"W-what are you saying, mum?"

Trembling in disbelief, I asked her.

"Just who does he think he is, to show up anytime?!"

"That bastard." I seethed, with angry tears filling my eyes.

Thinking he could show up again. Making us to think he cared, then leaving again.

"You need to calm down, dear. He was sorry that you had to go to the choosing. Your dad aims to make peace with us." Mum said.

Peace?

"There is no peace, mum. Not with us, his second family. He should look for peace with his first."

I said, looking around at the happy guests. Caspian was with some group of men, I recognized to be chiefs and elders. I recognized some from the Great Dance.

"He's still your father, dear. My husband,"

"He has another wife, mum! Another set of children in his district. A family he cherishes more. He's trying to use us again!!" I exclaimed immediately. "Get that into your head, please..."

I untangled my hands from her shoulders. Her hands connected with my face, giving me a fitful slap.

The minute she did, guards surrounded her, extending their swords towards her. My heart thudded erratically, as I looked around, wondering how it even came to this.

Her. Us. Here.

Perhaps, it started right from the time I was born.

~Flashback~

Right from when Simon Goodchild, gave birth to me, he showed no signs, that he would one day, leave.

As an elderly man, with a moustache he was proud of, dad supported my dreams to be able to read and write. Mum was the exact opposite, with ideas that a woman's place was just where she was. And where she should be.

"I'm going to the mountains, dad."

I whispered literally every since I've been able to walk. First was our neighbour's stack of books, next was a disguise as a young boy to learn knowledge. It wasn't the most pleasant moment, when Duke Peter caught me.

I was excused for lacking a sense of what is wrong and right.

I gave up, till I was 14. And when I told dad about it, he allowed me. Mum was a no-go-area.

"Tell mum you sent me on an errand, please,"

I added, in my piece of disguise. Moses was good to lend me his clothes, so everyone around thought I was some young male.

"Don't be long," Dad had said, with a wink, hitting an axe, and cutting a piece of hard wood for mum to cook with.

"Promise!"

I said, excitedly, running down the hill. Cautious at my every movement and step. Some villagers, set traps for rodents and other animals, I won't want to be caught in.

"You're late,"

Moses said the minute we met at our meeting spot. In his hands were a bucket of dirt, I had told him to fetch from his aunt's eating shop.

"Mum made me wash and scrub the entire house. Moon knows how I'm tired," I let out, putting it all over my face.

"Let's be quick then, so she doesn't suspect."

Moses said, as we moved to go.

"Been dying to do this," he said, entrapping me in his hands and kissing me.

"I have dirt of my face," I objected, pushing him away.

"Not too dirty to kiss you. You're the one stirs me, Ava. Told you my feelings already." he said, as we walked.

"We've been through this," I said hastily.

I had been in love with him, in the past, but not anymore.

Not again, but he never understood that.

"I have dreams and can't just be swooped by your advances, Moses."

"I told my aunt about us." Moses replied hastily, as we walked.

"It doesn't matter, I'm just 14!" I stated, giving him the can of dirt, with a glare.

"I'm not asking you to marry me. Yet, at least. Just accept my proposal. In two years, we'll marry and explore the world together."

He said, just as we halted at the village's library.

I peeked through the glass of the village library. It was empty, yet we could hear noises.

It was the library male manager, and a female maid, making love. She held him so closely, as he pounded into her ravishly. Moses closed my eyes, pulling me down. We giggled at the scene, afterwards.

A scandal, with the employees.

Guess I had something to hold on too, when I got caught in the library.

"So, what do you say?" Moses energized.

"I say we enter the library, and you give up."

I knocked on the door and the minute I entered; I slammed the door at his face. The moment we were both in, I noticed the maid wasn't in sight again.

"Welcome to the town's library, you both! Show me your passes and pick whatever you're interested in,"

We did as he asked, knowing it was going to be a long day.

...

"She's a witch!"

Barbara exclaimed, as I read a cordial marriage invitation, of the town's clown, to her.

"I'm not a witch. But I forgive your brain for being restricted to the idea, that only males should read and write." I stated, almost immediately.

"Huh?! Who do you think you are?" Barbara snarled angrily, aiming to cross over the fence that separated us.

About three other girls gathered, who were my neighbors, gathered. They seemed to have been milking the cows, but entirely distracted from Barbara's accusation.

"Goodness me, Barbara! Why are you relating with the anomaly?" A girl screeched.

"We are not to mingle with them. Mama is a going to lose it!" Her cousin, added, running towards us.

I felt a part of me die down instantly.

Girls of my age range didn't like associating with me. Seeing me as an outcast, and anomaly, they did the same to every other girl who could read a book.

"That's hurtful but good thing, I don't get angry at people not enlightened."

"What do you mean?" Barbara said, with a look of surprise.

"That I'll rather be miles away, than be around absurd people who won't accept me," I stubbornly let out, with a polite bow of mockery, in my boyish trousers.

"Ava!!"

Barbara exclaimed, taking a hold of a bucket of cow dung.

"Enjoy milking your cows, knitting, and fattening for a so-called husband that'd treat you worse than filth itself!"

I ran off, totally avoiding the cow dung, which she ended up tripping on. I didn't miss the astonished looks on their faces, plus Barbara's dirty face and hair.

I remember that day being hilarious.

Until I entered our little house. As I looked for something to eat, I heard sniffles from mum's room.

"M-mum? W-why are you crying?"

I rushed to her asking.

"It was all a sham. A mere pretense, dear. Your father is fleeing. He confessed he is a spy, from a rival district." She held me saying, in a broken tone.

"Our lives didn't mean, any—"

"That's impossible!" I said, with tears surrounding my eyes.

I didn't believe that was possible. Couldn't imagine everything was fake. Our experiences...all for his district?

"Dad... Dad!" I called out, running to him as he packed his belongings.

My hands wrapped around him, which he ripped off immediately.

"The soldiers would soon be here for me, soon." he spoke. "I have to go now."

"I-It can't be true? W-what about Jasmine?" I pointed to my little sister, who was just at a corner. So sick and pale.

At the sight, more tears came from my eyes, with my heart aching that it was true.

"And mum? What about me, dad? What about me?!" I shouted out, screaming with all of my vocals.

My hands reached for his belongings, dragging myself with him. But he ripped my hands off.

"Behave, Ava!" he coldly said, with his face in a threatening expression. Knowing I was powerless, I ran to mum.

"Mum? You can't let him leave. You have to do something. Mum! Do anything!!!"

I exclaimed, running to Jasmine, who was crying so much. She had begun to drag herself on the floor, too weak to stand up.

I reached out to pet her, still crying so hard. I remembered that day vividly.

Simon Goodchild thudded his footsteps towards the door, without even looking back at his family. Shaking my head in disbelief, my hands rode up to my face, wiping off my tears. I made sure Jasmine was tucked in, before walking to him with firm and confident footsteps.

"If you w-walk through that door... you'll mean nothing to us from this day on, I promise." I seethed, with a look of hate and displeasure.

"You've always been the strong one, in this house." Dad stated. "Rebelling at the systems, even if no one was in support. You took that from your Grandma, but I'm not capable of that."

Simon walked through the door, closing it behind. Next thing I heard, was a carriage riding off.

I screamed in agony, throwing everything I could lay my hands on, in so much pain.

...

Sorry for the late updates, dearies. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for the 1 million reads 🥺🥺

I hope you also support my TikTok (ra_higheels) and Insta (ra_high_eels)🥰