The Girl with the Fire Heart

A soft knock on the door turns her attention away from her new engagement ring. She tosses the blankets away from her and stands, walking to the door while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She opens the door a crack and is greeted with the smiling faces of her army of maids. She makes a mental note to start properly memorizing their names. She opens the door fully and sees one of the maids carrying a tray with an assortment of breakfast foods.

She tilts her head in confusion at the sight but allows the maids in anyway. The maid carrying the tray sees Valentina’s confusion and answers her silent question.

“Lord Damon wanted us to bring a tray of food for you this morning, Miss. He sends his apologies as he will be unable to join you for breakfast. He instructed us to begin readying you for the blessing ceremony and wants us to take our time. He also told us that word has been sent to your parents about the engagement,” the young maid tells her.

Valentina’s confusion fades but she’s fully aware of the lingering questions in her mind. She opts to start her morning routine before settling at the small table out on the balcony that was set up for her. She finishes her food in record time, hearing all the maids pulling things together in her room. When she sets down her now empty coffee cup, she stands and stretches on the balcony, taking one deep breath in. She holds it for a moment, wanting to savor this feeling.

Those same lingering questions start to rise, ringing in the back of her mind to give them more attention. She feels her element burning just a bit stronger, like she should have questioned the maids more. Something like dread settles in her stomach but Valentina chooses to ignore all of that. Tomorrow, she and Damon will go home and she can start planning her wedding.

She allows herself a second to think of Callie and Brielle. Nostalgia fills her chest, smothering the dread and making her wish they were here with her, helping her prep for the blessing ceremony instead of all of these maids. She resolves herself to make amends with them when she gets home. She should not have left without making sure their friendships were intact and she only mildly regrets her decision. What’s done is done, Valentina thinks to herself.

Valentina finally releases her breath, turns and walks into the room. The maids are bustling around, the head maid shouting orders and instructions to the other females in the room. Valentina stands in the doorway, waiting to be noticed. It only takes a second.

“Miss, it’s time for your bath,” the head maid declares authoritatively.

Immediately, three younger maids head in Valentina’s direction, escorting her to the bathroom. The water is drawn, the soaps and herbs and minerals dumped in, and then Valentina is being washed head to toe. Her hair is scrubbed and combed, her nails clipped, cleaned and painted, and then she is being pulled to her feet, wrapped in a towel and left to dress herself in the provided robe.

She calls out to the maids and then Valentina is surrounded again, seated at the vanity and the true work begins. Her eyebrows are plucked, her skin is being lathered with lotions and creams. She is dabbed with small brushes and cloths until she smells cleaner than she has her whole life and feels like it too. The head maid dries her hair and pulls it up and out of the way, allowing the younger maids to don Valentina’s face with makeup.

She spends hours sitting perfectly still while the girls work their magic. Not in any hurry, they take their time, drawing and painting her skin, making her appear even more beautiful than she had the night of the celebratory ball. At around one in the afternoon, a small knock sounds at the door. All the maids freeze where they stand in the main bedroom, no one making a sound.

Valentina and the other maids in the bathroom are oblivious to the sudden change in atmosphere. Another knock sounds at the door. This time, Valentina’s element responds. Intuition tells her not to worry. She gestures to the head maid to answer the door.

The head maid makes her over to the bedroom door, taking a small breath to settle herself before pulling it open just a crack. Standing on the other side is Damon, the nobleman’s son.

“Lord Damon,” the head maid greets him.

Damon tilts his head down in silence, but his face is set in stone.

“Miss Valentina is getting ready for the ceremony this evening, sir,” the head maid says.

Damon nods but doesn’t say a word. The head maid shifts where she stands uncomfortably.

“Would you like to see her, my lord?” she asks timidly.

Damon nods his head in affirmation.

“Just a moment,” the head maid tells him, shutting the door with a soft click. She turns to face all the maids looking at her with wide eyes. The head maid waves them off to continue with preparations while she makes her way back into the bathroom.

“Miss, Lord Damon is waiting for you at the door,” the head maid informs her.

Valentina’s surprise at his visit is evident on her face. She nods her head at the head maid, acknowledging her announcement. The younger maids finish her makeup and pinning her hair in place. One of the maids taps Valentina on the shoulder, signaling their completion of their work before moving out of the way for Valentina to see. Valentina turns to face the mirror and she sees that the young maids decided to leave her hair down, pulling back her hair behind her shoulders. Her hair is in soft waves, and Valentina can’t help but think of Damon when she sees the way her hair falls.

Her makeup is light but still elegant. She makes out the shine on her cheekbones, making them appear sharp and taut. Her eyes shine with soft pinks and gold hues and her lips are shimmering and glossy. She smiles at the young girls before following the head maid into the bedroom and to the door.

Valentina stops, placing her hand on the knob, taking a deep breath before releasing it. She feels the earlier dread rise in her and suddenly, she isn’t so sure she wants to know why Damon is standing at the door. Suddenly, she isn’t so sure if she should be here at all. She twists the knob and opens the door just as the head maid did.

Damon lifts his head to meet her eyes and the hard edges of his features soften just a little bit. He offers her a small smile, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Is everything okay?” Valentina hears herself asking.

She watches Damon struggle to get the words out and the small knot of dread gets bigger in her stomach, turning into a boulder where she stands.

“Something has happened,” he tells her. His words are distant, emotionless even though his eyes convey every last bit of grief he is feeling.

“There was an accident,” Damon starts. But Valentina barely hears him. A faint ringing sounds in her ears and she is forced to watch his lips move to make out what he tells her.