Below the Peak (Sola)(5)
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“Hello there” her stepmother greeted, emerging from the living room. Nara halted on the second stair. Ugh! There went her plan of getting to her room unnoticed. She turned around and greeted the woman standing not far away from the stairs. “Hello, mother.”
“Otto informed me, you took Lucky for a ride today. How was it?” Kami asked.
‘Otto and his big mouth’, Nara grumbled then replied. “Yes, I did, and it was all right.”
Her mother smiled, “and how were you were lessons?”
“They teased me again” the flat words wiped the warm smile into a pressed mouth.
“This has to stop.” Her mother stated, anger simmering in her eyes. “I’m going to speak to your father. We’ll find a teacher to come here and teach you.”
Nara didn’t want her father to see her weak or stubborn. “No, but father said I should try…I’ll try-” she began to protest as her skin flushed with shame of being weak but Kami interrupted. “I don’t care what your father said,” she said furiously, voice rising then paused. Nara bit down on her lip.
“No, you don’t need to try anymore. You have done enough.” Kami said in a lower voice, but still looking no less angry. Nara lowered her eyes when she saw the sadness in her mother’s eyes.
“You have to know my heart breaks for you,” Kami said quietly, “I don’t like seeing you sad and suffering for the things you shouldn’t just because some children inherited poor manners from their parents.”
“I know,” Nara said in the same quiet voice.
“Your father will understand. He loves you” her mother added. Nara just nodded in a non-responsive way.
Her agreement seemed to ease the anger of her mother, the tension in her shoulders eased, and Kami reassured her step-daughter all will be okay with a warm grin. “Go ahead. I just had the maids prepare you a hot bath before you walked in.”
“Thank you,” Nara said and took the flights of stairs to her room.
****
Nara was playing with a small knife she had taken a few days ago from the weaponry storage room of her father, twisting like she had seen the two soldiers do once she had bathed and changed into a clean dress when she heard quick little stomps down the hall just outside her room. Nara bent and hid the knife under the bed just before the door to her room slammed open. Ingrid barged in, looking out of breath from running.
“Mother said to tell you to come down and eat,” Breathless, Ingrid squeaked.
“Okay. Let me finish braiding my hair” Nara said as her hands worked on her head. Ingrid walked toward her. “Do mine too, please” she stood in front her, eyes watching her hands the entire time.
“Turn around,” Nara told the little girl once she was done with her hair. She took the hairbrush and brushed her sister’s puffy ringlets of golden brown hair.
“Would you like a ponytail?” she asked. Ingrid nodded in a way only an enthusiastic five-year-old would. “Alright. A ponytail is then” she said, tying most her hair that didn’t escape from the band then braiding it. When she was done, Ingrid looked in the mirror then turned to her with a beaming toothless smile. Nara smiled. “Let us go now. We don’t want to keep mama waiting.” Ingrid shook her head in agreement. They walked together to the dining room and found their parents waiting. Nara took a seat beside her mother and avoided looking at her father who sat at the other end of the table. The maid served them food and left when dismissed by Kami. A heavy silence filled the room as they ate except for the occasional clanging of silverware.
“This is an excellent way to end a day, eating with my ladies” her father spoke, sounding content. Her mother smiled at her husband. Her father glanced at Ingrid. “How was your day my little bunny?”
Ingrid giggled. “It was great. Melissa played dolls with me today.”
“Ahhh, I bet you were happy, weren’t you?” he asked with an arch of his brows. “Yes, I was. I want to play with Melissa tomorrow too. Can I daddy?” Ingrid asked. Jae looked at her cute face, her brown eyes melting him into a puddle. He grinned and said instead. “What does your mother think of that?”
“Mama can I please?” Ingrid asked. Nara watched quietly while her sister charmed their parents. Whenever she wanted something, she resorted to calling them mama and daddy and acting all cute. Nara was different from her. She had never acted like that. She couldn’t. The thought of trying made Nara cringe with a weird feeling. She was the type who asked once, and if refused she didn’t beg. She wouldn’t know how and where to start.
“If Melissa’s mother is alright with it, yes you may play with her tomorrow” her mother gave in. “Yay! Thank you” Ingrid clapped then continued eating.
“What about you Nara, how was your day?” he asked two minutes later, eyes on her.
“Umm… it was normal” Nara replied, glancing at him nervously. Her stomach knotted. Jae regarded his oldest daughter, feeling betrayed and guilty at the same time. Guilty for pushing her too hard and that she didn’t tell him what was going on. He saw the tension on her shoulders, fear in her eyes that he would be disappointed in her. His late wife must be rolling in her grave for his ignorance and neglect of their daughter. Guilt encompassed him. He had been too occupied with courts work and trying to make her daughter someone that she is not, not knowing she was hurting badly in the wolves’ den. If the children she studied with were anything like their cunning parents he met with regularly in court, he could only imagine how much she suffered at their hands. Her daughter was different unlike her step-sister who was bubbly and a social butterfly. He shouldn’t have forced her.