Her Graceful War Song

The last flicker of hope in Amelia’s heart vanished.

The exhausting days and nights pressed down on her, making it hard to breathe. Her harsh mother–in–law and sister–in–law, the inaction of the men, and that wicked woman, Aurora, who occasionally emerged from her hiding place in Blessed Haven to snatch things away–it all added up.

as a cage.

This house no longer felt like a home. It was

Dragged to Rebecca’s chamber, Amelia was forced to kneel beside the bed. She looked up blankly at her father–in–law and Barrett, both wearing expressions of blame. Her gaze shifted to her husband, whose eyes burned with fury

He slapped Amelia hard, then turned to his mom and said, “Mom, please calm down. I’ve already taught her a lesson. She won’t dare do that again.”

Seeing her son’s devotion, Rebecca finally relented, “Fine. She’s not from a prominent family, so it’s not surprising that she’s a bit stingy and shabby in her ways.”

Amelia’s cheek throbbed with pain, but it was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. After the heartache came a numbness that wrapped around her. This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

The next day, before dawn, the servants preparing to go out to buy meat and vegetables noticed the back door was wide open, letting in a chilling wind.

“Why wasn’t the back door closed last night? Who was so careless?” one of the servants grumbled. “If something goes missing, we’ll have to blame someone. There are enough problems to deal with as it is.”

He wrapped his coat tighter around himself as he stepped out the back door, shutting it against the cold breeze. “It’s getting colder. Why hasn’t the winter clothing been issued yet this year?”

As he muttered, he moved to the side yard to fetch a cart and head out into the alley.

When Benjamin woke up and didn’t see Amelia in their room, he didn’t think much of it. She usually got up early to attend to Rebecca. After the punishment he had given her last night, she would likely be even more attentive. Feeling slightly reassured that he had his wife under control–unlike his brother, who was at the mercy of two women–he thought nothing of it.

The men returned to their duties, each going about their business.

Meanwhile, Rebecca was furious. “What time is it? Why isn’t someone here to give me my breakfast? Go find her!”

Rebecca’s maid, Tara, hurried off to look for Amelia but couldn’t find her..

When she asked Amelia’s maid, the latter replied, “Isn’t she already with Madam Rebecca? Madam Amelia has been going over early lately.”

“She’s not there! That’s why Madam Rebecca is in a rage. Hurry and find her. Is she in the kitchen? Otherwise, she’ll be scolded again when she returns!”

“It’s not like there’s no one attending to Madam Rebecca. Why does Madam Amelia have to wake up so early to serve her?” said Amelia’s maid, Beth, who couldn’t help but feel sorry for her mistress.

“Be quiet,” Tara shot back, glaring at her. “What family doesn’t do this? When the parents are ill, it’s the duty of the daughter–in–law to care for them. If people learn of this, Madam Amelia will earn a reputation for being a devoted daughter–in–law.”

“Madam Amelia is managing the household now She barely sleeps for three hours a night, working from dawn till dusk. Please, Tara, say a few kind words for her in front of Madam Rebecca so she can catch her breath,” Beth pleaded.

With a sigh, Tara relented, “Fine. Go check the kitchen. Is she brewing medicine? Madam Rebecca has been in a foul mood these past couple of days and won’t let her off easily. I’ll talk to Madam Rebecca about it in a few days.”

“Thank you, Tara.” Beth rushed off toward the kitchen.

However, after searching the entire Valor Estate, she still couldn’t find Amelia. Filled with panic, she reported back to Tara.

Rebecca overheard and snapped, “Where could she be? Isn’t she just hiding with the second branch of the family and daydreaming there? Go and tell the second branch that if they aren’t going to handle the household affairs, they shouldn’t pretend to care.”

Tara made the trip herself, but Charlotte frowned and said, “Didn’t someone just come looking for her? We already said she wasn’t here. Why would you think I’m hiding her? If Rebecca wants to send someone to search, let her do it. If they find her, I’ll kneel and apologize. Is that good enough?”