Chapter Four

Rose gets to know Rowen and everyone gets a tour of the castle.

The Game

by omegax45

 

Chapter Four

 

                        Rose followed the large group out of the throne room, Rowen right behind her.  She was upset that the head butler that showed her such kindness had to get involved with her, but a small part of her was thankful to have someone she was comfortable with paired up with her.  It still left the problem of how she was going to convince everyone Rowen was Dios.  She was certain that he was not, and yet something about the injuries on his face left her in doubt.  Were they war injuries, caused by enemies while he had been in a fight, or perhaps he had been captured and tortured?  She didn’t want to ask, for that would be rude.

                        She could hear the nobles laughing and talking as they walked into a large room and closed the door, but she and Rowen just kept walking by.  Rose became confused, but Rowen led her by a hand on her back towards another room.  They went inside to find it bright with the morning sun from the large window on the far wall that was slightly open.  Two cushioned seats sat opposite of each other with a small ornate table between them.  Rowen led Rose to one of the chairs and she sat down, the head butler sitting in the other.

                        “I felt it easier for you to get away from those girls while we talk,” Rowen explained himself, seeing Rose relax a little.

                        “Thank you,” she replied, truly grateful, “And I’m sorry… For getting you involved in all of this.”

                        “There is no need to apologize.  This was bound to happen anyway.”

                        “What do you mean?”

                        “Well…” Rowen chuckled slightly, “Our beloved Queen didn’t find giving all the girls a noble as a prize whether they won or lost, so this was her plan all along.  I was just the unlucky fool she picked.”

                        “But still-“

                        “It’s okay my dear,” Rowen waved a hand before her, “I had accepted my fate, and that’s all there is to it.  Besides, I am happy that I was chosen to be with you.  I was silently praying not to end up with one of those annoying noble girls.”

                        They both shared a laughed, the truthful humor lightening Rose’s spirits.

                        “How is your daily life before all of this,” Rowen asked suddenly, “I don’t get out much, so I don’t know what is going on in the towns around the kingdom.”

                        “There isn’t much to tell,” the poor girl began, “I usually mend tears or sew back on buttons for people for a few coins.  If I don’t make enough, I end up digging garbage for food and more thread.”

                        “Do you have any family?  Someone that could take you in so you’re not out sleeping in the cold?”

                        “…No,” Rose looked down, sad with tears in her eyes, “My parents died when I was a child.  My relatives, who were better off than us, came in and took everything from me.  They took my inheritance and all of my possessions and my parents’ possessions.  I was thrown into the streets with only the clothes on my back and a small embroidery kit that I hid in my dress.  No one came to my aid due to my age, and my relatives claimed that I had died from illness.  With all of my possessions taken, I couldn’t prove who I was to the royal guards.”

                        “I am so sorry,” the head butler said sincerely as he reached over and held her hand, “I didn’t mean to make you remember such a horrible time.”

                        Rose clutched at Rowen’s hand, the dam holding her sorrow back breaking as she cried softly.  Rowen waited patiently as she cried, knowing how much pain she was in.  He couldn’t imagine having his own family betray him like hers did.  How could they do that to a young child?  Have people lost their shame in need of rising to a higher position in life?

                        It took Rose a few moments to calm down, taking out her handkerchief to dab at her teary and red eyes and giving a few hiccups before she could regain her composure.

                        “Thank you,” she said, her voice a bit rough as she put her handkerchief away, “I’m sorry for breaking down like that.”

                        “No need,” Rowen smiled softly at her, “Everyone needs to cry a little sometimes, especially if they didn’t have time to mourn their losses beforehand.  But do tell me.  You fear of rowdy crowd… did it began with your relatives taking your possessions?”

                        “Yes,” the poor girl replied, looking a bit shocked, “They looked like a bunch of raging beasts tearing away and fighting for anything they could get their hands on.  Even a speck of crumb or a torn piece of cloth was worth more to them than anything else.  It still gives me nightmares to this day.”

                        “As I thought.  Such loathsome beasts.  They may be your family, but it’s obvious they did not think so of you.”

                        “So what about you,” Rose asked, changing the subject as to not upset her and Rowen further, “What is your daily life like working in a castle?”

