Gabrielle's nerves were at an edge. She felt at any moment her stepmother would appear behind the corner and do horrible things and scare her again. It was so frustrating to be back in this state. She had improved so much during her time at the palace, but mere thought of seeing her stepmother again made her feel like she had been transported back in time to where her father had just died, and she was kicked out of her own room and made to sleep in the kitchen. Rosella had not mentioned when Isodara was coming back, but there was no way that Gabrielle was going to ask her younger stepsister. To the credit of her and Estelle's new bond; Estelle had promised that she would stand up for her against her mother and defend her stepsister. Gabrielle was touched by the thought, but in truth she knew Isodara would not listen to Estelle.
The blonde girl tried to take comfort in her routine; that she had began to greatly enjoy. Her days of staff training with Kianda, followed by studying, and on off days practicing her bow and arrow. To her delight, she found that Kianda was a quick leaner and was catching on to reading, at a rather fast speed. While she was proud of the warrior woman, she was also scared to tell her about her stepmother. If her stepmother forced her to leave this place; then what would Kianda do? Would she give up? She didn't think Kianda was the type to give up without a fight, though. Hopefully, she had learned enough to continue teaching herself to read.
Oh, what was Isodara going to do to her? She did have the legal right to remove her from the palace, but the prince. She didn't think that Adrian would let her slip through his fingers so easily. So this could end up being a clash between the prince and her stepmother. The girl wasn't so sure what to feel about this. Was she caught between a lion and a tiger? In truth that analogy didn't make much sense. Because while a lion and tiger where equals in power; her stepmother and the prince were not. Adrian was the heir to the throne and at the end of the day Isodara was a minor noblewoman. Also while the prince seemed to have his own plans for her, he had not get actually hurt her. However, her stepmother had been hurting her from the moment she could.
These thoughts and more tormented the poor, young girl for the rest of the week. However, she did have moments of solace. She was now by the lake practicing with shooting her arrows into a tree trunk. Her aim at gotten much better. Gabrielle remembered reading about something called "zen" in the books in her father's library about people in the far eastern part of the world. Zen from what she remembered was a meditative state of both peace and nothingness. Zen could describe her mind when she was shooting the arrows; peace and nothingness.
She had been out for at least two hours shooting her bow, when thirst finally overcame her and her tired arms were giving away. Pulling back a bow required more muscle than most people realized. She walked from the path out of the forest and onto the land surrounding the lake. She gave a gasp at who she saw. Adrian facing the lake with the reigns of his white horse in his hands. Gabrielle must have made too much noise, for the turned to her and smiled. The white horse lowered its head to drink out of the lake.
"Ah, Lady Gabrielle, did you have a good time practicing your aim?" He asked, as he gave his horse a gentle stroke on it's lowered, white mane. Gabrielle remembered her place and immediately bowed to the prince.
"Your highness-" She began, but the prince gently interrupted her.
"You can stop the formalities here, songstress, Adrian will do fine."
"Adrian..." She breathed,
"Yes, Lady Gabrielle, now tell me how did you enjoy your practice?" He asked again, Gabrielle blinked realizing she had been in to much of a shock over seeing him here to realize that she had not answered a question when directly asked. In court manners this was very rude, but even ruder to do it to a royal.
"Forgive me, yo-Adrian-" She corrected herself, "Yes, I did enjoy the practice. And I have been meaning to thank you for the bow and arrows, along with the pass to the arrow maker and stables." The prince looked down, and stroked the mane of his white horse, who by this time had finished drinking from the lake.
"Oh, what makes you think I am your benefactor in this?" He asked simply,
"Because the passes I got were royal and only a royal can give a royal pass. The king and queen have no idea of my bow practice, and besides you were the one who wanted me to learn." The prince simply smiled and nodded.
"Care to take a walk around the lake with me, Songstress?" He said, offering his hand. Gabrielle didn't hesitate this time and accepted his hand. The prince turned his horse, with his other hand still on the reigns and lead both Gabrielle and the horse around the lake. A peaceful silence came about from their walk, which Gabrielle enjoyed. The lake was so beautiful. She noticed at the middle of the lake was a family of swans. They were so beautiful. However, she knew they were not as peaceful as they appeared, she thought, remembering her warnings about swans. Adrian paused and looked out to the lake with her, at the swans. Then he asked,
"Have you tried to hunt anything with your bow?" Gabrielle was startled by the question.
