[Maikadilwen]

Anwanelme lay listening to what was going on outside and she couldn't help but smile. It had worked even better than she had imagined it would.
She heard her mother just outside the tent and quickly she rolled over so she had her back toward the opening of it, feigning sleep, as Menelya came back into the tent but it was obvious by her steps that she was angry, very angry. Anwanelme only smiled. In fact she had to try hard not to chuckle at the thought of her mother's wail and the expression on her face, when she had seen her daughter emerge from the Man's tent, barely dressed.

Menelya stood for some time, looking at her daughter. She didn't care whether she was asleep or not. That stupid girl!
She wanted to drag her to her feet and shake her hard, yelling at her for ruining everything for both of them. But she knew she couldn't do that. The others would hear and the humiliation would become even greater.

Placing herself in the opposite side of the tent, Menelya quietly sat down, trying to calm herself, all the while listening for the slightest sound that proved her daughter was still awake as she suspected her to be.
After a while Anwanelme couldn't stand the feeling of her mothers gaze on her back and she sighed heavily.

"What it is, Mother? Have you found something of interest? Arthain certainly did!"

Menelya's face turned white as she was so bluntly reminded of her daughter's cruel deed and she found herself trembling from anger, unable to rise from where she was sitting.

"How dare you do such a thing? I have worked so hard to get only what was best for you! How dare you ruin everything for m... for us?"

Caught by the slip of her own tongue, Menelya went quiet, hoping that Anwanelme hadn't heard. She couldn't remember the last time she had listened to her anyway, so why should it suddenly happen now?
Very slowly Anwanelme turned toward her mother, an almost hateful look in her eyes.

"Exactly, Mother! I have ruined everything... for you! This is all your fault! You made this...'alliance'! You pushed for that betrothal! And what has come from it? Nothing! After all this time, he has now rejected me! After all this time I have spent waiting for him, all this time I could have used to find a husband on my own. If you had only let me choose. You are the reason I still have no husband! None of you deserve any better! And now be quiet, I wish to sleep!"

Menelya sat in shock, only staring at her daughter as she once again turned her back to her. Never before had she dared speaking to her like that and it wasn't until now that she realised how cruel her daughter truly was. And once again she felt a tinge of pride...