A month following the unknown worldly dungeon's incident, and a long time since she had been sent to the asylum with special exceptions, added new rules that needed her to be binded to it in the most awkward ways. Education had to be done in an orderly manner, a regular one hour visit to the palace, and finally, being locked up in a room with people who spoke to her.
She knew very well that there wasn't a necessity for such things where she had gone there just to silently rethink her sanity. To specifically rethink and try to forget the death and the trauma she had shared from that unknown worldly dungeon. Most of the time, she would go lose it and her magic would happen to haywire, leaving her in utter void for a very astonishingly long time. When she would wake up, her nose and mouth would be bleeding, staining her white gown completely red.
There were multiple misunderstandings about her actually being able to somehow do self-harm despite being trapped in chains. Along the way, there was a parent-like psychiatrist who spoke to about her weaknesses and difficulties, which she refused to consider as a close person by every possible ways. But at the end, it was a completely difficult task, because she was almost never leaving her alone.
Despite being able to come to the palace for a short time on a daily basis, most of it was reserved for work and a talk with Cedric about the prisoners. The remaining of the time would pass trying to talk to the duchess, a failed task that would end with complete silence at the end. There was complete desperation from the duchess's side, to maybe get a chance and talk to the girl she just happened to take in.
It seemed that she now had a new fear that she was going to place her steps deep into a trap and then sacrifice something huge that was going to make the feeling of guilt and regret resurface again. She kept her distance from almost everyone, including Henry, which was absolutely painful from her side. Everytime the kid would smile at her, she had to make it a compulsory rule to instantly look away.
Back at the asylum, days rolled by filled and packed with a schedule which was abusive to her. Because most of it was reserved for a talk with the psychiarist, and everyday, after she had left her alone, those were the times she was allowed to breathe. Sleeping became a task more heavily difficult then anything else, because in her dreams, Ms. Avry would appear, who she now despised.
Closing her eyes, every second would flash that unwanted face that she tried extremely to forget. Until it became so that her eyes had swollen, and the sickles would keep them open, due to the coldness that she reheated with her skills to keep it warm. As the days passed, her black hair more invisible, and her appearance changed completely. Puppet tried to talk with her, which she also neglected.
The other members of the asylum try to get along with her, but she never wanted to know about them. Rumors erupted that she didn't know how to talk, and that sent her more further away from the others, making the familiarity feeling be abandoned.
***
"Hey? You seem to have gotten dragged away by your thoughts?" The psychiatrist tried to get her attention by tapping on the board that held a check-in sheet that she hated seeing. "It's almost time for you to leave, and I still don't know your name." A soft smile was brought up on her face.
"Aefia. I don't recall you asking for it." She replied harshly upon seeing the smile, an irritating feeling by now. The psychiatrist laughed as she adjusted her spectacles with her index finger. "Why are you so cold? You weren't like this when you came here the first day."
"I don't know. I thought it was the work of a mental asylum?" She spoke while diverting her eyes a towards her sickles that were cold again. Finally! Something to keep my attention away from this freaky, annoying mental doctor. I wonder how long it has already been? It's getting boring and useless here.
"You are absurdly silent when you look down, so you mind telling me about what's in your mind? Anything in specific you want to do when you are released from this building?" She spoke while writing down nonsense onto the piece of sheet. As the pen scratched against the smooth surface.
"..." She thought while letting out a breathe. "Then I guess I want to visit the graveyard. If I get permission." This was the first time she had said this to any member of the asylum. "But what benefit do you get by knowing something like this? You are not going to come along or anything." Her gaze turned up with a sharpness in them. A bright red, an absurd colour of eyes to have as a member of the Imperial family.
"Because if you had been counting your days, you would have known this is the last day you are staying here." This time, her gaze dropped into a calmer tone with no smile. "You will have to remain at the palace after you reach there today, and you won't be allowed here again. Do you know how many things you have done?"
"Uh..." Aefia's eyes widened as she recollected the memories and dumped them one by one. "I accidentally broke a glass on top of a member's head...I once tried to escape from the window by breaking it...and I guess...I threatened someone? But either ways, how do you expect normal things from a mental person?" She shrugged playfully.
"I guess... Is a good word to say I have done more, but you should also recollect on how only you have done it until now. You are lucky we didn't lock you up in a dark chamber." The psychiatrist stood up while pointing at the door with her palm. "I am still going to ask you for two more things before you leave. Won't you smile? Or answer whether you are alright?"
"..." She closed her eyes momentarily while opening them a second later. "For both answers, yes would be equivalent to a lie." Her sickles dropped on top of her shoes while standing and without a single trace of pain, she continued walking towards the caged doors. "But I guess... for your hardwork of managing to control me... I will smile for once... No... I am not alright." A fragile smile, and tears that fell from the sides of her eyes which had bright red irises.
For the same first time, did the psychiatrist remain silent as she watched the young girl wipe her eyes rapidly before turning back around and walking out of the prison that once held her trapped. The asylum, where some people were abused to make sure they didn't go out of control, and in this case, she beat up the people who spoke to her about... The death of a family member.
