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I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites
Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 31: ANOTHER REALIZATION

                Malia woke up in the middle of a silent, warm night. Kadem was still on her chair, serenely reading a tattered book. Everyone else must be asleep.
                In response to Malia sitting up, Kadem closed her book and left it on the table.
                “Don’t mind me,” Malia reassured her, “I’m fine. I just need to use the privy, you don’t have to-” she stopped talking. She had set aside the blankets, intending to stand up… and her legs hadn’t moved. Malia stared at them, first appalled, then almost defiantly. Her skin was covered in scars, unfading remnants of the torture, but other than that her legs looked healed and healthy. And yet they wouldn’t move, no matter how hard she tried.
                “Don’t panic.” Kadem was already next to the bed, “This isn’t unexpected. Your legs were remarkably broken when you got here, in more ways than one. Your brain needs time to adjust to them being mended. You’ll eventually go back to normal.”
                Malia poured all of her energy into keeping her breathing unaltered. She had no right to lose it. She was alive only because a web of miracles had interlaced to make it so: Gorken, her master, Lyra, Kadem… They had all weaved a present in which she was more than a mangled corpse.
                Even so, she wanted to disappear into a private void and scream and cry where nobody would hear her. She had spent years honing her body, training to control every muscle, clinging to the ‘strength’ she had built for herself… and now she couldn’t even stand up on her own.
She swallowed back tears before they could emerge when the image of Aldous’ empty sleeve came back to her. It would have been a selfish mockery for her to feel miserable. I can’t. I have no right. Calm down.
                “Here.” Kadem placed her shoulder under Malia’s arm, acting as support, “You wanted to go to the toilet, yes?”
                Kadem’s touch appeased Malia’s unrest. She knew the witch’s magic was powerful enough to lift her without any need for physical contact. Kadem’s quietly kind gesture comforted her. Unlike the cold silver shine of her curls, her skin was warm.
                Kadem’s water closet was more advanced than even the ones in immortal palaces. Malia couldn’t tell if there was a cesspool, or some kind of mechanism that allowed water to flow and take away all types of waste, but the small room was clean and fragrant. The mirror gave Malia pause: her face was so pale she looked sick, and her strong arms were thinner than she remembered.
                By the time they made it back to the bedroom, Malia felt she could at least stand on her own; not stand up, nor sit down, much less walk… but at least remain upright on her own feet. Before she could rejoice in her puny achievement, something else claimed her attention. To the candlelight it appeared as a small figure by the bed, busy with blankets and pillowcases.
                Malia knew her immediately, but her body could not keep up with her mind. The princess’ impulse to run to her and hug her fondly was trapped in the realm of ideas by her stagnant limbs. Instead she said, “Lyra.”
                “Oh!” the plump handmaiden jumped in place, “My deepest apologies! I was certain I would be done by the time you returned! I just need ten more seconds to-”
                “Come to me.” Malia commanded.
                “Certainly!” Lyra rushed to stand in front of Malia and Kadem, still holding the bulk of used bed sheets against her chest.
                “Lyra… please let go of that.”
                Golden curls bounced as Lyra was startled anew by her own obliviousness. Once her arms were free from the blankets, she faced them again.
                Malia caught herself staring at Lyra’s lovable features, nostalgic gratitude flooding her awareness. For so long Lyra’s presence had been a soothing gift; the diligent girl was constantly taking care of the princess, and yet she invariably made Malia feel needed. Lyra was just that kind of person, humble and generously indulgent to a fault. And I left without her… I left her behind.
                Malia threw her arms around her unexpectedly, wailing tearfully and abandoning any veneer of dignity, “Lyra!”
                “Princess!” the handmaiden whimpered when her head caught up with the moment, reciprocating both the hug and the unabashed tears.
                “What an exasperating display.” Kadem returned to her chair, fleeing into the pages of her book.
                Neither Lyra nor Malia were willing to loosen their hold, so they kept crying together, closer and closer, until their sobbing subsided and they were both ready to look at each other. Lyra helped Malia back to the newly made bed, and then motioned towards the door, prepared to continue her duties where she had left off.
                “Wait!” Malia clutched her skirt, “I need to talk to you. I need to apologize.”
                “Apologize?” Lyra’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Malia couldn’t understand how even that seemed affable when Lyra did it.
                “I’m sorry I left the palace without you.” Malia bowed her head, “I don’t have an excuse. I should have asked you if you wanted to come with me… I didn’t even say goodbye. I wish I could change that, or give you a proper reason for it but… I can’t. I made a terrible, cruel mistake and I don’t know how to make up for it. I’m sorry.”
                “…A servant must always be honest,” Lyra sat next to the bed, “and it would be a lie to say I didn’t feel hurt when you left.”
                Malia’s throat narrowed regretfully at those words.
                “However,” Lyra kept going, “I understood something when I joined Lady Gabrielle and Mister Gorken at the palace. It’s hard to express without sounding silly, but… I believe some people can be forgotten in the spur of the moment. And some people can never leave your mind, no matter how dire or abrupt the moment may be. It’s up to each of us to make our existence impactful, to craft ourselves minute by minute, small decision upon small decision, until we are worth remembering.”
                “Lyra!” Malia was suddenly offended, “This wasn’t your fault!”
                “Do not get me wrong.” Lyra smiled, “I’m proud of being someone who can support others without diverting their thoughts. I honestly think there is beauty in discretion. That is how I chose to build myself. What I realized, is that I am greedier than I thought. I don’t need to be a hero, to have my name endure in songs and tales… But I do want it to endure in your mind, Princess. That is something I hadn’t noticed until recently.” Lyra stood up, “Thus, I’ll do my best from now own to become someone as memorable for you as Mister Gorken and Lady Gabrielle.”
                “You don’t need to do anything!” Malia’s eyes were watering again, “You’re already amazing, and remarkable, and-”
                “With all due respect,” Lyra cut her off with her sweet voice, “that is up to me to decide. I don’t mean to stay passively frozen in time. I’ll catch up, Princess.” With that, the blonde woman left the room, leaving Malia crying softly among her fresh pillows.
                “You’ve become an incredible crybaby as of late, have you not?” Kadem commented without removing her gaze from her battered book.
                “At my core, I’ve always been a crybaby.” Malia squeezed one of the cushions.
                “Be that as it may,” the silver witch turned a page, “I agree with you. That girl doesn’t need to do anything more. If it had been up to me your awakening wouldn’t have been so idyllic.”
                Malia shot Kadem a questioning glance.
                “What?” the silver woman sneered, “You thought you had woken up all clean and pretty after being unconscious for more than a week, just because? I was using magic to provide nutrients to your cells, so even without eating, most of your bodily functions were still occurring normally. Blondie insisted on it being a servant’s duty to protect their liege’s honor, so she washed you, changed your clothing and did all sorts of unpleasant tasks daily. She refused help too, heavens bless her, not that I would have volunteered. She allowed Gorken to help with your hair, but that was it. Where did you get her? A servant like that would always be welcome in my home.”
                Malia reacted by blushing so intensely she felt the need to hide her face behind the pillow she was squeezing.
                “You’re as boring as ever.” Kadem mumbled, retreating once more into her tome.

