thanks for the reviews, everybody. it makes me feel that this is worth
writing :) ok, on to chapter 5!
~~~~
Parvy and Larkin dropped Talia off at the linens room. Ingrid was inside, folding a pile of towels. She glowered at Talia. "So you finally decided to come back. I was afraid you ran away."
Talia shook her head. "I would never do that!"
Ingrid just rolled her eyes and began to explain how things worked in the linens room and what Talia would be doing. A little while later, she was finished. "Now I've been told you have a letter to write to your family."
Talia remembered the guards saying something like that. But what could she say in such a letter? Ingrid fetched her paper and an ink pen, and left her alone. Talia picked up the pen and stared at the paper. How could she begin? Her parents would be furious to learn that she had been caught. But they were probably very worried about her right now. She'd been gone since noon that day, and the letter would probably not be delivered until tomorrow. They needed to know the truth.
So finally she wrote: Mother and Father, Lalo most likely told you that I was caught stealing from a merchant's shop. She got away, but I was not so lucky. My punishment is spending two weeks at the palace as a servant with no pay. I'm working in the linens room. All is well. Don't worry about me.
She blew the ink dry and folded the paper. "Ingrid?" she called. The woman appeared through a door opposite the one that led to the corridor. She grabbed the paper from Talia and stuck it into an envelope.
"I'll take this to someone to be delivered," Ingrid said. "You can go to bed now." Before Talia could ask any questions, she was gone.
Where could she go to bed? She didn't have anywhere to sleep, at least not that she'd been told of. Talia stood and wandered through the room. There was nothing interesting about it at all. But her eyes caught on the second door that she didn't know where it led. She went to it and opened it slowly. She sighed happily when she saw it was a tiny bedroom. All it held was one bed and a dresser. She opened the drawers of the dresser and found a couple servant dresses and set of underclothes. Obviously they were meant for her.
She sighed, fully realizing that she was stuck here for two weeks, and slumped into the bed. She was asleep almost as soon as her eyes closed.
~~~~
The next morning, Ingrid woke her bright and early (although she didn't know exactly how early it was because she had no windows, she knew it was early by her internal clock). Talia dressed and found her way to the kitchen where the servants ate. She filled her plate, suddenly ravenously hungry, and joined Larkin and Parvy at the table where they already sat. They greeted her cheerfully, and watched amazed as she stuffed her face with toast and jelly.
"Well, you certainly have a strange appetite," Parvy declared. "Last night, you barely ate anything, and now you're.. well, hungry!" Talia looked up, embarrassed, but the two boys were grinning.
"Has Ingrid been too hard on you?" Larkin asked. "We'll tell her off it you want."
Talia laughed, pleased that they would do that for her. "No, she'd been alright. But I haven't had to do any real work yet. I start today. I pass out towels and blankets to servants who clean rooms, and get dirty ones ready in baskets for the servants who pick them up to be washed. It sounds easy enough."
"Well, dusting is a joy! Sometimes it makes me sneeze," Larkin admitted.
Talia laughed. She liked Larkin's kind brown eyes and the way he smiled. Parvy said, "I best be going. I work with the tailor. He's even stricter than Ingrid, if that tells you anything. He'll sew my mouth shut if I'm late."
Talia laughed again and said goodbye as he left. "I don't have to worry about being late for dusting," Larkin said. "I can just pick up my duster anytime and go to my assigned rooms. It's an easy job."
"Sounds nice," Talia said, finishing the last of her toast.
"Uh oh, here comes Ingrid," Larkin said, pointing to the door. "Look like you were just leaving."
Talia stood, following his instructions, and said goodbye. "See you at lunch." She left the table and put her plate away.
"There you are!" Ingrid said as she approached. "I was just coming to get you. Don't take so long from now on." She led the way from the kitchen and to the linens room. Talia spent the rest of her morning there, passing out linens to servants. Some were kind and introduced themselves, while others just took their items and left. It was the most tedious, boring job Talia could have ever imagined. She had no idea how Ingrid survived doing it. When she questioned the woman on how long she'd been working here, she just snorted and replied, "Longer than you've been alive, I'm sure." Talia shuddered, imagining what that life would be like.
Finally, lunch rolled around, and Ingrid told her that she would have an hour free after she ate to do as she pleased. She was once again greeted by her two new friends, and learned that they also had some free time. "I know what we should do," Parvy said as they all finished eating. They deposited their plates and followed him through the palace and into what Larkin told her were the practice yards, where knights, squires, and pages could work on their fighting skills.
