Chapter Six

Queen Usio returns, and there will be no mercy for those breaking her rules.

The Game

by omegax45

Chapter Six

 

                        Had it been anyone else, they would’ve just stood there dumbly as Marigold’s hand collided with their cheek.  Had it been anyone else, they would’ve fell to the ground and took the abuse from the noble girl, as they had no means to defend themselves without being hanged.

                        However, Rose had dealt with enough abuse in her life and she was on even ground with the noble girls.

                        She took two steps back and leaned backwards, avoiding Marigold’s hand.  Marigold yelled in surprise, not expecting Rose to dodge and had put too much strength into her attack.  She whirled around on her high heels and her hand landed on Sarah’s unsuspecting cheek with a resounding smack.  Sarah yelled in shock as she held her stinging cheek, a look of shock and rage upon her face.

                        “You b***h,” Sarah screeched in rage.

                        “It was an-“

                        Sarah gave her fellow noble girl no time to explained before she lunged at Marigold and the two fell to the ground, attacking one another with fists and slaps and tearing at each other’s clothes.  The other noble girls and Rose stepped away from the two fighting noble girls, some giving cries and screeches of enjoyment.

                        “Look at what you done,” Catherine chastised Rose, making some of the noble girls look at her, “You should’ve let Marigold slap you for touching her.  It is your fitting punishment, you worthless girl.”

                        “We are all on even ground in this game,” Rose reminded her, “And also, I saved her life.  You know the punishment for harming a royal servant.  Would you prefer to see her hanged?”

                        “One less competitor to worry about,” Catherine shrugged.

                        “And yet our poor weed may have present opportunity,” Dorothy pointed out, gaining everyone’s curiosity, “Just watch and see.”

                        “GUARDS,” Marin bellowed, and two soldiers appeared from the hallways, pulling Marigold and Sarah apart,”Take them to their rooms and make sure they stay there!  Her Majesty will be informed of this upon her return!

                        “As for the rest of you,” the head maid turned to the other girls, “Eat your lunch or go back to your rooms hungry!  You will get nothing else until Her Majesty has returned.”

                        No one said anything, too scared to argue.  Rose simply sat down and ate, thankful her stomach was not used to having large meals just yet.  The other noble girls joined her, unnerved by Dorothy’s Cheshire grin.

                        “Are you not going to tell us what has you grinning like a jester,” Bridget demanded, “We are still being treated like commoners and are still being fed as such!”
                        “Did any of you paid attention to the rules or is our pest the only other here with a brain,” Dorothy stated, “You shall see when Her Majesty returns.”

                        No other words were said, and they returned to their rooms shortly after eating, eyeing the guards at the doors of Marigold and Sarah warily.  Rose went into her room and sat down with a sigh.  She was no longer in the mood to read her books now.  She knew something like what happened was going to happen, and now they would soon pay for it.  For things could only go downhill after this.  If anything, Queen Usio won’t have to wait a month before she had her big winner, for there wouldn’t be so many participants left.

                        Several hours later, Queen Usio and the men have returned from the hunt.  Rose stood and waited for a few moments, expecting the worse.  There was soon a knock on her door and Rose opened it to see Rowen before her, a worried expression on his face.

                        “Her Majesty has requested that we are to meet her in the throne room,” he said, and Rose nodded before they head there, “Are you alright?  I heard one of the nobles had tried to attack you.”

                        “I was trying to keep her from being hanged for attacking a royal servant,” Rose explained, “Marigold must be so used to having her servants stand before her and take her abuse that she was ill-prepared for someone that would avoid her attack, and ended up assaulting Sarah instead.”

                        “So I heard,” Rowen nodded, “I am glad you are alright.  But please, do not do that again.  I know you mean well, but these nobles do not.”

                        “I wasn’t doing it to save Marigold intentionally.  I was doing it to save the servants.  They did nothing wrong to deserve the abuse.”

                        “Regardless,” the head butler pleaded, “For my sake, please.  It would pain me if something were to happen to you.”

                        Rose wanted to inquire why, but chose to keep silent for now.  They were already at the doors for the throne room.  Two servants opened the doors and they went inside.

                        Everyone else had arrived before them, Queen Usio sitting on her throne with Marigold and Sarah standing in front of her.  The atmosphere was tense, and Rose had a feeling of an ill omen wash over her.  Seeing Marin by the queen’s side with a stern look on her face didn’t help matters, either.