                Malia didn’t remember when she fell asleep, but she did remember the calming sound of turning pages softening the silence.

Description
I'll be posting my story here as well!  If you're interested in it, please feel free to follow my other account: ManuWrites
Thank you if you take the time to read it!

Previous Chapter:
Next Chapter:

All Chapters HERE.

CHAPTER 31: ANOTHER REALIZATION

                Malia woke up in the middle of a silent, warm night. Kadem was still on her chair, serenely reading a tattered book. Everyone else must be asleep.
                In response to Malia sitting up, Kadem closed her book and left it on the table.
                “Don’t mind me,” Malia reassured her, “I’m fine. I just need to use the privy, you don’t have to-” she stopped talking. She had set aside the blankets, intending to stand up… and her legs hadn’t moved. Malia stared at them, first appalled, then almost defiantly. Her skin was covered in scars, unfading remnants of the torture, but other than that her legs looked healed and healthy. And yet they wouldn’t move, no matter how hard she tried.
                “Don’t panic.” Kadem was already next to the bed, “This isn’t unexpected. Your legs were remarkably broken when you got here, in more ways than one. Your brain needs time to adjust to them being mended. You’ll eventually go back to normal.”
                Malia poured all of her energy into keeping her breathing unaltered. She had no right to lose it. She was alive only because a web of miracles had interlaced to make it so: Gorken, her master, Lyra, Kadem… They had all weaved a present in which she was more than a mangled corpse.
                Even so, she wanted to disappear into a private void and scream and cry where nobody would hear her. She had spent years honing her body, training to control every muscle, clinging to the ‘strength’ she had built for herself… and now she couldn’t even stand up on her own.
She swallowed back tears before they could emerge when the image of Aldous’ empty sleeve came back to her. It would have been a selfish mockery for her to feel miserable. I can’t. I have no right. Calm down.
                “Here.” Kadem placed her shoulder under Malia’s arm, acting as support, “You wanted to go to the toilet, yes?”
                Kadem’s touch appeased Malia’s unrest. She knew the witch’s magic was powerful enough to lift her without any need for physical contact. Kadem’s quietly kind gesture comforted her. Unlike the cold silver shine of her curls, her skin was warm.
                Kadem’s water closet was more advanced than even the ones in immortal palaces. Malia couldn’t tell if there was a cesspool, or some kind of mechanism that allowed water to flow and take away all types of waste, but the small room was clean and fragrant. The mirror gave Malia pause: her face was so pale she looked sick, and her strong arms were thinner than she remembered.
                By the time they made it back to the bedroom, Malia felt she could at least stand on her own; not stand up, nor sit down, much less walk… but at least remain upright on her own feet. Before she could rejoice in her puny achievement, something else claimed her attention. To the candlelight it appeared as a small figure by the bed, busy with blankets and pillowcases.
                Malia knew her immediately, but her body could not keep up with her mind. The princess’ impulse to run to her and hug her fondly was trapped in the realm of ideas by her stagnant limbs. Instead she said, “Lyra.”
                “Oh!” the plump handmaiden jumped in place, “My deepest apologies! I was certain I would be done by the time you returned! I just need ten more seconds to-”
                “Come to me.” Malia commanded.
                “Certainly!” Lyra rushed to stand in front of Malia and Kadem, still holding the bulk of used bed sheets against her chest.
                “Lyra… please let go of that.”
                Golden curls bounced as Lyra was startled anew by her own obliviousness. Once her arms were free from the blankets, she faced them again.
                Malia caught herself staring at Lyra’s lovable features, nostalgic gratitude flooding her awareness. For so long Lyra’s presence had been a soothing gift; the diligent girl was constantly taking care of the princess, and yet she invariably made Malia feel needed. Lyra was just that kind of person, humble and generously indulgent to a fault. And I left without her… I left her behind.
