Checkmate Part One

Haru did everything she could to prepare herself for this day. It was only her misfortune that the pig had decided to die when the snow was really starting to pile up.

She shivered through the thin, patched shawl she'd been given as a 'last mercy' as she did her best to follow the road while she could still see it. 'This is still the best day of my life,' she thought furiously as she breathed into her frozen hands in an effort to warm them, even as one of her fingers throbbed from the rough treatment of the count. 'Even if I die from the cold, I die a free woman. Ugh, that inconsiderate lout would get himself killed in winter! Not in literally any other season that travelers would easily cope with, oh no! Why couldn't he have shown me… right.'

Her breath came out as a steamy sigh. He'd never shown her anything but contempt, even when he accepted her private compromise. Haru didn't understand why he acted like she forced herself on him when it was completely the reverse, but-

She shook her head violently. "No, he's not my problem anymore," she snarled, putting more steam into her stride. "All I have to do is survive until I can take shelter, and my victory is complete."

But deep down, Haru knew how unlikely it was she was going to see the next morning. This was already more exercise than she was used to, and her garments were really too heavy to be worn for this long. At least she'd been smart enough to slowly increase the weight over time and go for walks and such to build up her meager strength.

In spite of her efforts, there just wasn't a way to prepare for the weather without making it obvious that she knew she was going to be kicked out of her residence at first opportunity and couldn't wait to be on her way. For the same reason she didn't up and leave before this day, she knew the only way to break ties with the family was if they willed it. They were even 'kind' enough to have her dropped off a certain distance from the estate, though it was doubtful that she had been dropped off anywhere close enough to offer help.

But she was so cold. While it was better than dying where her tormentors could see her, being frozen to death was still a miserable way to go.

After a while, her ears picked up the telltale signs of a wagon with horses approaching from behind. She looked over her shoulder hopefully and had to fight to keep the tears from freezing her cheeks worse than they were already experiencing.

"Woah," the peasant woman at the reins encouraged the horses, pulling them up short as they were about to pass the girl. "What on earth is a little thing like you doing out here, and so far from any town?!"

"My husband died," Haru explained through trembling lips, grateful that a lie wasn't needed. "Even though he worked for the count, I was still tossed out like old potato peelings."

"Shameful!" she boomed angrily, hopping off the seat and carefully guiding the frozen girl to the back of the wagon, where three children were huddled together in a small number of blankets. "Darlings, this poor dear's in need, please share your warmth with her."

Climbing into the wagon was more easily said than done at this point, and it still wasn't as warm as she would have liked, but it was definitely better than braving the elements alone as the woman climbed back into the driver's seat.

A little girl with long black braids looked up at Haru worriedly as she snuggled against the girl with a wince from the cold flesh. "Why are there rocks in your dress?"

"They're weights," Haru stammered, feeling both selfish and guilty for her extra burden. "They're to keep my dress from flying up in the wind."

"Doesn't that make the dress heavy?" the youngest girl with a nearly baby lisp asked from her brother's arms.

"Yes, but they didn't let me change clothes before kicking me out. They even took away my sewing bag in case I had anything valuable in it," Haru added angrily.

She decided to leave out that the count had dumped everything onto the floor in his eagerness to find anything of value in her bag, and had been too enraged at not finding anything more expensive than her little pair of scissors to let her gather it all up again. She could only assume that meant his servants had already tried going through her things before approaching her with the news that she was finally a widow. "The count isn't a very nice man," Haru added flatly, trying to maneuver herself in a way that wouldn't inconvenience the children but provide a little comfort as the wagon started finding every pebble and bump the road had to offer. "He was the one that insisted I be thrown out immediately."

"Well that's not nice!" a boy slightly older than the sister said hotly. "His mother should take him over one knee and spank him for being so mean!"

"His mother approved of kicking me out. She could use a good spanking, too," Haru confided with a wicked smile, now that she could get away with saying it aloud. 'That hag had no business being so cruel when she was the reason I ever set foot in that horrible place!'

The children giggled appreciatively before asking her questions about the count's home. Since she'd been forced to live there for three and a half years, Haru was able to answer most of the questions and guess the few she wasn't sure of. She carefully worded herself in ways that made her sound like a rejected maid, since she'd had plenty of chances to see how the maids were treated.

Luckily, she'd never been to the town Ichigo took her and the children to, and it was simple enough to disguise her identity as 'Naru' when asked by the innkeeper.

She wouldn't put it past the count or his mother to have delivered a threat in advance to anyone that offered Haru aide after the inevitable expulsion, though she already knew the family was hoping that it would be because her husband had managed to get one of his many lady friends pregnant instead of her over his death.

The thought of the two times he thought he'd managed it warmed her just as much as the hot baths the inn gave the poor family, as well as the hot stew with fresh bread that had been the standard meal.

"I'm afraid I really can't afford to give you more than this one night with my family," Ichigo apologized sadly as they all curled into the large single bed the room had been provided with.

"I promise that this is all I needed. You are an angel of mercy, and I hope every good thing is rained down on you and the children," Haru promised with an adoring smile.

She had to say it tonight. Even with the cold driving everyone into their own homes, news of her husband's death would be spreading to the common people soon enough. She didn't have the conscience to put this sweet little family in more danger than they'd already signed up for by saving her life. Or the innkeeper and his family, for that matter. No one understood better than she how vindictive the count's family could be when they've been thwarted in their desires, and at least she had a destination in mind for her new home.

She knew she needed more time than a hot meal and a good night's sleep to recover from her ordeal, but she knew this town was still under the count's district. The sooner she disappeared from his county, the safer she and everyone else would be.

Not that it stopped her from slipping several coins into Ichigo's purse when she forced herself to leave a bit after midnight. More would have easily been warranted, but again, the purpose was to disappear without a trace.

xxXxx

A/N: I didn't upload last Friday because of updating early due to my niece. This is a three-parter, and provided I stop getting distracted, all the parts will be my Christmas special.