The moon was shining brightly through the window to Angelinas room, and the moon beams gently lighted up her face as she slept deeply nearly hiding under the blanket as her dark hair fanned over the pillow.
Seeing her like that it was quite hard to believe what a trouble maker this woman truly was and Bernadette smiled amused as she picked up Angelinas white dress and folded it together before she placed it gently on the table.
The fabric of this dress was so light and soft, it was silk. The kind of dress Bernadette would never have believed she would get to even touch let alone take care of.
Bernadette sighed deeply as she walked to the window and rested her arms on the window frame, looking at how the moon lighted up this land.
Bernadette sure was far away from her hometown now. The capital of Blakeney had been the only home Bernadette had ever known, never could she have imagined that she would travel this far and now stand here. Looking at the wide landscape where nature ran wild, clifs where single plants were growing, animals were crawling over them. Both badgers, goats, lizards and others.
The fields which Master Francesco had taken such good care of with green plants and fruits, the water in the stream rolling down the hills, the promised grapes growing in great whine stokes next to a big cherry tree. It was easy to see how a person could fall in love with the land itself.
In fact… Bernadette, she already knew she liked this place a lot more than she liked the capital of Blakeney.
She was not just lucky, she was more than lucky to even be here! To be allowed inside of this fine house, to have such a kind master, to be allowed to see and experience this beauty.
Had you asked Bernadette just a few years ago if she could ever have dreamt this would happen she would have laughed… Well she would have done the motion of laughing anyway.
All of this nearly felt like a dream, a dream Bernadette would hate to ever wake up from.
Bernadette… She could not talk. She had never been able to talk. She didn't know why exactly, it was not like any doctors had bothered to check her condition, why would they? For the most of her life, Bernadette had just been one of the many orphans roaming around at the streets of the big capital.
Life for an orphan had been tough, people weren't exactly kind, food was scarce and if you got caught sleeping in the wrong spot or steal a piece of food. The punishment would be severe.
Still, stealing seemed like the only option if you wanted to eat, especially for Bernadette, her lack of speech did not make this existence any easier. So by the end of the day, a few whip lashes was a low price to pay for staying alive.
Other children sometimes managed to find work and Bernadette would happily join them when asked to, but she could never ask for work herself. Only stand there and look pleadingly at potential employees whom seemed to get creeped out by her silence and hushed her away.
It had been frustrating, beyond frustrating that no one ever understood what Bernadette wanted. She would try to gesture and signal but it only ever made people very confused and at last they would just go away.
And because of this lack of communication, people just automaitcly started to assume that Bernadette was dumb.
It was rare that anyone would talk directly to Bernadette, and then only very shortly to ask her to do something, they would ask very slowly and very specific as if she wouldn't pick up on ordinary words and then they would in a patient voice ask her to nod if she understood. Sometimes Bernadette had just felt like snorting at them.
No one ever asked how she was doing, if she was feeling well as they knew she couldn't answer. It was an oddly lonely existence.
But then one day Bernadette realized something, she could use the fact that everyone thought she was dumb to her own advantage!
People didn't take her seriously and would always try to ignore her, so sneaking up close and grabbing an ignorant mans purse out of his own pocket became way to easy.
After Bernadette had made this realization she started to perfect the art, she observed street corner magicians and copied their hand tricks, figuring out how you could seemingly make a coin disappear into thin air though actually it would go into a inside pocket in her skirt.
Soon Bernadette became quite the accomplished little street magician herself, but an even better pick pocket and no one was the wiser as no one believed a dumb person like her could pull such a thing off.
Bernadette survived, but it wasn't exactly a great life and she had no hope of ever knowing anything else than this. Sleeping in the dirtiest parts of the city and scrape by from day to day, never amounting to anything and never see anything else than this. Ones she died, she was sure no one would even question it nor care.
Funny how faith sometimes intervenes in the oddest of ways. The day Bernadette met this strange noble "Man." by the name. "Angelo." she could never even have imagined what it would lead to.
At first, this day had just seemed entirely ordinary. It had been a hot summer day in the capital of Blakeney, the sun had risen high on the sky and Bernadette like most of the time was hungry.
