Slap....!!!! this sound echoed at the very morning in the Miral's house.
The slap left Liora Miral's cheek burning red, as her eyes turned misty.
"You vile, ungrateful little slut!" Her aunt, Evelyn, snarled at her; she was fuming with anger; her voice made Liora's knees buckle, and she hit the chill stone floor.
"Aunt, please stop! " Liora tried to cover her face. "I swear to God, I didn't..."
"Enough!" Evelyn's voice cut through her plea. She stood tall, her finger pointed like a blade at Liora. "Do you think we will believe your lies? The servants saw you sneaking around with that stable hand. Do you think they're blind?" Liora's heart pounded. "I don't know how I came here, aunt! Trust me... I was just..."
The slap landed again, with a force that left Liora's ears ringing. Her head snapped to the side, and her vision blurred. 'It hurts', blood filled her mouth as she bit her lip to keep from crying out.
"You've humiliated us beyond redemption!"
Liora kept kneeling, shaking, her hands gripping the fabric of her skirt as if it would anchor her. "Aunt, please! I swear on my life, it's not what you think!"
"Not what I think?" Her aunt's shrill laugh was filled with venom.
"Look at yourself! Filthy, dirty, hair loose like some street girl who just lost her chastisity." Liora's eyes widen; she knew this had not happened. She shook her head in denial. "And that boy out there, he is having no clothes on him; what is he doing? huh? helping you about the stables while you were pleasuring him. Do you think servants are blind? Do you think words won't spread?" Evelyn did her best to say the most hurtful words to Liora.
Liora's hands shot up to her hair, too late in the realization that it had come undone, and wild strands clung to her tear-streaked cheeks. Her skirt was crumpled and dust-streaked from where she had tripped in the stables, and her shoes were caked with dried mud. She looked every inch like the mess her aunt said she was.
"I didn't do anything wrong,!" she wailed; her voice was cracking. "He was just helping me carry the feed. He took off his shirt because it was hot, and I..."
"Enough!" Evelyn banged her hand onto the table beside her, and Liora winced at the noise.
"Do you hear yourself? Do you think anyone is going to care about your excuses? You spent a night with that stable boy. That's all they need to condemn you!"
Henry Miral stopped his wife from slapping Liora again. "What's all this shouting about?" he frowned.
"What is it?" Evelyn turned to him, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Henry, your precious niece has been caught ruining this family's name. The servants caught her behaving indecently with a half-naked stable boy. Shall I spell it out for you?"
Henry looked at Liora with disappointment "Liora, tell me this isn't true."
"I swear it's not true!" she sobbed, wriggling towards him. "Uncle, he was only helping me and then I woke up to aunt scolding me;and whatever happened after that,I remember nothing at all. Please..." she pleaded.
"....You have known me since I was a child. You will know that I would not..."
"She's lying," Evelyn interrupted. "Even if she wasn't, do you think it matters? The walls have ears the word with spread like fire. She has disgraced us, and no noble house will ever take her now." Suddenly Evelyn clutched her chest; watching this, Henry rushed to hold her. He pushed Liora aside "You stay away." Liora, who came ahead to do the same, stumbled as he pushed her; this was too shocking for her.
Henry held Evelyn as she sat on the chair in the room. Evelyn looked at him with fake tears in her eyes. She clung to his hand. "Henry, this will also affect our Petra; if the word spreads, who will marry her?". Petra was the only daughter of Henry and Evelyn just like Liora was Henry's younger brother's daughter.
Henry was unable to bear the tears of his wife and he doesn't want to imagine his daughter's future being destroyed. "What do you suggest we do, my lady?
"We salvage what's left of our reputation. We will be the ones who accept that royal decree; we will send her to that estranged prince."
Liora's heart pounded loudly, she stared at her aunt in disbelief. "No! Please don't. I don't want to marry, I'll do anything, anything else!"
Her aunt sneered and walked to her, until her face was inches from Liora's. "Do you think you have a choice? You are nothing now, a disgrace, a burden we should have rid ourselves of long ago. Consider yourself lucky we're sending you to the prince. At least he'll keep a roof over your head."
