PART TWO

Chapter 14: Eclipse

“So…the rumors were true.”

Eclipse adjusted the silky red banner, careful to not lose her balance on the ladder. Rows of them hung neatly along the walls, each one adding a burst of color to the plain white walls of the ballroom.

She climbed down and walked over to the nearby table, where her mother sat gracefully, tying ribbons into elegant bows around delicate wine glasses. Eclipse sat down to join her, and grabbed a ribbon for herself.

“It seems they were,” her mother said, her voice masking any emotion. Her eyes didn’t lift from the crystal glasses in front of her, her rouge-painted lips pressed tightly together.

It had been only three days since the raid on the Aldebaran marketplace, yet it seemed so much longer to the people of Ophelia. Her mother had already received letters of concern regarding her planned celebration, even suggestions to cancel it altogether. Although everyone was horrified by the murders that took place, nothing could compare to the widespread fear that followed soon after.

Because the element, the one the rumors spoke of, the one straight out of Ophelia’s worst nightmares, was real.

Eclipse began to tie the ribbon in a knot, her thoughts wandering from her task. How could anyone concentrate after such a thing had occurred? After several long minutes of difficulty, she was finally able to tie her bow. She pushed the glass to the center of the table, grouping it with the other finished glasses, and stood up from her seat. If it was going to take her ridiculously long to do this chore, it would be better if she found another task.

Eclipse headed over to the front of the room, where Adelaide, one of the servants, stood atop an old, shaky ladder, carefully hanging a banner over the archway entrance.

That ladder looks like it could collapse any minute.

Eclipse rushed over to hold it steady before the maid could fall.

“Thank you, Miss Soleil,” she called from the top with a quiet sigh of relief. Eclipse responded with a light smile.

As she held the ladder in place, she gazed out towards the ballroom. Almost all of their servants were helping her mother decorate the empty walls and bare tables. The room was full of people, yet still felt barren. Normally, the workplace would have been filled with the light chatter of the workers, each trading gossips and laughs. Yet it was now almost silent, the somber mood greying Eclipse’s already dull life.

Eclipse gripped the ladder tightly as Adelaide slowly climbed down, her knuckles turning white. As she reached the ground, Eclipse turned to her. “Is there anything else I can help you with?” she asked.

“Why, Miss Soleil, normally I would be the one to ask you that question,” Adelaide chuckled. “It appears all I have left to do is gather some flowers from the garden to decorate the rest of the tables.”

“I can do that. You take a break,” Eclipse offered.

“But Miss Soleil—”

“No, no!” She breathed in. “This celebration is my family’s responsibility. You should not have to worry about it.”

Adelaide stepped back politely. “Very well then,” she said as they both exited the room. “Thank you, Miss.” She parted with a tilt of her head and started down the hall.

Eclipse soon found herself before the garden’s wide doors, and she stepped out onto the cobblestone path. She was surrounded by rows of prickly hedges, her shoes clicking against the rocks. The stones paved off in many different directions, each one leading to a seperate part of the garden.

A row of brown, woven baskets sat to the side, perfect for holding flowers. She peered inside one to see a single set of shears, and swiftly picked up the basket, hanging it on her arm.

The sun was masked by a shroud of grey clouds, shadowing the cool grass at her feet. Moss seeped through the cracks of the cobblestone, while tiny flowers grew through the sheet of green. Despite the summer weather, a chilled breeze blew against her skin.

Eclipse walked deeper into the garden, and eventually passed by the elaborate fountain in the center, its water flowing gently along the stone. She followed the rocky path to its end, reaching the tall, thick stone wall that surrounded the garden. Hundreds of green vines hung from the walls, covering the massive stone. A row of red rose bushes lay in a straight line in front of her, spanning all the way to the corners of the garden. Drops of fresh dew dripped down from the leaves, glossing over the red petals.

