Cinderfall

Ashford

The journey back home had seemed to take nearly no time at all. It helped that she had been asleep for most of it. Luckily, Susan was just as clever as he was light-footed and had known the way back. When she was awake, Luce had chided her on her overzealous behavior. Something along the lines of reckless use of energy and/or not being prepared for what she had done. Ashford couldn't quite remember, the result was clear enough.

Her muscles swung between icy cold and searing heat as she rode. She wasn't injured, the prince was only able to get one hit on her. That made her smile despite the pain in her face. Prince Sable had gone full out with her and she held her ground. She never thought she'd see that, to be equal with the prince who had always been so above her. To get him to see her as an asset, an equal. It made her tired spine tingle in delight. No longer was she a little scared boy in his eyes, but a grown man, capable enough to have earned her right to train with him.

Seen like a man she thought. For some reason that didn't give her the same sort of satisfaction as simply being equal. She had wanted to show him, specifically him, that she was no longer a child, so why did it feel like a weight was dropping within her?

She was awake enough by the time they had reached the property gates to at least give the appearance that she had been leading the horse the entire time. She sat straight-backed which stung, and nodded politely to the guard as she passed. She was the lord of the manor here, and she would look the part.

At least it was dark out, the lesson had gone on much longer than she had expected, and the trip back had brought them home well past supper. She wouldn't have to explain the dirt on her shirt to the guard, and she wouldn't have to change for dinner either. She didn't have the energy for the latter and for the former, -well servants talked.

It was perfectly alright for a man to dirty himself sparring, but to travel all the way home in that condition? When other people could easily see and judge you? That would be unseemly. No true gentleman would leave something as grand as the palace looking like he had lost a fight with the ground. It didn't matter at all that Ashford had never gone into the castle. It would get to the madam's ears, and then... and then?

She was too tired to even think about it.

She handed Susan off to the stable hands, and slowly made her way back to the house. She was already dreading the climb back up to her own room. Her bones were creaking louder than the wooden steps.

When she got to the second floor, she was stopped momentarily.

" No, No you are doing it all wrong!" The shrill words cut the relative silence of the evening. "Do you mean to pull my hair out? No, Stop. Stop it now, you can't do it right so remove your hands!"

The voice sounded like it was getting louder, and soon her little sister could be seen pounding her way out of the room. A little maid hurried silently behind her, white-faced and shaking. Pale ribbons fluttered behind Adella's dark locks appearing to be only half held in place on her head. Her dark curls were springing half wild.

She turned as she caught Ashford's eye, " Oh how fortunate! Ashford, come here, I need your help. This wretched maid made a mess of undoing my hair! You are good with hair, you'll do a much better job. Now come come, my hair is atrocious!"

Ashford sighed a bit, raising her tired arms gingerly to show her sister the dirtied fabric. There goes breakfast tomorrow, there was no way to hide her state from the madam now. Adella's eyes narrowed as she inspected the state of her brother. Her mouth spun up in a tight look of distaste that did nothing for her fine features before releasing it all in a huff.

"Your hands are clean enough, I don't intend to keep these ribbons anyway." She emphasized her statement by twisting one of the ribbons with her hand, grimacing when it came into her eye line. "They are far too plain, and do nothing for my complexion," She flicked the ribbon away with a sigh, "Plus that wretched maid has probably frayed the seams with that awful pulling of hers. Now will you help me? Oh please Ashford, I know you do this better than Marina, and I know she'll mock me if I go and ask her. Anyway I can't walk all the way to her rooms in this state, the servants will talk, oh-"