Theo closes the door to his bedroom. He feels exhausted but satisfied. This day has been fruitful. He's got some answers. Although those answers come with more questions, Theo welcomes them. At least now he can move forward more freely.
He walks toward the bed, passing the mirror, and stops. He looks at his reflection and sighs.
Thea, what happened to you? Was the accident pure accident? Or was someone really trying to kill you? Why did your mother keep hinting that you weren't all that open to her? What exactly did Arthur do to you?
Theo sighs again. "Okay," he says out loud. "This is what I've found so far." Theo turns and moves a chair to sit in front of the mirror.
"You had an accident—a bad one. So bad that you were in a coma for three weeks. And your whole family looks like they're feeling guilty. Especially Arthur." Theo leans back in his chair.
"Let's talk about your family. Starting from your father, Maurice." Theo goes into full thinking-out-loud mode.
"He adores you. Supports you. But he also has a sharp mind. I wouldn't want to cross him."
He shifts his body to sit more comfortably in the chair.
"Next is your mother, Leila. Beautiful woman. Loves you with all her heart. And then more. She felt that you weren't speaking your mind as much as she'd like. And she's feeling guilty about something—so much that she would drop that pink bomb on you just to make you happy."
"Next is Arthur." Theo's expression is a mix of amusement, wonder, and annoyance. "Your older brother is really something. Smart, sharp, cold, decisive, so over protective, and very suspicious of me. And he's also feeling guilty. He was apologizing for almost killing you. Was he apologizing about the accident? Or something else?"
"Next, let's talk about Julian." Theo is smiling widely. He personally loves Julian. "He's funny, a bit childish, wears his emotions on his sleeves, and he's feeling guilty too. I don't know why."
"Your whole family loves you, Thea." His voice turns softer. "Each of them loves you in their own way. Arthur too. So, I don't believe that his involvement would have caused the accident."
He points to the mirror. "Your oldest brother, Arthur? The guilt that he's carrying? He's been keeping it very close to his heart. He is very protective of you. I don't know if he's always been like that, or if it's because of his guilt."
Theo looks at the reflection in the mirror. He approaches it until he's about two steps away.
"And then, there's you." He says softly. "The youngest of the Montrose Family. From what I have gathered so far, you were quiet and rarely spoke. You loved your family very much, even though you didn't show it. Maybe because you didn't know how?"
He looks at the mirror, straight into Thea's eyes.
"Were you overshadowed by your brothers? By their brilliance? You felt that you weren't enough?"
The reflection doesn't say anything, just staring back at him, with her beautiful misty eyes. She looks sad, defeated, and lost.
Theo sighs. "I'm going to find out. About everything."
Theo raises his right hand and touches his palm to the mirror. "Did you know that your body was born to wield magic? You were built for it. I heard that your world used to have magic. Your lineage is definitely from a line of very powerful magicians."
Theo takes a step back. "You want me to live well with your body." He's nodding. "I can do that. And I'm going to do it my way. But I promise that I'll do no harm to your family. I'll protect them too."
He falls silent, thinking. "Ah! Thea, I know you're a girl, but did you really ask your mother to turn your bedroom into a pink hell? And your wardrobe?"
He grins. "I'm not criticizing your style. But all those pink frilly things… or was it your mother who went overboard? Doesn't matter now. I can't live in a room like that. So, I'm sorry, but I'm redecorating it."
He takes a deep breath. "Now, I need to find out how to wash your body without me feeling like a pedophile."
Suddenly, Theo chuckles. "Pedophile. Looks like your vocabulary has blended together with mine."
Theo takes a deep breath a few times. He shakes his head slightly. "I'm talking to a mirror. I must be losing my mind."
He returns the chair to its original position. He goes to the wardrobe and scans it. "I definitely need to buy a few clothes," Theo murmurs.
He picks up a loose t-shirt and a pair of long flannel pants that look comfortable. "I guess these are going to be my sleepwear tonight."
He sighs. "Now… the underwear." He gulps. "I need to get this over with! But this is the body of a child! Get a grip, Theo!" Theo is talking to himself out loud.
He chooses a pair of panties and a bra that look simple in design, with no lace on them. He picks them up only with two fingers, horrified by the size.
"Oh, heavens! They're very small! Will they fit?! How am I going to do this?!" Theo is close to having a full-blown panic attack.
He closes his eyes tight and groans. "Oh, now I wish I were still in the hospital! At least they have nurses so I wouldn't have to deal with all of this!"
He huffs loudly and walks toward the bathroom door with determined steps—only to turn right back around when he almost reaches it.
"I can't." He turns back and huffs. "I can!" He turns to the door again, then back around. "I can't! I really can't!"
But then he feels the need to go to the bathroom. "Oh great! You really know how to torture me!"
With the clothes still in his hands, Theo crosses his legs, trying to stop the inevitable. But he also knows it's useless. He's been experiencing this for seven days in the hospital. He had tried everything to postpone any bathroom trips, to no avail.
He groans again. "Why didn't I research a spell that can make me skip this!"
He cannot hold it anymore. "Okay, okay, okay! I know!"
"Just hold on!"
He walks to the bathroom and locks the door. He's in a hurry—the nature does not know how to wait. He drops everything from his arms and runs to the toilet.
While he's feeling the relief, he wants to distract himself, so he scans the bathroom.
It has ivory marble flooring, but it's not smooth like the rest of the house; it has tiny bumps to prevent anyone from slipping.
It has a very large bathroom mirror, framed by long light orbs ("Lights!" Theo reminds himself) that give a gentle, soft glow. Attached to the mirror is a nice round sink, made from marble in darker ivory, almost beige.
The toilet is right in front of the sink, and Theo can see his head in the mirror.
To his left, there's a very nice, big ivory bathtub. Theo is amazed. "What is that? Is that for taking a bath?"
He quickly finishes his business with the toilet, pulls up his panties, and goes to the freestanding clawfoot tub.
He touches the rim edge. "It's very smooth and cold!" He feels like he's caressing the tub. "My beloved Aldric, you would've loved bathing in this. This would be the place where you relaxed after a very tiring day as King." Theo speaks, full of nostalgia.
He smiles sadly. "And you would invite me. And we would enjoy it until all of our skin is pruned."
A tear escapes. "I love you, Aldric."
Theo silently pays tribute to his deceased lover.
A minute passes before an idea pops into his head. He scans the bathroom, and with Thea's memories guiding him, he notices it has everything he needs. Without hesitation, he begins preparing right away.