*Isla*
“I just don’t understand how he can be so confident about the existence of this curse but not be willing to budge an inch when it comes to the discussion of the fountain.” I take a bit of my piece of toast and shake my head, not sure if I’m actually going to be able to eat much of what Poppy has set before me on the table this morning. All night, I tossed and turned, thinking about Maddox and the discussion we’d had right before I asked him to leave the night before.
“Well, he is very protective of you,” Ben says, still chewing. His appetite has definitely not been affected by this situation. He came back to check on me after he was certain Maddox was gone last night, and I’d told him I was pregnant and needed to get some rest. He’d been ecstatic to know he was going to be an uncle again. My sisters have kids after all, but he never gets to see them because they live so far away, and even though I do, too, now, my brother and I are very close, much closer than he is with anyone else in our family, so he knows he’ll be a part of my baby’s life.
It wasn’t until this morning that I decided to fill him in on everything else that had gone on, how Mystica had been worried about the baby, and Maddox didn’t want to listen when she talked about the fountain. It’s all just too much, and I find myself wishing I was in a position to make this sort of decision for myself.
But I’m not….
“He is protective of me,” I agree with Ben. “Overly protective,” I modify. “It’s aggravating how he can go from making me feel like I’m the most important person in the world one minute to making me feel like a purchase he regrets making in the next.”
Across the room, Poppy clatters some glass together as she’s dusting my dresser, and I look over at her. She’s glancing over her shoulder at me, and from the looks of it, she has something to say. Her forehead is puckered, as are her lips, but I have no idea what her problem is, and when Ben begins to speak again, Poppy makes another loud noise with her duster.
“He might change his mind,” Ben suggests with a shrug. He’s cleaned his plate of bacon, eggs, and toast now, and I see him eyeing mine. He’s always been so thin, but he can eat like any growing boy.
I slide my plate over to him, only keeping my toast. My stomach is twisted, and I don’t think it’s only because I’m pregnant. I think I’m also too upset about Maddox and the baby’s health to eat.
Ben digs into my food, and I consider what he's said. It is possible Maddox might change his mind, but I don’t think so. Still, I don’t want to argue with anyone. “Maybe,” I acquiesce.
“Sorry the breakfast I brought you is so disgusting you can’t eat it,” Poppy says, coming over to stand behind the chair next to me. “Would you like me to bring you something else?”
I glance at the plate Ben’s almost done clearing. “Oh, it was fine, Poppy,” I say in as pleasant a tone as I can. I don’t know why she’s acting this way. “I’m just not hungry. I have so much on my mind right now.”
“You mean… like your pregnancy? And the fact that your baby might be unhealthy? And how you got Maddox to confirm that he thinks you could actually be a princess? But he won’t let you go home to Maatua? Not even to find a special fountain that might save your baby? Because of the curse he does believe in?”
I stare at her a moment longer, waiting to see if she’s finished yet, and it seems that she is. I finally say, “Yes–”
She nods sharply, and before I can say more, she replies, “Sorry to be eavesdropping. It’s a small room.” Then, she turns to walk away, heading toward the bathroom, adding, “I wouldn’t intentionally want to know any private information that doesn’t concern me without you wanting me to know.” When she reaches the bathroom door, she slams it pretty hard.
I suddenly realize what Poppy is so upset about.
“Oh, shit….” I can’t help but hang my head and shake it.
“What’s the matter?” Ben asks, his mouth so full of food, it’s hard for me to understand him. “Oh, shit what?”
“You didn’t hear all of that?” I whisper, inclining my head toward the bathroom door where I can hear what sounds like furious bathtub scrubbing of porcelain that’s already clean.
“What? The maid? Guess I wasn’t listening. Though I do think it’s pretty cool that you have a maid now.” He is finished and places my empty plate on top of his empty plate before picking up his glass of orange juice and taking a big guzzle.
I sigh. “She’s upset that I didn’t tell her any of this before I said anything to you. Or right when I found out, for that matter.”
His forehead creases. “Why would you tell the maid you’re pregnant?”
“Because she’s not just my maid!” My volume is a lot louder now, and I don’t care if Poppy hears this part. “She’s also my friend! A good friend. She helped save me when I was kidnapped.”
