Courage

His hoarse voice echoed from the garden and he stormed in staggering with a red face, either he was drunk or was driven crazy in anger.

He raised his head and looked at me in the eye,

"Dearest guests, don't you find it odd that my uncle who loved me like his own son didn't leave a single piece of gold and gave all of his fortune to this woman!" Patrick Forkis, the so-called count dearest nephew, said while pointing his fingers at me.

The nuncii looked at me and then at him and then sighed, "You such behaviour can cause you great trouble, you are not only opposing against his majesty's rule but also raising doubt against the kingdom's investigating branch." the nuncii said aloud that set the crowd off again.

"I apologize for my rudeness, I am only using my right to question and information concerning the public and general affairs," he said with sly smug on his face.

But that made me realise he is not only talking, he has done his own research in pursuit of inheritance, I only fear any loophole that I have left in a contract which he might exploit for his own favour.

"Very well then, as the law that has been created by ancestors of this kingdom, you do have the right to speak, but not on such informal occasions, you have to approach the royal court and then they will decide what should be done, until then as per his majesty's order Nasrine Helia will be the mistress of this land, and no one can disobey or refuse to accept it." the nuncii voice was surging like a lion.

With a moment of silence, Patrick bowed and said "I apologize for my rudeness again, and I accept his majesty's order with a welcoming heart." then he went away.

Yami was behind me all this time and his bloodlust was really something while Patrick was speaking.

After a while, everyone went home except the duke and duchess.

I was in my room and she stormed in without knocking,

"what the hell are you doing?" she yelled and raised her hand for a slap.

"Duchess! Stop!" Cynthia yelled,

"If you raise your hand against our mistress, I will have to report and call guards on you for the crime!" Cynthia walked to me and stood in front of me.

While I was thinking about getting back at Duchess now, I was still trembling since she came in, no matter what I just couldn't gather the courage to do anything against her.

I did play cool in front of her but from the inside my soul was shivering.

"What did you just say? Do you dare raise your voice against me? Who are you? You are just a puny old maid!" She released her mana, and then Cynthia sighed...

"You really don't want me to do that..." she coldly and then suddenly the room started freezing, the duchess started shivering and stepped back suddenly.

"This mana? Who are you? You aren't any normal maid!" there was disbelief in the duchess's eyes, and then Cynthia stepped forward and looked her dead in the eyes.

"I am a White Crow, I have the authority to kill anyone who poses harm against my master if you want to see the sun of the next morning, you better keep your distance from my master then!" she said and for the first time I saw fear in duchess eyes.

"Ah! I was just a little bit angry! Hey Nasrine my child tell her something! She is speaking so rudely with your mother! Tell her to go away so we can talk! As mother and daughter..." She looked at me and I was collecting myself to utter wind out of my throat.

"No! Go away! I... I don't... want you here!" I yelled and the room was again filled with silence.

I looked at the duchess and she was just standing there glaring at me.

"So that's how you want to play? After all these years of food, shelter and everything we have given to you, you are returning the favour like this huh? Talk about ungratefulness!" she scoffed and the memories of Nasrine rushed through my mind.

All the pain, all the starving nights, all the cold days, all the thirsty days, everything she did to torment Nasrine was still etched into her soul like scars.

And something snapped inside me...

"Get the fuck out of my house bitch!"