Chapter Seven

Another day, another challenge. The pressure is on.

The Game

by omegax45

 

 

Chapter Seven

 

 

                        Rose awoke early, as usual, yet wished to remain in bed today.  The servants would be by soon to clean the room, and it would not do a lady good to stay in bed all day.  She just didn’t want to face the noble girls today.

                        When dinner was over a few days ago, Rose and the other noble girls went to their rooms without speaking a word to each other.  Without being told so, the poor girl could feel the burning hatred coming from them and wisely kept her distance.  Rowen could sense her  distress and kept a hand to the small of her back for reassurance.  He led her to her room and wished her a good night before leaving, his walk slow as to see if one of the noble girls would attack her once his back was turned.  Rose locked the door and pulled the dresser over to block it just in case before getting dressed and slipping under the bed with a pillow and blanket.  To her luck in the morning, no one had come after her.  Nor the next day either.

                        In fact, they were all just ignoring her.  Even some staying away from her.  Marigold and Sarah were gone now, their rooms cleaned out and locked.  The other noble girls tried to claim the rooms for themselves, which resulted in arguments with Marin and promises that they would be next to be disqualified if they continue to argue with her.  That silenced them quickly, remembering what happened to Marigold and Sarah. 

                        Rose couldn’t care less if she was treated like a plague.  Queen Usio had not been seen in the last few days, having to return to her castle for royal business.  No one knew exactly what the next challenge would be in their quest to find Dios.  Many of the noble girls showed to not care at the moment, enjoying the perks of being guests of Queen Usio and flirting with their chosen noble men.  Rose, meanwhile, would spend her time with Rowen, talking about the mystery book she was reading.  It was a very interesting book to say the least, and even Rose was stumped as to who the killer was.  When she thought she had figured it out, a new chapter brought new clues that counteracted her hypothesis.  Rowen would laugh and speak merrily about it, but would not give her any clues.  Rose had thought he had been teasing her at times.  They would talk about other things as well, such as the weather and the state of the kingdom before retiring to their separate rooms.  Rose was definitely certain she made the right choice in staying with Rowen, even if she were to be wrong about him being Dios.  In fact, she might not mind having him for a husband… if he were willing.

                        Alone at night, she often thought about Joseph.  She wondered if the shoe shining boy was alright, if he made enough coin to feed his family.  It had rained the other day, and she hoped their home held up well.  Most houses the poor could afford were either ones they built themselves from mud and broken wood, or caves in the forest.  Rose herself had made use of wooden crates thrown out of shopkeepers and pieces of cloth to make a small box-shape house at one time.  It stood for a good several months before the shopkeepers chased her away to take the crates back, then burn them.  She had learned from one hunter to make a tent with the cloth she had in the woods, something easy she could take apart each morning to prevent it from being stolen.  It lasted much longer, but soon days of not finding cloth in the garbage forced her to used her tent to make some coin.  Her main place of rest had been alleyways with just enough roof cover in case of rain or snow, near barrels set on fire by other homeless people to stay warm.  There were some elderly men that did so at night, always welcoming her and a few younger ones to stay nearby while they kept watch, chasing away thieves or slave traders or rapists.  She had been attacked once, and the elderly men beat her attacker until soldiers arrived to take the attacker into custody.  He was out later, of course, but he never went near Rose or the elderly men again.

                        Would she be able to see any of them again?  Or would her new duties as the head butler’s wife prevent her from doing so?  She wished that she knew, but leaving would mean being disqualified, and she didn’t have enough coin to please Queen Usio.  She would be sent to prison, if not executed.  The nobles and royals show no mercy to the poor or the homeless, and she was both.

                        Rose shook her heads of such thoughts and prepared herself for the day.  She moved the dresser back and dressed, brushing her hair when there was a knock.  She opened the door to find a few servants at the door, one that she recognized.

                        “Good morning Preston,” the poor girl greeted.

                        “Good morning to you too Milady,” Preston smiled brightly with a bow, “I am honored that you remembered my name.”

                        “How could I not,” Rose smiled with a slight giggle in her voice, “Although, I’m afraid I already did the work for you.”

