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People have their place to be, where they belong. That’s something that Philomel has always had in her mind throughout her life no matter the situation to survive. Never expect anything from anyone. As isolating as it can be.
Watching how the snow layered a thick coat on the leaves of the tree right outside of her window at the magic tower, Philomel let out a heavy sigh. It was already past noon and she had strangely not been bothered by any of her siblings or father which should honestly make her happy to have some peace for once but in retrospect, they have been awfully quiet lately. They happened to be more busy, excusing themselves to have a lot of work on the tower.
Cardin, the oldest sibling, was currently completely avoiding her which she found kind of funny seeing someone of his stature try to hide from her. She brushed it off of him still being embarrassed when he accidentally spilled tea on her last week at one of their tea parties they have started to schedule every day. But he had been rather fidgety for a few weeks now.
For Jeremiah, he has always been the least likely to be seen in the same room as everyone else but for a while now he would always try to check on her by coming to sit with her to read together in silence. Which had turned out to be one of her favorite parts of the day. But he has not shown up this last week.
She had spotted Rexion the most around the tower, but he would just flash her one of his signature smiles but she could sense something hidden behind the expression of his eyes behind his glasses. As for her father, he has been on a trip for a few days now. He gave the excuse that he went to get a special ingredient for one of his experiments. So everyone who she usually hangs out with is busy. She could send a letter to Nassar but she knew he was busy as well and she would be seeing him tomorrow anyway for their date.
Closing the book she had in her hands with a loud thud, she tried to focus on her feelings. It was very rare for her to get upset over something so trivial as this, she had grown up alone with no one on her side for so many years…was she so attached to them already?
From feeling irritated, her mood turned anxious. Maybe this was just getting all up in her head and she should go distract herself. Philomel knew it was almost Christmas but she had never celebrated it before while living with the Emperor. Somewhere deep inside her, she had hoped maybe things would have been different this year with her siblings and father.
She grabbed her coat and decided to go for a walk to clear her mind a bit. While going through the corridor, she passed two young magic apprentices carrying a few boxes, which wouldn’t be suspicious since a lot of people resided in this tower but what was suspicious was the direction where they were coming from.
Since she decided to live with them at the tower, her father had told her she could practically enter any room or space from the tower to her liking except a corridor on the east side where her room was located. Philomel didn’t ask why, knowing her father must have his room for secret projects but she had to admit she was slightly curious about it.
Well slightly might be an understatement, because Philomel waited for the two apprentices to disappear into the end of the corridor to slip right into where she was told not to enter. She was just going to take a quick peek and go on for her walk.
As she turned right into what seemed like a small corridor, everything looked similar to the rest of the tower with just one door at the end. Spotting a lit lamp beside it, she snatched it as she approached the door. She paused her hand on the door’s handle, hesitating.
“It’s not like they would care anyway…”, she whispered to herself trying to validate her decision to open the door she had been told not to. As soon as her hand made contact with the handle, she felt a tingling sharp pain but that did not stop her from turning the knob to open the door.
Philomel let out a groan at the discomfort while she stepped into the black room. Once inside, she only spotted a small table with a book on top, two chairs, a big mirror, and nothing more.
The book caught her attention, it being a bright red hardcover. Maybe one of the apprentices left it here? She grabbed the book and flipped through it.
“A Christmas Carol,” she pronounced the title out loud trying to remember its story but it did not ring any bells so she decided to leave it where she found it.
“I thought I’d told you not to come inside this room, Philomel.”
“What?” Philomel said bewildered. She turned around to find no one standing there with her. At least not human. “Father?”
A very white-furred cat sat right in front of her looking directly. Exactly how her father disguised himself when she was still living with the Emperor.
“I wouldn’t exactly say I’m your father. But I am part of him,” the cat proclaimed teasingly.
“I am just taking a quick peek. I will go back right now.”
“Oh dear, wouldn’t it be nice if it was that easy?” the cat purred happily and continued, “I was allowed to handle the situation as I saw fit if this scenario ever happened. And I just happened to have the best punishment from my favorite book!”
Philomel unconsciously gripped the handle of the lamp tighter. “I’m sure we can come up with a solution to this problem.”
The cat started to lick its fur and in between licks said, “There’s already a solution. The ghosts will tell you. Good luck passing the tests.”
“Tests?” She asked, more confused than before. As soon as those questions were asked, the sound of a click filled the room. The door’s lock has been closed. The situation turned bad. She needed to do something to get out of this room.
“Hello, sister.”
“C-Cardin?”
To her left was standing her older brother Cardin. She would recognize him so easily with his composition and green soft eyes, but instead of his usual dark cape, he had a white one today.
“Are you one of the ghosts the cat told me about?”
“Yes, I’m the ghost from Past Christmas.”
“Past Christmas?” Philomel started him, confused. “What do you mean by that?”
“I am here to show you your past,” the ghost smiled genuinely at her, almost reminding her of the soft expression her real brother Cardin had reserved just for her. He extended his hand towards Philomel waiting for her to stand next to her right beside the big mirror.
