'There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.'

-Laurell K. Hamilton, Mistral's Kiss

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(*THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS INCIDENTS THAT MIGHT UPSET SOME READERS. VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED*)

Seaborne Estate;

Richard stood in the doorway as he looked at the woman inside, tucking her son to sleep.

He had ventured into the west wing of the manor, usually reserved for the guests, when her soft voice had reached his ears.
He had been pulled towards the source of the lullaby and soon found himself in front of the chambers that had been allocated to the strange woman he had rescued a week ago.

She had still disclosed nothing about how she found herself in such predicament.
He was itching to ask her, but one look at her guarded face was enough for him to repress his doubts.
He would let her reveal her secrets when she was ready.

He had already had a hard time making her stay under his protection. She had wanted to leave the very next day. He could see the wariness in her eyes.
It seemed she was not totally at ease regarding his intentions.

It was only after a good amount of persuasion from his side, not excluding using her son’s safety as an excuse, that she had finally agreed to stay; though, for how long- he was not sure.

Richard tried to be discreet as he stood gazing at her.
It was an oddly-stirring sight. Seeing the way she looked at him as she stroked his face with delicate fingers, it was clear that she loved this boy unconditionally.

Richard noted with satisfaction that she looked much better than the day her had brought her to the manor.
Her face had regained some of the tint and with those abominable rags no longer covering her body, she looked much healthier.

“My Lord, there you are…Lord Cavendish seeks your company.”
He was brought out of his reverie by the anxious voice of his footman.

Richard frowned at the name.

The last time he had met Silas Cavendish had been decades ago. He was a company he was not proud to have been a part of; and hence had steered clear of his way since he came back.

Lord Cavendish, however, seemed to have learned of his return journey and had taken the matter of rekindling their acquaintance in his own hands. 

With a last glance at the woman inside, he softly made his way to the main wing, trying not to startle her by his presence.
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“Ah! So, the news had been legitimate. You really have returned, my friend!”
Lord Cavendish stood from the armchair near the fireplace and advanced towards him with a broad grin.

Richard grinned back, trying to keep the reluctance out of his expression.
This was going to be a long day…

“Say, my friend, how was I left unaware of this?”
Lord Cavendish spoke again as they took more comfortable positions near the fireplace.

Richard hesitated for a moment.
What was he to say to that?

“Well, it does not matter.
I have been missing our old rendezvous. What do you think about going to the alley this evening? Let us relive the memories.”

Richard almost winced upon seeing the sickening smile on the man’s face.
He could not fathom what had driven his past self to associate with the likes of him.
He was a capricious, deceitful man.

Silas cavendish had never been anyone’s friend, but his own.

“I am not sure, Lord Cavendish. It has been a tiring week. Since I am back after so long, a lot of work awaits me in the Estate.
I hope you understand.”

Richard willed himself to stay even-handed.

His companion’s smile dulled. But he soon recovered himself.
“Of course, I do. It is alright.
We will have enough time in the future.”
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Minerva stood outside the hall, wringing her hands as she debated her options.

She had decided to leave this place and no one could change her mind this time; not even Lord Seaborne.
She would be forever indebted to him for his generosity.
What he had done for her and her son showcased him as a good man.
But she had seen enough of the evil inside such men, to be able to trust him.
The best course of action would be to leave before he got bored of being kind to her.

She had put Will to his bed.
He had been ecstatic upon discovering the wonders that wealth could offer. He revelled in the joy of freely running around in the gardens and playing with the other maid’s children.
He had even put on some fat, thoroughly enjoying the food that she had never been able to provide him.
She knew he would not take kindly to her decision of returning them to the life of destitution.
But for her, her son’s life was of a greater importance.

Hence, she had asked one of the maids of the Lord’s whereabouts and ended in from of the hall.

Taking a deep breath of determination, she stepped inside the doorway.

“Lord Seaborne.”
She bent in curtsy before the figure of the man standing alone in front of the mantle, with his back to her.

It was only after she had straightened and looked properly at his now-turned face, that she realised his true identity with horror.

Minerva’s feet seemed to give away as she all but collapsed at the spot; for it was not Lord Richard Seaborne who stood before her, but the very man that she had been running from.

Lord Cavendish’s face was eloquent of his own shock, before his lips slowly turned up in a sinister sneer.

Minerva was too stunned to move as he slowly strode towards her.
“Well…isn’t this a pleasant surprise!
So, this is where you had been hiding all this time. No wonder, I could not find you.”

