Chapter Two ~ Llaya

Chapter Two ~ Llaya

   The sun streamed through the open window and seeped into the tiny holes of the quilt. The light lit up the darkness inside of Vae's closed eyelids. The light was sleep's enemy, and it soon woke the sleeping girl out of her short slumber. Vae moaned out of weariness while she stretched her cat like body. The top half of her body rose like an awaken vampire and she stretched once more. Her smooth, skinny legs slid from underneath the quilt and to the side of bed, softly placing her small feet onto the cool concrete floor. Her head hang low with fixed eyes upon her feet. They were covered in cuts and scratches that held blood that had dried out hours ago. A frown took over her lips, for she began to criticize her stupid decision of wearing sandals on her journey. She knew that her shallow mother would lose her nerve at the sight of such cuts. Her mother was extremely hyperbolic and would treat these small nicks as if they were deep wounds from battle. She would carp on about how the scratches would "ruin" part of her beauty. Her mother did not want anything to impair Victor's, the richest man of the village, interest in Vae.
    Vae sighed a breath of shame and stood up. She walked to the mirror near the dresser and positioned in front of it. Her eyes commenced on examining the rest of her body as she searched for more reckless mistakes. She ran her fingers through her black hair that flowed from the top of her scalp and waved to the bottom of her shoulders. The light brought out the bright green color of Vae's eyes and illuminated her fair white skin. Her lips were a light red and were as soft as clean feathers. The frosty weather that dominated her land made her skin fair and pastel. Her attributes were considered beautiful in her village, and even to those from afar. It was the reason of Victor's marriage proposal, for he wanted nothing but the best. To him she was just like a possession, one that was rare and a must have. No real love was involved in Victor's proposal. Only greed.

   Vae cringed at the sight of dirt on her face. She sauntered to the bowl of fresh warm water that was placed on the table by the mirror. She splashed the liquid upon her face and dried it off with a rag. After doing so, she soaked the rag with the water and washed the rest of her visible skin. She bent down and cleaned her cuts as well. When clean, she approached the drawer and slid it open. Her hands ran over the smooth fabric of her three dresses, then took hold of her favorite one. Her hands pushed the drawer back in place and slithered into the dress. Once the dress was in place, Vae grabbed the black cloth that was resting on the table and wrapped it across her face. She slipped on the sandals that were placed by the door and walked outside in search of her mother.

   She began to walk to the village market. She assumed her mother would be there at that time of the morning, probably searching for ingredients for the days lunch. Minutes passed and Vae arrived at the market. It was bustling with energy of the people from the village. Women were at stalls, ordering meat and produce. Men were at the other stalls, chatting about the latest hunt and the newest weapons. 
   Llayla, Vae's mother, was visiting at the produce stall. She was gossiping with the stall keep, slipping in a few giggles every now and then. Vae stood by the weapon stall and examined her mother.

   Llaya was a lean woman with dull black hair. The beauty and shine of her mane had faded away over the years from stress and harsh conditions. Her gray eyes lacked sparkle as well. Her skin, like many of residents of the village, was pallid and rough. Her occupation was a maid for Victor, and she served him for numerous of years. She used the money she received to buy inessential things, such as clothes and useless trinkets. Along with that, she would sneak some money to the village drunkard to buy her liquor. Most of her money was put to waste, and the only way Vae could take care of herself and Aylis, her younger sister, was by stealing money from her mother's stash when she was passed out cold. Llaya was considered selfish by many, and her children would've been taken from her if her daughter wasn't already eighteen. Her one true passion was money, and she would do anything to get it. But, even though her personality wasn't appealing, she was still Vae's mother, so she loved her the same. She then began to navigate through the crowd and soon reached her mother. With a light tap to the shoulder, she quickly got Llayla's attention. She turned and faced her daughter with a smile. 

    "Vaetoreana! My dear sweet child!" Llaya exclaimed. She gave a brief hug and looked upon her daughter. Llaya's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. Her hand flew to Vae's face and frantically wiped her skin. "Dear god child! Why is your skin so dark? Is this dirt? Or have you not been sleeping? How many times have I told you to get a good sleep? You'll lose your magnificence! Victor won't want to marry you like this! He wants a beauty, not a tramp. These dark circles won't do. They make you old and unappeali-"
    "Mother! I know! It's just last night, uh, I couldn't get to sleep. That's all." Vae swiped away her mother's hand and hung her head low. Secretly she prayed her mother wouldn't notice the cuts on her feet. Her eyes wandered to them and then sighed out of relief. Her long dress covered her feet well and hid the scratches. Vae raised her head and gazed at her mother.
    Llaya gave Vae a look and let her go. "Child, you upset me sometimes. Get good sleep, or we'll lose our chance." Llaya then flicked her nose and walked off with a sway. Vae flinched to the flick then followed her mother like a little duckling. While walking, Llaya was rambling on about her daughter and her beauty. Vae dazed off and soon heard not a word from her mother's moving lips. This was what took place between them for a few minutes, until her mother finally said something that caught Vae's attention. "Look child, we need to prepare for your wedding. Let's head to the village shops and begin searching for decorations."
   The words slithered through Vae's ears like a poisonous snake. She immediately stopped in her tracks and shrieked, "Mother no!"

   Llaya made a halt and snapped her upper torso around. A livid expression took over her entire face and her fist clinched with rage. She began to sneer.
   "What... did you just say young lady?" she snarled.

  Vae made a swift motion and brought her hand to her mouth. Her eyes gleamed shame and resentment, and her fingers clinched onto her lips, wishing that those words never slipped through them. She loosened her grip and whispered, "Oh mother I, I'm so sorry." 
   Llaya's eyes were slanted and shining with fury. She slowly strode towards her daughter, giving enough time for her rage to boil. She finally reached Vae, and she stood there for a moment. Suddenly, she raised her arm and slapped Vae across the face. Vae's head shifted with the motion of the hand and soon was facing the side. The hit brought great pain to her, which was enough to provoke her to cry. Little tears of water streamed over her cheeks and slightly cooled the red hand mark on her right. She hastily wiped the tears off, for she wanted no one to think of her as weak.
   "Don't you ever say that again. From this moment on, any question involving you and Victor's wedding should always be answered as a yes from your tiny precious lips!" Llaya grabbed her daughter's dress and pulled her forward. "Do you understand me?" Not a word came from Vae. Llaya then shook her a little and said, "Do you understand me, young lady!?"
   "Yes, mother. I do!" cried Vae.
   "Good! Now stop crying like a little baby. It makes you ugly. And I don't want an ugly child. An ugly child won't marry a rich man." Llaya released her daughter's dress and stormed off. Vae again wiped off her tears and followed behind her infuriated mother. Mother duck waddled towards the shops while her "ugly" little duckling stumbled behind.

Author's Note

opinions? and sorry for mistakes.