She stepped next to Cardin cautiously…well the ghost that looked like her brother and looked at the mirror trying to mimic what the ghost was doing. Both of their reflections stared back at them. Was something supposed to be happening?
“Get that thing out of my sight!”
Something snapped inside of Philomel and sent her into panic mode as soon as she heard that voice. She turned to her sides to find Cardin inside the room.
“Look at the mirror, Philomel,” Cardin advised her.
She should have refused to look because she knew exactly what she was about to relive, she had done so every night in her nightmares while growing up. She had finally stopped doing so a few months ago once she had finally parted ways with them. Emperor Eustice Belerof’s cold stare looked back at her.
A memory of her childhood appeared in the mirror, and not just one but right after one ended another started. All of them show how she tried to be loved by Emperor Eustice but failed miserably until she understood that would never happen. She would never be his daughter and he would never be the father she so desperately wanted growing up.
“I remember all of these. How is reliving my childhood some kind of test?” Philomel snarled at the Ghost.
“Maybe you are not looking hard enough. What do you truly see?”
What did she truly see? All she saw was a little girl who just wanted the affection of her father, of anyone. All those horrifying moments were just bad memories now.
“I saw someone that wanted to be loved. Tried to fit in and please everyone,” she said with a slight tremble in her voice.
She watched more scenes pass by, Princess Elincia now in the picture. A swirl of emotions pressed against her chest, fighting against each other for control. As much as she had moved on, they still took a tool on them.
“But I’m not that child anymore. I know my worth and more importantly, I love myself. I want to live and be able to choose who I want to be,” Philomel expressed confidently as she turned back to Cardin, who was no longer next to her.
“Ghost of the Past Christmas made it too easy as always, I see.” A new voice echoed around the room.
She spun to spot a Jeremiah lookalike sitting with his feet perched on the table while he flipped through the book.
“He always helps out during his intermission. Go ahead and leave the hard work to us,” He sighed and continued, “But anyways, let’s get this over with as well. I’m the Ghost of the Present Christmas and I will show—.”
“I already know my present,” Philomel interrupted, “What is there more to know?”
The Ghost of the Present Christmas seemed to get annoyed at that question as he just murmured a curse.
“You know what’s inside your bubble. You were mad with your siblings and father but did you even bother asking them what they were doing in the first place?” He replied with a sarcastic grin on his face as he waited for Philomel to answer his question.
“I knew they were busy, so I didn’t want them to worry about me.”
“Technically yes, they were busy but maybe you should just see for yourself,” he nodded towards the mirror and a scene appeared on it.
The mirror scene’s protagonist this time was Luguin, in what seemed to be a jewelry store. He was contemplating between a lot of exposed necklaces with precious stones.
“Is there a specific color your daughter likes, sir?” The older man who seemed to be the owner of the stores asked Luguin.
“I'm not sure but I will take this one,” he picked up a beautiful necklace adorned with an amber stone. “It reminds me of her eyes.”
“Excellent choice, sir. That’s one of our rarest pieces. If it’s not too much for me to ask, what’s the special occasion of the young lady?” The store owner asked as he wrapped up the necklace and accepted Liguin’s money.
“I just want to see her smile,” he answered with a grin while the scene suddenly cut.
Something started to bubble up in Philomel. Her father had been one of few words with people usually, so she hadn't not been expecting him to have said what she just witnessed. With barely any time to fully wrap up her feelings, another scene popped inside the mirror she was staring at.
Next, she saw Cardin, taking a sip of a cup. He nodded while he lowered the cup next to a line of others.
“I think she will like this one as well. I will take the first two and the last three tea blends, please.”
“You have a refined taste, young master. I’m sure your sister will enjoy any of these teas,” the woman on the other side of the counter beamed at Cardin. “I will write the instructions of how to blend them correctly depending on the tea as you asked.”
“Thank you. I would appreciate that. I want to surprise her by making the tea myself.”
She enjoyed whenever Cardin would have tea with her in the tower’s garden but she never would have thought that it meant something for him as it did to her.
The scene faded into another that appeared to be in a small cozy bookshop. A familiar white-haired man approached a bookshelf as he inspected the titles on its backbone.
“Okay. I think I have seen enough. I will be taking all of them,” Jeremiah nonchalantly added as he turned toward the middle-aged owner who had been following him around as he looked around the bookstore.
“A-All of them?! My Lord, I'm not sure I understand. Do you mean this bookshelf? That’s very generous of you, my lord.”
“No, I meant all the books in the bookstore. I want them all. Or would that be a problem?” he eyed the owner of the bookshop as he crossed his arms. He was not going back without the books.
“N-No, my lord. I can sell all of them. But it is a lot of books for just one person. May I ask why you are buying so many?”
Jeremiah stayed silent for a few heartbeats, trying to decide how much he wanted to tell a stranger.
“Oh I see, it's for a special someone. They must mean a lot to you, my lord. I will get my son to help me start packing everything immediately and will have them ready tomorrow.”
