i won't both with the disclaimers anymore. if you really want to sue me,
just look at the disclaimer on the first chapter!
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Talia was silent as the guards led her through the building. She was going to be judged now for her crimes. The merchant walked scowling behind her. He had called the guards of the Lord Provost and they'd arrested her. Now she would be sentenced. She wanted to cry so badly, but she kept the tears inside.
They proceeded into a large room. A serious looking man sat behind a podium. He stared at her. "Crime?" he said in a deep voice. Talia couldn't tell who he spoke to.
"She was stealing from my shop!" the merchant replied.
"What's your name and age?" This question was obviously directed at Talia.
"Talia. I'm eleven," she replied in a shaking voice. The laws were less strict for younger children. She was small, so she hoped she could get away with it.
The man behind the podium directed his hard gaze at the merchant. "She's only eleven? What did she take?"
"A bunch of rings and scarves. I had only left my shop for a moment, but when I came back she was in there, taking things. There was another one with her, but she escaped," the merchant said angrily.
"Have you reclaimed your stolen goods?" The merchant nodded. "Then I will sentence Talia to work at the palace for two weeks." The man nodded his head in finality. Talia felt herself being pulled away by the guards, but her mind was buzzing. What kind of punishment was that? What kind of work would she do at the palace?
She was pulled back out into daylight and put on a horse. "You will have work for two weeks at the palace as a servant," a guard told her. "You will have no contact with any noble. You will get to send one letter home to tell them your situation." The three guards with her each mounted their own horses and started off, leading her horse by the reins. Talia couldn't think straight. She had been expecting the worst punishment, but all she was getting was this? The Goddess must favor her.
They rode through Corus. The guards spoke amongst themselves, but they kept an eye on Talia. They rode up to the palace around sunset. Talia let her mind go blank. She only followed the instructions of the guards as they led her through the palace. They took her to a room full of towels and blankets and left her there with a stern looking woman.
The room was quiet. Talia was shaking with fear as the woman looked her over. "In trouble, are we?" she said finally. "You'll be helping me wash and hand out these linens for, what, two weeks?" Talia nodded, too dazed to lie and say any less. "You won't be paid, of course. This is punishment. But you look young, so I'll go easy on you." Talia just nodded. "You'll stick with me. We're going to the kitchen for our supper now. You'll share a room with me." The woman led her from the room and through the brightly lit corridor. "Oh, and my name's Ingrid, by the way."
"I'm Talia," she replied, finally able to do something other than nod. They arrived at a large kitchen. On one side were long tables. Some people already sat at them, eating.
"This is where the servants eat," Ingrid said. She led Talia to a line of people waiting for their food. They received a plate piled with chicken and beans. Ingrid led Talia to a table where two woman and a man already sat.
"Who's this?" one of the women asked, pointing at Talia.
"She's helping me for two weeks as punishment for stealing," Ingrid replied.
The other stared at Talia. "Stealing?" the man said. "Well, don't you dare try to take anything from this palace. You'll get a much worse punishment for that." The four adults turned away from her. She sat staring at her food. Although she hadn't eaten since the morning, she wasn't one bit hungry.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared over her plate, and she looked up. A young man was sitting across from her. He was smiling kindly. "New here?" he asked.
Talia nodded. "But I'm only here for two weeks." She studied the young man. He had dark brown hair and eyes of the same color. They were kind and understanding. "How old are you?" she couldn't help but ask.
"Fifteen." He's the same age as Wes, was the first thought that popped into her mind. "What's your name?" he asked her.
"Talia."
"I'm Larkin," he said with a smile. He looked so kind and friendly that Talia wanted to cry. Finally someone that looked like she could like. Everyone else was so cold and unfriendly. He was someone she could definitely become friends with. As long as he didn't find out the reason she was being a servant for two weeks. He couldn't know she was a rogue.
~~~~
ok, so maybe they would never actually punish someone like that, but I had to get her into the palace somehow. R/R!
