Addie made one final pass through the old farmhouse; she had done what she could to help Karlie bandage the wounds of the injured and now they were all resting. Xanderian had already left and it was clear that there would be no chance to repair the damage that had been done; Addie had wanted to speak with her before the battle, but the elf had remained true to her word from the previous night and would not even look her way- the two truly were enemies now. It was not something that Addie had wished for, but perhaps it was for the best; the less that missed her, the better. She silently walked past the scattered bedrolls and cots and placed a small wrapped carving and letter next to Masin; she had intended to speak to him after the battle of her departure, but the time had come and he remained unconscious. After saying a quick wish for his recovery and a silent goodbye to Neth and Eduwiges , Addie packed up her things and walked out the door, perhaps for the final time.
The thick, predawn fog diffused the soft orange glow of the street lamps as Addie rode through the cobblestone streets she had come to think of as a second home. She stopped at the Pony and tied Lily to a hitching post before quietly slipping through the kitchen door. For a moment she was tempted to fix herself a cup of warm cinnamon milk and tell Barliman about everything that had happened these past few days; but she was only here to change clothing and she quickly reminded herself of that. Addie walked to one of the back rooms and opened her bag to bring out a finely crafted, green and yellow silk dress and matching green shoulder wrap. She removed her father’s hauberk, which she had worn in the battle, and slid the dress over her head; the immediate sense of emptiness this action brought to her soul was almost too much for her to bear. She choked back a few tears as she folded the hauberk and hugged it tight to her chest before putting it away in her bag. This was it, it was time to go.
She arrived at Pierson’s farm with the break of dawn and a familiar figure stood at the top of the stairs waiting for her; the woman looked much like Addie, however her face held a few wrinkles and her golden hair was much lighter and mixed with silver strands. Addie’s heart pounded in her chest as she saw her mother standing there, but she had a moment to compose herself as she led Lily to the stable. After taking in a deep breath, she carefully slid down from the saddle and gave the horse one more pat before walking past the guards. When she neared, she dipped into a formal curtsey and then addressed the woman, “Gōdne mergen, Modor” (Good morning, mother)
“Addiela.” The coldness of Lady Addwyn’s tone as she said her name sent chills down Addie’s spine; and though she was standing before her mother tall and proud, as a proper lady should, Addie could feel her courage fade a little. “At least you have not forgotten a proper greeting; but your curtsey is lacking in refinement and shall be practiced until it is acceptable.” There was a brief pause as Lady Addwyn inspected Addie’s dress. “I am surprised to see that you have kept your gown, but I suppose you knew that you could not run forever; however, I am not surprised to see that you have not bothered to press it and that you have failed to properly tie your hair. I must say, dear, being a fugitive has done nothing for your complexion.”
Lady Addwyn then turned to walk inside, fully expecting Addie to follow. “Come now, child, we have much work to do to get you ready; I have already corrected most of the damage you did before you left, but we must now prepare you for a formal appearance. You will beg Gríma for his pardon and then we shall ride to Cliving to settle matters with Lord Ethelward. We leave at noon.”
“But Modor, I..
“Silence, child, I have no interest in what you have to say.”
Addie clenched her fists and the words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them, “Nay, you will hear what I have to say!” Addie’s eyes widened, “... M-Modor,” and that word came out timidly as she realized what she had done.
Lady Addwyn spun around on her heels, quicker than any coiled viper, and the fiery glare that she gave Addie could have easily rivaled the dread of hearing a Nazgûl shriek. “YOU,” she barked out, “WILL remember who you are speaking to, child.”
This was the defining moment for Addie, she could silence herself now and go back to being the submissive pawn that her mother had raised her to be or she could finally speak her mind and be the woman that she always wished to be. She took in a deep breath and steeled herself. “I do remember, Modor, and I also remember that you need ME in order to fulfill the promise that YOU have made.”
Much to Addie’s surprise, Lady Addwyn now seemed calm, and she raised a brow in amusement as a smirk formed on the corner of her lips. “I thought you might try to be difficult; the child gets a taste of freedom and she thinks herself Queen.” She then snapped her fingers, signaling for one of the guards to move from her side toward the stables, hand on the hilt of his sword.
Addie realized immediately what her mother intended to do and screamed out in a panic, “No! I will go! Just please don’t!”
The smirk grew on Lady Addwyn’s face as she held up her hand to stop the guard from moving. “Did you truly believe that I did not know about you and your father’s little secret? I have known about that steed since the day he took you to see her.”
Addie was genuinely shocked at that revelation, “Then why did you allow for me to keep her?”
