The Hunchback's Reluctant Bride ✔

6 | Unbothered

"Vadde? Her name's Vadde? What a strange name."

Voices closed in.

"No stranger than Shaza."

The young woman's mouth snapped shut. After a moment, she muttered, "You speak truth. Still, when did Wyrn have time to meet anyone much less someone like this?"

"Shhh, keep your voice down. We don't want to startle her And do you remember what I've said?"

"Don't let her run off. I know, I know," Shaza complained. "I'm not one to defy my mother-in-law."

Two women stood over a basin, dunking cloths which they eventually wrung out. The older of the two paused at being called a mother-in-law.

Rihetha, awakened by their hushed chatter, expected the woman to correct Shaza out of saying 'mother-in-law' but the woman hesitated then went back to her task.

"Don't ask her about where she's from. We don't need her getting homesick and running into the forest to be eaten by wolves."

"Yes, ma'am."

"It'll be hard for her at first, missing her family, but she'll get used to it if we don't remind her."

"Yes, ma'am."

For a long minute, the chatter paused.

Shaza finally asked, "Are you having doubts, ma'am?"

Perhaps they both were.

"No," the woman muttered, "this will work if we don't make any mistakes." After brushing off her apron, she drew herself up to her full height and declared, "You finish wiping her down, I'll fetch the food."

Wiping?

Rihetha closed her eyes to feign sleep, but allowed her hands to roam her bare body below the sheets.

That was startling. Still, other than hunger, she felt fine. She didn't smell and she was comfortable. More importantly, she wasn't sleeping on the streets.

Shaza ignored her instructions and picked up the metal basin and took it out. The sound of water hitting the ground followed shortly after.

Rihetha puzzled over that action but kept quiet.

Soon enough, the older woman returned. "Are you all finished?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes, ma'am. Wiped her from head to toe. Even got her backside."

Rihetha took insult, unsure of what should cause her more outrage, the lie or the idea that someone knew her that intimately.

"Very good," Mother-in-law said. "You're so good at waking her. Feed her what you can, and I'll be back with some water."

In seconds, the woman was gone yet again. Rihetha waited, debating when to let her conscious state be known. No one approached and nothing happened. In fact, all was silent save for the sound of someone munching.

Rihetha's stomach growled. It was an act of self-hate that caused her to open her eyes to witness what she feared to be true.

Shaza, sitting comfortably at the little table, sampled every dish then ate with a smile.

The sound of footsteps had her wiping her mouth. She stood at attention when her mother-in-law returned with a bowl.

"All of it?" the woman marveled. "Well, that's good." She focused on Rihetha for the first time.

Rihetha, in turn, shut her eyes and feigned sleep.

"You don't have to do that," the woman called. "We mean you no harm."