The end of December was approaching, as well as a human festival named "Christmas Eve."

The Elders had decided to stay away from the humans during their precious holiday, as it, apparently, was a "holy" day. It was a kind way of saying we wouldn't taint it with our presence.

That day, I went to Cecile's room for dinner. We were having chicken cooked with red wine, same as what the humans were having. Among the way, I remembered the song she sang to me, and wondered if she knew the second part too.

"Cecile," I began, "remember the song you sang to me last time, the lullaby my mother sang to us?"

Cecile lifted her head up and smiled. "Of course. Why?" I tried to read her face, but I couldn't tell a thing. Cecile was more frightening than Agnes in a way, with her constant and unmoving calmness. 

"Do you know the song has a second part?"

"Oh, it does? Do tell me." She wiped her lips with a handkerchief and then leaned forward.

"It goes like this:

I am a pretty girl,
Living in an ugly tower,
And therefore I dream
To see the pretty world.

I will cut off my pretty hair,
Take off my pretty dresses,
And I will run,
Run from the ugly tower.

Past the pretty flowers,
With the pretty wind,
In the pretty rain,
Under the pretty sky.

And I will live,
Pretty day after pretty day,
Waiting for someone
To live this pretty life with me."

I looked at the door, which was closed. Last time Priscilla had been outside, eavesdropping, but after last time, she probably wouldn't approach me anymore. I lowered my voice and leaned in too, until our noses were nearly touching.

"I think it's a message from my mother."

"A message?"

"Yes, I think my mother wanted me to escape." I swallowed, feeling a lump in my throat. Cecile's expression didn't change. What was she thinking? "Is that silly?"

Cecile leaned back again, and with the same, faint smile, she shook her head.

"No, Margery. I think it's very likely. Your mother, Elise, was actually fond of the human world."

"Mother was?" I frowned. "I've never heard of that."

"She's only ever told me, I think." Cecile looked down, and for a moment, looked sad. "Maybe it was because I was a child, so she told me stories about it, but I believed she loved the outside world."

"The Cecile, do you?"

She looked up at me, and then looked scared, like a small, fragile bird, eyes wide and innocent.

"What?"

"Do you love the outside world?" It was worth a try. "Do you want to leave here—with me?"

Cecile turned to the door, and I saw she was shaking, before she turned back to me.

"How in the world would we? You know it's not going to be easy. You saw the fuss made the other day." Her eyes wouldn't meet mine.

"Are you fine with a life here?" I asked. "And when Dr.Gregoire leaves, it'll be like life before."

Her shoulders twitched.

"I know that, Margery. I know."

"And are you going to be fine with it?" I asked. "It's going to be sad. Lonely. It's going to be unbearable, now that both of us know the taste of the outside world. You too, don't you want to learn more about the outside world? Thing you can't learn from books, encyclopedias, or from stories the humans tell us?"

"And suppose," she whispered, very softly, "suppose we do leave, then what?" 

"I don't know," I admitted frankly. "That's why we need to persuade Agnes to let us go to town."

"Why?"

"If we go to town, know more about Jardin, the Jardin with humans, not just our Castle, we can roughly think of an escape route or something. I'm sure Uriel and the rest will help us." I smiled. "Isn't it worth a try?"

Cecile finally looked up and met my eyes. Her eyes, the lightest shade between blue and purple, seemed to glitter with hope.

"What do you want me to do?"

I smiled.

"Change their minds. You know as the situation stands the more the humans and I push for it, Agnes would be against it. Especially me. She can sense it. But not with you, you're their messenger. You're neutral. They'll only think it's a fleeting fancy of yours."

"You're right." Cecile smiled. "Maybe it's worth a try."

***

Christmas Eve passed like that, and the next day was the day, Christmas.

At dinner, Agnes suddenly spoke.

"I have an announcement."

We all turned to her.

She gave me a long and steady look before diverting her attention to Dr.Gregoire again.

"I've been thinking about it for a while, and seeing that it's Christmas, and even Cecile had asked me, kindly, for permission, I will allow you to bring her and Margery to town."

Yves's jaw fell open. Dr.Gregoire stared at her in shock before fumbling to speak.

"I can't thank you enough, Madame Agnes! This is a wondrous present!"

"Thank the Lord for Christmas," said Yves. Agnes glared at him.

"In this house, we do not believe in the Lord."

"Oh, I apologize."

She resumed eating, but the rest of us started chattering.

"You hear that? You two can come to town!"

"Yes!" Cecile cheered, "What day shall we go?"

"Sunday would be ideal, for most of the people would be in church or at home," Dr.Gregoire said.

"Rainy or snowy days are good, too. Cecile and I would be more comfortable without the sun," I noted.

"I'll keep that in mind. Is there any place you two would like to visit?"

"Anywhere is fine," Cecile said. "What about you, Margery?"

"I want new clothing," I said. "Not the tacky dresses Agnes gets us, I want those Uriel drew—tailored jacket and riding trousers."

"Are you mad?" Agnes froze and look at me with eyes of steel. "If you don't wear the 'tacky' dresses I get you, you shall go out nude."

"Oh, a new outfit won't kill her," Uriel said.

"Hush, you nincompoop."

"Fine, I won't, then," I sulked. I had been wanting trousers for some time. They did look nice on females and would go perfectly with boots, which I also didn't have. And now that I think of it, I didn't have anything other than dresses from decades ago and heeled slippers.

"We can go to see them, at least," Karl said.

"Yes, maybe we can get something for ourselves at the tailors," Marcel added. They were trying to comfort me but it wasn't working.

"And there's also pubs—" Yves started, only to be cut off again.

"Pubs are dirty places dirty men go!" Rowena screeched.

"If we believed in God, and sins, than that would be a sin!" Selma continued.

"But we don't," I said.

"Be quiet! It's the day of the Lord's death and even we have the decency to respect it!"

"You just said you didn't," Yves muttered under his breath. "Fine, then, no pubs."

"There are Christmas carols," Dr.Gregoire began slowly, cautiously. "In the church, the choir sings many songs and hymns for the holy day. We light candles, sometimes, and put them on altars. Churches are beautiful, and the Church here is well-known for their stained glass, and it was designed by..."

He continued listing off things and Cecile marveled while Uriel, Yves, and I shared a look. None of us were interested, but we didn't have the heart to tell them.

"Then it's settled, we will walk around town first, window shop, and then go to church around late noon. Is that fine with you, Madame Agnes?"

She pressed her lips tightly together, wrinkles forming at the exaggerated expressions. "Why, yes, Dr.Gregoire. Now may we have our dinner in silence?"

"Yes, thank you, thank you. Anyways, Miss Cecile, if you'd like I know a place where one can see cats."

"Cats! Oh, I love cats, don't you, Sabine?" Sabine moved her shoulders in a shrug. She used to like cats, I know, but Agnes wouldn't let her keep one. "Wouldn't you like to come?"

"No."

"Then I'll see them and describe it for you. Dr.Gregoire, tell me, do the cats not freeze in winter."

"Well, I heard a lady keeps a place just for them, a little shed with bowls for water. They hunt mice, but I do wonder what they eat in winter when they hibernate."

"Hibernate? What is that?"

"Hibernation is when an animal..."

"Damn this," Agnes said, "I told him to be quiet."