                        “Just as you see it,” the head butler waved a hand around, “Ordering the servants their daily tasks, caring for the guests, and handling the affairs of the finances.  Had there been young ones around, I would’ve been in charge of their schedules and making sure they were with their tutors.”

                        “Have you been a head butler long?”

                        “Not long.  Before all of this, I was a soldier in His Majesty’s army, a farmer before that.  I was struggling to make ends meet as a farmer and joining the army when my time came was the best way to help my widowed mother and siblings.  I was injured by catapult fire while protecting an honored guest of His Majesty, hence the scars on my face.  For my sacrifice and my services, His Majesty made me a butler at this castle when the healers told him I could no longer be a soldier.  The head butler took a shine to me and groomed me as his replacement for when he retired, which was a year ago.”

                        “Wow, you must’ve been on adventures a lot while protecting the kingdom.  Did you meet Dios?”
                        “Oh no,” Rowen laughed, “I wasn’t so lucky.  The most I did was guard duty.  Nothing fancy or worthy of singing songs about.  I can only tell you what everyone else knows about Dios, and it isn’t much.”

                        “Still, you had so many good people to help you in your time of need.  I am so glad.”

                        “Thank you, but I do feel bad that no one came to your aid in your time of need, and the ones that should’ve been there for you took advantage of your vulnerability and age.  I am so sorry.”

                        “Don’t be,” Rose shook her head, “Life may have been hard at first, being all alone on the streets with every noble and well-off girl laughing at me or throwing things at me, but I found happiness with so little.  I got to meet nice people like Joseph and some of the hunters and soldiers that came to me for mending their uniforms.  Joseph kept me safe at times from the girls bullying me and the hunters taught me so much about nature and how to survive with nothing but your knowledge and the clothes on your back.  I do hope Joseph is okay and made it back to his family safe.  Those noble girls were being a rather nasty group.”

                        “I am pretty certain that he is okay if he had survived this long and protected you in the process,” Rowen assured her with a smile.

                        “Excuse me,” they both turn to see a servant bowing at the door, “Lunch is ready.”

                        “Thank you Martin,” Rowen said and stood, extending his hand to Rose, “Shall we?”

                        Rose smiled and took his hand, rising to her feet.

                        They followed Martin down the hallways to the dining area.  Instead of one long table like this morning, there were two.  One side had the noble girls sitting while the opposite side had the noble men sitting, both sides conversing with each other.  Rose and Rowen sat at the farthest end of one of the tables, the only spots left available.

                        “Well look who finally showed up,” Catherine sneered, “Care to tell us where you two ran off to while we were in the sitting room?  A lecherous rendezvous perhaps?”

                        “Ooooooh how exciting,” Marigold jeered, “I bet they were at it for hours!  Care to tell us if you’re pregnant yet?”

                        “Such disgusting behavior,” Bridget jerked her nose high, “A proper lady waits until she is wed before such lewd activities, but I guess poor people lack such manners.”

                        “Enough,” Octavia ordered, “We are about to dine on our meal, and I do not wish my stomach to lurch over such gossip.”

                        “Indeed,” Fayette agreed with a napkin to her mouth, “Such conversations are not for the dining table.”

                        “You are so right you two,” Dorothy said, mischief in her eyes, “We should not talk all about the affairs of the class beneath us as we eat.  They are meant for later.”

                        “Watch your mouth,” Fayette warned, “Her Majesty will be here soon and I’m certain she has no need to have her ears dirtied with such gossip.”

                        “And you watch yours,” Octavia interjected, “You know how Her Majesty hates it when other speak on her behalf.”

                        “What did you say,” Fayette turned angry eyes upon Octavia.

                        “Ahem,” everyone turned to see Marin before them with several servants carrying food trays, “All you girls need to eat your fill and stop with such dirty gossip.  Her Majesty sends her apologies, but she has an urgent issue at the castle and will return tomorrow.  We will give you a tour of the castle after lunch so you know which rooms you are allowed in so long as you are with your chosen one, and which rooms are strictly prohibited.  Enjoy your meal.”

