Tess gave the plate in front of her the evil eye. With barely contained rage, she pushed the plate away and said, "I asked for a four-minute egg, not four one-minute eggs!! Go back to the kitchen and get me my eggs!"
Louise had a dull look on her face as she took back the plate. "I'll fix them right away, ma'am." She then trudged back to the kitchen.
Rodmilla was buttering her bread as Tess went through her daily morning spat. She eye twitched slightly as she listened to Tess scream. She forced a patient smile for her daughter. Tess was her pride and joy. Rodmilla had great plans for Tess. Soon, they would go off to court where she was sure that Tess would sweep that Prince Max off his feet.
"Tess, darling, what do I keep saying about a lady's voice?" Rodmilla asked patiently.
Maria took the chance to answer as she buttered her third piece of bread. "A lady's voice ought not to be above the hum a gentle whisper," she said, her voice becoming softer with each word. As Maria looked up, she suddenly wished she hadn't.
Tess was giving her a nasty look for answering in the first place. The two sisters had never really gotten along too well. Ever since they were little, their mother had always favored Tess because of her blonde locks. All Maria ever got from Rodmilla were remarks about her weight.
Not that Maria was fat, or even over-weight at all, she just wasn't as thin as Tess. Of course, Tess barely had time to eat since she was always yelling at someone.
Rodmilla slammed her knife down on the table. "And you, Maria, should not eat so much! Put that down right now!" Maria was such a disappointment for Rodmilla. She lacked the drive that Tess had in husband-hunting and it didn't help that Maria was actually nice to Liz.
Maria reluctantly placed her piece of bread down. It wasn't fair, she was always being scolded for one thing or another. At least Rodmilla treated her better than Liz. Liz was supposed to be her sister, but was made to be a maid instead. "Where is the salt?" Rodmilla asked. Immediately, she rang out, "Liz! The salt!" Maria smiled weakly but felt sick inside.
Liz was just dashing inside to the kitchen when she heard Rodmilla's familiar beckoning. "Coming!" she called up. Ten years of serving Rodmilla had made her stronger but she was still as beautiful as any courtesan was. Liz still maintained her thick mane of hair which she usually pulled back on top to keep out of the way.
"She's in one of her moods again, isn't she?" Liz asked Louise. Louise was the only servant still left in the house. Maurice had just been sold last week and Louise was heartbroken over the loss of her husband. Louise, Maurice, and Liz had all begged Rodmilla not to do it and Maria had even joined in, much to the surprise of Liz. However, Rodmilla had ignored them all, muttering something about how she had to pay taxes and they should all be grateful she was taking matters into her capable hands.
"Does the sun rise in the east each morning, mistress?" Louise replied, trying to act cheerful.
Liz beamed back at her old friend and couldn't keep the happiness out of her voice. "Yes, it does, Louise, and it is going to be a glorious day!" And with a small squeal, Liz dumped the gold coins out of her apron.
"Glory, child, look at all those feathers!" Louise gasped, staring at the coins. She had never seen so much money in front of at once. She barely even registered Liz's joyful hug. But Liz's next words caught her attention once more.
"And I know exactly what to do with this money," Liz told her seriously.
Louise hardly dared to believe it. "Maurice?" she asked with tears in her voice. "But Rodmilla has sold him off to the Americas – that barbaric place." Louise shuddered at the very thought.
Liz had found out that Rodmilla had sold Maurice off to the King – who had immediately sold him and the rest of the servants to Jacques Cartier, who was off to explore the new country America. It was a horrible fate and Liz knew she had to save her old friend.
"Liz!" Rodmilla's impatient voice wafted down.
"One moment!" Liz cried back as she ran to the block of salt. She shaved some pieces into a bowl as she continued talking to Louise. "If Rodmilla sold him, then surely I can buy him back. Don't worry, I will save him."
"We're waiting!!" Rodmilla bellowed. Back upstairs, Maria was thinking, 'What happened to having a lady-like voice?'
In the kitchen, Liz was about to dash upstairs when Louise ran to her and dumped the coins back into her apron pocket. "You better hide these well, mistress, or they're as good as hers."
Liz had her arms loaded down with Tess's eggs, the salt, and more loafs of bread as she entered the dining room. She put on a smile as she greeted her family. "Good morning, step-mother, Tess, Maria. I trust you've all slept well."
Maria nodded and started to ask how Liz was when Rodmilla interrupted. "What kept you?"
Liz thought secretly to herself, 'Well, I met a handsome prince who took our horse.' Instead, she quickly racked her brain for an excuse. "Umm…I fell of the ladder in the orchard," she blurted out, "But I am better now."
As Liz placed the bowls down on the table, some pieces of ash that was on her dress fell on the crisp, white tablecloth. "Someone's been reading by the fireplace again. Look at you, all cinders and soot. Why don't you sleep with the pigs if you insist on smelling like one, Cinder-soot?" Tess asked snidely.
Liz was angered by Tess. 'Why don't you try working eighteen hours a day and see how you like it instead of sleeping in until noon?' she thought silently. She knew better than to speak back - she had learned that the hard way. A few years back, she and Tess had gotten into a spat, which Tess had started, and Rodmilla had had Liz's back whipped twice. Liz had learned to hold her tongue from that experience.
"That was harsh, Tess," Rodmilla rebuked half-heartedly. She took Liz's arm and pulled her away to take a look at her. She took in Liz's dirty dress and torn apron. "However, your appearance does reflect some … crudeness. Tell me, how can I help?"
Liz was taken aback by this, dare she say, kindness. Hope started to rise in her. "I do try, Stepmother," she started. "Sometimes I sit and think of ways to please you…"
Rodmilla grew impatient and released Liz's arm. She made a small noise of disgust and turned back to her breakfast. "Honestly, child, you talk to much. You may go."
Liz turned reluctantly but then gathered her courage. Hesitantly, she asked, "Maybe if we brought back Maurice, I would not displease you so much."
Rodmilla slammed her hand onto the table, delicately of course so that she would not bruise it. "It is your manners that displeases me, Liz! I have housed you, fed you, and clothed you all these years. All that I have asked in return is that you do some simple chores for me. That is not so much to ask for, is it? Now there will be no more talk of bringing back servants."
Liz knew that there was no way to convince Rodmilla to bring back Maurice. "No, ma'am."
"Go." Rodmilla impatiently waved her hand. She turned to her daughters and complained, "Honestly, all that I have done is never enough." She took a bite of her eggs and made a face. "The eggs are cold."
*giggles nervously* Hehehe. Hi! Umm...for those of you who remember me posting this oh-so-long ago, I apologize for making you wait for what? 2, 3 months? I'M SORRY!! I really am! For a while I stopped writing and when I continued, I kinda forgot to post here at FF.Net. Sorry!
But good news, I have like 3 new parts for you to read! I hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave feedback! It means the world to me if you do! Thanks to everyone who has left me a message before, I honestly do appreciate it!