The dim light of the sunrise woke me. I sat up sleepily and walked to my wardrobe. I dressed quickly and pulled on my slippers. I felt no desire to leave my room. I lingered in front of my mirror, a rare thing for a common person to have.
"Areida!" I took a final look at my dark hair and eyes before walking quickly to the door.
"Yes, Mother?" I called as I thumped down the stairs, being loud enough to wake a sleeping dragon. As soon as I saw mother I knew I had made a mistake.
"Never leap down the stairs as if you were a six year old lad! You are a lady, already fifteen years old, and I expect you to act like it."
I lowered my head and stared at my feet as mother continued.
"You've probably gone and woken half our guests, who'll want their money back for being woken up at the crack of dawn." Mother took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, Mother," I replied meekly.
Mother sighed and shook her head. She could never stay mad at me for long. "It's alright. Go and check on the muffins. I'll get Itsi to fetch more eggs for breakfast."
I nodded, and waited till she had left, closing the door softly behind her. I then pushed open the kitchen door and stepped inside.
After seeing to the muffins, I sat at the large table in the dining room we used to serve meals to the guests of our inn. Though the inn was visited often by rich noblemen and merchants, my family was not wealthy. But that fact couldn't dampen my good spirits.
The only thing I truly longed for was a friend. Because of the work I did for our inn, I rarely had time to meet the other girls living in Amonta. What I wanted was a friend I could confide in and be able to trust to keep my secrets.
My thoughts were interrupted as my younger sister Itsi, burst into the kitchen.
"Areida!" gasped the nine-year-old. "The Earl of Kadia and his son just arrived! Mother is greeting them right now. She sent me to tell you to run upstairs and change. Hurry!"
The Earl of Kadia! Our inn had never had such and important guest! He was one of the richest men in Ayortha! If he was staying here it could only mean good for my family and I.
I jumped to my feet and hurried to the stairs. As I started up the steps, I heard voices outside the front door.
When I reached my room, I tore off my plain work dress. And reached inside my wardrobe for the dark purple gown I kept for special occasions. I slipped it on, then grabbed my brush.
After a few quick strokes, I put down my brush and took a deep breath. I tugged at my dress to be sure it was straight.
I looked down at my one good gown. It had a low neckline edged with a bit of lace. The skirt was long and flowing, starting at my narrow waist. It was a pretty dress, but in it I felt strange and awkward.
I left my room and started back down the stairs. Mother's voice drifted up, the voice she reserved for people she was trying to impress.
As I descended the last few steps, I heard mother introduce me.
"Ah, here's my oldest daughter, Areida, just fifteen last week."
While I politely curtsied, I glanced at the two visitors. The Earl was old, about fifty, but his son, was about my age, perhaps a year of two older.
"Hello!" The boy said, bowing. "My name is Thomas."
I was so nervous I couldn't speak. Thomas seemed to realize that so he just smiled cheerfully.
He seems nice enough, I thought. He had dark wavy hair, not unlike my own, and twinkling blue eyes.
"Mama?"
We all turned to see little Ettime, sleepily rubbing her eyes.
"Mama, I'm hungry," she said, confused at the sight of two strangers.
"Areida, take Ettime into the kitchen. Give her a muffin," mother said.
I nodded and curtsied again. "Excuse me."
I took Ettime's hand and led her into the kitchen. As I spread jam on a muffin for my little sister, I wondered why the earl had stopped at our inn so early in the morning.
Soon, Mother came into the kitchen.
"The Earl and his son will stay until tomorrow," she said, answering my unasked question. " Their horses needed a day to rest before they go on to the palace."
I followed Mother to the oven.
"Why are they going to the palace?" I asked, taking a grape and popping it in my mouth.
A voice behind me spoke. "To decide the fate of the ogres."
I whirled around and nearly choked. Thomas was standing in the doorway, grinning at my obvious embarrassment.
He continued. "Father is on the King's Royal Council. He's going to the palace for the debate about the ogres." He shrugged. "I'm just along for the ride. Father hates to travel alone."
I blushed a deep red. "I..I didn't mean-"
He interrupted. "That's alright. I'm sorry for startling you." He was apologizing to me!
"Is there anything you need?" Mother asked.
"Oh, yes. Father would like to know when breakfast will be on."
"Not for another twenty minutes, " she replied.
Suddenly Mother got a queer look in her eye.
"Areida, why don't you and Thomas take a walk while I get breakfast."
I panicked inside.
'Don't you need help?" I asked, my eyes pleading with her not to do this to me.
"Of course not!" Mother scoffed. "Go on now!"
