Miriel sighed when her father gave her a look that could chill fire and closed her mouth against any more protestations. She didn't want to be here as an offering for her family's failures, but she also didn't really have a choice. They said jump and she jumped despite protesting. Any resistance was met with swift and firm actions that applied so much pressure that she eventually caved. She supposed she could just run away, but what good would that do? Then she would be a slave to the world instead of a slave to her family. At least the latter provided food and shelter.
She closed her eyes and listened to the workers grunting outside of the carriage window as they worked to remove the debris. Miriel didn't know how much was blocking their path, but it seemed to be enough to cause some pretty substantial delays.
Terrific.
Now not only did she need to be paraded around distant relatives that she didn't care about, but she had to sit in this damned carriage longer than they already had. It was plush, yes, but that didn't mean that the long hours of travel were pleasant. The company certainly made it worse.
Time moved more slowly now than it ever had before. Without the delay they were probably about an hour or so away from Arca which seemed so close compared to the length of their journey up until this point, but now? Now she just had to wait. There were no bumps and jostles to keep her mind engaged, just the sound of her parents muttering together about how they were going to appear rude, or how Miriel herself was a disaster and a disgrace.
Oh joy.
"Kia help us they're taking so dammed long!" Her father cried suddenly after some time had passed and he stepped out of the carriage to manage or something. It wasn't like he was going to actually help. Heavens no, that was beneath him.
"Miriel, dear, sit up." Her mother snapped causing Miriel to blink absently in her direction and slump further into her seat.
"Miriel!"
"Oh hush, mother." She muttered so quietly that her mother probably hadn't heard anything other than what sounded like a sigh, but she listened and sat straight up with a dazed smile plaster on her face.
Better? she thought sarcastically as she stared silently at her mother with that absent grin never wavering.
Her mother made a loud, indignant noise before she, too, burst out of the carriage door to go and "oversee" the construction crews.
Good. Miriel preferred to be alone.
So she sat, quietly making calculations in her mind about how long it would take her to return home by foot. Would they even notice if she slipped out of the carriage and just left? The woods around them were dense enough that no one would really see her go and she'd be able to disappear into the brush. But....she also didn't really know where to go other than a general direction.
She sighed. No escape this time. She would be a perfect cage bird for their plans. Didn't matter, though, because her great uncle would most likely take one look at her and refuse whatever her father had offered. She wasn't good for that kind of family. She wasn't good for any family – that was something she had worked hard to ensure and was quite proud of the results.
But then the time went on and Miriel found herself surprised to note that she was growing bored and actually could do with a bit of walking around rather than continue to be cooped up, even if that meant spending more time looking at her parents and invoking their ire.
So she stood, opened the door, and stepped into the twilight. Her cotton travel dress swished as she moved – that had been the one thing she'd been allowed some level of decision, and even then it was only on the fabric. The embroidery screamed excess even if the dress itself was made from less expensive materials, but her arguments that traveling in satin was uncomfortable had at least been heard. Kia, she hated the excess...
Maybe she could just disappear and live with her sister? Her father wouldn't dare go and fetch her there....
Miriel had been so lost in thought that she hadn't really been paying attention to her surroundings and had managed to make her way to the edges of the forest and away from the carriage. She could make out what looked like people milling about the tree in the road, but it was difficult to see much else with the sinking sun to their backs.
Then she tripped on a tree root and stumbled further into the woods, barely catching herself on a nearby trunk before tumbling onto the ground. She gasped, clutching at the tree to right herself and glanced back to see what had caught her foot. She took a step forward, frowning, because she couldn't see a single tree that might have roots in the area she had come. The shadows were getting longer and it was difficult to see, so she stepped forward, using her feet to feel for whatever it had been and then...
Her slipped food pressed into something soft and it squelched.
She quickly brought her foot back and strained her eyes to see...
Oh Gods...that....that was a hand. A hand that...it....she couldn't see the arm where it should have been attached...she could only see the fingers, palm up, and a stump where the arm should have been.
