Duchess has a minion!

Ava the Starla

Adelaide, the once esteemed duchess of Sayde, was cursed to remain seemingly alone, forever locked away from the world. All that was left to her was her posh comfort, a room intended only for royalty, and the small trinket that had permitted her great downfall.

"I want you to be my happiness one day, darling." A quiet voice chimed from the duchess. Her palms were wrapped around a small orb, transparent and crisp. Through the glass a tiny object could be seen, in the shape of another creature - though what it was exactly, it was hard to tell. She continued to stare longingly at the item, turning it over only slightly in her hands. After several quiet moments, she offered one affectionate kiss and began to place the globe back upon one of her many shelves.

The door abruptly slammed open.
"Adelaide, child! Why?! This is the last time. That object isn't alive; it isn't real!" A blaring male voice loomed over the room, as the orb rolled out of the young woman's hands and onto the floor. Her father darted into the room, attempting to confiscate the item from her. Before he could get a hold of it, his daughter hastily rolled it under the shelf and out of his reach. Adelaide refused to speak a word about it.

----------

Only months before, the duchess had tried to explain her odd penchant for this item. "It has a soul," she'd informed her father. At least he would understand; he too had seen the bitter sting of what curses could do. It was how he lost his sweet wife, Adelaide's mother. Despite everything, he still did not believe her. They all declared her insane, but her father refused to accept it. There had to be an explanation. He could not have a daughter with a mental illness. The kingdom would look down upon it. Surely, they would have her sent away and him imprisoned for harboring the ill. "She simply had to grow up too quickly, that's all. This is how she's coping."

Nothing cured her of the behavior and eventually she was kept in her room at all times. Her right to assume authority as the new duchess was denied and the privilege passed to her sister, Amalia, instead. Adelaide argued not. The only matter of importance to the woman was her beloved orb.

----------

When the volatility of her father died, so did the stoic nature of the duchess too. She dropped to the floor and searched. After fumbling around for quite some time, Adelaide found where the orb had rolled. She walked her fingers around the trinket until it found its way back into her arms.

"I'm so sorry, please forgive him. He doesn't understand. This time, her voice grew soft, weak even. Her tone sullen, disappointed even more than usual. Unlike the last time she spoke to this object, at the moment it began to move just slightly - tumbling back and forth on its own.

"Don't worry, love. One day I'll be free. Then they'll know."

She sighed.


Overlay: May; Profile: Mandark
Art: cakery; Quote: The Temper Trap
x by Bee; x by cakery
x by anon; x by Nhubby
x by anon; x by unsure