A Memory

7 year old Emeline sits in the childrens’ common room, watching Giana draw, Enzo snapping his fingers repeatedly while reading a book - little sparks emanate from the snaps, and the twins silently discussing… something, she can’t quite hear.

Beyond the sound of pencil meeting paper, rhythmic snapping, the sound of pages turning, and the low murmur of her siblings, Emeline can hear the ticking of the great clock that sits across from her. She observes the hands of the minute and hour clock move minutely, before her eyes move to watch the pendulum swing to and fro, left and right.

Finally, she breaks this delicate equilibrium that she and her siblings have found themselves in: Where’s Elias?

Everything stops at once, and the only sound that comes across the room is that of the ticking great clock.

She doesn’t stop looking at the clock as all her siblings turn to look at her, then looking at each other. It’s Enzo who breaks the silence first: Who cares. [He goes back to his book, but there’s a frown on his face and he’s no longer snapping]

Rosalla, turning to face Emeline fully: Rather than “who cares”, shouldn’t it be “why do you care” Emma?

Emeline shrugs, shifting to tear her eyes away from the rhythmic swinging of the pendulum: We never see him. Isn’t he our brother?

There’s tension in the room as she says this, and Giana laughs nervously: Papa told us not to talk to him, remember?

Emeline pouts: But Valai gets to talk to him, why shouldn’t we?

Otis scoffs: Valainya is older, and she does what she wants. [he stands, going over to her and picking her up. She squeals and kicks, but he carries her and plops her down beside Giana] Now do something productive and draw with Giana.

Emeline scowls at him as he goes back to the window to talk with Rosalla. Giana gives her a smile and offers her some paper, but Emeline just glowers at it: [whispers] It’s unfair.

Giana frowns and puts down the paper, going back to drawing: Papa said that mama is gone because of Elias, and that if we talk to him, we may disappear too.

Emeline’s scowl deepens: That’s stupid. Valai talks to Elias, and she’s still here.

Giana has nothing to reply to that, and Emeline groans, leaning back to lay down on her back. She watches the ceiling for a few more minutes, before turning to the door. Her eyes widen as she sees a pair of chubby little hands at the door, and two large blue eyes peering through. As their gazes meet, the other seems to shock, and the hands and eyes disappear. Emeline sits up, and looks around at her siblings. They’ve all refocused on their tasks, and aren’t paying any attention.

Emeline turns back to the door, and stands, sneaking to the door and sliding into the corridor, looking left and right. She sees the small body of a child running around the corner to her right. She starts after him. There’s barely anyone in the corridors, a few guards patrolling the halls, but no one she can’t avoid by simply ducking behind the hundreds of plants, pillars, or statues that decorate the halls.

Eventually, she reaches a door that is slightly cracked open, and she gingerly opens it wider, and closes it again once she squeezes inside.

The little boy she had been chasing sits by the window, looking outside. She sneaks up behind him and looks at what he’s looking at. Valainya and her knight-in-training are duking it out.

Emeline: They don’t like each other, do they?

The little boy jumps, and scoots backwards away from Emeline, eyes wide.

Emeline, with as evil a child’s grin can be: Hi, Eli~

5 year old Elias pouts, tears in his eyes: Emma, you scared me. [he looks around] Why are you here?

Emeline jumps up to sit beside him: The others are stupid.

Elias giggles: That’s a grown-up word Emma.

Emeline: [proudly] I’m a grown-up. [then she scowls] Otis, Rosalla, Giana, Enzo, they’re all stupid. Papa’s stupid.

Elias’ eyes widen: You shouldn’t say that Emma!

Emeline looks at Elias: Papa lies and tries to keep you away from us, he’s stuuuupiiiid.

Elias looks around nervously: Emma…

Emeline sighs and quietens down: … I wish I could have met Mama. Valai says she was much nicer than Papa.

Elias looks down and tears start to gather in his eyes: I’m sorry.

Emeline grabs his hands and kisses his forehead: No Elias! It’s not your fault! Valai says that Papa only blames you because he needs to have someone to blame. It’s not your fault she isn’t here.

Elias sniffs: But Papa says -

Emeline scootches closer to Elias and hugs him: [firmly] Papa is stupid. Me and you, we’ll show the others that you’re not what Papa says.

Elias cuddles closer to her, still sniffing.

They stay like that for a few more minutes, before there’s a commotion outside: Princess Emeline! Princess Emeline, where are you!?

