ch 2

Ch2

The crowds cheered, their hollers making my ears hurt.  I was leaning against a local butcher shop, watching people get excited to have a glimpse of the parade of knights as they came home from battle.  Our bordering counties, Agrós and Gaîa, had been at war with us for months, trying to claim our lands since theirs had turned to wastelands. I didn’t know if I supported our country in the battle or not.  Sometimes I dreamed of those countries over throwing our king, replacing him with a king of mercy and gentleness.  I heard rumors that no one could overthrow Geadoxa, that we had nothing to worry about, the king wouldn’t let them.  I wondered how one could be so loyal to such a ruthless man.  

“Here they come!”  A voice shouts among the crowd.  

Two girls in front of me are fussing with their gowns, gowns that are too nice to be worn on streets. 

“Oh my gosh!  The prince is coming!” The taller, blonde one gushes.  

The shorter, plumper one claps her hands in excitement. “Just think! This could be our chance to get him to notice us!” 

“Please, Ana use some sense.” Blondie flipped her pressed curls over her shoulder. “This isn’t about him just noticing!”

A confused face appeared on the second girl. “Then what is it about?” 

“Him falling in love with one of us!”  The blonde retorted, making it sound as if it were obvious. 

I rolled my eyes. Girls were pathetically naïve when it came to the royal family.  They had daydreams about a prince falling for a commoner, that there was something special about them that made them better than the rest.  I didn’t particularly care for fairy tales.  The villain was usually disguised as the hero, telling lies and deceiving many.  This wasn’t a fairy tale, and time was wasted with daydreams as such.  

The cheers became louder as the army came into view.  Their stallions with gleaming dark hair trotted through the crowd.  Knights rested on their backs, their armor polished.  Flags were carried, wearing the colors of our country; red with purple diamonds scattered along it.  Red for the blood shed for the king and purple reminding us of who was in charge. 

I pushed off the wall, leaving before I got even a glance at the prince.  How awful of me.  Seeing the knights of the army just made my blood boil even hotter.  My hatred brought to the surface.  They come into our town, showered with love and gifts, along with seeing our poor, pathetic life style.  Yet they ignore it.  For they are better than us and they see us as nothing but people who give them money.  I should march back to them and spit at their polish little feet, but I kept my eyes ahead, and walked back to my alley.  

Maria was sewing a tear in one of her dresses. The needle dull and bent, but she had a passion for it.  I would constantly tell her to try and get an apprentice at the seamstress, but she always refused.  My sisters’ lack of work ethic was one thing I could understand in this cruel world.  Who wanted street rats as their workers?  Whenever we had spare money from the blankets, curtains, or clothing I stole she always insisted the money go to me.  I once bought her a proper needle, one that could easily punch through fabric, but she never touched it.  So there she sewed, with dull, bent needles.  

“Why don’t I just get you a new gown?”  I ask sitting down opposite her. 

“This one is fine.” She replies. “It’s only a little tear.” 

I sigh. Arguing with her wasn’t worth it. I thought about mother and how she would hate to see us living like this.  My sister, a beautiful woman cursed to live on the streets with the pigs and rats, should be married to a young man.  A man who could support her.  

“How was the parade?”  She asked changing the subject.

I shrugged.  “How is it to look at dresses in windows of boutiques, yet never go in?”    

She frowned. Damn it. I knew she didn’t want this life, hell I didn’t want this life, but I was uneducated, therefor couldn’t get a job.  Maria had tutored me a little bit when we were younger, basic vocabulary, math, and manners. Yet with living the way we did we needn’t many of those things. So they soon were forgotten.   

An idea took root in my mind.  I had access to pretty dresses. Dresses that wouldn’t be missed on account of the countless ones they had cooped up in their closets. I also had access to bathing chambers, where I could scrub the filth from my body, making my ratty hair clean and shiny, make myself presentable.  Yes. I would do that and apply for jobs around, I would fool them into thinking I had a house, money.  Then I would have an income. I could support my sister, she could get a husband. Our lives would be fixed.  Yes. I would do that. Tomorrow though, today the castle would be much too busy and not to mention crawling with more guards.  Tomorrow it will calm down.  Tomorrow I will turn my life around.

The wall of the castle loomed over me, I had never done this during the day, never less, I knew the patrols.  I had made sure to memorize them in my spare time yesterday, watching the guards pace back and forth, back and forth.  Scared was I not with the outside patrols, it was the inside that troubled me.  Taking a deep breath, I started my climb.  It was sunrise and I had to work fast, the streets would be flooded with people soon.  Once atop the wall, I hesitated.  It was early morning, and Lady Isobel would be asleep in her chambers.  I would have to be very quiet. I was taking a chance, and placing faith in things out of my control.  Tossing the rope into place, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply for a moment.  I could do this.  I needed to do this.  For my sister.  