                        “Doesn’t hurt to add a few touches here and there,” the servant replied, “Anyway, breakfast is almost ready.  I’ll take you to the dining hall.  Rowen should be there soon.”

                        “Thank you.”

                        They headed down the hallway, ignoring the noble girls that were either barking orders at the servants or yelling at them for waking them early.  Only a few of the noble girls and their noble men were in the dining hall by the time Rose and Preston arrived. 

                        “My how late you are today,” Catherine exclaimed in a mocking voice, “And without your butler no less?  Getting use to our way of life so soon?  If I were you, I would enjoy it as much as you can before it is gone.”

                        “You must tell me how you feel,” Amelia demanded, a book and quill in hand, “How does a piece of street trash like you enjoy the rich life?  How will you feel back on the streets?  Do you plan on using your butler to keep you in the rich life?”

                        “That will be enough Milady,” Rowen said as he walked in, Rose feeling relieved, “Your curiosity is only defeated by your enjoyment of harassing the lesser folk.  Do remember that my Milady is your equal.”

                        “Quite true,” the noble girl placed her items away, “I still have my darling David to keep me entertained… for now.”

                        “Her Majesty has yet to show up in these last few days,” Mary said suddenly, changing the subject as more noble girls came in and sat down, “I wonder if anything is wrong with the kingdom to warrant such an absence.”

                        “Do you mean like trouble from our neighboring kingdoms,” Octavia asked, “We would’ve been alerted so if that was the case.”

                        “No need for alarm,” Emma smiled arrogantly, “My father is one of the members of the High Council.  If there were any danger, he would’ve come for me and have our family evacuated to the safety of the royal castle.”

                        “How kind of you not to invite the rest of us,” Octavia commented.

                        “You’re family comes from a long line of soldiers, don’t they?  I’m certain they would most likely wish to be on the front lines along with Fayette’s family.”

                        “Some of us have family members that cannot fight Emma,” Fayette grounded out, “Such as young children and the elderly.  Do not make such assumptions just from meeting one member of the family or from whispered rumors.”

                        “Can we not argue so early in the morning,” Ivy yawned as she and the rest of the noble girls and noble men arrived, “You are ruining this beautiful morning with such unpleasant chatter.”

                        “Well then,” Catherine smiled sweetly to the point it looked like it hurt, “do not mind us.  Feel free to enjoy your morning as if we’re not here.”

                        “You are quite the jester,” Raven commented dryly.

                        “Breakfast is ready,” a servant announced as he and several other servants brought in plates of food.  Everyone filled their plates and began eating, some giving complaints as always.

                        “Are you well Rose,” Rowen asked as he noticed his charge’s plate wasn’t as full as the others.

                        “I am well,” Rose replied, “I am not feeling so hungry this morning.”

                        “Perhaps the food isn’t to her liking anymore and she is being so kind to our hosts,” Catherine said with a hint of challenge in her voice.

                        “I don’t blame her if she had,” Golde added, “This food isn’t even good enough for the poor class!  What kind of chefs do we have in the kitchen?!  Perhaps ones that are lacking in tastebuds!”

                        “Or perhaps,” Dorothy inclined slyly, a devious look on her face, “Our sweet little street trash has already tasted forbidden fruit and it’s ripening in her belly.”

                        “Seriously?!”

                        “The nerve!”

                        “W***e!”

                        “Have you no manners?!”

                        “Um…” Rose began, looking confused, “What are you talking about?”
                        “You are with child you git,” Helen exasperated, “Have your parents not taught you anything, or are you just playing ignorant?!”
                        “How does one become with child,” Rose asked, now thoroughly confused, “And my parents died when I was young, thank you so kindly for reminding me of such a painful wound, so I would not know of such things.”

                        Everyone looked at Rose like she had grown two heads.  She did not know how children are born, let alone made?!  We’re the poor class really that ignorant?!  Have they truly overestimated their rival in this game, in social standing?!

                        “You poor thing,” Mary patted Rose’s head, “No wonder you are confused.  Let me ask you a question.  Have you let Rowen into your room?”

                        “Y-yes,” Rose stuttered.

