Nadia bit her lips, nodding to herself vigorously.
"I thought so too. That wouldn't have been good."
This felt unreal. It was like watching a different person that had features of Nadia, but it was Nadia that was standing in front of her alright, just a different version of her that Belladonna had me seen.
"My grandmother said I have I fight to fight back against bullies and Lady Kestra is a bully." She moved her shaky hands through her hair, her gaze moving from Belladonna to the trees some distance behind her.
"I was so brave then, while I was putting something in her tea," a corner of her lips lifted in a smile, before it quickly disappeared, "but now, I'm so scared. Lady Bell, what if the King feeds me to his mad dragon for this?"
Belladonna moved closer to her and held her shaky hands, giving her assurance that wouldn't happen, before quickly shifting to the topic that she was interested in knowing more about.
"That is a great lesson from your grandmother. She must be so fun."
A small smile made its way to Nadia's lips.
"She is."
"Can you tell me more about her?"
Nadia's eyes lit up, and her fear washed away as nodded, in relief and happiness. Then she stopped, as if she was just remembering something.
"Did you like her necklace?"
Belladonna nodded and Nadia giggled.
"She said you would like it. She was really sure you would, she just knows things like that. Maybe, when I get older, I will too."
That held more than just meaning to Belladonna now, and she was reading into all the meanings it could possibly have.
"You are not wearing it though, Lady Bell."
Nadia must not know the nature of the necklace her grandmother had gifted to her then.
That is one of the meanings out of the window.
"I am saving it for a special occasion." Belladonna led them to the edge of the fountain and Nadia followed.
"Granny always says every day is a special occasion."
Belladonna hummed.
"What else does she usually say? Tell me everything."
"I can't remember right now." Nadia giggled as they took their seat by the fountain. It was a relief for her to have her mind shifted from the likely disaster she had caused and Lady Bell's words were really reassuring. She believed that Lady Bell was asking her these questions to calm her down.
If Seb had been the one to find her, he would have laughed at her first before doing anything to help.
Besides, what could he really do against the wrath of the Right-hand woman?
It was good that the future Queen had been the one to find her.
"What does she do then? Make necklaces?"
"No." Nadia laughed. "She makes herbs, she did other things too, many. Some, I can't remember, but she told me she had to stop doing some things after she got me."
Got her?
Belladonna's brain was picking on every detail.
"Your parents left for another village?"
"Maybe." Nadia shrugged.
Maybe?
Belladonna focused but she could find no sadness in Nadia's eyes.
"Or maybe they died. I don't know. Granny is the only one I know. She said she doesn't know them too. She just found me one day at her doorstep. Isn't that, funny?"
Nadia laughed but Belladonna didn't join in.
"I am very happy, Lady Bell. Granny treats me like family, sometimes I even forget we aren't related by blood."
"And sometimes, you remember?"
The sound of the breeze blowing the leaves around them took the pause that settled inbetween them hostage.
Nadia nodded, her face almost blank but her eyes a mixture of emotions, her hands trembling slightly in Belladonna's.
"I used to want to know who they were, why they left me at the doorstep, why they left. I like to think it wasn't because they didn't want me. Like it was an emergency and they just had no choice."
"Maybe that was what happened. It is never easy to leave your own baby behind. They must have had no choice."
Nadia smiled and nodded, Belladonna's words bringing her a deep sense of comfort.
"Are you still trying to find out who they are?" Belladonna asked.
"Ye-no. No, I'm not. Granny doesn't like it when I do. It makes her sad, like she is not enough and I just want more that she can never give me." Her eyes glinted with tears.
"Wanting to know who your parents are, doesn't mean the ones in your life that love you are not enough."
Nadia drew in a breath and chuckled, slightly shaking her head.
"What about you, Lady Bell? Do you want to find out who your father is?"
Belladonna froze.
How did she know about that?
"Why should I? He was a rapist and a drunk. Forced himself on a child." Her words were laced with bitterness and anger she didn't even know she had. "I never want to know who he is."
The hands she felt around her were unexpected and she stilled as Nadia pulled her into an embrace, patting her back lightly.
"Don't worry. We are a lot that love you right now. You don't need him." Then she added with a whisper, "he sounds like a lot of problems. We don't like problems."
That wasn't funny, at all, but laughter bubbled in her throat and slipped past her lips anyways.
Maybe it was the odd comfort that made the situation humourous, Belladonna couldn't figure it out, but whatever it was, it was very relieving.
They talked about a lot of things. Nadia talked about her grandmother a lot, she seemed to be in every fun memory she had, Belladonna spoke about her fun memories too, and time flew by so easily.
It was easy to get lost in a conversation with a friend and they didn't realize how late it had become till they heard the crickets chirping and felt the breeze become colder.
They headed into the castle, talking and laughing as they did. They bade each other goodnight and headed to their different rooms.
Nadia's hand pressed firmly against the door as she stepped into the Workers' quarters. It was a floor above the servants. She was sharing this room with three others, they weren't in yet tonight, they were never in early anyways.
She lit a candle, set it on a tin, and started working on a couple of papers that had been spread across the table.
She never stopped looking for her parents.
Nadia pulled back the chair and settled in it, as she thought of what other excuse she might have to create to go to the Ministry of Information. For the type of information she needed, she would need authorization from someone high up the power ladder.
Maybe Lady Bell could help her? But was her position official y---
Her thought screeched to a halt when she heard a creak, she turned back but the door remained shut.
Maybe she was just hearing things.
She turned to her work again, this time around, she didn't hear a squeak, she felt hands over her shoulders, and before she could scream something was pressed against her mouth.
She struggled against the forceful hold but the smell that rushed into her lungs had a paralyzing effect. It didn't take long for her body to surrender into unconsciousness.
Sure that she was now unconscious, the man leaned forward and put off the candle.