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What's in a name?	By : jinna1979 Category: Fairy Tales, Fables, Folklore, Legends, and Myth > Fairy Tales Views: 16599 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction,I do not own Rumpelstiltskin. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons,living or dead, is purely coincidental

Chapter List
- 25
- 26
- 27
The following day, the party was served with a fresh, hot loaf of brown bread, leftover ham, and a delectable looking apple pie. Olivie had not reverted back to her fearful state, and was relaxed and cheerful. In her short life, treats were almost non-existent, and she asked for seconds, and then thirds of pie.

  “She’s going to give herself a stomach ache,” Millicent said with amusement. But none of them had the heart to tell Olivie ‘no’ to more pie. Rumplestiltskin asked the barkeep directions to the town near where Millicent grew up. The group was unsure of which fork in the road to take, and fortunately, the barkeep was able to tell them which way to go, as well as how much further it would take them to get there if they maintained their sedate pace.

Their wagon was hitched up by the boy, and the barkeep’s wife offered the group a couple more loaves of bread, and some sausages to take on the road. Rumplestiltskin attempted to give them another silver for their generous care, but they insisted that the three silvers from the night before were more than enough. Carine decided that she would take the reins this morning. Before they were on their way, she approached Millicent. Carine wanted their conversation to be private, and assumed that the noise of the wagon wheels across the dirt road would muffle their discussion.

“Miss Millicent, there’s something I wanted to speak to you about. Would you mind sitting with me this morning?”

“Of course!” Millicent replied.

“Go sit in the back with the magical man, Ollie-dear,” Carine said to her sister. Olivie nodded happily. She already thought of the magical man as her friend. As for Rumplestiltskin, he cheerfully climbed in the back of the wagon with Olivie. He was aware that Millicent and Carine were close friends after the experience they had together, and saw nothing suspicious about them speaking. To amuse Olivie, he created yet another magical ball of light, although this one was a soft purple. It made a sound that was more like a purr than a tinkle, and it seemed to delight in being petted by Olivie. In response, the pink ball of light seemed to act jealous, and tried to claim Olivie’s attention.

  “What did you want to speak to me about?” Millicent asked Carine when they were on their way. Carine snuck a glance towards the back of the wagon, and was satisfied that Olivie and Rumplestiltskin were sitting far enough back that they could not hear what was being said.

  “Hm...when we back at the castle, I told you I wasn’t ready to have a babe - that I didn’t want to keep it.” Millicent nodded encouragingly, as she waited for Carine to keep talking. “Well, now that we are away from that… dreadful place, I have been thinking. Things are different now, and…” For some reason, Carine felt vaguely guilty. Yet, she was only speaking her heart, and took a deep breath before continuing. “I want to keep the babe. I think I’m ready to be a mother, and I know that another child would make Olivie happy. She would have someone to play with.”

  “Oh Carine!” Millicent exclaimed, throwing her arms around Carine in a hug, “I’m so happy for you! I know you’ll be an amazing mother! A baby deserves to grow up with it’s own mother!” Millicent’s was beaming radiantly, and Carine could not help smiling in response, though the mule snorted in annoyance at the tug on it’s reins when Millicent hugged Carine.

Millicent was bursting with joy and enthusiasm, but Rumplestiltskin, whose sharp ears had heard the entire exchange, felt awash with a sense of coldness. He kept his expression neutral so as to not frighten Olivie, but his emotions were a tumultuous mess. Without a royal baby, how could he break the curse that was upon him? If the curse did not break, he would be dooming Millicent to a life with a hideous monster. How could he possibly consider doing such a thing to her? His mind searched all the possible avenues he could take. He was aware of the other methods of breaking curses, but none of them seemed viable. He was aware that Millicent seemed to have a great deal of fondness for him, but fondness was not the same as true love. If she were to kiss him, it likely wouldn’t break the spell. Yet, should he try it? It would be a terrible disservice to her to run away from her for a second time. It would also be cruel to subject her to a life married to a hideous creature. He decided that this evening, he would try and find a moment in private with her. He would have to attempt to convince her to kiss him. If she refused, he would have his answer and leave. Leaving seemed the most merciful choice - after all, she was beautiful, and she would surely find another who would be more deserving of her.