                        “Have you let Rowen into your bed?”
                        “No.  Why would I do that?”

                        “To make love to you stupid,” Joan stated in exasperation, “Women let men into their beds to make love and make children!”

                        “They do not need to be in the bed,” Pearl clarified with a hint of wisdom, “Some loving couples don’t even make it to the bed before the flames of passion take over.  The floor or the walls will do quite nicely.

                        “However, we aren’t asking the right questions.  My dear, has your butler ever taken you into his arms and kissed your breath away?  Taken off your clothes?  Made prayers into your temple-“

                        “I lost my appetite,” Golde stated in disgust, pushing away her plate.

                        “Amazing,” Joan exclaimed, “The only way to get you away from food is to talk about bedroom matters.”

                        “I don’t see you stopping Joan,” Golde stated with a smug look on her face.

                        “WHAT,” Joan screamed, looking down to see her plate empty, “Oh NO!  My dresses aren’t going to fit after this!  I must purge right now!”

                        “What is purging,” Rose asked, looking curious.

                        “I think that will be enough out of you for today,” Claire replied to Rose, “Let us finish our meal without any further sickening talk.  If you wish to learn, then we shall teach you later.”

                        “Who will be teaching her,” Catherine asked, “Education is wasted on the poor.  Don’t even bother.”

                        “I shall teach her,” Amelia volunteered, “if she willingly becomes my pet project to experiment with.”

                        “Can I go back to my room,” Rose asked uncomfortably, pushing her plate away, “I’m done.”

                        “I’m afraid not,” they all turned to see Marin walking into the dining room, “Her Majesty Queen Usio had returned to the castle late last night and wishes to see everyone after breakfast.  We will be moving on to the next part of the game.”

                        Everyone was a mix sets of emotions, ranging from excitement, anxious, to nervousness.  What could Queen Usio be planning for them this time?

                        A few moments after the announcement, many of them were either finished with their meal or just couldn’t eat everything.  They followed Marin down the hallways and to the throne room, each of them lost in their own thoughts and guesses as to what will be the next challenge.

                        “A good morning to you all,” Queen Usio greeted from her throne, “I hope the last few days were restful and allowed you all time to prepare for the next part of the game.”

                        “Yes Your Majesty,” many of the noble girls replied while the rest, Rose included, curtsied in respect.  They all remembered what happened to Marigold and Sarah, and wished not to share their fate.

                        “We shall be heading to the stables now,” Queen Usio stood, “The next challenge awaits.  I hope each of you have been studying about our mysterious Dios, for this challenge will require more intellect than luck.”

                        They followed Queen Usio out of the throne room and into the stables, the stable boys absent.  All the horses were in their respectful stable, staring at them with anticipation.

                        “Now my dears,” Queen Usio began before sitting down in a fancy chair, “During his time with us, Dios had a horse that was his faithful companion.  He never had any other horse.  When his time with us had ended, he left his horse here under our care.  He did not take his horse with him upon his journey to lands beyond, as his horse was highly prized for breeding.

                        “Your challenge today is to pick which horse you believe is Dios’.  Unlike before, you must all pick unanimously.  I want to see if you can work together just this once.  Once you have made your decision, your chosen men will then test their luck in trying to ride said horse.  Contrary to popular belief in whispered rumors, horses are rather picky on who rides them.  If the horse does not like the person, it will attack. 

                        “Take your time and choose wisely.  Once you are done, let me know and we shall begin the second half of the challenge.  However, do please be done before mid meal.  I tend to get bored easily.”

                        Each of the noble girls and Rose looked at each of the horses, inspecting them with a critical eye.   The horses appeared to be in pristine condition, none seemed to have any scars or appear to have seen any form of combat.  Many of the noble girls stopped to admire a few of the horses, they gypsy horse Lina in particular.  They knew that Lina couldn’t possibly Dios’ horse, but they couldn’t tear their eyes away at her beauty.

                        “Are you girls done looking at Her Majesty’s horse,” Octavia asked as she walked up to the group, “We need to decide which horse is the right one.”

                        “Indeed,” Elanor agreed, “but how?  I don’t see any scar or mark to tell us if the horse is a soldier’s horse.”

