Cecilia wasted no time going to the old tower. She wanted to see for herself how Ophelia was faring in the castle.
Was Ophelia disappointed because no grand gifts were awaiting her in the palace?
Was Ophelia upset that Dante didn't pay her any mind as other husbands would with their new wives?
Cecilia was eager to see if Ophelia's act had finally dropped, and she was showing her true feelings.
The guards didn't attempt to block Cecilia's path.
As Cecilia went up into the tower with Edith behind her, she heard laughter. It sounded like more than one woman, and Cecilia was right.
The chamber door was opened wide, but there were two maids blocking it.
"What are you doing?" Edith's question caught the attention of the maids.
Both women's laughter ceased, and they tensed up upon seeing that Cecilia was present.
"It's time to work, not play. I should," Edith stopped speaking when Cecilia raised her hand.
"Don't be so hard on them. There must be something rather amusing inside," Cecilia said as she made her way forward.
Cecilia stood by the door, not entering the chamber.
Cecilia expected to join the laughter, but she was puzzled by the sight of Ophelia tidying the chamber.
While it was amusing to see a Valthorn having to work, Cecilia didn't like that there weren't any tears or pleading to be moved to a better chamber.
"You, what are you doing?" Cecilia asked, seeking answers from Ophelia.
There wasn't a response.
Ophelia kept focus on her task. What she was doing now didn't need to be explained since Cecilia should be able to piece it all together.
Ophelia wanted the room tidied by night so she could sleep on the bed instead of the floor, and she couldn't finish on time if she fought with Cecilia.
Cecilia's brows knitted as she stared at Ophelia, feeling disrespected. "You are to answer me when I speak to you," she said, but again, there was no response. "Edith."
"Yes, Milady," Edith said, entering the room.
Edith didn't need to be told an order. She already knew what the lady wanted.
Edith approached Ophelia and raised her hand to slap her.
A smile formed on Cecilia's face after hearing the echo in the room.
The slap managed to get Ophelia to stop what she was doing.
To Edith's horror, she soon saw Ophelia's hand coming toward her face to slap her.
Ophelia's piercing gaze terrified Edith. "Lady Hastings may get away with it, but I am Lord Dante's wife regardless of who acknowledges it. A maid or any other lady cannot strike me and face no consequences."
Edith palmed the right side of her face. She turned to Cecilia for support.
How dare Ophelia be so bold as to strike a servant of the Hastings family?
Hearing this, Cecilia stormed into the chamber and slapped the left side of Ophelia's face.
"You need to be taught a lesson. Here," Cecilia said, grabbing Ophelia by her chin to make her meet her eyes. "Your worth is lower than all the servants. You are below the rats in the cellar, so where do you get off slapping the head maid?"
"You are Lord Hastings' wife? Haven't you grasped your place here?" Cecilia asked, growing more annoyed with how Ophelia acted.
Cecilia dug her nails into Ophelia's face.
"For your display, you shouldn't have any food or water for dinner. When you learn how to behave, then you may eat," Cecilia said, releasing Ophelia's face with a shove. "Nothing to say now?"
Cecilia wished Ophelia would speak up now so she could add to the punishment.
"How disappointing. I was hoping you would keep trying to upset me so I could punish you more. No one cares for you. That is why Lord Valthorn and his wife sent you here in my hands," said Cecilia.
Cecilia circled Ophelia, getting another good look at her. She still couldn't fathom that some broken woman had the chance to be with her son.
Cecilia stopped walking when pots caught her eye.
"Edith, are those pots what my son sent?" Cecilia said, focused on the gifts.
"They are," Edith answered.
Cecilia smiled. "When I was married, I had a room filled with gifts from my husband. Jewels and dresses that the queen envied. It took three days for the servants to open all the gifts, but for you, it must have taken less than an hour for those pots to be brought here."
"How does it feel?" Cecilia asked, laughing at Ophelia's so-called gifts.
"Don't answer me then," Cecilia said after the silence from Ophelia. "Edith, I don't think she is deserving of the gifts my son gave her. Break them," she ordered Edith.
"Right away," Edith replied, happily going to the pots.
Ophelia restrained herself from speaking, though she desperately wanted the pot in good condition. She flinched at the sound of the first pot breaking and then another.
It was subtle, but Cecilia enjoyed Ophelia's reaction. It was the most she had gotten out of Ophelia after days of torturing her.
"That is enough, Edith. Perhaps this will be enough to set her straight. You must all leave. She will not have any use for maids since she isn't to be fed today. Anyone who sets foot into this tower will be punished. Do I make myself clear?" Cecilia asked, turning to face the maids.
"Yes, Milady."
Cecilia took one last look at Ophelia.
Ophelia truly was pathetic, and that boldness didn't suit her.
Ophelia stood still as Cecilia and the maids left the chamber. Only when they were gone did she relax her hand and look at the mess they made.
It had not been over two hours since the pots were placed in the chamber, and yet they were already destroyed.
While it upset Ophelia, she wasn't going to lose her mind over it.
In a corner of the chamber, Ophelia hid broken vases she found during her cleaning. Since the maids were not helping to clean, they wouldn't have known about the vases found.
Ophelia got down on her knees and began to pick up the broken pieces of the pot.
"What a waste," Ophelia whispered.
It was awful to waste something so beautiful just to upset someone.
"I can still use this one," Ophelia said, picking up a large piece of the broken pot. "Will it rain soon?" She wondered.
Ophelia thought of her future in the castle from the first night Cecilia had not fed her. Cecilia was always going to withhold food and water whenever she was angry.
Ophelia needed something to catch water in when the rain fell, and if there were any seeds sent with her food, she wanted to try growing them.
Clueless as to how long she would be in the hands of the Hastings, Ophelia prepared for her future so she would not die.