"Goodness, no!" She answered, immediately. She couldn't imagine herself taking her bow and aiming it at a creature to take its life.
"Hmm..." mummered the prince and then he looked at the blonde, "You ate the meat of the boar. So I take it you have nothing against eating meat, or hunting." She looked up at him.
"I don't have anything against hunting, or eating meat." She confirmed, "But it's just I can't see myself taking an animals life."
"So you let others do the dirty work for you?" He asked, and Gabrielle froze realizing this might be a test of his.
"No, it's not like that. I am just not use to doing something like that myself." She explained, trying not to seem like a hypocrite in any form. The prince gazed out onto the pond, and pointed his finger at a white swan swimming peacefully.
"Then why not take aim at that swan and learn to get use too it." He stated. What sort of test was this, she wondered. Why was he trying to see if she could kill an animal? Was it to prove her strength, confidence, or something else? Gabrielle felt her hands and arms shaking unsteadily, as she raised the arrow to take aim. Her arms began to shake as she tried to aim her arrow too it. Slowly, it steadied and focused on the swan. Then she realized she was at the point where she cut shoot and kill and the beautiful, white creature. All she had to do was release. However, in the end all she did was lower her bow. The girl turned toward the prince and shook her head.
"I can't...I can't kill it." She answered, looking down. Had she shown herself being a hypocrite for approving of hunting and eating meat, yet not being able to take the animal's life herself? She felt the prince's hand gently touch her back.
"It's alright, songstress." He whispered in her ear, "I didn't expect you could. Taking a life is never an easy task for those with hearts." He then laid a gentle, but brief kiss on her forehead. Gabrielle paused at the feeling of his surprisingly soft lips on her skin. She looked back up at him. Then prince then looked off in the distance at the swans who would now live another day because of her "heart."
"When I go into town, I will see little boys playing solider in the street; sticks as sword and bucket as helmets. I see them laugh and play, as they play at killing their friends. Of course, at the end of the game their friends rise again, they say their goodbyes, and go back him and eat their mother's cooking." The prince gave another pause,
"These little boys grow up to be men and too some war is still a game, however. They go into battle with those who want to kill them as badly; as they want to live. The game of childhood turns into the nightmare of adulthood. I have seen men lying on the ground, crying for their mothers and their life left them. I have seen soldiers take their own life from the guilt of killing." The prince shook his head. "Taking a life is never a game, and I've seen too many men enter in my army with a boy's view on life." A silence passed that lasted a long moment.
"Adrian, I never expected you to say something like that..." She whispered.
"Because I have no heart, correct?" She didn't answer him, giving him all the words he needed. He then removed his hand from her back.
"Lately, these thoughts have been troubling me. Rather unusual for me. Matters of death have never troubled me before." She paused for a long moment.
"Perhaps...you are growing a heart." She lightly suggested. A pregnant pause past, but it was broken with a chuckle.
"Oh, that will be the day, Songstress, that will be the day." He turned his head back and started walking his horse and Gabrielle silently followed beside him, thinking of the conversation that they had just shared between them. What brought these thoughts out in the prince? He had once told her that he didn't care for the widows he pretended to comfort, but now he was contemplating how he felt about the lives of his soldiers? Had he just been lying to her? Then again...she realized the prince had never lied to her before. For all his vices; dishonesty did not seem to be one of them; at least to her.
Finally, the sun started to get low and she thought it best to part now. Apparently, the prince had the seem idea, for he asked.
"Would you like me to escort you back, my lady?"
"No, thank you, Adrian." She politely declined, not wanting to give Isodara another thing for her to be angry over. He gave her a bow and he took her hand and laid a soft kiss on it. He rose back up, and simply said,
"Good day, my lady." With that they parted. Gabrielle went back to the cabin where her women clothing was and quickly slipped into it, but she still wore her pack of arrows on her back and a bow in her hand. The palace had slowly gotten use to seeing her with them, but it didn't entirely stopped the looks she got from having them. She knew a warrior maid, especially a noble warrior maid, was a sight that would cause people to talk, but she cared little now. The blonde eventually made her way back to the palace, where she had to pass the court yard, usually she got by with only a few stares, or whispers, however this time was different.
