The next day Saorise found it less burdening getting out of bed and walking down the stairs. She was tired, but felt much better. She sat at the table with the boy and the Dudlows. They were given some crusty bread with thin porridge. She was not enthusiastic about the fare. She was used to eating a much more complete and pleasant tasting meal. Eggs, bacon sometimes fish was breakfast for her. She put the thin soppy porridge into her mouth and curled her nose. It was bland, there were no spices to improve the taste nor sugar to sweeten it. The bread was hard and it felt like her gums were going to bleed. She put her spoon down and left half the bread.
Sara tsked “Now dear, you’ll need all your energy, to continue to mend yourself. I plan to have you walking outside while the Gods allow us to have some clear skies.”
Saorise stared t the porridge. “Why don’t you eat better than this. Don’t you ever have meat?”
The boy looked as if he were to say something, but Sara hushed him up with a pat on his shoulder. “In the summer if our crops do well and we have excess to sell, but now we have been eating from our stores. We would have had eggs but they went to the palace. Much of what we grow is taken by the queens collectors. There have been some years that we couldn’t manage if this to produce what you are eating now. We’ve been lucky, I’ve heard of farmers starving to death so they could pay the tax others were placed under arrest because they didn’t have anything to pay with.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t know that.” Saorise picked up the bread finished it and began working on the porridge. She didn’t like it, but she also had no idea what happened to the people outside of the palace. She felt appalled that people were being arrested in her name because they didn’t have anything to pay the taxes and the tax was so heavy that some people died of starvation. Her education was amiss, Jermain had never told her any of these things. Recalling the punishment she gave the rancher she felt sick. Would his taxes really be lowered because of her mistake or would he end up thrown somewhere in the dungeon to rot. The people must hate her.
“It’s okay dear, you’ll learn more if you open your eyes to the world around you.”
The men left to work on the fields and she was left Sara. “I must be one of the worst rulers, you’ve ever had.”
Sara picked up the bowls from the table and put it into a basin and then wiped the crumbs off the table. “I will admit the kingdom fared better under your fathers rule.” Saorise pouted
“Now dear don’t look so glum. I can’t put any of this blame you. You have been steered by advisor's and decisions were left in other hands, whether you realize it or not.”
“Jermain is my adviser, he was good to me and helped me decide what was best. I think I tired him though.I didn’t want to sit and listen to the people coming into the throne room with questions and complaints. I let him do all the listening. I should have paid better attention, if I had maybe I would not have lost my kingdom to some fake.”
“I’m not sure that would have made a difference. Your family lost their lives, though your father’s rule was good. I’m thinking that who was responsible for their deaths is also involved with your kidnapping.”
“I never thought of that.”
“Well we can do lots of thinking, but right now we have work. I hope you don’t mind soiling your soft hands with some labor.”
“For you I’d do anything.”
The labor she was called on was simple, but she never had the opportunity or the desire to perform such in the palace. If she did she was sure both the High Priest and Jermain would have heart attacks. Sara had her scrubbing dishes and cleaning it on pots and pans with salt and oiling them after. She swept the floor, but Sara made sure that she had breaks in between. Somehow doing the work made her fell better like she was accomplishing something and it helped her distract her mind from the copy who assumed her throne. She helped prepare lunch which was more crusty bread and some apple cider. Apparently the cider was trade for Sara’s help in performing a birthing.
