Still Doll

"It is that hand of a friend that will guide you through tough times.
When that does not succeed, friendship will.
Or is it love that holds the truth? The love which is trusted the most.
It's sincere, both in judgment and reward. How do you trust?
Love, care, and provide for those who you trust.
In the simplest manner, it is a way of saying, I love you."

Sounds of confusion and frustration filled the doll's ears, as her eyes slowly opened, one after the other. The strong light threatened to blind her eyes, making her squint against it. She could hear voices coming from somewhere close to her yet separated by something strong, and large. A wall maybe, she thought, again, unconsciously. Her hands felt cold against her face, like she had been somewhere wet for a long time. A bed sheet covering her was the only comfort of warmth. Something felt awfully painful on her back, making it hard to move from what it felt like a bed. The doll's eyesight was blurry, and nothing seemed to look right, having double shadows and a replica beside it.

A strongly familiar voice was heard. "No, tell her that something has come up and that I can't make it!" it said, right before she heard a door opening.

Kanon stopped, stumbling over back to the bed, in alarm. She couldn't tell who it was at first, what with her eyes still fuzzy, but by its voice she could tell it was a man. If she'd knew, she would have been relieved to see that it was just Alexander. He was almost as surprised as Kanon looked to see her walking. It was a bit of a bother, since he had hoped to have a little more time before having to explain things to her. Now there she was, trying to get things clear in both her mind and eyes, while he just stood there, looking confused. It was too quiet to bear.

"I see you're feeling better," he finally said, breaking the silence. "How is your wound?"

She hesitated for a minute, confused, before she asked, "My wound?"

"Yes, your knife wound on your back," he told her.

A quick flash of the night before swept through her mind, giving her the complete idea of what he was talking about. She suddenly felt sick, covering her mouth with her hands. It was unbelievable that she was still alive. She wasn't unhappy about it, but it just seemed strange. That is until it occurred to her, Did he save me?

"You saved me..." She looked for words, pondering on the fact that she still didn't know who he was.

He noticed her short supply of memory on his name. "I'm Alexander. I was at your celebration last night. Your husband introduced us?" Hope flowed through his voice.

My husband? Suddenly, she remembered. "Sir Michaelis."

"Yes, yes," he smiled. "I was on my way out of the party, as I saw you laying on the cold floor... Not sure how you got there, but my first concern was that wound of yours. I panicked so I took you back to my mansion."

Everything made sense now. It was clear about what happened and where she was. That was all she needed to know. It wasn't of her concern to know why she survived, or why she was stabbed by the jealous maid. Or even why she was saved at all. Her only concern now was-

"I have to go," she told him.

"Oh, of course, I suppose you'll want to go back to your home," he said, a bit disappointed for some reason.

"I don't have a home."

He chuckled, amused. "Well, you do live somewhere, don't you? You have a home with your husband."

"That was my location at the moment, not my home. It is where I was ordered to stay, and that is where I shall be. For master."

"Master?" He sounded concerned at her choice of words. "You call your husband your master?"

"I am to be his bride because it was an order. There isn't anything...I can do about it."

"That can't be right!" His voice was firm, yet alarmed. Why would anyone accept such fate? he thought. "Don't you value your freedom?!"

"I don't have freedom, so there isn't anything to value." She had her answers for all of his questions. Until he asked one that quiet them all.

"Have you never experienced freedom?!" He was appalled. "From your memories of any of your friends or just family, don't you miss something?"

She stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. It was an order that whenever she was out of words or answers, she was to remain quiet. The memories, she wasn't sure she ever had, were gone forever. There were no friends, there was no family, and there wasn't any freedom. She never had experienced one bit of those things. Not even once, that she knew of.

"I...have no memories," she finally spoke again, a bit quieter. "A doll doesn't require any."

"A doll?!" That was crossing the line to Alexander. He had heard more than enough to know what to do.

Quickly, he grabbed her hand and opened the door before looking back at her, smiling. "You can't live like this. It's not right," he decided. Kanon's eyes grew wider as he, without a second thought, pulled her through the hall and opened a door to another room. Walking inside, he slightly pushed her towards the wardrobe. She looked back at his smiling face, confused. He read every question in her eyes, and answered, "Get dressed." Kanon stared at him in disbelief at his words, thinking it was his kind of humor. She was wrong. "Get dressed or don't come out. Don't you trust me?" His smile grew a bit devious and he closed the door.

"Get dressed?" she said to herself, baffled. This is was utterly unacceptable, she knew that much, but what could she do? She had no rights to anything, including especially freedom. So, she did as she was told, as always, and opened the closet, looking for a suitable dress to meet the master with. He loved dressing her up in whatever he wanted. She was looking for something she usually wore, but strangely enough, a feeling inside of her stomach told her the dress right in front of her was the one.

Right outside the door, was Alexander waiting, impatiently. How long does she intend to make me wait? His prayers were answered; the door knob slowly turned and opened a crack. Her head came out, looking to see that he was smiling at her to come out. She took one step, revealing her leg, then came out all at once to reveal her choice of clothing. Alexander's eyes grew wide in amazement. Wow.