Light of the Unexpected Adventure

Chapter 8 Anger Distribution

Gabriella's POV

We have all had our fair share of harassment given to us by men so effortlessly, but at this rate, I think mine was the worst in this instance.. at least for now. Most of their faces stare back at me with an understanding or maybe pity, but for some reason Grace does not look like that, which surprises me. Grace glares at me as if I did something wrong, and I am not the only one out of us to notice this reaction. "What's wrong with you? It's not like you were the one attacked." Victoria states with protectiveness in her tone as she elbows Grace.

In turn, Grace glares at her as she reaches over, taking the side of the cape into her hand as she drops it, then giving me that same disgusted look, as if I have done something wrong by having this cape with me. "He gave you his cape, and you kept it?" she asks with distain in her tone to me accepting this, but there is nothing to deny here so I nod. "It's really warm, and I am freezing... He gave it to me of his own free will.. So why not?" I state as the rest of them nodded at my explanation, I think understanding why.

"I just hope you don't get in trouble for having that in your possession. Or get us in trouble for knowing you have it, because I had nothing to do with you getting that and don't want to get a lashing for it. You know how Mother Ann gets when it comes to bringing things in that she doesn't approve of into this hut. Besides, aren't the King's men punished for not having their full uniform on? If so, then you got him in trouble for accepting this." Grace stated to me as I nervously nod understanding what she is saying but I still don't feel like I am wrong because of how the interaction went with him.

"I know, I thought about that as well.. And I tried to give it back, I swear I did, but he refused to take it back and told me to forget about him and his gestures.. and to just come back here. He wouldn't even tell me his name, or I would try to find him to give it back tomorrow." I declared to them as they stared at me nervously. "Well, what did he look like?" Victoria asks as I shake my head before replying, "I don't know, it was dark, and I had a lot I was dealing with, being attacked and all."

The tone that I tried to declare this explanation in is just to tell them I am not in the mood for this questionnaire. I am losing patience by feeling as if they are questioning my actions when I was the one attacked, it wasn't the other way around so why would I be being treated as such. I watched as the girls shake their heads, looking back and forth between one another. "You had to have seen something." Victoria almost demands this of me as the others start nodding their heads in unison. But I just shake my head as much as they are nodding theirs.

"Young or old?" Grace asks as I shake my head again. "Pale or dark skin?" Merida adds as I shrug my shoulders and my head again. "Are you sure it was a man? I have heard that there are some women fighting in the King's guard." Victoria asks as I can finally nod at something. "Yes he had a deep voice and was tall with broad shoulders. But that's all I know. The rest of him was covered in darkness. The only bit I could see to indicate who it was, was the armor he had on, lit by the moonlight.. and all I have left of him is this cape." I explain as they huff out with me this time, feeling the frustration.

I get it, I wish I knew more too, I want to know the kind of person who would do such a selfless thing but I also want to make sure that he doesn't get in trouble for the selfless act either. "I'm so sorry that happened to you.. did he, the attacker.. you know.. Do things to you?" Merida asks sheepishly not wanting to say the horrific things he could have done to me, but luckily I don't have to think about that. "No.. I was washing myself and the cloth as he came up and caught me naked and off guard. I ran and fought, but the guard snuck up and saved me before anything horrific could be done. I'm sure that's exactly what would have happened if he hadn't saved me." I explain with embarrassment taking over for some unknown reason.

"Thankfully, that never happened. Too bad you don't know whom to thank for his good heart and strong fists." Grace declares as I nod. "I asked him who he was, but he just said he is no one and not to think about him. But I did tell him thank you as he was leaving." I say nervously before she nods and elbows Victoria. "That's not the thanks I was thinking of." she says in a playful tone as the girls giggle. "Grace!" I gasp looking shocked by her words, even though I know she is just making a jest.

"What? A man selflessly saves me like that, just to save my honor as a woman, when he didn't have to. That thought alone gets my heart jumping, I think that I would be more than willing to give him that honor that he saved in return. If he gave me that choice then it would be his.. if you understand what I am implying." she says as I laugh at her shaking my head. "Grace.. you devil you." she giggles back before saying. "Don't think anything of my words.. I'm saving myself for that King anyways." she says as I feel my eyebrows scrunching together as I continue to laugh.

"What?" I ask as Grace gives me a know-it-all look. "I knew you weren't paying attention at the beheading. The announcement before it happened was that the King is looking for a suitable wife.. and I am going to be in line for that. But you have to have a gift to give to be even considered so I am trying to figure out what to do for him." she declares as I shake my head. She scoffs at my reaction to that as the other two girls look just as shocked as I feel about this information. "You're telling me you're not going to be going for that golden opportunity at a great life, by getting the opportunity to be the Queen?" Grace snaps at me and my reaction to her information.

I look at Merida and Victoria who look just as shocked as I feel but this comment. "No, I don't want any part of that, let alone what it would take to get an 'honor' such as that offered to me.. Besides, the life offered would be nice, but I don't want to be stuck in a life behind those brick walls. I can barely stand this life of being locked away from the outside world.. let alone being kept from anything and anyone in that prison to just have babies. no, thank you." I snap back as the girls look legitimately shocked by this comment from me.

