After my brother died, my father slowly went crazy. He wouldn't eat or
sleep, and certainly didn't impregnate my stepmother. All he thought about
was who could of done something that horrible. He blames it on the peasants
and the visits yearly stopped. About two months after my brother was buried
we were sitting at the large oak table and eating supper. He cleared his
throat and we all looked up.
"I am going on a trip," he started. I raised my eyebrows in surprise but said nothing. My stepmother on the other hand wasn't so tactful.
"Why? If you are gone how will I buy pretty jewels and take care of the marriage arrangements for my daughter?" she demanded. The girls chimed in agreement.
"I need to go find the man responsible for the death of my son," he told her. She pouted.
"It's been months Papa, will you still find him?" I asked quietly. I didn't want him to leave but knew he had to, and I wasn't one to be selfish.
"I must or I will drive myself to death with wonder," he explained.
"For God's Sake then just do it! I will be a wealthy widow and can offer a dowry for my daughters that would attract even a prince!" my stepmother yelled. My father looked over at her and his face grew red.
"Woman, marrying you was the biggest mistake in my life, even more so than going to that village where my son died. You are a spoiled selfish bitch and no man would want your pitiful and ugly daughters even for all the gold in the world," he spoke quietly but his words pierced my stepmother and she stood up.
"Well, I regret the day I ever spread my legs for you," she retorted and swept out of the room, her daughters following her in tears. I thought that was a pathetic answer but that was all my stepmother was at the time...pathetic.
"Papa that was cruel!" I exclaimed. Even if I hated them I would never be that cruel.
"Sydney, that woman is a shrew and I wish I never met her," he said quietly. He stood up and looked around. "I will go now, I can't take you and might never see you again. Come here and I will tell you a secret." I stood up and walked over to him. I wrapped him a big hug as tears were streaming down my face. He bent his head and whispered something to me that would later bring me much comfort. I nodded and backed off.
"Have a good journey Papa," I called to him as I ran out of the room in tears. I think I heard him murmur back "have a good life."
*******
"Get up you useless whore!" my stepmother slapped me with a broom and urged me to get out of bed. I sat up and blinked at her. She was standing at the end of my bed with her horrible daughters glaring down at me angrily.
"What the hell do you want?" I spat out angrily.
"Get up! Get out of those clothes, find some rags and get to work," she sneered at me. My eyes widened in disbelief. I had more a right to live in this house than she did!
"I think my dearest stepmother that the roles are reversed!" I informed her coldly. She laughed at me and her despicable daughters joined in.
"No my dear, you are my responsibility and if I want you to lick the chamber pots you need to do it. It is the newest law proclaimed by our dear decript king." she looked at me smugly and I looked up in horror and defeat. I dragged myself out of bed and then stripped off my clothes in front of them while they looked on. To humiliate me further she forced me to walk to the servant's wing naked and open to any who passed by. My heart was ripped out when the servants glanced away and hung their heads in shame and pity for me. I was of noble blood and they felt pity for me! I couldn't let my head fall or that would mean my stepmother would win.
We got to the servants wing and she forced me to put on a coarse cloth that scratched my soft skin and then we walked back to my room and she took all of my rich and beautiful clothes and gave them to Adele and Martha! Even though they wouldn't even fit them. She put all my shoes in a sack and took my fur coat and commanded me to walk with her. I followed behind her and we went outside. She threw all my beautiful shoes and coat into the pigsty!
"If you still want them, you can get them yourself," she sneered and turned to walk away. Then she paused and flipped her head back to me. "Whose daughter is pitiful now?" she laughed cruelly and went back inside. I stood outside next to the pigpen, with tears streaming down my face and shaking with anger. Luckily spring was almost here and I didn't really need my fur cloak but the nerve of that wretched woman! I saw one of the maids come out to meet me.
"Miss! Madame told me to come and get you; today she said you would work in the laundry. Oh that is awful, it will ruin your soft hands and no one will be able to tell you are noble," she gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. "I didn't mean it like that, miss. I am so sorry!" she bowed and begged forgiveness.
"Calm down, Sarah. That is your name is it not?" I asked. The girl nodded. "Okay then Sarah let's go to the laundry and see what must be done? I assume you are to accompany me?" She nodded again and we set off. Sarah began to chatter endlessly now that I hadn't punished her. But, then again there wasn't a reason to, she only stated the truth and I always thought it was pointless to punish someone who spoke it.
We reached to laundry and I gasped when we walked in. The air was so hot and sticky and oh the smell was dreadful! It smelled of people and cleaning powders. "Why doesn't it smell like the perfume we use on our clothes?" I asked puzzled. Sarah looked at me and smiled.