There weren't a lot of people out right now though due to the heat, so Bernadette took to a shadowy street corner and started to perform a bit of hand magic hoping to draw a few people out, soon a few people did come, but they were just children. Moping and gaping at the copper coin that mysteriously seemed to travel from one hand to the other.
Bernadette sighed deeply. Truth was, she liked to perform for children, she liked it a lot. She liked she could make them giggle and laugh, in this way she could at least make a good impression so someone would remember her fondly.
But children never gave her coins, they had none and she was really starting to get hungry at that point. And with that did Berndatte threw her coin up into the air and then grabbed it again with her hand, twisting her hand and opening it revealing it to be now empty.
"WOAAAAH!" The children gaped and then suddenly a laugh sounded.
"HAHAHAAAA! That was amazing! How did you do that?!"
Bernadette looked up and then realized she had attracted a small group of young university students, this was kind of obvious as they were all wearing the uniform, a group of young and probably also very rich men. It was the one in front whom was laughing and clapping his hands. Berndatte blinked as she looked at this young man. He was awfully small, and awfully skinny. Around half the seize of all the others. Was he sick or something?
"Come on Angelo let's move on." another young man suggested taking the small man by the shoulder.
"Just a sec." The small young man by the name Angelo smirked as he dug into his pocket to find a big fat purse… Very fat. Wide-eyed Bernadette looked at it and could see how it was nearly bursting with money. The young man though dug through it and found a large golden coin. "Shame to do tricks like that with just a copper, you should use this. Here!" he grinned throwing the gold coin at Bernadette and Bernadette wide-eyed caught it.
"Angelo a whole gold? Seriously?" One of his friends asked. "You do realize you can buy a small pony for that?"
"Why would I need that?" Angelo asked. "I told you, my father owns the best horses. He even breeds them. When I return home i'll adopt a purebred Fairbanks wild horse!" he grinned as he turned around and walked away with the others.
Wide-eyed Bernadette looked after them clutching the coin tight, and then she turned around and ran away as fast as she could before this guy changed his mind and asked the coin back!
That coin was never used for her magic tricks, it was instantly used for food.
Freshly baked bread, butter, a hot potato and that was it for now. Bernadette was not an idiot! She wasn't going to blow the money on expensive food in a instance.
And indeed, that one coin did last Bernadette for quite a while, it lasted her a whole month where she even became quite generous and shared her food with several fellow street dwellers whom hadn't been quite as lucky as her, together they practically feested for that entire month.
However, eventually the money was used up and Bernadette was back in the same exact situation being hungry again.
It really was a never ending chain that would hunt her until the day she died.
She was ones again sitting in the shadow mulling over her food problem as suddenly a very familiar gang of young men came walking by… The young men from the university! And among them was that very little guy.
Almost involuntarily did Bernadettes eyes fall on the place she knew the purse was and it was true enough still bulging and the little man didn't even seem to care in fact…. He was waving around with what looked like a pretty darn expensive new sword.
So he was one of those kinds of guys whom had so much money he just felt like he could throw around with them….
He probably wouldn't miss a few extra gold coins at all.
So with that in mind did Bernadette quietly started to follow the small group and listened to their chatter.
They were talking about some sword tournament and how they each believed they were definitely going to win it.
Bernadette was quiet in more ways than one, and managed to sneak up on the group of rich young students, slowly her hand reached forward.
The purse was even slightly visible in Angelos pocket, the corner sticking out and Bernadette reached, her fingers just brushing the edge of the purse when suddenly a hand zoomed down and grabbed Berndattes wrist.
If Berndatte had a voice she would have screamed in surprise as Angelo had caught her now looking at her, his eyes now widening in surprise. "Hey it's you!" he exclaimed in a moment of recognision, only for Bernadette to bite his hand that was holding her wrist making him scream out in surprise and let go allowing Bernadette to snatch the purse and run away.
"HEY!" Angelo shouted. "MY PURSE! COME BACK!" he shouted and suddenly was on the chase.
