Cinder X Bella ~ Five!

“A day's rest after travel? I'd say that's fair. But three? I don't know what sort of effort he's had to put in with his previous employer, but around here, that's downright lavish,” Aria muttered, not quite under her breath, as she used a rag to angrily buff the family's silver so it would gleam properly. Though she was speaking to Bella, all of her displeasure was aimed at Luca, as the intrusive presence in their household had dominated their one-way conversations since the man's arrival. 

Bella glanced askance at the head maid, keeping her mouth firmly closed. She knew the lady didn't truly want an answer. Aria had spoken more to the Beast Singer in the last two days than she had in the nearly three months since Alaric’s departure. But whenever Bella tried to weigh in on the subject, she was chastised for speaking negatively about a ‘guest’. So, the young woman merely focused on her tasks as Aria vented her frustrations.

“He just… swans in and decrees that every chamber must be ‘spruced up’? All of the rooms? Why? First of all, there's only the two of us to mind the manor after the other servants were dismissed, and Giada began traipsing around the countryside. How are we supposed to air out the rooms, prepare them while also taking care of our normal tasks, and bringing a peer his meals on a covered tray?” 

The last sentence was nearly snarled as Aria recalled that dinner would soon be prepared. “I'm not going to do it again, I tell you! He calls himself a first footman? More like a lay-about! If he's going to be one of us, this falls directly within his duties.”

She punctuated the statement by practically hurling the silverware back into its drawer. Bella simply bobbed her head, knowing a reply wasn't necessary. At this point, she was a warm body for Aria to focus on as she spoke to herself, nothing more. To be fair, Bella was just as annoyed with the man who had arrived, announced her life would be changing permanently, then sequestered himself in the grandest room he could claim as his own.

They’d been left to their own devices since then, the duo frantically attending to the household, which had fallen into disarray. They had needed to begin their days before dawn, working late into the night to repair, clean, and prepare the five rooms which had been mostly neglected since her mother's passing.

After seeing how much work had been laid out for them, there was only one thought on Bella's mind: she needed to find a way to cheat. 

Whenever she could take a task and stay away from Aria, she quickly and quietly would begin singing, weaving her melodies and intent through the air to create a gentle summoning for as many tiny helpers as would answer her call. As per usual, the mice were the easiest to convince, and they rushed to her aid. 

Climbing through the walls, they scurried to the top of the chimneys, into, and down them, while clawing loose soot and debris which had collected along the stone; saving her from either having to clamor onto the roof and put herself in a precarious position or getting showered with filth while cleaning it from the inside. Sparrows and other small birds responded as well, fluttering through the windows, which had been tossed open to air out the rooms. They would fly up the chimney or brush through the leavings to remove twigs and chunks of old nests, as their beaks were literally designed for the task. 

Seeing how well her first attempt had gone, Bella had become slightly more brazen in her efforts. Instead of carrying the heavy linens down, she tossed them out the window, where dozens of squirrels would catch the sheets or blankets and bring them over to the wash basins for her. If the linen simply needed to have the dust beat out of it, she would toss a corner over the line, then have birds or squirrels grab onto it and pull it down from the other side. As Bella completed task after task faster than the seasoned maid, she found Aria giving her strange looks, though the maid never once commented or asked questions.

“So long as the work is getting done, she won't say a word?” Bella had scoffed at the drastic shift in their relationship—only a few months ago, Aria had been all but openly reporting on Bella to her father. Still, even with the woman clearly being willing to benefit off her efforts, she made sure not to show Aria even a hint of disrespect, knowing how fragile the silent truce between them was.

Once everything was cleaned, she still needed to carry everything up by hand, as she didn’t have the level of skill required to coordinate the complicated task of returning everything to the rooms. From there, the short remainder of the time was spent sweeping, mopping, dusting, and now, finally, polishing the silver. 

“I bet I'll need to reach Proficient at the minimum before I could coordinate a dozen birds grabbing onto a blanket and flying it through a second floor window,” Bella murmured to herself as Aria continued her spiel about Luca. “Throwing it out the window and having it moved from one spot to another? Sure. Hold on, wouldn’t they tear holes in the fabric? I’d need to account for that. Mmm… maybe Extensive, when I frame it in that way.”

Bella broke from her thoughts, taking a moment to look down at herself and contemplate how things had changed over the last few weeks. The hard work, especially over the last three days, had taken its toll on her body and clothes. Her daily wear gown was filthy and stained with soot, grease, and dirt. Then there were the unmistakable traces of tiny paw prints where small animals had been holding on to her as she walked from room to room. Birds had also been landing on her shoulders, and not all of them had been able to… get outside when needed. 