But how could he convince her to kiss him? He could not imagine such an occurrence happening organically. Asking her outright seemed rather forward. Yet, he did not desire to trick a kiss out of her either. Thus occupied, he paid no heed to Millicent and Carine’s chatter about motherhood, and tried to imagine the best scenario to create that would result in a kiss. As the wagon rolled along, the grassy landscape turned into forest on the westward side. It was an all too familiar forest - this woodland and the land of the fey was where he had spent most of his life. Up ahead would be a fork in the road that led Millicent’s parent’s home. He wondered if Millicent would want to stop and see her parents, or whether she and Carine would pass it, and continue on towards the town. Millicent had been treated lovingly by her parents, but they had essentially betrayed her by giving her up to the cruel king. It was true that they did not know the king’s authentic character, however, they should have given more care before offering her up to the king with no questions. Nay, it was more than that - they had pushed her upon the king with their lies. Carine had given the reins over to Millicent a couple of hours ago, so the choice was quite literally in Millicent’s hands.

He felt a sense of tension as the wagon rolled nearer to the miller’s house. If he had been the one sitting next to Millicent rather than Carine, he would have seen the way she clenched her hands tightly around the reins, and the way, she pursed her lips and furrowed her brow in unhappiness. Yet the wagon continued on its way, not slowing for a moment. By late afternoon, Olivie wanted the company of her sister, so Carine and Rumplestiltskin switched places.

  “Shall I take the reins?” Rumplestiltskin asked. Millicent nodded and handed the reins over to him.

  “You look a bit weary,” he said, hoping to draw her into conversation.

  “Oh, I’m alright. I suppose cloudy days often make me feel a bit melancholy.” Millicent looked up at the sky and sighed. Though Rumplestiltskin questioned her words, he did not want to force her to talk about the situation if she was uncomfortable about it. He would be there to listen, but only when she was ready to talk.

  “I find grey skies rather serene,” he said, and then shook his head slightly. How mundane, to be speaking about the weather.

  “Oh, I ought to tell you!” Millicent suddenly straightened her posture and turned to Rumplestiltskin, poised to make her announcement. “It’s about Carine. Well, it is wonderful news actually but - but it might not please you.” Millicent looked down at her hands and frowned.

  “What news?” Rumplestiltskin prompted gently, though he already knew what she would say.

  “I know how much you want a child of your own, but Carine has decided to keep her baby. I’m sure you agree that a babe ought to stay with it’s mother. And… and…. Well…. When you marry me, I could….erm…. bear you a child.” Millicent’s cheeks flushed hotly. She did not want to think about what bearing a child would entail, but she believed she would be up to the task. Rumplestiltskin however, was frozen by her words. Did she even realize what she was saying? Millicent’s posture remained straight and she looked so courageous and elegant - rather like some sacrificial virgin. The idea of his grotesque self defiling her beauty created a disturbing picture.

  “Dearest Millicent, I-” Rumplestiltskin felt as though he were choking on his words. “I could not ask that of you. Of course I am pleased that the unborn babe shall have a loving mother, but I do not expect you to -” curiously, his face reddened. He wondered how he could put his thoughts into words without sounding completely boorish. “I do not expect you to feel obligated to fulfill your conjugal duties. Companionship is enough for me. Besides, how could I ask you to the marriage bed if we haven’t even kissed?” There, he said it. Now it was a question of how she would respond. As expected, Millicent flinched. However, she did not make any expression of distaste or horror.

  “I would kiss you,” she said, after a moment of silence. “Of course I would, if we were to be wed. Do you - that is… should we kiss now?” Millicent glanced at him, looking bewildered and unsure.

  “Ah...erm… not now. This evening, when we break camp?” He could not believe that she had agreed. Her consent made him feel like a foolish, young human virgin, expecting a first kiss, and his response was embarrassingly awkward. Millicent only nodded in agreement.

By evening, the group had reached town. After all, the town was but a couple hours from the Miller’s home. With his abundance of silver, Rumplestiltskin once again offered to put the party up in the inn, and they readily agreed. Millicent felt a mixture of relief and unease. The town was so familiar to her - she had often visited it as she was growing up. There would be people here that might recognize her. She could not tell if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. After all, she had passed by her parent’s house without slowing for a second - without even a word. However, whilst in town, she had never visited the inn, so it was likely that no one there would know her.

The inn was a modest building near the southern edge of town, but it was was warm and welcoming. As before, Rumplestiltskin made sure that Olivie’s balls of light were invisible to all but themselves. The dining room of the inn was much busier than the one at the crossroad, however, Olivie was less timid than she was before. She held onto Carine’s hand tightly, but she did not hide behind her. When Rumpelstiltskin looked down at her, she met his gaze and smiled weakly.

