Reigning Curse

Chapter Three ~ Introduction to Castle Life

Before I uttered a word, the women pulled off my day dress followed by my undergarments. Seeing the guard with the maroon bag over a woman's shoulder, I was relieved that it was his back I saw. Fine linen undergarments replaced my old ones, and a pink embroidered bodice was being cinched, followed by a light pink skirt. It was the nicest set of clothes I had ever worn.

Once the women had inspected the pink dress, they pulled it off. I was a doll being dressed and undressed. I dared not say a word. If the guard had to scurry over and pick up a jewel while another bodice was being stripped off me, I would be too embarrassed to breathe.

During the first dressing, a lady took off my pocket, and I remembered the box full of gold I put aside for my brother. Would it be right to give it to my brother, or should they be part of my dowery too? While the women inspected me in a blue dress, I pointed at my pocket.

One of the ladies handed it to me and said, "Pockets are not worn at the castle, and your pocket is not suitable for your station now."

I nodded and went to a table where I took out a flat-spring my mother made and my pair of needle-nose pliers. When I poured the jewels from my pocket into the guard's maroon bag, the gems and gold made a sound like beans being pouring into a pot.

"Are those jewels and gold? From your mouth?" asked another of the ladies. I now knew gossip traveled more quickly through the castle than in town.

Before I nodded, another lady walked into the room. "Ann, it is not your duty to question or even to speak to those stationed above you."

"Yes, Lady Gwen," she said and went back to the garments.

I went to put my pocket back on top of my old clothes when my guild pin glinted at me. Bending to remove it, I was stopped by the new corset and had to squat to pick it up. As pretty as the blue dress was, its constriction to my movement was something else that was new. I placed the guild pin with my other things and went back to the spot where the ladies had been dressing me, not knowing what else to do.

An official-looking man and a mechanical walking desk entered the room as a golden bodice and skirt were being adjusted.

Lady Gwen said, "This will be perfect for your first meeting with the queen and king at tonight's welcoming engagement dinner. Ah, Sir Erwin. This is Sir Erwin the castle's scheduler. He knows everything that happens in the castle and informs the royals and their guests of their duties.""Good afternoon," said the ladies and curtsied.

"Good afternoon, Lady Gwen. How is your son? Sir Owen says he is doing well in his mechanical repair apprenticeship."

"That he is. I'll visit him this Sunday if my new duties don't interfere," said Lady Gwen. I realized that I was her new duties.

"Good day, Lady Eliza," he said. Was he talking to me, or was someone else named Eliza in the room? It was the first time I heard "lady" put in front of my name.

"Good day, Sir Erwin," I said when I realized who he was addressing.

The guard turned and scrambled to pick up the gems and gold. Sir Erwin stopped the guard, pulled out a hand full of the precious stones, and examined them. As he put them back in the bag, he said, "Fascinating, we will get the royal jeweler to examine the quality." He then took from his pocket a handkerchief and whipped his hands.

Then, he pulled a lever on the desk, and a feathered quill appeared. He took the quill and started to write though he didn't dip the quill into ink. I couldn't see the desktop but had learned in the marketplace about glass tops recording writing with a touch. While he wrote, a little puff of steam floated out of a brass chimney at the back of the desk. I wanted to open it up and see the mechanics at work.

"Lady Eliza, it seems as all Prince Charlie has said about you is true. You don't look like a peasant which is fortunate. Tonight, you will meet King Basil and Queen Betony and their immediate court. Though having gems and nuggets pop out of your mouth is quite useful, it is a bit vulgar. The court will be told of your, let's say, talent. You will not be speaking to them, which should help you out greatly at this first meeting. You won't show your peasantness by getting names and titles wrong for example."

Sir Erwin walked around me, and the desk followed. He continued, "This gold dress is indeed good for this evening. How lucky you are similar in size to Lady Cindy before her childbearing girth though I do commend her generosity. The second she was told you were a from the guild district, she sent over these old things of hers. We will get a seamstress to you tomorrow. The Prince's fiancé should not be wearing cast-offs."

He made a few more notes on the desk. "You are free to wander the grounds or stay in your room. Dinner is at 7 pm sharp. Lady Gwen will be your lady-in-waiting and will get you to where you should be. Good day." He placed the quill on the desk, flipped a couple of levers, and left the room with the desk following behind him.

In all that information, I had found some of the answers to my questions. Though my head started to pound, and exhaustion took over every thought. I turned to Lady Gwen and kept my request short, so as not to overwork the gem gathering guard.

"May I rest before dinner." The guard jumped to do his duty.

"Yes, that would be wise. I am sure you are exhausted from today's events." She and the ladies stripped the gold garments from me which left me dressed in a linen shift. Lady Gwen took me into the bed-chamber. An enormous bed made of finely carved wood and heaped with bedding made me feel small and unworthy of my sudden fortune. The guard followed us into the bed-chamber.

"You will stay out of Lady Eliza's bed-chamber," said Lady Gwen.

"But I was..."

"She will not speak while resting," she interrupted him while smiling at me. They both walked out and the door closed behind them. I was alone but couldn't take in my surroundings or even try to comprehend the curse, the prince, and my feelings about what had happened to me. 

Crawling into the beautiful bed, I fell asleep instantly and didn't wake until Lady Gwen shook my shoulder.

I dreamed about the H.A.G. and my mother. The dream started much as this day had started, with the H.A.G. asking for a drink of water from the well. When I handed her the cup, she spoke a curse. I didn't hear the curse in the dream but remembered the H.A.G.'s perfect smile. I kept thinking, 'What a perfect set of teeth for a H.A.G.'

The day changed after that. When I got home, my mother, and not my stepmother, was at the house, though she was calling me Gerty. I didn't speak until I said to my mother, 'Please, stop calling me Gerty.' After each word, a snake, a snail, or some other slimy creature lept from my mouth. My mother was so disgusted she banished me from the house. I went to the well in hope of finding the H.A.G. and ask her to take away the curse.

I asked several people around the well if they had seen a H.A.G with a perfect smile. When the slimy creatures came out of my mouth, they turned away in disgust. I wandered from the village in search of the H.A.G At this point in the dream, I awoke to Lady Gwen nudging my shoulder.Lady Gwen poured some water into a washing basin and said, "In a moment, the other ladies and I will dress you for dinner, Lady Eliza."

"Thank you," I started, but she put her hand up to stop me as she picked up the gems.

"I am your lady-in-waiting. No need to thank me. Please keep your words unless you have a request," she said with a nod to the jewels in her hand. She didn't put the jewels in her pocket but held them most likely to give them to the guard. She didn't seem to want the hassle of picking up the jewels or gold nuggets.

I went to the washbasin and washed my face and hands. The cool water refreshed me. When I entered the other room, Lady Gwen returned with the other ladies-in-waiting carrying the gold clothes. They were followed by my guard whose hat wasn't set as perfectly as it had been. I suspected that he had napped as well.

In accepting the Prince's proposal, I was propelled into a world I didn't have the skills to handle. I was about to find out how different castle life was from my own.