"That is done after we clean and air these. Do you want me to do your washing so you don't spoil your hands? That is her plan you know?" Sarah offered and I thought it was sweet but I didn't want anyone's pity. I would do this all by myself.
"No thank you but that is very sweet of you to offer. I will remember you when Papa comes home and the witch is gone," I promised and then rolled up my sleeves. Then I spent the rest of the day with my hands in scalding hot water with the smelly, abrasive soap that I never knew the servants had to use to clean the dresses of my family. Funny thing was, why did they spend so much time cleaning them, my stepmother and stepsisters just sat around all day and rarely even walked around, their clothes wouldn't be dirty. Then again, just the essence of them was enough to ruin any fabric, I just hoped it wouldn't ruin me.
******* Every day for the next week she woke me up with a broom. The only difference was I wasn't in my soft bed with silk sheets. I stood up groggily to wait what she would have me do. She made me go clean laundry for the past week and even though she desperately wanted it to spoil my hands it didn't. She was irritated and didn't think I was actually doing my work, and stood and watched me for the entire day, adding more and more of that awful soap to my load. Yet they stayed white and soft.
"You will get up by yourself from now on. If I have to come get you one more time I will have you severely whipped is that understood?" she snapped in my face.
"Whatever," I replied rubbing the sleep away from my eyes. When I could see clearly I saw that her face was turning a bright purple and she was going to yell. But she didn't instead she stopped and laughed haughtily in my face.
"Today, you can clean out the stables, and then the barn and then all of the chimneys need to be seeped out," she informed me and I nearly stuck out my tongue but stopped myself in time, which is good, since I'm sure I saved myself a beating!
"You want me to do all of that today?" I asked in disbelief.
"Oh that is right why don't you work all night too? Get more work done. Then wash up the smell. You need to make Adele a new dress for the royal ball," she sniffed.
"What royal ball?" I asked slightly mimicking her tone but if she noticed she didn't show it.
"There is a ball in two days for all the woman to come. It is one of twelve balls. At each one the woman attend. Then if the pass inspection they receive an invitation to the next and so on. Honestly don't you know anything about your country?" she asked me in a disapproving tone.
"Dear stepmother how could I when I am your slave locked away to do your work?" I retorted sarcastically.
"That is quite enough of that talk. Get to work!" I trudged out of the small room and went outside to begin my torture. Tears rolled down my cheeks, because if Papa were here, I would be going to the ball and not that witch and her ugly daughters!
"I am going on a trip," he started. I raised my eyebrows in surprise but said nothing. My stepmother on the other hand wasn't so tactful.
"Why? If you are gone how will I buy pretty jewels and take care of the marriage arrangements for my daughter?" she demanded. The girls chimed in agreement.
"I need to go find the man responsible for the death of my son," he told her. She pouted.
"It's been months Papa, will you still find him?" I asked quietly. I didn't want him to leave but knew he had to, and I wasn't one to be selfish.
"I must or I will drive myself to death with wonder," he explained.
"For God's Sake then just do it! I will be a wealthy widow and can offer a dowry for my daughters that would attract even a prince!" my stepmother yelled. My father looked over at her and his face grew red.
"Woman, marrying you was the biggest mistake in my life, even more so than going to that village where my son died. You are a spoiled selfish bitch and no man would want your pitiful and ugly daughters even for all the gold in the world," he spoke quietly but his words pierced my stepmother and she stood up.
"Well, I regret the day I ever spread my legs for you," she retorted and swept out of the room, her daughters following her in tears. I thought that was a pathetic answer but that was all my stepmother was at the time...pathetic.
"Papa that was cruel!" I exclaimed. Even if I hated them I would never be that cruel.
"Sydney, that woman is a shrew and I wish I never met her," he said quietly. He stood up and looked around. "I will go now, I can't take you and might never see you again. Come here and I will tell you a secret." I stood up and walked over to him. I wrapped him a big hug as tears were streaming down my face. He bent his head and whispered something to me that would later bring me much comfort. I nodded and backed off.
"Have a good journey Papa," I called to him as I ran out of the room in tears. I think I heard him murmur back "have a good life."
*******
"Get up you useless whore!" my stepmother slapped me with a broom and urged me to get out of bed. I sat up and blinked at her. She was standing at the end of my bed with her horrible daughters glaring down at me angrily.
"What the hell do you want?" I spat out angrily.
"Get up! Get out of those clothes, find some rags and get to work," she sneered at me. My eyes widened in disbelief. I had more a right to live in this house than she did!
"I think my dearest stepmother that the roles are reversed!" I informed her coldly. She laughed at me and her despicable daughters joined in.
