Meggie dressed in one of her many day-dresses to go on a leisurely walk with Brianna, through the unspoilt castle gardens. Meggie was looking forward to it, to be able to tell Brianna all about her problem with Farid -whilst leaving out the servant part- and ask her about how she was getting on and extract some juicy gossip from somewhere. There were always some sort of rumors flying around.
"Meggie!" Brianna exclaimed as she approached, smiling broadly. Brianna's beautiful auburn hair hung loosely down her back, the top of her head obscured by a decorative hat, the bow a deep green, the same colour as her twinkling eyes.
Meggie would envy her looks, but she was perfectly happy with her own luscious blond hair, blue eyes and elfin face.
"Brianna!" Meggie said in greeting as she reached the girl. Meggie looped her arm through hers and they set off at a leisurely pace, enjoying the sight of the beautiful flowers and the scented bushes filled with fairy nests. Tiny glass men hopped about on the edge of the fountain, the stupid little daredevils, trying to get all the glass women's attention.
Brianna giggled at the sight of this, but Meggie did not. She had a troubled mind. "Brianna," she began, and Brianna looked toward her politely. "I have a slight problem, concerning Farid."
"Ah." said Brianna. "Farid. Might this be about pressure from him to... sleep more often, if you know what I mean?"
Meggie shook her head. "No." Meggie sighed and told the tale, neglecting to tell the part where Farid actually started the fire, and leaving out the serving boy completely, pretending that she herself had managed to escape the castle after Farid had left her.
Brianna's eyes widened, and kept widening further and further until they were almost round. She breathed out a held in breath and stared at Meggie for a few seconds after she had finished, then began to speak, but stopped.
"Well?" Meggie said, almost impatiently.
Brianna didn't clock the annoyance in Meggie's voice. "How could he do that to you?" She gasped. "I would only forgive him for a gift which was simply amazing!"
"Such as?"
"A beautiful necklace?"
"I have too many."
"The beautiful necklace?" Brianna suggested. "The queen's diamond necklace? What if he got you that?"
But Meggie's small piece of better nature tugged at her. "That necklace must be all the queen has left after the fire, don't you think? As much as I would love it, I have spoken to the queen on many occasions, and she was the one who funded my father's great book-binding experiment." Brianna realised the implications of this. "If it wasn't for her, my father would still be a poor tradesman."
"I never though you would be nice enough to say that." Brianna commented.
Meggie said nothing, but screeched when a fairy tugged at her hair, and tried to squash the poor thing. It only just got away. "Stupid fairies!" She fumed.
"I rather think I need a quick visit to the fountain, for my thirst." Brianna informed her. "I shall be back in a moment."
Meggie sat on a black, elaborate bench overlooking a pond while Brianna walked in a lady-like fashion around the corner. For a moment she just looked at the garden, but then she jumped as a voice sounded from behind her.
"It's you!"
Meggie whirled around to see the serving boy from two nights ago. Doria.
He was sweeping up dead leaves from a lawn with a big grin on his face, which probably only appeared when he had spotted Meggie.
"How coincidental to see you here again." He said to her.
Meggie was internally panicking. What if Brianna came back? She couldn't be talking to a servant! What if someone else saw her? Not regarding Doria's feelings, Meggie brusquely stood up and walked away in the direction of the fountain at a fast pace. Before she knew it, Doria was there in front of her, blocking her path, his eyebrows raised in a hurt expression which should have broken Meggie's heart, if she could find it. But she couldn't, so she blanked him from her vision and walked around him, hearing him ask, "Why are you ignoring me?"
Meggie continued walking. Oh no. Please don't follow me, she thought.
But he did. He came up in front of her again. "I don't know your name." he said gently, trying to catch her eye. "What is it?"
"Meggie Folchart." She answered automatically, then abruptly closed her mouth and covered it with her hand. But now that she had spoken, she might as well say something else. "But what's it to you? You are merely a servant," She spat. "Don't follow me!"
Meggie could see Brianna coming back toward her now, and prayed that she would not see Doria, standing stunned behind her.
Doria didn't bother following Meggie this time, and just stood there, feeling satisfied but forlorn at the same time: he had gotten her to speak, that was something, but what she'd said had been venomous... He watched her stroll back to her friend and meet her with a flutter. Meggie Folchart....