This chapter is dedicated to AphroditeKid because she is such an amazing fan! I know I've already said this but Thank you so so so so so so so so so much Aphro! if it weren't for you I probably would have deleted this story and given up on wattpad! Thanks more than you can ever know! - TheOwlAndTheWorm
What the? I think to myself looking round at my surroundings. This isn’t where I normally fall asleep. Looking around I realize I’m on the floor of Garrett’s room, I guess I fell out of bed. Standing up and dusting my dress off, I glance over at Garrett who is sprawled all over his bed. I’m pretty sure he went to bed sleeping right side up, but now he’s upside down with an arm hanging over the bed, and a leg spilling out of the covers. I grab a pillow and throw it at his head.
“You kicked me off the bed.” I say while he groggily comes to.
“What? Oh yea I told you you’d regret it, if I didn’t sleep with my arm around you.” He says winking and running a hand through his hair, which is sticking up in all different directions.
Rolling my eyes I walk over to the window and look out to see it's about eight in the morning.
“Come on breakfast is probably about to start.” I warn, tying my hair into a bun on top of my head.
“Catch you later, I’m still tired.” He says yawning and laying back down on the bed, instantly falling asleep.
. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walking into the castle it seems much busier than normal. As if someone extremely important were showing up today. It's a little nerve racking watching everyone. Walking to the nearest guard I ask what is going on.
“The King. The king of all the lands is arriving today.” He answers looking a little annoyed.
“Huh…” I reply to stunned to utter more than a syllable. My body seems paralyzed; I just stand staring at the guard wondering how I had miss counted the weeks. Father. Father was coming today! Grabbing my skirts I sprint to the girls quarters and franticly try to disguise myself. I'm nearing hysteric by now.
Then I spot scissors.
My hair is fairly long and one of my most recognizable traits. It's straight, thick, and goes to my elbows. Any one that sees it immediately wishes it were theirs; in its red state it can pick up the tiniest glint of light and make my hair look unfathomable. It's probably the only thing my father is still proud of that has anything to do with me.
I cut it anyway.
Watching the pieces fall to the floor I'm surprised to find I don’t feel anything. I’ve seen girls cry over a haircut plenty of times, but to me it feels almost good. Looking in the mirror I move my head about, swishing my hair that now goes to the bottom of my neck. Running charcoal through it I completely cover the red with a deep brown. Staring harder at the mirror I realized I can’t even recognize the girl staring back at me.
There’s no way father ever will.
Hearing footsteps behind me I turn around to see Mildred, Lisa’s minion looking disgustedly in my direction.
“And who are you?”
Huh? Am I really that unrecognizable?
“Uhhh my name is Lucinda, but you may call me Lucy if you like.” I reply in the sweetest voice possible.
“Well Lucy, she says spitting my name, I don’t appreciate filthy peasants coveting my objects. I suggest you head back to where ever you came from, before I call a guard to throw you out.”
“Oh. Sorry miss, I’ll leave right away.” I reply dodging the glare she's sending me and heading to the only place I know that they keep peasant girls.
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Bursting through the kitchen doors I find that this place is probably the busiest of all the areas in the castle. Girls everywhere are multitasking, cooking and washing dishes at the same time, some ordering people around while talking to some wealthy person who didn’t get breakfast. Seeming instantly lost and overwhelmed I twirl around and dodge people till I find a closet with the uniforms the cooks wear. Pulling on the long brown skirt and beige bodice, I feel like I blend in better. Spotting and apron hanging on the wall I pull that on too, and somehow coax the short hair into a ponytail. Stumbling into kitchen I look around to try and blend in.
“Hey! Do you think your special or something! Get down here and start scrubbing these pots!” A girl with fierce blond hair growls.
“Oh me?” I squeak my voice rising ten octaves higher from nervousness.
“Who does it look like I'm talking to!” She says chucking a pot in my direction and yanking on my hair to get me to start scrubbing.
“Clean!” she orders
And I do. I clean like I’ve never cleaned before. In five minutes I've rubbed at least eight pots spotless.
“There you go kiddo, now, tell me why have I never seen you before?” she asks
“I just arrived, I normally work with the seamstress, but someone said the kitchen needed more help.” I quickly answer.
“Mmmm, you don’t say so.”
“Yup.” I squeak again. For some strange reason I feel younger than I really am around all these intimidating people.
