Prologue
Lord Wellington raised his hunting gun at the pidgin perched on an oak branch, about fifty yeads away. He slowly started to pull the trigger, but before the bullet could be released, an ear splitting scream cut through the clearing. Wellington's shot went wild, flying harmlessly into the trees, causing the pidgin to fly off in fright.
"Bloody Hell!" Lord Wellington exclaimed angrily. He stomped back to his old pitiful miserably falling apart Tudor house. When he arrived, some ten minutes later, to find his wife in labor, he was annoyed. Why did the useless woman have to interrupt him for such a witless reason? Could she not be quite about the whole affair? And stop interrupting people's lives with her inconsequential event?
Finally, after many hours, the incessant screaming stopped and it was blissfully quiet. The midwife came out to see the lord in his study. "My Lord, the child has been born, it is a female."
"A girl? What use do I have of it?! All it will do is drain my coffers!" He swiped his hand in the air dismissing her, not even inquiring if his wife was dead or not.
That evening, Wellington stormed into his wife's chambers. At the stunned stares of his wife and her attendants, he gave them a dark look.
Peering down into the crib by the window, his face contorted into a look of disgust. "So, it is indeed a girl, useless waste of time."
"Marie!" Flicking his eyes to his wife, who was still laying abed, her face still pale and drawn. "Start becoming useful and birthing me sons, or you will regret it."
At her nod he swept out of the room and into the corridor.
Quietly closing the door behind her, Rhoswen made her way down the hall to her mother's rooms. Seeing the small blue ribbon tied to the door she pulled it free and entered.
Her mother, Marie Wellington, and her grandmother, Elizabeth Varda, sat in the sitting room talking softly until they heard the door handle shift. Both looked up and seeing Rhoswen they breathed a sigh of relieve.
With a huge smile on her face, eight year old Rhoswen quickly closed the door and ran over to give her grandmother and mother hugs. After, she seated herself on a chair between the older women.
Rhoswen loved these evenings when she could spend time with her mother and grandmother and feel normal for once. Twice a month, her grandmother would come to visit, though Rhoswen never asked how because her father had forbidden her presence in his home. But nevertheless, she rejoiced during these times when she did not have to deal with the stares or the odd looks when she slipped and voiced something she shouldn't. For you see Rhoswen had a secret.
A secret only her mother and grandmother knew. Rhoswen could read thoughts.