Grizelda woke up on a large stack of pillows and a few sheets. There was a small stool beside her and a glass of water. Her head was aching, she grabbed onto it to feel that there was cloth around it. Where was she? Who had taken care of her? Slowly the memories from the night before flooded in. Each detail that she remembered numbed her until she lay down again and stared at the ceiling. After a while, she heard a voice.
“She’s awake miss!” She tried to peek out of the room, but the young woman left as quickly as she came.
Slowly two pairs of families came into the room. One was blatantly wealthier than the other. Grizelda was frightened, backing up a little into the frame. The ones in poverty she recognized as her neighbors but the richer family were strangers and looked upset.
“Grizelda, please have a drink.” Her neighbor, Accorsa spoke. Grizelda did as she was told, taking the glass and fulfilling her thirst until there was nothing left. “This is Grizelda Hex.” She began to explain to the other pair. “Born to Nicholas and Katherine Hex, whose main origin is Coraline Hex.” She explained in a serious tone. The wealthier family seemed shocked for a moment before the man stood up.
“Our stock was destroyed, we can’t afford to blame it on legends and myths.” The man known as Gotto spoke.
Hearing this Grizelda's eyes widened. Could it be possible? She was cursed with the same curse that created Coraline Hex. Could the curse lead to legend-type evil?
Accorsa continued. “Her parents remained pure, but when higher desperation came due to the famine I never saw them again. She had a sister, but yesterday when I found Grizelda her sister was gone. Grizelda is cursed, she can't sin, or else the people will be at risk. I have reason to think that this desperation regarding the famine was what caused her sister to rob you of your work. As you can see Grizelda was harmed and is severely malnourished. I heard screaming, crying, and believe she is innocent.” Gotto and his wife observed Grizelda. “The curse is real.” Accorsa came close to Grizelda who was still shaking slightly. She took a strand from the right side of Grizelda’s hair, which was a bleach white while the other side was an ash black. “This is the curse’s mark.”
Grizelda sat up finally, her lips still swollen making her sentences harder to understand but she tried. “I didn’t want to! Adiscordia didn’t want us to starve and mamma was gone! I was sleeping and she went and took it! I woke up and she tried to give me some, but I didn’t take anything! She was furious at me, and her-“ Grizelda found herself at a loss for words. “She hurt me because I wouldn’t eat. Then- curse- she ran away.” Her looks were distant as if she was still replaying last night's events.
“What is this curse? Where is your sister? If the curse is a danger then we should just hang Adiscordia shouldn’t we?” Gotto asked, his wife nodding at the obvious.
“No!” Grizelda protested.
“No.” Accorsa’s husband, John stood up. He was a foreigner from intermarriage, but he knew the truth of plenty of stories and legends. “The curse can not be killed or stopped. At this point Adiscordia would be difficult to kill, she would need to be caught and the vessel burned or destroyed. Even so, the curse would only be passed on, and if you killed its vessel it would simply invade other vessels it desired and multiply through generations.”
“Then what should we do?” Milia, Gotto’s wife asked.
“It seems that all we can do is assist where her parents failed. We must take care of Grizelda and assist her in staying on the right path. If she grows in purity we can only hope that one day she may be able to reason with her sister, and stop any disaster that is brought among us.”
“Sadly.” Accorsa interrupted. “During these times we don’t have the money nor resources to provide fully for ourselves, and we can't take in another member in our home. We were hoping that you would be able to assist.”
Grizelda quickly looked to Milia and Gotto. “Please, I will work very hard to return what Addy took! I’ll clean, work, and be as good as I can!” She pleaded.
Milia observed Grizelda, before exchanging looks with her husband. “My name is Milia, and this is my husband Gotto.” She said giving a proper introduction to Grizelda. “It’s nice to meet you. Don’t worry about our losses, It seems you have your own to worry about. What do you own Grizelda?”
Grizelda’s doll was still in her arms as she loosened her grip to show it off. She looked around the room for the rest of her possessions. “She also had a bedsheet, but I needed to wash it, it was filthy. It’s hanging outside to dry.” Accorsa added. Milia waited for more but received nothing else. She almost seemed pained to see a child living in such a poor state, especially one as special as Grizelda. She could see why Adiscordia had stolen their goods.
“Give us a chance to discuss this privately together. We might be back within a few hours but if we haven’t returned by night we will at the least spread the word to find this girl a home.” Gotto finished. “Good day.” With that, he and Milia left the room.
Grizelda went back to laying on the bed. Things were changing so much so quickly. At the very least she received some help, but she was still alone. She held her doll tight and began to cry quietly again. She missed her sister. Accorsa sat beside her, rubbing her back. “I am so sorry, it was such a sensitive situation I didn’t want to intervene, but now I had no choice.” Grizelda was grateful, thanking and hugging her neighbor close, but she wished she had been hearing her mother’s heartbeat instead.
She didn’t expect the richer folk to return, but they did. As it turned out Milia was unable to have children and wanted a child to love. Gotto wanted a child to teach his work to. Grizelda needed a mother to guide and love her and a father to teach her useful skills in life. It was a good match. They took Grizelda home and bathed her as soon as she arrived. They were quick to introduce their home, rules, and the role she played in the family. They were surprisingly kind and accommodating. Grizelda knew she was safe.
She adjusted and soon began to learn how to cook, bake, clean, and build. Despite taking on the role of a helper, she was loved like family. It slowly began to heal her. She no longer feared the curse, starvation, or the rich. As the year progressed, she was grateful to have thicker sheets and an actual quilt inside a house with a roof. She nearly forgot about the curse until a new threat appeared.
Some men were being recruited for the war against a neighboring city just across the border. This city was called Rhionine. Rumors had been spreading for a while, and the beginning of the war had sparked hate toward the Rhioninians. Grizelda had to mature despite her young age. She very often stayed in the kitchen or upper floor to avoid racist comments in conversation or biased rumors. She couldn’t afford to hate anyone, despite being surrounded by it. Her new family was very good at understanding what was at stake and often helped her by giving her explanations as to why opinion, no matter how popular, was never fact. All this helped but living above and working in a well-known bakery meant people were always in and out, gossiping and chatting. She could still hear them. Being strong, she refused to speak against those who she hadn’t met. For that, others soon began to speak against her. Directing their Rhioninian hatred towards her as well.
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