The Lady's Highlands

Part 1

Scarlette was a disgrace to her family, and it was no secret kept from anybody. Her parents loved her as much as any parent loved their blood, but she was nothing like the sweet younger sister to whom her parents showed preference. It used to bother Scarlette, but that was years ago in her childhood when little Lillia was always to whom she was compared.

Once Scarlette became of age she realized how impossible it was to hate Lillia and let go of whatever resentment she harbored for her sister. Though Lillia did not have the beauty that Scarlette did, she had the temperament and compassion of a true Lady, and this was enough to make her much more desirable than Scarlette.

Lillia and Scarlett’s hair were the same raven black, though their eyes different. Lillia shared her father’s eyes, the color of freshly sowed dirt, and Scarlette inherited her mother’s eyes, the color of the richest blooms of heather. The parents of the girls thanked the Gods that Scarlette was at least beautiful, since she lacked decorum, lady-like poise, subtlety, and grace. Lillia would do just fine in respect of a husband. It was Scarlette who warranted worry.

At three and a score summers old, she was the oldest maiden of her generation and the last four before her. Her own dear sister Lillia, a woman of ten and seven summers, was already engaged to be married to a very renowned young Duke in the Northlands. His keep was just on the edge of Lundmar, the heathen country.

Lundmar was run by clans, many clans ruled by the strongest and hardest men and women. In the Westland of the country Darkumbia- where Scarlette and her gentle young Lillia resided for all their lives until now- the people of Lundmar were not seen as people, more so they were seen as primitive barbarians, or savages if one will.

Then again, the people of the Westlands also consider Scarlette a barbarian, so use of the term was not something that Scarlette ever allowed herself to worry about. If those batty crones and old men did not even know how to define a term, they did not hold much stock in using them, therefore Scarlette was not concerned for their opinions.

She had too much fun living the way she did, anyway.

And that was exactly why she was sent to the Northlands with her Lillia when she left to live with her betrothed. Their parents felt that if Scarlette saw for herself the heathens that lived north of Darkumbia, she would settle down out of fear for what she may become. Scarlette laughed at the thought. Only those who do not care to understand the customs of other cultures fear becoming them.

The entire journey ride out of her parents’ lands was spent by Lillia and Scarlette sitting in a plush and decadent coach. The entire time Lillia sung the praises of her future husband, a man whom she’d only know for five months, two of which they spent apart. Scarlette listened to her young sister out of duty and kindness, yet she resented the things that she was saying.

Lillia spoke of the fealty and monogamy of Duke Lozen Undart, yet Scarlette did not share the same views of him provided she had become privy to his advances all the while he courted her sister. The only redeeming quality that he possessed, in Scarlette’s eyes, was that he did not continue his advances after Scarlette very clearly refused him. She was worried about his devotion to her sister.

It was common for noblemen to take another woman to warm his bed, though he be married, though it was not always done. Some men chose to stay loyal to their wives, and Scarlette always hoped that Lillia would be bound to one of them. She deserved as much, seeing as she was so pure and innocent. Lillia was much too quick to fall in love, and she had already fallen quite deeply for her Lozen. If she were to find that he had been taking other women to his bed during the courtship or the engagement it would wound her deeply, but if she were to find that him unfaithful during their marriage, she would be heartbroken.

And a heartbroken Lillia was a devastating sight.

Scarlette assumed that all women hoped for a true husband, she herself found herself wishing for a passionate monogamous companionship from a husband at times, but Lillia was innocent enough to believe that noblemen viewed marriage in the same ways as women. But the sad truth is that, many do not. Noblemen have their favorites, and they tended to keep them even after marriage though the Goddess of Marriage and Fertility would rather it not be such a way.

“Do you believe he loves me as well, Scarlette?” She asked, bright brown eyes sparkling with hope that made Scarlette’s stomach knot.

She smiled tenderly at her sister, “Ay, love. I believe he just may.” She said, her accent much different than the docile woman’s across from her. Scarlette was not considered a savage for no reason. From her childhood, she spend her time with the Lundmarish servants’ children, learning their ways and picking up their accents. Her parents tried to discourage her from it, but found that they would have to fire the servants and clear all of the Lundmarish from the villages around them for their wild daughter to stay away from them. They tried locking her in her rooms, barring her windows, paying armed guards to escort her everywhere she went, but she always somehow escaped.

Finally, after realizing that their daughter never got into any trouble, and still came home to do her duties and sit through her studies, both of her parents allowed her to keep company with whom she pleased. They were not able to stop her from running wild, but they were able to make sure she was educated. They also payed guards to keep an eye on her where she went, and they always reported back that she was safe and not loose with her body, though many guards expressed their concerns for Lady Scarlette being so wild.

“I plan to ride, sister.” Scarlette grinned, opening the window and waving her hand to signal that the party stop in their travel, “Now that we’re out ‘o Mam and Da’s land, I plan to ride the rest of the way to the Northlands.” The coach rocked to a stop and Scarlette winked at Lillia, who giggled.

“Oh how I wish I were as adventurous as you!” She proclaimed, clapping her hands before her with a gleeful smile on her face.

Scarlette laughed, “Oh, sister, no ya dunna wish a thing like that. You’re a right proper lass, and ya ken it to be true.”

Lillia shrugged daintily and watched her sister climb from the coach and close the door behind her. A few moments later, the coach rumbled back into motion, and the journey was back underway.