Winter Festival year 989 first day of frost, morning.

 

A bright and clear day where the trees were beginning to curl up from the frost. The summer animals were non-existent but for the few newborn cattle that were curious about the blue icy flecks. It was the start of the winter festival and the air was a buzz. It wasn’t something that Jenessa cared for, but it was something to do within the maze she called life, stagnant as it was with no friends. Collected as a young girl from the streets as a sort of commodity, Jenessa had long ago given up the so-called festive cheer and chose to exist an easy laid back life. 

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Her maid had woken her early in eager anticipation of another celebration of the budding new growth in the land of Mercita, where all things were possible, or so they said. Jenessa could not tell you who ‘they’ were, but she was sure it was people who considered themselves above the rest.

   “Lady Jennssa, it is time to wake up!” Gilsa, her maid of bright yellow hair and eyes as blue as the sky, tugged on Jennssa’s blanket hoping to jerk it off. Jenessa was used to this, Gilsa was three years younger than her and very comfortable with her lady.

   “Is there not laundry for you to fold somewhere?” Jennssa mumbled from beneath her coarse wool blanket.

   “Nope! None at all!”

   “I believe if you open my wardrobe, you will find some.” Jennssa with her grip tight snuggled deeper within her bed thinking the conversation over.

   “But it’s the first day of the winter festival!’ Gilsa had an equally tight grip, more so than Jenessa, and ripped the blanket off on her last word.

Jenessa lay there wondering if she didn’t move, would it motivate Gilsa to give up and leave, but then she remembered that Gilsa was sweet on a boy who worked a few houses down.

   “I thought you were attending the festival yourself?” Gilsa paused thinking her words over but Jennssa did not give her the chance. “I am sure you can find a dress in my wardrobe, just make sure it wasn’t a gift.”

Gilsa instantly brightened and clapped her hands together forgetting what she was doing, “If you’re insisting…” and was gone a second later. Jennssa could hear the cloth of each outfit ruffle amongst each other. Gilsa was unlikely to find anything but a few pieces as she was shorter and plumper than the lady of those clothes. Thinking she was saved, Jennssa sighed not hearing her door open once more.
 

Winter Festival Year 989 first day of frost, 3 Hours Later

 

The sun was still brightly shining on the hard blue flecks that made it cold out. Jennssa sat in her carriage with her other maid, Matese not bothering to hide her yawns. Despite her best efforts, she was made to leave her warm bed for a day of being around strangers. It wouldn’t be long before they made it to the festival, but it felt like forever.

   “My lady,” Maltese started “I have heard word that Duke Wilder would be at the festival only today.” 

Jennssa stifled another yawn, “Oh is he,” Duke Wilder was the man she was fated to marry. Not her choice, but a husband nonetheless. Jennssa wasn’t the firstborn, she had two older siblings, both sisters. “Maybe this time I’ll miss him.”

   “My Lady!” Matese exclaimed her face turning red. Jennssa looked at her, Maltese had been around when she first came to the house, the only one who didn’t treat her like a lecherous disease that was contagious. The only one who made sure there was enough food on her plate and blankets on her bed during the cold nights. She was the only one that Jennssa trusted to stay loyal.

   “We both know that he is useless.” Jennssa turned away to look out at the scenery that whizzed by, was it just her or did the carriage speed up. “Are we speeding up Maltese?”

   “Well, we were supposed to be at the festival by now…” Maltese trailed off her face turning red. Jennssa stared at her, Maltese was the palest person she had seen, the slightest shift in her emotions made her face pink and right now she was sporting a deep shade of red.

   “Oh my Maltese, what could it be that you have not mentioned to me?”

   “Now would you look at that, my lady,” Maltese pressed herself against the window of the carriage, her gaze trying to focus on anything but Jennssa.

