I wake to the sound of my mother and sister crying softly. Confused, I dress, not waiting for Etro to enter, and then I leave my room.
"What's wrong Mother? Is everything alright? Aerith, are you okay?" I ask, the genuine concern in my voice surprising me. Mother smiles softly, tears still slowly sliding down her cheeks "Yes, Sweetie. It's the anniversary of your father's death. The staff have a day off today, so we'll be managing on our own like every year."
It suddenly makes me sad too. I don't know why, because I never knew him. I force tears, and they come easily since my gut is already churning a bit. "How did I forget?" Elvina would've known what day it was. It's her father, after all.
"It's okay, baby. I'll go make breakfast and then we'll visit his grave." Mother wipes her tears and heads to the kitchen. I hesitate, before hugging Aerith, comforting her while staring at the window myself. Caspian.
Aerith leaves with a soft, weak smile, although it appears genuine. I sit, staring at the window. He had dark brown hair, light brown eyes, fair skin, and a soft yet serious expression. He seemed to be dressed in black, possibly a suit, although it's hard to tell through the stained glass. I stand, repeating the name in my head. Caspian.
* * *
I enter the dining room, where Mother is cooking something and it's uncomfortably silent save for the sizzling of the pan and the slow, deliberate dripping of the sink. I sit, shifting uncomfortably before Aerith breaks the silence with "So, what are you cooking?" Mother replies with "Eggs, do you want them fried or scrambled?" Aerith chooses fried and I nod agreement, not wanting to build even more tension.
Ah, the food's done. I stare at my plate, I want to eat but suddenly feel like I'll throw up from one bite. I look around and both Mother and Aerith are doing the same. I clear my throat to see if that'll ease the tension, but nobody knows what to talk about. I swallow a bite of egg. It tastes good, I can tell, but the mood of the room and the day makes it ash in my mouth. I watch Aerith push eggs around her plate and push mine away gently, declaring "I'm not very hungry." Aerith and Mother agree, and we start walking. I follow them close behind, and we leave the castle.
We walk through the pristine, polished gardens and yards of the castle, passing it and continuing. After a bit, the grass fades slowly to unsaturated green, near grey, with a few dried out yellow patches. Dust clings to the air, and there's a graveyard. Who's bright idea was it to put a creepy graveyard in a creepy place? Just adding to the creepiness. We step slowly, grass slightly crunching beneath our feet. Mother and Aerith pivot to stand in front of a gravestone surrounded by flowers in various stages of wilting or decay, with the letters engraved in bold, old-fashioned print; "Rest In Peace, Forever to be remembered, Caspian."
Aerith lays a flower, Mother follows. I don't seem to have one, but Mother points to my shoulder bag. I look, and there's a pristine lily. I gently rest the lily on the base of the grave, letting Mother put her arm around my shoulder as we all cry. I cry for others' loss, and for the loss of the girl I took the body of. I can't help but wonder, does Elvina wander in my body? Is she struggling as much as I am? More? Less? My stomach aches, and I can't tell if it's from the thought or the death anniversary for Caspian