Chapter 2 - There's hope, isn't there?
2267 Words
Emily
“I don’t meddle in the affairs of the royal’s child and neither should you. If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times.” She looked worried. Everyone feared the day that something might happen to the King. What the Queen might do? Would she tax us even worse for her lavish parties? She was a very cruel woman, selfish, self-centered and greedy. Her people were suffering, but she never even left the luxury of her castle. All everyone knew was that it had something to do with the king's father. He made a deal with the devil and didn’t stick to his part of the deal, so the devil cursed this land until the debt was paid in full. What that debt was, the old king took to the grave.
“I don’t know Cook, sometimes, you need to know.” I sighed. “If I knew certain things earlier, I would have done many things differently, maybe I would have married a gentleman.” I shrugged and Cook looked at me as if I had completely lost my mind.
“Child, we are commoners, born this way and we will die this way. Those fairy tales of the prince riding in on his white horse to save you and take you to his castle, they never happen I tell you. Never!” Cook threw her hands in the air.
Julius
I was on my way to get a glass of water for my father, but stood back when I heard the conversation.
“So, she can talk,” I whispered to myself, smiling. Clearing my throat at the top of the stairs, I pretended not to have heard a word. “The Queen sent me to fetch water. For her, she is parched,” I rolled my eyes.
“Your highness, you are acting very strangely today.” Cook looked at me when she handed me the silver tray with a glass of water on it.
“Why didn’t she send one of the staff? You would never collect a glass of water on her behalf!” Cook looked at me suspiciously.
“Because I offered.” I grinned. I looked in the direction of the young girl, but she was looking at her shoes again.
Emily
I waited until I was sure he had gone, returning to my little corner. A girl can dream, can’t she? The news reached the kingdom a week later. The King was dead. He died peacefully in his sleep, with his family by his side. Why they had to keep him being ill such a big secret, I didn’t understand. If it had been a long illness, yes, but our Queen was a royal pain in the a$s, drama Queen, literally. She spent the morning in her chambers refusing to eat, or drink or even see the prince, except for the fact that her chambermaid was down in the kitchen, whispering with Cook, taking little parcels upstairs.
“You do realize I can see you.” I frowned at Cook.
“See me what?” Cook was defensive immediately.
“Sending food up to the Queen who is refusing to eat.” I peeled apples for dessert that night.
“I can’t let the woman die of hunger.” Cook threw her arms in the air. “I am merely sending up small meals hoping she will eat them.” Cook defended again and I hummed.
“If you say so.” I shrugged, hearing footsteps coming down the staircase, and quickly made my way to hide behind my little corner. I had learned to avoid all the people in the castle, even the prince. The way he looked at me made me feel things a girl should not be feeling, in places I was sure girls should not be feeling them. That was what got my mother killed, and I was not going to end up that way. I didn’t tell Cook how I felt, but I could see that she had questions. His footsteps were heavy, not as light as they usually were. I could hear in his raspy voice he had been crying.
“Oh, my dear boy.” Cook cooed when she saw him. “What can I give you?” She was worried.
“My father back?” I peeked between the planks dividing my corner and the kitchen and his eyes were filled with hope even though all of us knew it was impossible.
“That I can’t, but blueberry pie I can. Emily baked a fresh one this morning.” Cook cut him a large piece. The sound of my name made his dark blue eyes clear.
“Emily, so that is her name. All I have been able to find out is that she works here with you and looks after her ill father.” He waved his hands in the air.
“Your highness?” Cook looked puzzled.
“Nobody wants to tell me anything about her. Not even the towns' people. She is so beautiful, Cook.” He sighed.
“Yes, your highness, but you are betrothed and with your father’s death it will fall on you now to produce an heir with your soon-to-be wife, for the kingdom to be protected.” Cook looked around the kitchen nervously. “Your wedding will be arranged soon after your father is buried. I saw the messenger leave this morning for your betrothed to be here in time for the funeral.” He stood up quickly, hitting the plate on the table which made the pie fly, landing right on top of Cook's head and I accidentally laughed behind the wall and had to put my hand over my mouth, but it was too late …
“There you are.” He looked around the corner and took my hand. A furious Cook stood there with a piece of blueberry pie on top of her head, as juice dripped down her face. “I am stealing her for just an hour. I am sure you can cope for an hour.” He didn’t give Cook much of a choice as he guided me out the back door with his one hand holding mine and his other hand holding me around my waist. My body felt sparks wherever his skin touched mine. I saw my dirty hand against his almost pure white hand and started looking down again, trying to move away from him. His clothes were so beautiful and clean, and mine, so old and dirty. I didn’t want him to look as if he had been rolling around the pigsty. All he did was just pull me closer.