   “Maltese…”

   “That is splendid...a tree there covered in frost…”

Jennssa was sure it had something to do with Duke Wilder, either that or her head maid had lost her mind. In the days leading to the festival, he had sent a note with an invitation to be her escort, of course, she ignored it. She didn’t see a point in encouraging such behaviour. Duke Wilder was very handsome, with blonde flowing hair and clear green eyes. His physique was one honed with years of sword practice, horse riding and whatever else it was noblemen learned. He even had the mind of a cultured philosopher versed in the ways of all things Mercita, a very diplomatic nobleman proud of his lineage. Empathetic to the poor and sensitive to the weak, he is what every noblewoman wished for in a mate. 

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Duke Wilder annoyed the living daylights out of Jennssa. The sound of him breathing was enough to send her into a rage, while the sound of his voice instantly gave her a headache while clawing at her ears. He couldn’t understand why Jennssa wasn’t jumping at the chance to be seen with him at social functions, nor why she tried every trick in the book to avoid him and this festival would be no different.

   “Stop the carriage.” Jennssa started to knock on the roof of her carriage hoping to get the attention of the driver who immediately came to a halt.

   “My lady...” 

   “Quickly, give me your dress,” Jennssa didn’t wait for Maltese to comply, she started to strip off her own dress while pulling out the fancy mess her hair was arranged in as quickly as she could. She had about three minutes before one of the armed guards inquired why they had stopped.

   “My Lady!” Maltese who was torn between. trying to repin her lady’s hair and collect the fallen clothes started to tear up her face turning purple.

   “I swear Maltese, shed your clothes not your tears!” Jennssa said before lunging at her maid who was wailing.

 

To the guards who rode on horses beside the carriage stopped a few feet away watching in stoic dismay, they were well aware of the lady’s strong dislike of Duke Wilder. They were also well aware of Maltese’s inability in dealing with the lady. A second later, the carriage door opened, Maltese’s wails sounding sharper in the frigid air. Jennssa was now fully clothed in her maids dress with her hair a dark curly mass surrounding her face, no one would dare to mistake her as nobility.

   “You,” Jennssa stomped towards the nearest guard, a newly made squire. “Off the horse!”

   “My lady?” his voice cracked as alarmed eyes darted to the other guards for help. 

   “Hurry up Squire, the faster you comply, the faster I can block this from my memories.” Benson, her very first guard and husband to her maid Maltese, scratched at his beard as he said that his eyes focused on the carriage. He loved the woman to death but was sometimes exasperated with how she dealt with the lady.

   “But Captain!” Chad the squire was distraught, quotation how will I get to the festival quotation his voice getting smaller on each word as Benson narrowed his eyes at him. Chad quickly dismounted holding out the reins with his head lowered. Benson also dismounted signalling to his second-in-command Rad.

   “Rad, follow along with the lady–”

   “No,” Jennssa grabbed the reins from Chad. “He is wearing the guard colours of the house. Taking Maltese’s clothes would be pointless if I am seen with him.” She mounted the horse and adjusted her skirts, “I’ll take the squire.” With that, she took off before Benson could argue. 

 

Benson sighed rubbing at his face holding out his own reins towards Chad, “Take my horse and be quick to catch her. You are now responsible for Lady Jennssa and if anything should happen, it will be your head.” 

Chad gulped down the knot in his throat, “Yes Captain.” Benson moved towards the carriage mentally preparing himself for the teary-eyed earful he was about to receive from his wife.
 

Winter festival year 989 first day of frost, City Gates

 

Jennssa slowed to a trot upon seeing the city entrance with the Squire a few paces behind. She had to admit she was a little impressed that he could keep up with her for a few could and slowed down even more.

   “What is your name Squire?”

   “Chad my lady,”

   “Well Chad, the second we pass those gates you are to address me as Nessa, I don’t want anyone to know that I hail from the ruling house of these lands.”

   “Yes, my lady.”