Lord Cavendish now stood too close to her; his putrid breath was fanning her cheeks as he stooped down.
Minerva looked at him with terrified eyes.

He continued to sneer as he brought his hands to her face. She scrunched her eyes shut, fearing for the worst.

He gave an appeased chuckle at her reaction and lifted a lock of stray hair from where it fell down neck.
She felt his skin grazing hers and nightmares that she had tried to bury, resurfaced.

“You live up to your name- jumping in the bed of the very next man who could fulfil your greed.
That is who you are after all; a whore.
You dared to defy me, taking that bastard child and escaping from under my nose. Did you think I would let you off that easily?
I paid a handsome amount for you to sustain yourself. I let you keep that bastard even though I could easily have had him killed in the womb.
But instead, I tried to be as generous as I could.
Is this how you intended to repay my kindness?”

Minerva felt a shiver down her spine as she heard his malicious voice.
He had dropped the hair by now and instead traced her cheek with a finger.

“I should not have been this easy on you.”
His voice was too close and she felt her heart plummet with dread.

“Remove your hands from the woman, Lord Cavendish.”

The bellowing voice of Richard Seaborne halted any action that Lord Cavendish might have planned for her.
She looked up with a startled expression at the man standing inside the hall.

He looked livid.
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Richard had been reprieved from the company of Silas Cavendish when his attendant had sought him for a manner that needed his urgent attention.

A merchant had come to seek his approval for setting up his business in his Estate and he had been more than prompt to listen to his queries, grateful for the intrusion.

Lord Cavendish had, unfortunately, decided to wait for him in the hall.

Richard tried to delay his meeting with the merchant for the hope of seeing Silas Cavendish out of his manor soon.

But as he entered the hall again, feigning an apologetic smile, he was met with a sight that made his blood boil.

Silas cavendish stood facing Minerva, far too close for his liking.
He had his finger at her cheek and she looked positively terrified.

The scene before him, brought forth memories that he most despised himself for.

“Remove your hands from the woman, Lord Cavendish.”

Minerva was startled by his voice.
He could see it in her eyes as she finally opened them to look at him. But they were soon filled with gratitude and fear.

He directed his gaze back at the other man, who now faced him with an incredulous look on his face.
Richard noted with some relief that he had put some distance between him and Minerva.

“Richard, my friend, are you defending this woman against me, right now?”
Silas Cavendish’s voice was unsure as he looked at Richard with a frown.

Richard’s words were cold as ice when he spoke again, looking him straight in the eyes,
“What does it seem like?
You are upsetting the lady with your undue advances. I would prefer you to act decently in my household.”

Lord Cavendish scoffed as he took in his words.
“Lady? Huh! She is no Lady, my friend!
She is a common peasant whom I was generous enough to provide for; no more than a whore.
I am aware of the charm of her beauty. She knows how to use it to her advantage.
You should be wiser than to let her affect you.”
Silas stopped for a moment and looked at a shivering Minerva with an undiluted lust.

Richard’s jaw ticked as he looked at him.
“You should know better than to speak such words under my roof, Silas.
Peasant or not, she is a woman.”

Silas Cavendish looked at him with a heedless expression.
“That is what I am saying, my friend. She is a woman.
They are meant to obey us, men. To open their legs and take us without a word.
That is their place. That is what Lord had decided for them.
They have neither the intelligence, nor the courage to survive without us.
We provide for them. They would be nowhere without us. Do not let yourself be swayed by her tears. That is their weapon. But you are a tough man, aren’t you?”

Richard was filled with shame as he realised that he indeed had been such a man at one point.
The fact that he had fraternised with men like Silas Cavendish in his past, filled him with contrition.

He could no longer care to act composed and in another second, found himself clutching the other man’s lapel.

“You will not speak to her like that.
She works for me. She is under my protection.
So, unless you want to start a fight, you better leave.”

Lord Cavendish saw the unbidden fury in Richard’s eyes and gulped.

He knew that to fight this man in his own household would be a self-slaughter.
The whore could wait.
He would have her and that bastard son of hers by any means; but his own safety came first.

He raised his palms in the air, in an act of surrender.
“Do not fret, my friend. I will leave.
Let us not fight over someone like her.”

Richard controlled the urge to strike him and left his lapel.
He would not do to act rashly. Silas Cavendish was a clever man. If he wanted to deal with him, he had to formulate a plan first.