Beyond the filth, her hands were red and raw, several of her nails broken in various spots. A glance at the clock caused Bella to realize her father would be expected within the next hour or so, and she stood to go and make herself presentable. “I'm sorry to need to leave you to do these chores by yourself, but if I don't go prepare, I'm sure my father would be quite displeased.”

“At the very least, Luca could’ve ridden along with another maid, and she could have helped out if housework is beneath him.” The normally icy woman was flushed, and dark circles were evident under her eyes. She reached for a silver platter, clearly having not heard Bella. The young lady coughed loudly into her hand, and Aria paused to blink at her owlishly. “Excuse me?” 

“I can't meet my father looking like this, certainly not my new stepmother.” Bella held up her hands to show how ragged she looked. “If I don't get into the bath, and a new dress, I'll-”

“Oh, certainly not. The young mistress mustn't look like someone who works upon her first impression.” Though what she said was accurate, Aria's words held a deep, underlying sarcasm. Then she seemed to realize who she was speaking with: not another servant, no matter how the last few weeks may have felt. “That is… it's good you’re working to meet your father's requirements. I'm sorry there's no time for us to heat your bath; you'll just have to hop in.”

Bella stepped closer, reaching out a hesitant hand and placing it on the older lady's shoulder. “I know you're tired, and all of this has been rather overwhelming. I truly am sorry to leave you to finish on your own. If it were up to me, I would say this is more than good enough and assure you that everyone would be happy with everything you've accomplished.”

“But it’s not you.” Aria let out a defeated sigh, the rag in her hand slowly stopping in circling and coming to halt. “It's your father and his exacting requirements. You know… Mia sent word a few weeks ago. The baron hired her entire family on and has been lavishing them with praise for their work. They've earned bonuses paid out in silver, and she said they even get a day off each week.”

A great amount of concern filled Bella at that moment. “You… what are you saying?”

Aria let out a deep sigh, shaking her head and motioning for Bella to leave. “I'm not saying anything. You’ve impressed me over these last few weeks. I never expected you would rise to the tasks dropped on you like this. Now, get going, or you know what the consequences will be!” 

Bella waited a long moment, guilt filling her, before rushing away and leaving the woman alone. She hurried up the stairs, quickly sorting through her scant selection of dresses. Truly, the only option was the second gown she’d received from Signore Tobias, though the burnt orange coloration would wash her out. Even so, she rifled through her wardrobe as though a secret, unknown article of clothing would make itself known to her. No such thing happened, so Bella gave a frustrated kick at the wall, softly singing her annoyance out into the world.

“Rags and gowns, and nothing in between! The times, they're rich or they're super lean. Now I find myself just kind of stuck… if you could sew, well, then I'd be in luck!” The last lines had been for the mice who’d immediately begun gathering all around her, and the image in her mind made her laugh. “Mice sewing a dress? You know what? Maybe someday.” 

After all, she’d been practicing with them as extensively as possible. Now they could dance, somersault, cartwheel, backflip, and even help her clean. Perhaps, when she got her skill levels high enough, actually sewing might be something she could compel them to do. Before she went too far down that rabbit hole, Bella shook her head and firmly gripped the orange dress. “Today is absolutely not the day for experimentation.”

She hurried down the stairs, planning on going out back through the servant entrance to get to the bath, but gasped in horror as the door opened. “No, father can't be here already!”

As someone stepped inside, she realized their build was completely wrong to be the Master Merchant. Squinting against the sun, Bella let out a deep sigh of relief as she realized it was Giada the younger, back from acting as a courier for her father.

“Well, you're certainly looking taller and dirtier than the last time I saw you.” Giada chuckled as she glanced at Bella over the large box she was carrying in. She had never been one to stand on decorum, not that Bella minded in the slightest. While their age difference meant they weren't particularly close, Giada had known her mother, and she treated the young woman well.

“And you are looking… well-traveled?” Bella countered with an arched eyebrow, clearly scoping out the sunburns on Giada's neck and arms.

“Three months on the road will put some sun on anyone.” Giada swung the box down to the side, dropping it on the ground before stepping forward and pulling the young Beast Singer into a hug. “I met Nobile Alaric on the way back, and he sent me ahead with this dress for you. As a warning, he is very focused on his title and wealth right now—I'm certain the lovely lady he is bringing along with him has something to do with that. Make sure to greet them with every ounce of decorum you can manage. Now, we have some time—not much, but some—so I figured I might give you a hand getting this on. But perhaps… you need more help than with just putting it on?”

