The Tainted Apple

Bravery & Empathy

Anika peeked out into the darkened hallway from her hiding place in the dusty linen closet. She listened carefully for any sign of her stepmother, whose shouting had finally ceased a little while ago. She hoped Leonie would be asleep, having given up the search for Anika.

Her brown gaze swept down toward the great room and she cautiously tiptoed out of the closet with the gorgeous borrowed gown in her arms, softly closing the door behind her. She squeezed the fabric in her arms as the metal hinges made a loud squeak. She let out a relieved breath when the echo of the door faded and silence flooded the castle again.

Anika tucked her dark curls behind her ear and took several quiet steps until she entered the great room. It had been hours since the Prince's visit, but she could still see his regal figure standing there.

Having never met the man, she'd simply assumed him to be an older gentleman, like the other tax-collecting princes who'd stopped by on occasion over the years. Instead, he exuded such youthful vigor that she'd almost reconsidered her decision to hide. Then, he'd spotted her behind the column archway above the hall. She had fled immediately, startled and confused by his inquisitive staring.

Her face flushed from the residual embarrassment of being caught spying on him. She reached up to feel the warmth in her cheeks, a tiny smile lifting her lips.

"Anika."

Her body seized, paralyzed by the cold voice calling her from the dining room. She forced herself to turn her head until her gaze found a silhouette of a woman sitting at the head of the dining table.

"Come here, girl."

The low, icy tone sent shivers down her spine. She gulped back the fear clawing at her throat and walked unsteadily to enter the dining area on the right. Anika noticed a single candle burning by the window behind her stepmother, who was still mostly hidden by the shadows. The only thing she could clearly make out was the bright auburn of her hair glowing in the firelight.

Leonie pointed to the chair directly adjacent to her. Anika swallowed again as apprehension started rising in her gut. She looked at the chair, but her eyes were drawn to the other end of the table. The empty spot once had a chair as well, where her father used to sit. Her stepmother had it removed in the days following his death.

When she cleared her throat to urge Anika to sit, the girl hesitated, then purposefully strode to the empty space across the length of the table from her stepmother. She was almost grateful for the shadows, though she could still feel the daggers glaring at her. After a beat of silence, the interrogation began.

"Where were you?"

"I didn't want to marry someone for money," she replied with a slight tremor in her voice.

"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. What kind of woman are you?"

She lowered her head as the feeling of inadequacy overcame her once again. Anika would never be good enough. She'd never live up to her stepmother's expectations.

"Perhaps, if the Prince would be willing to court me for a time-," she began to plead, only to be cut off.

"Court you?!" Leonie screamed. "He'd be a fool to want to spend a single night with a girl who lacks in discipline, honesty, or loyalty!"

Anika's eyes burned as the tears began building up, threatening to overflow.

"Even if he did court you out of pity," her stepmother continued, "he wouldn't forgive the tax payments on my home!" Leonie slammed her fist against the wooden table. "You've ruined everything!"

"You did...," Anika mumbled.

Leonie was suddenly quiet again, dangerously silent like a crocodile lying in wait for its prey to get close enough to its jaws to snap.

"What did you say?"

Ever since her stepmother had entered her life, things had gone downhill. She'd lost her father, her belongings, and her freedom. Anika's courage rose with each thought. She lifted her chin and forced back her tears, steadying her trembling voice to finally stand up for herself. Throwing the gown onto the table, she faced Leonie head-on.

"You did this! It's always been you! The castle is falling apart because you couldn't handle the money properly and you fired the staff! You failed to pay the quarterly tax so you concocted this ridiculous scheme to sell your own stepdaughter. You waltzed into our lives and took everything that was good and happy. Then, you ruined it! You can blame me for it all, but eventually, you'll have to face the fact that it all stemmed from you and your terrible decisions. I don't even know how you can look into that mirror you're so fond of. If I were you, I wouldn't be able to stand my own reflection," all of the words tumbled out of her mouth, spewing forth all of the rages that had been building for nearly ten years.

In the immediate silence that followed, she regretted every single word. Though what she'd said had a ring of truth, she'd never been so hateful and mean to anyone or anything in her entire life. She pictured her father shaking his head and the weight of his disappointment crushing her.

Leonie stood, interrupting the downward spiral of her emotions. Anika reached out and stepped toward her, but Leonie held up a hand to halt her actions. Without a word, her stepmother exited the dining area and walked toward the stairs with her head tucked down.

Anika stared ahead, tears falling freely in the absence of company. She'd said such hurtful things. Whether or not her stepmother deserved it, she didn't want to become that person. She promised herself that she would never harm anyone with her words again.

Her chestnut eyes slid across the room to the ruffled dress on the table. Gathering the fabric in her arms, she went to her room in the servant's quarters. She adjusted the dress skirts and hung the gown up using an empty candle holder mounted on the wall.

Anika sat down on the edge of her mattress and gazed at the dress, wondering about the opportunity she'd passed up that day. Wiping her tears away she laid back with her legs hanging off the side of her bed.

Despite her sorrowful night, her mind drifted back to the Prince and the future she could have had with him. Thoughts of his chiseled face and a fantasy of a joyful life dampened her heartache enough for her to fall into a peaceful sleep.