Young Girls Dreams

Melessa Florent

Ever since Melessa made the decision to live in Brightwater Keep with her uncle and and cousins, her life changed: she no longer had multiple friends to chat all night with, or a loving adult to look after her. She knew the only reason she was to marry Randyll Tarly was because her two brothers and her uncle didn't want her there anymore. The only person who ever loved her and who she loved in Brightwater Keep was Selyse. Ryam (her uncle and Selyse's father) hadn't been the same man since his wife had passed away, and everyone knew it. He would always pick on Melessa to make her realise she was never going to be loved like the other here children. Sometimes, she would be beaten with a belt to teach her a lesson, or so her uncle told her.
At that moment, a bell was struck to indicate dinner.
"Get down here now, or I'll starve you and you'll get no food!" Ryam yelled in his deep scary voice. All the children's doors opened nervously and they shuffled together to the dining room.
"Sit down, I've assigned your seats so you don't talk while we are having a family meal". All Melessa wanted to do was practise her archery with Selyse- and it was her least favourite meal too- lamb chops. With every bite she felt more and more sick, but she knew if she left any food on the table, she would get another one of her beatings, and would not be allowed to leave her room.
Eventually, she couldn't eat anymore and asked to be excused from the table to do her archery, but she soon regretted doing that.
"Could you come with me next door?" He said to Melessa politely so Selyse, Axell and Imry wouldn't suspect anything- but he did not fool Imry...
"Have you not learnt anything from these beatings you've been getting, you pathetic little girl?!" Ryam screamed.
The whole time Imry was standing there traumatised. He heard the slap of the belt on Melessa's skin, and ran up to bed, without telling anyone what he had seen in case the same fate were to happen to him...