Lord Cavendish threw an assessing glance at Richard and smiled.
He took measured steps towards the door and passed a last menacing glance at Minerva before finally exiting the hall.
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“Thank you for saving me earlier, my lord.”

Richard heard the soft voice of Minerva as she stood in his study.

It had been more than four hours since Lord Cavendish had left.

Richard had tried to soothe his anger after ensuring her state of mind.
Minerva had avoided meeting his eyes as she assured him that she was fine. She had soon run out of the hall, leaving him to the reprieve of his liquor.

And now, while he sat stiff with worry about her and dying with the frustration of not knowing the reason of Lord Cavendish’s abominable behaviour, there she stood with a grateful expression.

He knew what had transpired earlier in the hall, had not merely been the usual antics of Lord Cavendish.
There was the deep-rooted fear in Minerva’s eyes and the unusual maliciousness of Lord Cavendish’s eyes to consider.
He knew there was a lot more to it.

And he had every intention of finding it out.

Richard kept the glass back on his table and stood up.
He looked at her steadily.
She squirmed under his scrutiny, making him sigh deeply.

“Are you alright? I know you might not trust me still.
Lord Cavendish was an old acquaintance.
Just know that I am nothing like him. I would never hurt you.
He will not be able to hurt you till you are here.”

His distinct tone made Minerva look at him in the eyes.
She saw the promise that he held in them and her heart filled with grace.

He was the first man who had ever fought for her. What he had done for her that morning, had cleared any doubts that she might have had about him.
No, he was nothing like that man. He couldn’t be.
For that man, was a monster.

Richard saw some of the hesitation leave her eyes and continued in a persuasive tone,
“But if I have to protect you, I must know why he was here. You must tell me, Minerva.”

He noted the sudden stiffness of her shoulders as her gaze faltered.

For a moment, he feared that she would retract.
But then her face filled with determination before she looked at him again with trusting eyes, filled with unshed tears.

When she began speaking in a quivering voice, all Richard could do was hold the back of his chair, his knuckles turning white with the force, trying to about startling her with his anger.

“He is my son’s father.
I was his…woman. Not by choice, of course.”

Minerva saw the tick of his jaw, but steeled with a new-found courage, continue to recount the tale of horror that was her life.

“My father worked in the stables of his manor. We lived in the servant quarters.
He saw me one day- cleaning the stables, for my father had suddenly taken ill and all my other siblings were too young to perform the task.
I was the eldest- a girl of fifteen.”

She could remember how violated she had felt when he came and groped her body, her dress clinging to her due to the sweat.
She had protested then- for she was too naïve to know the consequences that it entailed. But at that moment, hitting his shin and hearing his cry of pain had been relieving.

He had slapped her hard and left.

The very next day, he had gone to her father and demanded her to work in the manor.

He knew she would have to- otherwise he would kill her father.
They were his servants- under his jurisdiction.
Others could care less what happened to them.
Her entire family had worked for his since many generations.
It had been what they had known all their lives.

Sha had no right to protest, she knew that; but it did not stop her from pleading to her father to let her run away.
Her father had shaken his head morosely as she clung to her inconsolable mother’s arms.

They knew what would happen once she went there.

She was all but offered to Lord Cavendish.

He had taken her that night- in the stables.

She was told that she wasn’t fit to be in his chambers.
That was where she belonged- in the midst of the shit.

She had cried and thrashed till she bled; her own wails mixed with those of the agitated horses. Being a maiden- she had only seen the horses in the act of fornicating.
Never once had she been held by a man before; and certainly not a man two decades her senior, who handled her like a brute would.

He had left her there- broken and bruised, promising that it was just a start; that there was much worse to come.

She had once again gone to her father, pleading for him to save her, but he refused.
This was her life now. She would be wise to accept it.

Lord Cavendish violated her however he deemed fit.
For his convenience, she had already been allotted a chamber in the manor.
Sometimes she was dragged from her sleep in the middle of the night and taken to the stables.

He raped her brutally and consistently. She would have marks the next day- bruises that would never heal. She soon stopped protesting- accepting it as her fate.

As a reward, he began treating her less roughly.

His wife knew, but she could do anything about it.
He was the Lord, after-all, and a powerful one at that.

She lived a non-existent life for almost a year before a ray of hope shone onto her.
She found that she was enceinte.

