They arrived in the kitchen, and just as Larkin had predicted, only a
few servants sat eating on one end of the room. Larkin sat Talia down at a
table and sat across from her. "Now, tell me what they said."
Talia took a deep breath and shuddered. "They said the Goddess has a hand on me, that she's watching over me!" She whispered this as quietly as possible.
Larkin stared at her. "What?"
"They said the Goddess is watching over me because I'm going to do something big." She felt her cheeks turning red because of Larkin's stare. "They said they'll have to keep an eye on me."
"You're joking," he said. Talia understood his disbelief. She barely believed it herself.
"No." Her voice was small.
Larkin looked at his hands, flat on the table in front of him. She could see him struggling with what to say. Finally, he looked up. "I don't know what to say. I guess it must be true, because the Lioness and Numair Salmalín said it. They should know."
Talia smiled. "You're right." Then, she remembered what she had told them, and she smiled disappeared. She knew she had to tell Larkin. She wanted to so much. "I have to tell you something."
"Sure. What could be more surprising than what you already said?" Larkin replied lightly.
Talia gulped. "Yes. Um.. I.." Just get it out! she yelled at herself. "The reason I'm only a servant here for two weeks is because I'm a rogue and I was caught stealing and this is my punishment," she blurted. She hid her face in her hands, afraid of his reaction.
"You're a rogue?" she heard him exclaim. "I've never met a rogue before."
She looked up. "You aren't mad?"
Larkin stared at her, a smile touching his lips. "Of course not. I mean, it's a little surprising. You don't seem like the type of person who would.. do that." He hesitated. "But.. it's your way of making a living, even if it's dishonorable." He grinned. "It's not like I'm going to think any less of you."
Talia breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you would. Thank Mithros you won't. But, don't tell anyone, please? Not even Parvy."
"Sure." He suddenly stood. "Well, now that I know, I'd better get to work. I wasn't supposed to wait this long, but I'll just say I was running an errand for a noble."
Talia also stood. "Thanks for understanding," she whispered. Larkin gazed at her for a moment, and she blushed.
"I'm glad you came here, Talia. You make everything I'm used to seem so.. insignificant. It's time for a change." He grinned and clasped her shoulder. Then he let go and left the kitchen.
Talia could still feel the warmth of his hand. She watched him go, unmoving. He had reacted so differently than she'd imagined. Why did he make her blush so easily? And anyways, what did she care what he thought of her? She shook her head at her silliness. It was time to go back to Ingrid.
~~~~
It was the next day, and Talia's second full day at the palace. She was beginning to tolerate the fact that she would be there for two weeks. She even thought that they might be two enjoyable weeks. She found that she was expecting herself to miss the life of a rogue, and miss stealing from people, but she just didn't. She was happier not having to do those "dishonorable" things, as Larkin put it. But she was a rogue! Shouldn't she miss that life?
She tried not to worry about it at lunch as she joked with Parvy and Larkin. The latter acted no different towards her after finding out who she really was, and for this she was relieved. "What do you want to do now?" Parvy was asking as they all finished eating.
"Let's not go to the practice yards again. I wouldn't want to accidentally run into Lord Thom or Lady Alanna again," Talia said with a shudder. At breakfast when Parvy asked what Lord Numair said last night, she had only told him that they couldn't figure out what was different about her, since she didn't have the Gift. This answer seemed to satisfy him, so she didn't have to say anything more.
"Is there any part of the palace you want to see?" Larkin asked her. They put away their plates and went out into the corridor.
"I never really thought about it," she admitted. "Anything really interesting that you think I should see?"
"Everything is really interesting!" Parvy exclaimed. "You like animals?"
"Sure. I love cats. My family has three, but they're never around," she said.
"How about the royal menagerie?" Parvy asked. "The king had it made a few years ago. It's amazing. The animals' exhibits are so much like their real homes."
"That would be great!" Talia said with a grin. So they made their way to the menagerie. They spent the rest of their free time there, and just as Parvy had said, it was amazing. Talia had never seen most of the animals she saw, and had heard of only half of them. Their homes were just like their habitats. They looked so happy and natural.
The rest of the day was work, then supper, and then even more work. Ingrid came in to tell her that she was running an errand, and when she came back Talia could stop for the day. Talia watched her go, then breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it was almost over. She hated this work. It was horribly boring.
The door opened, and Talia sat up straighter, expecting a servant to come in and ask for a something. But to her great shock and horror, Wes stepped lightly into the room and shut the door behind him.
"Wes!" Talia yelped. She jumped down from her chair and stared at him. He was grinning, and his blue eyes were bright.
"I've come to rescue you lady, on the orders of your family," he said jokingly, his voice low.
Talia could only stare at him. He was the last person she'd been expecting to see. "But.. what? How?" she stuttered.
"When your family got your letter about you bein' here, they sent me to come get you out. I easily snuck into the palace and pretended I was a servant. I learned from some man where the linens room was. Apparently, there are four of them, but luckily this was the first one I checked. So come on, let's get you out of here." He motioned towards the door. "Before that lady comes back."
"But, that's wrong! I should stay and serve my punishment. It's not that bad, anyways," she argued. Wait! she yelled at herself. Why am I arguing to not leave? Why don't I just go? It's not like I want to stay.. or do I?
Wes was laughing. "This is barely punishment. These people won't even miss you! No one will come after you. You're only a girl. Your family is worried and wants you home. Come on!"
