After breakfast, Seren was invited back to the dollhouse with Ninke who was only a year younger than them. Mrs. Houper stepped out for a minute and left Seren with her large and loud family. Every corner of the house was decorated for Yule. Hundreds of lights, tinsel, and paper snowflakes. Various straw yule goats made with varying qualities sat on every surface.

Seren and Nienke had a pair of little dolls with hand made clothes and a large wooden handmade dollhouse with all handmade clothes, drapes, and all kinds of homey decorations. Even the doll house was decorated for Yuletide.

“Wow, this looks great! I wish I had a doll house like this.” Seren said as their doll pretended to cook breakfast at the mini-stove.

“I bet you could,” Nienke said, her doll doing laundry out the pretend back yard. “Mom says that her boss likes you.”

“I don’t see how that’s related.” Seren said, placing the mini dishes on the table.

“Breakfast!” Seren altered their voice for their doll.

“Coming, dear sibling!” Nienke altered her voice for her doll.

“I’m just saying,” Nienke continued in her normal voice. Hopping her doll over to the kitchen, “People who like you are more willing to do things for you.” Seren shook their head while pretending to serve the dolls breakfast.

“That’s not really how that works for me.” Seren said.

“How is the laundry?” Seren said as the doll. Making the doll sit at the kitchen table with Nienke’s doll.

“Oh, it never ends!” Nienke said as the doll.

“This is boring,” Seren sat back. “What if we had them go on an adventure? They need to go to the mystical fairy land to save the princess or the world will end?”

"Wow that sounds exciting but..” Nienke shrugged. “I guess I like my dolls living quietly, wish fulfillment.” Seren nodded and sat back from the house.

“Right, that’s understandable.” Seren nodded, hiding their disappointment. A little knock at the door drew the kids attention. Mrs. Houper peeked in.

“Seren, it’s time to go home now.” Mrs. Houper said monotonously.

“What’s wrong?” Seren asked instantly, Mrs. Houper shook her head.

“It’s time to go,” she left the door and Seren looked at Nienke in pure ice cold fear.

“Did I do something wrong?” Seren whispered, Nienke shrugged with an equal fearful look. Seren stood up and brushed themself off.

“I hope you get to come back soon,” Nienke whispered. Seren nodded tearfully, shaking slightly as they left the bedroom. The kids went about their chores but it felt to Seren like they were being judged. Mrs. Houper waited at the door, avoiding eye contact.

“I’m sorry,” Seren said quietly.

“No, honey. You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” Mrs. Houper said, it was still in a monotone.

“Then why are you upset with me?” Seren trembled.

“I’m not, come on. You need to get home.” Mrs. Houper opened the door and ushered Seren out. They held their coat close while imagining every worst case scenario. Had they been fired? Had they done something so egregiously wrong that they were being arrested? Seren couldn’t breathe, they couldn’t swallow. Bile started clawing up their throat. Mrs. Houper took Seren to the front door and hesitantly patted their shoulder before leaving wordlessly. Only making Seren more upset.

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Seren went into the house, it was uncharacteristically cold. Their hands were shaking so hard it was nearly impossible to get their boots unlaced. Their breathing was erratic, a shaky inhale that would get stuck before going out again. Their chest hurt. Their head spun and they could barely see what they were doing. The frustration mounting until Seren impulsively brought their fist down on their thigh as hard as they could. The dull pain brought a level of relief and Seren did it again, and again until their hands stopped shaking and they could take off their boots.

They placed them to the side neatly, hanging up their coat by the band on the collar and not just throwing it up on the rack. They stepped into the foyer and the floorboards creaked beneath them. The house sounded silent, like it was placed in a giant bubble. It was dark, like it was cursed with shadows. Seren felt the stillness and silence crushing them. They crept up into the hall, they didn’t know where to go. Every instinct told them to turn around and leave.

Seren stepped back into the entryway and pulled their boots back on. Hastily lacing their boots when they heard a creak on the stairs which made them freeze.

“Serenity. In my office. Now.”

The stairs creaked again and Seren felt like they would puke. Shakily, they took their boots off. Barely able to see but too scared to even cry. Seren took the stairs one by one. Feeling every creak in every nerve. Their head spun. They couldn't breathe. Every landing they felt closer to the executioner's blade.

On the last turn they stopped, knowing the worst. They imagined how they react when they heard the news, resolving that even if they cry, they wouldn’t fall apart. They wouldn’t beg or grovel. They’d keep it in and together and head out with whatever dignity they could keep ahold of. Seren stopped at the door and tried to stop shaking. Drawing themself up to their full height and they knocked on the door with the confidence they didn’t have.

“Come in.”

The command shook their bones and their courage. Nearly driving them to tears. But they clenched their jaw hard and entered the office. They weren’t able to speak at first, staring at the intense glare that was leveled at them. But they still walked in and shut the door behind them. Seren tried to keep from trembling as they walked opposite of the desk. Willing themself to keep eye contact.

“At about 3 o’clock in the morning your father died. I’m sorry for your loss. You have an hour to deal with your feelings and then you have work to do.”

Seren stared blankly. The words like slick hidden ice hiding on the dark streets. They heard the words but they were impossible to comprehend.

“Go.” Mr. Asche said sternly and Seren stiffly left the office. Shutting the door and staring into the opposite wall blindly. Their breathing quickened as the weight only barely touched them. Dropping to the ground as the weight pressed down onto them. They whimpered and forced themself up enough that they could crawl down the stairs and to their room. Into their corner. The feeling of sharp pain eclipsed any physical pain they ever knew. It burned deeply and the resulting smoke created a pressure inside that made it hard to breathe. They couldn’t even cry.

Even pounding on their thigh did nothing for them. Under their bed hid the caestus rings ashamedly. Impulsively, Seren snatched them and hit their thigh again with them. The physical pain trembled through their body and made their legs weak. It released the pressure enough that they could breathe again. They dropped the rings and curled up into a ball, still unable to cry. They reached up and dug their hands into their hair, balling their fist around their hair and tugging. Letting out a bit more of the pressure inside.

They laid in the heap. The pain in their thigh still tingling, still pulling their own hair when they felt the mounting pressure. The speaker crackled;

“Your hour is up. Get dressed and return to the office.”

Seren sneered bitterly but rolled onto their hands and knees. The leg they hit radiated pain and hurt when weight was put on it. Seren leaned on the dresser to pull themselves up. Numbly limping to the closet and getting dressed. A huge colorful bruise blooming on their thigh where they’d hit it. Somehow, that gave Seren enough satisfaction to power through getting fully dressed. They knelt by their bed and took the caestus rings, shoving them in their pockets.

It still felt like a massive weight was strapped to their body as they struggled to climb up the stairs. They didn’t need to still their nerves before knocking, they didn’t have any nerves. They entered and shut the door behind them. Subconsciously hiding the limp the best the could.

“Tomorrow is Yule and the King holds the Yule ball every year on the night of Yule. We have been invited and you will not disappoint me. Understand?” Mr. Asche demand. Standing from his desk and walked around it just as stiffly as Seren did.

“Yes,” Seren said dutifully.

“Good. You will be educated in manners, etiquette, and proper conversation.” He said, looking over their head instead of at them. “You will also practice a few of your fae tricks to be used at the party. They will come in handy for conversation. I have written up a ledger and suggested list. We will not stop until you can recite each item from memory.”

“Understood.” Seren said, a small part of them relieved their were pressing matters that might allow them to shed the weight and pressure for a bit.

“Good. Let’s begin.”