                        “And who could turn away from such beauty,” Ivy pointed out with a sigh, “I can just stand here all day watching Lina.”

                        “If you wish to incur Her Majesty’s wrath certainly,” Bridget stated, “But the horse we all choose must be the perfect one.  We will all look like fools like last time if we do not choose properly.”

                        “Why not ask the street trash what she thinks,” Emma asked snidely, “She did win the first challenge, and she should have seen plenty of soldier horses while scavenging.  She might find us the right one.”

                        “Good idea,” Claire agreed, and turned to see Rose staring into the pen the farthest away from them, “There she is.”

                        “What is she looking at,” Raven asked before walking over to Rose, “Garbage eater, what are you staring at?  The most beautiful horse is over there.”
                        “This horse here,” Rose replied, pointing inside, “Have you noticed that it is separated from the other horses?”

                        “Huh,” Catherine uttered as she and the other noble girls came over to see, only seeing a black horse with a dark gray mane that was tied to a far post with only a barrel of water and a stack of hay near it, “What’s so special about this horse?  It looks like any other horse.”

                        “Look at its legs and lower torso,” the poor girl said, “See the scars there?”

                        “What,” Fayette looked closely, “You’re right.  It’s hard to see due to the dark coat, but there are some scars there.”

                        “She’s right,” Octavia confirmed, “and look at the legs and shoulders.  They’re more muscular than the rest of the horses here.”

                        “I think that’s a war horse,” Rose said, startling everybody, “I heard about them from the hunters.  When in small groups of soldiers, these horses create a strong bond with each other.  They won’t even abandon each other, even when the captain of the group tells the rest of his soldiers to flee.  They’ll stay and guard their fallen soldier to the death, even if said soldier is dead.”

                        “That’s stupid,” Joan rebutted, “Horses are just animals.  They don’t have such human emotions like that.”

                        “I’m afraid I must disagree,”  Lewis said, surprising Joan, “I’ve seen such horses in battle during the last war.  One small group refused to leave their fallen owners and had to be killed in order for the soldiers to retrieve the bodies for burial.”

                        “I also must agree as a former soldier,” Rowen added, “The captain of my unit and his two closest friends had war horses that stayed with them for years, even when one had a broken leg.  It was a magnificent sight, seeing those three together.”

                        “Still…” Rose spoke up,  “It’s rare to see one by itself unless the rest of his group is dead.  I can see why the stable master has him separated from the rest of the horses.  He might end up attacking them if they approach.”

                        “You are correct on that statement,” Octavia said, “My father and his fellow soldiers released their horses once their duty to our fable kingdom had ended, as the horses did not take to being separated lightly.  They are herd animals, after all.  It’s their natural calling to be part of a herd, and nothing is more powerful than a bond with those you fought alongside with in battle.”

                        “Then it’s settled,” Emma declared, “We’ll go with this horse.  I’m glad I thought of it.  You all can thank me later.”

                        “For what,” Amelia asked sarcastically, “It was the poor girl that found the horse.”

                        “But I was the one that said to use her to find the horse,” Emma pointed out.

                        “Are we all agreement then,” Octavia asked, to which everyone nodded, “Very well then.  I’ll let Her Majesty know.”

                        “Allow me,” Fayette said as she made her way over to Queen Usio before anyone could say anything and curtsied, “Your Majesty, we have come to an agreement.  We have chosen this horse as the horse that once belonged to Dios.”

                        “Are you certain,” Queen Usio asked, “Did all of you agreed?  Once you have, there is no changing the choice later.”

                        “We are certain.”

                        “Very well then” Queen Usio stood up, then waved a servant over, “Have my chair taken back in and scrubbed until it shines brighter than the sun, then call the stable boys over to aide us with that horse.”

                        “Yes Your Majesty,” the servant bowed and took the chair away.  A few minutes later, several stable boys walked in and knelt before Queen Usio.

                        “Bring that horse over to us,” the queen commanded the stable boys, then noticed their nervous and fearful looks, “What is it?”

                        “Y-your Majesty,” one of the stable boys stuttered, “T-that horse… He’s too dangerous!  He attacks anyone t-that comes near him.  We cannot even groom him.  The most we can do is clean his stable when he is tired and keep him fed and watered.”