                        “Now that everyone is here,” Queen Usio began, “It has come to my attention that several of my rules have been broken.  My head maid has already explained her part of the story, so do tell me Marigold your part of the story.”
                        “As you command Your Majesty,” Marigold bowed her head slightly, “We were horribly mistreated by the servants during our midday meal and aired our complaints about it.”

                        “How so?”

                        “We were given small snacks for our midday meal that were horribly small and did not appear to be fresh.  We told the servants, but they arrogantly said that it was by your orders that they were to serve such food to us.  I know that such a kind-hearted monarch like yourself would never ordered such a thing, but they rudely told us to eat what was before us or starve until you return. 

                        “And she,” Marigold turned and pointed a finger at Rose, “dared to lay a hand on me and began ordering me around!  I never felt so dirtied in all my life!  I pulled my arm away and harm poor Sarah by mistake!  That wretched girl made me harm my dear friend!  I decreed that she should be not only disqualified, but have her throat slit for daring to lay a hand on a noble!”

                        “And you agree to this story as well Sarah,” Queen Usio asked.

                        “We have witnesses to prove our claim,” Sarah answered, “I would never have attacked Marigold had it not been for her.”

                        Several of the noble girls nodded their heads or made noises of approval, a few looking troubled.  Rose fought the urge to roll her eyes and shout her innocence.  It would do her no good before the queen.

                        “And what say you my dear,” Queen Usio asked Rose, catching the poor girl off guard, “Is what Marigold said is true?”

                        Rose looked at the angry eyes of the noble girls, the furious looks of Marigold and Sarah, and the blank face of Marin before giving a sigh.

                        “Your Majesty,” she curtsied, “The food that was served was, indeed, mere snack food.  However, the food was fresh and prepared wonderfully.  The servants claimed to have done as they were ordered by you and said so respectfully.  Marigold went to strike one of the servants, and I stayed her hand with warning that her actions would lead to her hanging.  She went to strike me, but hit Sarah instead, and the two fought until Marin summoned the guards to separate them.”

                        “YOU LIE,” Marigold screeched, rushing towards her, “You dare lie to Her Majesty just to save your hide?!!”
                        “You mean like yourself,” Rose declared, Rowen placing a hand on her shoulder, “Guests we may be, but you above all should know we are at the mercy of Her Majesty’s gracious hospitality.  To strike one of her servants is to strike Her Majesty herself.  And I do not lie.  As you have your friends to back up your story, I have the servants to back up mine.”

                        “I will see you dead,” Marigold stated venomously, Rowen coming between the two girls.

                        “Well then,” Queen Usio said after a tense pause, catching everyone’s attention, “It seems that everyone has different versions of the story.  What we need here is the witness that saw everything and is not affiliated with either side to state his part of the story.”

                        “Eh,” Marigold uttered, everyone curious and confused by that statement.  Who else was there except everyone in the room with the exception of Rowen, the noble men, and Queen Usio?

                        “Julian,” Queen Usio called, and a servant stepped forward from the shadows of a corner.  Rose recognized him a s one of the servants that were defending Marin, as did the other noble girls.

                        “Your Majesty,” Julian bowed, “It is as the commoner said it to be.  All of her words are true.”

                        “You-“

                        “Before you say another word Marigold,” Queen Usio cut her off, “Julian is more than just a lowly servant.  He is one of my elite guards, the Onyx Knights.”

                        Everyone flinched and shuddered at the revelation.  The Onyx Knights were a secret group of knights that were a mix group of assassins and spies.  They served as Queen Usio’s bodyguards, yet no one other than her had ever seen them…alive.

                        “I had Julian here in disguise as a servant to keep an eye on all of you and make certain that you follow the rules,” the Queen sneered at them, “I knew it would only be a matter of time before you tried to assert your authority upon my servants.  I am a bit disappointed though, for I had thought it would’ve taken a bit longer than this.  It seems that many of you have grown fat and arrogant on the wee bit of power I allow you and your families to have.”

                        “Please Your Majesty,” Sarah begged, “Let us explain-“

                        “NO EXCUSES,” Queen Usio roared, banging her fist on her armrest, “For lying to me, I should do as you suggest and have your neck slit and have your body delivered to your family in warning.  However, I am a generous person, despite rumored claims.

