Pfft...am I ever exhausted. For doing nothing but clean these damned glass windows. By the time I am finished, these windows will shine effortlessly. It wasn't effortlessly, my wrists ached. This castle was strange indeed. It was once winter, the leaves had fallen with a thickly white sheet laid on the earth. Yet, today it is the look of spring. It was a week for godsake! How is this scientifically possible?

  My hair appeared to have grown an inch since last I noticed. I could sit on my own hair on my bottom. It was unmanageable. The natural curl remained but the frizz puffed on top of my skull. It was time for a trim. My father was a doctor but cutting hair wasn't his specialty. I got down off a dining room chair with a soapy bucket in hand. Catherine was still in her room throughout the day. I never know fully if she is asleep or if she's just stirring about. I have never stepped foot in her room. I have taken a peek inside but have never looked fully. Perhaps she has a desk, or her own personal library. Books she would not dare place in the castle library.

  Books about vampirism? Lesbianism?....Haha! The idiocy of small-minded villagers. She's not a vampire. Homoeroticism on the other hand is still under question. She did say she had a husband, but people can change. Am I afraid of homosexuals? No. Would I ever participate in such activities? Perhaps. I suppose I do find women more conventionally attractive, yes, though morally I perceived it as wrong. Not the fact it is a crime against god that I never believed but never illegal. It's more or less frowned upon. Catherine is a cold-tempered woman however she's very picturesque. Her inner workings are still human. Her body built like the painting of Venus.

  I had to stop thinking of the Lady in this manner. My cheeks warmed just at the thought of Catherine's pearl body slinking in the tub. I kicked open the back door throwing the suddsy water out onto the green-grown grass. I slammed the door behind me to place the bucket in its original place. Still, in my thoughts of Catherine, I could not shake the feeling of either excitement or unease of finding out if Catherine was or was not a lesbian. It could make our relationship uncomfortable.

  Perhaps make a letter? A poem? Yes. Create a poem. Write it and say it is from the front door. I ran to Catherine's office to grab a piece of paper plobbing myself down in Catherine's chair. Quill and ink in hand. Scribbling poems that never stuck. None of them were good enough for Catherine's eyes. Until one simple poem I wrote made me happy enough to share with her.

  'All this time, I believed with all that I would find you.' I fold the small piece of paper into a small envelope. I exited out of her office to the front door silently unlocking the door, opening it for a moment then slamming it.

  "Bella? Bella!" Catherine's door shrieked open. Her loud feet stomped on the floor to the top of the staircase. "Yes, Catherine?" My fingers trembled concealing the envelope behind my back. "What were you doing? Why are you slamming the door?"

  "Oh, I apologize, there was a letter carrier at the door. Did you not hear the knocks?"

  "A letter carrier? Why in the hell are they up here? I get no letters anymore."

  "Well, he had a letter for you." My hand quivered presenting the small envelope going up the stairs to meet Catherine. Her hand came out of her robe snatching the paper from my small fingers. "Hm?...did they say who it was from?" Her index flicked cutting into the opening with her large nail. "No Cath. Not a word. The boy scurried off." She chuckled under her breath as her eyes scanned through my poem. Her cheeks did not change colour, nor change any facial expression. A dead expression. "What does it say? Who is it from?" I lifted myself onto my tip-toes to peer over.

  "No...it doesn't say. It's cute, quite admirable." She yawned stuffing the note into her nightgown top. I relaxed my feet to see the outline of my note against her breast. "Cute? Really?" My eyes lit like a burning candle to hear of my good work. "Yeah...sure. A little stale but they tried." Her body turned going back to her room. "Stale?! How so? Whatever they wrote, perhaps they put a lot of thought in!"

  "No darling, this little note felt forced. Maybe if the person did want to confess feelings he or she should either come out and say it, or come up with better material because this was sweet, just not heat felt. This person is on the right track but not there yet." She opened her bedroom door with a gust of wind passing my ankles. "Stop sulking around the castle. Go outside. You have been cooped up for too long. The sun will do you some good." She yawned again covering her sharp shaped teeth. "B-but...I have more cleaning to do."

  "No, you don't. You're done for the day. Relax..." Her crimson pupils blinked back to brown. I felt as though my brain turned to mush. As if a surge of electricity just soared through my head to my toes. Quite exquisite, an airy feeling. As I was floated mid-stance. I stood there on the top of the stairs with no recollection of my being nor existence. Who am I? Where am I?

  "Bella?...Bella!" Catherine's voice snapped me back out of my mind, back to the real world.

  "Huh!...yes?"

  "You are ridiculous...and cute-.." Catherine's jaw cracked open releasing another small yawn again. "You can go away now." Her hand ushered me to leave her alone at last.

  ?───? ??? ?───?

