Once everything was inside, Edana directed the others to start cooking. She could finally sit down and rest, as long as she kept her hands busy. She decided to work on peeling the vegetables. As she peeled, her mind drifted again to her childhood. When she was a child she didn't know that her father had many enemies. The most formidable of those said enemies was the Lord Bradwr. Her father had managed after some time to dispatch of all his enemies except Lord Bradwr and the Lord had been her family's downfall. Bradwr had contrived her father's ruin under his very nose. After falsely declaring peace between their houses, he became close enough friend that he was able to sit at her father's table to dine regularly. Then, he finally showed his true colors when he poisoned Edana's father and mother. The only reason Edana was spared from death was because she had been sick at the time and the poison had had a quicker affect on her. She had left the table after only a few bites and had not eaten the full dose of poison. After that incident, the slaves and servants had either rebelled or left, taking with them the family fortune and leaving her a poor sick orphan with no one to turn to. Drysi had proved to be the most ambitious of the lot. She stayed, but only to claim the house and lands for herself. She declared herself the guardian of the poor child while actually forcing her into slavery. Eventually she dropped the pretense and took over the entire house becoming a self-proclaimed "lady", but there were no complaints from anyone in the town. She hid Edana's origin by chopping her hair off and saying she was a new boy slave she'd hired and the former little lady had gone away to relatives.