"Shut up! I am sick at the way you look and talk to me. If you have a problem me and the prince, say it to my face, or his highness!" cried a loud, but familiar screech that Gabrielle knew all to well. Gabrielle slowed her pace, and stood at the entrance of the courtyard to see her younger stepsister, with puffy red eyes from crying, yelling at Lady Annetta Rosesmith and her group of girls. Lady Annetta looked more amused than threatened by the hysterical curly blonde.
Gabrielle paused before slowly stepping into the court, not sure entirely what she was planning on doing. Rosella seemed to involved with her screams against the tall brunette to notice the arrival of her unwanted stepsister. However, Gabrielle's approach did not go completely unnoticed. Several of the girls surrounding the tall noblewoman saw her and gestured in her direction. She saw the tall brunette turn her head in Gabrielle's direction. A subtle smirk adorned her face, a smirk that Gabrielle didn't think she was trying to hide.
"Why, if it isn't our little warrior maiden." Annetta acknowledged her in a similar voice you would acknowledge a child in. Rosella's face turned to her and her already angry expression became even angrier.
"Go away," commanded Rosella to her stepsister, "You are not wanted here." Gabrielle was about to move, because what really could she do, but the tall brunette stepped in.
"Nonsense, Lady Gabrielle, can stay with us. I am curious to see a warrior maiden, especially one of a noble house." Rosella gave a snort at Annetta calling her a noble. For once, she wished her older stepsister would get her way. Gabrielle might not have been the best people reader, but she knew the older girl was trouble. Annetta approached her, along with her group. Gabrielle hated the smiled that adorned their painted faces. Gabrielle had stopped using make-up since beginning her training, deeming it a waste. She must have looked so plain to an outsider. Here she was dressed in a plain cotton dress; dirty and sweaty from training, her hair damp from perspiration, and here she was surrounded by these noble women dressed in beautiful gowns of the finest materials, their faces painted perfectly, and not a hair out of place in the elaborate schemes they had twisted their hair in. Not to mention that they were adorned with fine jewels and she was just with a quiver of arrows and a bow.
"Well, Lady Gabrielle," began Annetta. She had a red peacock style fan that seemed to be her signature accessory. The woman in red fanned herself, casually. Then Gabrielle came to a realization that red was a rather unusual choice for a noble woman. Most of the noble women dressed themselves in soft pastel colors, but Annetta adorned herself from head to toe in bold blood red. She clearly stood out in the soft and humble colors of the other noble woman, including Gabrielle who was currently in a sky blue colored dress.
"Yes, Lady Rosesmith?" Gabrielle politely greeted the much taller woman back. She tried to her body language and expression neutral as she could. She knew that Annetta was going to try to bate her like she had done her blonde stepsister.
"Why, Lady Gabrielle, I almost didn't believe it when I heard the rumors of your new hobbies." Gabrielle could feel the false honey-like tone that dripped from Annetta's mouth, "I said the beautiful and gentle Lady Gabrielle could never pick up a weapon. She would probably hurt herself with it." At this her ladies gave a giggle, "Oh, I don't mean that in a mean way, I would hurt myself as well. I think it is rather admirable that you prove you aren't all sugar, you have some salt as well." Gabrielle lowered her head,
"Thank you, Lady Rosesmith." She said, trying to think of some opening to get away, before the baiting began.
"However, is it true that you are not taking lessons from a proper instructor, but instead that...barbarian woman?" At this she saw some Annetta's group turn to whisper to one another. Gabrielle blocked out the whispers, but inside she felt something stir.
"If by 'barbarian' you mean Kianda, then yes. However, please do not refer to her as that in my presence, Lady Rosesmith." Gabrielle's expression had turned from formally polite, to slightly firm. Lady Annetta gave an expression that was suppose to be 'shock', but the expression of shock never reached her eyes. She turned to her group.
