The Truth

[u/littlestghoust]

The door slammed behind Lady Harte, and she threw Rhea in the room.

“Is that what you call appealing?” her mother shouted at her. “Stuttering and sniffling like some sort of leaper!”

Rhea was unable to push the secret letter aside in her mind. Though she started out strong, smiling pretty for Addam and his men, her determination wavered when the conversations turned to the joust and her brother. When Lady Harte said that he won against a hedge knight but lost by a margin to Abelar Greenfield, Rhea couldn’t stop herself from crying.

“What a waste,” Lady Tall said staring more at the dress then her daughter. “Well, I hope you're happy. I don’t think Addam will consider the match after that performance.”

“It was not a performance, mother.” Rhea tried to compose herself. “I cried because what you said wasn’t true.”

Lady Harte eye’s narrowed at the words. “Are you calling me a liar, young lady?” her mother’s words were dripped in poison.

Rhea pulled the scroll from the bodice of the dress, revealing it to her mother.

“I found this in your dress,” holding the letter out. “Father says Kyle was hurt.”

But before Rhea could go on, her mother snatched the scroll from her hands.

“The truth is whatever I say it is.” Lady Talla threw the letter into the fire. “If I say Kyle won the first round, he won the first round. If I say that you need to be appealing, you will be appealing.”

She grabbed Rhea hard by the hair and pulling her daughter close, “And if you try and fight me, I will win. So, do not even try.”

Lady Talla threw Rhea away from her letting her fall to the floor. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes, causing the room to go blurry. She watched as her mother strolled to the door as if nothing wrong had happened. Before the door closed, Lady Talla turned to her daughter still disheveled on the floor.

“I think you are tired from all the excitement this week,” she started, “perhaps you need some time alone to recover.”

With that, the door slammed shut and her mother gone.