Thirty nine

“How Dare you whip a maid who is higher than you.” Estrid said as she got into my face in the middle of the market square the next day when I was walking to get some herbs with Dyane, the guards behind me tensed but I waved them away as I sighed and look at Estrid, it seems like it was not up to two days and she was already falling into a mess, a mess that she would not get out of this time.

“Go on your way and I will ignore this happened.” I tell her as Dyane shifted back knowing that Estrid will soon get what was coming to her. I turned to face Dyane only for Estrid hand to come down on my face, she slapped me. “You slapped me.” I asked disbelief clouding my features as the guards closed in around us, she just made herself unable to escape where she just put herself in.

“Yes I did bitch. You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot do.” Estrid gripes as she made to hold me by my shoulders.

“Seize her.” I ordered as the warriors around me moved to hold Estrid to prevent her from moving.

“Get your hands off me this instant or I will order for them to be removed.”

“And who will you order?” I asked her confused.

“The warriors, not these glorified guards you have who are nothing but trainees, that is why they obeyed your order, no warrior worth his salt will raise his hands against me.” Estrid snaps as I smiled.

“You forgot that you made a deal with Orel father and I am his wife, the warriors would rather listen to me than you.”

She smirked at me as if she knows something which I didn’t meanwhile it was the opposite. “We will see about that, have these clouts unhand me right now.”

“No.” I looked at her, “Dyane, I am sorry that I cannot accompany you anymore, I have to return home with her for her punishment to be dealt, hope you understand.”

“Yes lady Themis.” Dyane said with a bow as left while I turn and went the way I came from, all the while the warriors were carrying a screaming Estrid who was raining insults on me, words not fit to come out from a lady mouth. “Somebody stuff her mouth and get me commander Elison.” I yelled the moment I got back home. People scrambled to do my bidding as I sighed, I will order her whipping, and Orel could not order this one. People needed to see me take action against offenders.

“My lady?” Elison said as soon as he came out.

“I want you to whip her, you might not be as talented as Gwenn is but I am sure that you can instill some manners into her.” I said as Estrid muffled sounds of annoyance increased.

“Of course.” Elison said with a bow to me then ordered the warriors holding her.

“On the whipping post and remove her gag, don’t want her to choke on her vomit.”

“I will have your heads for this.” Estrid shouted.

“I will like to see you try.” I replied as I chose a whip for Elison, I wanted to choose the lest hurtful but her words made me chose the one that Gwenn used for that maid a day before. “I will count.”

I went back so I could give Elison some space to work the whip and where I could have a clear view of Estrid back. “Begin.” I ordered.

Elison first blow was brutal, Estrid eyes widened as she screeched and bowed her back because of the pain. “Again” I ordered and his second strike was just like the first.

Estrid face was a sobbing mess, begging that she will never cross path with me again, I steeled myself because according to Orel this is the hardest stage. If I do stop now, she might decide not to ever do cross path with me or she will become dangerous and I have to still continue because I am not just punishing her, I am teaching her a lesson. One that will greatly help her life is she do well not to forget it anytime soon.

The whips kept falling at my command as I refused to flinch at the sight and the tortured sounds which came out of her mouth. After the twentieth strike, I stopped Elison and sent warriors to take her home. I walked into the house, ignoring the concerned look of Elison and ordered for a bath to be brought up to my room. Within minutes, the tub was ready, I took off my clothes and scrubbed my skin until they were pink then I allowed the maids to change the water and dismissed them. I stayed inside that tub motionless for a while. It was Orel who lifted me from the tub and brought me to the bed after drying me off and then cuddling round me.

“This is the first time that I had to do something like this.” I tell Orel.

“You did this in Brookston.” He reminded me.

I shook my head. “It is not the same, he knew he was being punished for a wrong and we needed to punish him, Gwen tampered the whips so that the wounds will be superficial, Estrid didn’t know.”

“She needed to be punished.” Orel tells me.

“I know but…” I started to argue but Orel tilted my head so that I will see his face.

“But nothing, what she did, might be significant or not, might be small or big. It doesn’t change what she did. I know you are softhearted, I know that you feel bad for whipping her but you did what you had to.” Orel said as I nodded.

“That is my wife. “ Orel praises me as he stole a peck. “We will need to visit the council soon. They want to hear about the alliance with Northshore.” I nodded. It seems as if we need to start getting ready to plan for the inevitable.