  The spring was a change from the winter. From frozen toes in a foot of snow to this. A thawed paradise. Luscious grass flows in the wind, not a strand out of place. An array of beautifully bloomed flowers saying hello to the sun's rays. For the first time since I arrived I never once left out the front castle doors. The slate cobblestone paved down to a gate the same as the back gate. Sky-high spruce trees stood tall alone a dirt path. The path led along the castle grounds. It wasn't as expected but my instincts called upon me to follow.

  How much danger can one be? The supposed danger lay dormant in her chambers. Nothing out of the ordinary outside compares inside. The trail was rough on the bare sole of my feet. My feet were too accustomed to the soft comforts of Catherine's red Persian rugs under my toes. I grew a tolerance once I trotted up a small hill to find large stones on either side of the trail ending into a lake.

  "How have I not seen this?" I huffed peering over my shoulder to see the distance of the castle. The thick brush of trees and tall grass covered the lower half of the stone outside of the castle walls. Enough privacy I suppose from prying eyes. Well, only one set of eyes worries me. I am foolish enough to think Catherine Valeria would dare risk her health just to see me take a small dip. Perhaps more than that.

  I grew up in the countryside of London, being lower on the societal hierarchy meant the luxury of bathing wear was less than none. It was either a swimsuit for their luscious daughter or food on the table. I wore one of my more loose dresses. A floral corset that hung by straps on my shoulders. A lacey white dress attached at the waist to cover my hips. My undergown was exposed but it complimented the corest. Both articles of clothing were tossed aside under an apple tree. I noticed in the natural light I have grown thin. My hips were still visible and wider I would like the admit, my ribcage bludging out to make their appearance. Breasts full still retaining their round shape.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The water was crystal clear to the bottom. The earth's dirt floor was all that inhabited it. I crept my foot into the water, letting go of any inclination to dive into the lake. The splash swept me under to grasp the lake floor. My head bursts like a bubble coming up for air. Bliss. Pure utter bliss. The kind you venture in a novella to escape the mundane hollow pit known only to us mortals as our shell lives. To encounter anything more will surely be the equivalent of what people see as heaven. It's my equivalent. However, absolute heaven would be if Catherine reacted differently to my note. Possibly, maybe a shade of pink on those pale cheeks. Not one ode to be pushed away. Not to be told my note was unthoughtful. Sure, it was written quickly but not forced. Okay, may have been forced. It was the only thing I thought of at the time. The only release before spilt across the floors and am sure to be mopped with it by Catherine. In anger or at my own expense.

  I hate to admit that Catherine was right, but the fresh air held some promising benefits indeed. To smell of flowers, and grass. Hell, if I wasn't smart, I would swear I could smell the sunshine. Not the constant aroma of copper. The smell of Catherine's medicine coursed throughout the castle walls as if it was seeped into the wallpaper. As though, knowing well it isn't true, it smelt of rot. Not the inhabitants rotting but the castle itself. Rotting from the inside; in either negligence or lack of inhabitants living in its hallways. One hallways had the most foot traffic than any other. Where Catherine and my room presided.

  My back lay afloat on the surface of the lake. It was surreal to have all of the time in the world just to watch the clouds move. To think they sneakily ran away out of frame when no one was watching to bring the dark. But I know, I see you move.

  "Meow!"

  My ears submerged under water as I raised my head to be greeted by another familiar face. The pile of black fluff. I dropped my hips to cascade down to a less shallow area of the lake. "Well, good day mama." I flicked the extra droplets off my hand to scratch her head. I swept under her belly to feel nothing but extra belly fat. No movement. My stomach dropped at the notion I thought of the worst. A predator? A miscarriage? She seemed content. Quite in fact. Not stressed, not in pain. "Whatever happened to your newborns?" The mama cat stood tall, taking in all of my pets in every sweet spot. She purred again vocalizing the last vowels lower. Out of the thick grass came 4 little replicas of the mama cat. 4 black little balls of fluff. Two had shorter hair than the other two. One caught my eye more than the rest. A medium-length fur, sharp ears and bright green eyes. I assumed he was the boy. The runt. His other 3 siblings hiked up the backs with their fur standing up. The boy sat there in silence with the same disposition as his mother. Calm. Her meow turned sweet to a low growl. Most likely to scold her kittens for their behaviour. I would assume. I may speak English and Italian, but speaking cat isn't my expertise. The three relaxed still wary of this brunette stranger. The boy trotted over next to his mom with no complaint. As if he had met me before. Perhaps, the kitten I felt was him. He bowed his head to await for my hand. I broke free from his mom to pat his head. His mew was small but mighty. His purrs roared. He was in love. His eyes shone the same bright green turning back to his regular shade. I felt connected to him. As if his mom was bestowing her only son on me. I perceived he was a boy from his figure compared to his siblings. I jumped up letting my bottom touch the ground.

  "Meow!" He jumped onto my bare thighs. Plobbing himself in a ball. He rested his chin letting me stroke his back.

