The bright light of the sun blinded me as I woke up. I squinted, trying to cuddle into my bed more than I already was. An image from the nightmare I was having convinced me to move. I sat up and closed my eyes again, trying to escape the morning light.
Wait a minute. Light.
Like lightning, I shot out of my bed and ran over to the huge window that showed me the outside world. Golden rays of light shone as the sun rose over the trees tops, the light escaping through the the leaves on the trees that circle the castle grounds. One of the small pools of water near the garden maze rippled like a fish jumped out and sparkled light a precious gem. Very gently, I allowed my fingertips to touch the cool glass. I had seen this part of the grounds before, but not in the morning time. I slowly exhaled out, not realizing I had been holding my breath.
A knock on my door startled me. Raul's voice came from behind it.
"Miss? I brought you food."
I looked down at myself as I heard the creaking of the door handle.
"Wait a minute!" I yelled as I ran to my bed. The thin nightgown that covered me was something I didn't really what to be seen in. I frantically threw the covers over me as my door opened.
"I'm sorry, Miss. The master ordered me to come in when you were up."
He froze as he saw me in my bed. I sat down and shoved the covers up to my chin. His wrinkled face turned a light shade of pink as he gently put my breakfast tray on the few sheets I hadn't disturbed.
"I'll call Lia for you, Miss. She'll dress you."
"Wait," I started to protest, but he had already left my room.
I just need to know where my clothes are, not someone to dress me!
My door opened again, and a skinny girl with short blonde hair tiptoed in with a green something draped over her shoulder. She looked around twelve or thirteen.
"Here you are, Miss." She spread out the green object, and I realized that what she held was a dress. The whole thing was the same color as the grass outside until the skirt, where a dark forest green formed a triangle in the front. The sleeves were longer than short sleeves, but shorter than a three-quarter length.
"I can't wear that."
The words leaped off my tongue before I could stop them.
Lia looked disappointed. Pity washed over me, but before I could say anything, she spoke.
"Master wants you to wear this, Miss."
Rage threatened to boil over me.
He wants me to wear something of his choosing like I'm a plaything?
Lia's blue eyes filled with tears. I must have looked like I was about to hurt her. I calmed myself, then asked her softly,
"Could you please get me some pants and a shirt?"
"I'm sorry, Miss. He won't let me. He'll-" The young girls voice cracked and tears poured out from her eyes. I slipped out of my bed and put my arms around the girl, trying to calm her.
"Does he hurt you?" I asked, terrified of the answer.
Lia reeled back in horror, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Miss. I shouldn't have said anything. I'll go get you your clothes now, Miss."
"Wait!" I shouted. She stopped at my door and turned toward me. This girl reminded me of my friend's little sister from the village. Before she had to work with me at the tavern, she and her sister could be seen around the town with their father. Her sister would always jump around and laugh, trying to bump her father and her sister over. I don't know what had happened to her after her family died. I had never even found the courage to ask that question.
"Does he hurt you, Lia?" I asked softly, willing her to answer.
"No, Miss. He just doesn't like to be told no."
That's good. I was about to see how brave I could get
"He just yells at me most, Miss," she continued, "The master isn't really the most..." she hunted for the right word, "forgiving of people, if you don't mind me saying, Miss."
I smiled. "No, I don't mind you saying."
She turned to leave.
"Lia?" I asked.
"Yes, Miss?"
"I'll wear the dress today. You don't have to find me anything else."
I saw the relief in her eyes, but she still asked, "Are you sure, Miss?"
"I'm sure."
She started to come over to me, then I realized what she'd do."I can dress myself," I said, heat flaring across my cheeks. She nodded, then turned to leave.
"Lia?" I spoke once more.
"Yes, Miss?"
"Call me Zara. You don't have to be formal around me."
She smiled. "Yes, Miss."
I quietly laughed as she left the room.
Who knew I would find a friend here?
*****
"You are to work in the kitchen today, Miss," Raul's deep voice boomed at me as he led me to the kitchens. "Suzanne will show you what to do." He finally stopped in front of the door. Raul turned the knob and slowly pulled it open.
"She'll be with you momentarily, Miss."
