FINALLY! I have been unable to update in forever because the site was being devlish. I have both 12 and 13 done. Both are extremely long- longest I've ever written for this story anyway.
So go ahead and read, review, and enjoy!!
Twelve
-Ama-
The weather was chillier now and the landscape was soon completely white with snow. The holidays were coming around, creating chaos within the servants. We bustled to and fro, trying to get all the decorations up in time for yet another royal visit. This time it wasn't just the prince and king, it was the queen, princess, and their ladies in waiting, too. I hadn't anticipated another visit so close to the last one and I was frustrated. The prince had wanted to be friends, and possibly more, and I was afraid that I was beginning to admire the prince more than a servant should. I knew it would cause trouble, even if he was interested in me.
Keri was disappointed in the sudden change of plans. She had looked forward to living in the palace. She had decided to mope about the castle for days afterwards, until I took her to the nearby market. I bought her a sweet candy and she was happy after that.
As I finished hanging the garland with another servant, Foley approached me. "Amethyst?"
I stepped down from the ladder I was on. "What is it?"
"I've assigned you the prince's quarters again. He said he was satisfied last time with your work, so I am putting you on the job again," he declared. I moaned and he looked at me in a reproaching way. "Do you have a problem with that?"
I sighed and shook my head. I needed the extra money, and the job in the royal quarters was perfect for earning extra money. "No, it's fine," I told him.
He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Alright then." He handed me a list and turned back down the hall.
I ran my hands over my hair. "Just my luck," I muttered, and left to start my chores in the royal quarters to prepare for the prince. Luckily, I already knew what to do and what he liked best. I knew which books he read most often and where to put them, how many flowers were too many and which ones made him sneeze. I also knew that he loved the smell of a freshly aired out room.
I realized I was thinking too long on him and reprimanded myself. Ama! You silly girl, you knew him for what? Two weeks?
Stepping into the prince's quarters, I cursed his stupid wishes and cracked open a window, the frigid air rushing at me. I closed the window a little more, and continued to light a fire. There was no way I was about to let myself freeze just for some royal pain's likings. I uncovered the furniture's dust sheets and rearranged the chairs slightly to accommodate better. I rolled the rug up to make sure there weren't any chalk marks left from the last lesson. Indeed, there were smudged chalk marks, hurriedly erased. They didn't look like anything we had done in lessons, but I wiped the floor clean and rolled the rug back out.
Finally, all the minor preparations for the next couple week's tasks. Yawning, I glanced out the window. It was already dark, though I knew dinner was still far off. Dousing the fire and shutting the window, I headed back downstairs. I was in the servants' quarters when Kiev stepped in front of me, giving me a big grin. "My favorite maid!"
"My favorite stable hand," I greeted him in return, laughing. I stood on my tip-toes and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "How was your day?"
He kissed me back and shrugged. "It was the same old day. And yours?"
I rolled my eyes. "Foley assigned me the prince's quarters again."
"My poor baby," Kiev mock sympathized. "Whatever will you do with that extra money?"
I shook my head and laughed. "You try working for a lout like that."
Smiling, he pulled me close and gave me a kiss on the lips, then pulled away. "You'll live. Now I have to go do some odd jobs Foley stuck me on, I will see you at dinner."
"Have fun." I smiled as he left.
Since the last royal visit, Kiev and I had began to court. Keri was overjoyed, she thought she would have a father. I protested with her for nights, trying to get her to understand that this didn't necessarily mean marriage, but she laughed at me and just joked, "Suuuurrrre. I doubt Kiev thinks that way."
I finally persuaded her to stop bugging me about it and she just would look at my coyly whenever I was with Kiev. Stepping into our room, I found her on my bed. She was reading and asked without looking up, "Did he ask you to marry him?"
So much for that.
"Keri, what did we talk about?" I asked, sighing. "Don't bother me about it."
"You didn't give me an answer."
"No, he did not."
"Thank you," she muttered, and set down her battered book. Sitting up, she crossed her legs and watched me pull out our money box. I counted the money and groaned. Barely enough for what we needed for the week. Thank goodness for the royal quarters assignment, I thought. I shoved the box back under our bunk and sat down next to Keri.
"I got the prince's quarters again," I told her.
She glanced sharply up at me. "If he or the princess offers that job again, will you take it?"
I thought about it. The lack of money was stressful, Keri was growing far too fast for our salaries to keep up with. Her shoes were worn out and her dresses seemed smaller each day. Finally I answered, "Perhaps. We need the money."
She grinned and gave a little squeak of joy. "Yay! I wonder what the palace looks like-"
"Whoa," I interrupted, "don't get your hopes up. I turned them down last time, they might not offer again."
She looked down at her hands, then back up at me. "Yeah, but it could happen!"
"It's doubtful."
She frowned at me then sighed. "Okay…"
I pat her head and stood. "I've got to go do a few things, if I miss dinner, save me some food."
-Eli-
I watched the bundled up party, a girl, her parents, and my uncle, down in the snowy gardens from my window. Another prospective wife and queen, another girl that would leave the castle without any desire to marry me. No girl ever stayed at the castle for very long. I soon was giving up hope.