"Did you hear that ladies? Lady Gabrielle doesn't want us to call that barbarian woman, a barbarian." Her voice also had a false sincerity to it and it was clear that she was mocking Gabrielle, however, she was not even attempting subtlety with Gabrielle.
"Why yes, that's what I believe that warrior maid said." responded a girl in purple with an extravagant stacked up-do with ribbons weaved all throughout it.
"But why not?" asked another, this was a girl in covered in pink frills and lace from her hat to her shoes, "After, all she comes from a land without kings, writing, and look at how she fights. I still can't believe the prince brought her and the rest of her kind here." Gabrielle's eyes widened. Adrian brought Kianda here. But that didn't matter now. Annetta opened her mouth to speak, but for once Gabrielle decided to be rude and interrupt her.
"Because Kianda is my friend." Gabrielle answered, with a bit more force than intended. This caused all the ladies to turn back to the blonde girl. Annetta had her red peacock fan covering her lower face, but Gabrielle could still make back out a look of gleefulness from her brown eyes.
"Oh, really now?" Asked, Annetta. Gabrielle decided to look her right in the eye. If she couldn't face this woman, then there was no way she could ever face her stepmother.
"Yes, she is." Gabrielle confirmed. Annetta than removed the fan covering her lower face to reveal an expression of sympathy that Gabrielle could immediately tell was fictitious. The blonde girl immediately braced herself for what was coming next.
"Oh, you poor thing." Annetta cooed at her, "I have made a terrible error, we all did." She turned her head behind her to her group, "Isn't that right, girls." The woman in red looked back at her, "The day I saw you I should have taken you under my wing right then and not made you feel you had to go looking for friends in barbarians. "The group of girls behind her agreed, with fake sympathetic looks to her. Gabrielle felt anger boiling inside of her, that she hadn't for years. She last had this anger when Isodara made her a slave in her own home. An anger that her stepmother had stomped out of her...or so she thought.
"No." She stubbornly, told Annetta. "Kianda is my friend and she is far from a barbarian. So what if her country doesn't have kings? Kings can be corrupt easily, we are lucky for King Oswald's kindness. However, that doesn't mean there are not kings that terrorize their people. And for writing? Most of the common people in this country can't write. I also suspect that must of you haven't picked up a book since grammar school." Silence followed the unexpected outburst from the blonde girl. However, none where more surprised that Gabrielle herself. However, to Gabrielle's pride, Annetta looked stunned. Gabrielle at this moment realized she had an advantage over the older girl.
Annetta had no idea that she had been spending her last several years as a servant instead of a proper noble girl. She hadn't been striving to keep the best friends, competing for the best clothing and jewels, and gossiping. Those last years of work had put her on an entirely different value system than the average noble girl her age. One that valued true kindness over petty alliances and friends that would stab you in the back to gain power.
"Well, well-" Annette began again, quickly regaining her composer. "-looks like you weren't the gentle noble girl we thought you were with that mouth on you."
"Speak for yourself." retorted Gabrielle, she gestured to Rosella who had been standing in the background the whole time, "The months we've been here you have been baiting my stepsister with your words. You know what buttons to press to get a reaction out of her and humiliate herself." She saw an odd expression overcome Rosella's features, so odd that Gabrielle was not sure what to make of them. Annetta covered the lower part of her face with her red peacock fan again and peered over at the girl before her. She didn't see anger in her eyes, or humiliation. More like curiosity...was that the word? Perhaps Annetta was a favorite of Prince Adrian as well.
"When a fish sees a worm in the water and then bites it only to find a hook do you blame the fisherman?" The woman in red asked her in a neutral, but careful voice.
"No, but this is different. A fisherman catches a fish to feed himself and his family. You have nothing to gain by baiting and tormenting my sister, but sadistic glee. Which I find very barbaric." Gabrielle couldn't believe she had said the last sentence to the older woman to accuse a noble girl of barbaric action. This was going to cause talk. The group of ladies were already looking at her and whispering among themselves in complete disbelief over what she had said. She saw something in Annetta's eyes that she couldn't make out. Then the woman in red shut her fan to show an expressionless face.