***
Her hair, tied with a ribbon to a half up position, flattered against the harsh winds of the first rain of the year. Her umbrella was almost blowing away as she walked back inside the palace gates using her own feet. She walked herself from the asylum, non-stop in the rain, towards the palace with a blank mind and a small briefcase at her hand.
"Welcome back, young master." The guards at either side bowed while opening the gates. "It's strange how you were able to withstand such high winds... and walked yourself here. Aren't you tired carrying the case around?" A guard spoke while straightening up and watched her pass through.
"I am fine handling it though." She spoke without turning around. Her black top hat was steadily able to handle the wind, but the ribbon swayed with the movements of the rain. The gigantic front doors of the building, engraved with silver on top of the dark wood. Her knuckles tapped lightly on the door while she folded the umbrella and adjusted her top hat.
"Sorry, we don't have a... guest?" Her handmaid was the one who opened the door to a small gap and glanced with shocked eyes at her. "Oh I am so sorry young master... I didn't mean to address you like that. I didn't know the days had finally ended." She spoke while happily snatching away the umbrella and briefcase from her hands and pulling her inside.
The others stared at her while she got dragged inside towards her room. The guards bowed as she passed them on the way, and some maid servants made a mocking smile at her which she didn't give an eye to, and that in return, made them feel rejected with their teasing attempts. Her handmaid had observed it too.
Just before she entered the threshold of her room, her footsteps suddenly stopped and she spoke after a very long time. "Hold on, you may place my things. I need to go and let George know I came back. He is taking my responsibilities for two months, so that is the least I can do for the hard task he is doing." She spoke while pulling down her hat.
"What do you mean it was a hard task?" The servant asked with a curious look as she left the door open and placed the things down before hurriedly coming back outside to walk her there. "As far as I have heard, he was having a much easier time dealing with you. He said you are easier to take care of you then his own brothers." She added with a smile while she trailed behind her maid.
"...I don't know. I seem to have a lot of complains from the asylum." Her eyes dropped to the ground, all the way up to his room when her servant left her there, leaving the rest of the matter for her to deal with. Her fist stopped short from interacting with the wooden door, and she stood in front of it with multiple thoughts surging in.
I had been gone for a month, I don't know if the situation in the palace has done any mood change to the atmosphere here either. He might be a little angered to see me after probably hearing about my... complains... from the asylum. I mean... I guess breaking a glass on top of someone's head will cause me a huge trouble now.
Her hand retrieved as she soon turned around to walk away, while covering her eyes and facing upwards. Maybe it would be considered a risk trying to engage with this family again. I completely know that my relationship with Henry had been ruined. I guess I deserved it...and it's saving him for a terrible fate because of me. Her hands dropped as her eyes finally opened, not caring to see the palace walls.
"Hey! You are back!" Lewis ran over and hugged her while placing a hand on her head, with the top hat dropping to the ground. "Did you go greet George yet? He is probably anticipated with your arrival...he said he wanted to discuss a few things with you." He spoke while letting go and grabbing the hat to place it back on her head, then grabbing her wrist to drag her towards the same room she was hesitating to enter.
"Wait! Wait! I know what he wants to discuss!" She spoke while staying expressionless and cautious. "I did some mistakes at the asylum...he has probably heard about it. Honestly, I think he would be madened by my appearance." She spoke while shreeching to a stop and held out both of her hands as to stop him from bringing her back outside the door.
"What exactly did you do there then?" He spoke while narrowing his eyes. "Well... I broke a glass on top of someone's head..." She spoke while lowering the hat further below her head while hearing a laugh coming back as a reply. "You know, at least you are conscious about your actions. That should be enough for now, given that not most people can return to their sane minds within a month."
"I know that... I did more than that." She spoke while walking backwards every second and her hair fell forward to cover her face a little bit more. "I can already tell he is frustrated trying to take care of me, because he received the complains I guess. I kind of... also got banned from that asylum too."
"Wait! So that's a good thing! You won't be able to return there, nor can you think about it anymore." He snapped his finger while walking towards her and dragging her in front of the door again. This time, she waited anxiously for a reply to come back... With the knocking. Then, before his fist collided with the door, it seemed to have pulled itself open.
"Oh that's interesting. Could you already tell we were going to enter anyway?" Lewis spoke with a curious smile while glancing sideways to their sister. "She just came back and was hesitating to face you...because she said she had caused problems back at the asylum. So answer this for her, are you mad? Because she broke a glass on top of someone else's head."
"...Sorry," she spoke when the gaze turned towards her. "Actually, I am not mad. She broke a glass and threw it at a maid's face the last time, and at least she is aware of her actions now." George answered while placing a hand on her head and looking at her silvering hair, which was half-way left to turning her into a full silverhead. He diverted his eyes towards Lewis again.
"I told her so... don't look at me like I am guilty. She said so, just ask...her?" The younger brother looked at her while looking at the way her eyes had widened and looked towards the otherside of the palace. "Is something wrong?!" He heavily shook her shoulders as she smacked his hands off and ran towards the room beside while holding her hat in one hand.
Slamming open the door, she watched as the walking stick was held high in the air was rapidly being taken down on Henry. Having practised silence, her mouth stayed sealed as she got into the stick's trajectory and held the child at her arms while shutting her eyes.