Status: In progress but looking for feedback. The Prologue has been trimmed! More chapters coming soon :)
Always Anyways...
The Market Aftermath
A chamber maid and a wood cutter found me on the servant stairway. The woodcutter scooped me up and placed me gently on my chamber bed. But I saw the woodcutter stop the maid and whisper at the edge of his voice as he pointed to my torn gown. Then the maid ran to alert my Lady that I had been found in such a terrible state.
My Lady Ruth came rushing in with the rest of the Ladies to tend to me. "My dearest...what has happened to you?" I only turned my face from her unable to speak of it all. "I found your fabric my Lady." She hushed me and I heard the other Ladies whispering as Lady Ruth quickly turned to them, "Get water and a rag before her nerves are overcome. Give us room." They all rushed out leaving me with alone with my Lady. "Dearest, why is your dress torn? You were protected by two of the best..." Since we were alone, I spoke freely and interrupted her. "The Captain sent only one." My Lady's eyes widened, "That is not possible. I made the arrangements myself." I sadly shook my head. She moved onto the bed, leaning down to whisper to me, "Tell me, how is your dress torn?" I bared my soul to my Lady and told her all from the stables to the way-station. She listened silently until I finished as tears of relief rolled down my face at the point I rode back through the gates. Gently, she wiped them away herself. "I will attend to all this myself and leave someone to tend to you." I grabbed her hand quickly, "Please do not! Do not bring my Lord ill word on my behalf!" Lady Ruth continued to wipe down my face, "Hush now...I am Lady of this Castle, and this is not how I will see my court treated. You are still daughter to the King and deserve such protection." I looked concerned into her eyes, "Please do not do this for me." I pleaded with her. But Lady Ruth would not hear of it. She slid from the side of my bed, and called in one of the ladies-in-waiting to tend over me for a few hours.
It was well after dinner that a servant came and bid that I come down before the Lord Tiernan. He was sitting in his private chamber, at the fire, with Lady Ruth standing before him. "My Lord...my Lady," I bowed before them, "You called for me." He looked up from his cup of ale, "My wife tells me quite a tale of woe over you today. Is it all true?" I looked to my Lady before looking back to him, my eyes immediately back on the floor, "Yes my Lord, every word I told my Lady was true." He actually snickered, "I find it hard to sympathize with you Lady Snow Fox. For if I was your former King, I would feel quite the same. His Knights simply look to see his name honoured." Before I could defer to his wishes, my Lady spoke up with a very direct tone, "She was wearing a cloak of the colours of THIS house, of YOUR house my Lord. And yet they deemed to attack her." Lord Tiernan looked over to his wife, "I understand that my dear, but yet a wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf."
Lady Ruth blinked in surprise, "She is a Lady, and cannot defend herself against 4 trained knights. I arranged two guards and only one was sent!" She said insistent. I could see the scowl come over his face, "We have discussed that Ruth. My men have other duties then escorting your servant's around for whims and fancies. She is entirely unharmed, nothing a servant cannot mend in a moment's time." My Lady Ruth would not back down, and I began to cringe. "She is daughter to the King! Anything more could have started a war! You swore an oath to your King to..." He slammed his fist down, "ENOUGH!" He shouted and Lady Ruth was immediately quiet. "I have had enough of this conversation. The girl is here, safe within my walls, what is done is done. And I grow tired of her already. Perhaps she would better serve me with far less trouble as a scullery maid." Ruth gasped, "She is nobility!" Lord Tiernan stood up and he is nothing if not an imposing man. I found myself taking a step back. "Then perhaps she should have acted like nobility and remained loyal to her King! Just as you should be reminded of your vows to remain loyal and obedient to your husband." His tone was cold and I feared instantly for my Lady. I wished I would have insisted more that she did not speak on my behalf. I quickly spoke, in desperate hopes of keeping favor for my Lady. "It was no trouble my Lord. I am unharmed, my Lady has a good and kind Christian soul to be so protective of me. I have no complaints, for my life here at your castle has been nothing but gracious." His eyes quickly looked toward me, and I forced myself to look back. He tossed back the rest of his ale, "Good..." he replied as he began to walk from the room. "I will be visiting my wife later. See that your Lady is prepared." I bowed quickly, "Yes my Lord," and he was gone. Slowly I looked toward my Lady Ruth and instantly knew she would pay for speaking so openly on my behalf.
We walked back to her chamber together, but before we entered I took her hand, "You did not have to speak for me. My shame is well deserved." She squeezed my hand back, "Love is nothing to be ashamed of. You were bold and brave. I wish to be more like you." I saw such strength but also resignation in her eyes as she knew what this night would hold for her. We remained in the doorway together, "I will never forget this my Lady....I would rather be beaten then have to watch what you will endure tonight." Ruth smiled back sadly, "This is my burden to bear, not yours. There is no guilt to be had. Rest and do not worry tonight." She hugged me gently and we slipped into her room. Once again, I did not sleep the night as I listened to my lady's agony and tears, wishing the entire time that it was me taking such punishment instead.
