The Unwanted

Freya and Donna were from Pilleth. They had not known each other while in Pilleth but they bonded quickly when marriage brought them to Garld.

Donna was one who did not hold much trust for people and so when she needed help, she did not know a better person to call on than Freya.

'Gina, whatever did Baxter need me to talk to Marlow about?' She asked as she closed the door.

Gina did not know exactly what the boys had been talking about and so she did not know how to respond to Freya's question.

'Do not mind me. If Marlow desires that I know about it, then he shall inform me of it.' Freya said.

'Freya, Baxter was warning Marlow to refrain from placing a wager. I reckon Marlow is in Baxter's debt too.'

It was not news to Freya that Marlow could not help himself when it came to placing wagers. He did it like death was going to befall him if he did not.

'That child vexes me. Goodnight Gina.' Freya walked away.

Gina stood there with a lamp in her hand and slumber far from her eyes. But she could not stand around in the dark, so she retired to her room.

She laid down on her bed and thought about Richard. She thought about the first time he had laid with her.

It was the first day snow touched the ground that year. Everywhere was too chilly for anyone to remove their clothes but Richard's skin was warm enough for her.

Before that day, Richard had told her he could not bring himself to have her but after she wore him down with pleas, he accepted.

Gina had gone to his house that morning and together, they went to his ranch. He had promised to teach her horseback riding but that was far from what had happened in the end.

Richard had asked his workers to retire home prior to Gina's arrival and so they had the ranch to themselves.

When Gina could no longer control her want around him, Richard placed hay on the ground in the stable and he had her.

It was the first time she had been with a man, and she knew from that moment that he was the only man she wanted to be with and so she began to call him 'my man.'

Richard had been gentle with her. He questioned her on how she felt at intervals and when he was done, he prepared her a cup of hot tea.

To her, he had treated her like a princess and for that, she was ready to kiss the floor on which he walked.

But that was before he made his decision in Ansley's workroom. She did not expect Richard, who had been so caring, to let her down that way.

Gina signed, closed her eyes, and wished for slumber.

But while she wished to sleep, Tabitha, the town gossip begged sleep to leave her.

You see, Tabitha had no friends. But that was her fault. She did not stop talking about people and so everyone avoided her.

Being left alone even by her husband and two daughters did not teach her to tend to her own business. Instead, it fueled her desire to know everything about everyone.

'I tell you; he does not leave the house until late at night.' The young girl who sat beside Tabitha said.

They were in a bush looking at the house of an unwanted.

The unwanted were people who the town despised. History had it that they were descendants of people who fled the war front when Garld went to war. Even after many centuries, the hatred still flourished.

Those people always went out of Garld to get married but the one whose house Tabitha sat across from had a suitor from Garld.

That was not what pushed the young girl to call Tabitha out that night.

What pushed her was the suitor who went for the unwanted's hand. He was a noble's son, and he was also the one on whom she had set her eyes.

'Shall we then wait until he exits the house?' Tabitha asked with her eyes closed.

'You must see him. He is a noble's son. He lives on the east side too. He must not take an unwanted as a wife.' The young girl said.

'Clarice, I shall confront him tomorrow and ask him of it. Whatever is his name?' Tabitha asked.

Clarice looked around as though checking to see if someone was close enough to hear her. Then she leaned in and whispered into Tabitha's ears the name 'Dayton.'

Like someone shook slumber off Tabitha's eyes, she turned to Clarice and put her hand over her mouth. That was how Tabitha acted whenever she got very important information.

'Do you want me to believe that Dayton has come from the east to see this unwanted?' Tabitha questioned.

It was true. Dayton had spent so much time with the unwanted that he started to see her for who she was and not the title she was born into.

'Even I did not believe the first time I saw but I have stayed at this very spot many nights and I have seen him walk out.' Clarice said.

Clarice had approached Dayton once with the help of her friends, but the encounter did not go well.

Dayton found her to be shallow and he wanted a woman who was more than the surface. Clarice however did not understand that and so she followed Dayton everywhere he went. Until she found out about his visit to the unwanted's house.

Clarice knew she had to speak up about it and there was no better person to tell than Tabitha. At least she was sure that a lot of people were going to find out that way.

'We must talk to his father at once then.' Tabitha stood up.

That was how she was. Impatient. She did not like wasting time planning anything given that she was a very spontaneous person.

'Tomorrow will do. I only needed you to bear witness with me.' Clarice smiled.

She knew her plan had worked, and she had Tabitha on her side.

Without saying more words, Tabitha took herself home. She kept thinking about how outrageous it was for Dayton to find love in the laps of an unwanted.