Awakening (Born From Shadows #1)

Freya led her back towards the white mansion and with each step, she regretted the decision even more. How could she be so foolish to say yes? Why was she still walking towards the house? She couldn’t live in denial of her choice any longer the moment her foot entered the front door.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up and prepared for this evening,” Freya said excitedly.

“Would your father not protest?” she asked, referring to her father’s hatred for her.

“Probably, but he won’t do anything,” Freya replied. Freya led her up a series of stairs that she tried her best to remember her path. She was taken into a small room, but still larger than anything she had ever owned.

“This is the bathroom, to turn the shower on, use the handles. You can adjust the temperature there as well Red is hot, blue is cold. The soap is over there to help you clean as well as a brush, conditioner, and shampoo for your hair,” Freya pointed all everything that she would need. “Use a towel to dry off. I will get you a nice dress for when you are done and then we will do your hair and makeup.”

Tatianna nodded her head and watched Freya exit the room leaving her alone. She took in a deep breath then took off her clothes for the first time in months. Reaching over she twisted the handles and water instantly shot out. How lucky they were, and none of them realised it.

She got into the warm water and immediately started to scrub the filth off of her. The blood, the dirt, and the bits of excrement that fell off of her went straight down a hole. She picked up what was called the shampoo and conditioner not knowing how to use them. She tried to look for instructions, but she did not possess the ability to read. Freya said they were for her hair, so she just shoved both of them into the mattered mess, grabbed the brush, and started to comb out the knots.

By the time she was done she had no idea how long it had been. She turned the shower off and wrapped the towel around herself, looking at her reflection in the mirror. The scars that littered her tanned skin were no longer hidden by a layer of dirt. Her wavy hair was no longer a ball of frizz, she looked like an entirely different person save for her eyes. Her eyes were always a constant.

The door to the bathroom suddenly swung open. She turned and saw Freya’s brother standing there gawking at her and for the first time in her life she felt the need to cover up her body for a reason other than the cold.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Just lock the door next time.”

He was gone as quickly as he came, and she was left thinking about what he said. What was a lock?

There was a knock at the door, “Tatianna? Are you done?” Freya called through the door.

“Yeah,” she called back, the door opened, and Freya came in wearing a stunning pale pink gown. Freya stopped the moment Tatianna’s body came into view.

“Woah, I knew you were pretty. I never expected this,” Freya said in a daze, “A bit more food into you and the Princess would be envious. No wonder Riley looked so shocked.”

Tatianna glanced down at her body. She was skinny, too skinny. She had only a bit of muscle on her, most of her body was just bones.

“Um...here,” Freya said and passed her piece of aqua clothing. “You will look stunning in this; I hope it fits.”

She held the aqua gown to her body; it was thinner than most clothes she had worn. It had two straps that crossed each other at her back and golden embroidered along with the waste and down the side, all the way to the body where it would touch the floor. I was beautiful and nothing like she had ever worn before.

“Freya,” she hesitated before asking, “could you wash my cloak? I wish to wear it to the dance.” She knew she shouldn’t have asked, but she needed a piece of who she was to remain with her, and the cloak held a special part of her life, along with the dirtied blanket and the dagger that she carried everywhere with her.

Freya looked down at the dirtied black cloak in distaste, eyes pointed at the torn bottom. “I don’t think it will go with the outfit...” Freya responded.

“It’s important to me,” she replied.

“Ok...I will get one of the maids to wash it whilst we do your hair. Put on that dress and knock on the door once you are ready for me to come back in,” Freya told her then exited the room.

She couldn’t believe where she was, what she was about to wear, how much her life had changed in just one day. Only this morning was she out looking for food, now she was standing clean in a house fit for the Gods.

The dress fit her, although it was a bit loose. She felt almost naked, not that she cared how she appeared to others. She admired herself in the mirror again, laughing to herself. She looked like one of those rich folks that she hated. She reached down and grabbed her dagger from the pile of her old clothes.

She felt defenceless, useless without it but she knew she couldn’t waltz

Into the ball with it strapped to her hip. She glanced down at the long dress and an idea popped into her head. She lifted the bottom of her skirts and strapped the knife to her thigh, placing it on the inside of her legs so it was not evident through the material of her dress. It would be awkward to pull out, but she did not care for that. She released the dress back down and knocked on the door.

Freya came in not a moment later, “Wow...I cannot believe my eyes. Ok, we need to get your hair done. Come with me.”

The next few hours were a blur to Tatianna. She became tired very quickly and her hunger only increased, but she was ready for this dance.

“There, now you look like a Lady,” Freya said admiring her work. Tatianna lifted her hand to rub her eye.

“No,” Freya said, grabbing onto her wrist. Tatianna flinched at the contact and was quick to remove her arm out of the grasp.

“Don’t touch me,” she growled.

“Don’t touch your makeup,” Freya countered. “Now come on, the dance has started.”

“Wait, my cloak,” she said in shock that she almost forgot it.

“I was hoping you would leave it, but here,” Freya said and passed her now clean black cloak. She placed it onto her shoulders readying herself for what came next.