Ragged Royals: Gwenwyn

Chapter 13 _ Holding One's Breath

As far as he knew, Bingham never won a single category on the Day of the Mind, usually members of Three swept the competition, but the First had signed up to run in the maze race that year. This meant that Jenkins would be guarding her Highness that day. And since Bingham was also participating in the high jumps on the Day of the Mount, Jenkins would need to her the following day as well.

He needed to mentally prepare for that, which was why he wanted to ignore Alperton.

He wanted to, but he didn't.

Jenkins looked over at the Nine and tried to be patient as he waited for the man to speak.

"I believe I owe you an apology." Alperton started, managing to catch Jenkins by surprise. "When I came to you the other night, I was angry with you. I see now that my anger was misplaced. Had I heeded your advice and personally spoken with the Princess, then perhaps I could take the whole of Mryah's discomfort upon myself."

Jenkins tried not to gawk at the man's declaration, The whole which had only managed to confuse him.

"I asked you to beseech her Highness for a favor on my behalf. You did just that. However, instead of a release from her duties for a day or two, my Mryah was dismissed from her position until the day of the Champions' Ball. I was angry, as I stated before. I was mainly angry with you for I had convinced myself that you were somehow to blame for Mryah's dismissal, but this hasty assumption was incorrect. I've been watching Mryah's mistress all day and I see now that the Rramnon Princess is merely an uncaring and vindictive person. We can't begin to understand her reasoning. Perhaps she sought to punish Mryah for the request made on her behalf, or perhaps she has become tired of Mryah's services. It is possible that Mryah will be removed from her duties completely once they return to Rramnon. I can't pretend to understand the mind of a royal, let alone one from Rramnon."

Alperton continued to babble on about the harshness of the Princess's actions towards Mryah, and how the lady-in-waiting had suffered from her mistress's treatment. Jenkins allowed his mind to wonder as the man from the Ninth Regiment ranted.

He wondered what Alperton would think if he were told him the actual reason for Mryah's release.

He wondered if the lady-in-waiting knew how highly her mistress thought of her.

And then, he began to wonder about the mistress herself.

Did she hate him as much as he hated himself?

Would he fault her if she did?

"What's the matter Nine?" The sound of Creatin's voice, cut through both Alperton's rant and Jenkin's thoughts. "Did you rip your pants again?" Alperton went white and Jenkins fought the defensive groan that the appearance of the Three had sparked in him.

Jenkins sent Creatin an annoyed glance, and noticed that two other members of Three had accompanied him. "What are you still doing here Creatin? He asked with mild annoyance, wanting nothing more than to be alone. "I thought you were competing tomorrow? Don't you need to prepare?"

He eyed Jenkins with mild amusement, but then allowed a satisfied grin to appear on his face. "Why if it isn't the commoner." He greeted, looking between his collogues. "I didn't notice you there, but I guess that blending into the background is just in you nature."

"You didn't notice me?" Jenkins shot back matching his tone, "How strange. I'm sure your Captain would love to hear that one of his Three's was incapable of noticing a First."

Creatin's sneer was his reward.

"Run along Creatin." Jenkins continued. "It'd be a shame if you weren't your best tomorrow. Wouldn't want a Brain like yours, going to waste."