My Lady Ruth came rushing in with the rest of the Ladies to tend to me. "My dearest...what has happened to you?" I only turned my face from her unable to speak of it all. "I found your fabric my Lady." She hushed me and I heard the other Ladies whispering as Lady Ruth quickly turned to them, "Get water and a rag before her nerves are overcome. Give us room." They all rushed out leaving me with alone with my Lady. "Dearest, why is your dress torn? You were protected by two of the best..." Since we were alone, I spoke freely and interrupted her. "The Captain sent only one." My Lady's eyes widened, "That is not possible. I made the arrangements myself." I sadly shook my head. She moved onto the bed, leaning down to whisper to me, "Tell me, how is your dress torn?" I bared my soul to my Lady and told her all from the stables to the way-station. She listened silently until I finished as tears of relief rolled down my face at the point I rode back through the gates. Gently, she wiped them away herself. "I will attend to all this myself and leave someone to tend to you." I grabbed her hand quickly, "Please do not! Do not bring my Lord ill word on my behalf!" Lady Ruth continued to wipe down my face, "Hush now...I am Lady of this Castle, and this is not how I will see my court treated. You are still daughter to the King and deserve such protection." I looked concerned into her eyes, "Please do not do this for me." I pleaded with her. But Lady Ruth would not hear of it. She slid from the side of my bed, and called in one of the ladies-in-waiting to tend over me for a few hours.
It was well after dinner that a servant came and bid that I come down before the Lord Tiernan. He was sitting in his private chamber, at the fire, with Lady Ruth standing before him. "My Lord...my Lady," I bowed before them, "You called for me." He looked up from his cup of ale, "My wife tells me quite a tale of woe over you today. Is it all true?" I looked to my Lady before looking back to him, my eyes immediately back on the floor, "Yes my Lord, every word I told my Lady was true." He actually snickered, "I find it hard to sympathize with you Lady Snow Fox. For if I was your former King, I would feel quite the same. His Knights simply look to see his name honoured." Before I could defer to his wishes, my Lady spoke up with a very direct tone, "She was wearing a cloak of the colours of THIS house, of YOUR house my Lord. And yet they deemed to attack her." Lord Tiernan looked over to his wife, "I understand that my dear, but yet a wolf in sheep's clothing is still a wolf."
Lady Ruth blinked in surprise, "She is a Lady, and cannot defend herself against 4 trained knights. I arranged two guards and only one was sent!" She said insistent. I could see the scowl come over his face, "We have discussed that Ruth. My men have other duties then escorting your servant's around for whims and fancies. She is entirely unharmed, nothing a servant cannot mend in a moment's time." My Lady Ruth would not back down, and I began to cringe. "She is daughter to the King! Anything more could have started a war! You swore an oath to your King to..." He slammed his fist down, "ENOUGH!" He shouted and Lady Ruth was immediately quiet. "I have had enough of this conversation. The girl is here, safe within my walls, what is done is done. And I grow tired of her already. Perhaps she would better serve me with far less trouble as a scullery maid." Ruth gasped, "She is nobility!" Lord Tiernan stood up and he is nothing if not an imposing man. I found myself taking a step back. "Then perhaps she should have acted like nobility and remained loyal to her King! Just as you should be reminded of your vows to remain loyal and obedient to your husband." His tone was cold and I feared instantly for my Lady. I wished I would have insisted more that she did not speak on my behalf. I quickly spoke, in desperate hopes of keeping favor for my Lady. "It was no trouble my Lord. I am unharmed, my Lady has a good and kind Christian soul to be so protective of me. I have no complaints, for my life here at your castle has been nothing but gracious." His eyes quickly looked toward me, and I forced myself to look back. He tossed back the rest of his ale, "Good..." he replied as he began to walk from the room. "I will be visiting my wife later. See that your Lady is prepared." I bowed quickly, "Yes my Lord," and he was gone. Slowly I looked toward my Lady Ruth and instantly knew she would pay for speaking so openly on my behalf.
We walked back to her chamber together, but before we entered I took her hand, "You did not have to speak for me. My shame is well deserved." She squeezed my hand back, "Love is nothing to be ashamed of. You were bold and brave. I wish to be more like you." I saw such strength but also resignation in her eyes as she knew what this night would hold for her. We remained in the doorway together, "I will never forget this my Lady....I would rather be beaten then have to watch what you will endure tonight." Ruth smiled back sadly, "This is my burden to bear, not yours. There is no guilt to be had. Rest and do not worry tonight." She hugged me gently and we slipped into her room. Once again, I did not sleep the night as I listened to my lady's agony and tears, wishing the entire time that it was me taking such punishment instead.