Sacrificial Bride to the Feared Lord Hastings-Chapter 134: Spark (1)

Back at the Hastings castle, Ophelia had long tidied her appearance after being in the garden and decided it was time to address the maids.

"I know of a few maids who are still stuck on believing Miss Lowe will be the lady of the castle. They should be kept an eye on since they would report all that you do to Miss Lowe or Lord Hastings’ mother," said Alice.

"Let them. No matter what I do to warn the maids, news will reach Cecilia’s ears. This was her home longer than it is mine, so she has loyal spies I won’t be able to get rid of. I will keep an eye, as you say, to send them out if they target me," Ophelia decided.

Ophelia knew to send out the maids meant to kill them. She didn’t want death in the castle at the moment. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Have you placed someone to watch the head maid and the doctor?" Ophelia asked, eager to know if Alice succeeded.

"I did. Both are maids I can trust, and I paid them off to do it. Did I do well?" Alice questioned, hoping she had finally proven herself.

"Well, I first have to wait to see how the maids’ reports are," Ophelia answered.

Alice frowned.

Ophelia laughed at Alice’s childish behaviour. "Why do you seek compliments when your work has only just begun?"

Alice looked back at the one who received all Ophelia’s compliments. "You always only have kind words to give to Thomas, and he only follows you around. I am the one employing maids and watching others. I am also keeping up with all that is said about you."

"Despite all that I do, you don’t compliment me as you do Thomas. Will all my efforts be in vain? Will you always hold onto what I did when I was first tasked as your maid? You must let me know if you don’t think I can do better," Alice pleaded.

"Calm yourself, Alice. I am harder on you because I want you to do better. I don’t want you to think you have won me over so easily and start to slip back to how you started. Believe me, I will compliment you in due time. Had I not thought you were getting better, you would not be at my side now," Ophelia explained.

"You are doing well, but I must see if you have picked the right maids to watch others. If you didn’t, I will teach you how to do better. You must be patient and trust me. May I continue?" Ophelia asked, needing Alice to compose herself before they saw the maids.

Every lady had a maid they leaned on the most. Ophelia wanted to teach Alice to be that maid and keep her at her side for a long time.

"You may," Alice answered.

"Patience, Alice. Patience," Thomas teased Alice as he walked by her to follow Ophelia.

Alice glared at Thomas.

Why should Thomas be complimented for guarding Ophelia when there weren’t any threats he needed to get rid of?

All Thomas did was eat.

"You’re only liked because you remind her of your brother. When the real one comes, she won’t like you anymore," Alice fired back.

Ophelia sighed. "Please don’t bicker behind me. It is no different from walking with children with you two."

"Thomas was the one who started it," Alice pointed out.

"That proves my point. At the very least, the two of you get along well, even though you don’t want to believe it. I- Thomas, who is that man?" Ophelia asked, watching a knight in the distance.

The knight moved when he noticed Ophelia’s gaze.

"Who?" Thomas inquired, going before Ophelia to see the danger.

"He is gone. I saw him last night during dinner, and even then, he had that same look. Like he was upset. Dante said he was gathering all the knights. Only you and the ones patrolling are excluded from it, so what was he doing?" Ophelia wondered, assuming the man was stalking her.

Ophelia wanted to follow the knight, but didn’t want to risk the dangers. She remembered his face well, so she could stop him if she saw him again.

"Anyone who disobeys Lord Hastings’ order will be punished. It must be someone new since they don’t understand the risk of disobeying. I assure you, Lord Hastings will notice if someone is missing," Thomas promised.

Thomas also knew the men would whisper amongst themselves about who was bold enough to skip training.

"Stop arguing amongst each other and remain aware of our surroundings. The knights who don’t listen to Dante are the ones who concern me the most. Be vigilant," Ophelia advised the pair.

As she walked, Ophelia tried to think of where else she had seen that knight before. It was on the tip of her tongue, but it wouldn’t come to her now.

’I’ve seen him,’ Ophelia thought.

Something about that man disturbed her, but Ophelia couldn’t find the answer.

"I must clear my mind afterwards," Ophelia whispered. It was rare that Ophelia forgot the face of someone who troubled her.

Ophelia set the matter with the knight to the side as she entered the garden, where all the maids gathered with the new head maid.

"Lady Hastings," Frances Porter, the head maid, curtsied. "I am Frances Porter."

"It is nice to meet you, Mrs Porter. My husband spoke of you to me and of your ties to the Hastings. I welcome you to your new work as the head maid and hope we get along well. I apologise for keeping you here for so long," Ophelia said, looking at the maids standing in lines.

"You are not late, Lady Hastings. We took the time to line ourselves for your viewing," Frances replied.

"I see. I won’t keep all of you here for much longer. I was wrong to not properly introduce myself during my first days in the castle. It doesn’t matter why I couldn’t; introductions are needed. I won’t make that kind of mistake again," Ophelia assured the group.

"I am Lady Ophelia Hastings, wife of the man who owns this castle and governs the land you stand on. I know plenty of you are wary of me because I came from the Valthorn family, but that is not important. What matters now is that I carry the Hastings name, and I demand respect."

Ophelia walked, following the first line of maids. "I don’t care who you were loyal to before me. I don’t want to hear who allowed you to act as you wanted and freed you from punishment. From the day I married Lord Hastings, my word became law here, and no one will save you from my punishments."

"You are to listen to only me. I will have the head maid report all of your behaviour to me, and I will punish you how I see fit. Those of you who cannot follow my orders are welcome to leave. I shall inform my husband of your wish to leave," Ophelia said, hanging a threat over the maids’ heads.

"If you listen to me, you will be treated well. I will not get in your way, nor will I allow anyone to mistreat you. I am allowing you this one chance to start anew."

"I will not punish you for how you treated me before, but should your behaviour continue, I assure you that my response will be far worse than you have seen from my husband," Ophelia warned the group. "The days of troubling me and getting away with it are long gone."