Chapter Ten

When Ember awoke, her whole body was throbbing and she had a massive headache. Straining herself to sit up, she winced in pain as her muscles protested against each other. She felt the urge to vomit but managed to hold it in. She forced herself to take deep breaths, attempting to calm herself down. "Ember! You're awake!" A cheerful voice exclaimed. Ember jumped slightly at the sudden sound.

Finally in a sitting position, Ember looked in the direction of the voice. Standing there at the end of the bed was Lyra. Taking this chance to get a good look at her surroundings, she noticed she was no longer in her room. Instead she was in a very spacious room with wooden floorboards and a large window covered with curtains. There were bookshelves lining the walls and various paintings of landscapes hanging on every wall. 

On one of the shelves was a beautiful antique mirror and next to it was a collection of books with colorful covers. Sitting near the door was a large wardrobe and the bathroom was right across from it. Looking down at the bed she was on, Ember noticed the sheets were white and fluffy and smelled faintly of lavender. It was much nicer than the cage she sleeps in. The comforter that was covering her was soft and comforting. She wondered how long she's slept.

Turning her attention back to Lyra, she spoke. "How long have I been out..?" She said in a scratchy voice. "All night.." Lyra said quietly. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Lyra spoke again. "Let's get you some clothes, can you try to stand?" Looking down, Ember realized she wasn't wearing anything underneath the blanket. She pulled the covers away from her body and stood up onto her feet. The room was silent except for the faint ticking of the clock and her heavy breathing.

Once Ember stood up, she wobbled slightly. Lyra quickly grabbed onto her arm. "Small steps." Ember nodded at her in response. On shaky legs, Ember and Lyra took small, slow steps until they made it to the wardrobe. Lyra pulled open the doors, revealing many colorful dresses, shirts, skirts and many other types of clothing. 

"These are my clothes. You're a little skinnier than I am.. but they should fit you." Lyra said looking pitifully at Ember's skinny frame. After finding what she needed in the closet, Lyra guided her over to the mirror. Looking in the mirror, Ember took in the state of her body. While she hadn't seen herself in years, the bruises and cuts that littered her body were still very visible. Her hair was matted and messy and there were bruises all across her face. Despite being fed pretty regularly, she was pretty skinny.

Lyra gently placed her hand on Ember's shoulder and turned her towards the bathroom. "How about you shower first? I'll help you brush out your hair and cover up your bruises afterwards. And then you can try on some clothes and we'll go get something to eat before we leave for the Gala." With a nod and a quiet thank you, Ember followed Lyra into the bathroom. She helped her start the shower and made sure it wasn't too hot or too cold for her.

"Let me know if you need any help and uh, feel free to use any of my soap." Lyra softly said before leaving the bathroom. Once Lyra closed the bathroom door behind her, Ember stepped under the warm spray of water. She allowed herself to sink deeper into the steaming water before closing her eyes and relaxing for the first time in years. '𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘐'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳' She said to herself. Looking down at her feet, she watched all the dirt and grime that accumulated over the years, wash away and turn the water muddy brown.

Looking at the collection of soaps,  creams, lotions and shampoos, she picked the one that smelled the most like Lyra. Opening it, she carefully scrubbed her scalp and washed everything away. The water eventually turned cold causing her to jump slightly. Grabbing the soap bar, she lathered her body and scrubbed it vigorously. The feeling of cleanliness brought tears to her eyes.

Eventually stepping out of the shower, Ember wrapped a towel around herself and went into the bedroom where she found Lyra patiently waiting for her. "Alright, let's get that hair under control!"