THE DARK LORD'S MAIDEN

Man by the Door

Beth had always been made aware of the fact that she was not a legitimate Blythe's daughter like her sister, Louisa. It was her mother who made her more aware of the fact than her father who was more considerate, holding his reservations in his mind rather than spewing out every single thing he thought.

The Blythes neither bathed her in too much love nor let her have the littlest of their affections. Still, Beth held not a single grudge in her heart, neither hated them for it. Instead, she felt gratitude. But at times like this when her sister intended to be the meanest to her, she knew in all certainty that she was doomed to be saddened by the outcome of Louisa's cries.

"Oh, my dear Mr Pickle. I fear that they would take you from me in a matter of minutes and our friendship shall be abruptly cut short," Beth sniffed in an attempt to keep back the tears that was fated to escape her eyelids in a few seconds.

The fair skinned rabbit, looked into his guardian's eyes and immediately understood her sadness.

"Not now my dear Mr Pickle. If you look at me for so long with your cute eyes, I really might break."

'It is just a pet. I can find another rabbit. I believe someday when I become a princess, I would be able to own anything I want, and do everything I like.' Her nebulous Eden-green eyes did so much to hide the sadness of having her pet whisked away from her. Then, she suddenly remembered who she was and where she was.

"Do not be a fool, Elizabeth," she said to herself, this time aloud, "You are a nobody. Any fine gentleman that comes for your hand in marriage, your family would gladly oblige. No! I will run away before that happens," she said, affirmatively.

In the living room, Mr Blythe could not believe his daughter had made so much fuss over a mere rabbit. He hated that she was totally spoiled by his wife, her mother. His eyes revealed how crossed he was at her, but his wife feigned ignorance of the subject, altogether.

"My dear, do you think she has no sense in calling it a beast? If you do not, then I do."

"I have no words for you Louisa," Mr Blythe directed his gaze on his daughter who realized the purpose of his long stare, and hid behind her mother.

"Leave the girl be. I keep telling you. You have only enough love to give to one daughter."

"Oh, are you saying I should hate one and love the other?" said her husband, as was his clever scheme to make her regret her careless words. Only that his wife's regret or guilt was forever short-lived, majoring in the act for which she purposed to portray.

"Oh my! Gracious Lord! I never meant such wickedness in my speech, my dear."

"But I perceived it to mean exactly so." said her husband.

"Why do you enjoy ridiculing me because of that girl?" asked Mrs Blythe.

"That girl, as you call her, is our daughter."

"You have certainly ascertained in your speech earlier, that you alone have parental love over her, and not me."

Her husband was getting fed up with his wife's manipulative words.

"How so? By saying that Louisa was wrong in

addressing a rabbit as a beast?" he frowned after speaking. He never could understand how shallow-minded his wife was about her opinions with regard to such matters.

"No, my dear. But if a child errs, is it wrong for a mother to correct her?"

Mr Blythe remained silent because he knew where her speech was headed.

"So," his wife continued, "If the other daughter feels her life threatened by a beast, the erring child has kept in her room, should the parents just let it slide? Certainly not! I believe we could talk to the daughter that did wrong about her actions and reach a compromise. I would do it on your behalf since you are clearly not thinking well about it." she snarled, and turned around.