The Zodiac

The r**e of a Duchess Pt. II

Jocastia slept for half of the journey from the crash site to the small town of "Nuland." She recognized it as such because Alric, the male sitting with her in the carriage, read a sign aloud: Welcome to Nuland. Jocastia looked out of the window as secretively as she could. She wanted these men to think that she was asleep, but why? Jocastia could not say for herself, or anyone else, why she felt the need to hide her consciousness. Hiding it did give her the benefit of being carried from the carriage and into an inn where the three of them would stay the night.

It was only a few short hours of darkness left before the sun broke the horizon, forcing light onto all the surfaces its rays touched. Jocastia was exhausted despite having slept for quite a while, but the two men seemed no worse for wear. Otto, the other male who drove the carriage, had disappeared relatively early in the morning and Alric did not speak often. Jocastia felt very lonely and very homesick. She missed her parents. The young girl had been placed in a small bed in the room. Alric and Otto had occupied two chairs facing the bed during the night and early that morning. Jocastia sat up and watched Alric who fiddled with a small piece of wood and a pocket knife. Jocastia was clever enough to be wary of the knife, so she kept quiet. She wanted to cry and throw a big tantrum, but something or someone was urging her to keep quiet.

After nicking himself with the small blade, Alric looked up to see large eyes upon him. He smiled at the girl, "Don't worry, love. We will get you where you need to go soon enough." The man reassured her. Jocastia did not notice the night before how husky his voice was. Each breath he exhaled to form words seemed to crackle at the end. It was much cruder than the way she remembered her father talking to her. Jocastia looked out towards the window, not being able to see much but not looking for much either. Alric went back to whittling the small piece of wood in his hands after licking away the small drops of blood which formed at the cut. Not another exchange was made between them until Otto re-entered the room.

Otto carried with him a small parcel which he threw onto the bed in front of Jocastia. "You think she knows how to dress herself?" he asked, staring expectantly at Alric. Alric placed the oblong piece of wood on a small table next to him and put the blade into his pocket. Alric stood up and looked over at Jocastia who was in her own little world and oblivious to them both.

"I doubt it." Alric answered pulling Jocastia from the thin blanket on the mattress. It was a straw stuffed mattress and not very comfortable to her. She was used to exceptionally crafted furniture which most inns could not afford. Alric placed her standing up on the floor and began to unfasten a large ribbon which held the young girl's dress to her body. Jocastia instinctively placed her hands in the air with her palms facing up. Alric pulled at the ribbon, undid the bow, and pulled the dress over Jocastia's head and arms. The child was nude except for some unsoiled under-garments. Alric was impressed that the small child was able to face such a scary ordeal and manage to not soil her underwear. She was also smart enough to communicate that she had to use the toilet as soon as the carriage stopped at the inn. The more time he spent with her, the more Alric realized that this little girl was not normal.

Alric unpacked the brown parcel which Otto brought in. He stretched out a tawny dress with sub-par stitch work. The dress had no decorations, no dyes, and no masterful stitching. It was everything the dress Jocastia took off was not. After Alric pulled the girl's arms and head through the holes of the dress he looked at her. He pondered for a moment whether or not he should take the shoes from her and then decided it would be best to let her go barefoot. After all, the two of them could sell the dress and the shoes to a merchant later for a nice price.

After taking away her shoes, Jocastia looked absolutely nothing like she did before. She had transformed into a common peasant child. Jocastia did not understand why she had to walk barefooted while wearing such an itchy dress. "Why can't I keep my dress and my shoes?" It was the first question Jocastia said aloud. She was filled with questions, but fear usually won over curiosity. Alric looked at the young girl and had a very uncomfortable expression. How could he explain his intentions to her without setting off any alarms? The first step was to not look so anxious and the apprehensive look he had moments ago changed into a smile. "My dear," he began, "you are not supposed to wear such flashy clothes at the convent. You are going there to learn. The convent we are taking you to has a strict dress code." Alric explained but Jocastia found it hard to follow. His words meant next to nothing to her. She remembered her parents talking about going to a convent, so apparently these men were taking her to the right place. Jocastia was unaware of any specific way to dress; and apparently, so were her parents.

Alric left the room. Otto watched over the little girl. Jocatia stared at the dress she wore while wondering if she would ever get her pretty red dress back. She no longer looked like the daughter of a nobleman, the daughter of a duke. She looked like any kid one could find on the street. She tugged at the fabric of her dress and noticed how rough and hard it was. It could not have been more different from the clothes she was used to wearing. Jocastia could not look more different than how she usually appeared. She observed her new person and wondered if she would ever get her identity back, the identity she was born with.