A caged Canary is safe but not free
~Walter E Williams
Much of the time Canary spent getting a glimpse of Agustin and Shimon. They were too busy talking with other houses and girls and men were littered among them.
Canary would hop on her toes to get a look at them and within a second would get blocked from someone. "Excuse me-". She tried letting out a word. But was pulled away by someone. When she had regained her composure it was her mother and father with a man who looked to be around her father's age.
He was a round man and almost as tall as Canary and Canary was pretty short. She was probably taller than him. "Canary". Her mother smiled eagerly. "This is Count Whittleton". Canary confused courtesy to Count Whittleton. "She's much more pretty than what you mentioned though not on par with her sister". Count Whittleton sounded like he had a stuffed nose that made Canary sick.
"You flatter her". Her father said. "What is this"? Canary whispered over to her mother. But before her mother could tell her the court held up his toffee colored hand. "I see you're enquiring what is going on my dear". "Your father is proposing a marriage agreement and your my dear will be star of this marriage arrangement".
"We will go into the mining business together and the emperor's side will gain yet another powerful key". "I beg your pardon"? Canary was still confused. Why were they talking in low voices and standing away from the crowd tucked in some corner.
"Canary have some manners". Her mother scolded. "Mother, what is the meaning of this who will I be marrying"? "Duke Abarca". The Count snorted "You will be our own little spy just wait until the emperor hears of this". The count chuckled.
"I will not"! Canary yelled drawing the attention of those behind her. "How could you send your own daughter to be a spy? What if I get caught? What shall you do then"? They remained quiet.
Canary looked at each of them the Count and her father not showing any sign of remorse of abandoning her if she did. Her mother cowered behind her father. Her eyes grew huge.Tears began to well up in Canary's eyes which annoyed her father. He clicked his tongue.
"In a way at least you will be helping your family and the royal family out". Her father snapped.
"You will throw me to the lions to get your way and abandon me if I fail". Canary sobbed. "Ugh"! The count groaned and held his hand on his forehead as if he was injured. "I hate to see a woman in tears, I'll let you two deal with this". He walked away leaving the marquee and Marchioness apologizing saying they will educate their daughter more.
"I won't marry him, I will be caught, you would send me to the wolves,isolate me"! Canary cried. "And what else shall you do huh"? Her father grabbed her shoulders. "Where shall you go if you don't marry him you know very well what this mining business means to us correct". Her fathers eyes pierced Canary's.
She was frightened and trapped. Her mother behind her would not protect her or stand up for her. Her father's hands seemed to sink into her like a falcon who was preying on a tinier bird.
Why isn't anyone helping me. She looked around at everyone laughing and cheering. Her tears burning her eyes from the makeup.
Can they do this? Is this allowed to just sell me away? Everyone was just dancing and laughing and her father and mothers words began to drown her.
"Let go". She fought. "No you listen to me". Her father bellowed. "Let go"! Canary screamed, ripping away from her fathers talons. "Oh"! Everyone gasped. She had fallen on the ground and everyone was staring at her whispering to each other, others saying out loud how embarrassing they hissed.
"Canary". Her father put on this sweet voice that made Canary even more frightened how he could change his tone on whim. Faking in front of all these people. Everyone in the ballroom began too soon to turn their attention to what was going on.
Canary struggled to her feet. The ties and beaded hair snood betraying her and her thick hair. Her hair fell down and she looked like some deranged woman with black tears from her makeup falling down her chubby cheeks.
Run. Everything in her body told her. And she ran. She ran far, her shoe falling behind her. The doors of the ballroom banging behind her. The yells of the butler and both her parents sounding behind her.
She ran her breath piercing her insides as she ran as hard as she could down this dimly lit corridor as if something was chasing her. She had somehow made herself outside where she fell once again.
Everything in her body ached in pain. Her hands were bleeding and she was hyperventilating. She looked around her and she was in a garden maze that lit with a light every few feet. She was alone. Just her, a bench, and the bugs.
She laid there for a while on the cold ground that eased the aching of her body. She stopped hyperventilating and slowly pulled herself from off the cold ground and limped to the bench.
"Ow". She looked at the scrapes and cuts on her hands and knees. Her leg had a bruise on it. From which fall she didn't know. She lifted her head up staring at the bugs dancing around the lamppost.
Her long curly Afro hair fell at her back falling in front of her eyes. She kept brushing it back, sitting all the way back on the bench so her feet dangled a little bit. She wiggled her toes realizing she didn't have a shoe on that foot and sighed.
She began to hum a song her grandmother had once sang to her. Her head rested on the bench, her eyes closed as she didn't care to think of the trouble she would get in once she would go back home. Maybe she had no plan to the bulls her grandmother had left her was in the capitol she could go there.
If she didn't marry that old fat man then she could live in her grandmother's villa, the one thing she knew her father could not get his hands on.