They stopped and looked around. "There!" Parvy exclaimed, pointing. "I knew that something interesting would be going on here." Talia followed his finger and found herself looking at an open dueling area. A crowd was gathered around two people dueling with swords. She and the boys joined the crowd to see who was fighting.
Someone is the crowd was whispering, "It's Sir Thom and Lady Alanna!" Talia gasped. It was the Lioness! Right in front of her! Wonder filled her as she watched the mother and son duel, their swords flashing through the air. It was quickly over, Alanna the clear superior, but that was to be expected. The two pulled off their gloves and shook hands, chatting quietly. The crowd slowly departed, servants rushing back to work and nobles having more important things to do. But Talia couldn't move. This seemed impossible. It would be quite a story to tell when she got home.
The lady knight and her son were coming towards Talia, Parvy, and Larkin. The three stood there, unspeaking, waiting for the nobles to pass. But Thom looked up and saw Talia. His eyes lit and he pointed, saying something to his mother. Alanna looked straight at Talia and smiled. Talia felt herself melting. This couldn't be happening.
The two knights stopped in front of her. "Talia, is it?" Alanna said. Talia almost gasped. She knew her name! "My son tells me that you are the daughter of Rowley Seaton. Rowley is a good friend of my husband's, and therefore a good friend of mine. I am very pleased to meet you. I never knew that he had a daughter. How is your father?"
Talia nodded, her mouth hanging open. "Good, he's good." I'm making a fool of myself, she thought, appalled. But she couldn't help it.
Alanna was looking strangely at her. She lightly touched a necklace that hung around her neck, her brow furrowed. "Do you have the Gift, Talia?"
Talia shook her head, forcing her mouth shut. What was she talking about?
Alanna frowned. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but shut it quickly. When she saw Talia looking worriedly at her, she smiled. "I'm sorry, it's just, there's something strange about you. Not in a bad way, but in a magical way. I can't explain it. I'm not sure what it is, but I know someone who could possibly figure it out. Would you like to come see him with me tonight?"
Talia could barely breath. Of course she couldn't refuse, but she was so confused. She slowly nodded. Alanna smiled. "Good. Come see me after supper tonight in Numair Salmalín's office. It was nice meeting you." Talia nodded, and Alanna and Thom walked away. Her mind was in an uproar. What just happened?
~~~~
yeah! this is getting good. I wonder what Numair will say.. review, please!
~~~~
Parvy and Larkin dropped Talia off at the linens room. Ingrid was inside, folding a pile of towels. She glowered at Talia. "So you finally decided to come back. I was afraid you ran away."
Talia shook her head. "I would never do that!"
Ingrid just rolled her eyes and began to explain how things worked in the linens room and what Talia would be doing. A little while later, she was finished. "Now I've been told you have a letter to write to your family."
Talia remembered the guards saying something like that. But what could she say in such a letter? Ingrid fetched her paper and an ink pen, and left her alone. Talia picked up the pen and stared at the paper. How could she begin? Her parents would be furious to learn that she had been caught. But they were probably very worried about her right now. She'd been gone since noon that day, and the letter would probably not be delivered until tomorrow. They needed to know the truth.
So finally she wrote: Mother and Father, Lalo most likely told you that I was caught stealing from a merchant's shop. She got away, but I was not so lucky. My punishment is spending two weeks at the palace as a servant with no pay. I'm working in the linens room. All is well. Don't worry about me.
She blew the ink dry and folded the paper. "Ingrid?" she called. The woman appeared through a door opposite the one that led to the corridor. She grabbed the paper from Talia and stuck it into an envelope.
"I'll take this to someone to be delivered," Ingrid said. "You can go to bed now." Before Talia could ask any questions, she was gone.
Where could she go to bed? She didn't have anywhere to sleep, at least not that she'd been told of. Talia stood and wandered through the room. There was nothing interesting about it at all. But her eyes caught on the second door that she didn't know where it led. She went to it and opened it slowly. She sighed happily when she saw it was a tiny bedroom. All it held was one bed and a dresser. She opened the drawers of the dresser and found a couple servant dresses and set of underclothes. Obviously they were meant for her.
She sighed, fully realizing that she was stuck here for two weeks, and slumped into the bed. She was asleep almost as soon as her eyes closed.
~~~~
The next morning, Ingrid woke her bright and early (although she didn't know exactly how early it was because she had no windows, she knew it was early by her internal clock). Talia dressed and found her way to the kitchen where the servants ate. She filled her plate, suddenly ravenously hungry, and joined Larkin and Parvy at the table where they already sat. They greeted her cheerfully, and watched amazed as she stuffed her face with toast and jelly.