  “Miaow,” he said quietly so that only the group could hear, and Olivie broke out in a wide grin. Her grip on Carine’s hand loosened, but she still held on. Rumplestiltskin scanned the dining room and bar. He was aware that this environment was not as secure as the previous inn. There were a few shady characters that caused his internal alarms to go off, but they were not major threats. Considering his current levels of magic, he had no question that he could protect the group if anything were to arise. Nonetheless, he stood up straight and wore an imposing expression that silently said ‘do not create trouble with us, or you shall be the ones to suffer.’ He may not have been handsome and regal, but he was tall, and his cursed body was largely-built. Though many of the inn’s customers were tempted to stare at the ugly man surrounded by a trio of females, his expression caused them all to look away and mind their own business.

Rumplestiltskin walked up to the counter, and once again offered three silver coins for three rooms. The innkeeper was just as stunned by the amount as the previous one, and when Rumplestiltskin and his party were seated at the dining room, they were treated to very attentive service.

The meal was more varied here than at the other inn. By the end of the night, the party felt glutted and sedate. They were even offered warm pear tarts, and somehow, Olivie managed to eat three of them after her large meal.

When it came time to go up to bed, both Rumplestiltskin and Millicent were feeling nervous. Carine and Olivie were in their room, having asked the innkeep to draw up a hot bath. Having grown up in the slums, and being but a child, Olivie was stubbornly resisting the bath, so Carine had her hands full, attempting to clean the grime and dirt off the slippery, whining child. Millicent and Rumplestiltskin had separate rooms, but this evening, Millicent had entered Rumplestiltskin’s room. Her heart was racing as she considered the situation she was in - here in the inn, alone in a bedroom with a man. In retrospect, she realized that she had often been alone with him in a bedroom - after all, what else could she describe the situation of him spinning straw into gold as? Yet this was entirely different. She trusted him entirely, and did not believe he would do anything to harm her - yet she was weak with trepidation.

Rumplestiltskin was not feeling any better. There was no question that he wanted to kiss Millicent. He wanted to touch her, and feel her close to him. Yet, he did not want her to touch him, as he was now. He still could not shake the idea that he would be defiling her. Millicent smiled at him weakly, and he smiled back, just as weakly. What could they even say to one another?

  “So…” Millicent started awkwardly. “I suppose-” She did not even know what to say. Instead, she walked up to him, closing the gap between them. It surprised her that she could even get her trembling limbs to move. She looked up at the magical man. There was no question in her mind that she cared about him, and her feelings for him were strong - however, those were feelings of friendship. It was not that strange to kiss a friend, was it? She could imagine kissing Carine, and that idea did not trouble her. What was wrong with a sweet kiss between friends? Taking the leap, Millicent touched Rumplestiltskin’s arm gently, and stood on her tiptoes, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. She stood back, and smiled, feeling as though she had somehow just accomplished a difficult task. Rumplestiltskin smiled back, but there was something strange behind his eyes.

  “Thank you, sweet Millicent,” he said, and his voice was strangely gruff. Millicent nodded. She somehow sensed that his words were an unspoken dismissal, so she bid him goodnight and left his room, pondering the situation. She knew something wasn’t right, but she didn’t know what.

Rumpelstiltskin knew the moment that her lips touched his own that the curse would not break. Waiting a few moments more only confirmed it. The kiss that Millicent had given him was sweet, and certainly full of affection. However, it was more like a kiss of True Friendship than True Love. As he considered the situation, his heart ached, and yet, he felt honoured to be considered her friend. Spending time with her, and making her laugh had brought him more joy than he could have imagined, considering he was a cursed being. He would never regret those moments with her. But he knew now that he also could not marry her. Nothing could convince him that it would be a good idea to chain Millicent to himself in matrimony. Millicent would surely have many friends in her life, but she deserved love. If she were trapped with him, she would have that friendship, but romantic love would be lost to her forever. He knew he had to leave her.