"Come on girls, I believe we have seen enough of this warrior maid." She heard a mummer of agreement amongst the female group, and some dirty looks shoot her way, as Annetta and the other girls departed. When the left, any feeling of triumph left Gabrielle. What had she done? She had just insulted one of the most powerful woman in court. What was this going to mean for her. The blonde girl tried to calm herself down by telling herself that she barely spoke to the other noble ladies, except Estelle anyway, so it didn't matter.
She heard a rustle and turned her head too the direction of her elder stepsister. Rosella had what could only be described as a "pathetic" look on her face. The stepsisters made eye contact with each other for a long moment and Gabrielle knew in her heart that she could not just leave Rosella in such a state. No matter what there past, or current relationship was. She took a deep breathe and took the first step in her stepsister's direction. Rosella did not fail to notice her stepsister's approach. She gave a flinch and crossed her arms over her chest. However, Gabrielle could tell her body language was not proud like usual, but more defensive, like she was protecting herself. Gabrielle continued her approach to the girl with blonde curls. A part of her expected Rosella to leave with her approach, but she remained in her place.
When Gabrielle finally closed the distance between them, Rosella lowered her head to the ground, not making eye contact with her stepsister anymore.
"Rosella," Gabrielle began in a quiet voice. Rosella did not look up, "Rosella," She repeated, "Are you well?" A silence passed, finally Rosella spoke,
"No," She gave a sniffle. Gabrielle had been through years of Rosella's mood swings to know the difference between when she cried for attention, or not getting her way and then she cried because she was sincerely hurt. While the latter was rarer, but Gabrielle knew very well that her stepsisters cries were out of sincere pain.
"Rosella," Gabrielle, spoke softly, "There gone. You are safe now." She tried to assure her stepsister, but in the back of her mind she knew they could come back for Rosella anytime. Unless Gabrielle's words had made her the new target.
"They'll be back." She cried, "They'll fine me and be mean to be all over again." Rosella was in full tears now. Gabrielle reached into her pocket to pull out a handkerchief with yellow lace edges and tenderly reached out to her stepsister with the handkerchief. Rosella stared at the clothe for a moment before carefully taking it from her stepsister's hand and wiping her tears on it. Gabrielle said nothing, as Rosella cleaned her tear stained face with her handkerchief. Then she carefully stated,
"Come with me, Rosella. I know a place in the palace where I have never seen Annetta or her friends at." Rosella removed the handkerchief from her face and looked up at Gabrielle. She didn't seem hostile like normal at her suggestions. Gabrielle had a feeling that this was a sign of how much Rosella had been getting bullied here. Perhaps, Rosella's new found aggression toward her had less to do with the prince, but more to do with finding some power in a place where she was powerless. Gabrielle gave her elder stepsister a smile to assure her and held out her hand.
"Come with me, Rosella. It is a safe place." She assured her stepsister. Rosella studied her for several long moments. It didn't take a genius to figure out she was conflicted over whether to accept help from an "enemy", or not. Gabrielle sent out another prayer to Hestia, and finally Rosella took her hand and Gabrielle grasped it in assuring firmness.
"Now, let's go." She turned away to the courtyard exit, and her eyes widened. Standing there was Kianda. How long had she been standing there? With Rosella in hand, Gabrielle walked to the exit where the warrior woman stood. Their eyes meet.
"Gabrielle," said Kianda,
"Yes, Kianda?" Gabrielle answered back
"When you have finished, please come meet me on the Southwestern trail." Gabrielle knew where that was and it was the most secluded and least traveled trail on the palace grounds. They would be very unlikely to be disturbed. Kianda must have had something serious to talk to her about.
"Yes, I will be there, as soon as I can." Gabrielle assured her.
"Thank you, Gabrielle." With that Kianda took her leave. Gabrielle looked back to watch her leave, wondering what she possibly had to talk to her about. However, right now Rosella was her concern. She started to lead her sister through the twists and turns of the palace onto a route she knew very well. Soon they were at the doors of the library.
"A library?" She heard, Rosella question. Gabrielle turned and nodded to her.
"Yes, a library, I have never seen Annetta, or any members of her group here." She could feel the hesitation of her stepsister. Gabrielle gave Rosella another assuring squeeze.
