CHAPTER ONE

-A few Years Later-

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"Ariella!"

Sounds of footsteps were heard running in search of something, different voices were repeatedly yelling out the same thing.

"Ariella!" A young woman's voice yelled out desperately.

The woman had worried green eyes and her short ginger hair was packed in a little ponytail, she also wore a long red skirt and a black sweater on top.

"Where could she be?" The woman muttered quietly to herself.

"Vivian! I've found her!" another woman shouted from afar. if you looked closer, you can see that she was holding a child in her arms.

" oh my gosh thank you so much, Sammy." Vivian let out a sigh of relief as she took the child from Sammy's hands.

" It wasn't a problem. I found her in the shed" Sammy took a step back and bowed her head slightly.

Sammy was a tall woman with tan skin and mid-length black hair. Her face was plain and so was her outfit which was a maid uniform. She had average looks and the only thing that made her stand out was her striking blue eyes.

"The shed?! Ariella!" Vivian was raging when she heard that.

" Sorry..." The child mumbled out fearfully.

Ariella was a small child with a tiny body. She had very soft skin and soft grey eyes that drew people in just by looking at them.

Her full lips formed a pout and her soft cheeks were red as she looked away from the woman that held her in her arms. Her long and wavy blue hair was packed into pigtails by the side of her head.

She was dressed in a puffy baby blue dress with white designs on it. She also had on a pair of white stockings with cute black shoes for her feet. In her hand was a white stuffed rabbit that had a bow tie on its neck.

"That's what you said last time, do you know how late it is or how worried I was?!" Vivian scolded the poor girl angrily.

"That's enough already Vivian, I'll go and get her cleaned up "Sammy took a step forward with her hands stretched out but Vivian to a step back and looked at her with a polite smile.

"Don't worry about it, go and tell the others that they can stop looking and that they should rest," Vivian said before taking her leave with Arianna.

As they were on leaving the garden, Sammy looked at the both of them with an unknown expression on her face before she too headed to where the other servants stayed.

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"Why did you try to run away Ariella?" Vivian asked Ariella once she was in bed all cleaned up and dressed.

"I'm sorry!" Ariella responded.

" I was just angry..." Ariella continued.

"Why? Did the maids do Something?"

"No, It's just that I'm turning eight in a few days and I just want to go out and see the world, and my mother." Ariella sat up as she said that, her hands clenching around the blankets.

"But the outside world isn't safe Ella." Vivian tried to hug her but was pushed away roughly by Ariella.

" You're lying! you're the only one who said that the outside is dangerous, you're the only one who won't tell me anything about my mother! " Ariella was trying to hold back her sobs as she glared at Vivian.

"I'm not lying to you Ariella, the outside world is dangerous. It killed your mother! can't you see I'm protecting-" Vivian couldn't finish what she was saying as she was rudely interrupted by Ariella.

"I don't care! I never asked you to protect me! Just go away... please."

With that, Vivian finally left the room. Her expression was close to tears as he slammed the door shut. She leaned her head to the door listening to the cries of the girls she had raised for the past seven years.

Apart from being sad, she was angry. if it wasn't for the maid who couldn't keep their mouth shut none of this would have happened. She was going to make them pay.

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- The next day -

"Sammy, where's Liz?" Ariella questioned the girl beside her.

"I don't know, Vivian said that she went home." Sammy replied to her question.

The two of them were walking side-by-side down the garden. The garden was a simple rose garden with a wide variety of roses. In the middle of the garden was a pond with different kinds of fish swimming around. It was honestly beautiful.

"That's a lie." Ariella suddenly stopped walking as she said this.

"Liz doesn't have a home, she told me so." Ariella continued, her grey eyes staring into nothingness.

"Maybe she found one. " Sammy replied awkwardly. They were quiet for some time until Ariella woke up.

"Sammy, I want to leave this place. I want to see the world, meet my father and find my mother. Please, Sammy." Ariella pleaded with Sammy, her eyes filled with tears.

" Oh, princess." Sammy knelt to Ariella's level and looked her in the eyes.

" Please..." Ariella pleaded once more. Her stuffed rabbit was long forgotten as it laid on the ground. The green sleeves of her dress were already damped with tears.

"I'll try my best so please don't cry anymore." Sammy pulled Ariella in for a tight hug while softly patting her head.

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- A few hours later -

It was a bright full moon and every once in a while large stormy clouds would cover it. The weather look like it was going to rain soon and everybody had already gone into hiding inside their various homes, well everyone except for Ariella.

Ariella in all her glory, dressed in a comfy white nightgown was standing in front of a wall more than five times their size. It wasn't the first time she had seen this wall, she had been here numerous times but this will be the first time she would cross it. She was feeling extremely eager.

Ariella let out a loud gasp as she heard a twig snap from behind her. her long hair following her small body as she turned around to check who it was. when she saw who it was, she let out a sigh of relief before running to hug that said person.

" Sammy! You came!" Ariella's eyes had stars in them as she hugged her maid.

"Of course I came, I would never abandon you, Ariella."

Sammy showed a smile as she lead Ariella to a large metal door not far from where they were standing. The door was covered with bushes and flowers that made it blend in with the wall.

As Sammy turned the key, she felt Ariella squeeze her hand tightly and that made her turn back with a worried look on her face.

" What's wrong?" Sammy asked.

"I'm scared Sammy, what if everything is just like Vivian said?" Ariella's palms were sweaty and her eyes never left the door all the while she was saying this.

"Don't worry, everything is going to be just fine." Sammy reassured her. The both of them passed through the door at the same time.

" See, nothing happened." Sammy laughed as she spun around.

"It's a forest?" Ariella was quite puzzled as she looked around her surroundings.

"Hey, Sam-" Ariella paused what she was saying, her heart pounding loudly in her chest.

Ariella ran up to the now locked door and began knocking on it as hard as her tiny arms could.

"Sammy! Sammy open the door! Please, I don't want to be here all alone!"

It didn't take long until Ariella was a crying mess. After all, she was all alone in an unknown place.

On the other side of the door, listening to Ariella's cries was Sammy. Her eyes were red as she was trying to hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry Ariella..." She whispered to herself. She stayed in the same position, listening until she was sure that Ariella was gone.

Sammy finally left the door and ran, she ran to the servant's quarters with tears streaming down her face.

She felt guilty but she did what had to be done.