Chapter 11

Ayda tilted her head, her chin in her hand:

"So, Nifsara, you don't mind if I call you that do you?"

Ayda's mother immediately kicked her under the table. Ayda didn't even feel it at that point and just kicked back. Her mother groaned and looked up at Ayda with a frown. Her mask fell off for a second and she almost slapped her daughter then and there. She wouldn't have had time to do so because Ayda was focused on her new plan. She didn't care about her mother at all and continued staring at Nifsara.

It wasn't polite to call people by their first name. Especially knowing that Lady Nifsara was visibly poorer than Ayda. She had to pay back her parents debts and Ayda was sure that she must have been sensitive about her status. Ayda hoped that this would make her angry but against all odds, Nifsara only smiled:

"No problem. I don't mind at all."

Ayda blinked a few times. Was she just pretending to be fine or was she stupid? Did she maybe not know about etiquette?

"Okay, Nifsara... Why did you want to become a knight?"

Nifsara looked taken aback by such interest. She cleared her throat before answering:

"I always dreamed about helping my country."

Boring. Of course a hero would say something of the sort.

"But when did you learn how to yield the sword?"

Ayda heard her mother mutter for her to stop. She knew where she was getting. Only rich people had access to sparring classes or swords. Ayda's question reminded Nifsara of her background. However once again, Nifsara didn't budge:

"I managed to learn thanks to my neighbor's charity."

Ayda waited for more but Nifsara stopped talking. Why was she getting more boring by the second?

"Wasn't it hard getting into the Knight Academy?

-It was indeed very hard.

-Didn't you think about doing something more..."

Ayda looked Nifsara up and down.

"Suitable for you?

-There were difficult days but at the end of the day, I am glad I didn't give up.

-I heard that they have to accept at least one person per different birth rank to respect the quota.

-I haven't heard about that yet. Thank you for telling me."

Ayda thought she would scream. She was running out of stupid things to say. Think. What would a rich and stupid sheltered girl ask?

"Did you decide to be a knight because of all the attractive men there?"

Ayda thought she would puke just saying that but Nifsara only snarled. She snarled! How dared she snarl at Ayda? Did she think that Ayda was just a stupid girl? Was she looking down at her? Was that why she wasn't getting angry?

"I have never thought about it."

Ayda's mother tried lightening the mood:

"Of course you wouldn't. But my daughter is right. Now that you are getting older, you should think about getting married."

Ayda looked at her mother with utter disgust. She had never been more ashamed of her mother than in that moment and she had been hitting her for years! Lady Brack didn't have to get married if she didn't want to! But of course Ayda couldn't defend the person she wanted to be hated by.

"Yes..."

She had to do her best not to puke as she agreed with that monster.

"Mother is right... Have you thought about marrying Lord Dumfrey?"

Lord Dumfrey was looking for his fifth wife and was in his late 70s. All his other wives had been beaten to death according to rumors and if that wasn't enough, Lord Dumfrey was said to be the ugliest man alive. Hearing his name made even Ayda's mother twitch:

"Ayda! How could you say that?"

Nifsara smiled:

"I don't mind. She is simply being curious."

Ayda frowned. Why was that stranger defending her? She could fight her own battles, thank you.

"I don't plan on getting married yet. I still have a lot to do."

Ayda's mother frowned:

"But then what about children? You should hurry up before you get too old to have any."

Ayda wanted to die. How could her mother say that? She opened her mouth but quickly closed it back. She almost said something. She was more easily triggered than Nifsara it seemed. That wasn't good. She needed to calm down.

"I don't want children."

Ayda's mother looked terrified:

"What are you saying? Children are the best gift that God could give you."

She passed her arm around Ayda's shoulders and the latter felt goosebumps in her whole body. Greatest gift? Who was she trying to fool? As if she ever loved her children.

"What a hypocrite."

Ayda's mother straightened up suddenly:

"What did you say?

-I said that you were a hypocrite. I didn't know that you were old enough to start losing your hearing."

Her mother almost screamed but held back at the last second:

"See? I told you that my dear daughter was a big prankster. It is a blessing to have her around. Without her my days would be very boring."

Ayda nodded:

"I have to admit. I can't say that I am bored here."

Ayda's mother smiled:

"Right?"

Seeing that her mother didn't sense her sarcasm made Ayda laugh.

"See? You would be missing out on this if you didn't have children. I think you should hurry up and get married."

Ayda couldn't take it anymore and had to change the subject:

"Will you be accepting his Majesty's request to be his personal guard?

-I haven't decided yet.

-Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable being around real knights?"

Nifsara wasn't phased at all:

"That won't happen."

Was she never going to get angry? Ayda realized that maybe she had taken the wrong approach. After all, Nifsara must have gotten used to people criticizing her background. She didn't have anything to prove at this point. She was a Knight. Ayda had to find other ways to insult her. But what could hurt her?

Ayda tried her best to remember everything her mother had told her about Nifsara. She was a bit disappointed that she didn't pay more attention to her mother's rambling. That would have been very helpful in that moment. She looked down at the tea cup and suddenly got an idea:

"Do you want me to serve you tea?"

Nifsara started shaking her head but Ayda didn't listen. If she couldn't anger Nifsara with her words, then she needed to move on to actions.

"Here, let me help you."

She dropped the tea-pot on purpose and the warm liquid got spilled into Nifsara's lap. The latter jumped up with a muffled scream. Seeing that, Ayda raised her hands to her mouth, pretending very badly:

"Oh, no... I am so sorry. My hand slipped. How clumsy am I?"

Ayda's mother jumped up to help Nifsara wipe the tea away. Maids rushed in to help clean up the mess and Ayda just continued standing there, not doing anything. While Nifsara was focused on getting out of her wet clothes, Ayda's mother walked up to her daughter and hit her behind the head:

"What the hell is wrong with you today? If you don't get it together right now, you are going to regret it for the rest of your life."

Nifsara looked up at them and Ayda's mother immediately smiled as if nothing had happened. She even rushed back to Nifsara, worried:

"I am so sorry... My daughter is very clumsy... I will get you a change of clothes. I hope that you didn't get burned. Please don't get angry at my daughter. She is a pure soul. She wouldn't hurt a fly."

Ayda rolled her eyes. No one would get burned from that degree of warmth. Ayda knew that better than anyone else. Nifsara was fine. She wasn't a monster. She wanted Nifsara to hate her but she wouldn't scar her for the rest of her life either. It may have hurt but she was fine. Ayda thought that this would finally be enough to get a frown out from the newcomer and she even smiled, satisfied. However, when Nifsara turned to her, she just continued smiling:

"It's okay. It could have happened to anyone."

Ayda frowned. What the hell was wrong with this woman?