Alys had fallen asleep with her dress and her shawl still on. She woke up in the morning with a slight headache, and her dress was crumpled from sleeping in it. She started a fire, and changed into her worn out dress. The humiliation of the night before came back to her in waves. She wished she could crawl into a dark hole and never be found by anyone ever again. What had she done to make Brom want to humiliate her like that? Was it just that he wanted to feel powerful over her? Alys forced herself to eat some bread and headed to the barn to do the chores. She had left some goods baking, but she would not be going to the market today. Her head hurt too much, and it would not kill her to stay at home sewing her second dress instead of standing outside behind her table in the cold.
She did not even go to the Fendrel's to pick up supplies from Lady Fendrel, as she did not want to take the chance of running into Brom.
She spent the day sewing, until someone knocked on the thin boards of her door. Puzzled by who could possibly be calling her, she put down her needle work and walked the few short sides to cross the room to the door.
She opened the door to see Brom's face.
"My Lord," she managed to spit out, though she felt she should not have to show him any respect.
"Will you walk with me for a bit?" He asked, making his question sound more like a command.
Alys narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out what he was up to.
"I'm in the middle of something."
"It will not take long," Brom assured her, "I swear."
Alys sighed and grabbed her shawl to wrap around herself. She banked the fire and joined Brom outside.
They walked behind the barn into the forest. They walked for a few minutes in silence, making Alys more and more anxious.
"Did you enjoy the feast last night?" Brom finally said to break the silence.
Alys almost laughed in reply. She could not imagine he could think that she would have enjoyed the night at all.
"It was not my type of social event," was all she replied.
Surprisingly, Brom just nodded as if to except this.
"I suppose it takes some getting use to."
Alys shrugged.
They followed a trail that Alys knew led deep into the forest, where the husbands of peasant women from the market hunted for their meet.
"Did you hear that I am to move into my own court within the week?" Brom asked her, continuing to walk.
This was not surprising. It was common for men who had been a soldier for over a year to receive payment enough to purchase their own household or court. They became Lords of their own small castle, answering to no one but men of the king when they were on their own property.
"Good news." Alys said, trying to sound happy for him. In reality, she was a little happy. Having his own court meant he would no longer be around to force her into attending his social events.
"Where is it located?"
Brom smiled in spite of himself.
"A day's ride from here, towards the mountains. It is quite large, and is surrounded by many more courts owned by other soldiers."
Alys nodded, pretending to listen when she really could not care less about Brom's court. Why of all the people he could be walking with, had he asked her? All she could think about was the dress that was sitting partly made on her bed.
"I'll be away a lot of the time on business, being a soldier and all," Brom continued, "Which is why I need someone to be in charge of the court in my absence."
"Is that not what a steward is for?" She asked.
"Yes," he agreed, "Unless a man has a wife."
Alys shrugged. She knew nothing of such things.
"This is why I asked you to walk with me today."
Brom stopped walking and turned to face Alys.
Alys was puzzled, stopping as well.
"What? Why? You want me to be the head servant of your court?"
She laughed. What a ridiculous notion!
The side of Brom's face twitched in annoyance.
"No," he answered, "I want you to be my wife."
Alys stared at him in shock. She could not move at all. The world started spinning around her, making her feel dizzy. She was sure her mouth must be hanging open, but she could not force it to close if it were.
Was this another move to humiliate her?
Brom stared back at her, trying to read her expression.
"Well?" He finally prompted her.
"Are...are you serious?" She managed to reply.
He rolled his eyes in annoyance, "I would not jest about such a serious matter. I would be trusting you with my entire court."
Alys started to shake her head numbly, "I-I cannot."
Brom raised his eyebrows in irritation.
"What do you mean, you cannot?" He demanded.
He took a step towards her.
He stood only a mere short stride in front of her.
Alys continued to shake her head, panic starting to pulse through her veins.
"I do not wish to marry, my Lord. Not you, not anyone."
She tried to sound confident and sure, but she was too shaky to make it sound convincing.
"Do you think you can do better?"
His demand was loud and sharp. He was starting to raise his voice.
Alys just shook her head. She knew she would never do better. It was crazy that Brom was even suggesting that she marry him. He could have any woman in the village- any woman in most any town or village if he wanted.
"I am a wealthy man, Alys. I could make your life very comfortable and happy. You would never have to need or want for anything, ever again."
Alys tried to take a deep breath to steady herself.
"There are much better women suited for you, my Lord," was all she could think to reply.
She did not need someone else to provide for her. She could manage on her own.
