The Broken Duke

Chapter 3

“I beg you to stop acting so childish,” Marie snapped. Her frustration had reached it’s peak.

“I will not leave the mirror. Mother brushed our hair in front of it, every morning! It goes with us!”

“The duke has already been generous enough. The mirror is much too large! If anything, we should sell it. A noble will pay handsomely for it.”

“NO! I won’t let you!” I screamed. I was never any good with letting go of the things our mother cherished. Or anything that reminded me of her.

“Perhaps, we can come back for it.” Father attempted to ease our squabbling.

“Father, no. Someone will steal it. I know it!”

“We should sell it so we can have a good start on the land. Don’t you agree, father?”

“Well…” Father rubbed the back of his neck. “Why don’t we see what we can fit on the wagon and go from there?”

“I’ll carry it on my back, before I let you sell it!” I shouted at Marie.

“Eve,” My father tried to coo. I stomped out of the room and continued packing my belongings.

“You spoiled her rotten, father.” Marie said after I slammed my door. There was only one room in our small house and the walls were terribly thin. Sometimes, the walls of our small home kept the cold at bay, allowing us to rest comfortably through the night. But on harsher evenings, the chill would seep in, making it impossible to stay warm without extra effort. During those times, we would gather every thick blanket we owned and drape them across the windows and doorways, hoping to block out the biting wind. Only then could we manage to fall asleep, bundled together for warmth, determined to make it through until morning.

Marie and I shared a small room, our beds pressed close together in the limited space. Father’s bed was set in the open area just outside, making our home feel even smaller. As I looked around the room, I could almost see our mother sitting on the edge of our bed, her gentle voice weaving tales of fiction and magic. These stories filled our nights with wonder, making the cramped room seem warm and full of possibility. Each time she spoke, her words brought comfort and a sense of belonging, leaving memories that lingered long after she was gone.

I blinked away the sudden tears and looked into the mirror that my mother spent so much time staring into. It was one of the few gifts that my father was adamant to buy her. He used an entire year’s earnings while he was courting her. Mother said he told her that he wanted to give her something as beautiful as she was. He said the only thing that compared was her own reflection. I smiled at the memory of her telling us that story. The gentle smile on her lips as she reminisced.

A gentle knock stopped my thoughts and I plopped down on my bed as father walked in. “Eve.” He sat down next to me. His eyes wondered to the reflection of us in the mirror.

“It’s like it means nothing to her. This was mother’s. We can’t sell it,” I grumbled.

He sighed. “Your sister is only trying to do what best for us. Just as your mother would want.” He laughed to himself. “You know this isn’t the worst winter of our time?” I looked at him pondering where he was going with this. “It’s true. There was another quite like it when you were just a babe. We were running low on rations in the village and your mother told me to take the mirror Lord Barra’s young wife at the time. She wanted to sell it, to feed us.” I looked down at my hands. “Thankfully, it didn’t come to that. Lord Barra had ordered his men to bring the villagers bread every other day. It was a blessing. But I want you to understand that your mother would be the first to sell it, if it meant that you would live better.”

I couldn’t help the tears that escaped as I exhaled. Father wrapped his arms around me as I cried into his chest. He kissed the top of my head and rocked me gently. “Nothing is set in stone, Eve. But your mother’s memory lives in you, not things.”

“But mother loved that mirror,” I whined. And even I could hear how childish I was being. I hadn’t meant to make things harder for us. I just—had a hard time parting with things that reminded me of her. It felt like we were leaving her behind, and I simply wasn’t ready to do that.

“No, your mother loved looking at you in that mirror. She loved watching you dance and pretending to slay dragons in front of it. The mirror only reflected what she loved most.”

I hick-upped and looked up at him. “So, mother loved me more than Marie?”

Father chuckled, “You mother loved you and your sister equally.”

“It’s not like we can actually sell it though. No merchants have come through here in months. I’d rather just leave it here than give it to some stranger.”

“Of course.” With that he kissed my head again and left me to my thoughts.

The morning that the duke’s coachman was meant to arrive, I had dragged myself out of bed and lazily helped take things out front.

“Pick up your feet, Eve. We haven’t got all day.” Marie snapped.

I didn’t respond. I didn’t have the energy to. My body felt weak and my heart felt heavy. I had swallowed the lump in my throat a hundred times already that morning.

“Look here he comes!” Marie said panicked. “Oh, hurry up, Eve. We don’t want to keep him waiting long.”

Again, I stayed silent. Nothing could easy the pain of leaving home behind. I knew I was burdening both father and Marie but I couldn’t help the ache my chest that spread through my arms and legs, making them feel like lead. We finished just as the wagon began to near. I stayed inside to take in our empty home. Only the beds and mother’s mirror and her chest were left. Marie burst through the door just as I was about to open it. A wide smile spread across her face.

“What is it?” I asked. She grabbed my hand and dragged me outside to see not one but two wagons waiting for us, along with two guards on horseback.

“We can take the mirror,” she said holding my hand tightly. She and I began to laugh and jump excitedly. The two coachmen helped us load everything and even brought us bread for the journey back. Marie and I sat with one coachman while father sat with the other. As excited as we were to be able to take everything with us, we knew that we were going to have a hard road ahead of us.

“The duke was quite generous to provide us with not one but two wagons. And even guards!” My father chuckled in disbelief to the coach man of his wagon.

“Yes, quite. I heard that he originally was going to travel here himself to ensure your safe journey, but of course he is a busy man and had a number of things to attend to.” Father’s coach man informed us.

“Goodness, we are blessed to have such a nobleman as the duke. He must have experience a number of hardships to have become so generous,” Marie commented.

“Indeed, not but a few months ago his betrothed had broken their engagement. He had a bout of the blues for several months.” The coach man of our wagon chimed in.

“Was it a love match? That would be so tragically romantic.” I asked.

“Do not pry, Eve. The duke is entitled to his privacy.” Marie scolded.

“I was only asking!” I snapped back.

Father’s coach man laughed, “Your daughters are quite lively. How do you manage them?” He meant it endearingly and that is exactly how my father took it.

“These days, they manage me.” Father jested back.