Cinder X Bella ~ Twenty!

When she woke up, Bella threw the doors to the cellar open, only to find that it was a cold, dreary, overcast, and drizzling morning. After a moment of arguing with herself, she descended the stairs once more, pulling on her warm servant dress—hoping it would be the last time she needed to do so. “Suzy, what do you think my new wardrobe will look like?”

*Sque~eak!*

“Oh, I agree!” Isabella twirled in place, swooping into a formal curtsy. “I'll make sure it matches my skin tone properly, doesn't wash me out, and highlights my features correctly. It will look beautiful, thank you. The blue color of this dress my godmother left me is a good base to build on; maybe I'll pick out similar fabrics.” 

Now warm and prepared for the day, she hurried back up into the main house, only for the hopeful smile on her face to fade as she walked through the building. Her steps slowed as she found an oddly silent, dark house, without a soul to be found. Worried that something terrible had happened, she called out, “Hello? Is everything alright?”

There was no reply. After going to the kitchen and checking the servant rooms, she climbed the stairs and checked the dining room, peeked into the sitting room, and finally pulled open the front door to see if everyone had gone outside. There, she found herself stopping short in shock. “What in the world happened to our lawn?”

All the shrubbery lining the path to the house had undergone a sinister transformation overnight. Once waist-high, it now loomed over her with unnaturally thick, knotted, and gnarled branches, each bristling with vicious thorns. Almost in a trance, Bella walked forward, shifting her head back and forth to try and see through the thick foliage, but finding her gaze unable to penetrate the thicket. The once-familiar path now felt like the entrance to a dark maze, foreboding and impenetrable. 

“Oh look, she's finally awake.” Matringa’s voice came from almost directly behind Isabella, startling her enough that she almost leapt into the plants, only the nearness of the long thorns convincing her to catch herself before falling into them. 

“Step… Signora Matringa, I didn't see you there.” Bella swallowed as she tried to appear properly contrite. “My apologies for oversleeping; the darkness in the cellar combined with the weather convinced me it was earlier than I thought. What happened to the lawn?”

Matringa rolled her eyes, pursing her lips before seeming to decide on a proper admonishment. “Bella, excuses are the tools of the weak-willed, and I will have no dealings with them. If you have something to say, say it. If it causes issues, accept your punishment and move on.”

Bella fought to keep her face still, though her left eyebrow betrayed her slightly by ticking upward. “Well. I'm certain it won't happen again, once I'm properly moved back into my room. I'm sure the light there will be better than what I get in the cellar. In fact, I'm perfectly happy to go and get that started right now… where are the servants?”

“Where are the other servants?” The way Matringa rephrased Bella's question made the Beast Singer tense up, but she held her peace for the moment. “All in good time, child. As for the hedges, as always, they are here to help keep out unexpected, unwelcome visitors.”

“Bibbidy is always welcome. Father said so.” Bella crossed her arms and spoke firmly, despite knowing she was likely skating on thin ice by using this tone with Matringa. 

“Humm? Now he’s ‘Father’ again, I see.” Matringa cocked her head slightly to the side, the fingers of her left hand drumming on her hip. “But notice, child, you did not say she was ‘expected’. I understand you are simply naive toward the standards of polite society, but welcome or not, someone showing up like that is exceedingly rude and uncustomary. The hedges, well, they’re just a tiny little extra precaution to help hold people to the ‘polite’ portion of polite society. Whether we like it or not… there are rules to adhere to, otherwise we are no better than animals. Don't you agree?”

“I agree that rules are in place for a reason,” Bella carefully replied, not breaking down and continuing to speak, though Matringa seemed to be waiting for something more.

“I see.” Matringa gestured grandly at the hedges. “Well, the beauty of my flora is manifold, but has two particularly important purposes. Not only will it keep unwanted visitors out, it will also serve as a firm boundary to help keep members of my household inside… and safe. Exactly as your father ordered.”

Three heartbeats passed before Bella understood what her stepmother had just said, and her mouth dropped as she did a double take at the hedges. “The shrubs won't let us out? We're stuck in here?”

She looked up and down the hedgerow, realizing there was no break in them whatsoever. Overnight, not only had they more than doubled in size, they’d grown along the packed dirt road used to come and go from the estate. 

Matringa shook her head and let out an annoyed huff. “How absurd. They’ll part for whomever I decide they should. As I mentioned, your father charged me with your safety. I can't have you leaving the area alone, and this will also help keep out dangerous animals. When he's out of town, who knows what trouble you might find yourself in?”

“I've always been safe here.”

Matringa reached out and patted Bella on the head as though she were an oversized puppy. “Of course you have. Yet, somehow, despite not obtaining your oath, your father's interest in you has changed. He relented on the position he held for years, after a single night with an uninvited guest. He's your father, and it is his decision. While it is not a stance I would take with such a willful child, if you are allowed to begin increasing your skills as he ordered, who knows what you might accidentally draw in? Though you can't control it, what would happen if your little tunes summoned a bear or, worse, an Ascended Beast like a Dread Bear? You wouldn't know, but it has happened to others more skilled than a child like you.”