Brom stepped even closer to her now, so close that he breathed down on her face. He reached a hand out and lifted her chin so he could look at her face.
"You are a very beautiful woman Alys," he lowered his voice, most likely in an attempt to make her relax a little.
"No, my Lord," Alys tried to move her face to the side, and out of his grip, "There are much more handsome women in the kingdom of Tarkam."
Brom did not let her turn her face away from him.
"You do not give yourself a chance," he replied, "I have been all over the kingdom, and I have never seen a woman with beauty even close to equal of which you possess. You would bare me strong and handsome children."
Alys took a step back from him. She had no desire to bare children at all, least of all for him. The idea of it frightened her. She had seen a side of him two days previous, a side that scared her to death, though she had probably only seen a fraction of what his anger was capable of. She did not want to be on the receiving end of that. She did not want to be dependent on him, or any other man.
"I am sorry," she whispered, unsure of how he would react, "but I cannot agree to marry you."
"Then I order it, as a soldier of the king-"
"And I will refuse you at the altar!"
Alys's hand flew over her mouth. She had not meant to say anything that would enrage Brom further. She wished she had not been so hasty to come up with a reply.
Brom's blue eyes burned with anger.
"You will never find another man in all the kingdom willing to marry someone with your status," he said hatefully, "unless he is just looking for a concubine."
Alys squared her jaw, raising her head in defence, "I do not wish to ever marry. My refusal to you has nothing to do with wanting to find another man."
"You are a fool," Brom spat on her as he hissed the words, "No other woman would be stupid enough to refuse me. You have doomed yourself to a life of misery."
"Then so be it." She said weakly.
He grabbed her arm and twisted it to the side. Alys cried out at the burst of pain.
"Please do not break my arm," she pleaded, tears filling her eyes and spilling onto her cheeks, "I need it to be able to do the chores for your parents."
"You have one more chance to agree to marry me," Brom threatened, "and if you agree, we can put all this foolish refusal behind us."
He continued to slowly twist her arm as she spoke. Alys was sure she would feel her bones snap at any second.
"I will not marry you." She said firmly. She looked right into his burning eyes so that he knew she meant what she said.
He held onto her for a moment longer. Then he shoved her backwards and she fell to the ground, barely missing hitting her head on the trunk of a tree. Brom drew his sword and swung it back to strike. Alys closed her eyes and bit into her cheeks, hoping that whatever blow she was about to receive would kill her fast. Brom's sword stuck the tree behind her and its blade stuck fast.
"You are a sow of a woman," He pointed down at her with his free hand, "You are no better than the manipulative and ungrateful whores found in the town streets at night! You have dishonoured my house with your stubborn refusal, and I will see to it that you are punished!"
He ripped his sword from the tree and stormed off in the direction back towards his families' estate, slashing at bushes and small trees as he passed.
Alys slowly sat up and curled her legs up to her chest. She let the tears come, and her whole body shook with sobs. She had really thought Brom was going to kill her, right there in the forest behind his house.
Alys stayed where Brom had shoved her for quite some time. She felt sick to her stomach, and she did not want to know what "punishment" Brom had in mind for her. Maybe he had gone and burned her shed down to the ground. Or maybe he had ripped her place apart until he found the place where she kept her coins.
Her necklace.
Alys stood up. That necklace was the only thing she had that tied her to her past. All she knew was that she had been in some sort of accident at a young age, around fifteen, and could not remember who her family was. The only thing she had had with her, other than some rag clothing, was a silver chain with a sapphire stone pendant wrapped around one of her wrists.
Brom could not find it. If he did, and he decided to take it, Alys would have nothing left belonging to the girl of her past.
She started to run through the forest towards the Fendrel's house hold. Her arm still ached and she was out of breath almost right away, but she did not stop until she had reached her little shed. She burst through the door and looked around frantically.
Nothing seemed to be misplaced or upset.
She closed the door behind her and dove onto the floor to look under the table. None of the dirt looked disturbed, but Alys was not taking any chances. She dug at the cold packed earth until she found the two little sacks.
Lucky enough, neither of them had been tampered with. She reburied them with a sigh of relief.
Alys had barely been in her place for more than a quarter of an hour when the high pitched ring of the chore bell was sounded.
Confused as to why Lady Fendrel would be calling for her at midday, Alys again put the dress she was almost finished down and headed to the Fendrel's house.
She was a few strides away from the back door where Lady Fendrel stood when the older woman began to speak.
"You must pack your things and leave."
Alys stopped at the woman's order. She voice sounded cold and distant.
"Pardon?"
