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These poor, poor characters…

ENYDD

I watched in horror as regret after regret was revealed, my heart aching with each person. They all had suffered so much.

And now the castle was opening wounds, making them relive the experience. Was there no forgiveness? No grace?

“Enydd Skovgaard, it is your turn to tell of your deepest regret,” the castle boomed.

My breath caught in my throat. Already?

10

…

I should speak. I deserved the pain. The humiliation.

9

…

Speak!

8

“My deepest regret is my cowardice,” I began in strong voice. I would not, could not, hide it. Whatever came of this, I deserved.

“I was-am too much of a coward to right a wrong,” I continued.

The castle flashed SPECIFY on the stage.

I nodded and stood up. “Before I begin, you must understand that my father is considered a criminal in many countries and in other places, a lunatic because of his…job. This reputation is also applied to me and the rest of my family.”

“Seven years ago, I came home to find my mother holding a letter that was from the Marwood’s, the family I worked for. It was addressed to Ms. Lyssa Balcom. My mother had probably guessed what had happened, but she still asked if the letter was meant for me. I said yes. She handed me the letter, and I was relieved that she did not ask any further questions. But, as I was leaving the room, she called out to me and said, ‘Your name is nothing to be ashamed of.'”

I took a quick breath.

“Something snapped inside of me. Back then I did not understand why my father continued his work when it only brought danger and mistreatment to our family. I had never told my mother or father of how I felt before, but I guess I decided that there was no time like the present and told my mother exactly what I thought.”

I tried to laugh. To say I was young and foolish and that it was a thing of the past, but it wasn’t.

Snippets of the memory whirled in my mind.

Father continues to drag our name in the mud, and am I expected to do nothing? To encourage it?

I lied about name because it’s the only way to be accepted in this world! Do you think that I would let Father’s life ruin mine?

If you are willing to sacrifice my family for the sake of spreading rumors and lies, you must be just as crazy as everyone says you are. Even more so!

“In the course of my…tirade, I proceeded to denounce my family and cut all ties to them. And it was not just my mother who heard this. My father and my siblings heard it as well. Not long after this, I moved to a city to continue as a governess to the Marwood family. I have not talked to my family since then, even ignoring their letters.”

“I regretted my actions not long after leaving, but I still believed my father and mother to be crazy or at least misguided. Then three years ago, I came across something that changed my entire viewpoint on my parents and on the rest of the world. I now knew for a fact that what my father did was saving people’s lives. I was so overjoyed by this that I bought a train ticket back to my home. I don’t know exactly what I had planned to do. I was too excited to plan ahead. All I knew was that I was wrong and was going to make amends.”

“I arrived at my town, but as I was walking towards my house, I saw my family coming back from the woods. It was then that I realized what my actions had done to them. And I- I- I lost my nerve. I had abandoned them without a second thought. How could I make up for that? I turned around and walked back to the train station. I haven’t tried to go back. That’s my greatest regret. Not having the courage to make amends with my family.”

I fell back in my seat.

Unforgiveable, a voice hissed.

“Not true,” I whispered, but the voices still laughed for they knew that I believed them.