Herald of Steel

"I spent the next six years of my life in that mansion, obeying everything that was expected of me."

"But then one day, all of that suddenly came crashing down!"

"Suddenly one day I woke up to find that all my lessons disappeared, all my teachers were dismissed, and everything that was expected of me no longer mattered."

"I was left all alone! Like I once wished I was."

As Lady Felicia said this, her voice sounded hollow and empty.

It was apparent that though she was initially reluctant, somewhere along those long six years, she had grown accustomed to her routine.

In fact, after her initial shock of being taken to this unknown place wore off, Lady Felicia quickly grew to love the cushy life afforded to her.

No longer did she have to eat the hard, almost rock like black bread that was mixed with inedible substances like sawdust.

Now she could eat pure white bread, a loaf of which would have cost her mother her entire day's wage.

No longer did she have to wait for the next year's fall harvest or new year to eat one thin slice of meat.

Now she could eat it three times a day, every day.

No longer did she have to wait one month to eat one single egg, now eggs were served almost with every meal.

And this same standard applied to everything, from her dresses to jewelry to her accommodations.

Everything she was given to eat, wear and live in was the best in the world.

Hence, though not particularly loved by the mansion, Lady Felicia certainly loved the mansion.

So when all that was suddenly taken away from her, the fear and helplessness she felt was like being sucked into an abyss.

Lady Felicia would never forget the way her heart had hurt that day.

And even she found it incredible just how fearful she was of being kicked out of there and being made to live with her mother.

Just a couple of years ago that was her dream.

Oh, how money and materials could change hearts!

But what was the reason why was this stopped?

Or why was she even given such luxury in the first place?

Sensing Alexander's curious gaze regarding these exact queries, after a short pause, Lady Felicia in a languid, dismissive tone replied, 

"I would never be told why that happened by anyone."

"But over the years I have been able to piece it together myself."

"It seemed that once I was chosen by my father to marry a nobleman …as a way for him to ally with the man." 

"That's why I was taken from my mother."

"But before I could be properly groomed, he died of an illness. So the deal fell through."

"And I, who had now lost its value was left to the wayside, and …..*sigh*," Giving off a long, sad sigh, Lady Felicia in a placid, disinterested tone finished, "Well after two years of working in the mansion as a maid, I was married to Lapitus."

"..." Lady Felicia's story was not anything unique, in fact, such instances could be found a dime a dozen in most places and so hearing it, Alexander's heart did not have many waves.

Instead, he calculated that at the time of her marriage, Lady Felicia should be around 14 to 15 years old, which was very normal for the time, and which would make her 25 or 26 now, provided that what she said about her daughter being 10 was correct. 

"Why did your father choose Lapitus?" And then Alexander turned his attention to the man, wanting to know more about him and what was so special about him that Lord Ponticus betrothed his daughter to him.

On the query, Lady Felicia was very frank, revealing, 

"He saved my father's life during a battle …took a spear to the stomach. And when he was given the choice of a reward for his bravery, he asked for my hand."

"And my father was very glad to let go of a freeloader like me." Up to this point, Lady Felicia's tone was very mechanical, like a very poor recitation of drab poetry, like the life she was retelling was not of her, but of an unknown stranger.

She did not at all appear bitter or sad at her fate being controlled like this.

Up until that point that was.

For then her tone suddenly turned melancholic and rueful.

"At this, I was very happy initially. Lapitus and I knew each other from almost the first day. He was the son of the mansion's steward and took care of the horses. We would regularly meet during my equestrian lessons." 

"So I thought that I at last could some love that was ever so absent in my life …hahaha," Lady Felicia let out a very convincing hollow, self depriciating chuckle as if she was laughing at herself for having those naive thoughts.

Then shaking her head, with a mournful breath she claimed, "In truth, he only ever wanted me for my beauy. My life with him… *sigh*..." 

Lady Felicia made it seem like she was reluctant to discuss the couple's very personal problems with an outsider, only finishing by saying, "The only good thing that came out of it was my Fabiyana."

Saying so Lady Felicia's eyes appeared glassed and teary.

 "....." And as she finished the heavily embellished retelling of her life, Alexander did not know exactly how to comfort her.

Saying things like, 'You will be safe with me from now' or something along that line sounded overly familiar and would give the wrong impression.

So Alexander tried to veer the conversation by asking, "Your father ….do you not like him? For what he did?"

And this was actually a trap question.

Because in this time and age, it was the norm for fathers to choose the man for their daughters.

No decent girl would ever put the blame for their family troubles on their father's choice of partners.

So by asking this, Alexander wanted to see Lady Felicia's character.

But being the shrewd woman she was, of course, Lady Felicia could see this 'childish' attempt from a mile away.

So putting on a facade of finality, she heavily shook her head, 

"No, never! How could I? Although he was not perfect, he always tried his best to make it up to me and my mother."

"He tried to make time for me and always gave me the best clothes, the best food, and the best teachers."

"Even most of the dresses and jewelry I wear now were gifted to me by him."

Lady Felicia's answer seemed to resolve one of the great mysteries in Alexander's heart, while the woman Lady Felicia continued,

"And he was generous even towards my mother. He once contemplated taking her as his official mistress."

"But in the meantime, my mother seemed to have fallen in love with a traveling merchant.

"And when he found out, not only did he punish her, he even allowed her to follow the man to his city! He even gave them some money as a wedding gift!"

"As for my marriage with Lapitus, well it was done with the best of intentions. My father, like me, thought he was a man of straight morals."

"But who knew he would be such a wolf in sheep's clothing!"

Lady Felicia shook her head in melancholy for the umpteenth time, drawing quite a bit of sympathy from Alexander.

Of course, it had to be said that most of all what she said were lies.

The only truth here was how she and Lapitus got married.

Other than that everything was fabricated to suit her narrative.

Lapitus was no abusive husband, in fact, he was caring to almost a fault.

Her father Lord Ponticus rarely looked at her, never mind living and caring for her.

Her mother did not leave the city with his lover.

In fact, it was Lady Felicia who forced her to leave by handing her a bag of money and saying these biting words, 'It would be too shameful for a nobleman's wife to have a whore for a mother. Please disappear and never contact me again, Do not ruin your daughter's life again."

It would be hard to imagine just how poisonous those words would have sounded to a mother.

And after all the pain and struggle she had endured for her.

But thinking about her daughter's future, Lady Felicia's mother did exactly so.

With a broken heart and weeping eyes, she left the city she had lived her whole life in, leaving everyone she knew and all the connections behind.

Just for her beloved daughter.

And since her daughter had asked, the two had no contact with each other for the previous ten years, 

Lady Felicia did not know where she was or even if she was alive.

As for all of her expensive dresses, well she had gotten those using very dubious means.

But she everything had said to Alexander, she said it in such a way that would be very hard to verify.

After all, regardless of whether Lapitus opened the gates or Alexander's men stormed them, the fate of everyone in the mansion would be the same. 

They would not be alive to counter Lady Felicia's claims.

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