The mine that her father was trying to so desperately get his hands on was given to her by her grandfather under the rules that she would get it when she had married. "Father must be trying to get his hands on it and split the profits with that old man". She said, stopping her humming.
"Is that part of the song you were humming"? A man's voice said startling Canary. She looked behind her, not moving sore from her running and falling. Out of the shadows of the garden maze a bronze colored man.
He was tall with somewhat curly black hair. His eyes narrowed and a light brown color. He had a short beard and mustache. He was very handsome, lean and muscular, and tall. Canary's eyes followed him as he walked around the bench to stand in front of her.
"Is this yours"? He held her shoe up. She nodded without saying a word and he set it beside her. "Might I sit my own shoes are hurting me". He chuckled. She nodded again without saying anything again. He sat down. "Are you a mute"? He asked, fixing his green cape behind him.
His attire was mostly all white with badges and ornaments on it. A small green cape draped over his right shoulder signing who he was. Only a fool would not know who he was; it was Agustin Abarca, the very man her father and the emperor had been scheming for his downfall. She still shook her head no and didn't speak, taken back by his sudden appearance.
"Well then could I hear your voice". He asked. "It's a little quiet out here". "Y-yes". She stuttered. He grinned, staring down at her feet and hands. "Had quite the nasty fall there huh". "Oh"! Canary said, hiding her hands. "Just in time to use this ointment aye". Agustin pulled out a round silver tin and opened it to some green crème that smelled like grass.
It was a very strong smell that made Canary's nose scrunch up. "I'm still working on the smell the ointment was made using the herbs from the Qaiar kingdom". "Your hand". He said holding out his own.
Canary hesitantly held out her hands. She began rubbing the ointment on her palms. Rather than hurting the ointment gave a cooling sensation. He rubbed the ointment into her palms until they were the green crème was no longer seen.
"How does it"? He asked with a huge grin, eager to hear her answer. "My hands don't hurt and I feel a cool sensation". She said, staring at them in awe.
"And your feet"? He asked. "My feet"? Canary asked. "Yes they must be hurting after all that running". "I will have them tended to when I get home". She answered. "Then take this then for your doctors". He said, handing her the tin.
"Thank you". She said quietly. He was very nice Canary couldn't fathom why the emperor and her father wanted him gone so badly. They would throw Canary to him instead of their precious daughter Amara. She had wondered if Nolan had knew of this, if Relina had knew of this?
How many were in on this plan. Just how big this was? She glanced over at Agustin who was staring at something behind her. She looked behind her to see what he was staring at. Him noticing laughed. "I'm sorry it's just that your hair is very beautiful". He smiled.
"Thank you". Canary answered shyly. "I have to be going home". She stood up so quickly that the pain of her feet caused her to sit back down. "Oh are you okay do you need me to carry you"? Agustin said worried.
"No no I'm quite alright". Canary said, staring down at her feet. "Then I shall help you to your carriage". Agustin said, standing up and holding his hand out. Canary didn't say a word and took his hand as he led her away.
He mostly did the talking on the way to the carriage with Canary answering here and there. Telling her about his trip overseas and his new business adventures. He even managed to get a chuckle out of Canary. This in a way pleased Agustin to see her chuckle at his joke even if it was a lame one.
"Duke Abarca". A voice said as they walked out the palace doors. They both turned around to meet Nolan and Relina. Nolan who was looking both worried and curious as to what was going on.
"Ah yes young master Nolan". Agustin said, greeting him. "I'm just helping your sister out, she seems to have injured her feet". Nolan walked to them hastily and took Canary's hand from Agustin's arm. "Thank you house Whitewood appreciates it".
"There pleasure is all mine". There was an unknown tension between the two. A quietness to annoyance between the stares. More on Agustin's side. "Might I have a word with your sister"? Agustin asked. "Sure, go ahead". "A word alone".
Nolan paused for a moment looking back and forth between Canary and Agustin. "Yes". Relina said, stepping in. "We'll be waiting here". Agustin nodded at her in thanks and pulled a limping Canary away.
"Everything alright my lord"? Canary asked worried if they had offended him in some way and he was pulling her aside to scold her. "No nothing the matter I was just wondering would you be going to the parties or social scenes they will be before everyone goes to the countryside"?
"Oh um I do not know". Agustin crossed his arms in a pouty way. "Hmm why is that will your father lock you away? No fun for Canary"? Canary had a look on her face that Agustin could not quite understand. Whatever it was the words that he just said whether it was a joke or not.
Canary had this look of wondering if her father would indeed lock her up or not. "There's a jousting tournament happening in a week". Canary said suddenly. "Me and my family will be there".
"Oh okay well then I will make sure that I am also there". Agustin said excitedly. "I'll walk you back". She nodded and Agustin walked her back slowly half on purpose half on because he was worried about her feet.
"You should wear your hair down more". "It looks really pretty that way". Agustin handed Canary over to Nolan smirking at Canary's widened eyes.