Interlude 2

Gwenhwyfar Moonshard began attending the same boarding school as Cora and Alice Munro since she was seven; she and Alice started in the same year. Gwen was tolerated as the ward of Colonel Edmund Munro but between classes she was expected to work and earn her keep.

She kept up with her studies while she worked and her teachers praised Gwen on passing all of her classes; everyone liked Gwen for her kindness, being humble and patient. But there was one schoolgirl who made it her mission to bully Gwen and her name was Rebecca White.

Rebecca White was of a minor noble family of wealth and she like to show-off, and wherever she went; Rebecca made sure that she was the center of attention. She was also very vain about her beauty; Rebecca had long wavy black hair, eyes that were green as emeralds, alabaster white skin and pearl pink lips.

She did not tolerate any girl who was more beautiful than her; Rebecca saw these girls as her rivals and did everything to ruin their lives even going so far as to disfigure her rivals, and she was never caught. Rebecca was a very good actress in getting her way and forcing someone to be her sacrificial scapegoat, and she knew how to manipulate men to her whim at a young age.

Rebecca White saw Gwenhwyfar Moonshard as her greatest rival and she became a false friend to Gwen to make her betrayal sweeter. She discreetly bullied the Moonshard girl even made the girl her personal maid and whipping girl.

Gwen did practically everything for Lady Rebecca; undress and dress her, did her laundry, served her meals, etc. She also did Rebecca's schoolwork along with her own classes and if Gwen made a mistake or did something that Rebecca did not like she was switched.

Rebecca carried a riding crop that she used to switch Gwen for anything she considered a slight and Gwen never spoke a word to anyone nor did she complain. It infuriated the young Lady White that nothing ruined the Moonshard girl and Gwen blossomed into an ethereal woman.

Gwen's beauty, Gwen's purity and even Gwen's goodness outshines Rebecca that she snapped. It happened one day that Gwen was attacked while she got ready for a party that her school was holding.

A masked figure broke into Gwen's small bedroom and knocked the girl to the floor; the attacker tore Gwenhwyfar's dress to rags, then brought forth a bottle and poured its contents over Gwen's head. It was acid and the attacker fled as Gwen wreathed screaming on the floor in pain, and the Phoenix arose in rage as she took over.

Lady Rebecca White was feeling triumphant over her plan of having Gwen attacked and the party was in full swing. She wore a blue gown that hugged and showed off her figure with a corset that accentuates her female assets and emeralds decorate her hair.

But that all changed when everything suddenly stopped and everyone except Rebecca was frozen in place as if time had frozen. The double doors of the ballroom opened to reveal a young woman dressed in a Grecian dark red dress and a bright gold see-through cape that swirled about her.

She was barefoot and living gold flames wreathed about her, and for a moment Lady Rebecca thought she was seeing an avenging angel or Goddess. But when the strange woman approached; Rebecca was shocked to see it was Gwenhwyfar Moonshard and yet she wasn't.

"How are you still whole?" Rebecca demanded in shock. "Are you an angel or a demon...What are you...Who are you?"

"I am the Phoenix of Nature and the last of my kind;" said the Phoenix fiercely. "You, Rebecca White, are an ugly creature disguised in beauty, you cause pain and take what you have not earned!"

"So what..." said Rebecca in defiance; "I deserve to rise in status, I deserve to be center of attention and be admired by all...Me...Me...ME!"

"Oh you'll be center of attention, Rebecca White, but your status and money won't help;" said the Phoenix with a vicious smile. "Because you have abused your Gifts I shall give you a punishment and may you learn from it!"

Rebecca White found her-self unable to move as the Phoenix reached out and traced something on her brow, then she felt the Phoenix gently caress her face and the next thing; it felt like her face was on fire and she began screaming in pain as she clawed at her face. Rebecca did not realize that time had resumed, the Phoenix was gone and everyone was shocked at her sudden hysterics; it took six maids to hold Rebecca from doing any more damage to her face.

"It burns...my face burns;" wailed young Lady White as she struggled against the maids who were guiding her out.

The last thing Rebecca saw was Gwenhwyfar Moonshard standing with Cora and Alice Munro; whole, healthy and a look of pity on her face.

Rebecca White soon lost her beauty and upon her brow was cut an X, and she drew looks of pity but no one could stand in her presence for long. Gwen finished her schooling top of her classes and she continued her studying through governesses until she returned home with the Munro sisters.

Gwen never returned to the boarding school but continued her education with governesses and tutors. She began wearing a mask and veil when the incident became known, and it protected her for sometime!