Unlike the previous time that he left, he refused to leave her without offering her some words - some sort of message of hope and affection, so that she would not blame herself. He sat down on the bed, and contemplated what he would say to her. Rumplestiltskin was aware that Millicent could not read. Fortunately, as a magical being, there were other ways to create a message. He searched his secret hollow in the land of the fey, and found her necklace, lying amidst the pile of treasures. Taking it out, he willed his magic into it, so that when she touched it, she would receive a spoken message that only she could hear. Once he completed his message, he took all of his metal treasures of any worth, and turned them into coins. If he was leaving Millicent, he refused to leave her destitute. The coins (and some lovely gems) were placed in a small glossy wooden chest that would open only for her. The lid of the chest was engraved with her name. There was enough there to support her in comfort for the rest of her life.

Satisfied that he had done all that he could, he made himself invisible, and slipped out of the inn. The forest was not a great distance away - at least he would be returning to a place that was familiar. He did not feel right, calling it ‘home’ but it was a place where he could perhaps find some measure of peace, when his intense ache in his heart would eventually ease into a dull sort of melancholy.

The following morning, Millicent woke to the sound of birds, as the sun peeked into her room. It seemed that she had slept in, considering how bright it was outside. It was hardly surprising - the situation the night before had left her conflicted and confused. She knew she cared about her magical friend deeply. And at this point, she felt no hesitation at all about marrying him. The more she got to know him, the more she enjoyed his company. His interactions with Olivie only solidified her belief that he was a wonderful person, full of goodness and humour. But whilst she had no problem with marrying him, she was beginning to wonder if he did not want to marry her. She knew that he had said he had given up on marriage since none would have him, but maybe being with her had made him realize that he preferred love to friendship. As she considered the notion, it still did not strike her as being quite right. She supposed that rather than dwelling on it, it would be best to speak to him. It was always her nature to be forthright, and she rarely kept her troubles to herself when she had a friend to talk to. Satisfied by this, Millicent washed her face in the basin by the table, and went downstairs.

Carine and Olivie were already at a table, eating bread with fruit and cheese. They waved when they saw her, since the dining room was relatively busy, and she smiled at them in acknowledgement.

  “Where is...um...my friend?” she asked, feeling strange that she still did not know his name. How could she be marrying someone and not know their name? She would have to ask him about it when she spoke to him - if he could not tell her, he could at least tell her his reasons for keeping it secret.

  “He hasn’t come down yet. I’m rather surprised that both of you could be such slugabeds,” Carine replied teasingly.

  “That’s odd… I hope he hasn’t fallen ill again.”

  “Blossom and Petal look… different,” Olivie said softly, still nervous about speaking up. Surprised, Carine looked at the ball of lights that surrounded Olivie, and noticed that they had dimmed.

  “I should go up to his room and check.” Millicent glanced up the stairs, and furrowed her brow in concern.

  “Why not eat a bite first?” Carine asked. “If he is sleeping, he might appreciate a few moments more of rest.” Millicent looked at the food, and considered Carine’s words. Though she wanted to dash up the steps and knock on her friend’s door, she recognized the sense in Carine’s message. Nodding, she slice off some bread and cheese, and munched thoughtfully.

  “Did you at least sleep well, miss Millicent?” Carine asked.

  “It was a bit difficult falling asleep,” Millicent admitted between bites. “And you?”

  “Ha. After trying to give Olivie a bath, I was completely tuckered out.” Carine grinned at Olivie, who was scowling at her. Millicent did notice that Olivie’s hair was much glossier than usual. In fact, Carine’s auburn curls were also beautifully glossy.

  “Well, don’t give me baths then!” Olivie pouted, and crossed her arms.

  “You’ll come to like them. Baths are wonderful,” Millicent said, with a smile. Olivie looked at her incredulously.

  “Just imagine yourself as a nymph in a beautiful sparkling pond in the woods,” Millicent suggested.

“I’ve never seen a pond before,” Olivie said. “Only the rivers in the city.” Millicent thought back to the dirty, polluted bodies of water that were thick with human waste and shuddered.

  “I’ll have to show you a pond then. There’s one in the woods near a lovely meadow. In the late spring, the meadow blooms with flowers.” Millicent smiled wistfully. “You’ll like it. It’s nothing like the streams in the city.” Olivie considered her words, and nodded.

  “‘Kay, I think I’d like that. Maybe.” Millicent smiled in response.

  “Do you doubt my words?”

  “Erm…”

  “Why, you little rascal!” Millicent pretended offense, but she maintained her grin. “Just wait! I’ll show you!” Olivie laughed, pleased at herself for getting Millicent worked up. Carine smiled at Millicent, warm with happiness that Olivie was finally acting like the child she was. When Millicent finished eating, the man still had not come down the stairs. Millicent excused herself, and had to stop herself from bounding up the steps. She knocked on the door to his room. There was no response. She frowned with worry, and after a pause, she knocked again.