We clean and cook till my fingers feel like they're going to fall off. Garret comes in around three and it dosen’t look like he recognizes me at all. Mardy is furious that he showed up so late, but he says the people at the stables needed help with something and that's why he showed up late. She has no choice but to forgive him and send dirty looks his way. At around seven I'm exhausted. And would have passed out right there on the spot if it wasn’t for the obnoxious loud noise of the trumpets signaling the king has arrived. I stand up straight and do everything more clumsily from fear of recognition. But as long as I stay in here I'm safe, right?
We all hear my father march in with his entourage and he doesn’t sound happy. At least two vases have broken by now, and I’m pretty sure no one dropped them. Mardy looks frightened beyond belief and keeps looking back at her food as if wondering whether or not the King will like it. One of the servants comes in and tells us dinner is starting.
“You all look like you want to dive into a pot of boiling water right about now.” Garrett tries to joke but no one laughs. No one can laugh because some of us were considering it as a serious option right about now.
“Were all going to die.”I whimper. And with that all the servants head out to serve the King. Minutes later at least half of them come back with full plates, or the food all over them.
“What’s going on!” Mardy yells cringing at the mistreated food she's created.
“The King apparently doesn’t like Pork!”
“Some lady is on a ridiculous no animal product diet!”
“Some idiot “accidently” spilled his soup on me!”
All the servants are shouting and complaing about how obnoxious the king and his entourages are behaving. Some quit on the spot and we we're slowly running out of waiters and waitresses.
“I swear if another one of you rich dung filled scoundrels throws another roll at me I’m shoving it down your throat!” Garrett yells at the diners walking back into the kitchen. That silences the crowd outside and Mardy looks like she's seriously considering plunging the cooking knife into her heart. Sighing heavily she begins giving some of the cooks plates to go and serve. I try my hardest to run straight out of that room when she hands me a dish, but she won’t have it. Screaming and kicking like mad I refuse to go out there. Everyone is giving me weird disbelieving looks, but I ignore them.
I am not going out there.
“What’s your problem just GO!” Everyone is telling me, but I need help to convince them they can’t send me. Searching for Garrett’s eyes I plead with them to somehow recognize me. He seems utterly confused as to why I would single him out. And almost ignores the gesture, but then somehow recognition crosses his face.
“WAIT! DO-” he screams reaching for my arm but by then I'm already thrust out the door.
Ducking my head down I make no eye contact whatsoever with anyone in there. Get in then out that's the mission. I serve my rounds then sprint back in the kitchen. Serve then run that is the plan. And it runs smoothly for a while, that is until the dessert course.
“Your majesty how is your dear Matilda fairing?” a snooty looking noble says to my father.
His Majesty actually seems to think about this and there's an akward silence at the table. His vision looks blurred like he's stuck in some memory. I look up curious as to what came over my father. Bad idea. My sudden movement catches his attention and we make eye contact. A smirk slowly forms across his lips, and I immediately start to panic.
“Oh you didn’t hear? My dear Matilda ran away several weeks ago.” He states picking at the dessert now on his table. The noble nodds as if running away were a regular occurrence.
“Is this a strawberry tart cake? He says to himself picking at the crust. It’s a shame she isn’t here, these always were her favorite pastries.” He says looking up at me. Shoving the plate I'm holding down infront of a Dukes wife I nervously gather my skirt and swiftly head to the kitchen.
HOW!? HOW CAN HE RECOGNIZE ME! HOOOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!?!?!?
With the door handle in sight I all but I about throw myself at it. I’ve almost made it! I think to myself till I feel a hand grab my wrist.
“Try some darling.” He growls sweetly at me.
“N-no thanks your majesty.” I nervously answer.
“I insist go ahead, you remind me of her in a way.” He teases.
“Oh your majesty, I’m flattered but I’m allergic to strawberries.” I say yanking my wrist away furious at him. By now the whole dining hall has gone silent, and I spot Garrett’s eyes boring wholes into my father.
“No, no, no, you look famished my dear please, take my seat.” He saysgetting up and gesturing to the chair only made for the king.
“Uhhhhhhhhh…..” is all I can manage without my voice breaking.
“Sit.” He commands shoving me into the seat. All the dinners gasp at the amount of disgrace I just showed him. No one. I repeat, No one. Sits in this chair.
