A Tale of Shadows - THE OUTDATED VERSION

Chapter 12 - Gossip

Griselda thought her mother could do no wrong for a long time. However, despite her mother's constant explanations and reassurances regarding suspicious matters, she could not help but feel like things were not the way they were supposed to be. Susanne, whom she rightfully described as an obsessive and jealous woman, did not hesitate at the opportunity to inform the other aristocrats about every single deed she did that could be frowned upon, from her affairs with Malcolm to her ruination of the empire's economy. There were many others like her, which was to be expected when faced with such a paragon. 

The young princess was ashamed to know that as well as she did. In the early mornings, while her mother was lying in bed and coldly staring at the ceiling, wondering why she ought to get up at all, she liked to visit the ballroom and subconsciously revise the waltzes she had been taught, to half-close her eyes and sigh dreamily as she saw Anthony dancing before her, holding her in his warm and gentle arms. She tried not to think about how much of a coward she was for not confessing her love already after so many years, even at the age of sixteen, and imagine a future where they would end up together, and nothing would be an issue. 

Unfortunately for her, the ballroom was a popular room, which meant that the lady had become quite used to loud steps and voices rudely waking her up from her thoughts without intending to. Noblewomen and noblemen alike would gather to spew both true and untrue things, wrathful at the existence of a peer whose presumed perfection bent logic and could not possibly exist ever because, if it could exist, it would make them feel utterly worthless, which they, rather surprisingly, could not afford. And it was not only that but also the fact that truth and fallacy had started to blur in Griselda's mind, which often prompted her to run out of the room with hands over her ears. She was well aware that this inappropriate behaviour was always commented on behind her back, but for some reason, she could not get rid of that habit.

On one day like that, the gossipers did not manage to stay hidden from the gazes of Melinda and her supporters, even though they had heard their footsteps a while before they came in there. Some of them succeeded, but most of them were too high up the stairs that led to the ballroom to run to the royal court, where everyone else was heading, on time and thus froze in their positions when they realised they had been caught. Griselda could not recognise pretty much anyone by her mother's side, but she noticed that her confidante, Jane, was there and that the two of them were glaring at the gossipers with all the others. This motivated another of the scarce amount of nobles that Griselda knew, Theresa, to walk towards them with a blank facial expression.

Melinda marched over to her and stared her down. "What folly is happening here, in my palace, Lady Ratchet? Please do explain this occurrence, if you are capable of doing so, of course."

Theresa scowled. "The fault does not lie with me. I would never be so unobservant as to start something of this calibre. I was merely listening to their conversation, which consisted of a lot of talking points that were untruthful, yet I could still confirm an uncomfortable number of them. Also, Lady Grant, why did you choose me over her? I will never forget this betrayal."

Jane pouted. "I just wish you would admit that Melinda is truly a kind and benevolent woman and stop trying to ruin her reputation. I am the sole person in the world besides her who understands what goes on in her head. She encountered a lot of injustice in her life recently, which, sure, can make her look a bit unwelcoming sometimes, but that does not mean that she does not have the best of intentions at heart. Too many people are focused on taking her down nowadays because they cannot handle how perfect she is and thus point out every wrongdoing of hers, hoping that someday, it will be enough to crumble the mighty foundation she has built, which will not happen, or at least not anytime soon."

"I was not aware that perfection involved oppression and slavery of the poor."

Jane shrugged. "I think it only enhances her perfection, but I am not going to judge you for your opinion. After all, it takes quite the kindness to be tolerant towards the vermins of society, which I have known you for for years."