Secret Novel Chapter 20: Make A House A Home (Patreon)

Madeline spent hours outside going around to all the different plants she could find in the Garden and making them move and sometimes grow ever so slightly. She also managed to have a mild panic attack a number of times as she wondered if this was all really happening. Though time and time again the plants proved to her that they were following her lead in a way Madeline could only describe as magical. Combined with the story in the history book she was more and more convinced that she was somehow using magic on the plants. That she had magic in her, and she got it in the stupidest way. So stupid, mages had apparently not figured it out.

Slowly over the rest of the day, she found herself getting a little exhausted in a way she couldn’t explain. Yes, she was running ragged around the Garden and that slowly tired her out, and she had skipped lunch. Still, playing with the plants seemed to drain her in a way she hadn’t experienced before. It was a little worrying, but by the time she started to notice it the fire on the stone had died and the sky was growing rather dark. Madeline took that as a sign that she had played enough with the plants, and that it was time to eat and rest. She could come back to all this tomorrow. Grabbing all her things, Madeline made her way back to the hovel. Thankfully there was enough light to see the almost hidden stone path. Cleaning up the paths was something she still had yet to do. Not that she really needed it at this point to navigate.

Pushing in the Hedge covered door to her hovel, something became instantly apparent, just through the tiniest crack in the door. Light came pouring out the gap, as if the fire inside was still lit, but that was impossible. The fire should have gone out long ago and Madeline paused. Worried, Madeline took a deep breath before pushing the door open.

The inside of her hovel was no longer a hovel. Hovel would be a horrible description of what stood before her. Slowly Madeline stepped inside, and instead of her feet hitting the dirt packed floor they landed on a beautiful mosaic flagstone floor. The walls were no longer made of Hedge, but split in half by a dark wooden strip, with rich red bricks on the bottom and a cream plaster that reached to the ceiling. The ceiling was still arched and made of mostly hedge, but now had large wooden beams covered in vines and flowers that stretched from one side of the room to the other. A span which was now over double that of how wide the hovel had been. It also stood so much taller than before, so much so that even Madeline would have to stretch to touch the beams. Two closed large and dark wooden doors sat on the left wall while one other sat on the right. At the back of this now grand and much deeper room sat a large kitchen area, stocked full of pots and pans of all sizes. Utensils of every kind and dried herbs hung from beams and racks built into the walls. A large wooden table, made to easily fit ten people, sat in the middle of the floor on a rug made of the plushest material Madeline had ever seen. The back wall of this new room was almost entirely taken up by a gigantic and slightly raised fireplace. The fireplace was already lit and stacked with logs that shouldn’t have been able to sustain such a large fire. There was another door at the back wall, slightly smaller than the others, that looked as if it were a newer addition to the home than the other doors.

Stunned, Madeline stood in the doorway, not knowing what had happened. A cold breeze blew at her back as the warmth from the room flooded over her front. “What happened?” She asked what once had been her hovel, but it didn’t answer her. Slowly she took a few more steps into the place, before she noticed that all her stuff that she had left in the hovel, now sat on top of the table.

“Hello?” Madeline called out to whomever might be in this place. There had to be someone here. There had to be someone behind this change in her hovel. Someone had to have lit the fire. Someone just had to be here. But no one answered. “Hello?” Madeline asked once again, much louder now. Still no one answered. A harder breeze blew on her back and Madeline turned around to close the door behind her, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her. It felt like home again. She didn’t feel like she was in the Maze any longer.

As she closed the door, Madeline found that it had also changed. It was a beautifully carved wooden door with a large round window that overlooked the garden. It too was much larger than the door to her hovel had been.

Not knowing what else to do, Madeline walked slowly over to the table and set down her things, still completely prepared for someone to jump out at her. The fire was warm but not hot, which was nice, but made no sense. It should have been hotter, but no, it was perfectly comfortable in here. Biting her lip, Madeline looked at the four doors in the room. She should take a look, shouldn’t she? If no one was really here but her, then it wouldn’t be wrong of her, would it?

Taking a breath, Madeline took the closest door on the left near the kitchen end of the room. The room inside was built similarly to the entrance hall, if it could be called that. What else would she call it? This new room had the same walls and ceiling, but instead of stone the floor was beautifully polished wood. The room was filled with a small fireplace of its own, that was of course lit, and a large wooden bathtub. Large enough that Madeline would easily fit inside and still have room for another person. There was also a strange thin stone tower that ran up the side and hung over the edge just slightly. It looked similar to a water pump for a well, but there was no handle, so she wasn’t sure what it was. Along one of the walls sat an open cabinet with plush looking towels and a variety of bottles and soaps. Things Madeline desperately needed and wanted to use. On the back wall, which was poorly lit being so far from the fire, sat a wooden bench with a hole. A toilet. There was an actual toilet, thank the Goddess. The wall with the door also had a large counter with a basin in the middle, with another one of the stone towers that hung over it. A large mirror also sat above the basin and Madeline cringed. Yes, having a mirror would be nice, but in all honesty she really didn’t like looking at herself. Though it would be helpful for shaving.