Eclipse crouched down on her feet and reached for the vibrant flowers, careful to avoid the sharp thorns. With one hand, she slipped her fingers into the basket, gripping the large shears, and gently snipped the flower from its bush. She reached for another, and cut at its green stem carefully, keeping in mind to leave enough of its stalk for it to be easily bundled together later.

She remembered how worried she had been when she first heard the news of the raid. It had happened right where Mr. Zelione’s apothecary stood, and having known him so long, her thoughts immediately drifted to him. But soon enough, her worries had turned to his apprentice as well. She remembered staggering to her room after hearing the news, desperate to run from her own unease. Her mind hadn’t even wanted to entertain the possibility that they were gone.

Then came the memorial, where she stood alongside her parents right in front of the stage. People from five different cities—Aldebaran and the four Court territories—gathered together in mourning. She remembered frantically scanning the crowd, analyzing every face she could see, as her parents pushed her through to their place in the front. The two had watched her bitterly, making sure she kept her focus to the front stage.

Only when the service was complete, and the crowd had turned to march the other way, did she finally catch a glimpse of Arcturus’ somber expression among the thousands of villagers. Beside him stood Mr. Zelione, who held him close in his arms. Eclipse had let out a sigh of relief as she carried herself through the crowd, silently thanking the stars.

With a final snip, she grabbed one last rose, and set it down gently in her basket, which was overflowing with flowers.

That should be enough for all the tables.

She rose from the ground, careful not to step on her lengthy skirt, and dusted the soil off her dress. Eclipse turned around onto the cobblestone path again, following it back to the house. As she walked along the rocks, a sudden wind blew against her face, much stronger than normal, and she shivered slightly.

But as the wind receded, a faint creak began to sound. Eclipse paused, cocking her head to listen.

That sound…Why is it so familiar?

She walked towards the grove of trees in the distance, one of the only things she could see over the tall hedges. As she continued to approach, the creaking began to get fainter and fainter, yet she knew this was the right way. She peered behind the hedges.

Oh my…

There was an open patch of grass, and trees standing tall in the back, a wooden swing dangling from their sturdy branches, dancing along with the wind. Eclipse walked towards it, her eyes widening. She thought her parents had gotten rid of the swing long ago, along with all her old dolls and playthings. It didn't seem like an important piece to bring when they had moved into the mansion.

Dropping the roses on the ground, Eclipse nervously settled herself onto the creaky wood, gently pushing back and forth with her feet, and lifted herself into the air. She hadn’t used this swing—or any swing in fact—for so many years. It felt good to be able to fly like this again.

As the air brushed against her skin, her dress fluttering behind her, memories of her father pushing her as a child in their old home began to slowly come back. How her mother would sit on the small porch nearby, fondly watching her daughter laugh with a smile. For those brief moments, it was only the three of them hidden in their leafy fortress, together without a care in the world.

That was before her father had gotten so busy as an Ash Court Councilman, before her mother had gained prominence for her Persuasion. Before they would start to organize too many events, attend too many meetings, entrap themselves in the world of politics, and barely make any time for their daughter. It was before Eclipse was forced to be molded into the perfect image of a Soleil.

Her heart throbbed slightly, longing for that sense of peace, sense of family, to return. But Eclipse knew it could never be like that again, with her parents caught up in the affairs of the kingdom, the Courts, the Councils and everything in between. The Council was now their life. Their reputation was everything. They simply had no time for anything or anyone else. All they would ever talk about now was policies, scandals, councilmen…

At that thought, Eclipse’s mind suddenly shifted, a new realization emerging.

Councilmen…was Nash not trying to warn the others about Councilman Oberon? He said that he was planning something—something deadly. What are the chances that a murderous raid would have happened only a few days later?

Eclipse started to slow the swing, thinking deeply. The idea was absurd, really, but she didn’t dare let it go. It made too much sense to simply be a coincidence. Her breaths turned shallow as she finally came to a stop, her eyes widening.

Could Councilman Oberon possibly be the one behind the raid?