The Cruel

16

Mara felt tears prick in her eyes. How could she be so stupid? How could she try and let her guard down around the both of them?

She turned into the hallway that lead into her room. She felt her hands clench as she felt a tear drop fall from her face. She felt it through her mask. Quickly she took her mask off. She quickly wiped it away. She stood there for a couple of seconds.

A tear?

She found it funny. She hasn't remembered the last time she cried. Was it when she had that boiling water poured on her? Or when she was told of her father's death?

She was just a kid still. Mara was only 14.

She felt her hands shaking as she tried to calm herself down. Yet she couldn't. She felt like laying on the floor and just die. However she knew that crying was enough.

Mara steadily walked towards her room before anyone could see her tear stained cheek.

She got to her room and closed the door. She turned around and saw Irulan sitting on her bed. Irulan looked so confused and worried at Mara's emotional state.

"What are you doing here."

Mara didn't have her usual cold tone but it was rather shaky and pitiful. Irulan's eyes softened as she looked at her.

"Come here sweet girl."

Irulan voice was soft like an older sister's. She felt so safe when she was with Irulan. Whether she wanted to agree or not.

Mara ran into the older girls arms as she cried in her chest. Irulan shushed her trying to comfort her as Irulan put the younger girls mask to the side of them.

"I-I'm sorry."

Mara apologized. Irulan eyebrows slightly raised up as she looked at her.

"You've done nothing wrong."

Irulan voice was soft as Irulan shook her head. Has Mara really thought this was all her fault?

"I'm sorry that I was rude."

Mara's words were barely enough for how she felt. Yet Mara shouldn't have felt that way. Mara was the victim in all of this. Yet she felt like she was the suppressor.

Irulan should have taken this opportunity to try and manipulate Mara. She couldn't though. Guilt had ridden her of any of those harsh desires.

"It was my fault. I shouldn't have used you. You're just a child."

Irulan mumbled as she kissed Mara's forehead.

Mara couldn't even respond as she was in tears and crying like a toddler. She had bottled up all of these emotions for years.

Mara had to be the tough one.

Mara didn't even cry when Paul told her that Duncan was dead. Mara just hummed as she continued to clean her blade.

But now that all of these feelings are spilling out, she does cry for him. She blames herself. Mara cried out his name softly like a child that she is.

Mara tried not to cry anymore but it was too late. Every time she went to stop she found herself crying more.

Irulan was nothing but comforting.

That's how Mara and Irulan spent their night. Mara finally stopped crying and fell asleep due to tiring herself out.

———

Once news got out that Mara had cried, it spread like wide fire.

Paul overheard some servants talking about it. He felt anger, but not at Mara but at those servants that are talking badly about her.

Paul wanted to kill them but knew that it wasn't a good idea. He first went to go and see Mara. As he started to walk towards her door, he saw some servants whispering outside of her room.

Paul would deal with them and barged into Mara's room. What he didn't expect was to see Irulan sleeping with Mara on top of her. It was a comforting seen.

Irulan slowly woke up as she saw how this looked. Before Irulan could speak, Paul put his hand up.

He wasn't angry as much as he was glad that Irulan was with Mara. He knew that Mara had a special bond with Irulan.

Instead he walked out and felt anger rise at his servants.

He would make them pay for everything they've done badly to Mara.

——-

Chani and Jessica were talking. That was until a loyal servant of Jessica's told her what was happening. Jessica felt anger also. How could anyone be saying something bad her child?!

Jessica and Paul talked about the situation. They both agreed that whoever started this would pay the ultimate price.