The Other Side

Madeline laid listlessly on her oversized feathered mattress, her eyes open yet glazed as her mother runs her dainty fingers through her daughter’s long ringlets. A faint off-tune humming carries throughout the room, maladroit yet kind in its attempt to soothe. The door silently creeks, as an older servant bows her head in silent request. The worried noble beckons the hunched housemaid enters into the chamber with the small motion of the mother’s hand.
 
“My baroness Laqueena, my lady Madeline” The servant starts, head still bowed “your father wishes for your attendance at tonight’s supper. He says the young lady has sulked in her room for too long without proper food or drink and that it breaks his heart to see his family so.”
 
“Do you hear that darling?” Her voice is as sweet as thick warmed honey as she speaks to her daughter. Cooing to her. “Your father wants us down for dinner. He says he may have a gift for you tonight…”
 
The warmth of the magic torches in the room reflects against her mother’s obsidian skin as she shimmies to the bed’s edge. She glides to her feet and pats her noble dress smooth while Madeline’s eyes gradually begin to refocus, and turn faintly to look to her mother.
 
“Mother – would the creature in forest be able to bring my kitten back?”
 
The handmaid gasps and wheels around from the door with unmasked fear. Looking towards the girl she sharply admonishes her on instant. Her cry shrill and angry as Madeline cowers back from the verbal slap.
 
“The creature in the forest is never to be spoken of!”
 
“And you are never to speak to my daughter in that tone of voice Matilda! Be gone!”
 
Madeline looks hurt and a bit embarrassed as the servant bows quickly and shuffles out the door with a heavy clap of the door closing.
 
“Mama…Mother.” Madeline mumbles, correcting her speech automatically. “I apologize for bringing the name up. I just…I heard he was powerful and he had…” Her mother rests her hand on her daughter’s shoulder, squeezing her comfortingly.
 
“While you should not speak of magical rumors and common folk gossip, you are my little baroness my dear girl. You can be respected and be respectful. You must emanate your station from your words, deeds and appearances. Otherwise those who rule will try to rule you. And you’ve been hurt much too much from their actions my little raven’s feather.”
 
“But mother, he may be able to bring…” “Madeline! Not another word of this!” A sharpness of her voice makes Madeline rock a step back, then put her head down in shame. The beautiful woman goes to one knee, and squeezes her daughter in a large warm hug. “Dear; let’s go see what gift your dad brings.”
 
Knowing that the topic was closed from further consideration, Madeline hangs her head and turns to her wardrobe to prepare for dinner.
 
~*~
“No, I don’t want another kitten!” Madeline shouts, frozen at the dining hall’s main doors. She sees her father looking at a rendering of week old kittens, drawn to bring them almost to life on the page.
 
“But darling, I want to get you another friend. And this litter was just born a fortnight ago. There’s even one all black one that can…”
 
“No! You can’t replace my kitten! Would you replace me with another child so easily?!” Madeline’s jet black hair moves like waves of ink as she shakes her head at her father in horror. “Would you just go to the market and find one with the right black hair and skin and start calling her Madeline if I were gone?”
 
“Darling, I would never…” The baron starts, as his wife turns to their child. “Madeline, don’t speak to your Father in that sort of tone.”
 
“Exactly father! While everyone else treats me as spoiled or a burden, I had one friend. And I’m going to get him back!”
~*~
 
The forest was relatively far from their estate. Ignoring their cries the spry elf girl sprinted past the guards, nothing but grasping blobs in her stream of tears. Luckily during the tempest everyone who had a reason to be inside stayed inside.
 
The pound of the mud underneath her house slippers did nothing but freeze her feet faster. The roar of the thunder and streaks of lightening blew above her, around her, but never at her. It showed her where to go in a strange sense of power and a dangerous invite. Like a friend’s knowing look, telling you to get ready to do the same, before diving off a cliff to the unknown waters below.
 
She ran through the estate’s small town unencumbered. Puddles and rocks tripped but did not stop her. Time meant nothing as she hiked, fell, pulled, and journeyed her way through the forest, through the wetlands, and into the marsh. Thorns and branches scratched at her skin and wrapped in her hair, and still she made her way forward.
 
She ran until she couldn’t run anymore. Her body gave out. And she laid face down. Feeling her eyes prickle threateningly familiar to salty hot tears. Madeline, with a mouth full of mud and eyes full of water brings her head up to look at pristinely clean and white shoes. They almost hover above the muck, leaving even the soles spotless.
 
“Hi Madeline.” He spoke to her as if they were lifelong friends. The man was insanely tall and almost sickly thin. Everything this man wore was white. It seemed his whole being was white, from the long flowing white locks to his eyebrows, to his skin and lips, and refined goatee. He made an opening motion in the air and the rain streamed around them, like an invisible umbrella had been thrown up to block the elements. “Thanks for coming out here so late and in such bad weather.”
 
His porcelain skin matched his perfect teeth as he helped her to her feet. He took a few swipes to her tattered clothes, and with each wipe and arcane words the dirt and rain left her clothes too.
 
“Um…how do you know my name?” Madeline asked worriedly. Her trepidation was forefront in her voice. No notice was given to her suddenly clean frame. “And that I was coming here?”
 
“Oh I simply like to stay prepared my sweet. There’s no one around who doesn’t know the local royalty and their precious tiny baronette.” His voice lowered as he went to squat to Madeline’s side. His long limbs were dizzying and the mere proximity of his voice to her ear seemed to ensnare her. Making her forget that she had asked two questions. ”So what can I do for you? The local word is that you lack nothing.”
 
“Are you the devil?”
 
His voice was lush and velvet as he laughed out deep and long. His baritone amusement seemed to quell the storm as the strange man slapped his knee in glee.
 
“Am I the devil? Am I THE devil? Little girl, I think I love you.” He calmed his mirth and wiped a tear from his eye. “While I doubt any devil, especially THE Devil would simply give you a straightforward yes, I can assure you I am neither. I am a simple man, fooling with the arcane, enjoying his solitude in a place no sane elf or man would bother with.”
 
“Oh… then I’ll take my leave then.” Madeline sighed, abruptly turning around.
 
“Wait wait! My child, you’re not telling me you want to speak to those cursed creatures?” The white eyebrow cocked as his wide stride brought her to the front of the girl’s face again. He folded himself so he could look at her at her height.
 
“If you’re an angel, go away. I need the devil’s ear today.” Madeline bowed delicately, and shifted her weight to move past him. “I’ll come again some other day, for I have a request I cannot say.”
 
His sophisticated fingers caught her chin, and forced her to look into his eyes. A crackle of arcane energy passed between them, bringing a knowing smile to the man’s lips.
 
“A kitten hmm? Well it certainly is banned magic. But then again it, and you, are both so small… I won’t even ask you for a contract my dear. I’ll give you the knowledge to get your kitten back.” The damp air began to sizzle in an iridescent white light, thick and soupy, like a corrupt imitation of celestial light. “It may not be the way you wish.”
 
“I’ll make it work angel. I just need the knowledge to get to the right path.” Madeline’s voice sounded shaky, but sure. The wind continued to blow around them both. The man brushed his long white hair to the side, his lip curling to the side in a lupine smile. His dogtooth glinted, faintly blinding her.
 
“Angel hmm? I think that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” He laid a kiss on her cheek, landing like a punch to the soul. Madeline screamed as her eyes went milk white. And the knowledge she never expected poured into her like a waterfall of oil, slick and polluted, into her brain. “Have fun Madeline. I hope to see you soon.”