As frustrated as she was by this turn of events, Bella didn't know enough about her class or skills to truly argue and simply had to trail behind Matringa as she began walking back to the manor.

“Now, let's have tea and… talk.”

“Yes, Signora,” Bella's words came out tiredly, defeatedly, and she only realized what had happened when she saw the small, victorious smile on her stepmother's face. “When will I be starting my lessons with you?”

“As soon as I have time for them, we can begin.” Matringa sat down on the patio, ringing one of the ubiquitous bells which seem to be sprinkled in every room of the house and now apparently outdoors. Moments later, a tray arrived, with milk, sugar, and a single cup of tea. The Signora took the cup and sipped at it, half-closing her eyes in pleasure. “Ahh… nothing better on a dreary day like today.”

Bella waited a moment, finally asking, “So, what sort of lessons will I be having? Father had mentioned-”

“Isabella Vigatori, how would I have that information already?” Matringa firmly set her cup onto the tray, the annoyance in her voice taking Bella aback. “I already have separate lesson plans for Malvagio and Cattiva and have had a single night between learning that I need to put together additional lessons and now. Am I supposed to figure out overnight what it is you need to learn, then assemble the lessons? Do you not know that I already have expectations to meet, as well as firmly set priorities? No. Patience shall be your first lesson. I suggest you learn it well.”

After a long stretch of silence, Bella found that she was tapping her foot, unsure what to do. She wasn't certain if she was about to be bored into submission, or what other strange punishments Matringa was going to dream up. A few moments later, she froze, eyes going wide as she saw several mice up here, drawn to the rhythm and unintentional activation of her skills as her breathing fell into sync with her footfalls. Mert Junior waved at her from the doorway, pointing his little paw at Matringa, then drawing one of his claws across his neck and nodding questioningly. 

Ever so slightly she shook her head, relieved that the mouse immediately scurried away—as he was Perfectly able to understand her intentions, thanks to her max-level Animal Communication skill. A moment later, she went rigid once more as the other mice stealthily came closer, vanishing under the table. She wasn't certain what they were doing, but a moment later, Matringa frowned and began to move to look at her feet.

“Did you see the dress my godmother brought me?” Bella blurted out, desperate to keep her stepmother's attention away from the small animals. “I was thinking we could use it as a base for my wardrobe selection.”

“Brought… you?” Matringa’s scoffing reply hit Bella like a brick. “As I understood it, she brought that as a gift for the household, to say nothing about the bolt of fine fabrics you tried to hide before I returned home.” 

“No, it was a gift to me.” Bella leaned forward, her brow furrowing as she glared at her tormentor. “The dress, the fabric, they were given to me, for me to use. Also, I ‘hid’ nothing. Father told me to put it in my room.”

“Me, me, me.” Matringa mocked her, appearing more bored than anything at Bella's outburst. “Do you even hear yourself? How selfish you sound? Malvagio is the one who will be looking for a husband first, and let's be realistic… the fabric would outshine you.”

Bella felt her vision tunneling as she shoved herself to her feet, hands balling into fists as she held herself back from lunging across the table. “That fabric is the only gift I've been given by anyone besides my father in years, given to me from someone who loves me, with no strings attached. Give it back. It's mine.”

“Ah, yes, there it is. The famous return of your temper as soon as your father gives you the slightest amount of attention.” Matringa’s lips curled in a sneer as she practically dared the young woman to come closer to her. “Let me tell you this, child. Your tone just cost you your room. Perhaps, once you learn to moderate your voice instead of acting like a rabid dog, we could revisit this topic. For now, go back to the cellar. Perhaps you can reflect upon what else could happen when you make demands you have no right to make?”

“That fabric,” Bella hissed, “is mine.”

Matringa showed a syrupy smile which only accented her icy-cold stare. She shook her head back and forth just a tiny bit, pouting as she sing-sang her next words, “And much like your room, it was taken away. Now… off you go.” 

For a few long moments, Bella didn't move, instead merely breathing deeply as she thought through her next action. Before she could do anything foolish, she felt several dozen tiny claws as the mice under the table scampered up her pants and hid under the hem of her dress. Breathing deeply, she turned and woodenly walked away, slowly returning to the cellar as ordered. 

When she was alone, she looked down at her legs, finding a half-dozen beady eyes staring up at her. “Well, I don't know what I was expecting. I should know better than this by now, shouldn't I? Why do I always let myself think it’ll change?”

Just as she opened the door to the cellar, she heard a crash and a clatter, followed by her stepmother loudly cursing as hot tea poured over her. Bella glanced at the mice, who quickly pantomimed what they’d done by tying a string to Suzy's leg. 

“You tied her to the table so everything would fall on her when she stood up?” Bella chuckled softly, descending the stairs and carefully pulling the door shut above her.

“Be more careful in the future, but… great job.”