Ashes of Lost Love

To rub salt in the open wound

    Alys ran into her rooms and as soon as she got in, without heeding Rhoswen's inquiring gaze, collapsed on her bed and buried her face in the pillows. She rolled from side to side, still not raising her head. She laid like that for a few moments before Rhoswen decided to discern what had happened. Alys finally looked up and her face was rather expressionless. Her eyes, normally the window to her soul, betrayed none of her thoughts. Rhoswen sat on the bed with her, concerned about Alys' vacant look. "Alys, My lady, what on earth is that expression on your face? It's... unnerving." Alys seemed not to hear her for a while, sitting quite still. She was suddenly revived and she began to shriek uncontrollably. Rhoswen clamped her hand over Alys' mouth. "Hush! Have you gone mad? The other servants will hear and they will report to their masters that the heiress of Lockwood is a raving lunatic! Must you besmirch your father's name?" Alys' arms fell limply to her side. She lay on her back and made herself comfortable. And she began her retelling of the events.

"Oh Rhoswen, I feel utterly wretched. I feel exhausted. It's as if the fire that keeps me alive is running out of fuel," Rhoswen suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at her mistress's monologue. She was successful at keeping her annoyance to herself but Alys got the hint. "The prince and I," Rhoswen arched an eyebrow, urging her to elaborate. Alys harrumphed. "Prince Edwyn  and I played a....prank on Prince  Ryder. He did not take it well."Possibilities ran through  Rhoswen's head. She pictured the two deviants pouring  muck on the crown prince's embroidered silk jacket, pushing him onto the hard palace floor. Alys hurried along, most likely omitting the more unsavoury details to spare herself from Rhoswen's ire.

   "That brat...ahem... the prince I mean complained to his father and we were summoned to the throne room," Rhoswen was aghast. She was locked in an internal struggle not to take Alys by the shoulders and shake some sense into her. "He asked us to apologise but...... let's just say I didn't want to do that. He was understandably furious at his authority not being respected and he decided to send me to the Illuminated Sisterhood." Rhoswen shook her head dumbly at her mistress' foolishness. For all her worldly talk, she was nothing more than a badly behaved child who had no idea how precious her reputation was. She began to give her input when Alys looked at her expectantly."The illuminated sisterhood? It's still fine. A lot of noble families send their daughters to learn piety and courtesy. At least you weren't whipped. Your mother would've died for shame." 

      Alys was seized by spite and she said, "He could've whipped me bloody. My status is barely above yours. My father would have been in no position to object.This sisterhood thing is thinly veiled punishment and an attempt to humiliate." Rhoswen refused to listen to such rubbish. "Of course it's meant to be punishment! You went against sense and the King. He probably took pity on you and you would do well to shut your mouth and accept it instead of whining like a whipped puppy! And stop always complaining about your position gifted to you by the grace of the gods! They hate it when mortals insult their gifts. You have never lived the peasants' life and have never worked for your daily bread. Everything served to you on a platter at the snap of your fingers. At least you will learn something from the Sisterhood; faith and obedience. Two things you are in dire need of."

    Alys gaped. Rhoswen has never raised her voice to her in such a manner, only gently chastising her. Rhoswen normally left the rebuking to Lady Lockwood. She wanted to earn Rhoswen's forgiveness and was about to when she realised Rhoswen was no one to scold her. She grew incensed and shrieked, "Don't tell me what I should think! You think so highly of yourself don't you? Your family live on my father's charity and without him, you'd still be living in your mud hut! Your father would still be ankle deep in cow shit working on his fields! Your mother would be an ignorant midwife with  hands of blood of dead infants she couldn't save! Your brother would be a labourer at a better man's farm! I don't need you! There are better girls who would throw themselves at my feet to be in service to a noble family! So don't act above your station!"