Although Henry hesitated. "The prince… I have heard His reputation is..."
"Matches hers perfectly," Evelyn snapped. "He's a disgraced former prince, blamed for his wife's death and shunned by the court. Let them rot together far from here. She will never set foot in this house again."
Liora sobbing walked to Henry and clutched his sleeve, her tears falling freely now. "Uncle, please! You know I wouldn't do this. I don't"..sobs.. "I..I really.."
He looked away. "It's already decided, Liora.", his head was bowed down as he left the room without looking back at her.
The facade faded from Evelyn's face her lips curled into a sly smile "You should be grateful we aren't throwing you and your grandma out onto the streets. after all that oldhag is the one who have spoiled you" Liora frowned.
"Lower your eyes you flith" Evelyn was always insecure of Liora's beauty compared to Petra, she sneered everytime she looked at Liora's face "I will give you options, either you go to that prince or I will throw away your grandma out of this house"
"You cannot, this is my house"
"Anddd.....says who?, do you have any proof? you are a filth brought to this house by my brother in law, he took in your mother and married her" Evelyn smirked "Oh.. I am sure you are pretty much a bastard, Like , mother like daughter," Evelyn's pushed Liora and walked toward the door "desicion is yours, Flith".
Liora was in shock to even react but as the door shut, "What do you mean he was not my father....?!!!!! Liora screamed. This was something her aunt always told her, that she was a bastard child. Even the meomory of her long gone parents was faded, she still belived that the man she called as father was her real father. But these allegations and hurtful words of Evelyn would always hurt her.
"he was my father....why you lie to me?'' Liora collapsed onto the floor, her tears soaking the cold stone, sniffling ."Please do not lie to me, grandma..". She had asked her grandma millions of time the same thing whenever Evelyn had said this to her.
Her grandma always denied, "Silly girl, you call me grandma , do not you? just like Petra and your other cousins, so how can you be any different than them, got it?".
"Yes grandma"' These words by her grandma worked as medicine to her wounds. She might just leave the house after the morning's rukus along with her grandma. But she was had no money and the skills she had mastered would not make her enough money to take care of her grandma.
So she chose to accept the last resort, beacause by now, they might have killed that boy and burried the truth in those walls. It was hard for her to prove herself. Even if she ask for a doctor to examine her, the news would still spread across the city and this will bring shame to her late father.
Now, She was no longer Liora of House Miral.
She was nothing.
At dawn, Liora gathered whatever little she could before leaving with her uncle, for now she must do this. Before stepping out, she made her way to her grandmother's room, she was the one who had been her light after her parents.
The light coming from the window was barely enough to see things in the room. The old woman who lay motionless on the bed, had her eyes dulled by age and illness, she had been paralyzed since years.
Liora knelt beside her, gently brushing a few stray strands of silver hair away from her face. "Grandma, I'll be fine… wherever I go," she whispered. "Please eat on time and don't trouble yourself over me."
Her fingers lingered on the papery skin of her grandmother's cheek, memorizing the warmth she feared she would never feel again. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she forced herself to stand.
With one last longing glance, Liora turned and left the room, her vision was blurred with unshed tears.
It was Liora and Henry who left the house in the morning, before stepping in the carriage, Liora turned to look at her house one last time, she had an intuition that she would not see it again. No one came to bid her bye, maybe not all people knew she would be leaving the house, just one or two servants who loaded her luggage in the carriage.
She bore no offences, 'As long as they take care of grandma' she sighed and got into the carriage. Henry followed too, "To the Capital" he ordered his coachman.
The carriage jolted as it hit a bump in the road, and Liora clutched the side to steady herself. The interior smelled like damp fabric, and the once-rich crimson upholstery was faded and torn in places. This carriage had once belonged to her mother's family. It was a relic brought by her mother to the house of Miral but now it seemed a mockery of where she had come to now.
The one horse that pulled the carriage belonged to her, a dappled gray mare named Noah.
Across from her, her uncle sat stiffly, his hands were clasped on his lap. He hadn't said much since they left, at least not more that asking the coachman to move faster. Liora had tried several times to meet his eyes, but he avoided her gaze.