"I promise, you are safe here." Rosella looked at her, and then she slowly pulled her into the Royal library. She finally realized her stepsister's hand and turned back to her with a smile.
"Here we are, you can stay here until dinner. Annetta and her friends have never come in her and they wouldn't start now." Then she saw Rosella's face change and Gabrielle braced herself for a tantrum. She should have known her sister would not be happy looked up in a library. What was heaven to her, must have seemed like a cruel punishment to Rosella. However, her stepsister's next words would surprise her.
"I don't understand...I don't understand at all. Why are you being so nice to me? What reason do you have?" Gabrielle looked at her stepsister in stunned silence for a moment. In all the years she had served Rosella she had never asked why she did anything, just expected her to obey and help her. Had Rosella realized she had stepped over the line the day she called her a whore? Well, she could ponder it later, right now she deserved an answer.
"Because...even though we have never been close, Rosella." She took a breathe, "You are still my family and...sister." She had called her sister, not stepsister, "I have no desire to see a member of my family being bullied, or hurt. Also...because when someone is being wronged, no matter who they are, it is the right thing to step in and help. It is just being a good person. This is a cruel world we live in. You saw that with Annetta and her girls. I believe in helping those who need it." Gabrielle finished her peace and Rosella was silent. The curly blonde looked down, and then a masculine deep throat clear, was heard behind them. Both girls looked back to see a dwarf.
"Oh, Peter." Gabrielle gave him a polite curtsey, wondering what the dwarf had overheard of them talking. How many people were going to eavesdrop on her conversations today?
"Hello, Lady Gabrielle...and..." He made a gesture to Rosella.
"Oh, this is my st-sister Rosella." Gabrielle was herself unsure of why she called Rosella her sister instead of stepsister, she never had before. Peter gave them both a bow.
"Hello Lady Rosella." He greeted her,
"Uhh...hello Peter," Greeted back Rosella with an uncharacteristic shy tone in her voice. Gabrielle got an idea.
"Peter, I have to meet someone in the forest, would you mind showing my sister around the library, please?" She asked, in a hopeful tone, as she prayed to Hestia for him to say yes. Peter was staring at Rosella and didn't answer right away, but he finally responded.
"Yes, I will, Lady Gabrielle. I would be my honor to show Lady Rosella around the library." Gabrielle smiled brightly at the dwarf.
"Thank you, Peter." She turned back to Rosella, and asked
"Is that fine with you?" Rosella looked up at her and gave a shy nod. Gabrielle had no idea what was the cause of her usually bold sister's silence. Was it the shock of Annetta bullying her, or the surprise of seeing a dwarf? Perhaps both? She gave her a nod and turned to leave the library.
"Goodbye Rosella, and Peter and thank you again!" She called as she left. Gabrielle then took a deep breathe, now that the Rosella situation was settled for now and went back to her room in the royal suites to put away her weapon before going to meet Kianda.
The Southwestern path was a good walk away and rather secluded, but it was maintained enough to walk on. The only people who really game here were gardeners and nobles who wanted to be left alone.
Finally, she spotted Kianda up ahead and called to her, Kianda beckoned her closer to which she obliqued. The warrior woman was dressed in a simple, but beautiful green dress with white lacing among the bodice. Gabrielle thought the dress complimented her dark skin well.
"What was it you wish to speak to me about, Kianda?" She said, and Kianda looked at her.
"Back there when you called me your friend in front of those noble women...did you mean it?" Gabrielle nodded, sternly.
"Yes, I did. I know we never talked about this, but you and my stepsister, Estelle, are the only people I consider my friends here. Did I offend you? I apologize if I said something that wasn't true." Kianda closed her dark brown eyes for a moment.
"No, Gabrielle, it's fine. I was just surprised. Just...surprised." Silence followed, Gabrielle felt the wind sweep across her blonde locks as she thought over the words of the warrior woman. So Kianda and her were friends now, officially? The blonde felt relief and a weight, she didn't know she had been carrying, lift off her shoulders at Kianda's confirmation. Then, Kianda turned and started walking up the path, beckoning her to follow, which Gabrielle did. Now the two women were walking, side by side.