Opening my eyes, I swung down to the window, landing on the sill of the closed glass.  No candles were lit, the room dark.  Slowly, I nudged the pane open, making sure the hinges did not creak.  Working quickly I doped to the plush floor, yanking the rope down as I did.  Still crouched under the window still I waited, breathing in through my nose out my mouth.  No one said a word.  Quietly, oh so quietly, I stood, passing the massive bed, noticing that the lady Isobel was not in it. My brow furrowed, where was the lady if not in her bed chambers?  It was much too early for any of the royal members to be awake.  But if they were . . . well, I just needed to make this quick.  I headed to her closet, choosing three gowns that were not too ornate, but beautiful none the less.  Then I scurried through the halls, sticking to the shadows.  I entered an empty room and closed the door.  Throwing the gowns on a chair I walked straight to the bathing chambers.  Having no matches I left the room dark and drew a bath with running water.  I had never worked with such advance technology so it took me a moment to figure out which way to turn the knobs.  

Jumping into the warm water, I took the first bath I had had since poverty.  With a bar of lightly scented soap I scrubbed my body raw.  My hair, a mess of knots, was a lost cause.  No matter how I scrubbed the knots grew.  Wanting to linger in the warm water, but knowing time was running out.  I climbed out, wrapping myself in the plushest towel I had ever felt.  Heading into the bedchamber, the three dresses claimed much more complicated than the ratty one I owned.  Looking at the complicated bodice I had to frown, I would never be able to put this on without help. 

The door of the room opened revealing two maids as they entered the room.  S**t.  My blood pounded in my ears, I was dead. 

“Oh!”  One of the maids squealed. “I didn’t see you there!”  

I was standing in the dark, wrapped in a towel, before two maids. Demons in purgatory.  

“Do you need help my lady?”  The other one asked as she started lighting the candles about the room.  

“I knew we were getting a guest soon.”  The first one said. “When did you arrive?”  

Play along! My mind screamed.  They obviously didn’t understand I was no woman of status. 

“Yes I do.” My voice steady, even though my body was shaking.  

The second maid walked toward me, the first still lighting candles. “Let’s get you changed! Oh dear!”  She cried, the darkness of the room was gone now and my hair with all its knotty glory was in full view.  “Come, I’ll brush your hair to get those rats out.”  She pulled me into the bathing chamber again and pushed me down atop a vanity stool. 

“Sarah? Come give us some light would you?” as she rushed in the maid tending to me picked up a silver hair brush.  Why was everything in these damn castles so exquisite?  Light slowly filling the space, I saw that I was sitting in front of a mirror.  I gasped.  I had never seen my face before, I was much too young when our house was taken to remember anything of my appearance.  Staring at my reflection I saw my pale hair, hair that indeed needed to be brushed. My eyes were identical to my father.  Staring into them made me feel like I was staring at him, one more time.  My lips were plump as if stung by a bee, my face an oval. 

“Now this will hurt a little.” She started brushing, tears springing to my eyes from sharp pain.  I gripped the vanity and clenched my teeth.  This had to be done sometime. So I sat quietly as she pulled my hair.  

“Good gracious! What did you do to your hair to make it this crazy?”  

I looked her reflection in the mirror and responded. “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”  

Once my hair was tangle free, the maids went ahead and helped me into a gown.  Sarah pulling it so tight I thought my lungs would be crushed by the pressure. 

“You look beautiful my lady.”  Sarah said.  I blushed, I wasn’t sure I had ever been called beautiful.  She led me over to a floor length mirror and I was shocked by my appearance once more.  They had painted my face with various liquids and powders, making my skin look flawless, my eyes standing out.  The dress made my already large chest look much larger, the countless layers of fabric falling around me.  

“Oh! My lady where are your shoes?”  The maid who tended my hair asked. S**t. I hadn’t thought my plan this through.  I hadn’t planned on being stopped on my mission.  All I came here for was clothes and a wash.  

“They were stolen.”  I blurted. They sucked in an audible gasp.  “As I was traveling a band of thieves attacked and my belongings were taken. My slaves slaughtered like pigs.  I was lucky to escape with my life.” 

Oh what a clever lie I had wound.  I prayed for them to believe it.  To be naive little maids as they usually were.   

“Oh dear! I’m so sorry!” they gushed, rushing over to comfort me.  I let them fuss over me, forcing tears to my eyes, but smiled to myself when they weren't looking.