~~~~
Talia was silent as the guards led her through the building. She was going to be judged now for her crimes. The merchant walked scowling behind her. He had called the guards of the Lord Provost and they'd arrested her. Now she would be sentenced. She wanted to cry so badly, but she kept the tears inside.
They proceeded into a large room. A serious looking man sat behind a podium. He stared at her. "Crime?" he said in a deep voice. Talia couldn't tell who he spoke to.
"She was stealing from my shop!" the merchant replied.
"What's your name and age?" This question was obviously directed at Talia.
"Talia. I'm eleven," she replied in a shaking voice. The laws were less strict for younger children. She was small, so she hoped she could get away with it.
The man behind the podium directed his hard gaze at the merchant. "She's only eleven? What did she take?"
"A bunch of rings and scarves. I had only left my shop for a moment, but when I came back she was in there, taking things. There was another one with her, but she escaped," the merchant said angrily.
"Have you reclaimed your stolen goods?" The merchant nodded. "Then I will sentence Talia to work at the palace for two weeks." The man nodded his head in finality. Talia felt herself being pulled away by the guards, but her mind was buzzing. What kind of punishment was that? What kind of work would she do at the palace?
She was pulled back out into daylight and put on a horse. "You will have work for two weeks at the palace as a servant," a guard told her. "You will have no contact with any noble. You will get to send one letter home to tell them your situation." The three guards with her each mounted their own horses and started off, leading her horse by the reins. Talia couldn't think straight. She had been expecting the worst punishment, but all she was getting was this? The Goddess must favor her.
They rode through Corus. The guards spoke amongst themselves, but they kept an eye on Talia. They rode up to the palace around sunset. Talia let her mind go blank. She only followed the instructions of the guards as they led her through the palace. They took her to a room full of towels and blankets and left her there with a stern looking woman.
The room was quiet. Talia was shaking with fear as the woman looked her over. "In trouble, are we?" she said finally. "You'll be helping me wash and hand out these linens for, what, two weeks?" Talia nodded, too dazed to lie and say any less. "You won't be paid, of course. This is punishment. But you look young, so I'll go easy on you." Talia just nodded. "You'll stick with me. We're going to the kitchen for our supper now. You'll share a room with me." The woman led her from the room and through the brightly lit corridor. "Oh, and my name's Ingrid, by the way."
"I'm Talia," she replied, finally able to do something other than nod. They arrived at a large kitchen. On one side were long tables. Some people already sat at them, eating.
"This is where the servants eat," Ingrid said. She led Talia to a line of people waiting for their food. They received a plate piled with chicken and beans. Ingrid led Talia to a table where two woman and a man already sat.
"Who's this?" one of the women asked, pointing at Talia.
"She's helping me for two weeks as punishment for stealing," Ingrid replied.
The other stared at Talia. "Stealing?" the man said. "Well, don't you dare try to take anything from this palace. You'll get a much worse punishment for that." The four adults turned away from her. She sat staring at her food. Although she hadn't eaten since the morning, she wasn't one bit hungry.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared over her plate, and she looked up. A young man was sitting across from her. He was smiling kindly. "New here?" he asked.
Talia nodded. "But I'm only here for two weeks." She studied the young man. He had dark brown hair and eyes of the same color. They were kind and understanding. "How old are you?" she couldn't help but ask.
"Fifteen." He's the same age as Wes, was the first thought that popped into her mind. "What's your name?" he asked her.
"Talia."
"I'm Larkin," he said with a smile. He looked so kind and friendly that Talia wanted to cry. Finally someone that looked like she could like. Everyone else was so cold and unfriendly. He was someone she could definitely become friends with. As long as he didn't find out the reason she was being a servant for two weeks. He couldn't know she was a rogue.
~~~~
ok, so maybe they would never actually punish someone like that, but I had to get her into the palace somehow. R/R!