The Key to Ruling a Broken Kingdom (Girl x Girl)

27: Megan

Megan stayed for dinner at the castle, and is now leaving for her house.

Song:

I didn't want to leave. Not tonight. I wanted to spend it with Persephonie, but I was needed at home. So, Persephonie did what she used to do-- loaded me with a week's worth of food, and new clothes (the clothes were small for me, but better than my old ones).

I pulled my new woolen cloak around myself and the red dress Persephonie had let me have (despite Queen Sophia's protests. She was most displeased when she saw that I had not left), and clutched the basket of food. Persephonie walked me as far as she could before she had to say good-bye. But before I left, she asked, "How is it, living in the town?"

I paused while I came up with an answer. "It's... harder than living as Royalty."

"But Father always has so much to do. He barely has any time for us. Sometimes I don't see him for days at a time."

"The castle is quite big" I commented. An awkward silence passed, and so, I turned my heels, getting ready march away. But the princess called for me to wait again, and after I turned to face her again, she looked at me, and hesitated. "Um... what you said last time we saw each other..." Persephonie trailed off, as though waiting for me to continue the sentence.

"We said a lot of things to each other" I said with a straight face. I knew what she was talking about, but I didn't want to talk about it, and if Persephonie hadn't changed, then I knew she won't rest until she had an answer.

The princess took a deep breath and let it out. "You said that you loved me... the way you were supposed to-- y-- y-- you just weren't thinking straight, right?" Her voice dwindled, yet rose in hope at the same time.

I frowned at her and thought for a moment. Was I thinking straight, or was I not? I just marveled at the short girl's beautiful features. Even though I had been bathed and had my teeth cleaned (with various herbs, powders and pastes), and am wearing a marvelous dress, I still felt plain and ugly compared to the royal bundle of gorgeousness standing in front of me.

"Megan?" Persephonie said, worried now. "Megan? Why aren't you answering me?"

"I... I have to go" I said lamely and turned around. I could feel Persephonie's stare on my back as I walked to the town. The smell of urine caught me by surprise this time and I gagged, just a tad bit, before pushing through.

Was I thinking straight or not? I know I had pushed it to the back of my mind earlier that night, but I had to face the question now. I needed to know if I had meant what I said that night to Persephonie. Did I love her in that sense? Or did I just not know the different types of love?

"Megan!" Emily called. She was standing at the house's door, and when she saw me, she ran to me and enveloped me in a warm (and smelly) hug. "Oh, Megan! I was so worried!"

"I was at the castle" I said, pulling away and showing my sister the basket I had in my hand. "Persephonie said you knew that."

"We did get a message from the castle. But the messenger said to expect you earlier today" Emily replied, and took the basket from me, a smile forming on her face. "I'm so happy you're back! And with royal food, and royal clothes!"

I smiled and nodded at Emily; then went into the house. Everyone was huddled together to conserve heat, and when they saw me in neat and nice clothes, smiles lit up their faces, and warmed my heart.

I took my bonnet off and undid my knot. Young William waddled to me and I picked him up, and buried him in my warm cloak. I saw Pa smiling proudly at me, and I returned it. It was then that I noticed David was missing.

"Where's David?" I voiced and Pa's smile immediately vanished. "Pa, what happened to David?" I asked slowly, scared for the answer.

"Some people found out that he was Jewish" Polly's husband, John was saying. I looked to him, and nodded at him to continue. John took a deep breath. "They beat him, and he couldn't take it anymore."

I was horror struck. "He has a child!" I exclaimed, gesturing to William. I frantically looked to Emily, but she seemed unfazed by this. "Emily?" I needed confirmation that John was telling the truth. David and I had become closer after my brother died, and in a way, David had become my brother.

"I just don't understand" Emily whispered.

Knowing Emily, I expected her to be in tears by now. Something had changed in the hours I had not been here. David's death had changed something in her, and I wanted to know what. I realized that little William had fallen asleep, and handed him to Samantha, an older widow who had lived with us for around nine years now, and placed an arm around my sister (she was a tad bit shorter than me). "Emily-" I started but she interrupted.

"I will not cry" she stated firmly, in a low, quivering voice. "I will not cry because if I cry over David, then that means those zounderkites have won. It would mean that they have gotten to me."

I didn't what to say. I didn't know what I could say. Emily didn't exactly need comforting. But Pa helped by saying, "It's time we get some sleep." Emily left my side, and said, "Sleep with William? Keep him warm with that cloak."

"There are more in the basket. Persephonie gave me as many as she could" I said, pointing to the basket on the small wooden table. Everyone dove at the basket as fast as they could. "Everyone" had dwindled over the past two years. Two families had left. One of the families had left because their daughter married some noble lord, and they were probably living in a manor somewhere, and the other family was Samantha's. Samantha's husband had cheated on her, and after she yelled at him for being unfaithful, he gave her a beating, and left the house with his two younger sons to live with his older son's family. So, right now, our "Everyone" consisted of Samantha, Polly, John, Polly's Pa Peter, John's younger sister Elizabeth, little William, Pa, Emily, and me.

Elizabeth, who was nearing eighteen years (and was not yet married), was making her way to me. I smiled at her, and but she did not. "Put the food in the cooler. It'll stay fresh longer, and the rats will stay away." She then left for the straw mattress (she did not have a cloak). But I saw Samantha putting it away. Samantha and Elizabeth rarely saw eye to eye, so I was surprised.

It turned out that Persephonie had given me two cloaks besides the one I had. William had a cloak, as did Peter. I offered mine to Samantha, but she refused, saying Polly needed it more.

John and Pa were talking quietly in a corner. Probably about what they would do now that I had was back to bringing home food and clothes. Now they could focus on paying the debt to the landlord again.

"I suppose that cloak is for me?" Polly said from behind me. I grudgingly took it off, bracing myself for the cold, but it still surprised me and sent goosebumps up and down my arms. I handed it to her, and Polly accepted it, gratefully.

I turned to retire next to William, in hopes of maybe sharing the cloak as a blanket with him, but Polly stopped me. "How did you make Princess Persephonie talk to you again?"

"I nearly froze myself to death" I replied, and hurried to take the spot next to William before Emily could. I heard Polly sigh and softly chuckle before going to bed herself.

I hugged William close to my body, and snuggled under the cloak I was using as a blanket. I made a mental note to ask Persephonie for a quilt tomorrow before sleep sealed my eyes shut for the night.

A/N: I decided to use some medieval swear words, because why not. A zounderkite, if you're curious, is a clumsy and awkward idiot. Vote and comment!!