The door whips open as we see Mother Ann glaring daggers at all of us. "I will give you this one pass since I am sure you just got in Gabriella, but you better shut that trap before I make you shut it. I need all the beauty sleep I can get and that is not happening with you talking all the time and keeping these young ladies up with your ramblings. Now go to sleep instead of being the bad influence on these young ladies. Or I will throw you outside to sleep, if you would like that better? You could bother the bugs with your ramblings then." she snaps before slamming the door as I look at the girls.

We all smile and silently giggle at that reaction to us. But also knowing that we need to stop this before we are actually kicked outside, just to receive a lashing tomorrow. We all know that she would willingly do that without hesitation. So I wiggle my way under the cape as I try to get comfortable, but that is much harder to do when you can feel the flooring under the thin cloth we like to call a bed. I instantly pulled the cape over my body to use as my blanket for the night before letting out a big yawn as my eyes effortlessly closed, lulling me into a deep sleep I knew I needed.

---------The next day--------------

It's been a very long day, even though the sun is only right above us, it feels as if it should be falling behind the trees any minute now just to end the day, but the day is only halfway through, to my dismay. This incredibly long day has been filled with demands and lashings, making the entirety of today thus far seem so much longer than it ever should just because Mother Ann is in one of her 'no real reason needed for a bad mood' today. She gets these quite often, just using any little excuse she can to have a bad mood.

Apparently, in light of the one time I woke her up last night, it seemed to be enough reason for her to pinpoint me today for most of her anger. So what she has told everyone who will hear it is that her bad attitude and lashings that she is throwing out at everyone around is to be blamed on me. Which has everyone on edge, even me, since she is mostly taking her unresolved anger out on me. The bruising on my arms happened almost instantly from her abrupt reactions to anything I have been doing today thus far.

The bruises are being shown like they are a part of my clothing, almost matching the older bruises that are almost gone and covering the blank areas where some have disappeared from. I just huff at the awful sight of them before pulling my sleeve over them to cover it from my eyes and the many other's. This doesn't phase me much anymore, since this is almost a daily occurrence at this point. I'm pretty used to it, but not everyone is used to seeing such things so I make sure to hide the bruises out of fear of how some will react to seeing them.

I am currently on my hands and knees, scrubbing the floor from the mess that was made by the Mothers once again. Most of the messes I am forced to clean up were not made by me, which makes the cleaning that much more frustrating. I huff out thinking about just that while shaking my head as the damp rag within my tight grasp scrapes across the brick floor. It is catching on every little piece of brick that seems to be coming up every now and then with the aggressive moves I make over it.

I hear a relentless stomping entering the room, knowing exactly who it is, and that if I stop my cleaning to look up, she will lash me for it. So I keep my eyes on the ground and damp rag, rubbing over every inch in front of me until I see that she is standing beside me. The tip of her leather bound shoes stand on the rag, stopping me from cleaning. Without missing a beat, she then kicks over the wooden bucket that was holding the water I was using to clean, all over the newly dried floors. "Oh no, I'm so sorry.. I didn't mean to. I am just so clumsy when I am without the sleep that I need." I roll my eyes knowing how intentional these actions are but also knowing there is nothing I can do about it.

"Start your time off girls.. But Gariella.. You have a shorter break than the rest.. You will have to clean up this mess that was obviously your fault since you put the bucket in such a bad spot that it got in my way.. You also incessantly disturbed my peace last night, so I feel the need to do the same to yours. So, on that note.. When you get back you will be cleaning the floor in my personal room first and then all the mother's rooms before making dinner for everyone... Then, after that, you will be doing all the laundry. Everyone needs some clothes for tomorrow, so make sure to ring it out enough that it will dry by morning.. You understand me?" Mother Ann snaps this at me, making me mad.

I look up at her making direct eye contact. I hate this frustration she has created within me. I am not this angry of a person, but she ignites that fire in me every single time she is near. It makes me mad how she acts as if I was screaming all night. I quietly came in once, but talked to my friends for a minute.. That's it. But when she doesn't get the night of sleep she wanted, then everyone has to pay. I groan out, glaring at her with my patience at it's breaking point. I see my friends shaking their heads behind her as I consider their silent warnings.

A smirk evolves on her face as she stares deep into my eyes. "What do you have something to say?" she spats at me as I continue to see my friends shaking their heads. I look back down before tearing the rag out from under her foot and wiping up the rest of the stray water up. I notice that she doesn't move a muscle, she hovers over me the entire time watching my every move. So, once I am done with that extra task, I stand and make direct eye contact with Mother Ann once again, but this time in such close proximity that I can smell her bad breath.

The smug look on her face makes me want to explode and punch her directly in that face of hers. I just want to give her something to really worry about. It's hard to hold that anger back. I shake my head, trying my best but losing the little bit of hold I had on my anger, I step closer, getting into her face as I clench my teeth. I want to say something, I need to say something. But before I can even respond, Mother Lisa is pushing me away from Mother Ann. "Get going before she changes her mind and doesn't let you have a break at all."

I huff out, swiping her hands off of my arms, stomping past my friends and out of the hut with a haste in my step, to put as much distance between the mothers and myself as possible. I hate this place so much, and I wish something would change.. Some things need to change for my sanity's sake.