She gave me a small push towards the door to our large garden. I had no choice but to go, with Thomas beside me.
"No need to hurry back!" she called after us.
"Areida!" I took a final look at my dark hair and eyes before walking quickly to the door.
"Yes, Mother?" I called as I thumped down the stairs, being loud enough to wake a sleeping dragon. As soon as I saw mother I knew I had made a mistake.
"Never leap down the stairs as if you were a six year old lad! You are a lady, already fifteen years old, and I expect you to act like it."
I lowered my head and stared at my feet as mother continued.
"You've probably gone and woken half our guests, who'll want their money back for being woken up at the crack of dawn." Mother took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, Mother," I replied meekly.
Mother sighed and shook her head. She could never stay mad at me for long. "It's alright. Go and check on the muffins. I'll get Itsi to fetch more eggs for breakfast."
I nodded, and waited till she had left, closing the door softly behind her. I then pushed open the kitchen door and stepped inside.
After seeing to the muffins, I sat at the large table in the dining room we used to serve meals to the guests of our inn. Though the inn was visited often by rich noblemen and merchants, my family was not wealthy. But that fact couldn't dampen my good spirits.
The only thing I truly longed for was a friend. Because of the work I did for our inn, I rarely had time to meet the other girls living in Amonta. What I wanted was a friend I could confide in and be able to trust to keep my secrets.
My thoughts were interrupted as my younger sister Itsi, burst into the kitchen.
"Areida!" gasped the nine-year-old. "The Earl of Kadia and his son just arrived! Mother is greeting them right now. She sent me to tell you to run upstairs and change. Hurry!"
The Earl of Kadia! Our inn had never had such and important guest! He was one of the richest men in Ayortha! If he was staying here it could only mean good for my family and I.
I jumped to my feet and hurried to the stairs. As I started up the steps, I heard voices outside the front door.
When I reached my room, I tore off my plain work dress. And reached inside my wardrobe for the dark purple gown I kept for special occasions. I slipped it on, then grabbed my brush.
After a few quick strokes, I put down my brush and took a deep breath. I tugged at my dress to be sure it was straight.
I looked down at my one good gown. It had a low neckline edged with a bit of lace. The skirt was long and flowing, starting at my narrow waist. It was a pretty dress, but in it I felt strange and awkward.
I left my room and started back down the stairs. Mother's voice drifted up, the voice she reserved for people she was trying to impress.
As I descended the last few steps, I heard mother introduce me.
"Ah, here's my oldest daughter, Areida, just fifteen last week."
While I politely curtsied, I glanced at the two visitors. The Earl was old, about fifty, but his son, was about my age, perhaps a year of two older.
"Hello!" The boy said, bowing. "My name is Thomas."
I was so nervous I couldn't speak. Thomas seemed to realize that so he just smiled cheerfully.
He seems nice enough, I thought. He had dark wavy hair, not unlike my own, and twinkling blue eyes.
"Mama?"
We all turned to see little Ettime, sleepily rubbing her eyes.
"Mama, I'm hungry," she said, confused at the sight of two strangers.
"Areida, take Ettime into the kitchen. Give her a muffin," mother said.
I nodded and curtsied again. "Excuse me."
I took Ettime's hand and led her into the kitchen. As I spread jam on a muffin for my little sister, I wondered why the earl had stopped at our inn so early in the morning.
Soon, Mother came into the kitchen.
"The Earl and his son will stay until tomorrow," she said, answering my unasked question. " Their horses needed a day to rest before they go on to the palace."
I followed Mother to the oven.
"Why are they going to the palace?" I asked, taking a grape and popping it in my mouth.
A voice behind me spoke. "To decide the fate of the ogres."
I whirled around and nearly choked. Thomas was standing in the doorway, grinning at my obvious embarrassment.
He continued. "Father is on the King's Royal Council. He's going to the palace for the debate about the ogres." He shrugged. "I'm just along for the ride. Father hates to travel alone."
I blushed a deep red. "I..I didn't mean-"
He interrupted. "That's alright. I'm sorry for startling you." He was apologizing to me!
"Is there anything you need?" Mother asked.
"Oh, yes. Father would like to know when breakfast will be on."
"Not for another twenty minutes, " she replied.
Suddenly Mother got a queer look in her eye.
"Areida, why don't you and Thomas take a walk while I get breakfast."
I panicked inside.
'Don't you need help?" I asked, my eyes pleading with her not to do this to me.
"Of course not!" Mother scoffed. "Go on now!"
She gave me a small push towards the door to our large garden. I had no choice but to go, with Thomas beside me.
"No need to hurry back!" she called after us.