Minerva had been ecstatic.
She would be a mother.
There would be a purpose in her life.

Maybe Lord Cavendish would have some mercy on her and let her leave with the child…But it was all for naught.

Lord Cavendish was livid at the discovery.
He did not want any bastards running about, ruining his chances of a good political standing.
He had not said it to her face, of course. It would have not done any good to have her fleeing away.

He called her to the stables the next day.
Minerva went with the same sullen expression that she carried on her each time. She presumed he still required her to perform her duty, even after knowing about her state.

What happened there, however, was something she couldn’t have expected in her worst nightmares.

The stables were empty of any human soul, except that of a scrawny-looking woman accompanied by a buxom giant.
Minerva had looked at the beastly glint in their eyes and knew at once that something was wrong.

She had looked at them askance, readying herself to dart out before she saw the buxom woman advance at her with a remarkable alacrity.

Minerva did not have time to even utter a word as the woman muzzled her mouth with a dirty rag and dragged her towards a rotten wooden bench kept in a corner.

Minerva thrashed about as much as she could but soon realised that she was no match to the other woman.
Her heart grew heavy with foreboding as she saw the strange contraptions sitting on a stool beside the bench she was forced upon.

She did not remember much afterwards.
She was conscious still, while they tied her body and tore through her skirts.
She could feel herself being poked and prodded.
But her heart felt numb to any pain.

It was only after she held her lifeless baby, slimy and bloodied, in her arms that she felt an amount of anguish so profound that it shook her to the very core.

Her child had been murdered.
It was nothing but a lump of flesh, but she could see her child like any other being.

The woman had sneered and told her that she was damaged and won’t be able to have a baby again.

She had lost all of her tears by then.
They left her there.

Minerva wanted to die. She had nothing left anymore. It was a wretched existence. With no will to live, Minerva had clutched her child in her arms and laid back on the blood-coated bench, closing her eyes and seeking a sweet oblivion.

But she could not achieve even that; for, when she had opened her eyes again, she found herself back in the same world that she had dared to hope to escape.

Lord Cavendish had, magnanimously, decided to have her nursed back to health.
He boasted of his gratitude to her the next time her took her.

He told her the child would have been an inconvenience and she was better rid of it.
She had said nothing, opting to look at the steed in front of her with dead eyes.

She was a soulless body, devoid of emotions and led a hollow existence for ten years before a miracle was bestowed upon her by the Lord.
She found herself with child again.

This time, however, she was not so naïve to be delighted at the fact.
But she vowed to not let any harm befall the child. She would rather die than have that man murder her child again.

So, she did the only thing possible for her to ensure its safety- she begged.

She begged Lord Cavendish to let her child live.
She would make sure that the child stayed out of his way.
He would never be seen or heard by anyone. She would lock him up if need be…

Lord Cavendish, who had grown weary of his domestic matters at that time, took pity on her.
He was already shocked that the procedure had not rendered her barren.
If this child was as tough as it seemed, he might as well let him live.

Minerva had been shamefully grateful to the man for sparing her child’s life.

He was deeply amused by her tears and decided to have some more leverage out of her situation.
Minerva would never forget the disgraceful things he made her do in the months that followed- things that were blasphemous in the eyes of the Church and the people.

He humiliated her in worst ways possible; once even violating her in front of the stable-man, not caring about the state of her undress or the other man’s lustful eyes.
She had been almost at the end of her term at that time.

But Minerva could not complain. She was ready to do anything that he asked if it entailed her child’s security.

All the pain was forgotten the day she had first held Will in her arms.
She had the help of another maid as she brought her child to the world.
He was a handsome baby.

Soon, Lord Cavendish lost interest in her.
He had found younger and more pleasing partner and had mercifully, left her alone with her son.

Her time, the little she could manage between her chores, was dedicated to him.

However, the peace was not to be held for long, as the ruckus in the manor increased.
Lord Cavendish was having a fresh set of domestic problems to deal with.
The Lady of the Estate became increasingly irritable by her husband’s indiscretion- with a younger woman every other time.

It was one thing to have his whore in the manor but she was not having his bastard roaming about her home.

Minerva kept Will away from their gazes but the knowledge of his presence had been enough to rile Lord Cavendish’s children.

His eldest son, a grown man by now, demanded to have her removed from the manor and Lord cavendish, who had a soft spot for his children, was prompt to do just that.

