LADY HILDERGARDE

Without him around I was becoming all the more restless. I stirred the tea with a silver spoon… hearing it scrape the inside of the cup. 
My brother… All I could remember is that we had spent so much time with each other in the past. He always would take me riding… even in the rain. Mother would scold me for disobeying her… and for rebelling and allowing my brother to “corrupt me”  as she always used to think… but my brother was the only friend i ever had. In the cold and desolate world of being the prisoner of the family… My dear brother was quite like a golden flame that burned and burned like freedom itself.

For a child… as I was back then… my brother was my only saviour from my life of confinement and control.  I was now barely an adult but still I had seen that the golden flame that I thought so wonderful was nothing more than the flame of evil itself waiting to burn a hole in my heart. I hate the fact he had departed to see that woman. I hated the fact he was so kind to me … once… and now he never even came to visit me. When he did… he was cold… and arrogant. … as if he was happy that he had taken everything from me including himself.

“Never mind” I sighed bitterly… a sad smile threatened to let tears spill. I was lonely. My heart was. I couldn't deny it. Didn't want to. 
They say Rapunzel wanted to leave her tower. But I do not see why. I like the solitude of this stone prison. In a way it comforted me to know that the earth that lay rolling and rising and looming above and below me in the form of the sky and the ground… was never really my friend. Here in my stone tower… the fruits of idleness were all the companionship I had needed until now…. Until now.

Days and days I spend doing nothing. Wasting away in this tower… losing myself to the echoes of those that lived here before me. The lost voices sing through the turrets… I shudder to think that they lived and died here… trapped within this stone tower.

I dare not open the curtains and let the sun in these chambers… I do not want to see the hope that lies beyond… Like memories of my brother… those golden sunny rays will only taunt me and torture the desire within me to fly away like a bird far far away from this stone tower.

And then something strange happened.  I received a letter. It was from my father…

The fire was roaring… its flames are rosy. 
“Of course… just like her hair…like they say” i said with a scowl whilst tearing the unopened envelope up.

I threw it into the flames…. And poured myself another cup of the golden tea. I brought the cup to my lips… and smiled… the tea was cold.

~~~~
4 days later

The snow had been falling for the past week now… and sunshine… despite trying her hardest… had failed in melting the icicles that clung to my window ledge like the daggers embedded into my heart.

Cold and marvellous just like the sword my mother said I was born to hold...before placing it in brothers hand instead,

I wanted to grab it out of his hand and stab her with it ... .but then unexpectedly the silver sword fell out of my brother's hand all on its own.

“You think I want this?” he said to my mother

My mother had already stooped before him to pick it up. My brother furrowed his brow and looked down at her as if she was a servant … My brother was the only one who knew how to make that woman cower.

He then marched off and left me and my mother in the ballroom with that sword.

“Forgive brother… he is only-”

“silence  girl” she glared at me with that same look of white hot hatred. I sighed and lowered my head.

Oh mother… how could one be so stupid… to show your weakness in front of those more able than you.

My poor mother… how she could have only saved herself if she changed her ways.

But of course there is always one born and killed every minute

I should know.. For it was I who-

Wait. 
I can never afford to let myself rejoice that way…. Things were still dangerous. Even to think the wrong thing was dangerous at a time like this.

it would be best to just go and sit by the fire and warm my hands… the maid would be here any minute with supper.

“Its rabbit stew today milady” she said in her usual chirpy voice

What? again?… for goodness sake couldn't they cook something less… less gamey?

The winter months were never fun in this tower…it's rather ironic that someone like me was thinking such things…
Ironic indeed that something was catching my eye…. The fireplace  burned fiercely as I picked up the newspaper…

Caesar? ..Who is this….?