Master Charlie, as the bird called him, calmly walked toward them before kneeling in front of her. For a moment she flinched, but it seemed like he simply wanted to make proper eye contact.
“Sorry for bringing you here so suddenly. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name’s Charles, though everyone here calls me Master Charlie. The bird who brought you here is Ark,” he said kindly.
“I guess you could say I’m his familiar,” Ark chimed in.
“I consider him more friend than familiar, but what can you do?” Charles shrugged, then got to his feet. “There’s one more introduction I’d like to make—”
As if on cue, the door of the house slammed open and a small boy came rushing out.
“Master Charlie! Ark! I never said someone new could stay here!” he yelled, running toward them with a look of desperation.
His blonde hair was curly and fell in neat ringlets. His eyes were huge, like a kitten’s, and his irises were the same jade-green as Charles’s. The checkered vest and pants he wore suited him well, and if his expression weren’t so clouded by anger, he might have even looked cute. In fact, when not angry, he was probably adorable.
“Perfect timing, Leo. I was just about to introduce you,” Charles greeted him.
“Are you even listening to me, Master Charlie? I told you, I don’t want you to get another apprentice! What’s worse, this one’s a girl!” he complained, pointing a finger at her fiercely and scowling. She didn’t know for certain, but she reckoned a stray cat defending its territory would act in much the same way.
“Leo. Where are your manners?” Charles admonished him, frowning slightly.
“Don’t worry, Master Charlie, he’ll come around. He just gets shy in front of girls,” Ark interjected, swooping off Charles’s shoulder to fly around Leo instead. Leo looked irritated, swishing his hands in the air as if to shoo Ark away.
“Am not! Anyway, you. How old are you? What’s your name?” Leo darted toward her, and she shrunk away out of sheer reflex. In that moment, a hint of his scent wafted by the tip of her nose. It recalled the fresh fragrance of young, budding leaves.
“I think I’m sixteen. And…I don’t know,” she admitted. She guessed that, long ago, before she was locked up, she used to have a name. But after so many years of no one addressing her, she had forgotten it. All alone in that tower, there was no reason to have one.
“You’ve gotta be kidding. You’re four years older than me? Looking at you, I thought you were my age, or even younger. Have you even grown since you were—”
“Leo, stop it. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all. Otherwise I’ll have to scold you,” Charles interrupted him. His tone was even and gentle, but his measured manner of speaking left no room for debate.
The air around him seemed to chill, and Leo visibly deflated, looking downcast and dispirited. A moment later, Charles sighed before looking back over to the girl with a rueful tilt to his eyebrows.
“I do apologize for his behavior. I hope you can forgive him,” he said.
She nodded, and Charles gave her a thankful smile. When she saw his smile, it was as if some door deep within her heart suddenly unlocked. Familiar, kind, and warm. She had a faint recollection of feeling the same way before—long, long ago, so far in the distant past that she couldn’t remember when or why she had felt it.
“Excuse me, but…have I ever met you before? A long time ago?” she asked.
“Me?” Charles replied. “No, this is our first time meeting.”
His expression didn’t shift in the slightest as he answered. And yet, the air seemed to change. Charles was lying. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was absolutely certain. Perhaps she could sense it thanks to her magic, but…why would he feel the need to hide something like that?
“Anyway, you’ll run into all sorts of trouble without a name. We can’t even call out to you,” he noted.
“Um… How about you give me one, Master Charlie?” she proposed, hoping it was all right to use the same title the others did.
“Oh? Is that really okay with you?”
“Whoa, that’s a huge responsibility, Master Charlie. You sure you can do this?” Ark piped up.
“You say some pretty rude stuff despite that innocent face of yours…” Charles remarked. He put a fist up to his chin, and stood there for quite a while, mulling over suggestions. “I know. How about we take letters from the end of ‘Charlie’ and the beginning of ‘Leo’ to make Lille? It sounds cute, too,” he said.
“No way. I’m not giving her half my name!” Leo shook his head vehemently, a sour look on his face.
“In that case, how about we combine Charles and Ark to make Chark? Like a shark,” Charles replied.
“Master Charlie… It’s not really my place to say this, but you can’t give a girl such a nasty name,” Ark swiftly cut in, disbelief clear in his voice. “You think so too, right, Leo?”
“Uh… I guess… Just a little bit,” Leo agreed reluctantly.
“Aw…” Charles frowned disappointedly, incredulous that his idea was shut down so quickly.
“Exactly. Leo, I’m sure you can put up with her name being a little similar to yours,” Ark said.
“Ugh… Fine! She can be Lille!” At last, Leo admitted defeat.
Judging by the look on his face, Charles seemed to have some mixed feelings on the matter, but eventually gave in with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Well, then… From now on, your name will be Lille. Nice to meet you, Lille,” Charles said, holding out his hand. For a moment, she stared blankly at the outstretched hand, not realizing she was supposed to shake it. Then she remembered, and swiftly placed her hand in his. It was warm, firm, and large.
Lille. Lille!
She repeated the name over and over again in her head. Her chest felt wondrously warm and fuzzy.
A name… I finally have something that belongs only to me.
From that day forth, she was no longer just a girl. She was Lille.