“Emily.” He let my name roll over his tongue, taking a second to feel if it worked for him. “Do you know how long I have been looking for you, Emily?”
“No, your highness. Did I do something that displeased you? If I did, I am so very sorry. Please don’t dock my pay or let me go, or chop my head off.” I cringed at the thought. “I have an old ill father who needs taking care of.” I tried pulling away again, but again he pulled me even closer, this time his hot breath blew down my neck, giving me goosebumps all over and butterflies in my stomach. Mother always said that was how she felt when she saw my father for the first time. Her palms felt all sweaty, she had goosebumps all over and had butterflies in her stomach! No, no, no! Not the prince! Why did it have to be him? Now I would be alone for the rest of my life, or I would have to marry a simple man that I don’t love and have his children, or become a spinster and die alone!
“Why would you think that I would chop your head off?” He frowned, looking offended.
“Because that is what the towns people say the Royals do if you are mad at someone.” I felt very scared but relieved when he let go of me completely.
“I am sorry Emily. This was a mistake. Sorry for keeping you away from your work. Please return to Cook. I will not bother you again.” He looked angry. I feared this time he would really chop my head off. I ran back to the kitchen in tears. When Cook saw me, she dried my tears first, so she could calmly find out what happened.
“Did he touch you? Did he do anything he shouldn’t have? I will wring his little royal neck, I will! I told you, these Royals don’t care about us commoners. Oh, my poor girl. Come here.” She took me into one of her big momma hugs and held me, until I stopped crying. The Queen’s handmaiden came running into the kitchen nervously, demanding her parcel. “Over there, girl, and you tell the Queen, no more parcels. Either she stops feeling sorry for herself and eats or she dies of hunger.” Cook looked furious.
“No, you would lose your job here!” I gasped. “I would not let you do a thing like that because of me!”
I jumped up and ran after the girl … Out of breath, I grabbed her arm just as she was about to enter the Queen's chambers and we both fell into the room.
“What is the meaning of all of this?” The Queen demanded, sitting by the window, working on her hand embroidery. She was definitely not mourning the death of her husband, that was for sure! “I said! What is the meaning of all of this racket!” She screamed this time, being a very impatient woman, she expected an immediate answer, always.
“I apologize, your highness. I don’t know who this girl is. I think she works in the kitchen.” Her handmaiden looked at me with disgust. I curtsied, looking down.
“My apologies, your highness. I merely tried to stop your handmaiden from giving you the wrong parcel. She grabbed the one meant for your dogs.” I smiled at this rude girl.
“You did what?!” The Queen screamed at her. I knew she was going to pay dearly, but rather her than Cook.
“Cook asked me to let you know that she would rather send you proper meals, your highness. If you don’t mind eating in the dining room again, your people need to see you are strong now, or other kings might see this as an advantage to attack and take your kingdom away from you.” She hummed.
“Cook thinks too much, but she is correct. Let her know my son and I will be having our meals in the dining room from now on.” She nodded at me and I made myself scarce. I stood around the corner when I heard her.
“Now hear me and hear me well. The next time I find you trying to give me dog food, you will become the dog food. You will no longer be my handmaiden. You can join the animal pen. I am sure there is a lot to do in the pigsty.” The poor girl left crying, running down the stairs not even seeing me, but at least she was alive. I ran to the kitchen, telling Cook that the Queen had requested meals be served in the dining room.
“You spoke to the Queen?” She looked shocked.
“Yes.” I nodded.
“She allowed you to speak?” She still looked shocked.
“Yes, and she would like you to serve meals in the dining room,” I sighed.
“Well, I’ll be damned, miracles do happen. Here I was thinking you were done for.” She grabbed me and gave me one of her momma hugs, nearly squishing me like an orange into juice.
“The prince was here.” Cook raised one brow for a second while peeling carrots.
“Oh.” I wasn’t sure what to say and walked over to the basin to wash the big pots.
“He wanted to …” She started and I turned to look at her.
“It’s okay, I am sure you did what you could. I will go pack my things.” I interrupted her, wiping my hands on my apron, untying the back.
“Girl, will you stop being so pig-headed for once in your life and listen to the entire sentence! He was here to apologize.” Cook sighed.
“Oh, apologize for what? I thought he was angry at me?” I knew I looked shocked.
“No, we had a long talk about the head-chopping and pay docking and towns people. He never knew what the people thought about the Royals. His mother and father hid in the castle, never thinking of the people or letting him see or think about the people in the kingdom. Never let him think for himself. He thought all was well. He knew about the dark woods and the merchants, but he never knew how dangerous things were, or how poor the people were living and in what fear we are all living, especially now that the King is dead.” She explained.
“Oh, so now that he knows, he will leave me alone then?” A girl could hope, couldn’t she?
- Writer
