Disclaimer: I own nothing in this fic, it all belongs to Sherwood Smith.
Author's Note: Hey guys, this is my first try at a first person fic and at a Sherwood Smith fic. Review! And be nice, but be constructive too, I know I'm going to mess up some of the facts.
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I woke to the sound of incessant giggling. Immediately, I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut tighter and pulling the pillow over my head. The giggling grew louder and then I heard whispering, though I tried so very hard not to listen.
"I think she's awake." That was Dera, the weaver's little girl. She'd attached herself to my side since she'd turned five and I'd saved her from some of the town bullies.
"Only one way to find out." And that was Leena, Dera's best friend. The two couldn't be more different and yet had been close for the whole course of their lives.
Don't jump on me, don't jump on me, don't jump on me. My silent pleas went unanswered as both girls proceeded to throw themselves on top of me. "Oomph." The breath was knocked out of me, as it had been every morning for six years.
"Bree, are you up?"
"Guys, it's not even sunrise yet," I complained, rolling over and sitting up, putting an arm around each of them.
"Mother always says…" I reached out and clamped a hand over Leena's mouth, finishing the sentence for her. "It's better to get an early start than to finish late."
Dera giggled, her green eyes sparkling at me. "Bree, th' Countess says there is to be formal breakfast this morning."
"Formal!" I groaned yet again. This was bad. It meant more work for me and the other servants. Usually my only job was to help the cooks prepare the food and then help out in the stables. Then, if anywhere else needed assistance, I'd be sent. However, for formal meals more servers were needed, which meant I'd be stuck in the castle for probably the whole morning. It would take me until past nightfall to catch up on all my work.
"Well, let's get moving. Go down to the market and get the bread for Marla." Marla was the head cook of the castle. The two girls obliged, calling goodbye as they hopped off the bed and ran out the door.
I flopped back down on the bed, expelling a long breath. If you haven't already guessed, my name is Bree. I'm a servant out here in the lovely place we call Tlanth. I'm actually supposed to be a direct maid of the Countess, but I've probably only spoken to her once a year. She sends me out to work for others, instead, like Marla and the Head Trainer down at the stables. I've gotten more free rein than any servant probably has in the history of Tlanth. In return for my work, I get free food, free board for myself and my horse, and a lot of free time, plus some pocket money. I have no last name, no past, no parents.
With an effort, I dragged myself out of bed. With my pocket money, I'd bought myself a pair of tan breeches in the market last week. I'd worn them every day since. Despite the fashion crime I was committing, they were simply easier to work in in the stables and ten times more comfortable than the silly skirts and gowns women were expected to wear. I'd never cared what anyone thought of me, what was a few stares from strangers on the streets?
I pulled the breeches on with a white shirt, tugging on a boot on my way out the door. Clomping down the stairs, I was soon outside, feasting my eyes upon the glorious sunrise peeking up over the hills. I couldn't help pausing to smile, closing my eyes and lifting up my chin to the glorious warmth. Someone came out the door behind me and I turned at the sound of a familiar voice.
"See you at sword practice, Bree?" The sea-green gaze of Dera's older brother, Kinn, met my own.
I smiled slightly. Kinn was perhaps the most persistent of my suitors and yet the easiest to turn down somehow. I shook my head in answer. "Formal breakfast. Tell Pavel I'll be there tomorrow. You get another day off from losing to me." I grinned teasingly at him and he grinned back.
"Drat it. Guess I'll have to survive somehow." His voice contained a hint of flirtation and I immediately stiffened, my gaze lowering slightly. We exchanged some more pleasantries before I excused myself, heading towards the castle. The prickling on the back of my neck told me he was watching me walk away, as he did every morning. I sighed. Somehow I was going to have to prove to him that I was serious about being only friends. I pushed it off for another day, like I always did. Men. Who needed them?
I lengthened my stride as I saw Nimaria, my best friend, waiting in front of the kitchen entrance. Aria is the only child of the Count and Countess and yet I have never felt closer to anyone in my entire life. She is exactly like her mother; the two of them are as close as the two of us are. Aria was horrified when she first saw me in my breeches, the two of us are even more different than Dera and Leena are. She likes clothes, face paint, parties. I like horses, open fields, being up in the hills under a cloudless night sky. She hates getting dirty, I don't think there's a way to get work done while staying clean. Possibly the only thing we agree on is that she should never, ever leave Tlanth and go to Court. The thought terrifies both of us, me because I would hate being separated from her and her because she hates meeting strangers. She has gone so far as to say she would bring me, but I have long given up dreaming of leaving behind my servile life. I am happy in Tlanth, why would I want to give that up?
I jogged up to where she stood, my cheeks glowing from the brisk morning air. She smiled and began to open her mouth, but I spoke first. "Why the formal breakfast? And why weren't we told yesterday?"
Aria looked excited and that just confused me. I stared at my best friend, taking in her brown curls and cocoa colored eyes. "Because the visitors arrived late last night! I was only told when Mother came into my chambers this morning."
"Who? Who's here?" I frowned, beginning to walk into the kitchen. She trailed at my heels, chattering endlessly.
"Heralds from Athanarel! They came all the way from Relmana-City." She clapped her hands together with glee.
I just stared at her. "Aria. For what? Why are they here?" I was on the brink of exasperation.
She stared back at me and then slowly her charming dimples began appearing as she started to laugh. "I guess I don't really know. But it's still exciting!" I shook my head, but I laughed too. Typical Aria. All excited and she doesn't even know what about.
"Well be sure to find out at breakfast," I teased, grinning playfully at her. She pretended to punch me before heading up the servants' stairway, saying she had to change into her formal gown. I rolled my eyes as she left, heading into the heated inner kitchen to begin helping Marla fix up the bread Dera and Leena had fetched.
I couldn't help feeling curious, too. The last time heralds had been out this far was to announce the birth of the Princess and that had been before I was born. Well, actually, they'd come to announce the death of Vidanric, the Old King, but that, too, had been a long while back, at least ten years ago.
The heralds were on my mind the whole time I was in the kitchen. It had to be something important. The trip from Remalna-City to Tlanth was not an easy one, which was why heralds rarely risked it. I would simply have to wait to ask Aria.
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What do you guys think? Meh? Or should I continue? And, pleeease review to fix any mistakes I made.