CHAPTER 163: A WOMAN IN LOVE

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Lois watched Jenna in silence. Her expression was plain, but her knuckles had turned white from fisting them very tightly. The disdain, the insult, and the walking over were clearly seen. Jenna did little— infact, nothing at all to hide it.

The disgust and disappointment when she glanced at her dress and then her face, Lois would have taken it in good spirit if Jenna hadn’t given her that flashing look for a second.

Pity.

Lois had seen it in Jenna’s eyes, for a splitting second. If all Jenna had was rage and anger, maybe a little disgust, Lois wouldn’t be as furious as she was at the moment.

Of course, it was bound to happen, no matter how long she tried to hide it. They were two women in love with the same man. It wasn’t going to end beautifully as she had envisioned. But if Jenna had seen her as a worthy opponent, someone fitting enough to have a battle with, then Lois wouldn’t mind so much even if she lost.

It was going to be worth it, both women showing what they could do and bowing out with grace, letting the best take the man. That had been what Lois thought all along from the moment her heart raced for Rhane until now. Instead, Jenna shattered it all with one look.

In Jenna’s eyes, Lois had seen herself as a dirty, miserable woman who was dying out in misery, hence, a sign of pity.

"That..." Lois cursed under her breath. She wasn’t to be pitied! She wasn’t! Love— that was a better term.

A woman in love, willing to do anything for her heart.

Never in her decades of living did she feel this dirty from the inside out. If Jenna didn’t know her story of how a man once left her, Lois would have taken the stare as something else. Jenna knew everything.

She knew how she had once fallen in love and how she waited for a love that abandoned her. So the pity in Jenna’s eyes pierced and broke her even more.

Oh, it must be sad. To wish to have another woman’s love. Was this what your lover saw and left you? Oh, it must be sad.

These were the only words that rang in Lois’s mind as she squeezed her palm even tighter. When someone moved in the crowd, Lois raised her face. Even if she tried, she couldn’t get her attention away from Rhane.

He stood there in the crowd, side by side with others. Not a single smile or emotion on his face to show what he was thinking. He didn’t look one bit like one in pain.

Was it all for nothing? Lois dropped her hands to her side, almost letting go of the care box she held dearly. Had she really looked miserable fighting for something that would never be hers? Had the man who once loved her seen this darkness in her and left?

Lois felt her eyes shake. Her heart twisted, and she gulped. She wasn’t the good person she thought herself to be all along. If a mirror was placed before her, Lois wasn’t sure she would love her reflection so much.

All her life, she’d classified herself as someone good— a kindhearted woman. Every attribute of a lady, Lois possessed, and people loved her for it. Yet she had stooped this low for a man.

"It’s time to stop, Lois," she muttered to herself, turning around to leave the place. It was better to end it now than embarrass herself any further.

Her feet moved on their own. Lois could feel her eyes twitching; her cheeks burned with shame. She had never felt so small in her entire life. Almost as though a sharp pain coursed around her head, like a crown of thorns had been decorated to highlight her evilness.

"Lois..."

Lois didn’t stop walking; she wanted to end it all and run into her room and hide forever.

"Lois?"

"I have something to say to you, Lady Rachel." Lois halted in front of the woman.

Lady Rachel hummed. There was something in the eyes of the young woman who stood before her. Something lost... something far gone. The older woman couldn’t quite point out what it was, but it didn’t look good at all.

"Go ahead," Lady Rachel encouraged with a small smile.

Lois nodded before she said, "Jenna had met with one of the men... she was with him that day in the room. I had only lied for her... but that wasn’t the first time. The first time she arrived at the house, Olivia wasn’t hearing things. Jenna had let herself be defiled by the man, as against the tournament rules. And for that... he should be disqualified."

Lois had spoken so fast, but very clear. When she stopped speaking, she sucked in enough air and exhaled. Her eyes were no longer shaking; her hands were now warm.

"Lois..." Lady Rachel whispered. The woman wasn’t sure how to act with this new information. She had clearly seen Jenna and Lois play under the rain like sisters. It was an offense punishable by flogging, but Rachel had closed her eyes to it.

The two young women gave her hope, showed her it wasn’t useless to dedicate her life to training them. Against all odds, though they had started out with a fight but they defeated that and moved along.

There was still innocence in this malicious cage dignified as house for unmarried women, Rachel had thought to herself and they’d extended this hope to little Olivia. But now... this.

"What is this?" Lady Rachel found herself asking audibly. "Why have you told this to me, Lois?" the woman repeated.

Lois moved her eyes toward the crowd, where Jenna waved at Rhane, and then settled on Rhane, who gave her a smile. A lump, heavy and bitter, grew in her chest.

It was suffocating, ugly, and wicked. Lois hated the feeling.

"You’re our matron... if you won’t do anything about it, then I have no choice but to tell it to the council," Lois replied dryly, settling her empty eyes on the older woman before her.

"It is out of the respect I have for you that I say this... I have always known you to be a woman of righteousness, Lady Rachel."

Her words were more of a heavy chain, to hold Rachel right where she wanted her. Playing at her weakness of being just was the only way to guilt the woman.

"I..." Lady Rachel stammered, so did her heart, which hammered in her chest. The tournament was about to end, and the man Jenna wanted, undoubtedly, was about to win.

Why had Lois picked now of all times to reveal this to her?

"Are you not friends with Jenna?"

This had Lois smiling— a cold smile that made Rachel take a step back.

"She said we are not friends," Lois remarked. "I presume I wouldn’t be doing this if we were."

Rachel frowned. How had she not noticed this from Lois? The young woman looked really different, like something had snapped inside her. When? How?

"You know you’d be punished for keeping it a secret until now?"

Lois looked down. "At least I won’t be the only one burning..." she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Rachel leaned closer, as she didn’t hear the young woman.

When Lois raised her face, her eyes bore a sharp, void gaze, no thoughts, but darkness filled it.

"I’ll gladly accept any punishment that comes my way. As long as that man..." she pointed at Rhane, "is punished for defying a woman and going against the council."

"Beloved people gathered today," the voice of the council leader echoed, bringing forth silence to the place. "It is the last day of this contest... the very day we’ve all been waiting for."

Lady Rachel grabbed her dress tightly. She would have asked that Lois look away just this once, since what’s done had been done- but the young woman didn’t look like that was what she wanted to hear.

"I’ve heard you..." Rachel inhaled sharply. "I’ll speak with the leader of the council, but you will not disrupt the contest. If you had this information, it’s only proper you said it earlier. For that reason, these men will go ahead and contest while I do my own findings. Is that understood?"

Lois didn’t acknowledge; she only tilted her head. "If nothing is done after... I’ll have to let the council know that you’re also aware."

"Don’t pull the threat card on me, child," Rachel snapped. "I am very aware of what to do. Now leave." She waved her hand dismissively, noting that the conversation had ended.

Lois moved her feet again. On her way out, she grabbed a small knife that had been left on the snacks table.

Now she understood better what to do. If she didn’t get rid of this bitter feeling in her chest, it was going to swallow her whole. So running wasn’t what she would do.

The man that once loved her had run, and if she, Lois, did the same, then she was no different— a coward. Instead, she would face it head-on.

Let Rhane know of his fate, a life without Jenna. And if he still wouldn’t let go of her hand, then they would all have to go to hell together.

Lois pressed the knife into her care box. She had crossed the line; she was far gone to think of redemption. This was the best she could do for herself.

"Let the Trial of Veil begin!"