Erica

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"When you were brought in, you were a complete wreck. You gave me so many sleepless nights you know." The man gave a warm chuckle.

"You have been asleep for around five or six days. One of the local farmers found you washed up on the banks one of the rivers that had come down in flood from that massive storm. You are lucky to be alive." He started filling her in.

"Honestly I even thought that you would not make it at one point but here you are. So, are you going to tell me your name or tell me where you came from so, I can help you at least get back to your loved ones or back home?"

Erica looked up at the man again, a frightened emotion briefly graced her features. She broke eye contact with him and looked away shaking her head.

"Alright, you don't need to tell me, but can I at least get a name?" His tone was gentle.

Erica unknowingly bit the corner of her bottom lip and shook her head.

"You will not tell me even that?" The man was still gentle.

Erica looked down in shame.

"Is it because you are mute?"

Erica's eyes widened as they shot up to meet his own. She was taken back and had so many questions as to how he knew.

"I am the physician who treated you my dear, of course I would know exactly what is wrong with my patient, it's my job." He answered her obvious confusion.

"Your ability to speak was taken away by quite a simple little poisonous herb. Its effects are temporary but continuous intake is required for them to remain present." The physician paused and analysed her reaction, "It seems you had no idea..."

"Fortunately, you have not consumed anymore of it for a while now so the effects should have started to wear off, but you should still take it easy." The man rubbed his beard as if he was lost in slight thought.

Erica was still in shock. She could not believe it. It was not an accident after all, it was not her fault. The self-blame and hate she had felt for years crumbled.

All this time she was being secretly poisoned. She had been wronged. It was so cruel, who would do something so awful to an innocent child?

She was angry and she was hurt, these emotions were overwhelming.

She knew it was someone from the Alvore estate, that much was obvious and the only person who she believed would do something so horrible was the Countess.

She should have noticed it sooner. She knew that the Countess had never liked her, but she never realised just how much. Erica did not want to believe this, but everything was beginning to make sense.

As a child she was too naive to realise that the Countess's early hatred was driven by the fact that Erica was an illegitimate child of the Alvore, she was proof of a tarnished marriage and the imperfect relationship that the Countess had with the Count.

Erica was like a bad stain to the perfect family image that the Countess was so concerned about and what made it worse was the Count's favour that he had towards her over her siblings.

Erica wished it were not true but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She had no idea who else was part it, but she felt so stupid. All these years she wished for them to see her again, to acknowledge her, to be a part of the family, to be loved.

She should have known she was not welcomed. It was so obvious from the minute she lost her voice. No one cared for her enough to check on her, no one cared when she was hurt. They all saw her as a troublesome child who had no place amongst them.

Her supposed punishment when she had hurt Sibyl was not to teach her not to mess with her sister but rather to seclude her from the family for good, that is why it never ended. Everything from the beginning had been a lie to slowly rid her from the family.

She knew her older siblings hated her and her father too. Why else would they never visit her and why else would her father agree with the Countess to send her to a finishing school...?

How had she been so stupid?

Erica felt a strong sense of betrayal and heat ache as if she had not suffered enough. All the people she had trusted and loved; they had betrayed her.

She was not loved nor wanted. All around her were people just trying to hurt her.

She was alone.

Before tears could prick the corners of her eyes, she was pulled out of her thoughts by a loud cheering of people outside. They were celebrating something.

"Ah it seems the new king has been crowned." The old physician smiled, "Anyways I should get going, when crowds like these get to rowdy on the streets, there is always bound to be some injuries."

As he was about to leave, he stopped himself last moment at the door, "Oh and pardon my manners, I have asked you for your name without giving you mine. Around these parts I go by Ron."

Erica took a deep breath and parted her lips. For the first time in over ten years, she let out her voice.

"Erica."