"Well, you certainly have a strange appetite," Parvy declared. "Last night, you barely ate anything, and now you're.. well, hungry!" Talia looked up, embarrassed, but the two boys were grinning.
"Has Ingrid been too hard on you?" Larkin asked. "We'll tell her off it you want."
Talia laughed, pleased that they would do that for her. "No, she'd been alright. But I haven't had to do any real work yet. I start today. I pass out towels and blankets to servants who clean rooms, and get dirty ones ready in baskets for the servants who pick them up to be washed. It sounds easy enough."
"Well, dusting is a joy! Sometimes it makes me sneeze," Larkin admitted.
Talia laughed. She liked Larkin's kind brown eyes and the way he smiled. Parvy said, "I best be going. I work with the tailor. He's even stricter than Ingrid, if that tells you anything. He'll sew my mouth shut if I'm late."
Talia laughed again and said goodbye as he left. "I don't have to worry about being late for dusting," Larkin said. "I can just pick up my duster anytime and go to my assigned rooms. It's an easy job."
"Sounds nice," Talia said, finishing the last of her toast.
"Uh oh, here comes Ingrid," Larkin said, pointing to the door. "Look like you were just leaving."
Talia stood, following his instructions, and said goodbye. "See you at lunch." She left the table and put her plate away.
"There you are!" Ingrid said as she approached. "I was just coming to get you. Don't take so long from now on." She led the way from the kitchen and to the linens room. Talia spent the rest of her morning there, passing out linens to servants. Some were kind and introduced themselves, while others just took their items and left. It was the most tedious, boring job Talia could have ever imagined. She had no idea how Ingrid survived doing it. When she questioned the woman on how long she'd been working here, she just snorted and replied, "Longer than you've been alive, I'm sure." Talia shuddered, imagining what that life would be like.
Finally, lunch rolled around, and Ingrid told her that she would have an hour free after she ate to do as she pleased. She was once again greeted by her two new friends, and learned that they also had some free time. "I know what we should do," Parvy said as they all finished eating. They deposited their plates and followed him through the palace and into what Larkin told her were the practice yards, where knights, squires, and pages could work on their fighting skills.
They stopped and looked around. "There!" Parvy exclaimed, pointing. "I knew that something interesting would be going on here." Talia followed his finger and found herself looking at an open dueling area. A crowd was gathered around two people dueling with swords. She and the boys joined the crowd to see who was fighting.
Someone is the crowd was whispering, "It's Sir Thom and Lady Alanna!" Talia gasped. It was the Lioness! Right in front of her! Wonder filled her as she watched the mother and son duel, their swords flashing through the air. It was quickly over, Alanna the clear superior, but that was to be expected. The two pulled off their gloves and shook hands, chatting quietly. The crowd slowly departed, servants rushing back to work and nobles having more important things to do. But Talia couldn't move. This seemed impossible. It would be quite a story to tell when she got home.
The lady knight and her son were coming towards Talia, Parvy, and Larkin. The three stood there, unspeaking, waiting for the nobles to pass. But Thom looked up and saw Talia. His eyes lit and he pointed, saying something to his mother. Alanna looked straight at Talia and smiled. Talia felt herself melting. This couldn't be happening.
The two knights stopped in front of her. "Talia, is it?" Alanna said. Talia almost gasped. She knew her name! "My son tells me that you are the daughter of Rowley Seaton. Rowley is a good friend of my husband's, and therefore a good friend of mine. I am very pleased to meet you. I never knew that he had a daughter. How is your father?"
Talia nodded, her mouth hanging open. "Good, he's good." I'm making a fool of myself, she thought, appalled. But she couldn't help it.
Alanna was looking strangely at her. She lightly touched a necklace that hung around her neck, her brow furrowed. "Do you have the Gift, Talia?"
Talia shook her head, forcing her mouth shut. What was she talking about?
Alanna frowned. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but shut it quickly. When she saw Talia looking worriedly at her, she smiled. "I'm sorry, it's just, there's something strange about you. Not in a bad way, but in a magical way. I can't explain it. I'm not sure what it is, but I know someone who could possibly figure it out. Would you like to come see him with me tonight?"
Talia could barely breath. Of course she couldn't refuse, but she was so confused. She slowly nodded. Alanna smiled. "Good. Come see me after supper tonight in Numair Salmalín's office. It was nice meeting you." Talia nodded, and Alanna and Thom walked away. Her mind was in an uproar. What just happened?
~~~~
yeah! this is getting good. I wonder what Numair will say.. review, please!