Aideen's Answer

~Chapter Forty-Two~

"Regan. Why?" Aideen could barely manage even these simple words past the enormous lump in her throat.
Her best friend, her listening ear in whom she confided everything? This simply could not be. It had to be a nightmare, it just had to be!
But one look into the cold eyes of her maid was all she needed to realize that this was oh, so real. For whatever reason, hatred burned into her from those green eyes. A hatred like she had never before seen.
"I find it quite amusing that you would even need to ask that, Princess. Have we not spent many years sharing absolutely everything? Did we not confide in each other? Or are you just now realizing that it was always you who did the talking? All those years, all that time, never once did you think to ask me why I was always at the castle, never with family. Why would such a young girl be in servitude anyway? Did you never wonder?"
  Regan was pacing as she spoke, but she now stopped and turned to look at the other woman, a malicious gleam in her eyes.
"No, by that pathetic look of surprise on your face, I can see the answer clearly. Not once did my past occur to you. But why should it? You are a princess. Concerned with fabric colors and Latin lessons, not at all with the lives of your people.
Well, allow me to elaborate a few things for you. My father was a mine worker, in the coal mines to the North. My mother was always a bit sickly, so caring for my younger brother usually fell to me.  But one day, there was an accident. The mines collapsed. Many men died that day, my father among them. I took a job as a kitchen maid, but my mistress forced me to work horribly long hours, and I was rarely allowed to go home. One day, about six months of this, I came home to find my mother dead in her bed. My brother was no where to be found. I eventually came to the conclusion that she could not handle life with out my father, and sent my brother away instead of forcing him to watch her die. I have not seen him since that day, and when an opening came to work in the castle, I took it gladly. Anything to get out of that wretched village and away from those horrible memories. So I came here, and began to work for you. And with every day I worked, I hated you more. I lost everything, as many families did, on the day those mines tumbled down, yet not once has anyone spoken of it! Not once did the king attempt to help the orphans and widows that were left! My brother could have starved for all I know, and I was here, helping to serve up feasts for the royals responsible for our fathers death! But I swore, I swore on my parents graves, that your family would know my revenge. And now, after so long, the time has finally come! It is your turn, we have finally reached it. Your turn to feel pain for once in your perfect life. Your turn to know how it feels to lose absolutely everything.
There have been many attempts before now, Kevin was not supposed to let the two of you get caught in the process of running away," Regan threw a frown over her shoulder at that man, but he merely gave her a smile in return. "And one of my other men failed as well, when his only order was to take a little boy," She rolled her eyes in disgust. "Good help is so hard to find, is it not? There was mistake after mistake, including poisoning your father. I so hoped he would still die, but no," Another roll of the eyes. "My servant was interrupted while preparing his drink, and failed in giving the king his full dosage.
"Ah well, those things did make this take much longer than it should have, and therefore this victory will be so much sweeter. After so many years, the death if my parents will be avenged, and the royal family will know exactly what it means to suffer. The same way every poor miner in our village suffered. The same way the families suffered!"
Suddenly, Regan's entire demeanor changed, and she smiled sweetly at Aideen.
This, Aideen found, was far more frightening than when she was angry and yelling.
"It is almost time now, Princess. Kevin and I will go to make the final preparations, and you will meet your end," She leaned forward and stroked Aiden's hair, causing her to shudder and pull away.
With that, the two of them went out of the cavern to whatever lay beyond it, leaving Aideen to lay her head on the wet stone, fighting tears.
'How could this even be happening? How could Regan have hidden so much hatred for so many years? And how could she, the one who called herself a friend, never have seen it?'
"God," She whispered, "I know that You are here. I know that would will never leave me, nor forsake me. Thank you for saving me before it was too late. Please, keep my family safe and, please, if it is not too much to ask, let Garrett know that I am sorry. I wish I could see him again. I wish I could tell him-" Aiden found herself unable to speak past the lump in her throat as she pictured his dear face, and his kind eyes. "I would have loved to spend my life with him, Lord. But if I am unable, please protect him and his family. Keep everyone at home safe, please do not allow anyone else to be hurt on my behalf. Let them know that I love them. And thank You, for taking care of them, of me and for staying with me."
Filled with a peace that surpassed her understanding, Aideen laid her head down, and slept.