In Your Eyes
Chapter Two
“This is our music room,” Arella said, stepping into a room and the doctor followed.
As the doctor walked around, Arella watched her with narrowed eyes. She wore a simple brown dress with brown boots. She had black hair streaked with grey pulled back into a bun.
“This is a very lovely room,” the doctor said. “Can you play any of these instruments?”
“Yes. I can play the harp and the piano. Shall we continue?”
She walked out without waiting for an answer. Arella knew what the woman was doing there and she didn’t want any part in it.
“You have a magnificent kingdom,” the doctor said as they walked down the halls.
“Thank you.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-four springs.”
“Any siblings?”
Arella stopped walking abruptly and the doctor stumbled to keep from bumping into her. Arella turned sharply and glared at the doctor who took a step back.
“You know I did,” she snapped. “That’s why you’re here. Don’t think I don’t know what my parents are planning, Dr. Juniper.”
“I see,” the doctor said, staring resolutely into Arella’s eyes. “They’re worried about you, Arella.”
“Your highness,” she corrected.
“Forgive me,” the doctor said, curtsying and Arella nodded curtly, turning and continuing to walk down the hall.
“I do not know where you will be staying,” she said as they descended the main stairs. “I’m sure you’ll understand, though, considering this was all planned without my knowledge.”
“Ah, there you are,” Marie said, coming out from the dining hall with Johnathan and Mathias.
“How was your tour?” Johnathan asked, his eyes looking hopeful.
“Very informative,” Dr. Juniper said and he sighed as Arella swept past them and to the table to eat lunch.
Everyone sat down and Johnathan cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly.
“So, Mathias, tell us about yourself,” he said.
Mathias glanced at his mother who nodded.
“I turned 25 last month,” he said quietly. “I don’t really know what else there is to tell.”
“Do you have any hobbies?” Marie asked kindly.
He shrugged. “I like to read and ride horses.”
“You know, so does Arella,” Johnathan said but Arella glared at him and he cleared his throat again. “Enjoy your lunch, everyone.”
-
“So what do you think?”
Johnathan, Marie, and Dorothy had gathered in his study while Arella disappeared once again and Mathias went to his room to rest.
“I won’t lie, your Majesty,” she sighed, pulling her hair out of the bun, “this is going to be hard. I didn’t get anywhere. She knew right away.”
“I told the coachman not to say you were a doctor but I guess he forgot,” Johnathan sighed, sitting down.
“What’s your son’s affliction?” Marie asked, rubbing her husband’s shoulders gently.
“We don’t know,” Dorothy answered looking tired. “All we can tell is he’s in a lot of pain, he’s fatigued, and he gets sick so easily.”
“Was he born like this?”
“No. It started four years ago.” She sighed heavily. “That’s why I agreed to come, if you don’t mind me saying. I know what it’s like to watch your child suffer and can’t do anything to help.”
“Well, whatever your son needs while he’s here, just let us know,” Johnathan said earnestly and the doctor smiled graciously.
“Do you have an idea on where you want to start?” Marie asked and Dorothy opened her medical bag.
“It’s quite clear there isn’t anything physically wrong with her,” Dorothy said, pulling out a folder. “In your letters, I assumed as much. Grief can do strange things to people.”
“If only she would talk to us,” Marie lamented and Johnathan held her hand.
“It’s hard for young people to talk about these things. She was 21 when her brother died, correct?” They nodded. “How did he die? You said we’d discuss that when I got here.”
Marie hung her head as Johnathan explained.
“He was murdered,” Johnathan said and the doctor’s eyes widened. “We still don’t know the identity of his murderer.”
The doctor nodded and wrote that down. “How did Arella find out?”
“We don’t know, honestly. When we- when we found him, she was next to him. He was saying something but I couldn’t hear him and she refuses to tell us what he said to her. Ever since then, she hasn’t smiled or laughed.”
Dorothy made another note. “Losing a family member is hard but it’s known that twins share a special connection. When one dies, especially under such terrible circumstances, I would think the other feels it in a way unique to us.” She sighed a little. “It’s very complicated to explain.”
“I guess the important question is do you think you can help?”
Dorothy nodded. “Yes, yes I do. But it will take time. I would also like to ask for your assistance, as well.”
“Anything.”
“My son has been alone for the majority of his life,” she explained, packing away her notes. “He was never very good at making friends. I wonder if maybe they can work off of each other.”
“Like an arranged marriage?” he asked and Dorothy’s eyes widened.
“Oh! No, nothing like that! Just a friendship,” she said and the king and queen nodded. “Maybe that will help both of them.”
“We trust you, Doctor,” Marie said.
“Please, call me Dorothy.”
“If you think it will help, then we’ll give it a try,” Johnathan said.
“We shouldn’t push it, though,” Dorothy said. “I already know that Arella doesn’t like me and she probably doesn’t care for my son because of it. No,” she stopped the king before he could apologize. “Both Mathias and I knew that would probably be the reaction. Let’s act as if everything is normal, okay? I ask only for two one hour sessions each day.”
The three stood.
“Thank you for all of this,” Marie said earnestly.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Dorothy said, “not until we help your daughter.”