“Eat.” He commands again and I can’t hold it back I start crying. The looks I'm receiving are horrendous, the guards look like they're preparing to lock me in jail for just sitting, and just thinking about the punishment I'm soon to receive scares the living daylight out of me.
Spoon feeding the tart into my mouth he roughly brushes my tears away, and pulls my hair out of my face.
“It’s okay my dear Matilda, daddy’s got you.” He says softly with malice enjoying watching me cry.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I blubber hoping he won’t do anything to me.
“Sorry’s not going to save you this time. Do you know how much pain- I mean pails of money you have cost me! ” He says shoving more tart in my mouth making me involuntarily gag. Grabbing the pitcher of water he dumps it on my hair washing all the charcoal out.
“You complain all the time about what daddy has done for you. You disgrace me everyday with the way you behave. You scowl, growl, kick, scream, sulk and Run away, which in turn by the way gets your nanny killed.” He stops letting me take that in.
What!? Coughing I began to yell I’m sorry! Louder.
“Drink.” He says handing me a cup.
“Did you really think disguising your self would make me not recognize you?” he asks.
Shaking my head while drinking the water I wait for him to continue.
Sighing he continues. “My dear Matilda what ever shall I do with you. You’re the vain of my existence! I’ve tried and don’t say I haven’t, I’ve tried to keep you around, but you ruin every chance you get. Why can’t you just behave like the princess your mother raised you to be? Sit in your darned room and wait for some egoistic prince to want to marry you! You’re a disgrace to not only me, but I’m positive your mother looks down from heaven and frowns upon you each day.” He says more to himself than me. But that does it for me.
Spitting the water from my mouth directly into his face, I chuck the empty glass at him blindly, but it misses and shatters against the wall. Picking up random utensils laying on the table, I chuck those as hard as I can not caring whether they hit the target.
"How-"I begin getting cut off between sobs" How dare you say such a thing! You are the one she looks down upon and frowns on not me!"
Everyone screams and guards immediately pick me up, getting ready to punish me. It doesn’t take long for father to recover, but when he does he slaps me so hard I fall right out of the guards grip.
“You ungrateful chit!” He begins slapping me again so that this time my face connects with the hard marble ground.
"You don't know a thing about your mother! Who are you to tell me she looks down upon myself! If it weren't for you, she would be here! She would be here grateful and smiling! She wouldn't runaway! Not once have I heard the words "I love you daddy", or even a thank you for that matter come out of your sorry mouth! You selfish hideous twit!" he yells spitting down into my face..
"Oh how I wish it were you that died that day! You ungrateful selfish pig." he lets out before taking aim to kicking me in the head.
“Matthew No!” Uncle Thomas says getting up trying to hold back my father.
“Get off me Tom! Or I’ll beat you both to kingdom come!”
“Leave her alone! I don’t blame her for wanting to runaway!” My uncleTom’s wife, Helen shrieks.
For one reason or another father seems to completely stop struggling. He turns around slowly to glares at Tom and Helen.
“Wait, I have just realized something. My own brother and his wife both knew my daughter was here in their own home and didn’t even attempt to tell me?” he asks daring them to disagree.
“What! How dare you accuse us of such a thing! Well I never-! I never even new she was hiding here, I swear Tom and I would have told you immediately, you know that Matthew. Right Tom?” Aunt Helen finishes. My uncle ducks his head and runs a nervous hand through his hair, “Well…..” He starts.
“You knew!” she shrieks.
“Helen, Matthew, she begged me not too! You should have seen her face, you wouldn’t have had it in your heart to send her home.”
The dining room chatter picks up and I glanced up to see looks of pity. Turing my head to the side I defiantly ignore the stares.
“You really hate home that much?” Father asks turning to me. I nod my head not daring to look at him because I think I actually hear pain in his voice.
“Alright then.” He growls walking out of the dining room with guards following him. Once he's gone I let out a shuddering sigh. My heart has been hammering like crazy through out the whole scene. Looking around the table I see that what I had detected in his voice was no mistake. Everyone looks like they have mixed feelings when trying to pick whose side to side on. Some even are mumbling things like, well she did try to hit him first. Soon the looks in the room are a mix of pity, blame, anger, or fear. They become ubearable, and I dismiss my self the best I can and sprint out into the cold night air.