"Eli, you mustn't worry so much. I have a good feeling about this one."
I looked back at my cousin, who was sitting at the little table that was set in my quarters. Her eyes showed concern, a worried expression most of the castle wore these days around me. Another trip to the manor, away from all of the courtiers, officials, lessons, and rules, was something I welcomed quickly.
I stomped my foot, saying, "No, Lucy. It won't be any different. Her parents will decide I am going to fail as king. They won't want their daughter caught up in all kinds of messes if my reign goes bad. You know everybody's opinions and beliefs. An adopted prince is bad luck. Taboo."
She shook her head. "It'll be alright. Don't you have any faith in yourself? You'll only fail if you believe you will."
"I suppose I should start thinking I'm going to be great, then I'll fail, because I never thought I would last this long, and look at me. I only wish your little philosophy worked." Eli! Gosh, that statement didn't help at all… Watch your tongue closely!
"See? You've made it this far. You'll be fine being king."
I rolled my eyes. "Sure. You believe what you wish."
I turned back to watch the party in the gardens. The father of the girl was shaking his head, and he looked at his wife. She seemed to nod in agreement, and my uncle nodded in return. The mother and daughter curtsied and the father bowed. The father led the two women from the gardens, leaving my uncle watching them leave.
"They declined, Lucy."
She appeared at my side. She was silent, then said, "It seems so."
"Seems? Seems? I doesn't seem soIt is so," I retorted. I threw my hands in the air and left the window to sit at the table.
She knew not to chase the subject after a declining, but sat next to me, inquiring of the upcoming trip the manor. It did not lighten my mood, but she knew nothing of what I had gone through there, only that I had almost found her a new lady in waiting.
"Perhaps that young woman would like to take the position as my lady in waiting if I approached her myself," Lucy mused. "What do you think?"
"She's awfully stubborn," was my reply.
"Perhaps I can attempt at befriending her."
I sighed, she wasn't about to give up on Amethyst. "You haven't met her."
"And that is why I should befriend her!"
"Lucy, just give it up," I moaned. "Please."
She raised her eyebrows at me, suspicious. "You seem saddened even more that this subject has been brought up," she noted. "How much time did you spend with the girl?"
"Everyday during the time she was supposed to attend cleaning my quarters," I groaned.
She nodded. "You are fond of her, but she did not enjoy your company."
I growled at her. "It's none of your business, why must you insist on chasing these things?"
"I'm sorry, Eli. I didn't realize it was such a sore spot for you," she said quietly, yet she was laughing deeply at me.
I shook my head. "Whatever." I stood up and glared. "You believe what you will, but I am going to write my father."
Suddenly serious, she stood and started for the door. Pausing at the door handle, she turned to me. "You really won't tell me?"
"There's nothing to tell you."
She stared at me blankly for a second, then left without a word. I sighed exasperatedly, then flopped on my bed. I had no intention of writing my father, it was merely an excuse to get Lucy from my rooms. I had no power to make her leave otherwise. My stomach growled angrily and I reluctantly sat up. Normally, I would have waited rather than interact with the servants, but there was no reason not to. Being at the manor changed my manner of thinking towards servants.
I strode into the kitchen, which I found to be vacant. I sat at the small table placed in a corner. I waited for the cook to return for about a half hour, but he didn't show up. Looks like I'll have to wait for dinner, I thought grimly.
Heading towards the library, I ran into my uncle. "Eli!" he exclaimed. "There you are!"
I nodded. "The girl said no, didn't she?"
Uncle seemed surprised I went straight for the bad news, but he replied, "Yes, she did. I tried my best."
I gave him a half smile; I knew he felt badly about not being able to get me a wife. "It's okay, you did your best."
"Have any suggestions on what to do?" he asked. "I've ran out."
I bit my lip thoughtfully. Perhaps it would be better if the person did not know I was the prince… "A masquerade!"
Raising his eyebrows, he laughed, saying, "How is that to help us?"
I leaned against the wall. "Well, it would be easier if the girl didn't know it was me that they were falling in love with. We could have a series of balls over a few nights for the ending winter holidays, the start of spring. Hard working servants could get a reprieve and come, too, if they had costumes." I sighed. "What do you think?"
Uncle seemed skeptical. "And if you fall in love with a servant?"
"She would have to be awfully special and well-disguised. Servants wouldn't be hard to pick from the nobles as soon as they begin to speak. They have a different accent than us," I replied after some thought.
"Then why invite them at all?" he asked logically.
Really, I hoped Amethyst would attend. I would pick her out and I would make her fall in love with me, make her see I'm not just a prince. The rest of the servants and lower class could feel connected to the royalty, a feeling of chance that one of them could land as queen to their nation. However, my uncle could not be told of Amethyst. "To give them a sense of trust in me as their future king. They would feel more connected to me."
The old king grinned happily and proudly. "Spoken like a true leader."
"Thank you." Reluctantly, I smiled. I suppose I could possibly be a good leader…