                        “Marigold and Sarah, for breaking the rules and lying to the Queen of Minstal, you are both disqualified from the game.  You shall be returned to your families immediately, and any and all items you have obtained during the game confiscated.  I will also be contacting your families through messengers and alerting them of a fee your families must pay in the sum of a chest of gold each.”

                        “No please,” Marigold prostrated before Queen Usio, “I beg your forgiveness!  I was being a brat and did not know my place!  It won’t happen again!”

                        “Please Your Majesty,” Sarah begged with tears in her eyes, “We were in the wrong and we are sorry!”

                        “My decision has been made,” Queen Usio declared in warning, “Julian, take those two back to their rooms and have the servants confiscate the items within.  When the carriages arrive, escort them  and make certain they leave the property.”

                        “As you command,” Julian bowed, escorting Marigold and Sarah out of the throne room by their arms and ignoring their pleas of forgiveness.

                        “Let them serve as a warning to the rest of you,” Queen Usio glared at the other girls, “I will not tolerate any of my rules being broken.  Do you understand?”

                        The noble girls and Rose nodded and made noises of understanding.

                        “As for you,” Queen Usio stood and walked over to Rose, “For your loyalty, I shall grant you a chance to choose a new man as your choice of Dios.  Seeing as now Peter and Edward are available, you may choose one of them to replace Rowen as your chosen.”

                        Some of the noble girls, mainly Catherine, wanted to protest, but kept quiet out of fear of being disqualified next.  Rose looked at both noble men before turning to Rowen, who gave her a smile and a nod.

                        “If it is okay with you,” the poor girl said after a few minutes, “I wish to remain with Rowen.”

                        “As you wish,” Queen Usio shrugged her shoulders, ignoring the shocked faces of the noble girls as she turned to Peter and Edward, “It seems that this girl has become comfortable with Rowen.  I apologize, but we have no more need of you.  You families will be compensated, as agreed upon.”

                        “You are too kind Your Majesty,” Edward bowed, Peter following shortly after, “May we ask for just one more night’s stay before we depart?  It is growing dark outside and we are exhausted from the hunt.”

                        “You may,” Queen Usio granted before turning to the girls, “All of you, head for the dining hall.  I shall meet you there shortly before announcing the winner of the contest.”

                        They did as told, waiting to be out of the throne room before whispering amongst themselves.  Rose walked by Rowen’s side, who was strangely quiet with a troubled look on his face.  She wanted to ask him if anything was wrong, but chose not to.  She guessed it may have to do with her choice not to switch him for one of the noble men.  She had her reasons for her choice, and she would tell him later if he wished.

                        They entered the dining hall and found an extra table had been setup near the far back, dressed in an elegant table cloth and had a lavished chair in the center with two other chairs beside it.  Everyone sat down and waited for Queen Usio, taking this time to talk about the events that just occurred.

                        “With Marigold and Sarah gone now,” Dorothy said, a gleeful smirk on her face, “We have less competition to worry about.”

                        “Too bad the worm over there didn’t get punished for touching a noble,” Catherine sighed, looking at Rose, “Consider yourself lucky this time.  I am certain there won’t be another.”

                        “Shouldn’t we be more worried about ourselves at the moment,” Mary interjected, “Marigold and Sarah are gone now, and who knows who will be the next to be disqualified.  There were quite a few of us that did try to upstage the servants before the fight.”

                        “Don’t be such a worrier,” Raven stated, arms crossed, “We didn’t break the rules, so we’re fine.  If you worry too much, you’ll get wrinkles early.”

                        “Considering that she doesn’t have much in looks anyway,” Ivy commented, “I think wrinkles are the least of her concerns.”

                        “I happen to be working on a cream that would make you look beautiful forever,” Amelia revealed with a slight smirk to her face, “If you agree to be my test subject, I’ll let you try some.”

                        “As if I would let you ruin my perfect beauty with your experiments,” Raven stated with disgust on her face.

                        “I need to keep looking beautiful if I’m going to attract a handsome man to give me beautiful children,” Helen whined, “I can’t afford to have my face messed up by some cream!”

                        “Will you girls stop it with the idle chit chat,” Octavia stated suddenly, looking very annoyed, “We are ignoring the larger situation.  Her Majesty will NOT tolerate any and all disobedience, less you wish to return to your families in disgrace and cost you plenty.”

