Heart's Desire

Chapter 3: The Fall

Myka knew she had to save her prince. After a night of gorging herself on the mayor's trash, she had waddled slowly over to Town Hall. She took the back streets down the darkest allies that never saw light even on bright sunny days. She knew these routs so well no one noticed her go by. Not even the thief that lay in wait for some poor servant girl who had lost her way and traveled down the wrong path trying to get her master's shopping bags back to the house noticed her as she passed him in his dark corner. It was not long before Myka was at the back entrance to Town Hall. Servants were busy running things in and out. Myka had to be careful to stay out of their sight. One of the servant got a whiff of her and plugged his nose, but he had turned towards the garbage instead of her. She was thankful it was there. The man's assumption about the over flowing garbage had given her the idea in the first place.

The garbage was right under a window to the side of the building. It was pilled so high it nearly touched the frame. She smiled to herself. No one would notice another piece of garbage on top of all that lovely mess she mused. It would be a hard climb and she would have to make herself smaller to fit on top, but she could do it. Myka could make herself small when she wanted too. If she shook herself long enough some of the overly rotten layers of her cloths would disintegrate making it easier to squish herself into a tiny ball. Once she balled herself up nobody seemed to tell the difference between her and the trash around her. Slowly, careful not to over balance the trash Myka climbed. It took maybe an hour to get to the top, but Myka had patience. Once there she settled in to the garbage. An old banana peel rested right at her nose. She nibbled on it slowly savoring the taste as she watched the servants decorate the room. The peel was delectable. It quenched the hunger she had built up climbing the pile.

She watched as the two brothers fought for space in the hall. One, the husky voiced one, what had his brother called him? Manter, he had called him Manter. Manter was arguing with the skinny voiced one named Carlo about why he had fewer servants than Carlo. Carlo supplied that it took less people to carry in food than it did to put up banners. The light from the candle lobar that Carlo had in his hands was reflecting off Manter's head. It blinded one of the servant carrying food. The poor man tripped. His tray of raspberry tarts went flying right into the man on the ladder trying to place the last banner. The equally poor man became overbalanced from the force of the food and began to fall. He struggled to grab on to anything. His hands grasping at the banner to keep him vertical. The poorly made fabric tore under the man's weight and all the banners came ripping off the walls one after another.

Myka stifled a laugh. Wax from that same candle had fallen on Manter's bald head. He was jumping and screaming in pain, but Carlo was to busy yelling at the incompetent servants to pay him any mind. That is how the rest of the morning went. One accident after another followed by much screaming and tantrum throwing by either Manter or Carlo. Myka had to stop herself a number of times from laughing aloud. Noise was bad she had to remind herself. Noise gets you noticed. When the hall was finally ready, the table set, the food in place, and all the decorations up, Myka thought of her sister and how all three of them would enjoy the crumbs of the feast when it was all said and done.

Myka was sad that her sister were not with her. Later, when the streets had emptied to kill the Prince, Myka's sisters would join her, but now they slept. Myka had gone on ahead because she wanted to view the party. Now she had it and she felt alone, but it had been worth it if only for the entertainment factor of Manter and Carlo's fights alone.

The sun rose high in the sky. It warmed her back. Sweat beads gathered on her forehead, but she did not move. Movement would get her noticed. She could deal with a little sweat. It might even clean some of the dirt of my face she thought. Yes, wouldn't it be nice if the sweat washed some of the dirt away so the prince could see my nice face for what it is under all my lovely dirt. Some part of her screamed no. We like the dirt it reminded her. It keeps us safe. It keeps us unseen. Dirt is our friend. She nodded to herself. It was the tiniest of movements. No one would notice it.