Yes, My Lady

“I have failed. He doesn’t love me.” Denah had finally come out of the depths of her grief and called for Danica. She had hardly been able to care for her twin girls and relied heavily on the wet nurses and nannies. She cried into Danica’s shoulder “What have I done to deserve this? Why am I being punished?” “Oh Denah…” She couldn’t think of anything positive to say. They both knew that this is the worst thing that could have happened. Danica stayed with Denah over the next few weeks to help with the rigors of motherhood.

By early summer, Denah was once again in good spirits and took breakfast with her family for the first time since Princess Etta and Princess Elsa were born. King Caleb and Queen Jenny were happy to see her, and made light conversation of the goings on in the castle and Kingdom that she had missed. Dixon didn’t acknowledge her presence, which she expected and was not upset by. What Denah didn’t expect was the new servant girl that brought out breakfast.

She couldn’t help but notice the way she paid special attention to the way she laid Dixon’s plate in front of him, or the icy stares she garnered from the King and Queen. Though young, she was no fool and knew there was something going on between the two of them. Denah also notied how low the neck of the girl's dress was, and the ways she swayed her hips whenever Dixon was around. Denah knew better than to make a scene in front of anyone, so when she passed by the new girl unattended in the hall one day she made her move.


“You, what’s your name?”

“Helen Walton, my Lady” she said with a smug smile. She knew she was virtually untouchable.
Denah, paused for a moment and looked down on the young girl. She knew exactly what was going on and had to find a way to get rid of this girl.

“I imagine a young girl like yourself would be interested in an advantageous marriage?”

“Of course my lady… but I am already betrothed.”

Denah was surprised. “Is that so? When is the wedding?”

“No date’s been set yet, my lady, there is a dispute...”
This piqued Denah’s interest. There were only two things that would hold up a wedding in this kingdom: A dowry, and a question of Virginity. Denah motioned for Helen to continue.

“The dowry… my father is a fisherman, and my fiancé works in textiles. He’s having trouble acquiring the items that have been requested”

Denah could see right through the lie, and Helen knew it.

“Very well then, I hope your families can come to some sort of accord. It would be a shame for your financee to turn his eye to another woman, don’t you think? A beautiful young girl like yourself, cast aside on a whim…”

“Yes my Lady, it would be a shame.”

The two women looked each other in the eye, and for a moment it seemed the hallway would ignite with Denah’s fury.
“If I catch you so much as looking in my husband’s direction I’ll have you whipped to within an inch of your life.Do you understand?”

Helen smirked and replied “Yes, my Lady.”