154 Missing Bell
Melrose found herself pondering on the name and she pressed her lips tightly together, unsure of why the history of Roshan’s love life was somehow bothersome, yet so touching.
On the other hand, Anna had frozen against her spot after hearing Aveline’s name being mentioned and she instinctively got to her feet, looking like someone who just got shot with a bullet and her head was currently spinning in circles.
Aveline??
Aveline was Roshan’s mate??
How is that... all those dreams she’s been having, the dream about the lady with a sword who looked just like her, the strange man who called her Aveline, all those feelings of deja Vu that won’t leave her.
It wasn’t supposed to make sense, but it suddenly did.
When Roshan red the Grimoire to her in Ark Ville, it said something about her soul leaving the limbo, thus, leading to her quick rebirth but in order to be reborned, surely one must have lived before and died, right?
As unbelievable as it was, could it.... could it be she was.... Aveline?? Was this why the old physician told her about the forbidden temple back in Euphrasia??
A sudden chill shocked her spirit like the vibration of a bell, and her heart jumped in her chest after hearing a voice speak behind her.
.....
“Is everything alright?” Asked lady Melrose in a calm tone, who had seen Anna get to her feet from the mirror, she assumed the shock-stricken Anna must have spotted something under the bed.
Immediately, Anna schooled her expression before turning around to look at Melrose who was still waiting for her response.
“N_no, it’s nothing. I accidentally poked a finger into my eye and just felt the need to stand up properly.” She came up with another lie and Melrose believed it, noticing her eyes were visibly filled to the brim with tears, and they looked somewhat red.
She must have poked herself really hard then.
“You should probably go take care of that, I don’t need a one-eyed maid in my chamber, wash your face and come back when you feel better, she’ll carry on from where you stopped.”
Melrose got to her feet after signaling to the maid who attended to her hair and jewelry to get her bed ready. Anna gratefully bowed her head before leaving the chambers and she didn’t even realize how she needed to be out of there until now.
Hurrying through the busy corridor that was being decorated with lights, chandeliers, as well as flowers, Anna made sure to hide her face while walking past. She wasn’t ready to be questioned about why her eyes were watery when deep down, she felt like her heart was being stabbed.
Getting to her chambers successfully, Anna quickly closed the door behind her, leaning her back against it and sinking to the ground as the tears flowed freely from her eyes down to her cheeks, looking unsure of why she felt like this.
When the maid told the story, she felt strange, as though the maid was indirectly talking about her and every pain the maid mention of, Anna could feel it sting her heart, like she was the actual person in pain and the stab, it all felt too familiar, like she was the one who got stabbed and none of it was making any sense right now.
She closed her eyes to recollect herself, brushing her fingers into her hair cause it felt like she was going to go crazy with the way her head was spinning. She felt oddly cold and her hands were icy and clammy as death when they came in contact with the skin on her face.
What was happening??
Was she Aveline?? Why can’t she remember her past life?
That lady that always showed up before her, the lady that looked exactly like her, where was she??
Annalise was never really bothered about the idea of Roshan having a mate or if he didn’t back then, but hearing Aveline’s name being mentioned and the puzzles fixing themselves, it made her heart drum in anticipation and she wasn’t liking it.
Who is Aveline?
~
Letitia’s chamber.....
“Where did it go?” Letitia searched her drawers with an anxious look on her face, obviously worried about something as she opened all the books on her dressing table, flipping through the pages and looking for something, only to be left disappointed when it wasn’t there.
“I’m sure I kept it here, where did it go?” She hissed, already getting frustrated as the sight of one bell was nowhere to be seen. She had kept all six in the cupboard of her dressing table and now, she can’t find one of those bells tied with a red knot.
“I need to return those bells back, where could the last one be?”
At that moment, Gemma slowly walked in while carrying that guilty innocent look on her face, standing before her Aunt who was seriously searching for something and not looking her way.
“Not now Gemma dear, Aunt is very busy.” Letitia already knew Gemma was here to disturb her with her childish antics but unfortunately, she’s got no patience for that right now.
Despite telling it to her, Gemma still refused to leave and when Letitia saw her little niece was making no effort to leave, she turned around to look at her.
“What is it Gem_” she paused after seeing the little one lower her head guiltily, her big hazel eyes focused on her shoes as she drew circles on the tiled floor with her feet.
“I know that look young lady, what mischievous thing did you do this time?” Letitia questioned, her arms folded with her gaze strict, wondering if Gemma had ruined the decorations outside or broken a window somewhere, but shockingly, it was none of those options as Gemma stretched her hand forward, opening her palm and revealing the bell that was resting on it.
“This child!” Letitia felt her heart in her throat after seeing the bell she was looking for in Gemma’s little hand. Her face paled and she wasted no time taking it from her grip.
Gemma’s head remained low, she knew her Aunt was glaring at her and that was the expression she didn’t have the courage to see.
“Why did you take this? Do you have any idea what it is you were holding?? When did you start learning to take things that aren’t yours?” She scolded the child who trembled a little at her harsh tone, but she was familiar with it, knowing how her Aunt gets when offended.
She really was sorry for taking it, but had no idea how to say it and just kept her head bowed.
“Did it ring?” Letitia questioned further, and to her relief, Gemma truthfully shook her head, indicating it didn’t and that brought Letitia’s alarmed expression to a normal glare and she returned the bell back to her cupboard.
“Next time, don’t take things without seeking permission from the owners first, you need to understand that what you hold may be threatening to your life and you shouldn’t go around taking things because they are pretty and shiny, am I making myself clear?”
Gemma nodded in response, wanting to show how sorry she was cause she never expected her Aunt to get this upset, but instead, her Aunt dismissed her from her chamber, leaving Gemma’s expression to somber as she quietly left, obviously saddened by the scolding she just got from her Aunt and she ran to her chambers, holding back her tears.
When Gemma had left, Letitia stared at the death bell she had safely returned to her cupboard and nothing could explain how relieved she was to hear it didn’t ring in the hands of her little niece.
If it did, then nothing could have stopped the consequences that came with the ringing of a death bell.
She has to return them back to their rightful place before it gets into the hands of anyone again.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om