Lady Fendrel cleared her throat, "You need to pack up your belongings and leave this household."
Alys's head began to spin.
"Why?" Was all she could get out.
"My son has informed me that you have dishonoured him by refusing his hand in marriage and insulting him to his face. He will not permit you to stay on here."
Alys's knees felt weak. So this is what Brom had had in mind when he said she would be punished.
She could not leave. She had no where left to go. It was the middle of the winter, she would never survive living in the streets.
"I did no such thing," Alys tried to say as calmly as she could.
A hateful laugh came from behind the older woman and Brom stepped forward,
"So now you disgrace us with a lying tongue."
Alys made sure her vision stayed on Lady Fendrel.
"My Lady," Alys took a deep breath, "You have always been kind and fair to me. You took me in when no one else would. I would never ruin that by doing that of which I have been charged. I would never do anything to dishonour you. I did refuse Lord Brom, but I did not insult him."
Lady Fendrel's eyes started to shine with tears.
"Alys you must go," she said, barely above a whisper.
"And you must go before the sun sets," Brom's eyes burned into the side of her face. Alys would not look at him. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing the pain that must be in her eyes.
"Please," Alys begged, "I'll do anything."
Lady Fendrel shook her head slowly.
"Go."
She turned and walked into the house.
Alys took a deep breath to steady herself and turned to go.
"Not so proud now, are we?" Brom hissed behind her.
Alys turned back to him for a second, "I am sorry that you think my rejection of your offer was offensive," she said, looking right into her eyes, "I do hope you find someone who makes you truly happy."
Something in Brom's blue eyes softened for a second.
"Alys..." He reached to place his hand on her face.
Alys turned away and walked back to her little shed. When she shut the door behind her, she could not stop the tears from coming again. She looked around her little place. The old stove, the board bed, the makeshift table, chair and shelves.
It wasn't much, but it had been her home. She had been safe and warm within its thin walls.
She looked at the dress she had been sewing earlier. She knew she would not be able to finish it before she would have to leave.
Reluctantly, she put her basket on the table and started packing up. She put her little bag of coins and the necklace in the bottom. She ate the remaining bear stew and packed up all the bread and cornmeal she could fit into the basket, along with the dried meat she had left. She put on her worn out dress under the new one, and wrapped both the old shawl and the new one around her shoulders. The night would be a cold one.
She left the unfinished dress folded on the bed. Maybe the next person to live in the shed would need it. It was not like she could bring it with her and finish it while she traveled.
Alys took one last look at the one roomed shed and took a deep breath. She had no idea when she would have another roof over her head.
She closed the door behind herself and started to walk down the road, away from the Fendrel house hold.
Maybe this was for the best. She might find a better life in another town.
Or would she have been better off agreeing to marry Lord Brom?
Alys shook her head.
No. That definitely would not have been the answer. What would have happened if she had gone to his court? She now knew that he had a raging temper if he was set off. She would not want to be on the receiving end of that temper. And to have children with a man who was so angry?
Never.
No, Alys knew that she had chosen best based on the circumstances.
She had just rounded a corner on the road and out of the sight of the Fendrel's house when a figure emerged from the bushes.
Alys jumped to the side, taken aback.
"Alys," Lady Fendrel stepped forward, "I must speak with you before you go."
"My Lady," Alys relaxed a bit, "You frightened me."
"There isn't a lot of time," Lady Fendrel took Alys's arm and pulled her into the bushes, out of eyesight from people traveling the road.
"A lot of time for what?"
"I have a sister," Lady Fendrel spoke fast, "She and her husband own an inn in Targus. Under the name Larkin."
Alys nodded, not knowing why any of this information was relevant.
"Tell her that I sent you."
"What?"
"Tell my sister that Mary sent you. She will hopefully take you in and let you stay in exchange for work."
The words started clicking in Alys's mind.
At the girl's puzzled look the older woman continued, "I know that my son returned with a foul temper."
Alys swallowed. She felt sorry for the poor woman.
"I had been told by a different Lord from the guard that my son had changed. I knew there was no way I could protect you. That was why I did not want you at his dinner when he arrived home."
Alys felt a lump start to form in her throat. She had misjudged this woman.
"Now go," the older woman ordered, "You have a long journey ahead of you."
"Thank you, My Lady." Alys squeezed the woman's hand.
"You are the daughter I always wished for." Lady Fendrel squeezed her hand back.
Alys turned and ducked out of the bushes and back onto the road. There was only a few short hours before the sun would go down, and she had a long way to go before she would be able to make it to the next town.