                        The servants placed down the food and everyone began to eat, the dining area becoming silent except for the occasional complaint of the food.  Rose watched out of the corner of her eye in case of attack, an instinct she had learned and mastered from her years on the street.  She noticed that Rowen’s hand shook a little when he raised his fork, a possible sign of injury from long ago.  She noticed that some of the males preferred mainly meat in their meals, a few preferring vegetables.  One in particular, Alfred she believed, seemed to be just tasting the food before grabbing the salt and pepper to add to his meal.  Golde seemed to be asking him many questions about the food, and Alfred was telling her how the food should’ve been cooked or how it should’ve had a certain spice added to it.  Amelia seemed to be making her noble, David if Rose’s memory served her correctly, eat a variety of foods after she placed an alarming amount of salt and pepper on it.  How David could just sit there and eat everything with a smile on his face, she would never know.

                        They finished their lunch and Marin told everyone to follow her.  They were led away from the dining area and passed the areas they already knew before reaching a new hallway and heading down it.

                        “Here is the library,” Marin said as they stopped before a pair of double doors, entering the large room that had walls filled to the brim with books, “We have many books from different countries and stories ranging from fairy tales to history of great kingdoms like Mistal.  You may come here to borrow the books, but do please return them when you are done.

                        “Out here,” she led them back out and down a hallway that led outside, “is the courtyard.  We have a variety of flowers and plants growing around with a gazebo in the center.  Many of our guests have enjoyed sitting out here reading or observing the flowers.”

                        “It is so beautiful,” Ivy complimented as she looked at the flowers, “Can we stay here for a bit?  I wish to look around some more.”

                        “Me too,” Pearl added, “This place feels so magical… Like in a fairy tale.”

                        “I think we need to speak to the gardener about his lack of order in this garden,” Bridget comments as she points at a group of flowers with her shoe, “The tulips are not in color order, and I see a weed or two in here.  And your rose bushes need to be trimmed better.  I could catch a thorn on my dress passing by it.”

                        “Then stay far from it,” Fayette stated, tired already of Bridget’s constant whining, “No one is asking you to go by it and tear your hideous dress up.”

                        “How dare you!”

                        “Enough,” Octavia ordered, clapping her hands twice, “You are causing a scene before our host and embarrassing yourselves.”

                        “And who pray tell put you in charge,” Fayette turned to Octavia, challenge in her eyes.

                        “No one did,” Marin pointed out angrily, “Now if you girls are done, we still have the rest of the castle to go through before dinner.  You can come back later with your partners.  Now let’s go.”

                        “You can take the rest and leave,” Ivy said, sitting down, “but I am staying with Vincent.  He can escort me to the dining area for dinner.”
                        “It would be wise to do as Marin says,” Vincent said, trying to reason with his partner, “I can always bring you here at another time.”

                        “Hush,” Ivy ordered, maintaining her ground.

                        “This can’t be good,” Rowen whispered in Rose’s ear.

                        “Since it seems that you weren’t paying attention to Her Majesty earlier,” Marin said dangerously as she walked up to the stubborn noble girl,  “You are to obey my commands lest said otherwise by Her Majesty.  Disobedience is grounds for disqualification.”

                        “And yet Her Majesty isn’t here, so you can take your orders and-“

                        “AND WHAT,” Marin roared, moving her face mere inches before Ivy’s and making almost everyone jump in shock, “Listen here, little girl.  Your parents aren’t here to let you do as you please.  I am not one of your family’s servants for you to order as you please.  You are in a royal family’s household, a rank much higher than you could ever achieve in your short lifetime.  Now, you can either do as I say like a good girl and remain in the game, or I can drag you by the ear to your room to pack your things along with a letter to explain to your parents as to why they must pay a large sum to Her Majesty after their daughter got disqualified!”

                        “You wouldn’t-“

                        “Ms. Ivy please,” Vincent stepped in, blocking the two women, “I am certain we can come back here later in the evening.  I heard there are jasmine flowers in a corner that only bloom at night.  It’s a rare and beautiful sight, one you will surely miss if you get disqualified.  We can’t see them right now, so let us continue with the tour.”

                        “…Very well,” Ivy sighed in defeat, standing up and joining everyone else that were watching with baited breath.  Rose had been certain that she would be seeing Marin dragging Ivy back to her room by the ear.

                        “That was close,” Rowen breathed a sigh of relief as their group began again, “You don’t want to make Marin mad.”