Bernadettes eyes widened, she had actually not counted on the spoiled noble man to come running after her, but that only meant she couldn't stop, she ran to the poor part of the city and turned into one of the tight passage ways.
"HEY YOU! STOOOOP!" Angelo shouted as he still came running for her, Bernadette though was terrified. If she was caught with such a big steal…. This could have permanent means!
And Bernadette ran as fast as she could, through the labyrinth of lower class streets, she crawled through a hole she very well new in the wall, then kept running hearing the shouts becoming fainter until they at last stopped, but Bernadette kept running a bit until she finally stood on a plaza.
Bernadette was completely out of breath, her chest was hurting and stinging, her body was sweating and her heart beat racing. Wide-eyed she looked around to see if the noble was still after her but saw nothing.
She should though just have looked upwards because Angelo had soon realized he couldn't navigate through these narrow streets and had taken to the roof tops instead.
Then he made a leap and landed right in front of Bernadette.
Bernadette opened her mouth and let out the air that would have substituted for a scream as she stumbled backwards.
"Could you just stop for a second?!" Angelo asked.
Bernadette didn't wait around though as she turned around and ran.
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" Angelo shouted as he ran after her.
Bernadette was in a blind panic, she just ran as fast as she could not even looking and ran straight into a man whom grabbed her and hold her close, wide-eyed Bernadette looked up and realized it was a uniformed officer! And she struggled, trying to bite his hands but this man was more used to these kind of antics. "Now you're in for it." he commented as Angelo caught up.
"Wait… Just… Wait a second." He gasped catching up.
The officer looked up at the young man then looked down at the purse still in Bernadettes clutches and grabbed it forcing it out. "I assume this is yours?" he asked Angelo.
"Yeah…Yeah." Angelo nodded gasping for air and accepted the purse. "Thank you sir."
"You should keep a closer eye on those things, streets are filled with scum like this one." The officer stated pushing Bernadette. "I assure you though, this one in particular wont bother you again."
That made Angelo look up. "Why?" he asked.
"She's a serial offender, she pretense to just do magic shows but then steal peoples money." The officer explained. "She's going to have to work to the bone to earn back what she took!"
That made Bernadettes eyes and she struggled even further, people like her whom was caught. What they were put to was basically slavery, they would be branded so they would always be recognized and it would be over. Tears appeared in her eyes as she became desperate, hissing and sniffing.
Wide-eyed Angelo looked at her then up at the Captain. "You intend to take her to the fields or mines?" she asked.
"That's probably where she'll end up." The officer nodded.
"Sir, I really can't allow you to do that." Angelo informed.
"Oh? Why is that?" The officer asked.
"I hired her, she's under my employe. So really, whatever she has done it's me who should stand to responsibility right?" Angelo asked.
That made the officers eyes widen and Bernadette as well halted.
"You.. You will take responsibility for her actions?" The officer asked. "You do realise that means i'll have to registre your name right?"
"Yeah." Angelo nodded. "Now let her go."
The officer halted for a bit but then finally let go and Bernadette stumbled the ground then she looked up, her first instinct was the run but then realised her better bet right now would be to stay.
And then the officer pulled up a note pad. "Name?" he asked.
"Angelo Pulido." Angelo informed. "I study at the university, and I also got dormitory there. A private room, red hallway room fifty one."
The officer frowned, he probably had come to the same conclusion as Bernadette that this lad was stupidly rich and probably had contacts. One of those people whom thought he could be above the law.
"So how much money are we talking about here?" Angelo asked.
The officer snorted. "At least a hundred gold." the officer stated making Bernadette crumble together. She probably hadn't stolen that much, not even in the duration of her entire life.
Angelo how ever sighed deeply. He pulled forward his purse and opened it, and from it he pulled five gold coins as well as what looked like a talisman in the shape of an owl. Then he gave the rest of the purse to the officer. "That's fifty gold coins, you can charge the rest to my dormitory."
Wide-eyed the officer looked up, but then huffed as he accepted the purse then glared at Bernadette. "You sure were lucky today." he commented dryly and wide-eyed Bernadette looked up at him, then he walked away.
