"How was your journey? I hope the road favoured you. What would you like to eat? Drink? Should I prepare you a fresh bath? Oh, dear sister, tell me of your distress and what you need for ease. Tell me everything!"
Aniya was too happy to see her, at least that was what it had looked like --sounded like.
She wouldn't take her veil off no matter what, and that confirmed Belladonna's suspicion that the fire had left her little sister scarred.
Aniya's beauty was something she had always treasured, losing it must be painful.
Belladonna couldn't bring herself to imagine the pain and strain it must have caused her both physically and mentally.
There was no way Aniya would be so welcoming towards her with everything that had happened to her, this had to be a front!
"You should come home to rest tonight. I have prepared you a place to sleep. Where are your sacks? Let me help you." Aniya said, looking around the room in search of the sacks, while she quickly said words of greeting to Zesika and Lytio.
They both responded to her warmly.
So much has changed, it seemed.
"There will be no need for that," Belladonna responded, turning her offer down.
"But I believe there is so much to catch up on." She said, taking Arlo from Zesika, the child laughed as she played with him.
Well, it was good that she had a good relationship with her son. Belladonna hadn't seen Lytio's mother anywhere around, she assumed she was probably not in the village.
They were probably all getting along well too.
That was good for them.
It was good to be in the midst of peace after everything she had gone through lately.
Peace could never be too much.
However, Belladonna was intent on not just trusting the appearance of things.
She had to be careful.
"I am sure there is a lot for us to talk about. I have missed you. Say hello to Aunty." Aniya said, sitting by her side and bringing Arlo to her. As if she hadn't heard the rumours of how dangerous her sister had now become, as if she hadn't been told that ghosts resided in her sister's head, as if the rumours of her sister's likely insanity hadn't been told to her over and over again.
She sat next to her as if she was just Bella, and everything that had happened between them never even occurred.
Belladonna tensed up, feeling uncomfortable by the closeness. She had been prepared for a different reaction, not this.
With this, she didn't know what to do.
Suddenly, she wished that Eli had been here with her, but she knew this was for her good. If they were to part ways after all this, she must know how to face things alone.
Her hand slipped to that of the child, and he stared at her with interest until his attention was drawn to the ring around her finger and he blabbered some words of excitement.
Belladonna smiled despite herself.
He was just so lovely to watch.
"He talks now, and he is learning how to walk. He pulls everything down with him sometimes," Aniya laughed and Zesika interjected, "Lolo has a very good grip too." Lolo must be Arlo's nickname.
Belladonna's gaze shifted to Aniya, the veil sealing her sister's facial expression away.
"Soon, you'll have your own and our children can play together. Zesika is pregnant too, they will all play together!" Aniya declared with excitement.
You'll have your own too?
Belladonna's heart turned cold.
She turned to look at Zesika, who had a smile on her face for her, Lytio had his good hand rubbing her belly.
Wow, everyone was so happy.
She was happy for them, but that didn't stop her from realizing that she wasn't happy.
"Come home, sister. I have missed you." Aniya's gentle voice called to her and Belladonna stood up.
Lies.
If she didn't know better, she would think Aniya was truly happy to see her or had truly missed her.
Although, Eli had sent a therapist along with their carriage back then, Belladonna couldn't just forget the bitter and manipulative person that Aniya used to be.
Their mother had been the one to manipulate her into that type of person, truly. Still, she couldn't just believe that she was a totally different person already.
She just couldn't trust anyone anymore.
It was hard.
"It is so good to see you all, and congratulations on the coming baby, Zesika."
"Thank you, Milady."
"I wish you and Lytio the best."
"Thank you, Lady Bella." Lytio smiled.
"It is nice to see Arlo again. Lolo, is it?" Arlo laughed, he seemed to really like his nickname. "I wish you the best Aniya."
"Thank you. Will you come---"
"I will not be going anywhere with you."
Silence.
"Lytio, please, direct me to the guest hut. Good day, everyone."
Ironic, wasn't it?
The last time she had seen them, her life was good, she had everything. They had the ruins.
Now.
She had the ruins and they had everything.
She wasn't wishing them a terrible fate for that, only that she just couldn't help but notice.
How ironic.
___
___
Alone.
That was how Eli felt.
He couldn't believe that after the moments that they had shared, she would demand that they have this type of arrangement.
"This division of labour will bring efficiency and quickness to our quest." He could still hear her voice in his head. "There will be no need for us to be together except if it is really necessary and the Bride properly wants to pay a last visit to her family. Although, that is something we are trying to avoid, so we really have no need to be together. We will meet occasionally to communicate our progress." She had said in the carriage on their way here.
"We are not supposed to be far from each other." He had countered and the space in the carriage had felt so small at that moment.
"We will always be within the same village till this quest is over, not just in the same place."
"All this running from me, Donna, will not make your heart stop wanting me. I shall acquire your forgiveness and we will be what we used to be, even if you put the whole of Ignas between us, we will happen again. I will make sure of it." He had whispered against her ear and his hearing had caught the shakiness in her breath. "But if it is distance you want, then distance you shall have." He had said that so smoothly while they were in the carriage, determination fueling his bravery.
Right now though, he wasn't feeling so brave.
Just so lonely.
By Ignas, he missed her.
Before regret would start taking a toll on him as usual, there was a knock at the door.
Who could it be?
He had done a lot of work for the Bride's family - whose house he was in right now, during the day. He had spent his morning working in the dwellings of the families of three other brides. He had even met some of the carriages that were to dispatch the sacks of coins to different families in Inaymi, and he had gone with them just to keep his mind occupied, so he would lose it.
He was exhausted, he had done so much.
But still, it wasn't enough.
If only---
There was a knock at the door again. This time, more urgent. He suppressed a groan and rose from the bed, pulling on a shirt.
He hoped it would be Donna, but deep in his heart, he knew she wasn't the one.
He threw the door open, expecting his host but instead, he found a black-veiled woman at his doorstep.
Who was this and what was she doing here?