To My Love

To My Love: The velvet dress

As I walked on, I almost suffocated from the snow. The cold air was so brutal if made my nose feel like it could fall off at any moment. I clutched my bag every time the wind blew so that I could make my hands grip so hard they couldn't feel anything, not even the cold. My dress wasn't yet long enough to cover my ankles, so they froze in snow and gave me the feeling of pins and needles.
My stomach felt as if it had nothing in it. No organs, no stomach, nothing. Just the emptiness was left. Air filled my body like there was no blood, it was as if my blood was blue. A carriage came out of the fog quickly, like it wasn't even there before. My body jolted the wrong way, right into the side of the carriage, knocking me back.
I was limp on the white ground with snow burning the side of my face. A man pulled the horses to a halt. My body was too cold and weak to stand back up and run. It could have been the Kings guard coming to take me away. My arms dug themselves under me and pushed my body up. They quivered and gave out, I tried mama I said to myself knowing that I failed and I was going to die.
A woman in a green velvet dress yelled for the driver. She bent down and touched my face with her warm glove. I tried to look up but my neck was so stiff, all I could do was-
Black
The world stopped spinning and everything went black. I believe I am dead.
My mother and I are dancing in our favorite dresses we had when we lived in that big palace father gave us. Our noble palace, mama called it. We danced to the paid orchestra and drank wine. The most delicious mauled wine money could buy.
I remember the warmth in my heart, in our hearts. We were good people because we didn't have to do bad things. We danced and danced. Out heels clipped and clapped on the hard floor. I clicked my heels and twirled my dress until I got dizzy...and fell.
I could feel the moment my mother got killed by the men who were after me. My screams blasted in my ears. I opened my eyes quickly.
"Oh no don't move please, dear" a woman's soft voice brushed over my frost bit face. I sat up quickly and looked all around me, searching for the men. "Where are they??" I yelled "Huh? Where the hell are they??" I yelled once more breathing heavily out of shock.
"Dear, what on earth are you thinking of?" The woman says placing her hand on my arm. I quickly jerk my arm away and look her in the eyes. They are kind and brown like a dark sun. Her confusion makes me confused at myself. I look down at myself and notice I am in a clean new nightgown.
"I- I'm being hunted" I said with a quivering voice.
"Well whoever is hunting you is not here." The woman says assuringly. I could almost believe her completely. She had such a look of convincing that I almost felt safe. "Alright, now that we have they settled. Can you tell me your name?" She says softly trying not to upset me. I believe she is trying to help, or maybe she just felt bad for hitting me with her carriage.
I asked myself if I should tell her my real name. But if I did then she could tell the men that she had seen me. I still wanted to tell her though.
"Ruth-" I said with a pause. I said it, I told her my real name. There are millions of Ruth's in Scotland but there could only be one Ruth Randal. "Ruth Mackenzie" I said moving my knees up to my chest. By giving her my mothers maiden name I could have a better chance of redeeming my mistake of giving her my real name.
"That's a gorgeous name, Ruth. A very respectable Scottish name." The said with a smile. I looked at her with a glare. "What's yours?" I said with a suspicion.
"Oh forgive me, I'm Leanna Montgomery." She said with confidence. Her name sounded very noble as well, and maybe she was okay.
A few hours past, and I had already eating 3 plates of food and took a bath. The house was giant almost like the palace me and mother lived in. I was shown where I would sleep. It was more than enough. I hoped that Leanna's guilt of hitting me would never wear off.
My back settled into the goose down mattress and shot a sharp pain up to my neck. I let out a scream of pain and Leanna came running in. "Are you alright Ruth? Is it from the accident?" Leanna said as she lifted me up from the pillows. I didn't want to tell her it was from the fall. She might have pity on me if I tell her my mother was shot in front of mg eyes and my screams pushed me to fall out of the window.
"It's nothing it just now started." I said putting pressure on it with my two fingers.
"I'll get a healer to come and see you." Leanna said as she put pillows behind me to keep me sitting up. She snapped her fingers at the servant and whispered in his ear. I wanted to know what she said but for some reason I didn't care. I guess I had trusted her more than I thought.
The next morning a healer came in to see me. He examined my back and looked at me with a concerned gaze. "Well las, your back is broken" he said putting away his tools into his bag.
"What can I do to fix it?" I said curiously. The healer looked at me and laughed. I did not find this funny but for some reason he did. "Oh you wee thing, lots of rest and wear a corset." He said as he stands up and begins to walk out.
I knew exactly what a corset was and I hated them. One thing that I was happy to live without since being thrown down from the noble title was corsets. I've hated them ever since I came of age to wear them.
That afternoon Leanna had the maids put me in a corset that was tighter than a donkeys arse. It kept my back straight though, and I needed to heal before I could go looking for Esra again.