Asylum

"I'll only be gone for a couple of days." Eliza handed her baggage off to their driver while reassuring her sisters.

"Why can't we come with?" Georgia pleaded while clutching her sleeve with teary eyes.

Eliza sighed, "It's not going to be as fun as you think. I'm just running some errands and then I'll be back before you know it." She patted Josephine's back who had been hugging her skirts this whole time.

"I'll take you along next time. For now, I need you girls to watch the house."

Eliza had much to be nervous about when leaving their home unattended. And if she wanted to secretly fix Josephine's application, she couldn't have her sisters around to notice.

"Susan will take good care of you. Besides, don't you both have plans with your friends that you didn't want to miss?"

Georgia crossed her arms but didn't rebuttal.

Eliza glanced at their maid Susan who gently pulled Josephine away from Eliza's skirts. "I will be back before you know it."

She seated herself in the old carriage and waved goodbye to her sisters who watched her leave from the porch steps.

After adjusting herself to be more comfortable, she yawned and decided to catch a nap during the commute to the city.

– About Solaris City –

Millbrooke was an average little town situated outside of Solaris City. Solaris was a port city that made its wealth from the lucrative fjord that carried in thousands of export goods. Many merchants and foreign nationals came into the city through this fjord and often spent more gold than any local could afford to. Thanks to that, the city was overflowing with riches and was the leading trading center for the country. The Captial and royal treasury combined was the only place that held more fortune than Solaris. Some even say the aristocrats of the city overrule the monarch in any laws pertaining to tariffs and trade restrictions.

...

Eliza woke up to the sound of knocking on her carriage door and groaned while stretching out her stiff body. There was another round of knocks and she called out. "Yes, yes Mitch. I'm coming."

The door opened and she carelessly took hold of the hand stretched out to her. It was when she felt palms softer than her coachman's that she whipped her head up. She nearly cried out seeing a face she certainly hoped to avoid.

Lord James was grinning while holding her hand and she tried snatching it away on impulse. He held on tighter and ignored her look of displeasure.

"My Lady! Surely the heavens have blessed me today. For us to be in this grand City at the same time, it must be a sign."

"Ah-ha yes what a strange coincidence." Flashing a glare at Mitch, he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. It's clear they were being tailed by the Baron's scouts who notified him of her arrival. How he figured out she would be coming into the city in the first place was a mystery. All she told was her family and three workers just two days prior.

James tried kissing her knuckles, but she "accidentally" landed on his toes while stepping down from the carriage. His grip loosened while he sucked in a breath from the pain.

Ignoring him, Eliza took her baggage from Mitch and bid him adieu. Mr. Taylor had a carriage of his own and she didn't want the girls at home to be without transportation. Although she would have preferred someone as big as Mitch to escort her the rest of the way to the residence.

"May I act as your escort?" James held out his elbow for her to take but she stepped around him.

"Do what you like." As an aristocrat, she couldn't outwardly be rude to him. But he was so thick-skulled it didn't hurt his pride for her to act so cold.

"Then I'll take your baggage as well..."

"I'm alright." She continued to walk down the street, but he closely followed behind her, chattering about all sorts of nonsense.

She did her usual automated responses until he said something that made her pause.

"What was that you said?"

"Ah! Does this mean you are interested in the Masquerade Ball?" His face brightened even more, and she squinted her eyes so she wouldn't be blinded.

"No, that's not what I..."

She was interrupted by a man coming out of a nearby shop to whisper something in James's ear. His face darkened for a brief moment before returning to his political smile. "I believe it's time for us to part." He bowed so deep she thought he'd knock his nose against the concrete. "I will send the invitation to your temporary residence."

She couldn't even fit in a word of rejection before he disappeared into the shop with that strange man.

"Bullocks." she muttered under her breath. She didn't know when the ball would take place, but hopefully, she will have left the city before it happens.

Walking the rest of the distance to the residence, she spotted a tall, sophisticated man standing on the front steps of the largest townhouse in the neighborhood. It reached three floors high and stretched 6 windows across.

When the man spotted Eliza walking up to the house, he grinned and met her on the sidewalk.

Eliza, seeing Mr. Taylor in all his scholarly glory, curtsied once before setting down her case and going in for a tight hug.

"I've missed you, Uncle!" She buried her face in his tweed jacket that smelled of bergamot and relaxed immediately.

"You've grown so tall!" He patted her head and she giggled while pulling away.

"You liar! I haven't grown in years."

"Then my eyes must really be getting old." He took her baggage and led her up the steps.

The interior of the home was far more ornate than the outside and she was shocked every time she walked through the foyer.

"I'll show you to your room." He led her up the spiraling stairs until he reached the third floor where only one room resided. He dramatically opened the double doors with golden handles, and she nearly fell back in shock.

"This... this is too much!"

Mr. Taylor laughed, "There's no need for modesty." He set down her things and showed her the amenities of the massive room. "Here is your own washroom, a wardrobe. Oh, and the best view in the house." Opening the balcony doors, Eliza gazed in wonder at the view of the beautiful cityscape.

"Is this enough?"

"Uncle this is... wow!"

He rubbed his nose, "Well this is nothing for my friend's eldest daughter."

She continued to watch the view while Mr. Taylor excused himself, saying she should take time to rest.

After another moment, she went back in and flopped onto the big bed with silk sheets and comforters made with goose feathers.

"Wow, and to think I'll only be here for three days." She sighed and mentally went through her schedule. If she takes indirect routes to her destinations, then hopefully the Baron will be unable to anticipate her movements.

"It's not like I have anything to wear to that ball."

She decided to not dwell on the situation further since it might worsen her headache. She stood up briefly to strip off her outer layers and slip off her saddle boots. Flopping back down, she fell asleep, more fatigued than when she started this journey.