                        “Octavia is right,” Claire agreed, “Forget about the poor girl for the moment and let’s focus more on the game.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I know my parents will never forgive me if I were disqualified.  I would be disowned!”

                        “Me too,” Bridget cried out in fear, “My father is so angry with me lately!  He told me if I disgrace the family one more time-“

                        “And how exactly have you been disgracing your family,” Dorothy asked, curious.

                        “Th-that’s none of your business!”
                        “Be quiet,” Fayette ordered, “Her Majesty is coming.”

                        Everyone did as told as the doors opened to reveal Queen Usio and two soldiers flanking her.  Everyone stood and bowed before her as the Queen took her place at the empty table and sat down on the fancy chair.

                        “Now then,” Queen Usio began, “With the ugly business out of the way, we can proceed with the game.  Out of the twenty men that went hunting today, only five were successful.”

                        The Queen saw the looks of surprise and shock on the girls’ faces and gave them a few minutes to digest the information before continuing.

                        “The men in charge of hunting bears have failed.  We have not found a single one in the forest.  The men in charge of hunting deer had only found three.  One of those men being Edward.  As for our only man hunting rabbit, he was successful in catching two rabbits.

                        “By the rules of the contest, only the girls and their chosen that were successful will be eating dinner tonight.  The dish being the game the men have catch.  The rest of you will go without dinner.

                        “Seeing as there is one man whose girl was disqualified,” Queen Usio hushed any protest from the noble girls, “I will allow you to have his game, if you can answer my question correctly.  Elanor, Golde, Emma, Tulip, Joan, Bridget, Ivy, Amelia, Pearl, Fayette, Octavia, Claire, Raven, Helen, Mary, and Tulip.  I ask of you:  What plants would Dios have used to give flavoring to the meat of his meals?”

                        “Ginger root,” Bridget shouted.

                        “Thyme,” Elanor shouted.

                        “I was going to say that,” Golde glared, “Licorice!”

                        “Sweet Woodruff,” Joan said.

                        “Berries,” Claire guessed.

                        “Plants you idiot,” Raven scoffed, “Berries don’t count.  Aster!”

                        “All of you are fools,” Octavia declared, “None of those are in the forest.  There is only ferns.”

                        “Unless Dios was fighting in another forest away from here,” Amelia pointed out, “Yellowroot.”

                        “Blackroot,” Mary said.

                        “That could be poisonous if not cooked right,” Tulip said, “Truffles.”

                        “Truffles can only be found by pigs,” Fayette stated.

                        “Unicorn root,” Pearl shouted, not giving Fayette time to give her answer.

                        “Squaw Vine,” Ivy guessed.

                        “Cattail,” Helen shouted.

                        “Chickweed,” Emma shouted.
                        “Garlic,” Fayette sighed.

                        “Correct Fayette,” Queen Usio said suddenly, catching everyone’s attention, “Our fable kingdom is well known for garlic, as it has been mistaken for other types of flowers during the summer months.  Our soldiers are trained with keen eyes to identify safe plants, and the ones they find the most is garlic, as it grows all year long.  The other plants the rest of you have mentioned only grow seasonally, and our soldiers don’t carry the means to make most of those plants safe to eat.  So Fayette, you shall be dining on venison tonight.”

                        “Thank you Your Majesty,” Fayette bowed.

                        “And before I forget,” the Queen added, “The one that chose the correct animal that Dios would’ve hunted during his years of service is….”

                        Queen Usio paused, watching the girls’ eyes lit up in anticipation.  Who answered correctly?  Who didn’t?

                        “Our precious poor girl right over there,” Queen Usio pointed to Rose, her eyes glittering with glee to see the shocked looks on the noble girls’ faces, “You all honestly thought that someone as powerful as Dios would be hunting such large game?  I was talking about war times.  When on the hunt for enemies invading our kingdom, you would want to avoid detection from said enemies when in a vulnerable state.  A deer would make too much noise and can cover large amounts of ground when being chased.  A bear would’ve fought back and almost kill Dios.  A rabbit can easily be caught in a hidden snare and killed quickly with a snap of the neck.

                        “So my dear, you and Rowen have won a spot by my side tonight.  Fayette, Dorothy, and Catherine, you may be seated at the other table with your chosen men.  Marin, escort the others back to their rooms.”

