Lèse-majesté

Part 18

AN: Warning for mentions of Child abuse and neglect in this chapter

Chapter 17

Small rosy lips trembled as they tried to avoid the angry stare directed at them. The seven-year-old child looked anywhere but up at her mother. "I-I-I'm sorry mother," The young girl said hesitantly as she kept her head down and wrung her little hands together.

"Rosalinda why do you keep disappointing me so," Esmeralda said angrily as her eyes were trained on her mud-covered daughter. The young girl's hair was in disarray, with some small twigs sticking out, there were scrapes and bruises on her arms and legs, her dress was torn, and she was clutching her stomach while standing in the candle-lit kitchen of their small house.

"Mommy... it... it wasn't my fault!" The seven-year-old girl pleaded.

"I don't care whose fault it is. The dress your father sent got torn," Esmeralda muttered angrily while crossing her arms. "What should I tell him now? He's going to think you don't like the dresses he sends!"

"But mommy... the boys at the school... They...." Rosalinda was now sniffing.

"I don't wanna hear it Rosey," Esmeralda grumbled. "You're the only one that comes home with torn clothing. Just look at your brother! He's never had a scuffle. You want to be good for your daddy when he comes to get us, right?"

The young girl nodded as she wiped some tears with her torn sleeve. "Good girl," Esmeralda said as she hugged her. "You don't want to be a nuisance for daddy, right?"

"No mommy," A tiny dejected voice murmured.

--oOo--

A young Rosalinda, age eight, stared at her brother while clinging to an old stuffed animal. It had been the only present her mother had given her on her fifth birthday. The young raven-haired boy was clutching a small bouquet of daffodils and held it out for his sister. The child was confused why she didn't accept it.

"Sis?" Edwin asked innocently not seeing her tiny lips purse and her hand tremble around the worn stuffed animal. "These really are for you...."

The girl bit her lower lip as Edwin continued; too naive to understand the inner turmoil brewing under the surface that was Rosalinda. Her red hair was pulled into a braided ponytail and while she loved daffodils the more Edwin talked the more on her nerves he got. His innocent demeanor, those eyes filled with hope; never having seen the ugly side of their mother. Rosalinda was young, yes, but she was wise to the true nature of the world. More mature for her age, people said.

"Happy Birthday sis," Edwin continued and Rosalinda willed the tears welling up in her eyes away as she finally lashed out. Years of pent-up frustration, too much for a child to endure. She knocked the bouquet out of Edwin's hands and lunged for him.

"WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!" Rosalinda yelled in their small house still situated in the Hymir district. "WHY DO I HAVE TO SHARE A BIRTHDAY WITH YOU!" She continued to yell as she yanked Edwin's hair, stepping on the discarded bouquet of daffodils in the process. The children fell towards the creaky wooden floor as Rose began pounding her little hands against Edwin's chest.

Esmeralda who heard the commotion came rushing in from the kitchen, hands covered in flour. "What in Thor's name is happening here?!" She shouted as she pried her two children off of each other.

"Rosalinda you do not hit your brother like that!" Esmeralda rebuked.

"I don't want an idiot brother!" Rosy shouted back as she tried to yank her hands out of her mother's grip. "Idiot, Idiot, Idiot!"