Jeremiah felt his cheek burning a bit and it showed with a faint blush. He is not used to showing affection or doing this kind of act for others. Maybe expending so much time with Philomel was truly changing him like Rexion has been pestering him about…and maybe he did not mind it.
“Your brother is a very handsome young man,” the ghost of Present Christmas added as he leaned into the nearest wall beside the mirror.
Philomel let out a chuckle because that would of course be something a ghost that looked like Jeremiah would say. She turned back to the mirror to find another scene happening. It was now Rexion time to show up as he watched his unmistakable smile and glasses perched on his face walk into the frame while he studied a map in his hands.
“I’m sure sister will love this surprise, brothers.”
She couldn't see who he was talking with but she gathered it must be Cardin and Jeremiah.
“It's almost finished. I almost lipped telling her about it yesterday at tea time,” the voice of Cardin filled the room.
“Remember what we agreed on, Cardin. She must not find out until we have the room ready. Talking about that, I took the liberty of making this corner—” Rexion stated echoing the mirror as the scene followed him further into a new room then out of nowhere nothing. The mirror showed Philomel’s curious eyes and an approaching ghost.
“Alright, enough entertainment. What did you see, Philomel?”
“All along they have been thinking of me, and even when I complained about them leaving me alone. All of them are planning a surprise for me and expecting the worst in them… I will never doubt their care for me,” she explained her feelings and thoughts as she tried to hold back that weird feeling around her eyes. Was she about to cry? But she was not feeling sad… was it possible to cry from happiness?
“Just one more test and you are done,” a new voice told her.
Philomel looked up and found a Rexion lookalike leaning on the doorway. “
The ghost of Future Christmas at your service.”
“Future?” Philomel asked skeptically what this last test would entail. “You will show me what my future will be like?”
“Wouldn’t that be amazing? Sadly I don't have that kind of power. The future is forever changing depending on what path you choose to walk through. What I can do is show you one of those paths. One where your brothers and father truly did not care for you as you had thought out earlier.”
Before she had the chance to oppose saying she had learned her lesson, the new scene in the mirror was being shown.
“Hear the sins of this vile criminal!”
There was so much happening in this scene, people murmuring as if someone was being publicly executed in front of the town’s crowd. As she glossed over the scene, she stumbled into familiar faces. Emperor Eustice Belerof and Princess Elincia stared at someone who was on the floor.
“She conspired with her mother and pretended to be the Imperial Princess for over ten years and defiled the Belerof name!”
It was not hard to deduce now that this execution was hers. Everything started to fall into pieces. She has read about this in the book she had found when she was just a child. Without anyone to protect her and care for her, she was ultimately accused and killed at the hands of someone she once had considered her father.
“Therefore, this criminal deserves death!” the executioner shouted to the masses, making them go wild.
“Kill the fake Princess!” someone in the crowd screamed.
More people started to shout awful things to future Philomel that even made Princess Elincia uncomfortable and cling to the Emperor’s side.
“I understand Elincia, There’s no need to watch any further. Proceed with the execution of that thing on your own,” he commanded the rest of the guard who grabbed Philomel by the hair.
A cry of pain out of her future self was enough for Philomel to stop watching and turn to Rexion.
“Stop! I have seen enough!”
“What kind of future do you want, Philomel?”
“I want to live. I want a future that depends on me alone and I will make it be the best I can with people who truly love me and care for me.”
Rexion smiled toward Philomel. Echoes around the room start filling it as murmurs start sounding outside the door.
“I think your family is looking for you.”
“Philomel?!” A voice could be heard from the other side of the door.
“Have I completed the tests?” Philomel asked anxiously and with a small grin on her face.
“And broke a time record even. Go on. They are waiting. Remember to never take yourself or your loved ones for granted,” the ghost of the future Christmas added as he vanished right in front of Philomel’s eyes.
“Father she is inside the library.”
Suddenly, the door flew open and four men stepped aside as the door opened.
“Sister, we were so worried looking for you!” Cardin proclaimed as he approached Philomel and wrapped her in a tight hug that almost swallowed her whole.
It only takes a second for Philomel to hug him back and say “I missed all of you. I'm sorry I made you worry.”
“We will always find you,” Jeremiah said while stepping next to them. “I mean we have magic so it's easier,” he added while turning to the side, slightly blushing. Philomel feels like almost crying and then she spots her father staring at all his children.
“What do you think of your present?” Luguin inquired.
Confused Philomel frowns at her father's question and turns to Rexion who just points to the rest of the room. When she turns around, she finally notices that she is no longer in the dark small room because it has now turned into a big-sized library filled with books. The most perfect cozy library just for her.
She spots all the books she saw from Jeremiah’s scene earlier. Then on a shelf, she notices Cardin’s tea blends sitting next to the prettiest tea set she has seen. A decorated tree stands tall in the room filled with presents underneath. Philomel can't hold the tears anymore as they start descending her cheeks. That's when she concludes that people can cry from happiness.
“Merry Christmas, Philomel”, her family said in unison.