The streets were crowded with the bustle of servants and street vendors. The noise was deafening, with people bargaining, yelling, demanding. It was exhausting. Bethany followed closely to the accompanying servant. Her sister, Melissa. The list was in her hands, she looked at the list over and over. She held the task very seriously.
She was twenty years of age, older and wiser than Bethany.
Bethany stayed close as they rounded another corner and found the vendor of fish. The fish hung on hooks above the vendors table, blood dripping down below where he chopped yet another fish. And hung it to bleed out. Bethany all but let out a scream when the butcher's knife came down on the fish. Her mother said it was a natural part of life. Yet she could not help, but squirm at the sight.
"May I have a basket full of fish, about this much," she asked the vendor who stood at that stall. He looked at her and barely acknowledged her request. Unimpressed by anything. It grated Bethany's nerves how he treated her sister. Melissa was unaffected by it though, for she held her hand near the rim of the basket, showing just how much. To make sure there was no mistake. "I would like the bass, the trout.." she listed, commanding the vendor on how the fish was to be cut. Bethany tuned out. She was on the verge of dreaming up a story of living down in the village below the castle, living in one of the shacks above the stores, when a trumpet sounded chasing away the last of her dreams.
It rang through her.
A ball formed. The King was coming. Somehow that put her on edge, as if she wasn't supposed to be there and she would be caught.
They sent you here, remember? She reminded herself. Chiding herself for the childish reaction. They all stopped what they were doing and turned to face the King at arrival, everyone saluted. Cheers rang out. She heard the gallop before she dared to look. The horses followed the following precession. The King took the lead, the rest that followed behind him in a straight line. The king sat proud atop his horse. Front and center.
Then as if he read her timid feelings through the throng of people crowding her, he looked her dead in the eye. The cold blue eyes held her frozen in place. Bethany wasn't sure if he saw everything there. The truth, the lies. The moment seemed to last a lifetime. Fear rippled through her. Could he know? Did his son finally come to his senses and decided it was best they were punished? For who had known, she could have stolen from the king, then what?
It was a risk neither the castle nor the king would take.
Then by some miracle he passed quickly enough, and before she knew it he was out of sight. The crowd thinned out, as they went back to their order of business. But alas, Bethany stood still.
For fear of his return.
"Bethany, we don't have time to waste, the sun will be down soon and we have to get the supper started. Ah you foolish child!" She chided. Grabbing the basket from the vendor, who miraculously filled it in no time at all. She exchanged the coins, and dumped the basket into her hands.
For one moment, it took her breath away. The weight of the basket was almost akin to her own. Lugging forward, she wished she had different shoes for the occasion. The leather sandals bite into her flesh just above her heel.
"Can you wait?" She moaned in complaint.
"No I cannot. We have quite the walk up ahead. And all this food to carry." She motioned to the arm full of baskets and bags strapped over her shoulder. Why couldn't they send another servant to help? She didn't dare voice her question for fear of being chided again.
She always demanded too much, said her sister. A fact her mother said might have come from her. In the past her mother loved a quiet comfortable life. Until her choices put her out on the streets, for shaming the family.
"If mother had found out what you were doing you would be in more trouble, you know. I know you talked with the prince." She gasped inwardly. Where did that come from? "I saw the King looking at you. You know you could be seriously punished for what you did, right?"
"I know." Her voice felt small. Unheard. She only wanted-
"That's not to be repeated ever again. Do you understand?" Bethany thought back to a few hours ago when the prince came unannounced to the stable where the horses were. She didn't plan on that happening. Besides it wasn't her fault, he ran out there himself, unaccompanied by a servant. She reasoned.
So by all accounts, it was never repeated. She was only doing her duty. Raising her chin, she didn't let the condescending voice of her sister dampen her mood much further.
"Yes." She strut forward, passing her sister. Her proud stamina didn't last for very long for then she was lagging behind. Almost dragging her feet another inch.
"We have herbs to collect." She reminded her. She had thought they were finished. Her back ached from the weight of the fish basket. By the time they were done, the sun had gone down before they even headed back just like her sister predicted. Bethany wished she had taken her sister's advice and hurried.
Now they were in the dark, with nothing but a torch to cast off the darkness that engulfed them from all sides. The town was behind them. And before them quite a few kilometers lay ahead of rocky terrain. Baskets and bags of items were strapped to the shoulders. The fish were getting smelly. She couldn't take it anymore.
She was accustomed to it but still it was more difficult when it was right under your nose. Unwashed.
The winding road ahead held the greatest challenge of this trip. She was no longer looking forward to the trips for groceries. She was gravely mistaken, it was her first time, and frankly she hoped the last. It had been better scrapping the chamber floors of grime than this. The hike up the hill was devastating. The castle was a shimmer in the distance with the castle walls being illuminated with torches and windows being brightened by the soft warm glow of candles.
The minutes ticked by slowly as they neared. While her sister relayed her day. Vastly different to hers. For she was one of the queen's servants that tended to her.
"And as I drew up the bath I heard one of the servants' rumor about a girl coming to stay." She was saying without effort, climbing the hill, she continued telling of the latest gossip in the castle. "She will be the future wife of the young prince Ronald. Fascinating isn't it?" Melissa gleamed at the news.
She found it rather boring. In fact, infuriating. How could they already choose a wife for him? He was but ten?
It bothered her to no end. "Yes, it is." She lied. She wanted to hear more on how the princess was like. "What does she look like? Does anyone know?" What she was more curious about.
"Blonde, with the bluest eyes. She is a princess. Grace and elegance from such a young age. It's quite amazing. I cannot wait to see her. She will be our future queen." She said as though it was good news. She didn't want some snotty princess as queen. Those stirred up trouble for the rest of us.
"Can't wait either." She said with half the enthusiasm.
"You know you should be more supportive, after all your future depends on it. For how you treat your future queen will greatly impact you." She warned.
"Don't you think he's a bit too young to marry?" She jokingly challenged her sister.
Melissa snorted. "Young? At birth they are chosen for whom they will marry. That's just how it is." She shrugged. "When they marry is of course later on in life. But that does not change the fact of the matter."
Whether or not he wanted. She finished the sentence in her mind. She felt pity for the prince. What was marriage without love? She saw how the queen was with the King. Miserable. She only held her head up high because it was expected of her. Otherwise she saw no light in her eyes.
Even their own mother had more light and joy in her eyes, though she slaved away in the kitchen day and night. Constantly fussing over the preparation of the food. To make sure everything was perfect. Still she was happier.
Because she had love once. And to have loved once in a lifetime, will have been much better than riches or to be in high places. Or so her mother told them.
Reminding her daughters to stay positive no matter where they were in their lives.
Finally they were at the gates of the servant quarters. Sighing, she dropped everything at the foot of the kitchen door.
"Bethany! Come here now!" What did she do now?