Heir of Cinders [FADING EMBERS #1] - ON HOLD

13.1 - Matters of the Heart

On the fifth day of every week, Faisuri had to face the most nefarious of foes.

Needlework.

Aunt Farisa had asserted over the years that the wars waged by women were rarely physical. While men held steel in their hands and hid behind great shields forged of metal, the female portion of society used words as their swords and wore reputation as their armor. And this is why we face peril every day of our lives, thought Faisuri as she stabbed at her embroidery with the barbaric brutality of an aerhyan. The task at hand seemed physically taxing enough for her, contrary to her aunt's teachings.

Unlike many other girls her age, Faisuri had the privilege of wielding a training sword before, albeit for a short while. It had been Daud's suggestion. She was twelve at the time, young and impressionable but old enough to start learning the ways of the court. Her cousin had just so happened to eavesdrop on her and her aunt, and was unconvinced that words and a pretty face would be enough to protect her. While she appreciated his pure-hearted concern, the ensuing "training" was much less endearing. She was terrible at sword-fighting, messing up all her stances and getting herself knocked down time after time until she was covered with bruises and mud, much to Farisa's chagrin.

Despite that fiasco, she'd rather have another go at the sword than have to deal with this accursed needle.

The point of the needle found its way through the fibers of her cotton glove, puncturing a hole through her skin. The girl winced at the sharp twang that ignited upon her middle finger, resisting the urge to flick it upwards in a gesture that could be mistaken for profanity. Her thoughts, however, were less clean. A particularly foul word in Halimunese came to mind as she watched a red stain bloom upon the fabric of her glove.

"Perhaps it would be easier if you were to take off your gloves, Lady Raine."

Faisuri met Lady Meara Friell's gaze. Her sweet, cherry lips were drawn into a bemused smile, almost sympathetic at the girl of the east's predicament. She appeared not to have noticed the bloody flower that had seeped out of the tear on her skin. An easy smile slid onto Faisuri's face as she quickly pulled the appalling piece of embroidery over her wound to conceal it.

"Ooh, how coy," said Faisuri, in a teasing manner. "Are you that curious to see my lovely hands, milady? Well, I'm afraid I do not reveal my cards that easily!"

A ripple of laughter coursed through the room. The black-haired lady beamed at the other noble ladies of the Queen's Circle, evidently pleased by their reaction. The "Queen's Circle" was- she couldn't help but think for the umpteenth time that week- a misnomer. It was neither a circle nor one for a queen. For one thing, there were only three other ladies aside from herself that occupied the room, one of which being Lady Friell herself. For another, the fair lady was not yet a queen. Well on the way, perhaps, but not exactly fit to be called a "queen" yet. A few suggestions for names that would better suit their assembly had come to mind, ranging from the "Soon-to-be-queen's Triumvirate" to the "Noblest of Noble Ladies Quartet". None of these had been voiced aloud, as the moment hadn't yet called for them.

"Awfully protective of your hands, I see," Meara quipped, deciding to play along.

"And why should I not be?" Faisuri answered, tilting her head slightly in an innocently questioning manner. "Only the right man should have my hand, after all. Should it not be the same for all of you?"

Again, her words prompted laughter from the girls. A grin brightened her features, displaying a look of pure satisfaction for all to see, but her dark eyes met none of theirs. Instead, her attention was directed towards the superior pieces of embroidery that now laid idle across the other women's laps. Faisuri drank in their undivided attention, her own crude work abandoned alongside that blasted hornet's sting. It seemed that needlework became a forgotten subject when faced with this juicier topic.