Editing Vila (section)

==Character==

Vila is proud, resentful and cruel, particularly toward Bestia beneath her in rank. She dislikes being required to supervise Meg, whom she regards as an inferior and an unwelcome burden. Her resentment is intensified by the fact that Laritza orders her to care for a Bestia Baja, something she considers beneath her dignity.

Vila uses her limited authority to dominate others. She is not powerful in the wider structure of Altierra, but within the House of the Handmaidens she can threaten and punish lower-ranking slaves. She appears to take satisfaction in humiliating Meg, assigning her degrading tasks and deliberately looking for opportunities to assert control.

At the same time, Vila is insecure. Her status is better than Brisa’s, and her beauty has brought her advantages, but she knows that she remains a slave and that her position depends upon the approval of those above her. Her relationship with a Handmaiden gave her temporary privilege and influence, reinforcing her belief that beauty is a means of advancement. She therefore looks down on people beneath her while trying to distinguish herself from them.

Vila is also vindictive and easily frustrated. When Meg resists her, she interprets it as a personal challenge rather than as fear or confusion. Her punishment of Meg eventually becomes excessive, leaving the girl unable to work and attracting the attention of Marshal Valdez. Vila’s cruelty is therefore not merely institutional; it is driven by wounded pride, jealousy and the desire to make someone else feel as powerless as she does.