Ella rode behind Anna on her horse since she got traumatized and was afraid the horse would throw her down again.
As they rode back to the manor, they saw Cindy waiting for them with brows furrowed and both hands on her waist.
"Oh no, there's that nagging woman again," Anna whispered and tried her best not to roll her eyes.
Ella frowned as she didn't understand what Anna stated at first.
"And where did the two of you go? Don't you realize it's very inappropriate to have fun at this grieving time!" Cindy's voice rose even before both Ella and Anna could come down.
Cindy's eyes stared at Anna while barely glancing at Ella.
"Yeah, yeah. As if everyone has the same way to grieve," Anna muttered, but enough for Cindy to hear.
"You know father forbade you from riding a horse for long hours, and the weather is not very likable these days. Something might have happened to you!" Cindy yelled, grabbing Anna's shoulder and forcing her little sister to face her.
"Oh my god, unhand me," Anna tried to shrug Cindy's grip, but it only grew tighter.
On the other side, Thomas was helping Ella come down the horse.
"Don't fret. They sometimes argue like that, lady," Thomas stated as he knew Ella was a new addition to the family and might still be adjusting.
"Oh, okay," Ella replied, nodding her head. She didn't want to position herself in the middle of two girls fighting.
However, Ella didn't like how Cindy was treating Anna.
"Nothing happened to us, right, Ella?" Anna looked back to see Ella staring at them.
"Of course. Anna is a great rider," Ella smiled, showing confidence to make Cindy stop worrying, but it only got worst.
"Didn't father told you, Anna. Horseback hobby is only for men. We've only thought about how to ride it as a skill, but not used it entirely throughout our lives!" Cindy shook Anna's shoulder, hoping her sister would understand her.
That sentence made Anna's blood boil in rage. "HE IS DEAD! NO ONE CAN STOP ME!" She screamed on Cindy's face, saliva flying away. Then she forcefully removed herself from Cindy's embrace and ran as fast as she could.
"Anna!" Cindy shouted and tried to follow her little sister, but she wasn't that athletic. She turned back and saw Ella staring at her in disbelief. "What!?"
Ella shrugged and was about to leave, but Cindy's emotions weren't done.
"Say it, say it to my face!" Cindy screamed and walked toward Ella, adopting an intimidating stance.
Ella stopped in her tracks and slightly glanced at Cindy with tired eyes. "I don't want to get between the two of you, but I know for sure that Anna would hate you more if you continue acting like that."
"Like what!?" Cindy yelled, eyes evident of pure curiosity.
Ella rolled her eyes to the side, hesitant to say. "Nothing, I need to go too. I don't want to get sick from the cold."
Ella started walking away and had only taken three steps when Cindy's voice sliced through the air again.
"Running away now?" Cindy said coldly. "How convenient."
Ella stopped.
For a moment, Ella considered pretending she hadn't heard it. She was good at letting things slide and choosing silence over conflict sometimes, but Anna's face flashed in her mind: eyes wet from held tears and rage, running because she had no other way to breathe.
Ella exhaled slowly and turned around.
"I'm not running," Ella said, her tone even. Too even. "I'm choosing not to fight."
Cindy scoffed. "How noble." She crossed her arms, chin lifting ever so slightly, as if standing taller would make her words heavier. "You're an older sister to Anna, yet you indulged in her immaturity. You should have stopped her earlier. That is your responsibility."
The words hung between them.
Ella's brows furrowed, but she remained silent and waited for Cindy's additional words.
"You think grief is an excuse to do whatever one wants," Cindy continued. "To ignore rules and forget propriety. Father raised us better than this."
Ella's fingers curled at her side. "Father is gone."
Cindy stiffened.
"And Anna is still here," Ella added quietly. "So am I. So are you."
Cindy's lips pressed into a thin line. "That's exactly why someone has to be in control."
Ella studied Cindy, her posture, and the clenched jaw. The way her hands trembled just slightly despite being folded so neatly.
"You don't want control, "Ella said. "You want obedience."
Cindy's eyes flared. "Careful."
"For Anna," Ella went on, undeterred. "Riding that horse is the only time she doesn't feel like she's drowning. And for you…" she paused, choosing her words wisely. "For you, it's easier to tell her what to do than to admit you're just as lost."
Silence fell.
Thomas, who had lingered nearby, subtly stepped back, sensing he was no longer welcome in the space between them.
Cindy laughed once—sharp and humorless. "You speak as if you know us. Don't forget why you're even here in the first place."
"I don't," Ella admitted. "But I know what fear looks like when it wears authority as armor."
That struck deeper than Ella intended. Cindy's expression cracked, not fully, but enough, but Ella wasn't done.
"And controlling Anna won't bring your father back," Ella added. "It will only make you lose her, too."
For the first time, Cindy had no immediate retort. Her shoulders sagged, revealing the weight she had been carrying. Her eyes glistened, though she refused to let tears fall.
"You don't belong here," Cindy said finally, more tired than angry. "Yet you speak as if you do."
Ella gave a small, sad smile. "Maybe that's why I can see it clearly."
Another silence. Thicker this time.
Ella turned away, slower now. "I'm going to check on Anna," she said. "You can stop me if you want."
Cindy didn't move.
Ella walked past her, footsteps steady despite the ache in her chest.
Behind Ella, Cindy stood alone in the yard, hands no longer on her waist, and authority slipped through her fingers as she stared at the path Anna had taken.
Although, Cindy still had trouble realizing that control had never been the same as care.