Arria's Wedding Fear

Sometimes all Arria could do was run. 1

“No this cant be happening it just cant I mean he is …but no he would force this on us never, I will never go through with this, there must be a way out, something anything, a loophole a hidden way, or oh who am I kidding there is nothing, even if there were what could we do, but we must do something I will be no man’s slave or chattel to be bartered at will!” Arria paced her room tears of anger and fear smeared her makeup, her eyes were wild and crazed like a cornered animal. Ziral watched as her twin tore off her ruined gown in her rage. Angrily she pulled on breeches forgetting her shirt as she stormed out of the room, so blinded by her own inner turmoil that she knocked over an end table in the process. All the while Ziral’s mind turned over their current problem.2

As fast as Arria was riding, her thoughts were moving even faster, tearing at her mind. As the palfrey under her galloped through the field, so lost was she that she did not see the fence until it was too late, the horse leapt and the world spun as Arria lost her seat and tumbled to the ground. Unseen her horse cantered back to its nice warm stall, leaving Arria to lay on her bed of grass sobbing like child. No matter how Arria tried to get control of herself all she could do was cry, all of the lies, the pain, the doubt, and anger all came out in a wild flood of tears and cries. She stopped caring if any one seen her or heard her she just cried, laying on the ground screaming like she hadn’t done since she was in diapers she let all of the emotion pour out of her, slowly she began to calm down somewhat, just enough for her to realize that she should find a better hiding spot. Still sobbing she forced herself to wander into the cluster of trees before collapsing on the leaf litter and surrendering to her weariness.3

Surprisingly she did not sleep only continue to cry, some part of her wondered where all these tears were coming from. Unfortunately one can only cry for so long before the body adds in its two cents. With a dry heave Arria threw up lunch, breakfast, then even the will to eat. Distantly she was aware of someone speaking, and a hand rubbing her back. Near the end she sobbed and heaved at the same time the bile catching in her throat and taking away her breath. She was shifted forcibly so that she was facing the sky and the same hand from before she moving to soothe her as she coughed up the burning liquid, trying to breathe but having poor luck. Then it was over, she gasped and slowly tried to get herself back under control.4

“Arria, whatever caused this, wouldn’t it have been better to talk it over rather than try and kill yourself gallivanting off like that?” 5