"Snow Story (part one)" by Bethan Jones

Asha made her way slowly down the stairs with the large water pitcher.  Her arms still ached from the day before, but she continued to lug the large clay jug towards the kitchens.   As she rounded the corner in the narrow back stairs, she almost crashed into someone standing just out of sight.  Her grasp on the pitcher began to slip and she wobbled precariously but the stranger reached out and grabbed the pitcher, lifting the weight easily from her arms.

            “Thank you!”  Asha said breathlessly, reaching forward to take the pitcher again.

            “My fault,” said a warm cultured voice and as the stranger stepped backwards down the stairs so she could pass, Asha recognised the Tieryn’s brother, Danyan.  She blushed scarlet but he smiled at her.

            “This is too heavy for you to be carrying on your own.”  He scolded, his voice light and amused.  “Where are you going?”

            “The kitchens.”  Asha muttered, keeping her head bowed so she would not catch his eye.

            “Come on then.”  Danyan commanded, and he turned to lead the way down the passage.

            “There’s no need, my lord.”  Asha said hastily, but Danyan took no notice so she had no choice but to follow him.

            He stopped again just outside the kitchen and placed the pitcher on the ground at Asha’s feet.  His dark eyes studied her and at last Asha raised her gaze to meet his.  He looked nothing like his brother.  His hair was light brown and fell loosely around his tanned face.  His eyes were hazel, shot with brilliant green and they sparkled with laughter.  He was not handsome in the way his brother was and he had none of the commanding boldness of the Tieryn, but there was something about him that demanded respect and obedience. 

            “Thank you.”  Anna muttered quietly, determined not to attract the attention of the kitchen servants, but it was too late.

            “Asha is that you?”  Someone yelled from behind the door.  “Hurry up girl! I need help with the breakfast”

            Blushing scarlet once more, Asha picked up the pitcher and pushed hurriedly through the kitchen door without looking back.  She set it down on the large oaken table that dominated the room and glanced behind her but the door had mercifully shut.

            “Load the food onto those trays, would you!”  Thea demanded and Asha set about the work without another word.

            All morning she slaved away with one job after another, and everywhere she went people stared and whispered.  She deliberately avoided the main corridors and the great hall, where there was a chance of her meeting the Tieryn, or worse, Lady Jasmin, but she could not avoid them forever. 

After lunch was over, Thea sent her into the gardens to pick some flowers for Lovva, the sick kitchen girl.   As she set about choosing the freshest of the Cathasias, Asha heard the voices she had been dreading behind her.  She straightened up and froze like a startled deer, for she was staring eye to eye with the Tieryn.

He was as handsome as ever, his blonde hair neatly brushed, his blue eyes pinning her where she stood.  Behind him Jasmin stood slightly back, her plain features twisted into an ugly snarl, but the Tieryn did not seem angry.  In fact he was ignoring Jasmin and turning the full influence of his charm on Asha.  She could not move away as he stepped forward, until there was less than a hand span between them, and reached out to gently touch her cheek.  She shuddered ever so slightly at his cold touch but that familiar longing was there again, that deep heartache that told her just to surrender herself to him.

“My sweet little Asha.”  He whispered and his voice made her shiver again.

Asha caught a glimpse of Jasmin as the Tieryn leant closer, the older girl’s face was twisted with hate but there was also longing there, the same longing Asha shared for the charismatic man who stood before them.  The Tieryn’s lips brushed against hers then he pulled back and smiled again.

“Have you forgiven me my games yet, Asha?”  He asked, spreading his arms in what seemed to be a welcoming gesture, but Asha had heard the command in his tone. 

She remained frozen and the Tieryn remained as he stood, but his face was slowly clouding over like the winter sky.  Asha could feel the storm of his anger growing and she knew it was aimed at her.  She had defied him, she had refused his offer.

“My Lord?”  A nervous voice shattered the tension and the Tieryn wheeled round to confront it.  The servant boy wilted under the Tieryn’s powerful glare.  “Captain Aran wishes to speak to you Lord Tieryn, and the Lady is requested back at her chambers.”

 The Tieryn glared, but he said nothing more and brushed past the boy as though he didn’t exist.  Jasmin followed more slowly, shooting malevolent looks back in Asha’s direction.  When they had gone the boy turned to Asha and said without looking at her.

“You should stay with the other servants.”  Asha bristled with anger at his insolent tone.

“You can’t tell me…”  She started, but the boy had already turned and walked away into the trees.

Bitterly Asha picked the flowers and gathered them together.  Her body was shaking with a mixture of anger and fear but she pushed the emotions to the back of her mind and headed indoors to the steamy security of the kitchens.  But staying there would not be so easy.  Thea seemed oblivious to the problems of those round her and she sent Asha down to the village to deliver the flowers and pick up some herbs.

It had started snowing again and Asha shivered in her thin coat.  She was well dressed for a kitchen girl but the temperature was well below freezing and the wind was bitterly cold.  The village sprawled at the base of the slight hill, almost invisible beneath the snow and everywhere Asha looked she could see signs of storm damage.  One of the fish huts had blown down and people were gathered around it, salvaging what they could from the slushy mess.  The sign was missing from above the inn door and the tree next to the temple had blown over completely. 

Asha picked her way down the street, her shoes already soaked through and her eyes almost blinded by the drifting snow.  Every time she thought she had turned so the wind was behind her, it would change again, blowing fresh gusts of icy whiteness into her numb face.  Lovva’s house was closer to the lake than it was the Brec and by the time she reached it Asha was numb through. 

The door was opened by Lovva’s older sister Circe, who ushered Asha inside.   Lovva was sitting curled up on the bed her face pale and fragile but she managed a weak smile at the sight of the flowers and asked softly after Thea and the rest of the kitchen servants.  They talked for a few minutes before Circe ordered Lovva to get some sleep.  But just as she was settling down Lovva called after Asha.

“What of the Tieryn, Asha? Have you seen much of him?”

Asha flinched noticeably but could not lie.

“I saw him out in the garden when I was picking the flowers.  He seemed well enough, and he was with the Lady Jasmin.”

            Asha tried desperately to ignore the look on Lovva’s face when she said that but the kitchen girl had made no effort to disguise her disappointment.  Circe interrupted harshly.

            “You’re fantasising, Lovva; the last thing you want is to get caught up with him!”

            “You slept with Lord Kevan.”  Lovva said coldly but Circe just shook her head.

            “At least Kevan treated me like a human rather than an animal.  The Tieryn cares nothing for people like us.”

            “You’re just jealous because he likes me!”  Lovva shouted angrily back.  “Tell her Asha.”

            “No.”  Asha said quietly.  “You should listen to your sister Lovva.  The Tieryn is a cruel heartless piece of filth!”

            She had said the words with quiet vehemence and in that instant she truly believed them.  Both Lovva and Circe stared at her, and then Circe laughed.

            “Dangerous words but undoubtedly true.  Come with me Asha, Lovva must rest now!”

            She steered Asha out of the room and then turned to stare at her, her face serious again.

            “You’ve seen what the Tieryn is like.”  It wasn’t a question.

            “So have you.”  Asha replied in an emotionless voice.  Circe studied her face.

            “Be careful Asha.”  From outside came the sound of raised voices and hoof beats but Circe did not move or flinch.  “He’s a treacherous lover but an even worse enemy.”

            Asha turned away and headed for the door, leaving Circe standing in the middle of the empty room lost in bitter memories.