“These dresses aren’t even mine, I took them from lady Isobel’s closet.”  I confessed. “I do hope she won’t mind.” 

Sarah blinked at me.  “Well why would she? You already have three of her gowns that were no doubt chosen by her.”  

I shook my head.  “Her chambers were empty when I visited.”  

“Oh!”  Giggled the maid whose name I still did not know. “Prince Tahvo arrived home yesterday. Did we really expect her to stay in her own chambers with his in the same castle?”

Sarah fell into a fit of giggles with her.  I hadn’t heard that the prince was betrothed.  The young girls of the village would be so heartbroken to hear this. And I grinning all the while their fantasies come to an end.  

“Thank you ladies.”  I said turning toward them.  “You never told me your name.”  

The maid blushed. “We aren’t supposed to lady, but my name is Lahela.”  

“Well Lahela, thank you with my hair. I hope to see both of you soon.”  

They curtsied, yes curtsied, and headed out the way they had come.  I looked in the mirror once more, this was probably to be one of the last times I would do so. My body was a thing, frail thing.  The bones too harsh, no fat on me at all.  It was probably a miracle that the dress had fit me at all.  With all the food that they ate they should be bigger than me.  More fat on the bone.  My pale hair hung limply around my hips.  I could pull this off. I thought to myself.  A shop owner would never be able to tell I had lived in the streets my whole life. No.  Not with this guise   

Slowly I made my way to the door, pausing to listen for any clue of someone near. When I deemed it safe, I slipped out of the room and hurried back the way I came.  Finding Lady Isobel’s room was easy enough, it was what awaited me inside that stopped me cold.  

Sitting in one of the lounging chairs was a woman around the age of fifty, her brown hair was made up atop her head, and a thin veil covered it. Maids were scattered around tending to Lady Isobel who rounded the corner of her attached chamber and gasped when she saw me.  

“Who are you stranger and why do you wear my gown?”  She exclaimed. 

I was dead.  Officially dead. 

The brown hair woman turned to see me hovering in the door way.  A mouse caught by the cats.    

“L-L-Lady Isobel.”  I stuttered.  My neck became damp, nerves arose.  My throat became dry.  

“Yes that is my name. Now who are you?”  She snapped.

“I’m-“  I paused thinking quickly of names.  “I’m lady Odessa.”  

Isobel’s brows rose. “Well the lady Odessa, why are you in my gown? Or mayhap you just happen to have a gown that was personally made for me.”  

I wanted to run, every instinct told me to, but I stayed rooted to my spot.  I was in too deep to back out now.  “The gown is yours.”  I straightened my back. “I arrived here with nothing of my own. I was robbed, I came upon your chambers and hoped you wouldn’t mind.  The gown I had worn traveling had become caked with dirt and ripped.”

“How . . . tragic.”  

“Lady Odessa you are welcome to this castle, let the maids measure you for new gowns.”  The lady sitting in the chair said.  “I will have a room made for you.  I was not aware of your visiting, but none the less you are my guest and will be treated well here.”  

“Thank you dear lady.”  I said.  I had just dug myself a deeper hole, a hole where my casket would drop into probably. An ugly cackle rose from Isobel.  “She is no dear lady you fool, don’t you know a queen when you see one?”  

The queen? The queen? Oh good lord I was going to faint.  

“Oh, hush now Isobel. That is no way to treat our new guest.” 

She stopped instantly, a blush creeping into her face.  Sweeping into a low curtsy she said, “Oh course your majesty. I am sorry for my rudeness Lady Odessa.”  

I nodded. “Apology accepted. And might I add that it is quite hard for me to catch a look at the queen with the walls so high and thick.”  I copied Isobel’s actions and curtsied.

I got a laugh out of the queen for that one. “I think I’ll enjoy your company Lady Odessa. Now please follow Ann.  She will lead you to your room.” 

A young, thin maid hurried to me, grabbing my hand and led me away.

“Do you believe this new guest and her little story?”  I heard Isobel ask.

“Why yes I do.  It is not uncommon for us to get ladies sent to us, I do have a son who needs to be wed after all.”  The Queen responded. That was all I heard as I moved away from the room and down several hall ways to a room twice the size of the one I had changed in.  The room had about five different chambers, and that wasn’t even including the bathing chamber.  I plopped down onto a plush couch.  My sister would wake without me there.  She would be worried.  I placed my head in my hands.  I had made a mess of things and I wanted to cry, but a voice inside told me I couldn’t.  That I would find a way out of this.  That I would see my sister again.