Angelo sighed deeply then looked at Bernadette. "Look, if you needed money you could just have asked." he said.
Wide-eyed Bernadette looked at him and he then plummeted the remaining five gold coins down in her hand. "This should hold you over right? You need to be more careful. If they had branded you you would be done for forever."
Wide-eyed Bernadette looked up at Angelo holding the coins in her hand, her mind seemed to have gone numb, her mouth hang open as she looked up.
"What?" Angelo asked. "Oh, you're wondering what this is?" he asked holding up the talisman… Really that wasn't what Bernadette was thinking at all. "My mother made this for me just before I left! It's the spirit Noctara see? My mom and her people send him with me to protect me!" he grinned. "I can't just loose a spirit that would be bad." then he blinked. "Can't you talk or do you just choose not to talk?" he asked curiously.
Bernadette blinked then looked down.
"Well in either case, I am always told I talk way to much so I guess it evens out HAHA!" Angelo laughed. "Oh well. In the future please be more careful okay?" he asked. "Maybe i'll see you around!" he grinned and then he walked away.
Wide-eyed Bernadette looked after him, the five gold coins still in her hands and she swallowed then she ran after him.
Wide-eyed Angelo looked beside himself and saw how Bernadette followed him at a distance sometime hiding behind crates, but always coming after him. "Erh.." Angelo at last blinked as he saw Bernadette glance over a fence. "You don't have to come. You're free to go."
Bernadette didn't respond, just stood there in silence.
"Seriously, i'm not mad or anything." Angelo assured. "I mean gold is just cold metal and you obviously need it more than I do."
Bernadette just squinted her eyes.
"Well, okay." Angelo then said and continued, finally he got to the mainstreet and met up with his friends whom were all drinking white wine in the afternoon sun. They all greeted him and beamed, then one person saw Bernadette hiding in the corner.
"Angelo, the girl whom stole your purse. She's still here!" The young man pointed out.
"Yeah it's fine." Angelo replied. "I hired her, she's my new servant."
That made everyone spurt out. "FOR REAL?!" they all shouted.
"Sure, so don't mind her. Let her do what she wants." Angelo asked.
Bernadette was at a complete connundrum over this, her mind was numb and she had no idea what to do.
Her instincts told her to just take her golden chance and run… But something else, something deep inside of her begged to stay and so she ended up following the young man to the university, for a moment they stood outside the building looking at each other.
"You actually want to stay as my servant?" Angelo finally asked.
Bernadette didn't respond but then glanced up.
"Erhm look, I wont be able to pay you right now. I kind of spend an entire years allowance on well… You know. That officer." Angelo admitted. "But I can get you food, other people at university has servants with them and the tution covers food for the servants as well. And I do have a single room. There's only one bed though… I suppose we can take turns laying on the floor."
Bernadette blinked and Angelo smiled. "Come on i'll show you." he said and then brought Bernadette inside, then finally to the room he had talked about.
It was not a big room by any means, it was very small. A bed and a desk took up most of the space, swords were hanging from the wall and there were several books spread around the place, it was a bit messy.
Angelo smiled as he closed the door. "You know I have a good feeling about this, I feel like you can keep a secret." he said as he turned to Bernadette.
Questioning Bernadette looked at the young peculiar small man.
"Hallo, my name is Angelina Pulido." he said in a much softer voice and Bernadettes eyes widened, that was a womans voice! And suddenly Bernadette put two and two together! That's why he was so small! Or she… This was a woman. "My secret is now in your hands. " Angelina said. "If you tell on me i'll be thrown out, well… I won stay Angelo for to much longer anyway. I'll have to go home eventually, and then I will have to be a real lady. I just… I just wanted this time to get some adventure, to be myself you know. To do the things I want to do. Then when I go home, I can do the things my parents want for me." she smiled a little sadly. "I know I am awfully lucky that I can actively choose to be a rebel. All my parents really want is just for me to be safe, and well... The things I like aren't safe at all, it's bad for me to search them out. Still, that I even have to choice, I really am very lucky! And that I get to be here and go on adventure, I even get to compete in the sword tournaments, it's the coolest thing ever!" she grinned but then sighed deeply "You didn't even have a choice did you?" she asked in a more concerned tone.