Pleased with her find, Madeline closed the door and went to the door by the fire. It opened to reveal a walk-in pantry. It was decently sized and the shelved walls were lined with plates, cups and everything else she could ever need. This kitchen was stocked and ready to feed a group of at least fifteen people. There was also a very large number of glass bottles of all shapes and sizes. Some were simple and crude while others were works of art in and of themselves. Why anyone would need such a large amount of bottles like that, Madeline didn’t know. There also stood two large wooden poles, that honestly looked like branches made into art, that had a large thick string between them. A clothesline. That would be nice to use instead of hanging them over branches on one of the trees. Stepping back out, she went to the door on the other side of the bathroom.

 Inside she found a large bedroom. A large window took up the majority of a wall, as it looked over the garden, much like the front door’s window. Madeline was sure this window worked just like the door. Though she wondered what would happen if she opened these windows and then went out into the Garden. That could wait, however. A large four post bed with beautiful green bedding took up the majority of the far end of the room, while the closer side hosted a lit fireplace and a massive wardrobe. Opposite the window sat a massive chest of drawers that would have put the one her mother had to shame. Not able to help herself, Madeline wandered over and opened the wardrobe and found it full to the brim with beautiful clothes. Most of them were very old fashioned, but all of them beautiful nonetheless. The fabrics used were intricate and often hosted floral patterns, while others seemed to be directly made from plants, such as a cloak that looked to be made of hedge. Over in the chest of drawers she found even more clothes all perfectly tucked away and neatly organized. She had never seen such a large amount of clothes in one place

Madeline’s tailor brain then went to work imagining what she would have to do to make these clothes work for her body. It wouldn’t be easy to do, but if she found the right materials in this place she could one hundred percent do it. She had to imagine that someone with this amount of clothes would have tools for tailoring around. Then another thought popped into her head: if she had magic like mages she could just change the clothes to fit her body. That would be great and easy, but she did like working on clothes. If she had magic like the mages, Madeline could just change her body to fit the clothes instead.

Madeline froze as her hand slid over some of the clothes.

Madeline had magic. She had been playing and using magic for hours with plants in the Garden. Madeline had magic! So if mages could use magic to change her body, why couldn’t she do the same? It might be hard, but she had books. She had magic. It was fully in the realm of possibility now.

Suddenly overwhelmed, Madeline stumbled back, until she found herself sitting on the lush bed. Her thoughts of what had happened and what could happen blurred together. All she had done was make a pot of tea, and now she could potentially have a body that felt right. A body that would actually be hers and not feel like someone else’s. A body that she could look into a mirror and be happy with. A face that would reflect her true self. After years of her life being spent accepting the body she had, knowing that she would never feel right, she now had the chance to change that.

Madeline let out a confused, slightly scared and hysterical laugh. This couldn’t be happening. How could any of this be real? Tears started to gently roll down her face as she continued to laugh. One arm wrapped around her stomach while she ran a hand through her thick black hair. So many feelings about her body and hopes and dreams that she had long shoved deep down inside came to the surface as she laughed and cried. Part of her was sure none of this was real, while the other part felt overjoyed at the potential she had.

Madeline wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting crying and laughing, before she managed to calm back down, but by the time she did, it was completely dark outside. Her stomach growled and reminded the young woman of just how hungry she was, considering she had skipped lunch. Making some food with this new kitchen would be nice, not that she would be able to use it to its fullest ability. Dinner was still calling after her strange breakdown, so she got up and closed the curtains over the window. There wouldn’t be anyone outside to see her anyway, and the hedge didn't look like a window from the outside, but it still felt like the right thing to do.

Stepping back out into the entrance hall, Madeline noticed the last door on the other side. She had been so caught up in feelings that she had completely forgotten about it. Well, it wouldn’t take her long to at least have a look. Dinner could wait just another minute or two.

Opening the door, Madeline was greeted with what she could only describe as a personal library or study. On the wall across from the door sat a grand fireplace, lit like all the rest in the home, with an ornate mantelpiece upon which a number of trinkets sat. The walls of the room were nearly all lined with bookshelves, except for an area against the back wall, where a massive desk sat. The shelves weren’t only lined with more books than Madeline had ever seen before, but there were more glass bottles of all shapes and sizes, now filled with Goddess only knows what. More trinkets, bones, fur, and so many other oddities. Besides the fireplace, the most striking feature, like in the bedroom, was a massive window that overlooked the garden. In front of the window sat two ornate, full backed cushioned chairs with a half opened gateleg table sat between them. The chair closest to Madeline faced the fireplace and center of the room, while the other was turned to look out into the Garden.

