CHAPTER TWELVE: NOT ALL RUMORS ARE TRUE
WRITER'S POV
The maid bowed to the ladies respectively "lady Alice and lady Stephanie please do not fight" she turned to Stephanie "my lady am sorry for not introducing you to to her, please pardon my mistakes"
when Stephanie saw her face she recognized her, she is the one who had shown her the way on her first day of delivering clothes to queen Ruth,
the girl was stunned meeting her for the first time maybe because of her hair or her look but she truly admired and respected her unlike others and to think that they always feared that she would curse them made it look funny but she knew why they would think so it was something more than her having a white hair and rising from the dead but she only did that to protect her loved one yet the villagers were blinded by their ignorance that they decided to tag her a witch that kills others mercilessly.
"Hope it is fine you do not have to ask for forgiveness you did nothing wrong nor do I mind" Stephanie said with a smile, Alice was still staring at them still wondering why she was addressed that way,
she had traveled to crestland for the past seven years due to her rude attitude at the age of twelve and had just returned this year so she didn't know who she was but her white hair now ringed a bell in her head yet she couldn't remember who she was exactly but she couldn't blame herself she has a short memory.
"my lady let me introduce to you lady Stephanie daughter of the east Duke, Duke Rudolph" Alice was shocked, she remembered her sister discussing with her friend a week ago how the daughter of duke Rudolph was treated badly by her father and his mistress and her sister's friend Beauty said that she was very ugly and that she has the ability to curse someone, she said the girl was a witch who is very scary and she is mentally unstable as well, and then the white hair, no wonder it rang a bell in her head it was her, but she wasn't ugly at all nor was she scary and she behaves like a normal person so why would Beauty say all those things about her, she became confused and astonished that the girl was a rare beauty to behold
" you are duke Rudolph's daughter?, you are the opposite of what I heard, Beauty said you were very ugly, scary and a witch and she said you are mentally unstable but with what I'm seeing it's all lies, I'm very sorry I mistook you for a maid because of the chest in your hands and you weren't dressing like a wealthy lady"
she apologized sincerely shocking the maids, they heard that the young lady never apologized to anyone except for her dad and witnessing this scene they were truly flabbergasted, some wondered if it was Stephanie using her witch abilities or was it her travel to the unknown place which they haven't heard of and had been a secret amongst the nobles that had changed her a bit.
Stephanie was wondering why she apologized as she is known for her rudeness but seeing her now it seems like she is trying to let go of that attitude of hers but old habits are hard to die,and yet she couldn't fathom how two people she hadn't met before were already gossiping about her, Alice understood her thoughts and also heard the murmurs of the maids present so she decided to make things clear
"um I didn't gossip about you with Beauty I just overheard the conversation she was having with my sister, as for my apologies they are genuine actually going to crestland to stay with my aunt changed my attitude little by little but I will change completely soon" she said slightly flustered,
Stephanie heard the maids words but she didn't expect Alice to make things clear instead of accusing her of being a witch in other to save her face and she changed the way she viewed her and even though she made this attempt the maids will still think whatsoever they wish to think and say but yet she was grateful
"It's fine just try not to be rude or belittle others. It would always help to try to understand people's emotions." Stephanie said and walked away in a hurry so that she could hand over the clothes to the queen's personal maid.
The maids were stunned as well as Alice. They thought that she would insult, get angry or try to disgrace the young lady but instead she just let it slide and even gave her advice, Alice was moved by her attitude and so were some of the maids.
Alice realized that not all rumors were true as she saw the white haired girl in a new light while Hope was not surprised because the little time they spent together she could tell that she wasn't cruel, cunning nor was she rude in fact she is kind and lovely which others fail to see because of their ignorance even though there might be some secrets surrounding her existence that shouldn't stop others from actually seeing her for who she is and treating her kindly, she shook her head and turned to the young lady "lady Alice please come with me I will show you to your room" she said with a small smile "ok let's go and I hope you won't mind showing me around especially the place the lectures would be taking place" Alice said as she looked away from the end of the hall which Stephanie disappears into "my lady that I can't do but you will surely know the place once queen Lucy permits us to bring you all in" she said with a firm but soft tone "fine let's go" she replied and followed hope to her assigned room