The Roar

Meryl exhaled a heavy breath as her hands trembled in Valerie’s grip. The money was great and she was also used to managing her castle in the absence of her stepmother and stepsister, which was most months of the year, but she was hesitant. She pursed her lips and then said, “I will consider this option, Valerie.” She pulled her hands out of hers and rubbed her neck, feeling extremely tired. She had helped one of the women in the village give birth to her third baby and just so that she didn’t catch infection, Meryl had made a lot of herbal medicines for her. The exhaustion was now apparent on her face. There were dark circles under her eyes and her face was pallid. 

“It is a fantastic option Meryl,” said Valerie. “Alburn is a nice man. He helps people and is generous with salaries. Moreover, it is just a month’s job. A month will pass in the blink of an eye and you will get a good hundred gold coins. What is there to refuse about it?” Valerie pushed her. “Imagine what all you can do with that much money!” 

Meryl nodded. The job and the money were just too good. “I will let you know in two days Valerie. I still have to think about it. If I will be away from the estate for a month, then I have a lot of things to wind up. I have to give instructions to my maids. My mother and Viola will be leaving the castle in two days for a long period. I can come only after she leaves. There are not many servants in the house and so I have to—” she looked away feeling embarrassed to show her condition in her own castle. She was reduced to being a servant, even as Judith and Viola enjoyed with the guests and gave orders upon orders to entertain them. It was tiring emotionally as well as physically. Moreover, she had just recovered from her hives and fever, which only added to her misery. 

When she turned her gaze to Valerie, she found her friend looking at her with a frown. “You have to do what?” asked Valerie. 

Meryl shook her head. “Nothing…” she said in a low voice. “I will let you know in two days.” 

Valerie huffed. “Okay, but I can’t guarantee to hold the job for you. The money is just too good here!” 

Meryl gave her a weak smile. “I know and I won’t bother you if the job goes to someone else.” Her shoulders hunched a little as doubts crept in her mind. 

“Meryl, you are a good friend and I will recommend you to the duke,” said Valerie with a smile as if obliging her. “The duke is a good friend of my father and I am sure that he will listen to me. But the problem is that he wouldn’t wait for a long time. When an opportunity as good as this comes your way, grab it immediately, okay?”

A faint blush rose on her cheeks and Meryl couldn’t help feeling obliged. Even though Valerie wasn’t helping her monetarily on a personal level, at least she was helping her by recommending her name. “Okay,” she nodded again. Then she picked up her purse and said, “I have to hurry up now. I don’t want people to notice my absence in the castle.” Her voice was etched with fear that loomed like a large, ominous shadow at the back of her mind. She got up and smoothed the crease of her gown. 

“I understand,” said Valerie, standing up with her. She lightly hugged Meryl and escorted her to the main entrance of the mansion. Once they were over there, she signaled her guard to call her carriage. There was an awkward silence between them, which Valerie broke by saying, “I wished that your father had left the estate to you. At least you wouldn’t have been reduced to asking for help like this.” Meryl knew that Valerie was patronizing her, but she didn’t counter it. It didn’t matter. 

The carriage, driven by a single horse, came. It was black and had a single cushioned wooden bench inside. The coachman, a man in his thirties with more silver hair than black, helped Meryl climb it. They got out of the mansion and were on the dirt road to their castle in Windley in less than an hour. 

As soon as they entered the estate of Windley, she heard the familiar thunder and rain pelting the carriage. Meryl remembered that when she was younger, she had spent so many days in the sunny weather of Windley. Rains were rare and the whole estate was full of greenery. They had a beautiful lake where her parents would often take her for boating. The memories had started fading but in times such as these when she was alone, she would try to revisit them and often even weave them. A soft chuckle escaped her lips when suddenly she was thrown on the right side. The carriage came to a halt with her now sitting in a slanting position. As she tried to collect her gown and shawl, the coachman opened the door. 

“M’ lady the wheel broke and it is now stuck in the mud!” he said, panicky as hell. This was the only coach he had for his family. His wife had just delivered their third baby and he had to go back to her as soon as possible. 

Cursing under her breath, Meryl took his hand to step out. “Do you have a tool box, Tim?” she asked as she walked to the right to check it. The rain had completely soaked her. The place was so damp that her boots skidded as she walked. Other than the smell of damp earth and rain, there was no other smell. It was as if the rains had drowned them all. 

“I do!” said Tim. He reached for a box beneath the carriage and handed it over to her. 

Meryl removed her shawl and opened the box to take a wrench out. “Hold the wheel steady like this,” she instructed Tim. By the time she was lying beneath the carriage to check the actual damage, Meryl was completely drenched. Mud smeared on her face. As Tim held the wheel steadily, she checked the spokes and then tightened the nuts. It took a lot of time for her to complete the task even though she had done it many times earlier. 

She was about to crawl out from beneath the carriage, when she heard a loud roar in the skies. It sounded so dangerous that for a moment she flinched. She came out and looked up at the source of the roar, but except the gray dense clouds there was nothing. Yet another roar emanated from above the clouds. “What kind of a beast roams in those clouds?” she asked Tim as she hurried to sit in the coach. 

“We better hurry, m’lady,” said Tim. “This place is full of dangerous wild animals and... creatures!” He stashed the toolbox back in its place and helped Meryl to step inside. He closed the door, climbed the stool and whipped the horse. The horse was already petrified hearing the roar. It dashed ahead with a jolt. The beast roared again. Tim nudged his horse to run faster. However, a few moments later they heard the roar again and goosebumps pebbled Meryl's skin. 

"Go fast, Tim," she shouted from the carriage, scared that the beast might hurt the only horse Tim had. She started praying to all the gods. Suddenly—