Scorn and Devotion

Chapter 19

Warnings - Threats from a parent to a child, Parent physically abusing their child

The rest of the night had gone swimmingly. I had made attempts to talk to as many guests as possible, making sure they were doing well. Everyone seemed to be jovial. The night had ended with fireworks. I had hired a fire eater to shoot them off on the ground so the guests could gather at the windows and balconies to watch. It seemed to be a popular decision on my part.

Now, it was late and the last of the guests had stumbled off to bed, so I was want to do the same. I felt fatigued physically, but also mentally from how many people I had interacted with tonight. I hoped that I would get a good grading, but just now, I couldn't labor over the thought, I was too exhausted.

"I tried to be kind," a voice slithered through my room. I whipped around to see my mother in my doorway. She had come in so quietly I hadn't noticed.

"I tried to offer you gifts in trade, but now I see you refuse to listen to good advice."

"What are you talking about?" I sighed, unhooking one of my hoops.

"When I told you to leave, it was not a request, it was a command."

"We have had this conversation Orlaith, I am not leaving. I intend to fully lose this competition, and go back to my dear little estate and live the rest of my days free from any royals."

"You aren't understanding me," Orlaith batted the earrings out of my hand and I glared at her.

"You are leaving, you are not staying another moment."

She tossed a heavy bag at my chest, knocking the air out of me.

"What is this?" I demanded.

"A travel bag. Filled with twenty gold coins, thirty silver, and forty copper. It has armor, as I know you can't go anywhere with your little obsession with aggression. Non-perishables, two clean sets of clothes, and you can decide what else you want to add in."

I was shocked at the amount of money she had added into the pack. She had really considered this.

"What makes you think this will make me leave," I snapped.

"I will make your life a living Hell if you do not leave."

I didn't move. I kept eye contact and dropped the bag to the ground. I slowly crossed my arms.

"Your ungrateful little wrech," my mother screamed and moved faster than light. Suddenly, she had a hold on my hair and was pulling it hard enough to make me whimper. She yanked my head so I was looking into her eyes.

"You have never appropriately feared me, but you will this day," She hissed. "Hear me now, it was I that burnt your room, and that was the least of what I can do."

"You framed an innocent man?" I demanded.

"It would be his innocence that you focused on, rather than the danger you were in," she snickered.

"I will hunt you like prey," She gripped my hair tighter.

"Why do you care," I demanded. "You know I won't win."

Her hand moved up to my throat. She pressed gently at first and then, the force was crushing my windpipe.

"Are you delusional? The way he looks at you, he practically worships the ground you walk on. Even if he does not choose you, you will not be left alone. He desires you."

"He p-pr-omised not to," I gasped.

"I don't care what that fool promised, he is smitten. Perhaps I need to widen my threat. I shall also make Timothée's life a living Hell if you don't leave this place."

She let me go, and I fell to the ground gasping for air. Drool dribbled down my chin and my eyes were so blurry from tears that I couldn't see my mother.

"He. Is. The. Prince," I heaved. "He's guarded, you can't hurt him."

"I set fires in your room with no one noticing, the Prince will only be a bit more difficult," She said, brushing off my concerns.

"I could go tell the King right now of my concerns," I countered.

"You have no proof, a man was persecuted and killed for the crime."

"I-I could-" I stuttered trying to think of an answer.

"Drop it my dear. It will be much easier to just heed my warning and leave this place. If I never see you again, no harm will befall you or Timothée."

"Okay," I nodded, getting to my feet. "Just let me pack."

My mother watched as I put on thick fur lined underclothes. Over that I put on a looser tunic and leggings. My movements were stiff with so many layers, but I knew I'd be grateful for them later.

"You could take those jewels and dress you were wearing, they may think you fled in your gown."

"They will come after me," I responded solemnly. "With all those coins, they will assume

have stolen from the crown and fled."

I added the armor like dress and jewelry and placed it into the bag. I added a thick blanket and pillow as well.

"The money is from my own store," she stated plainly. I was surprised by this. She had never given me so much as a farthing, it had always been my father who had doted on me.

"They may still follow me," I said.

"You know how to not be found," she smirked as I pulled on a white cloak. I would be less recognizable in the snow.

I tried to lift the bag, and realized it would be too heavy to carry long term. I pulled out the shield and helmet, deciding I could do without them. I also removed the heavy armor like dress, the jewels the outfit had come with would be enough to start a new life.

"Good," Orlaith turned and began to leave. "I expect to never see you again," she said, stopping at the door. Then she was gone, like a shadow into the darkness.

I hefted the bag's straps onto my shoulders. I shoved on my boots and began to leave the castle.

I came to a halt before Timothée's bedroom door. I ran my hand over the wood softly. I leaned my forehead on the cool wood of his door.

"Good luck," I whispered.

Then I made haste. Though I had spent years away from it, I knew this castle like the back of my hand. I zipped through back rooms, and crept through unused corridors. Before I knew it, I was out in the harsh cold.

Which way to go? Moving West was foolhardy. Our lands went on for miles to the West. If I never wanted my mother seeing me again, hiding out in lands she might frequent would be no good. To the North our lands were much less significant. A couple days travel and I would be out of the realm run by the Chalamets. However, if someone were to report me missing from the castle, all eyes would be peeled to find the runaway Lady and hopefully collect a reward. I couldn't risk the North, no matter how dearly I wanted to choose that direction. To the South was maybe a day's worth of walking and then I would hit the Sea of the Bleak. Its waves appeared black even in sunshine, and it was always exceeding frigid, some said the Fae had cursed it long ago. I could not go South either. This left one direction, the one I knew I would have to face all along.

East. To the East lay some Faerie lands, and if one could make it through those, you would reach the kingdom of Ondala, where Timothée's fiancee had once hailed from. Ondala would be where I had to stay, if I could survive the Forest of the Fae that is.

I would have to be quick, and careful. I needed to move now, before the blizzard set in and I couldn't find shelter for the night. I would stop whenever I found a convenient cave or tree formation.

So I fled eastward. I tried to make my feet as light as a deer as I flitted through the snow and trees. I was just barely managing to keep my mind from remembering every horrible story I'd heard about the fae. I knew they didn't have as many morals as humans did, but that didn't make them evil. What business would they have tearing apart a lonely female traveler?

I was so enamored with my own thoughts I didn't hear the crunch of snow accompanying mine almost perfectly as I ran.