Once upon a time, she came when the bell struck three.
Mother had been particularly sheepish since the past week, and father kept more of a stern face compared to the light expression he usually dawned. His soft spokenness had dropped into one of a more grounded man. And he was far more confrontational with mother– they both had fought almost every night up to the dreaded day that came. And in the night, there would be soft chattering between the two even during the deepest parts in the dark. My sister, Sofia, and I couldn’t understand just what type of storm was approaching, as if it were simply hanging in the distance, with us thinking it was about to pass and not seeing the omens that were coming from the east.
The day she came, there was an odd serenity in the air. The trees had a soft summer breeze blow through them, despite the fact that October had ended just yesterday. The cold had been brushed away for something quainter, a warmth that caressed the wilting flowers and dying grass that made them perk up a bit more than they had since the past month or two.
I looked up while I had a bucket in hand to fill the trough for the horses, and the skies were clear above us. But it was unnatural in a way, as if the clouds had parted in order to make way for a light that was purposefully passed to us. It brought me in for just a moment, making me forget all the troubles and chores that I had that day, before I shook my head and was left staring at the anomaly before us. Despite its beauty, and the holiness of the light, there was a small part of it that left me shivering. It was like an angel had dropped from the heavens, yet despite its aura of benevolence and gaze that defined love, there was also the hint of the serpent behind its eye, waiting for a moment of weakness to forsake its appeaser.
Mother and father had called us inside after we had fed the livestock. The second both of us came inside, there was a knock at the front door. I glanced out the window to the front– there were no such horses or indication of anyone else coming, and considering that we had just entered from the same way, it was difficult to assume that we had missed anyone approaching. I saw my father’s face drop, and my mother shivered before moving into the scullery. After the second knock, my father had walked slowly to the door, as if to delay an inevitable, terrible fate.
When he opened the door, and when he did, he stepped to the side and placed his back against the wall with his arms folded behind his back, the fear of something ungodly in his eyes as he dared not move. The footsteps of the woman that walked in echoed throughout the room, each heavy with the thick boots that hit the ground. They were an unorthodox pair, sprouting out from the top with vibrant colors indicated beneath, yet being hidden by a dull brown that hid the excitement beneath. Her dress was very similar, sprouting a blackness that consumed the rainbow of colors that could be seen underneath her apron and the small bits of the inside of her skirt we could see from the angle we sat. She was a slender thing, her fingers long and thin like the rest of her indicated from how her sleeves looked a little bit bigger than the frame of her arm indicated. You would think her older for such a disposition, but she wasn’t, instead sprouting much more youthful features indicated by her porcelain skin, wrinkle-less, fair face, and the light swing and bounciness of her gait. Her hair was put into a bun, but it was the messiest I had seen, with several thick strands sprouting from what would’ve been an even circle, ruined by a circlet of thorns that had been buried within it.
“Wow. What lovely children you have bestowed upon this world!” Her voice was deep, filled with charm and passion. It swam and smoothed out like a mother’s voice.
Our parents didn’t say anything. Our father had sat himself down, staring at the floor.
“Who are you?” Sofia was the first to speak up.
The woman’s neck cranked itself over to her quickly, but before she could answer, my father spoke up.
“She’s… your new nanny….”
I was stunned. Both my sister and I were 12 and 13 respectively. We weren’t the most independent, but we definitely were in no need of a nanny.
“Why?” I asked. “You’re always home. And you only leave every once in a while to head to the market. Do we really need a nan-?”
“Charles!” He cut me off before I could finish my sentence. The woman had turned her head towards father with a rather unpleasant look.
“Die down, die down, Oliver dear. The boy’s questions are valid. Pipe yourself down, boy, before you lose your way.”
Almost like an obedient child, he quickly shut himself up in his wide-eyed state. I had never seen such horror in his eyes.
The pale woman turned back and smiled sweet as candy.
“Allow me to explain, dear lad. Many parents feel as though their time feels so thin with caring for children. It’s a very difficult task indeed! So sometimes parents need help to keep their heads in order. That’s where I come in! We’re going to have a lovely time together, I assure you! Just like your father before you!”
She spoke with a pep and a wide smile. Even if she sounded like she was a century old, she moved and bounced like a young girl.
I looked to my father, still horror-stricken. He and I made eye contact, giving him a look as though the love he had for me had been sapped away. I grumbled to myself.
“Oh come on now. Don’t be like that.” She put a finger beneath my chin and tilted her head up to her. When her face was this close, she looked more like a doll than a Human.
“Wonderful days are coming. And you will adore the day you knew of Mother Seelie.”
***
“Who is she? Why is she here?!” My father and I had escaped to the barn in order to talk.
“She’ll only be here for a couple of months, Charles. We just needed a little bit of time to relax. These days have been hard for mom and dad– you know that.”
“Where did she even come from?!”
My father sighed, pausing for a long while. I stared at him, waiting for an answer. After a moment, he walked over, knelt down, and hugged me close.
“Listen to me very, very carefully,” he whispered in my ear. “You know the woods to the east of these farmlands here? She came from them. Don’t ask what she is, because I don’t know either. Do what she says while she’s here, but keep your mind away from the moment. No matter how much fun it feels like, no matter how kind or loving she might be, do not let her get into your head.”
“Why…?”
“... If I say that, I fear what will happen.”
And so our days with Mother Seelie had begun.