She back against the tree and forced herself to take deep breaths. She needed to go back, which meant she needed to go past it, but she was frozen in place. What was happening? What had happened? What should she do?
She closed her eyes and listened to the workers grunting outside of the carriage window as they worked to remove the debris. Miriel didn't know how much was blocking their path, but it seemed to be enough to cause some pretty substantial delays.
Terrific.
Now not only did she need to be paraded around distant relatives that she didn't care about, but she had to sit in this damned carriage longer than they already had. It was plush, yes, but that didn't mean that the long hours of travel were pleasant. The company certainly made it worse.
Time moved more slowly now than it ever had before. Without the delay they were probably about an hour or so away from Arca which seemed so close compared to the length of their journey up until this point, but now? Now she just had to wait. There were no bumps and jostles to keep her mind engaged, just the sound of her parents muttering together about how they were going to appear rude, or how Miriel herself was a disaster and a disgrace.
Oh joy.
"Kia help us they're taking so dammed long!" Her father cried suddenly after some time had passed and he stepped out of the carriage to manage or something. It wasn't like he was going to actually help. Heavens no, that was beneath him.
"Miriel, dear, sit up." Her mother snapped causing Miriel to blink absently in her direction and slump further into her seat.
"Miriel!"
"Oh hush, mother." She muttered so quietly that her mother probably hadn't heard anything other than what sounded like a sigh, but she listened and sat straight up with a dazed smile plaster on her face.
Better? she thought sarcastically as she stared silently at her mother with that absent grin never wavering.
Her mother made a loud, indignant noise before she, too, burst out of the carriage door to go and "oversee" the construction crews.
Good. Miriel preferred to be alone.
So she sat, quietly making calculations in her mind about how long it would take her to return home by foot. Would they even notice if she slipped out of the carriage and just left? The woods around them were dense enough that no one would really see her go and she'd be able to disappear into the brush. But....she also didn't really know where to go other than a general direction.
She sighed. No escape this time. She would be a perfect cage bird for their plans. Didn't matter, though, because her great uncle would most likely take one look at her and refuse whatever her father had offered. She wasn't good for that kind of family. She wasn't good for any family – that was something she had worked hard to ensure and was quite proud of the results.
But then the time went on and Miriel found herself surprised to note that she was growing bored and actually could do with a bit of walking around rather than continue to be cooped up, even if that meant spending more time looking at her parents and invoking their ire.
So she stood, opened the door, and stepped into the twilight. Her cotton travel dress swished as she moved – that had been the one thing she'd been allowed some level of decision, and even then it was only on the fabric. The embroidery screamed excess even if the dress itself was made from less expensive materials, but her arguments that traveling in satin was uncomfortable had at least been heard. Kia, she hated the excess...
Maybe she could just disappear and live with her sister? Her father wouldn't dare go and fetch her there....
Miriel had been so lost in thought that she hadn't really been paying attention to her surroundings and had managed to make her way to the edges of the forest and away from the carriage. She could make out what looked like people milling about the tree in the road, but it was difficult to see much else with the sinking sun to their backs.
Then she tripped on a tree root and stumbled further into the woods, barely catching herself on a nearby trunk before tumbling onto the ground. She gasped, clutching at the tree to right herself and glanced back to see what had caught her foot. She took a step forward, frowning, because she couldn't see a single tree that might have roots in the area she had come. The shadows were getting longer and it was difficult to see, so she stepped forward, using her feet to feel for whatever it had been and then...
Her slipped food pressed into something soft and it squelched.
She quickly brought her foot back and strained her eyes to see...
Oh Gods...that....that was a hand. A hand that...it....she couldn't see the arm where it should have been attached...she could only see the fingers, palm up, and a stump where the arm should have been.
She back against the tree and forced herself to take deep breaths. She needed to go back, which meant she needed to go past it, but she was frozen in place. What was happening? What had happened? What should she do?