She looked at the wooden box kept beside her on the seat, it was given to her by her grandma, Liora wanted to open it, but her grandma had asked her to open it on the day of her marriage and because she had promised her grandma, Liora still have not opened it. Along with that there was a chest which had her old clothes, it was kept under the seat. There was something more her grandma had given to her, and that was the golden bracelet she kept hidden in her faded blue colored coin pouch inside her sac of the same color.
After a while, Liora tried to give a last try for herself. "Uncle, please. I… I don't understand how this happened. I don't even remember being in the stables with him." Henry's eyes darted to her furrowed his brow, but he didn't look at her, "What's done is done, Liora. There's no point in dragging this out."
"But I'm innocent," she stiffled. "You've known me my whole life. You must believe me."
He heaved a deep sigh "What I believe is of no account. The gossip has been passed about. Your aunt…" He hesitated and shook his head. "She's arranged it. It's for your good this is the only way left to save what is of your future."
Her fists were clenched in her lap. She knew whatever she said, no matter how many tears she shed, would be of no consequence to them. She had been overpowered by her aunt's accusations, and no one cared to listen to her.
Since the journey to the capital palace would take a day or two, Liora and Henry had no choice but to stay at an inn for the night. They had already traveled almost halfway without stopping, except for the breaks the horses needed.
Henry was a stingy man who preferred cheap inns, even if they doubled as rowdy bars or gambling dens. Liora, on the other hand, loathed such places. The thought of staying somewhere where men reeked of ale and trouble lurked in every corner made her stomach churn.
As they stepped out of the carriage, Liora paused, inspecting the inn's building before turning to scan the area. Henry walked straight to the Inn without looking at Liora, while muttering, "I have a friend who owns this place. It'll save us some money."
Liora simply nodded.
What did it matter? Nothing about this journey was worth arguing over.
Her gaze lifted to the crooked wooden sign swaying above the entrance. Rusky Inn Stay Homes. The lettering was faded, with patches of paint chipping away.
The moment they stepped inside, a heavy stench of alcohol and sweat filled Liora's nose. Instinctively, she cupped her hand over her nose to block the smell. The common area was packed with men, slouched over tables, others laughing loudly with raised tankards. A few were engaged in heated gambling matches, slamming their fists against the tables in frustration.
Every cell of Liora's body screamed at her to turn back, to refuse to stay in a place like this. But she had no choice. Clutching the sack close to her chest, she followed Henry toward the reception desk, avoiding people.
Behind the reception counter stood a bearded-bald man, Zouk, who must be in his mid-fifties and was Henry's friend. As he handed over the keys, his eyes flickered to Liora, who stood behind Henry.
"Hey, is that Petra?" he asked.
Henry didn't bother to turn around. "No, she's my niece."
"Your niece? Your brother's kid?" Zouk asked, narrowing his eyes.
Henry gave a curt nod. Zouk glanced at Liora again, offering her a smile, but She didn't return it. There was nothing pleasant about a man who ran such a wretched inn.
Something felt off when Zouk leaned in, lowering his voice so Liora wouldn't hear. "But when did your brother have a child? As far as I remember, he was never married."
Henry stiffened. "Later, he was."
Liora caught part of the conversation as she leaned in trying to listen to their whispers. Sensing that she might have overheard, Henry forced a chuckle. "Well, Zouk, we have a long journey ahead. For now, we just need rest. Could you have someone show us to our rooms?"
Zouk arranged for an attendant to escort them. Meanwhile, Liora subtly observed her surroundings, the entrance, the exits, the kitchen's back door, memorizing everything she could.
Once they reached their rooms, their luggage was brought up as well. Liora had a room to herself, while Henry took another near the staircase. "You take the one on the right. I'll stay in this one," he said, pointing toward his door. It would have been inappropriate for them to share a room, so he made sure to avoid it.
Liora gave a small nod and entered her room with her sack. "The food here might not be great, so let's wait until morning for brunch," Henry suggested, she accepted without argument.
As they closed their doors behind them, one thought crossed both their minds:
Wait until midnight.