Odette sat at the window of her room, staring out into the night. The wind was bitterly cold, and whipped past her ears, but it stopped her from thinking too much about the castle she was in. She had not wanted to step foot back in there, going as far as to find accommodation in the village, but under the guidance of her counsellors she was persuaded to stay in the castle for her own safety. After all, not everyone in the village saw her as a blessing.
She clutched the blanket closer around her shoulders and turned to look back into the room behind her. She saw a room not too dissimilar to the one she had left behind. Layers of purple and red fabric covered the stone walls, too heavy to budge in the breeze, her jewellery box still lay open on her dressing table, and the mirror still had the same rust patterns around the edge. The only thing that had changed was her.
Time never seemed more endless than when she sat up watching the waves of the sea below. It was hypnotic watching the waves become white-capped from the wind, rolling back and forth against the rocks.
It helped her think over the reason she had come back.
The fires had turned a large portion of the village black, including the houses. As such, the inns were full for an indefinite amount of time and many people were sharing tiny cottages with three or four other families. It made her a tad angry to think that the huge castle, with so many unoccupied rooms, was going to be left that way. When Odette had posed the idea of allowing people to stay in the castle while they rebuilt, her counsellors had laughed and quickly dismissed the idea. Unfortunately, as reigning princess, she did not have as higher authority as she would have liked in that hour.
Even as she looked out now at the kingdom below, she could see large patches of black and the remainder of houses. It seemed that for every blade of grass burned, a little pin prick of guilt would be thrust into her. She loved the kingdom dearly and could not stand that the people were suffering under her rule. Although fires in this part of the world were not uncommon, and she herself had seen them twice before, she had not been in charge either of those times and hadn't worn any of the guilt.
Now, it was her turn to do what she had seen her father do: take care of the kingdom. She knew that the first step was to clear out the rest of the debris and so that's what everyone was going to start on tomorrow.
...
It didn't help that the King of Birningham was less than quiet about the fact that he had his new wife with him. They had managed to keep Derek up all night with their screams and exclamations of bliss. Normally, it would not have bothered him, having been friends with Bromley for as long as he had. But, when it reminded him of how each moan from Odette would erupt one in him when they were together, he couldn't stand it.
So instead of staying in his bedchamber as he should have, he went off to the library in the dead of the night. That's why he was more than tired the following evening.
From his lack of sleep Derek had acquired a set of bruise like shadows under each of his eyes and slouched his shoulders in sheer fatigue. He had even cancelled his training session that afternoon to try and get some rest. But, it didn't work. Though the King of Birningham and his new queen had gone into the village for the day with his mother, Derek could not remove Odette from his mind. And so he went on without sleep again.
Come dinner time, the candles at the table hardly helped to conceal the bruises under his eyes, and it made Uberta a little suspicious as to her son's wellbeing.
She knew from the way he picked at his food like a sparrow that he was not happy. He was acting the way he did when the news of Odette's assumed death had been made public, like there wasn't much left for him.
The idea was preposterous seeing as Odette was alive and healthy and he could even write to her when needed. That, and the princess had only been gone for two weeks. Uberta knew from her own experiences that Odette needed to take care of her homeland on her own for peace of mind. As such, she took it upon herself to keep Derek at bay as long as possible and allow the princess to do her work.
Still, she didn't like seeing her little boy suffer. Young love always has the most impact on a person.
That's why she had decided to move to the castle at Swan Lake for a while, just until Odette returned. Rogers needed to keep an eye on Derek and she would keep an eye on Rogers.
Derek covered his mouth from his yawn, and then picked up a single pea with his fork.
Uberta held in her sigh, and decided to see if mentioning Odette would get him to finally say something. "I received a letter from Odette yesterday," she said, cutting a small strip of meat off with her knife.
Derek snapped his head to her. "Why did you get one?"
"It was a letter of business, Derek," Uberta almost scolded.
Before Derek could respond, the King of Birningham spoke. "Ah yes, William's daughter. I got word that the fires had struck again. Terrible shame. I sent over some horses and a few cattle last week. I do hope they've arrived – winter shall arrive soon."
Uberta laughed politely and gestured to someone behind Derek with the wave of her hand. "I am sure they have, and your generosity is much appreciated, I am sure."
"Anything for William and his daughter."
A servant appeared silently from behind Derek then, and held forward a silver platter. "A letter for you, your highness."
Uberta had received his letter at the same time as hers and decided to hold onto it so she could lift his spirits with it when absolutely necessary. The time had come to use it.
Derek snatched it up quickly, barely muttering a thank you, and began to break the seal.
"Not at the table, Derek!" Uberta snapped, eyeing him off.
Derek did not really want to be at the table any longer, seeing the happy newlyweds opposite him, and so he chose to read the letter over finishing his supper. He stood up. "Excuse me," he said, bowing slightly and making his way out.
Bromley knew that Derek had just played on his mother's words and began to laugh at how immature it was. He turned his attention back to the table, still chuckling softly, until he saw Rogers glaring at him. He stopped laughing instantly.
The remaining diners just listened to Derek's footfalls getting further away from them.
