Cursed, Charmed, and Uninsured

Drudgery

Drudge? Kay frowned and fisted a hand on her hip, the tea precariously held in one wobbly hand. Compared to the break room gossip, she'd been called worse things. For some reason, this insult stung more. Kay was very aware of the unsightly smears on her overalls, whereas not a hair was misplaced in that elaborate pile of curls across from her. The woman's skin seemed to shimmer with hints of gold.

Kay's nostrils flared. "Do you want your tea or not, prison wedding Barbie?"

The retort passed her lips before she thought better of it. Inwardly she cringed. Don't talk to the prisoners, they said. She could practically hear Shaffer tutting in her ear about company policies.

What she did not expect was the reaction. The princess's hand slipped off her chin in a sudden jerk that almost toppled her over. She straightened and peered through the gloom with sudden interest.

"You're a woman?"

Kay bristled. True, the overalls were not flattering to her slim curves, and her cropped hair was a hot mess thanks to some curious pixies, but did the woman have to sound so shocked?

"Sorry, I left my glass slippers at home," Kay muttered. The princess narrowed her eyes at the comment and sank back, her gaze boring into Kay as she approached the lock box. "Tea, ten sugars, as ordered." She spoke through her teeth. That gold gaze was intense enough before the searing focus on her now.

One sleek brow rose. "You look like you're wearing half of it. Where's the saucer?"

"I dropped it," Kay lied. The woman's lips twitched, as if she saw right through it. Kay resolutely ignored her and carefully shoved the lock box on through, more tea sloshing free of the fine china cup in the process. "There's got to be a better way to do this," she said under her breath.

"You could always unlock the door and hand it to me," said a musical voice directly above her.

Kay jerked back. She hadn't seen or heard the princess move, but the woman was suddenly in front of her, only the safety glass between them. A small smile played on her lips, and Kay realized this golden woman and Dorothy the dragon had a great deal in common. Her shoulders slumped. The inmates enjoyed messing with the newbie, was it worth getting mad when they'd been here for decades? Really, she should be flattered she was more interesting than a concrete wall.

Instead she glanced around the princess, into the contents of the cell. Unlike the other creatures, there were quite a few luxuries present in the furnished cell. A large stack of frayed hard bound books were stacked haphazardly on a small side table. There was a ream of paper and art supplies in another corner and to Kay's surprise, a violin in an open case. It was all very lovely, and when Kay's eyes scanned over the pretty art supplies again, all very unused. There was a visible layer of dust on the violin, and the books, while the drawing charcoal was unopened, the paper blank and yellowed with age. Kay wondered at that. The only thing in the room that looked used aside from the bed, was the small flat-screen against the wall.

They let her have a T.V. down here? Did she get cable too?

"Find anything interesting?"

The back of her neck heated. Of course, the princess noticed her snooping. She hadn't taken her golden gaze off Kay once as she sipped her tea. Since, she was caught in the act, and she'd already violated the rule to not talk to the inmates, she figured why not ask.

"What do you do all day?"

The princess pursed her lips at the question. Admittedly, the words twisted into a much more judgmental question than Kay planned. She held up a hand before the woman could respond. "Wait, that didn't come out right." She pinched the loose cuff of her overall, golden eyes drawn down to the movement. "You don't draw, or play, or read?"