...

"Is this true?"

"Yes, my liege. He arrived in the city just a few days ago."

"Damn!" James loosened his necktie and angrily spoke aloud. "Why would he show up in the city now? He should know better than to interfere with my work." James paced the room and thought about how to deal with the pesky aristocrat.

"Should we summon the Crux?"

James considered that for a moment but dismissed it the next. "We can't. He's favored by the crown prince himself." He remembered his purpose for even coming to the city and eased his worries, "Follow him and report his movements to me. Otherwise, he shouldn't be an issue."

"Understood my liege." The portly man bowed and left the office to carry out his orders.

James sat in his chair and pulled a crinkled envelope from the desk drawer. Then skimmed over the letter written with clean, even handwriting. The letter was Elizabeth's original correspondence and the one that the lawyer had was a replica. Reading it over, it outlined a loose itinerary with how long she would be staying in the city. Knowing her reluctance to be around him for long, he scheduled the ball at a time that interrupted her stay so she could not escape him so easily.

Unlocking the lowest drawer, he confirmed that the object he obtained with great effort was still in his possession. He couldn't help but curl his lips menacingly while envisioning the next step in his plans.

...

"How is mother doing." Eliza sat at the table with Mr. Taylor while enjoying the expensive beef and many side dishes.

"Her condition is stable. I informed Sabrina that you would be visiting today."

Eliza nodded and took note of the time. If she left within the half-hour, she should have a couple of hours with her mother before she's fed supper.

"Will you be coming with, Uncle?"

He regrettably shook his head, "I have a client coming in this afternoon, but I will join you for your visit on the last day."

It wasn't long before she was sent off in her uncle's carriage which was in far better shape than her family's. Even though Mitch took special care of theirs and groomed the horses daily, it still couldn't compare to one owned by a distinguished lawyer.

Elizabeth was nervous on her way to see her mother. Her mother was suffering from delirium which made her forgetful and even lash out at her family members while going through an episode. She remembered consoling her weeping sisters as the carriage rode away with her mother just five years prior. Eliza didn't want to send her away, but her mother began acting out in ways beyond forgetfulness. She would mumble strange words like a spell and repeat them until her tongue dried out. Sometimes, she'd look at Eliza and call her a monster or many other harsh words. At night, Eliza had to cover her ears to drown out the screaming coming from the master bedroom.

But the final straw was when her mother took her cane and aimed it at Josephine who innocently reached for her hand. Joe, who hadn't uttered a word in her eight years of life, screamed for help until her throat was hoarse.

Before she knew it, Elizabeth was standing in front of her mother's room in the asylum wing of the hospital. It was no secret how those with mental illness were treated in standard hospitals, so she admitted her mother to one that had advanced medicines and fair treatment of the patients. It was pricey but worth it for her mother, who should never suffer needlessly.

Opening the door, she held back a gasp when seeing her frail mother asleep in bed. Although she was wearing a nightgown and covered in a blanket, her thin wrists, and sunken cheeks were a clear sign of her declining health. Despite that, she was still radiantly beautiful and looked more like a sleeping angel than a patient.

"Elizabeth, you're here." A quivering voice sounded out from the other side of the room and an older woman with a weak posture walked her way.

She curtsied, "Good afternoon, Sabrina."

Sabrina, the long-time maid of the Girard family, gave her a warm smile. She had crinkles in the corners of her eyes and lines where her lips lifted. Her brown eyes were still sparkling with youth and her white hair still had a few strands of black. Mitch had many of her features, but his lighter complexion gave insight into the fallen romance between Sabrina and his estranged father.

"Mitch will be visiting you in a few days when he comes to retrieve me."

Sabrina's eyes brightened, "I will look forward to that day." She clasped Eliza's hands and brought her towards the seat closest to the bed. "Madam will be waking up soon. Here are the reports of her health."

Reading over the data, Elizabeth began to feel discouraged by the results. "Sabrina, these results are..."

"The doctor said he is giving her the utmost care. He said her condition has stabilized and that it's even possible for her to regain her sanity."

Elizabeth scoffed, "If this is another miracle procedure, tell him I am not interested."

Sabrina nodded understandably, "As you wish."

Elizabeth waited at her mother's bedside until dusk, but she only woke up briefly to eat supper in silence. Her dull, green eyes only momentarily acknowledged Elizabeth but otherwise ignored her presence. Eliza, despite expecting this, still had to hold back her sorrow while clutching her handkerchief.

After that, her mother only incoherently mumbled to herself while sleeping.

Sabrina was the one to tap Eliza's shoulder and bring her back to reality, "Some days are worse than others. She will be more coherent next time, just go home and rest."

Eliza patted Sabrina's hand and gathered her things to leave. "I will try stopping by soon when I get a chance."

"Understood."

...

Elizabeth, although feeling tired, knew that she couldn't just end her day here. Walking through the city, the buildings became more dilapidated, and the population of well-dressed citizens thinned out until she was sticking out among the commoners and beggars. She was hardly concerned by this and continued towards her destination with confident strides.

Passing through the red-light district, she avoided stumbling drunks with disheveled clothes and giggling women that eyed her with suspicion. Eliza turned down an alleyway between a brothel and a tap house and stopped at the end. Knocking on the inconspicuous backdoor, a portion the size of a brick slid open and eyes peered down at her.

"State your business."

"It's a lovely day for tea, don't you think." Eliza waited patiently for the many locks to come undone before the door creaked open.

Within the dimly lit room stood a beautiful woman wearing a tight, red dress. Her bosom was spilling out the top and her skirt was slit to reveal long, curvy legs.

"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, Mother?"