“Oh.” He doesn’t seem to get it still. “I guess you’re lucky Mom and Dad don’t know about that. They’d be freaking out.”
And… Ben has changed the subject. I realize he is a teenage boy, and it really isn’t the strong suit of most males to notice things like this like what’s going on with Poppy, but it would be nice if he would just stay on the subject.
“I need to talk to her,” I say on a sigh. It’s the last thing I want to have to worry about right now. I do realize that Poppy is acting a little selfishly right now. If she really cared about me as her friend, she wouldn’t be so hung up on the fact that I didn’t tell her and would be thinking more about the fact that I am struggling with a lot of issues right now. So why am I now feeling bad about offending her instead of continuing to work on my own issues?
“Talk to who?” Ben asks, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “The healer lady? Mom?”
I grumble. “No, Poppy!” I am back to a harsh whisper now.
“Oh, right.” He shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m not good at stuff like that.”
“I hadn’t noticed,” I say with an obviously sarcastic tone. He only smirks at me. “Listen, I’m really glad you’re here, especially when I needed you most, but I think you should probably go home now.”
Ben’s eyes widen as it sounds like Poppy is throwing stuff in the bathroom. Ben doesn’t seem to notice that. “Leave?” he asks. “But I just got here.”
“But Mom and Dad don’t know where you are,” I remind him.
He shrugs. “I’m sure they’re fine. I can call them and tell them I’m still at my friend’s house.”
“Ben… you’re lying to them,” I remind him, and he starts laughing hysterically.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’d hate to lie to Mom and Dad after they’ve always been so honest with us.”
I feel my ears turning red with heat because he’s right, and it makes me sad. And a little angry. “They’re still our parents, and they deserve our respect.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t think so, but I will check in with them.”
Before I can say more, his chair screeches across the floor, and he goes over to the phone by my bed. He apparently has their number memorized because he dials it quickly. “Mom?” he says. “Hi. I’m fine. No, nothing’s wrong. Just making sure you’re not worried about me. I know I don’t spend a lot of time away from home. Okay. Yep. I will. Okay. Bye.”
My little brother turns and looks at me. “We’re good,” he says.
My mouth opens and then closes again. They haven’t figured out that he’s not where he says he is, so… “Fine,” I say. “Stay, but only until tomorrow. I don’t want to have to tell them about all of this right now, and I don’t want their stuff to be out of the house any longer than it has to be.”
He makes the sign of respect to me, and I know he’s being a smart ass.
Thinking about the stuff makes me think about the curse, and I can't help but groan as my stomach tightens. But Ben doesn’t notice. “Guess I’ll go get ready,” he says with a smile on his face.
“Ready?” I don’t know what he’s talking about. He’s not leaving until tomorrow.
“Yeah–for the executions. Did you forget?”
I have another reason to groan. “Yeah, I did.”
He gives me a sympathetic smile now. “I’m sorry. I know one of the people they’re executing is the lady that tried to kill you. That’s gotta be satisfying, right?”
I want to say that it is, but it’s not. I don’t want to watch Zabrina die. I don’t want to watch anyone die. But I have to be there. Maddox did mention that to me yesterday before I kicked him out. He said he’d need me to be there with him during the ceremony. I know he’s nervous about it. I would be, too. It’s been a long time since we had a public hanging at the castle, at least as far as I know.
“You should get ready, too,” Ben tells me. “You need any help? Getting your clothes out of the closet or anything?” It seems like an odd question from my brother, but he does know I don’t feel well. He wouldn’t help me dress and couldn’t help me with my hair or makeup.
Before I can reply, Poppy comes flying out of the bathroom. “No! She does not need your help, Ben Moon!” she shouts. “I am here to help her, not you! I’m here to be the one she turns to when she needs something–not you! You should go, Ben Moon! You should go right now!”
I stare at Poppy, unblinking, shocked at her outburst. I’d like to say I’d never seen her act this way before, but it wouldn’t be true. Still, this is probably the angriest I’ve seen her, maybe ever.
I look at Ben and he looks at me. “Bye,” he says, sliding out the door, and I turn to Poppy.
“We need to talk.”