 

Jennssa remembered her first time seeing the city. She was only a small child at the time, but it felt like it was yesterday. It was after escaping from invading bandits in the north when they had come to conquer the lush lands of the Awon Oluso tribe of her people. They were nomadic, gathering supplies during the warmer months to settle in the mountains in the colder months making sure to never deplete the lands of its fruit. They had just settled in at the mountains, building homes when the invaders came. 

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They were savage in their numbers and quick to destroy her tribe, enslaving them to be sold off. It wasn’t till months later after enduring the harsh treatment that her mother gathered her and her sisters up to escape. It was in the early moments before the sun rose, the cold air colouring their breaths, her mother led them through the snow with instructions to only walk where she had stepped before. If Jennssa knew then what she knew now, she would have never listened. 

It was at the edge of the woods when she saw her mother last, as the youngest of three she believed the lies that her mother would find them. That was six years ago, but only five for when she saw her sister's last. 

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Jennsa and her sisters had travelled through the Anjonu forest for seven months before making it to the city. That day, tears fell from her eyes as she gazed at the shining gates of white stone. It shone bright like a beacon of hope from the dark times in the woods, if they could just get to the city they could ask for help to free her people, free her mother. 

   “My la—Nessa,” Chad had already dismounted his horse at the gate to the city and was waiting for Jennssa to do the same. She was so deep in thought she didn’t realize that they had passed the gate. Chad was waiting to lead their horses to the stable by the gates.

Jennsa dismounted her horse and handed the reins to Chad looking around at all the festive decorations thinking that maybe it wasn’t so bad.

 

“Oi! Watch wat yer doin, will ya!”

Jennssa turned around at the yell to see a short pot-bellied man as he raised his pudgy fist at one of his workers who was curled over a large sack.. 

   “My la—Nessa”

   “Oh yes, Chad, how about some lunch?” Jennssa turned away from the worker now being beaten, for what looked like not being able to carry such a heavy load.

 

Winter Festival year 989 first day of frost, late afternoon.

 

   “It is rot.” 

The sky, a deep blue and clear with not a cloud in sight to cover the warm rays of the sun. Jenessa glanced upwards and sighed gently. “It is rotten at the core, and when you realize it is there, it is already too late.” She looked to the man, more boyish in appearance, in front of her and wondered again who he was. His clothes were of top quality and without a speck of dust as his dark eyes regarded her while his mind processed what she had said.

   “And what does one do with this ‘rot’?” his eyes narrowed slightly making Jenessa wonder if he truly understood what she meant.

   “You cut it out before it can spread.” 

Jennssa had long ago lost sight of Chad and had somehow ended up with this mystery man. After a quick bite to eat, Jennssa excused herself to the ladies' room and slipped out the back of the restaurant. She doubled back to the worker she had seen earlier, he was wearing a slave collar, but what drew her attention was the brand on the back of his hand. It was the same brand that the invaders used on some of the people from her tribe. If she could find out who they were then maybe she could find some details about her tribe.

As she was questioning the worker who was unforthcoming, the mystery man showed up.

   “So you believe, the Colts family, is something that needs to be cut?”

   “If they are truly the owners of such a brand, then I believe they are heavily involved in the illegal selling of slaves.” Jennssa moved to turn away from him, she had the information that she needed and saw no need to carry on conversing with the mystery man. He quickly reached out his hand to stop her making Jennssa apprehensive, she was getting a sinking feeling that she should make haste back to where Chad was probably still waiting in the restaurant.

   “That is quite the accusation for one to make with no proof,” at some point he had gotten closer to Jennssa, so close that she could smell the alcohol on his breath. “But then again, you are most certainly right, my family does do many...illegal things.”

Before Jennssa could turn away, he grabbed at her, a foul-smelling cloth covering her face. With her heart pounding in her ears, she could feel the numbness creep through her body, feel the heaviness in her limbs. It was long before her vision started to go dark, the clear blue sky being the last thing she remembered.

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THE END