                        “As you wish Your Majesty,” Marin bowed before turning to the noble girls, “You heard Her Majesty.  Off to your rooms now.  And don’t let me catch you sneaking off into the night either, less you wish to end up like your friends.”

                        The noble girls stared at Rose in shock, Tulip and Mary most of all.  The poor girl had been right!  Her, right!  Their pride was hurt by this revelation.  They were supposed to be well-educated ladies that would one day grace the royal court.  And just now, they have been upstaged by this….this…this gutter rat that raided garbage for food and what else!  They would never let this go, even when the game was over.  For certain they won’t!

                        Rose could see the murderous looks in the noble girls’ eyes as they glared at her before being forced to leave.  Dorothy and Catherine only smirked at her misfortune before praising their chosen men with loving caresses upon their cheeks while Fayette stared down at the noble girls leaving.  Rose looked to Rowen, still seeing the blank look upon his face.

                        “Have I done something wrong,” she asked, making the head butler blink at her in surprise.

                        “Not at all,” Rowen replied, “What troubles you so?  Was it the way those girls were looking at you?”

                        “No, but you’ve been so quiet and seem to be deep in thought.  I thought it was due to me not choosing Peter or Edward as my new chosen one.  I didn’t want to keep you from your work if you don’t want to play the game, but I wasn’t comfortable with them.”

                        “And you are with me?”

                        “Yes.  I can’t explain it… But something is telling me to stay away from those men.”

                        “Let the queen not hear you.  She prides herself as a good judge of character.”

                        “The cooks will be serving our dinner soon,” Queen Usio said, “Please dear.  Do join me.”

                        “As you wish Your Majesty,” Rose curtsied and sat in the chair Queen Usio patted to her right.  Rowen sat next to Rose and took her hand in his, squeezing it.

                        Dinner was served and everyone ate in silence, too much on everyone’s mind.  Rose enjoyed the spices that were used on her rabbit meat, the tough texture tenderized to perfection in her opinion.  Dorothy, Fayette, and Catherine ate their version while giving each other and Rose glances, keeping their thoughts to themselves.  They all knew this was just the start of the game, and there would be many more contests to go.  Who knew other than Queen Usio what would be in store?

                        “You are well-versed in the knowledge of the forest,” Queen Usio spoke suddenly, “I might have you train my hunters when the game is over.  They have become lax as of late, complaining that it is everything but their fault for failed hunts.”

                        “You honor me Your Majesty,” Rose replied politely, “yet I fear I am far from being wise.  The hunters of the castle town have trained me so.”

                        “Is that so?  Perhaps I shall hired them next time I am feeling peckish for a certain type of meat.  Thank you kindly for such information.

                        “Steven,” she called a servant to her side, “I am feeling quite full.  Do toss this to the dogs.  The rest of the meat give to the servants for their dinner.  What you don’t use preserve for the winter.”

                        “As you command Your Majesty,” Steven bowed as he took the plate away,  “Would Her Majesty desire anymore wine tonight?”
                        “I do, but in my room.  I will be retiring early.  Please excuse me.  I have grown exhausted.”

                        “Majesty,” two guards stepped forward and escorted Queen Usio out of the dining hall.  Everyone seemed to breath a sigh of relief once the doors closed.

                        “It seems that you seek favor with the Queen,” Catherine said, turning to Rose, “I advise you do not.  Fortune smiled upon you today, little weed, but it cannot remain smiling forever.  The other girls will come after you now, so I do suggest to try and lose for now on, okay?”

                        “Now now,” Dorothy waved a hand at Catherine, “Where would be the fun of it all if not for the challenge?  I advised our gutter trash to keep moving forward for victory.  It will taste all the more sweeter when one of us crushes her in the end.”

                        “You two are wicked,” Fayette stated, “You make enemies out of those weaker than you.  One day, the weak will rise in a large group and crush you.”

                        “Best then to keep the weak as such,” Catherine raised her chin, “Starved and overworked.  Then they will think twice of rebellion.”

                        “I like how you think,” Dorothy smiled brightly and wickedly.

                        Rose lowered her cup and sat low in her seat, no longer hungry.  Not that it matter, as her plate was empty.  The noble girls’ words were true and she knew it.

                        She began to fear for what tomorrow would have in store.

 

Author's Note

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all.