  "Well hello, handsome! Your son is quite friendly!" I turned my head, thinking I must be going mad if I was having a conversation with a cat. However, like that, mama and his 3 siblings were nowhere to be seen. "What the hell? Did your mother just leave you? In my care? Why!?" I picked him up under his arms realizing he was in fact a male. He did not change his mood. He held out his arms needing in the air purring more loudly than before. He leaped onto my chest wrapping both paws around my neck. Nuzzling his head in my collarbone. "Very well, but Catherine might have something to say about this arrangement." I stood placing him at my feet. I pinned my damp hair off my shoulders to dry and my dress. I peered over at the castle once again, this time I detected something out of the ordinary. A black tree, smaller than all of the others in the shade. It was a shaded path leading from the back door. It wasn't a tree! It was Catherine! The way her long hair blew from the side in the wind, her stance. She was watching. How long I could not tell. I was wrapped up in receiving an orphan more than her eyes on my nude form.

  I ran off the path straight to her. Her stance changed as if she got caught cocking her head up to the sky. "Beautiful day isn't it?"

  "What the hell are you doing out!? You said yourself you can develop burns!" I stuffed the fur ball in my loose corset in my chest. "On contrary Miss Bella Donna, this is the shade. I am perfectly fine as long as the sun does not touch."

  "Fine. It is beautiful. I hate to admit but you were right." She chuckled softly, flicking her index finger on my shoulder. "See! If I could, I would be outside more often. I only came out to see where you were, and to ask when dinner will be prepared." The kitten let out a tiny growl as Catherine's hand left me.

  "Oh? I just assumed you were watching me swim." I retorted brushing her shoulder as I passed her to the back door. "Me? Watching you? That is...laughable really...even if you are quite beautiful. Maybe you shouldn't swim naked." She mustered a full sentence in retaliation. Finally some colour, I have caught her red-handed and now she's defensive. "Well perhaps Ms. Valeria, you will provide me with proper swimming attire next time I venture off. I don't want you to burn yourself while your jaw drags in the dirt." I unlatched the door taking the first step in. "Perhaps I just might! For your information, my jaw was not as you say 'dragging in dirt'! You have an active imagination for a young woman, secondly, who were you speaking with?"

  "Haha very well. We will talk about the subject later, how did you know...right, heightened senses. I was talking to the mama cat from before...remember? She came in on the crate?"

  "The beast. I do. Have you been mad talking to animals? This isn't a fable. You are not snow white. A beauty yes, but cannot speak to animals." Catherine huffed locking the door behind us. "I did at first. I thought something was wrong when I didn't feel any kittens when I pet her. Only to find out she had her litter." I yawned at the thought of the kitten's claws needing in the middle of my chest. "And what? You just had to pet every cub from the litter I presume?"

  "Not exactly..." I trailed on leaving the kitchen in the main entryway. Catherine still followed after me, now, in suspicion. "Bella? What did you do?" She halted as she took a breath through her clenched teeth. "Well...I didn't do anything of the kind. She technically gave him to me...I suppose out of good faith for treating the mama cat with kindness...please don't be mad." I turned my body, reaching into my corest top to retrieve the black kitten stowed away presenting him to my Lady. "Him?! I do not fucking care if the mother paid you to take him! You return that beast where you found him!"

  "Please Catherine...his eyes shone bright and we connected." He purred in my hands and I held him close to my chest. "Shone? Like a candle lit?"

  "Yes...please..." I pouted in protest protecting him for what Catherine might do. My mind raced thinking she might throw him out by his scruff. "Oh for fuck sake..have you named him?"

  His name? I never thought of a name! If I named him then possibly Catherine would allow me to keep him!

  "Uh-...um...his name is-...Roman. Yes! His name is Roman." Roman purred in my grasp. His eye lit up again bowing his head in a nod. As though he liked the name he received. "Roman...fuck...fine. You may keep him. As long as he doesn't tear up the walls or shit everywhere!" Roman leaped out of my arms, rubbing his body against my ankles.

  "Thank you! Thank you, Catherine!" I jumped towards Catherine embracing her around her shoulders. "Oh stop it! Let go! He's your familiar. You have bonded. I cannot break that." She broke my grasp.

  "A what?"

  "A familiar. In folklore, they say familiars are spiritual guardians that would protect their owners. If what you said was true. His mother chose Roman to be yours."

  "I do like the sound of that. To be chosen."

  "Well, how about I choose you to start dinner and prepare my medicine." She slumped her body deeply on the couch in the main floor area not moving an inch of her being. "Very well. Why not you get to know Roman and I'll make us dinner." I planted a kiss on his head picking him for the ground, laying him on Catherine's lap. "No, no, no. I don't think that is wise..." Catherine froze not moving her hands from either side of her body. I looked behind to see Roman's back arch as he mustered a tiny hiss that took everything out of him and scurried off. "See...familiars sense trouble."

  "Stop...you're not trouble Catherine."

  "How do you know that Bell?"