                        “What will happen if she did,” Rose asked quietly so only he could hear her.

                        “You don’t want to know,” Rowen replied just as quietly, “These girls will learn sooner or later the same thing.  They have yet to realize that royal servants only obey the royal family and no other.  Marin has nothing to fear from these girls, and if she has to, will show it.”

                        “Here is the kitchen,” Marin said as she showed the group a large open door, cooks going about making preparations, “The cooks are preparing our dinner as we speak, so it would be best to leave them be for now.”

                        “I would like to have leg of lamb tonight with roasted potatoes, steamed vegetables, french bread and honey mead,” Golde requested, “And please have the cooks remove the fat from the meat.  I need to look after my figure, after all.”

                        “That’s not the only thing they need to remove,” Marigold giggled, “You love your sweets, don’t you Golde?  The baker that I usually get my cakes from tells me how your servants always come to him every day for all of his chocolate cakes.”
                        “I’ll say,” Joan commented with a nasty look on her face, “Eating all those sweets will make you even fatter than before.  I only need a slice of steak, cooked to brown, with sautéed onions and sauce and only a little bit of corn.”

                        “You b***h,” Golde uttered angrily with tears in her eyes, “You’re so thin your husband will snap you in two with just a simple hug.  I can’t even see you having healthy children with those manly hips of yours!”

                        “Why you-“

                        “ENOUGH,” Marin boomed, and everyone became silent, “The meals have  already been decided by Her Majesty herself ahead of time, and there will be no changing them.  If you have an allergy to a certain food, accommodations can be made.  Nothing more.  We only have the supplies that Her Majesty ordered for us and not the funds to order more.  That is, unless you rich noble girls are willing to loan us a few coins.”

                        The only response Marin got were rejections  and outraged answers.  Smirking to herself, she continued with the tour. 

                        “This door leads to the armory,” the head maid pointed to a large door, “Our soldiers come in here to arm themselves in case of attack.  It is locked at the moment to prevent the theft of the weapons and armor, so I can’t let you in.  Keep in mind that this is one of the room you will not have access to. 

                        “Outside here,” she led them to a door, “is the stables.  Her Majesty keeps her prized horses here.  If you are good, Her Majesty might be kind enough to let you ride them.”

                        Everyone was in awed at the large horses sitting about in their stables, either eating hay or just standing there and staring at them.  They wandered about, some petting the horses while others observed them with critical eyes.  Rose looked about before her eyes landed on one particular horse, and she couldn’t look away.

                        The horse was a beautiful dark chestnut color with a white stripe on the nose and a long white mane and thick tail.  Long white hair adorned its feet, giving off hints of its dark hooves whenever it moved its legs.

                        “Beautiful isn’t she,” Rowen asked as he walked up to her, “She is a gypsy horse, a breed from the northern islands.  One such horse was given to King Siegfried, Her Majesty’s great grandfather.  This one here is a fourth generation.”

                        “What is her name,” Rose asked.

                        “Lina,” Rowen answered.

                        “Oh my,” Raven said as she noticed the gypsy horse before Rose and Rowen, “Is that a gypsy horse?”

                        “Let me see,” Tulip yelled and the other noble girls ran before the stable, pushing Rose and Rowen back.  Rose tripped on a rock and nearly fell to the ground before Rowen caught her, setting her back on her feet.

                        “S-sorry,” she stuttered, blushing a little.

                        “Oh my,” Dorothy feigned surprise, “I am so sorry.  We didn’t see you there.”

                        “You know,” Catherine added with a sneer, “because they’re so beneath us that they don’t even appear in our sights.”

                        The noble girls snickered and ignored Rose and Rowen as they returned to watching Lina.  Rose and Rowen looked at the other horses until Marin called them back into the castle.  The noble girls whined, but they went inside along with Rose and Rowen.

                        “Now that we have seen the whole of the Redreu Castle,” Marin announced, “You are free to roam until dinner time.  I will send a servant to alert you of when to return.”

                        “What is needed to be done,” Rowen asked as the nobles took off in different directions.

                        “Nothing for you,” Marin replied sternly, hands on her hips, “You are dismissed from your duties during the game, remember?  Now off with you and the young lady.”

                        With that, the head maid turned and left.