As the doctor walked around, Arella watched her with narrowed eyes. She wore a simple brown dress with brown boots. She had black hair streaked with grey pulled back into a bun.
“This is a very lovely room,” the doctor said. “Can you play any of these instruments?”
“Yes. I can play the harp and the piano. Shall we continue?”
She walked out without waiting for an answer. Arella knew what the woman was doing there and she didn’t want any part in it.
“You have a magnificent kingdom,” the doctor said as they walked down the halls.
“Thank you.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-four springs.”
“Any siblings?”
Arella stopped walking abruptly and the doctor stumbled to keep from bumping into her. Arella turned sharply and glared at the doctor who took a step back.
“You know I did,” she snapped. “That’s why you’re here. Don’t think I don’t know what my parents are planning, Dr. Juniper.”
“I see,” the doctor said, staring resolutely into Arella’s eyes. “They’re worried about you, Arella.”
“Your highness,” she corrected.
“Forgive me,” the doctor said, curtsying and Arella nodded curtly, turning and continuing to walk down the hall.
“I do not know where you will be staying,” she said as they descended the main stairs. “I’m sure you’ll understand, though, considering this was all planned without my knowledge.”
“Ah, there you are,” Marie said, coming out from the dining hall with Johnathan and Mathias.
“How was your tour?” Johnathan asked, his eyes looking hopeful.
“Very informative,” Dr. Juniper said and he sighed as Arella swept past them and to the table to eat lunch.
Everyone sat down and Johnathan cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly.
“So, Mathias, tell us about yourself,” he said.
Mathias glanced at his mother who nodded.
“I turned 25 last month,” he said quietly. “I don’t really know what else there is to tell.”
“Do you have any hobbies?” Marie asked kindly.
He shrugged. “I like to read and ride horses.”
“You know, so does Arella,” Johnathan said but Arella glared at him and he cleared his throat again. “Enjoy your lunch, everyone.”
-
“So what do you think?”
Johnathan, Marie, and Dorothy had gathered in his study while Arella disappeared once again and Mathias went to his room to rest.
“I won’t lie, your Majesty,” she sighed, pulling her hair out of the bun, “this is going to be hard. I didn’t get anywhere. She knew right away.”
“I told the coachman not to say you were a doctor but I guess he forgot,” Johnathan sighed, sitting down.
“What’s your son’s affliction?” Marie asked, rubbing her husband’s shoulders gently.
“We don’t know,” Dorothy answered looking tired. “All we can tell is he’s in a lot of pain, he’s fatigued, and he gets sick so easily.”
“Was he born like this?”
“No. It started four years ago.” She sighed heavily. “That’s why I agreed to come, if you don’t mind me saying. I know what it’s like to watch your child suffer and can’t do anything to help.”
“Well, whatever your son needs while he’s here, just let us know,” Johnathan said earnestly and the doctor smiled graciously.
“Do you have an idea on where you want to start?” Marie asked and Dorothy opened her medical bag.
“It’s quite clear there isn’t anything physically wrong with her,” Dorothy said, pulling out a folder. “In your letters, I assumed as much. Grief can do strange things to people.”
“If only she would talk to us,” Marie lamented and Johnathan held her hand.
“It’s hard for young people to talk about these things. She was 21 when her brother died, correct?” They nodded. “How did he die? You said we’d discuss that when I got here.”
Marie hung her head as Johnathan explained.
“He was murdered,” Johnathan said and the doctor’s eyes widened. “We still don’t know the identity of his murderer.”
The doctor nodded and wrote that down. “How did Arella find out?”
“We don’t know, honestly. When we- when we found him, she was next to him. He was saying something but I couldn’t hear him and she refuses to tell us what he said to her. Ever since then, she hasn’t smiled or laughed.”
Dorothy made another note. “Losing a family member is hard but it’s known that twins share a special connection. When one dies, especially under such terrible circumstances, I would think the other feels it in a way unique to us.” She sighed a little. “It’s very complicated to explain.”
“I guess the important question is do you think you can help?”
Dorothy nodded. “Yes, yes I do. But it will take time. I would also like to ask for your assistance, as well.”
“Anything.”
“My son has been alone for the majority of his life,” she explained, packing away her notes. “He was never very good at making friends. I wonder if maybe they can work off of each other.”
“Like an arranged marriage?” he asked and Dorothy’s eyes widened.
“Oh! No, nothing like that! Just a friendship,” she said and the king and queen nodded. “Maybe that will help both of them.”
“We trust you, Doctor,” Marie said.
“Please, call me Dorothy.”
“If you think it will help, then we’ll give it a try,” Johnathan said.
“We shouldn’t push it, though,” Dorothy said. “I already know that Arella doesn’t like me and she probably doesn’t care for my son because of it. No,” she stopped the king before he could apologize. “Both Mathias and I knew that would probably be the reaction. Let’s act as if everything is normal, okay? I ask only for two one hour sessions each day.”
The three stood.
“Thank you for all of this,” Marie said earnestly.
“Don’t thank me yet,” Dorothy said, “not until we help your daughter.”