"Gabrielle," Kianda began, with some hesitation in her voice that she was not use too out of the older woman. "I think it is time I tale you how I came here. You must have wondered what a black woman is doing as a solider in a foreign white army instead of back home in her village." Gabrielle turned her head to look at Kianda.
"I'll admit I have, but I have seen some black soldiers in Prince Adrian's army and I overheard you speaking to them in another language, so I guessed you came with them." Kianda gave a nod.
"That is correct, Gabrielle, I did come with them, but you must have noticed I am the only black woman here."
"Yes, I have you are the only black woman I have ever meet and the first one I ever saw." Gabrielle admitted. The blonde turned her head back in front of her, in the direction of the winding path. How long was this trail?
"There is a reason for this and it's about my past. Would you be interested in hearing my tale, Gabrielle." The young girl turned toward the older woman and nodded,
"Yes, I would if you are comfortable with telling me this." She said, gently.
"I am now. Let's begin, Asase, my home country, is not really a country. Your generals and scholars have made us a country on out maps to make it easier for them to label us. But in truth, we are tribes ruled by a single chief, some very small and small very big. The tribes of my homeland often fought one another in times of famine, or when one chief wanted to make himself a warlord and conquer other villages to steal their cattle, goods, and women."
Gabrielle listened quietly, so this was a land with no kings. To be honest it didn't sound much different from how her country and the ones surrounding it went about. She guessed in the end that all humans were the same inside, no matter what skin they had, or country they came from. Kianda continued,
"I was born in a big village and my father was the chief. As a little girl, I would watch my brothers fight and I wanted to learn to fight myself. When I asked my father he laughed at me and told me to go fetch water like a good woman. However, I was too stubborn of a child for that. I got my brothers to teach my the arts in secret, but one day an elder caught be and brought me before my father for punishment. I was expecting the worse." Kianda paused
So Kianda hadn't been raised from birth to be a warrior woman, she had to learn in secret. In a way Gabrielle had too at first, she guesses that warrior women all had to learn their arts in secret. However, what was Kianda's father's reaction to her breaking his rules? The warrior woman ended her pause,
"My father only asked me one question. Would I trade the life of a woman to be a man? I said yes, and that was it. I was allowed to train openly with the other men. At first they were wary of a warrior woman in their midst, but I proved myself, by always meeting their challenges. They became my brothers. Together I felt unstoppable with them. Then on my fifteenth year something happened." Kianda now had a look of pain in her eyes.
Gabrielle was now worried for what was going to happen next, she didn't expect it to be a happy story, but Kianda looked to be in pain.
"Our village was attacked by a fierce warlord. I killed several of his men, but he overpowered me and took me off on his horse back to his village. In my village once a virgin woman is carried off by the enemy she is considered their property and nothing can be done to get her back. My brothers however, would not hear it and they wondered off in search of me. At that time there were rumors that on the coast had arrived people with skin the color of sea foam had powerful weapons. My brothers went to the coast and found Prince Adrian and begged for his help in recovering me. The Prince agreed to this and they went off to the warlord's village.
Gabrielle's eyes widened at the mention of Adrian agreeing to save Kianda so readily it didn't seem like him. She would have expected him to demand something in return...unless Kianda was leaving that part out.
"Meanwhile," She continued, "The warlord brought me to his tent and tried to make me his woman."
Gabrielle felt the blood drain from her face at that,
"But I fought him off and graved one of the weapons form the wall of his hut and stabbed him through the skull. It was the only time in my life I actually enjoyed killing someone."
Gabrielle felt relief to know Kianda had avoided being violated.
"I sneaked out of the village after dark and went into the forest. When the villagers found their leader stabbed through the skull the next morning they cried for vengeance and headed out to find me. But my brothers found me first, along with Prince Adrian and his men. Prince Adrian and my brothers knew that the villagers would come for my blood for they readied an ambush for them and it worked and they were killed. However, we knew this would only make the still living villagers angry and if word got out I, the one who had killed their warlord, was still alive and in the village, then they would come after my village and destroy it. I felt at lost until the prince made me an offer, to join his army. Not only did I agree, but so did some of my brothers. The rest went home to report my death and a few of their brothers. My father has no idea I am still alive." Kianda finished.