                Malia threw her arms around her unexpectedly, wailing tearfully and abandoning any veneer of dignity, “Lyra!”
                “Princess!” the handmaiden whimpered when her head caught up with the moment, reciprocating both the hug and the unabashed tears.
                “What an exasperating display.” Kadem returned to her chair, fleeing into the pages of her book.
                Neither Lyra nor Malia were willing to loosen their hold, so they kept crying together, closer and closer, until their sobbing subsided and they were both ready to look at each other. Lyra helped Malia back to the newly made bed, and then motioned towards the door, prepared to continue her duties where she had left off.
                “Wait!” Malia clutched her skirt, “I need to talk to you. I need to apologize.”
                “Apologize?” Lyra’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. Malia couldn’t understand how even that seemed affable when Lyra did it.
                “I’m sorry I left the palace without you.” Malia bowed her head, “I don’t have an excuse. I should have asked you if you wanted to come with me… I didn’t even say goodbye. I wish I could change that, or give you a proper reason for it but… I can’t. I made a terrible, cruel mistake and I don’t know how to make up for it. I’m sorry.”
                “…A servant must always be honest,” Lyra sat next to the bed, “and it would be a lie to say I didn’t feel hurt when you left.”
                Malia’s throat narrowed regretfully at those words.
                “However,” Lyra kept going, “I understood something when I joined Lady Gabrielle and Mister Gorken at the palace. It’s hard to express without sounding silly, but… I believe some people can be forgotten in the spur of the moment. And some people can never leave your mind, no matter how dire or abrupt the moment may be. It’s up to each of us to make our existence impactful, to craft ourselves minute by minute, small decision upon small decision, until we are worth remembering.”
                “Lyra!” Malia was suddenly offended, “This wasn’t your fault!”
                “Do not get me wrong.” Lyra smiled, “I’m proud of being someone who can support others without diverting their thoughts. I honestly think there is beauty in discretion. That is how I chose to build myself. What I realized, is that I am greedier than I thought. I don’t need to be a hero, to have my name endure in songs and tales… But I do want it to endure in your mind, Princess. That is something I hadn’t noticed until recently.” Lyra stood up, “Thus, I’ll do my best from now own to become someone as memorable for you as Mister Gorken and Lady Gabrielle.”
                “You don’t need to do anything!” Malia’s eyes were watering again, “You’re already amazing, and remarkable, and-”
                “With all due respect,” Lyra cut her off with her sweet voice, “that is up to me to decide. I don’t mean to stay passively frozen in time. I’ll catch up, Princess.” With that, the blonde woman left the room, leaving Malia crying softly among her fresh pillows.
                “You’ve become an incredible crybaby as of late, have you not?” Kadem commented without removing her gaze from her battered book.
                “At my core, I’ve always been a crybaby.” Malia squeezed one of the cushions.
                “Be that as it may,” the silver witch turned a page, “I agree with you. That girl doesn’t need to do anything more. If it had been up to me your awakening wouldn’t have been so idyllic.”
                Malia shot Kadem a questioning glance.
                “What?” the silver woman sneered, “You thought you had woken up all clean and pretty after being unconscious for more than a week, just because? I was using magic to provide nutrients to your cells, so even without eating, most of your bodily functions were still occurring normally. Blondie insisted on it being a servant’s duty to protect their liege’s honor, so she washed you, changed your clothing and did all sorts of unpleasant tasks daily. She refused help too, heavens bless her, not that I would have volunteered. She allowed Gorken to help with your hair, but that was it. Where did you get her? A servant like that would always be welcome in my home.”
                Malia reacted by blushing so intensely she felt the need to hide her face behind the pillow she was squeezing.
                “You’re as boring as ever.” Kadem mumbled, retreating once more into her tome.

                Malia didn’t remember when she fell asleep, but she did remember the calming sound of turning pages softening the silence.