"No my dear, you are my responsibility and if I want you to lick the chamber pots you need to do it. It is the newest law proclaimed by our dear decript king." she looked at me smugly and I looked up in horror and defeat. I dragged myself out of bed and then stripped off my clothes in front of them while they looked on. To humiliate me further she forced me to walk to the servant's wing naked and open to any who passed by. My heart was ripped out when the servants glanced away and hung their heads in shame and pity for me. I was of noble blood and they felt pity for me! I couldn't let my head fall or that would mean my stepmother would win.
We got to the servants wing and she forced me to put on a coarse cloth that scratched my soft skin and then we walked back to my room and she took all of my rich and beautiful clothes and gave them to Adele and Martha! Even though they wouldn't even fit them. She put all my shoes in a sack and took my fur coat and commanded me to walk with her. I followed behind her and we went outside. She threw all my beautiful shoes and coat into the pigsty!
"If you still want them, you can get them yourself," she sneered and turned to walk away. Then she paused and flipped her head back to me. "Whose daughter is pitiful now?" she laughed cruelly and went back inside. I stood outside next to the pigpen, with tears streaming down my face and shaking with anger. Luckily spring was almost here and I didn't really need my fur cloak but the nerve of that wretched woman! I saw one of the maids come out to meet me.
"Miss! Madame told me to come and get you; today she said you would work in the laundry. Oh that is awful, it will ruin your soft hands and no one will be able to tell you are noble," she gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. "I didn't mean it like that, miss. I am so sorry!" she bowed and begged forgiveness.
"Calm down, Sarah. That is your name is it not?" I asked. The girl nodded. "Okay then Sarah let's go to the laundry and see what must be done? I assume you are to accompany me?" She nodded again and we set off. Sarah began to chatter endlessly now that I hadn't punished her. But, then again there wasn't a reason to, she only stated the truth and I always thought it was pointless to punish someone who spoke it.
We reached to laundry and I gasped when we walked in. The air was so hot and sticky and oh the smell was dreadful! It smelled of people and cleaning powders. "Why doesn't it smell like the perfume we use on our clothes?" I asked puzzled. Sarah looked at me and smiled.
"That is done after we clean and air these. Do you want me to do your washing so you don't spoil your hands? That is her plan you know?" Sarah offered and I thought it was sweet but I didn't want anyone's pity. I would do this all by myself.
"No thank you but that is very sweet of you to offer. I will remember you when Papa comes home and the witch is gone," I promised and then rolled up my sleeves. Then I spent the rest of the day with my hands in scalding hot water with the smelly, abrasive soap that I never knew the servants had to use to clean the dresses of my family. Funny thing was, why did they spend so much time cleaning them, my stepmother and stepsisters just sat around all day and rarely even walked around, their clothes wouldn't be dirty. Then again, just the essence of them was enough to ruin any fabric, I just hoped it wouldn't ruin me.
******* Every day for the next week she woke me up with a broom. The only difference was I wasn't in my soft bed with silk sheets. I stood up groggily to wait what she would have me do. She made me go clean laundry for the past week and even though she desperately wanted it to spoil my hands it didn't. She was irritated and didn't think I was actually doing my work, and stood and watched me for the entire day, adding more and more of that awful soap to my load. Yet they stayed white and soft.
"You will get up by yourself from now on. If I have to come get you one more time I will have you severely whipped is that understood?" she snapped in my face.
"Whatever," I replied rubbing the sleep away from my eyes. When I could see clearly I saw that her face was turning a bright purple and she was going to yell. But she didn't instead she stopped and laughed haughtily in my face.
"Today, you can clean out the stables, and then the barn and then all of the chimneys need to be seeped out," she informed me and I nearly stuck out my tongue but stopped myself in time, which is good, since I'm sure I saved myself a beating!
"You want me to do all of that today?" I asked in disbelief.
"Oh that is right why don't you work all night too? Get more work done. Then wash up the smell. You need to make Adele a new dress for the royal ball," she sniffed.
"What royal ball?" I asked slightly mimicking her tone but if she noticed she didn't show it.
"There is a ball in two days for all the woman to come. It is one of twelve balls. At each one the woman attend. Then if the pass inspection they receive an invitation to the next and so on. Honestly don't you know anything about your country?" she asked me in a disapproving tone.
"Dear stepmother how could I when I am your slave locked away to do your work?" I retorted sarcastically.
"That is quite enough of that talk. Get to work!" I trudged out of the small room and went outside to begin my torture. Tears rolled down my cheeks, because if Papa were here, I would be going to the ball and not that witch and her ugly daughters!