                        “So useless,” Queen Usio muttered, then announced, “Instead of trying to ride the horse, each of the men here will try to take the horse out of the stable.  The one that succeeds will be one step closer to proving themselves to being Dios.”

                        “Oh no,” Rose whispered in fear as the noble girls agreed with Queen Usio’s idea.  The noble men and Rowen will be hurt by the horse if they try.  The fear in the stable boys’ eyes was proof enough of how dangerous the horse was.  Even the noble men and Rowen were looking uncertain about trying to go near the horse, yet the queen’s commands were absolute.

                        The stable boys opened the pen door and stepped away quickly, far too quickly.  The horse stared at them, as if challenging any one of them to try and tame him.  With a sigh, Robert took several strides into the pen and up to the horse.  The horse neighed and rose high on its hind legs and Robert had little time to dodge before the horse came down.  Robert stepped out of the pen and the horse settled down.

                        “Are you hurt,” Fayette asked in concern, worry in her eyes.

                        “I am well,” Robert replied, “I’m afraid that I won’t be the one to tame this wild spirit.”

                        “Then caution will be wise,” Alexander advised, “One false move, and it might be the end of one of us.”

                        “You speak as if a horse could kill a man,” Tulip looked at him unconvinced.

                        “And they have,” Marcus agreed with Alexander, “Tossing a rider off, crushing his head under his hooves.  Their teeth have been known to rip the flesh off a man.”

                        “Henry,” Pearl whimpered in fear.

                        “Need not worry,” Henry flashed her a smiled, “As Wolf King, it will take much more than a wild horse to harm me.”

                        “Such a fool to listen to such lies,” Dorothy whispered to a few noble girls, who giggled in agreement.

                        One-by-one, each of the noble men tried their luck with the horse.  And each time, the horse either tried to head butt them, slam his hooves into them, or tried to bite them.  He was successful with a few that tried to use force to tame him.  When it was Rowen’s turn, many of the noble girls were certain that he would succeed, being the head butler and all.  Rose was, in fact, very afraid for him.

                        Rowen walked into the pen, the horse snorting at him.  Rowen carefully held his hand out, showing to the horse that he was no threat.  The horse stared at the hand, nipping the air when Rowen tried to get close before trotting to the back to the pen.  Rowen’s slowly tried again, but the horse neighed at him and charged at him.  The head butler side stepped away and ran out once he was in the horse’s blind spot.

                        “Are you okay,” Rose asked as he ran up to Rowen.

                        “I am well,” Rowen panted with a smile, “I’m not in as fit of shape as I was during my years as a soldier.  I used to be able to run for miles without losing my breath.”

                        “How can this be,” Bridget exclaimed in disbelief, “None of the men were able to tame that thing!”

                        “We were led astray by the trash,” Emma declared angrily, “This is all her fault!”

                        “I never said that horse was Dios’,” Rose pointed out in defense, “You made the assumption based on my observations.”

                        “You never told us that part,” Catherine stated, “You made fools out of us all!”

                        “Actually,” Queen Usio said, catching everyone’s attention, “This horse is indeed a war horse, but from a soldier that has died in battle.”

                        Everyone gasped in shock at the information, unsure as to what to make of it.

                        “I had told you that you need to be certain about which horse to choose,” the queen continued, “You were obviously lazy and relied on the words of a commoner than your own judgement.  Although all of you were on the mark to find a war horse, I had never mentioned that Dios’ horse was a war horse.  I never even said if it was male or female.  It would be wise in the challenges to come to gather more information before making judgements.  This was a good exercise of that. 

                        “Now then,” she waved a servant over, “Bring the injured to the healers and have the horse locked up again.”

                        “Yes Your Majesty,” the servant bowed.

                        “The rest of you may wander as you please throughout the castle for the rest of the day with escort.  Do be mindful of rooms you are not allowed in. I will be back by next week for the next challenge.  I hope for better entertainment by then.”

                        With that, she left the stables and everyone watched her in confusion.  Were they wrong?  Were they right?

                        What had just happened?