I nodded and stepped over the threshold. The room would be dark except for the window that allowed light in. Against the farthest wall, a metal box sat with sparks flying around it. A table was in the center of the room, along with enough knives to supply a small army with weapons. Wicker baskets holding fruit lined the wall to my right, while another metal bar was pinned against the other wall with meat hanging from some small clips.
The temperature at each different side of the room was amazing. Near the metal box, the room felt hot like the hottest summer day, near the fruit wall was almost spring-time-ish, and the wall with the meat was so cold that frost formed on the wall. I stood awkwardly next to the table in the neutral temperature zone, waiting. A thud echoed against the door and a hurried lady holding a basket bustled in.
" 'Ere I am, Missy! Sorry, it took me so long t' get 'ere. Go' caught up in me own time, I suppose!"
The lady's accent was choppy and hard to understand at first. It took me a minute to translate. She looked at me with impatience, her chubby arms crossed over her wide chest.
"Get th' carrots for me, won' ya, sweetie?" The lady pointed to the second basket on my right, the one where the supposed carrots were. I went over a dug in, trying to find something that even resembled a carrot. Apples and peaches rolled in my way every time I moved one away. A sweaty arm touched my shoulder and I looked up to the woman standing over me.
"Yer lookin' in th' wrong basket, girl!" She let out a huge sigh and moved to the basket next to me, her chubby fingers grabbing the carrots she was looking for. I stood.
"Yeh know how to cook?" The only cooking I did was in the tavern, and that hardly counted as cooking. Instead of going into detail, I just shook my head.
"Clean?"
"No."
"Cut?"
Finally, something I knew I could do.
"Yes," I said, nodding my head vigorously. Handling a knife is something I can do well.
She passed me the carrots that she dug out of the basket and immediately started on cleaning some of the meat. I slowly began cutting a carrot with the first knife I could grab. Silence followed. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I spoke.
"Are you Suzanne?" I asked hesitantly.
"Th' one an' only," she replied, her gray eyes meeting mine. "Yer Lizave-"
"It's Zara," I interrupted.
"Yer Zara then, ain't ya?"
"Yes, ma'am."
A funny look crossed the woman's face as she shook her head, her black hair making a wave around her head. "I ain't old enough to be a ma'am yet, sweetie. Jus' call me Suzanne."
We exchanged smiles and dove back into the silence. A question started to form in my head.
"Where are all of the other servants, Suzanne?
The few pots she was holding dropped out of her arms in a loud clatter. I sucked in a breath, then helped her pick them up.
"Hold on a minute, sweetie. I need to check on th' soup for tonight." It seemed like the first thing she could think to say. I stepped back obediently, and watched her move the bowl she had placed on top of the metal box onto the table. She pulled out two spoons and handed one to me. She quickly plunged her spoon into the soup bowl, stirring it, then took some and tasted it. I did the same. Warm liquid ran down my throat as I tasted all of the different spices in the soup, but something wasn't right. Not with the flavor of the food, that tasted fine, but with the number of spices. I only saw three, but I tasted many more.
"How did you get so many flavors in here? I mean, I'm not complaining or anything, but there are three spices on the table and I taste much more than that."
Suzanne shrugged. "Things like tha' just happen 'round 'ere, I suppose. Yer question earlier about th' servants," I looked up, focused completely on Suzanne. "I can't explain it all to ye, but you can only see one of us at a time. We are all here," she added, seeing my look of disbelief. "but forbidden to come out all at once."
"Because of him?" I asked, not knowing what to call the beast around his servants.
"The Master? No, not completely because of him. He prefers to see us one at a time, but he doesn't control how many people are out at once."
"Oh. What does control you, then?"
"I don't know, Missy. Whatever has us stuck 'ere, I suppose."
"Whatever has you stuck here?" I was alarmed.
They're prisoners?
Suzanne put her spoon down in exasperation. "No, I don't know why we're stuck. I jus' know that we are. Now, stop asking questions, and help me again!"
I was surprised by her outburst. I went and took the spoon from her hand and stirred until I couldn't stir anymore.
___________
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Discussion Starter: Why did Suzanne get upset at Zara's questions?
...my discussion starters need help, lol.