The letter could not have come at a better time. Derek was literally aching for Odette, and she had always had a way with words. Just the thought of being in possession of a part of her again, apart from her locket which he kept around his neck at all times, he could not help but smile.
'Dear Derek,
I've only been here for a week and it already feels like an eternity. I miss you so much that I cannot describe it. Sometimes I try to imagine that you are here with me, but it's hard when I remember that we are so far apart and that I wake up next to an empty space in the morning.'
The letter went on to briefly describe the problems she had encountered since arriving and the extent of the damage from the fires. Though she didn't say it, he could tell that the circumstances were hurting her in more ways than one. He started to imagine her face beside his, tears rimming her serene eyes. That's how he believed she truly felt.
When she signed off at the end of her letter, he realised that he could not go on without seeing her. While her words had provided temporary relief from the pain of missing her, when he had finished reading he could not stand the harsh reality of it.
So, he folded up the letter, put it in his vest, and made his way to the stable. He marched onwards, picking up only a cloak for the ride over to the docks. Once there, he would give the captain any amount of money he wanted so long as they set sail immediately towards Odette.
...
Odette woke up the next morning to find a large ship on the horizon, heading towards their docks. She was so pleased that at least one of her letters was responded to and could scarcely wait to see what she would be able to give out to families in need.
Finally, there was something that was going to make a tangible difference.
She called together a large workforce who would be willing to get the village back on its feet as soon as possible. To support the new arrival – of what, she still did not know – they needed to clean up all the charred wood lying around and remove all the dead plants. The fields would need to be tended to next, to prepare them for winter.
The villagers were eager to comply, not at all minding that their princess was then summoned to greet the captain and crew of the ship.
The day proved to be a glorious. The sun was shining without a cloud in sight, enough wind was present to carry the ships but not hinder the work in the village, and the smell of salt from the sea wafted off the warm water.
She and her advisors waited along the wooden pier, watching the dozens of men pile off the ship. The captain disembarked last, greeting the princess with a gentle bow.
"It's an honour, princess," he said, holding out a sealed letter. She took it gracefully between her fingers. "Here is a list of what King Albert of Birningham has sent for you in this time of desperation."
It took all her restraint to not tear the letter open and begin distributing the precious rations. "Thank you. Your work is much appreciated by many people here, myself included."
The captain smiled and bowed again. "Thank you, your highness." Then he stood upright and called for one of his men. A man in a hooded cloak stepped forward at the call. His face was slightly concealed by the shadow it caused, but there was something about the man's blue eyes and the plains of his cheekbones that rang familiar to Odette.
The captain ordered the man find out when the next high tide was so that they knew how long they had. He scurried off towards the watchtower.
"Really," Odette tried to persuade them, "you are all more than welcome to stay a few days before sailing back."
"That's very kind, but we're under strict orders to leave tonight. Now, if you will excuse my haste, where can we begin to unload this cargo?"
Lord Smith interjected then, taking a step forward from behind the princess. "Have your men carry the load to the castle grounds."
Odette turned to look at the ageing man, wondering why on earth they would do that. The castle had plenty of supplies.
"So we can guard it all and make sure it is distributed correctly," he explained before she had a chance to ask.
That did make sense, however cruel it may seem to all the peasants starving in the nearby village. The supplies being distributed evenly was of high importance.
The first few sacks of grain waddled past Odette, and she and her guard stood aside to let the men through. Odette tore open the letter to see what it said, to see exactly what it is she would be receiving.
It was a generous list consisting of grain, horses, cattle, oxen, and some rum. Although she didn't like the intoxicating drink, she eased herself with the knowledge that it could be used for medical purposes and that it would lift the spirits of the villagers in time.
Lord Smith came up behind Odette, trying to read the list over her shoulder. "What can we expect from Birningham?" he asked expectantly, lifting his head to see over the crook of her neck.
She simply handed the note to him over her shoulder, aware of what precisely he was doing. It only took a moment before she heard small grunts of approval from the old man as he skimmed down the list of donated goods.
The captain came back towards Odette and her advisors and acknowledged her again with a bow. She returned it with the dip of her head.
"There are a few of my men requesting to stay here for various reasons, and I have a list of builders, farmers, and even a doctor who his majesty King Albert believes would be of some use to you."
The man with the hood walked past them then, his eye catching the princess' as he looked over at hearing the proposal his captain made. She couldn't explain why, but there was something familiar about his eyes, and the thought was slightly unsettling. She was beyond certain that she had never met the man before.
Odette heard Lord Angus clear his throat behind her, ready to object. Frankly, she was sick of his constant objections and questioning of her orders and so she answered the captain before he could voice his opinion.
"Of course," she smiled, well aware she had cut Lord Angus off short. "Just be sure to give us the exact names of the men and there will not be a problem."
Her one condition to the deal was one to satisfy everyone's safety, and she knew that that would at least appease the Lord a little. It still wouldn't stop him voicing his objections to their stay tomorrow, but she would deal with it then.
Just then, the horn blew from the watchtower. All eyes turned upwards to the two sailors at the top, looking out into the sea before them.
"Ship ahoy!" one of them called. "Ship ahoy!"
Another wave of intense relief flooded over Odette at the prospect of more supplies. Maybe she could get her people through this ordeal after all.