Not So Cinderella

Chapter 5

17 days later (Three days before the Annual Ceremony)

I pulled my hat a little to the side to shield myself from the harsh rays of the sun. Elaine was walking with me, with a slight skip in her step, making me wonder if she was immune to the heat.

"Sister, please go and wait for me near King's boot shop. I am going to the other side of the marketplace, and it gets rather crowded there," she said with proper etiquette, aware of the too eager ears, with a pair of lips to gossip. For the last few days, she had been speaking with proper etiquette, though only when her sister, a maid or our parents are around.

I nodded and went the other, not waiting for her to leave. I looked around, trying to search for the specific store she told me about. I asked a lady if she knew where it was, and she pointed me to a isolated looking street. The street was empty and little to no people were around the entrance. I would have not gone, but Elaine had specifically asked me to, and it would be improper to leave her searching for me in this blazing heat.

I walked slowly, cautious and aware of every little sound made. Ever since I entered this street, the marketplace seems to have grown quieter and colder. I shook off the feeling of dread and the pang of paranoia and continued walking.

"...that is true, but-"

"No ifs, not buts. I want him dead, and that is what he should be before tonight."

My eyes widened, my heart racing, as I wondered if the lady had given me wrong directions. I should have gone back, but I wanted to know who was being talked about. 

I tiptoed to the ancient looking house and went into a little space left to the side. Luckily, their room seemed to be near the door I had pressed my ear against. It was rude to eavesdrop, but if I did, maybe I could save someone's life.

"As you order, your Nobleness. His mistresses will be yours by the night," a gruff voice said.

"Good. Did that girl say anything?" A silky, smooth velvety voice, shifted the conversation to an entirely new topic.

"The eleven-year-old?" A pause. "No, she didn't open her mouth. But I still have spies watching her, just in case."

"Remove the spies. Keep them on the one, who I visited last night."

"Who? Oh, she kept on calling it rape, I told her it was satisfying her needs she wasn't aware about. She was giving a lot of trouble. I decided it was better to throw her to the wolves than try to convince her otherwise." A laugh was shared.

"Margaret was good, though she had to be tied down. I really think Ronald had a better time with her, though."

I couldn't bear to listen further. My ears were already hurting, and I hadn't even begun to decipher half of what they said. I quickly rushed back to the main street, and waited for Elaine there. 

As we were walking back home, I couldn't help but feel I wasn't meant to overhear that. Both of us were uncharacteristically quiet. My going to the ceremony had become all the more tension giving. 

I already had to find a suitor for myself, and now I also had to find who is the minister who is doing such bad things to his fellow countrymen. 

As we reached the door, Elaine smiled at me, and said, "Since you didn't buy anything for yourself today, I will come with you tomorrow too."

I nodded absentmindedly. I decided I could not overthink this too much, otherwise it will have a bad affect on my health. I needed to do something to divert my attention. 

I looked up and Elaine was waiting for me near the stairs.

"Elaine, you will be packing today, won't you?" I asked, walking a little closer.

"Yes, I am going to pack right now only. Why?"

"I wanted to help you pack," when she raised an eyebrow at me, I continued, "Just because I want to know what kind of clothes will you be packing."

She nodded, and I followed her to her room. I stopped on the way to peek into my room to check if Red was asleep. 

When I entered Elaine's room, I was surprised to see a immaculate room. Not even a speck of dust could be seen. Her blue bed was covered with a light blue sheet and her night-dress lay on it. 

Two maids pulled out the trunk from under the bed and kept it on the long table beside the window. 

We kept almost all of her clothes, except two evening gowns, and one red gown. This all required three trunks, one of which was half-filled, and we decided that we could put Red's clothes in that trunk, instead of taking a carpet bag for it.

By dinner, I had effectively forgot, no, pushed the events of the day to the back of my mind. I was waiting eagerly for the Annual Celebration.

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855 words.