  “Hello? Are you awake?” she called. Yet again, there was silence. She tried the doorknob, and was surprised that it was unlocked. Hesitantly, she entered the room, and was surprised to see the bed still made. She could see that the covers on one edge were wrinkled, as though someone had sat on them, but it was evident that the bed was unslept in. The room seemed to be empty, and Millicent felt a knot of unease in her stomach. The room was simple and rectangular - there was no where here he could be hiding. She noticed that there was a wooden chest on the bedside table, and it was engraved with a word she did not recognize. She cursed her illiteracy. However, next to the chest was the copper necklace that she had given him, so long ago. Confused, she reached out and picked it up, and was startled to hear his voice.

Dearest Millicent he said Don’t be afraid. And don’t let go of the necklace. You may have noticed, but I am no longer here. This is a message I’ve created for you, and only you can hear it. It’s difficult for me to find the right words to say to you. I want you to know that you mean so much to me. More than anything in this world. It’s because you mean so much to me that I must go.
Sweet Millicent, listen to me. If I could give you the world, I could, because that is what you deserve. It’s for that reason that I’m leaving you now. You have a good heart, and your heart may make you feel obligated to marry me, but I cannot chain you to me thusly. You deserve so much more than a beast like me.
You are the truest friend that one can have, but a marriage must be more than friendship. As your friend, I want you to have love, and though I….. though I do love you, I want you to have the kind of love that makes a marriage work. You may think that you could be content with me, but over time, I’m sure that you will feel that being tied to me is too much like a cage. I am freeing you now from any obligation you may have to me. I want only your happiness, and though it wounds me to leave you, I know that you will find new friends and find…..someone to love.
Please don’t think that the kiss is why I am leaving you. Please don’t blame yourself for my actions. Your kiss was wonderfully sweet, but surely you know it wasn’t a lover’s kiss. And please don’t go searching for me - where I am going, I cannot be found. I have left you a chest with coins and jewels. Use it as you see fit. Start a new life - a beautiful life, as you well deserve.
You will ever be in my mind, dearest one. I… well…. Good bye Millicent. I wish you happy.

Millicent clung on to the necklace, as though hoping to hear more of his voice, but there was only silence. Tears were streaming down her face, and she did not realize it, but she had sat upon the bed, as though bracing herself. She did not know how much time had passed. She had left the door open, but she sat unmoving on the bed, facing the wall. Eventually, Carine and Olivie had come up into the room, and they were startled to see Millicent’s sorrow.

  “Miss Millicent!” Carine gasped. “What’s the matter?” Carine sat down on the bed next to her, and took her hand, which was balled up in a fist. Reaching into her pouch bag with her other hand, she pulled out a handkerchief, and offered it to Millicent so that she could wipe her tears. Millicent took the scrap of cloth absently, and wiped her face. She looked blank with shock and misery.

  “He’s gone,” she whispered. “He left me.” Carine flinched at her words. She knew that she wanted to break the engagement between Millicent and the man, but she did not realize that it would hurt Millicent so deeply. Though she had succeeded in splitting the couple, she felt no triumph or joy. Instead, she started to feel the seeds of doubt. Had she made the wrong decision? She had no intention of hurting Millicent. While she knew that Millicent could certainly do much better than that ugly man, what if Millicent’s feelings for him were deeper than Carine had suspected? Did Millicent love him?

  “I’m so sorry,” Carine whispered to her friend, and she wondered whether she was sorry for Millicent’s sorrow, or sorry that she was the cause of it. “Please… is there anything I can do?” Millicent shook her head, tears still streaming.

  “He… why? How could he…” Millicent could hardly continue. Her shoulders were shaking as her tears became sobs. Unsure of what to do, Carine pulled Millicent against her, wrapping an arm around her back in a gesture of comfort. Millicent continued to sob, and Carine simply held her. Olivie remained silent, but when Carine looked over at her, she was also tearing up. She knew that Olivie had liked the magical man, and it seemed terrible that his absence hurt both Millicent and Olivie. She reached an arm out to Olivie, her hand open. Olivie took her sister’s hand, and let herself be pulled next to her. She sat by Carine on the bed, leaning her head against Carine’s side, and cried.

Eventually, Millicent’s sobs subsided. Her heart ached terribly, but she could not cry forever.