Minerva was thrown into persecution, but was to remain under the watchful eyes of his men.
He would not have her going about and declaring Will as his child. She was threatened to keep to a small cottage that he had allotted to her, along with meagre resources.

She was more than happy to oblige. It was far better than to remain in the manor and face him everyday.
Her family had already cut any ties with her or her son, so she decided to lead a quiet existence.

All had gone well for years.
Her heart still bled with pain as she was reminded of the babe that never got to see the world but she had to console herself with the fact that he was happy with the Lord.

She had her son to brighten up her dull life. He was a darling child- always ready with a toothy grin.

But she could sense the loneliness in him.
He had no other company. He did not even get to play with any other children, which led to him being painfully shy.
For a while, she feared he would never speak. But he had soon dispelled her fears with his chattering.

He was her life.

And Lord Cavendish wanted to snatch him away from her.

She had accidentally heard the men who brought her the food supplies.
They were talking about how they pitied her, for Lord Cavendish was going to send the boy- her Will- out with the labourers to work in the plantations of the west.

Minerva knew what it meant. Anyone who was sent to work in those wretched plantations, was worked to death.
A mere boy- one who was had not even turned eight yet- would perish in the journey itself.

She knew it was plan to get rid of his bastard once and for all. He had never intended for her to know of this.
She would have been blindsided like the last time when he took her baby and would have begged him to free her son, while he told her it was too late.

What could she do to him then?
Nothing- she begrudgingly realised.

That very night, she had held a confused Will in her arms as she gathered their essentials and escaped through the forest.

She knew Lord Cavendish would never expect her to act so brazenly; he would never consider her brave- or fool enough, to run away from him. He still saw her as the young girl that he had mercilessly deflowered.

But she was a mother now and a mother could go to any lengths to protect her child.

By the time Silas Cavendish was made aware of her disappearance, she had crossed the Estate.

Although he had been livid, other pressing matters demanded his attention in the court and he was forced to delay his search for her.

She had found a safe haven in Fletcher’s Alley.
She found women, who had been violated just like her, forced to live a life of persecution.
She found in them a company and solidarity.
Although the matron had been a strict and unyielding lady and the men who frequented the establishment used every chance to grope and disgrace her, Minerva had managed to keep out of trouble and survive discreetly.
Even Will had grown to like the place.

That was until she was found by his men.
They had come one evening, banging on the doors.
The women had warned her and helped her and Will escape in time.

That was how Lord Richard Seaborne had found her that day.

Minerva knew the moment she had laid her eyes on him, that she could trust him enough to leave with him.

Lord Cavendish’s men were soon closing in on them and if she hadn’t accepted his offer of help, her son would be prey to that monster.

Of course, Minerva excluded the humiliating details she told him her woes.

“…he is here to take Will back.”

The first thing that struck Richard as she ended her story, was her courage.

She had said that was a weak woman; but he differed.
She was one of the most courageous women he had ever met. She had willed herself to survive even after all the horrors she had been forced to face.

His entire being was filled with a ferocious rage as he recalled the atrocities that Silas Cavendish had performed.
Men like him were a splotch on society. They deserved the worst punishment.

Richard could not form words as he gazed into the tormented eyes of the woman in front of him.

He looked at her in a new light- as a warrior.

She had fought and survived in life’s own battlefield.
However, now he vowed to not let another misfortune befall her.

“Silas Cavendish would never be able to lay another hand upon you, Minerva.
You and Will are my responsibility now.
Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this. I would not disappoint you. I vow to it.”

Richard’s voice held a chilling conviction as he spoke, his eyes offering her a glimpse into his soul.
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Author’s Note-

This was a jarring chapter for me to write.
It carried within it the pain of numerous such women who had to face unspeakable crimes.

Especially in the said time-period, women like Minerva and Gwen, represent the innumerable women who faced such atrocities.

Life dealt the harshest blows on these nameless women- not protected by any title or wealth.
They were used as worse than commodities. Their own families abandoned them to their fate. The rulers hardly had time to listen to their vows.
So, they led their existence silently, enduring everything.

It breaks my heart to know that worse things were known to have happened to countless women.

Minerva is a character who is really special for me (Just like Saya).
I wanted to dedicate an entire chapter to her life-story.
It was required to understand the situation. She deserved no less.

Do let me know what you thought of the chapter.

Does Minerva’s story resonate with you on some level- have you known women being treated like this?

What are your thoughts?

Lastly, stay safe everyone.

Till the next time!👋