Gabrielle paused for a long moment. So Kianda had given up everything to protect her village, to protect her own people. Before Gabrielle could stop herself, she felt a tear slide down her cheek and soon she was crying at the story. Kianda seemed startled by her reaction and both women stopped walking the trail.
"I-I-I...think...you are very...brave." She managed to get out between her sobs. She whipped her eyes and didn't say anything until she calmed herself back down.
"Thank you, Gabrielle." The warrior woman, said softly, "Now since I have shared my story I think it is time you shared yours." Kianda looked her straight into her green eyes, "I know you didn't grow up the life as a normal noble woman." Gabrielle managed a weak nod and took a deep breathe.
"It all started when my father died..." Gabrielle told her story of being made a slave in her own household and the abuses she had suffered under the hands of her stepmother. She also told her her recently blossoming relationship with Estelle, but left out that she was a woman lover. That was Estelle's right to tell. She finally finished. Gabrielle know realized they had been walking the trail for a long time and had gotten further from the palace than she had been in months.
"I see," stated Kianda, when Gabrielle had finished, "That explains many things." Gabrielle could only manage a nod. There was a silence then, but it was interrupted not by words, but by the thunder of horse hooves and the wheels of a carriage. Both women turned to see a carriage drawn by black horses speeding up the path, their way. They immediately got out of the way.
"I didn't know that carriages were allowed on trails." Gabrielle whispered, she had never seen a carriage on a trail."
"They aren't" Kianda said with narrow eyes. When the carriage reached them, it stopped and the door open to reveal...Isodara with a big man by her side. Gabrielle was too stunned to move. How had her stepmother found her out here? Isodara got out of the carriage, and dusted off her purple dress, so did the big man. He was judge. Well over, six feet fall and muscles covered ever inch of his body. She wondered how he could possibly even fit in a carriage.
"Lady...Isodara," Gabrielle managed to get out. Her stepmother grinned.
"Gabrielle, you have been causing a lot of trouble so I have come to take you away from here." Gabrielle took a step back and shook her head.
"No, I am not going anywhere with you." She told her stepmother. Kianda stepped, protectively, in between Gabrielle and her stepmother.
"Oh, looks like we will have to do this the hard way." Said Isodara, in a face disappointed voice. The big man made a move to grave Gabrielle, but Kianda made a move to strike him. However, even the man was big he was not slow, he blocked the warrior woman easily enough. Then he graved by the throat and lifted her into the air. Gabrielle could see Kianda kicking and struggling for oxygen.
"Let her go!" screamed Gabrielle, as she tried to pound against the man to realize her friend, but it was like hitting a wall.
"Oh, why would I do that?" Asked, Isodara, "And leave a witness?" Finally, Kianda stopped kicking and her body went completely numb. The big man throw Kianda to the side and Gabrielle rushed to her friend's side, kneeling beside her. She touched her chest and prayed to Hestia, then she felt it a heartbeat. Relief filled her, Kianda was not dead, but passed out. However, there was no way Kianda could help her now...and Isodara didn't want to leave any witnesses.
She had to make them think Kianda was dead to save her life.
"You bastard, you killed her!" She gave her must anguished scream, which was probably helped by the fact she had been crying earlier. She braised they would not notice the subtle rise and fall of Kianda's chest. The big man walked up to her and graved her from the back of the arms and forced her to turn to her stepmother.
"You foolish girl." She began, "I should have known better than to let you near the prince and the queen. All you do is cause trouble, just like your mother." Gabrielle stared at her stepmother in confusion. Her stepmother just laughed.
"You stupid thing, you don't even have a clue, do you. Your mother is responsive for both the prince's cursed heart and yours." Gabrielle's mouth fell open.
"My heart..."
"Yes, your heart is cursed as well, supposedly. You were cursed to have a pure heart in contrast to the prince having no heart. I don't have time to explain more."
"Jetson, load her into the carriage." Gabrielle was then tossed into the carriage and her stepmother and Jetson got in, she was trapped between them and the carriage took off at a breakneck pace. Kianda just prayed that Kianda would awaken soon and tell the others. But still her mind was in shock...her own heart was cursed?