And Bernadette looked down then shook her head.
"I thought so, I wish I could do more to help more people. Handing out a few gold coins seems like so little." Angelina sighed deeply then looked at Bernadette. "So, do you have a name?" she asked.
Bernadette bit her lip, then walked to the desk and found a piece of paper and a pen, and wrote the only word she actually knew how to write! Her own name! And she held up the paper.
"Bernadette? That's a lovely name." Angelina smiled. "Can you write more than that?"
Bernadette shook her head.
"Do you want to learn?" Angelina asked. "I'm afraid you are going to spend a great deal of time alone when i'm studying or other things, but you could spend that time learning! I'll help you!" she smiled warmly. "Then when I go home you will have the skills to handle yourself in the city without having to steal! I know, before I go home I can introduce you to people. Someone is bound to give you a good job if you just learn the right skills!" she grinned.
And Bernadette swallowed, it was so strange, this stranger person talking to her and taking her seriously. Her throat was tying together and she could feel her eyes getting wet, then she nodded as she squinted her eyes.
"Hey it's okay Bernadette." Angelina chuckled amused. "I get to be lucky just because my father is related to the king. It's only fair I share a bit." she said and Bernadette sniffed.
That had been the start of their relationship, it was really odd how naturally they over time fell into an almost co-dependence.
Angelina would teach Bernadette the things she had promised, such as writing and even basic maths and of course Bernadette did the chores of a basic servant, making sure that Angelinas clothes was always neat and clean, that messages reached her and so forth. Really all of that felt like very little and what seemed to matter more to Angelina was that Bernadette was always ready to support her, to listen when Angelina spoke of the things she didn't feel like she could talk with the other students about.
Angelina talked a lot about her home country and her mothers people, her voice was always filled with enthusiasm when it came to that.
Sometimes she would talk about other students or awesome visiting sword instructors. When Bernadette walked with "Angelo." in the city, she did see how Angelina was in fact giving a lot of handouts to beggars and never bragged about it, she in fact just looked guilty when she didn't have the money to give at the moment. Really the money was sitting far to loosely on this young noble woman.
She was very genuine in her deeds though and Bernadette admired her for it, over time Bernadette had simply come to decide that whatever Angelina needed she would be there to help. Even when she was in trouble and in over her head, and Angelina could be in A LOT of trouble, she seemed like a magnet for trouble and Bernadette took it upon herself to pull her out of trouble again, which Angelina would grin and thank her for.
It was so strange, Angelina never treated Bernadette like she was dumb, she spoke directly to her and asked her how she was doing. And Bernadettes simple gestures in the form of either a smile or a frown was enough, Angelina actually took time to read her face expressions and for the first time. Someone understood!
Bernadette could not speak, but she didn't have to. She had a friend whom understood.
And now she was here, in a far away country. It almost felt like a fairy tale that had come true, Bernadette couldn't get enough of this view of the great nature, as far as she was concerned, nothing in the city even came close.
Then a grunt sounded behind her. "Bernadette, is that you?" Angelina asked in a yawn. "You're seriously still up? Bernadette, you have to sleep to." she yawned falling back on her pillow. "Take a bit care of yourself wont you?" she asked.
Bernadette smirked amused then shook her head as she walked over to Angelina, nodding her head which was her form of greeting.
Angelina smiled as she glanced up at Bernadette, then reached out and took Bernadettes hand. "Bernadette, I didn't even manage to tell you. I'm so glad you're here, i'm so glad you decided to come with me. I don't think I could do this without you." she admitted in a sad smile. "Thank you so much, I can't ever thank you enough."
Bernadette amused shook her head then send Angelina a smile which told enough, she felt the same way. And by that they let go of each others hand and Bernadette finally left Angelinas room to go to her own.
She had her own room now, it was small and simple but it was hers, and it had a beautiful view over the landscape to the east.
It really was a fairytale which had come true.
