please, I didn't mean to knock you down. I understand you are wary of me, but please, let me help," I say quietly.

Cautiously, the woman takes my hand as I help her off the floor. Once up, she brushes her dress off and fixes her lovely, sun kissed locks, pinning a few loose strands back in her platted high bun. As she stands, her emerald eyes fix on me.

"Thank you," she says timidly. "I'm Madeline, is there something that brought you here?" she asks.

"Oh, yes. I only came to get myself some food. I slept in this morning and missed breakfast," I say, smiling at her.

"Of course, I'll grab you something right away," she replies.

"Oh, no. There is no need for you to create more work for yourself. I can manage." I say.

She seems shocked by my words and lowers her gaze from mine, stunned as to what to do or say.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to make more work for you. I just noticed your usual staff is not around." I wave my hand around at the empty kitchen.

"The rest of the staff are with His Majesty and the prince for the preparations for the ball tomorrow night. I get left behind all the time to struggle through on my own, so they can punish me when they return," she sighs.

"I have been around the castle very little, so it's no wonder I haven't noticed the preparations being made."

I look around and see all the work that Madeline is expected to do on her own when the kitchen usually has fifteen staff just for morning preparations. I smile when I get a brilliant idea. Before I begin, I decide to do something simple to gauge her reaction. I hold my hands out calling forth my deerling. In a little puff it prances out, cantering through the air over to Madeline.

She inhales deeply and goes rigid as it moves closer, stopping right in front of her. She watches as my deerling plays in front of her, as if begging her to play. Slowly Madeline softens, reaching out her hand she gingerly runs a shaking finger down its back. It nestles into her touch and she relaxes as a smile slowly spreads across her face.

With Madeline distracted, comfortably playing with my deerling, I decide to get to my task in mind. I think of the staff who usually help in the kitchen. The chef at the stove, Angela peeling the vegetables, Linda sweeping the floors, Monica baking the bread and Noreen preparing the meats, vividly bringing them all to life in my mind.

I raise my hands, casting forth my first multiple summons of fourteen helping hands for Madeline. Slowly, I open my eyes. Beautiful strings of shimmering blue, twist and curl, stretching out through the kitchen, forming into solid light copies of her kitchen companions. I hear Madeline inhale sharply at the sight of the copies working the kitchen, cleaning the mess from breakfast and doing the preparations for the afternoon. I stiffen, thinking of her reaction but keeping my concentration. Madeline slowly walks over to me, gaping at the sudden activity in the kitchen.