In the chair facing the Garden sat a pile of clothes and a skeleton. The skeleton had fallen apart, some of it on the ground, and what looked like a hand resting on the table. Madeline had never seen a human skeleton before, and it wasn’t a great experience to see one in front of her now. Why was there a skeleton here? Why was it just bones surrounded by brand new looking clothes? If someone had died here, wouldn’t they have rotted away? Wouldn’t there be more than just bones? Wouldn’t it have affected the clothes or the chair?

Not sure what to do, Madeline spotted a piece of paper under the hand bones on the table. With caution, she made her way over and gently lifted the paper out from under the bones. The bones gently rolled away, and in a blind panic Madeline grabbed some so they would not fall off the table. A shiver ran up her spine as she handled the bones, but making sure they stayed on the table seemed important to her. Looking back down at the paper, Madeline could make out that it was a letter of some kind, but it was too dark to read it with just the fire to light up the room.

“Need more light,” Madeline said absentmindedly, thinking that she needed to get closer to the fire to read. Though when she said the word “light", she felt something inside her reach out. Something not physical, much like how she moved plants but more pronounced, that brushed up against the flowers dangling from the beams and ceiling. As if responding to the call and strange sense of touch without touch, the white flowers above her began to glow brighter and brighter. In just a second, the room that had been only lit with the fire, was now fully alight thanks to the white flowers. It wasn’t too glaringly bright, just the perfect amount for her to be able to read the letter with ease. “What the actual fuck?” she said with jaw dropped, staring at the glowing flowers. Did she just do that? By simply asking for light? Still a little shocked, Madeline looked down at the letter and found it to be in the Given language, albeit a little more formal and old looking than what she was used to.

Dear whoever finds my home,

I trust the Maze has led someone worthy to my little sanctuary. My home and garden are now yours if you so wish it. As you can see, I will not be needing it anymore.

Madeline chuckled lightly at the morbid joke and felt a little bad about it before reading on.

 I have loved my home and garden for many decades, centuries even, and I have been loved by them in return. I hope that you might find that love for my little home as well. I do not know what the Maze may be like when you find this garden, but I hope it is better than how I am leaving it. War is never kind, to either party. But at least I can say I helped stand against those soul stealers till my very last. I hope times for you are peaceful, but if not, I am truly sorry.

Finding this letter means that you are of the Lily, but at what level I can not know. I offer all the knowledge that my home, books, and personal writings have, in order to help you along your way. Whether you are just sprouting or fully bloomed. All I ask in return for what I am giving you is that you look after and protect my garden. It is the only home I have truly ever known, and now it is yours.

-E.P.

Madeline set the letter back down and looked at the dismantled skeleton. So this was their home. Her home? His? The clothes were obviously a dress, and all the clothes in the closet were feminine, so hers maybe? Still, this was this woman's home. Not Madeline’s. It started to feel wrong to be in here. To be intruding in this place, even if it was left to her. Even if Madeline already felt obligated to look after this place. After all, the Maze led her here. It wanted her to have this place, and this woman wanted her to have it since the Maze guided her here…

Everything felt strange to Madeline. Too much had happened today. Too many possibilities for the future. Not knowing what else to do, Madeline bent down and started picking up all the bones and placing them neatly on the chair. She may not know what to do with them altogether at this moment, but it would be right to give this woman a final resting place. Somewhere out in the Garden. The garden she loved. Maybe under the tree on the hill, overlooking everything. That sounded like a good idea. Though it was dark out now, and Madeline didn’t have a lantern. There might be one here somewhere if she looked, but another idea came to mind. She should give E.P. one last night in her home, before burying her. Feeling like that was the right choice, Madeline got up, and left the study, gently closing the door behind her.

Dinner was easy to make with the fire already going, and she didn’t push herself too much with it. No need to explore with food tonight. Just something easy before bed. Clean up could wait till morning as well, and soon Madeline found herself getting into bed. The room was toasty warm on this cool night, and Madeline had found a light nightgown that fit her larger form. It was probably meant to be large and comfy for E.P. but it was a comfortable snug on Madeline. The sheets were soft, and the mattress must have been made of downy feathers for how soft it was. Though it was warm here, it was perfect.

For the first time since entering the Maze, Madeline actually felt comfortable. Felt somewhat at home. Felt like she could fully calm and wind down. She felt safe again, even if she already felt rather safe after finding the Garden in the first place. For the second time tonight, Madeline cried, though this time it wasn’t hard or hysterical. She simply cried with relief. Relief that she truly felt that she would be alright.