Midnight

Before

Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time, there lived a woman whose home was not a place, but rather a person. While a sad tale is usually what comes next in tales such as these, that isn’t our story.

A soft lullaby that called to the part of her soul that would forever crave comfort echoed through the open windows of the manor.

Lucinda walked towards the sound and found a pale, scrawny girl positioned by the open window beneath a bundle of blankets.

No two souls had or would ever resonate with a single glance like they did that day.

Lucinda had found her home, and so it was written into the stars and the law of Blythe Manor.

The manor’s housekeeper, Mrs. Blakesley, had quite a time trying to keep Lucinda on task.

In fact, given even a second to elope, Lucinda would find herself on that upstairs windowsill next to Brielle.

With only six months separating them, they quickly understood each other.

Brielle had always been a sickly child. Her joints often filled with fluid and were still and painful.

It made it difficult for her to socialize with the other aristocratic children and often left her ostracized.

What might have left her bitter and wilting merely strengthened her kind heart. She was only ever grateful for the good days and, of course, for her Lucinda. As for Lucinda, having no family was no great hardship when Brielle was always by her side. And that, my friends, is how our story begins.