The Servant Girl and The Sea Prince

Chapter Thirteen: MELINDA

She never was one to put much effort into her physical appearance, but now that Melinda had a sweetheart, of sorts, she made sure to wash her long, straight, brown hair with lye-based soap and lavender at least twice a week, and brush it every night before going out to the beach to meet with Crown Prince Poseidon. She began wearing her brownette locks down, instead of braided, at her "dates" with the gorgeous merman, because she believed it made her look more like a mermaid.

"You know, you're not bad-looking for a lowly servant girl!" remarked Lord David one day, as Melinda dusted in the library. He looked her up and down.

"Um, thanks..." said Melinda.

"Why don't you gimme a quick little kiss, Miss Melinda? That's all I ask of you..."

Melinda's hand, clutching a feather duster, went white-knuckled, and her pulse quickened. "I beg your pardon, Milord..." she spluttered, feeling immensely startled. Then she firmly shook her head. "No...I'm sorry, but no...". She was not the least bit interested in locking lips with anyone but Poseidon. "I...I wouldn't feel comfortable...with that, Milord..."

Lord David put his hands up in defeat. "Okay, I surrender". The young, dark-haired nobleman forced a stiff smile. "I wouldn't dream of forcing a pretty young lady like you to do something that you don't want to do".

When Melinda returned to her garret room that evening, she was severely bewildered to see the gaudy diamond necklace that Lady Rosemary, the Countess of Huntington had worn at Lord David's birthday dinner weeks ago was on her lumpy bed. She knew that the necklace, which had five rows of diamonds securely set in silver, was one of the Countess's favorite pieces of jewelry, and a priceless family heirloom to boot. How on Earth did that get in my room...? she pondered. She couldn't prove it, but she suspected that Lord David had sneakily planted it there, to get back at her for rejecting his amorous advances.

All of a sudden, the Countess barged into Melinda's room in the attic. "There you are, you little, thieving orphan!" she boomed. The attractive noblewoman's face was as red as a ripe tomato in anger, as she grabbed her tremendously valuable necklace.

"Milady, please...you have to believe me...!" Melinda insisted, hot tears forming in her green eyes. Her heart sank like a stone in the deep sea. "I...I would never steal from you! I don't...even know how this got here...!". It definitely would not go over well to voice her suspicions that it had been the Countess of Huntington's beloved 18-year-old son that put it there.

"Well, it certainly didn't grow legs and walk out of my jewelry box and up to the garret, did it!? There's no place at Huntington Manor for servants who lie and steal!" roared the Countess. "I really should've known better than to hire an orphan, straight from the Southern Kallia Asylum. You worthless urchins have no more sense of decency than a wild animal!"

"Milady...I've served you and your family faithfully for two whole years...!" Melinda cried out. "I wouldn't...!"

The Countess remained entirely unconvinced. "Your words are empty, girl" she stated. The tone of her voice was colder than the deepest depths of the ocean. "The evidence was right before my eyes. You must pack up your things and be out of the Manor immediately. I can't stand to look at your dirty face for another minute!"

"But, Milady..." pleaded Melinda futilely. Tears continued to stream down her light-skinned cheeks.

"Now!" ordered the Countess of Huntington, wagging her long fingers at Melinda. "Get out of my home!"

Melinda hastily threw her very few belongings into a plain canvas bag, plodded downstairs, and ran out of Huntington Manor. The tears did not stop falling.

She was suddenly both homeless and unemployed. Melinda was well aware that not many people would be keen to hire her without references. Even if she could afford to rent a room in a boardinghouse or inn, which she could not, most respectable landlords in Kallia were reluctant to rent to young, single women like her.

Melinda sat down on a big rock at the edge of the Western Ocean. Her salty tears fell down into the sea.