Of Royalty And Humility

Hanging By

The moment lingered in dreadful silence as Sehren's hands shook, and she felt sick. She stood peering over the rail at the crumpled body of Vira below. Her thoughts raced, tumbling over one another, every instinct screaming at her to run. Yet her feet were rooted in place.

The noise of breaking glass behind her startled her into movement and she whipped around to look. Miriam stood her mouth agape at the door, the contents of her hands at her feet. Her eyes wide with surprise.

"What did you do!" She said in a shrill. She ran to where Sehren stood and looked over the balcony. With something akin to dark satisfaction, she turned to Sehren. "Come away from there, quick."

She looked deep in thought and for a moment as she paused, the dreadful reality of what Sehren had done struck her like a thousand pounds again. What's going to happen to me now? Will they throw me away into the dungeon? Will I be hanged?!

"You," Miriam whispered, pulling Sehren from her frozen stance. "What happened here?" There was no accusation in her voice.

Sehren opened her mouth but she only croaked and began to cry. "I-I didn't," she could muster no more as her gaze flickered towards the edge, where the testament of the awful truth lay.

Miriam let out an exasperated breath and said. "No one's fault but her own. We'll make 'em see it that way."

With swift efficiency, Miriam guided Sehren away from the balcony, tucking her into a corner of the room. "Say nothin'," she whispered fiercely. "Leave it to me."

Suddenly she screamed. "My lady!" she cried. "Somebody help! My lady's fallen out the window!"

The cry alerted passersby, whose heavy footfalls soon echoed down the corridor. Guards arrived on the scene. Miriam composed herself, arranging her expression into one of subdued shock as they approached her.

One of them, a tall, grizzled man with hard eyes, looked her over. "What happened here?"

Miriam's voice trembled as she pointed at the open doors to the balcony. "I saw her, m'lord," she said, slipping into a humble tone. "Lady Vira... she was actin' funny last night, aye, and today I saw her with a glass in hand. I didn't realize she'd had too much. Should've made sure she got to bed safe." She paused, letting her words hang. "But she leaned too far over the balcony, mutterin' somethin'. And then... she fell."

The guard squinted, weighing her words. "And what of you?" he demanded. "You, a maid, entered a lady's chamber unbidden?"

Miriam lifted her chin slightly, a glimmer of defiance in her eyes. "I'm her personal maid, m'lord," she replied, respectfully yet with an edge. "You might not know, but Lady Vira-she's got a temper, that one. Us servants, we know it well. She takes it out on us plenty. So I get my duties done afore I'm asked... lest somethin' happens."

The guard's suspicious gaze darted between Miriam and the balcony door, but another figure caught his attention. Sehren stood huddled in the corner, her face pale, eyes wide, her entire form shaking with the weight of the event. He stepped toward her, frowning as he studied her closely.

"You there," he barked, gesturing for her to come forward. "You saw this?"

Sehren stared, her mouth opening and closing as if words were a foreign concept, her lips trembling. She tried to force sound from her throat, but all that emerged was a strangled murmur.

The guard's expression darkened, his patience thinning. "Girl, speak up! What did you see?"

Miriam quickly stepped in, casting a cautious look toward Sehren. "Beggin' your pardon, m'lord, but the poor thing's rattled. Ain't every day you see a lady like that... fallin'."