Falling Erother'hi (Moira Mercia) - ON HOLD

CHAPTER SEVEN ~ PAINFUL FAREWELL

Staring out of the window, everything looks blurry.

I hadn't wanted to leave. In fact, I was very against it. Yet here I am, sitting in the plush carriage with two strong men, one on either side, and the lady who had taken me from my loved ones sitting in front of me, quietly reading a book.

Both men beside me are wearing the royal crest on the left of their chest, the green and purple lines standing out from their black armour. From far away it looks like normal clothing, but sitting this close to them I realise that it is in fact black mesh chain that covers their whole chest and part of their upper arm.

The seat underneath me is red, the feel of the fabric reminding me of the coat of our horse I used to ride at the farm had when she had been groomed, her white hair slicked back, so smooth Mummy had said it resembled silk.

~~~~~

"Mummy! Daddy!" I scream, thrashing around, trying to make the bulky man let me go.

Tears are streaming down my face as I dig my nails into the man's back, pulling his shirt up and scratching, pulling his skin, anything to get him to put me down.

"Let me go!" I scream, my vision blurry.

"Moira!" Daddy screams, his voice filled with fear as he runs towards me, before realising there was no point and running towards the stables.

Glimpsing my two sisters, I cry for them, my voice so loud it hurts my own ears.

I'm thrown into the carriage, a man wearing the same uniform as the one who was carrying me holding me down as the woman who was taking me away from my family calmly gets in, the man who had grabbed me following seconds later.

Managing to turn around and look out of the back window, I bang on the glass with my fist as I scream for help, hoping, wishing someone would come and save me, and bring me back to my family.

Mummy is running behind the carriage, Dyane behind her holding up her skirt as she sprints past Mummy, nearly catching up with me.

"Dyane!" I cry as a horse appears from nowhere and rushes towards my older sister, rearing up in front of her.

From where I sit I can just about make out another rider securing Daddy on the ground, the only person moving being Gina, who had just gotten to the bottom of the hill, and Mummy, who was rushing to help Dyane up from where she had thrown herself on the floor to protect herself from the horse.

I don't understand how this could have happened.

The only thing I can imagine with right now is that maybe my older brothers were in on it, that they had decided they don't want me here anymore and that's why they had all left to go hunting, trying to persuade Daddy to go with them and asking Mummy to go to town to get Gina's leg checked after her fall yesterday.

The man who had man-handled me until he had gotten me in the carriage turns me around, forcing me to sit down and not see what's happening behind me as the horse starts to gallop away at a rapid pace, leaving my loved ones behind.

~~~~~

Shaking my head slightly, I fix my eyes on the ceiling of the carriage, tears threatening to fall as I try to forget the painful memory by concentrating on the design of the wood above me. It seemed to have been burnt in specific areas, a set of swirls covering the whole ceiling and joining in the middle where a giant royal crest has been painted with bright colors.

This must be a royal carriage, I conclude, and the men beside me must be from the royal guard.

Staring forwards, I concentrate on the woman who has taken me from my parents, my family, my loved ones.

She has brown hair, but I only know that because after being forced into the carriage against my will I had tried to pull her, hurt her as I fought so that they would let me go. While doing so, her purple hat slided off her head slightly, uncovering her hair that had been perfectly hidden under it. Even though at first sight I had thought that the decoration on her hat had been made out of sticks, it's pointy edges reminding me of thorns, at close range I can now see they are actually feathers that had been dyed purple. She looks completely absorbed in her book as she reads, her hands flipping over a page every few seconds, her eyes moving from side to side at a rapid pace.

Looking up, she asks, "Dear, what do you want?".

I want to ask her that question, I want to know what's going to happen to me, but instead I opt for something that won't get me in trouble, "I was wondering where you had learnt to read. Not many girls know how to do that in my town,".

"Lady Cecille," She adds, before closing her book, "You must be respectful, and so you must use one's title. Now, repeat your question,".

Taken aback, I do as she says, repeating each word and adding her title at the end of the sentence.

It's not that I don't usually follow orders and act according to a set of rules, but taking into account the situation, if she hadn't spoken to me the way she did, I would have probably said something sassy, making sure to do the opposite of what she had told me to do.

"Good, good... We'll have to work on your posture and speech, but you are not doing as badly as I had expected. As for my answer; I am a lady, and ladies must know how to read and write, or they won't be able to read the love letters their husbands send when they are off to war," She answers dreamily.

I can't imagine who would want to marry a man who was never home.

Realising I'm scrunching my face in distaste, I try to cover it up by coughing, placing the back of my hand in front of my mouth as I glance discreetly at Cecille.

"And we are also going to work on those manners. Do not stare at people, less they will think you are jealous of them. And please don't grimace like that... You are terrible at hiding your thoughts, which is something else we shall have to practise,". She fell silent, her brows tightening slightly as she stares at me, "And a makeover is long overdue, too,".

It's as though she hadn't even seen me before, as if she had just realised what a mess I was.

Figuring I have nothing to lose, I try persuading her to take me back home, "I don't belong in the capital. You should take me back and tell your master that I'm nothing special!" I assert, hoping it will work.

Lady Cecille stares at me for a few seconds, before looking back down at her book, muttering under her breath, "This is going to take a lot of work... The girl can't even persuade me, a low-class lady!".

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