“He left that for me,” she said, gesturing her head towards the chest. Carine looked over at it curiously. She silently tried to spell out the word that was engraved on it.

  “Why, it’s your name!” Carine exclaimed. Millicent looked at Carine curiously. “Your name is written on the chest. Have you opened it?” Millicent shook her head.

  “Do you want me to?” Carine asked after a pause. Millicent looked at it consideringly, and reached over, lifting the lid. Millicent’s eyes widened, and she could hear Carine gasp next to her when they saw what was inside. The chest sparkled with coins and gems. It was a veritable fortune! Though Carine was amazed by the sight, it only upset Millicent and she once again started crying. Why had he left her this treasure? It felt almost like he thought he could buy his way out of the pain he had caused her.

Carine sat patiently with Millicent until her sobs died down.

  “It was a kind thing for him to do,” Carine said softly. “He...cares for you.”

  “If he cared, he wouldn’t have left!” Millicent replied fiercely.

  “Mayhap he left because he cared, miss Millicent.” Though Carine meant to be comforting, her words only caused renewed tears.

  “That’s what he said. But what kind of mad reasoning is that? It’s…. Cruel! He said he was doing it for my sake, but if he cared, he would still be here?”

  “He…. said?” Carine asked, questioningly. Millicent nodded, and took a shuddering breath.

  “He left me a message.” She opened her fist that she had left sitting in her lap. It was the hand that Carine had earlier held, although at the time, Millicent had not unclenched her fist.. In her hands was a copper necklace. “It was a magical message that started when I picked this up. I can’t believe….” Millicent shook her head. “I can’t believe he used this necklace. It was the one I gave him.” This started yet another bout of crying.

  “What,” Carine started, trying to phrase her words as sensitively as possible. “What did he say? Did he mention why….” She trailed off awkwardly.

  “He said…. He said that I didn’t love him. He said he was freeing me to be with…. Be with….”

  “There, there… he sounds like he just wanted you to be happy. Perhaps he felt as though he were trapping you and he was trying to do you a kindness,” Carine said reassuringly. Her words did not make Millicent feel any better.

“How could he be trapping me? It was my idea to get married!”

  “Well, perhaps he felt that your offer to marry him was an act of generosity, and he did not want you to feel obligated to him,” Carine postulated.

  “Arrg! You sound just like him! What is all this talk about obligation? If he wanted to leave - if his feelings changed -why couldn’t he have told me, straight to my face?” Millicent was starting to grow angry as she considered the situation. “How dare he do this! How dare he assume... Oh…” Her words were broken up by sobs. “If he didn’t want to be with me, he should have just said so, instead of wrapping it in pretty words. I would have understood. We could have stayed friends. Instead, he had to just up and leave! Curse him!” Carine had no idea how to respond, so she simply held Millicent as she cried.

It was Olivie who spoke up. “He loves you.” Millicent and Carine both looked at Olivie, stunned.

  “What?” Millicent said. “How do you….Did he tell you so?” She could not imagine her heart causing her any more pain, but Olivie’s words reflected the man’s words, and her entire being ached with sadness.

  “He didn’t tell me,” Olivie replied. “But I know. The way he looked at you. He loves you.” Neither Carine nor Millicent had a response to that. They sat in silence, as Millicent continued to quietly cry.

After a moment, she spoke. “I think…. I think you’re right Olivie. I don’t know why he did what he did the way he did it, but he must have had a reason. It...isn’t fair, but…. but….” she trailed off, unsure of her own thoughts. Olivie nodded, understanding in her own childish way. After a while, Carine stood up, and informed Millicent that she would get her some food, and a fresh basin of water for her face. Millicent nodded silently. When Carine returned, she set a tray on the bedside table, next to the wooden chest.

  “I spoke to the innkeeper,” she said. “I told him we would be staying a few more nights. Millicent….” Carine paused to gather her thoughts. “I was thinking - I’d like you to stay with me and Olivie. We could find a small house, maybe here in town.” Millicent remained silent, but she seemed to be considering Carine’’s words.

  “You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Carine continued. “But… Olivie and I would be happy to have you.” Millicent nodded.

  “Alright,” she said raggedly. “I… I would be glad to stay with you. Thank you Carine. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know what I would do without you.” Carine felt a stab of guilt at her words, but tried to shrug it off. She would do her best to liven Millicent’s spirits. In time, things would surely be better.
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