“Yeah, a bath can only help.” Bella rolled her eyes, motioning for the servant to follow her. “I was on my way there already, and I would absolutely adore some assistance. How are you at plaiting hair?”

“Better than doing it on your own, most likely.” As they quickly walked through the manor, Giada kept sweeping her gaze over the young woman. “Some time without your father looming over you has been good for your health, it seems. You seem stronger… more grown up. I had thought you'd be more lonely than you seem.”

“Busy hands make it hard to feel lonely.” Bella let out a scoffing laugh. “Father was at least correct about that.”

She quickly bathed, washing the signs of hard work off of herself, trimming her fingernails, and using both coarse sand and a harsh bar of lye soap to get the grease off of her skin. After she got out, shivering from the cold, Giada wrapped her in a towel and began working on her hair while Bella dried off and began dressing.

After a few minutes, her hair was complete, and she was dry enough not to leave obvious spots on her new dress. Bella pulled the top off the box, finding a brand new dress, made of soft material. It was brown, quite plain, but suited her well. The darker material fit with the autumn season and would help mask how pale her skin had become from long days spent only indoors. “Huh. No fussy ties or laces? Has father finally taken my preference into account?”

The smile on her face drooped slightly as she glanced over at Giada, finding that the older woman was staring at the dress with a shocked expression. “What's the matter? Is something wrong?”

“It's… it's not for me to say, young mistress.” Giada blinked rapidly, lips parted as she panted as if she were suddenly dizzy. “If I'm not wrong, you should need no help getting that on. If you would excuse me, I… I need to go speak with my mother.”

Bella looked back at the dress, wondering what the issue was. With a sigh of frustration, she pulled it on and made sure everything fit as well as possible. “I hate having to puzzle out mysteries. Not her place to say? All that means is that I need to go into the situation blind. Wonderful.” 

Having finished sooner than expected, thanks to the assistance, Bella spent a few minutes wondering what sort of woman her stepmother would be. In the rare instances over the last few days when she’d seen Luca, she had inquired about Signora Matringa Treesbane, only to be waved off and reminded there was work to do. Then he would slam the door in her face. Bella couldn't wait to inform her father of the man's activities, so he could be dismissed from their service immediately. “Finally, someone who deserves to be thrown out on their rear.”

The clattering sound of wagon wheels slowly began to fill the air, so Bella went back inside, exiting through the front door just in time for a carriage, followed by two wagons, to pull around the front. The wagons continued around the house, presumably to unload, while the carriage stopped just in front of her. Moments later, Luca came striding out of the house, dressed in an impeccable uniform, and he pulled the door open, while somehow managing to bow at the same time.

An elegant young woman, younger even than Bella, stepped out, followed by another, who was certainly the older of the two sisters. The eldest got her feet on the ground, sketching a shallow curtsy as she sized her up. “You must be our new stepsister, Bella.”

The younger girl glanced at Bella up and down, raising her eyebrow and turning to the other, “Why would you think she's our stepsister? She's clearly-”

“Lovely.” A sharp word rang out from inside the carriage, followed by a tall, imposing woman in the most extravagant gown Bella had ever seen. First, her hand reached out of the carriage, gripping Luca’s hastily outstretched palm, then she pulled herself up and out, settling onto the ground as if it were a great honor for the dirt. Bella felt her skin crawl as the woman's eyes roved over her body, searching her from head to toe. “Quite… lovely indeed.” 

Somehow, the praise didn't make Bella feel good; instead, she felt her skin crawl as she realized her father must have married whilst away, meaning this was officially her stepmother. The searching gaze bore into Bella, as if trying to make her feel inadequate. She grit her teeth, holding as still as possible as she waited in vain for her father to join this small entourage.

Yet, there was no sign of him, and after a few moments of awkwardness, she took it upon herself to make introductions. “Welcome to House Vigatori… Signora Matringa, and, um, stepsisters. I'm sorry, I didn't know you existed… that is, I didn't catch your names.”

“Malvagio,” the older one said in a bored tone, not bothering to curtsy in return.

“I’m Cattiva, but I still don’t understand…?” The younger one was cut off yet again, this time by a jab from her sister.

“Signora Matringa is so formal for family. You may call me stepmother or Matringa… when there aren't others around.” The new lady of the house stepped forward, motioning for her daughters to follow. “Bella, would you be a dear and start bringing in our luggage? The wagons are around back.”

As the ladies bustled into the house, Bella had only one thought, which kept bouncing around inside her skull. “Oh, no. By the system, they’re just like Luca?”