Emeline quickly jumps down from the window nook, and sneaks in under Elias’ bed. Elias grabs a small plush rabbit and starts rocking it back and forth.

The door opens and a maid looks around the room frantically: Prince Elias, did you see Princess Emeline come in?

Elias looks up from his rabbit and shakes his head: No.

The maid sighs, and shakes her head: No, of course not. Sorry to disturb you, your highness. [she leaves, closing the door]

Emeline pokes her head out from under the bed: Is she gone?

Elias hops off of the nook and walks over to the door, listening: I think so.

Emeline groans: Why does this always happen?

Elias shrugs: Maybe they think you’re going to the kitchens to take cookies again?

Emeline scowls: That happened one time. [she sighs] I wish you could just join us, and then we wouldn’t have to sneak around.

Elias shuffles back to his plushie: If I go with you to the others, they could disappear.

Emeline sighs again: Elias, I just told you, Valai told me that that’s stupid - [she suddenly starts coughing like crazy]

Elias startles, walking towards her: Emma, you’re coughing again.

Emeline smiles through her coughing: I’m - [she coughs one last time] - fine. [she clears her throat and walks over to him, grinning] Want to play Rabbit and the Bird?

Elias brightens, but still looking slightly worried: Yes, please.

She smiles and goes under the bed again to take out a slightly dusty plush of a bird: Mr Rabbit, Mr Rabbit!

Elias picks up the rabbit plush, and makes it nod: Hello Mrs Bird!

They continue playing throughout the afternoon, and eventually Emeline stretches: I should probably go back to the others now…

Elias, downcast: Oh.

Emeline smiles at him: Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon~

Elias looks up at her with big eyes: [with his pinky out] Do you promise?

Emeline grins: [looping her pinky around his] Pinky promise!

Elias smiles toothily at her, and they hug. She walks over to his door and cracks it open, looking around. With a final thumbs-up to Elias, she slips out, and he’s left alone.

Emeline sneaks back to the children’s common room, and looks inside, only Enzo remains. She slips back inside and returns to her spot, staring at the clock.

Enzo, still reading his book, although now small globes of light float above his head: You worried the others, little lark.

Emeline startles, and then scowls: I was playing.

Enzo turns a page: Yes, with the runt, I know.

Emeline freezes for a half a second: N-no. I wasn’t.

Enzo sighs, putting down the book: You run off practically daily to go play with him, you don’t think that no one was curious enough to follow you?

Emeline more firmly: I wasn’t.

Enzo shakes his head, a mean smile on his face: Sure, little lark, whatever you say. [he goes back to reading his book].

She stands and walks over to him: You-

The door opens and in walks Valainya: Enzo, the dinner bell rang over ten- [she sees Emeline] Emma! Where have you been?

Emeline looks up at her innocently: I was playing in the gardens.

Valainya raises an eyebrow: Why didn’t you respond when the servants called for you?

Emeline grins at her: I was playing hide-and-seek.

Enzo scoff-laughs, and Valainya gives Emeline an amused look: You do realise you’ll get in trouble with father if you keep doing this.

Emeline blinks innocently: It’s not my fault everyone sucks at seeking.

Valainya shakes her head: Right, go on to the dining hall Emma, dinner’s about to be served.

Emeline nods and skips off, before stopping at the door: Will Eli be there?

Valianya pauses and looks at her sadly: No, I’m afraid not.

Emeline scowls at the floor again: Right. Stupid. [she leaves]

Valainya turns to Enzo: Well, come along, time for dinner.

Enzo, languidly turning another page: I wonder how much longer she’ll be able to see Elias before he curses her too~

Valainya scowls at him: Don’t be ridiculous.

Enzo shrugs: I’m just saying, mother’s health was extraordinary before she was with child with him.

Valainya: She had complications during birth, it was unfortunate, but it happens.

Enzo hums, placing a bookmark into the book before snapping it shut: In any case, I don’t imagine that once father finds out she’ll be able to continue.

Valainya sighs, looking out the window into the darkening sky: Let them be children for now, Enzo. Their lives won’t be nearly as easy once they grow.

Enzo lets out a dramatic sigh: You ask so much of me. [he stands and stretches] Fine, I’ll leave the little lark and runt to play. [he walks past her into the hallway] But you owe me one~

Valainya looks after him, giving one last look to the rising moon: What am I supposed to do mother?

Valainya stays still for a moment, and there’s no reply. She stares bitterly at the ground and then leaves the room. The glowing orbs that Enzo had been using float up and down once more before popping, and leaving the room in darkness.