“Because I knew that someday she would be useful, and today seems to be that day. Now come, child.” Lady Addwyn’s cold, commanding gaze was fixed on Addie as she waited for her at the top of the stairs, her stern expression daring the young woman to challenge her again.
Addie hung her head in defeat and began to meekly walk toward her mother. With each step she took, she could feel herself slipping back under this woman’s control. She thought of her friends, those still recovering and those she had not yet had the chance to say goodbye to. Addie had known that this meeting with her mother would probably turn out this way, but noon was only a few hours away and the reality was starting to set in that she might never return. As she neared the top of the steps, she lifted her head toward her mother and managed a sheepish, “I wish for more time, Modor.”
“Time? You wish for more time? And what about the time that I had to spend convincing Thanes, Reeves, Lords and Ladies that my daughter was not guilty of treason? What about the time I wasted groveling at Gríma’s feet, begging for him to ask Théoden King to pardon a foolish, grief-stricken child? What about the time I have had to buy with Lord Ethelward in continuing to postpone a meeting with his son’s betrothed who was not in the Mark still, as I had assured him, but was, in fact, in Bree? Nay, you have cost me too much already, Addiela, and I will not let you out of my sight again until you are no longer my problem to worry over. When we get back to the Mark, you WILL present yourself before Gríma, apologize for any misunderstandings, and beg for his mercy- which I have already secured, but you will do as a show of goodwill. Then, in three months time you WILL be married and our house WILL be united with the Lords of the Norcrofts; until then, you WILL be on your best behavior and do as I say.”
Addie could feel her blood starting to boil. She had never cared for her mother, but this woman had actually groveled at the feet of her father’s killer; and now she wanted her to do the same? She’d rather die… She’d rather die! That was it! Addie removed her shoulder wrap and pulled the dagger she had concealed under her left sleeve, holding it to her throat; after all, she was what her mother had come all this way for and was what the woman’s future status relied on. “Nay, I WILL NOT be doing all that you have commanded.”
For a brief moment, a hint of surprise could be seen in Lady Addwyn’s eyes, but it quickly faded and her voice remained steady in its haughtiness, “And what is it that you seek to accomplish with this desperate little act of yours? We both know that you will be doing exactly as I have said.” A quick nod from her signals to the guard to begin moving toward Addie’s horse again. “Now put down that silly little toy and come inside.”
“Nay, Modor, I will not. You will tell him to stop and you will listen to me or you shall only be carrying my corpse back to the Mark. Have Ethelwine marry that!”
“You insolent little fool!”
Addie pressed the dagger to her throat, the tip drawing a bit of blood. “Silence, Modor!” Her eyes then flitted over to the guard and back.
Lady Addwyn narrowed her eyes toward Addie and reluctantly held her up her hand to the guard. Through gritted teeth she said, “Speak then, child.”
“I will no longer be under your control, Modor. I am coming home to fulfill Fæder’s agreement with Lord Ethelward, not yours; and I will do so of my own will, not because you commanded it. I do not care about you, your status or your place in society; I only care about upholding his good name. I will not be staying with you when I get to the Mark, I will be staying with Ealdemodor and Faedera Alebold; and I will leave when I am ready.”
There was a long moment of silence after Addie finished speaking. It felt good to finally stand up to her mother, but she could not believe that she had actually been brave enough to do it, and neither could Lady Addwyn or her guards. The silence was then broken by a cackling laughter, “Well, well, the little mouse thinks she has the backbone of a bear. Do you really think that you can fulfill your role as the wife to a lord on your own, without my guidance?” The laughter continued. “You will fail. You have always made a mess of things on your own, Addiela, and you always will. I have already been informed of the gossip around Bree linked to your name and I am surprised the town still stands after housing you. But I shall humor this little request of yours for more time, because quite frankly it means less time that I have to spend watching over you. One month, Addiela, I will give you one month to return; and to ensure that you do, I will be taking Lily with me.”
Addie started to protest to this, but Lady Addwyn just held up her hand and continued speaking. “One month, that is all. I will also be leaving a few guards to keep you alive. How many have almost died now trying to keep you safe?” She laughed again, mockingly, and then turned to go inside.
Whatever confidence Addie had gained while facing her mother was now gone and she stood there at the bottom of the steps, speechless and confused. Had Addwyn ignored everything she had said or did she simply not care? Had Addie failed to break her mother’s control over her? At least she had bought herself a month to figure out what she was going to do next and to say her goodbyes, but she had lost her precious horse in the process. Some victories might not be worth winning.