Talia franticly looked around, as if the air could tell her what to do. She didn't know! Stay, or leave? "Wes.. I.."
~~~~
muhahahaha! what will she do?? I know, evil of me. please review!
Talia took a deep breath and shuddered. "They said the Goddess has a hand on me, that she's watching over me!" She whispered this as quietly as possible.
Larkin stared at her. "What?"
"They said the Goddess is watching over me because I'm going to do something big." She felt her cheeks turning red because of Larkin's stare. "They said they'll have to keep an eye on me."
"You're joking," he said. Talia understood his disbelief. She barely believed it herself.
"No." Her voice was small.
Larkin looked at his hands, flat on the table in front of him. She could see him struggling with what to say. Finally, he looked up. "I don't know what to say. I guess it must be true, because the Lioness and Numair Salmalín said it. They should know."
Talia smiled. "You're right." Then, she remembered what she had told them, and she smiled disappeared. She knew she had to tell Larkin. She wanted to so much. "I have to tell you something."
"Sure. What could be more surprising than what you already said?" Larkin replied lightly.
Talia gulped. "Yes. Um.. I.." Just get it out! she yelled at herself. "The reason I'm only a servant here for two weeks is because I'm a rogue and I was caught stealing and this is my punishment," she blurted. She hid her face in her hands, afraid of his reaction.
"You're a rogue?" she heard him exclaim. "I've never met a rogue before."
She looked up. "You aren't mad?"
Larkin stared at her, a smile touching his lips. "Of course not. I mean, it's a little surprising. You don't seem like the type of person who would.. do that." He hesitated. "But.. it's your way of making a living, even if it's dishonorable." He grinned. "It's not like I'm going to think any less of you."
Talia breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you would. Thank Mithros you won't. But, don't tell anyone, please? Not even Parvy."
"Sure." He suddenly stood. "Well, now that I know, I'd better get to work. I wasn't supposed to wait this long, but I'll just say I was running an errand for a noble."
Talia also stood. "Thanks for understanding," she whispered. Larkin gazed at her for a moment, and she blushed.
"I'm glad you came here, Talia. You make everything I'm used to seem so.. insignificant. It's time for a change." He grinned and clasped her shoulder. Then he let go and left the kitchen.
Talia could still feel the warmth of his hand. She watched him go, unmoving. He had reacted so differently than she'd imagined. Why did he make her blush so easily? And anyways, what did she care what he thought of her? She shook her head at her silliness. It was time to go back to Ingrid.
~~~~
It was the next day, and Talia's second full day at the palace. She was beginning to tolerate the fact that she would be there for two weeks. She even thought that they might be two enjoyable weeks. She found that she was expecting herself to miss the life of a rogue, and miss stealing from people, but she just didn't. She was happier not having to do those "dishonorable" things, as Larkin put it. But she was a rogue! Shouldn't she miss that life?
She tried not to worry about it at lunch as she joked with Parvy and Larkin. The latter acted no different towards her after finding out who she really was, and for this she was relieved. "What do you want to do now?" Parvy was asking as they all finished eating.
"Let's not go to the practice yards again. I wouldn't want to accidentally run into Lord Thom or Lady Alanna again," Talia said with a shudder. At breakfast when Parvy asked what Lord Numair said last night, she had only told him that they couldn't figure out what was different about her, since she didn't have the Gift. This answer seemed to satisfy him, so she didn't have to say anything more.
"Is there any part of the palace you want to see?" Larkin asked her. They put away their plates and went out into the corridor.
"I never really thought about it," she admitted. "Anything really interesting that you think I should see?"
"Everything is really interesting!" Parvy exclaimed. "You like animals?"
"Sure. I love cats. My family has three, but they're never around," she said.
"How about the royal menagerie?" Parvy asked. "The king had it made a few years ago. It's amazing. The animals' exhibits are so much like their real homes."
"That would be great!" Talia said with a grin. So they made their way to the menagerie. They spent the rest of their free time there, and just as Parvy had said, it was amazing. Talia had never seen most of the animals she saw, and had heard of only half of them. Their homes were just like their habitats. They looked so happy and natural.
The rest of the day was work, then supper, and then even more work. Ingrid came in to tell her that she was running an errand, and when she came back Talia could stop for the day. Talia watched her go, then breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it was almost over. She hated this work. It was horribly boring.
The door opened, and Talia sat up straighter, expecting a servant to come in and ask for a something. But to her great shock and horror, Wes stepped lightly into the room and shut the door behind him.
"Wes!" Talia yelped. She jumped down from her chair and stared at him. He was grinning, and his blue eyes were bright.
"I've come to rescue you lady, on the orders of your family," he said jokingly, his voice low.
Talia could only stare at him. He was the last person she'd been expecting to see. "But.. what? How?" she stuttered.
"When your family got your letter about you bein' here, they sent me to come get you out. I easily snuck into the palace and pretended I was a servant. I learned from some man where the linens room was. Apparently, there are four of them, but luckily this was the first one I checked. So come on, let's get you out of here." He motioned towards the door. "Before that lady comes back."
"But, that's wrong! I should stay and serve my punishment. It's not that bad, anyways," she argued. Wait! she yelled at herself. Why am I arguing to not leave? Why don't I just go? It's not like I want to stay.. or do I?
Wes was laughing. "This is barely punishment. These people won't even miss you! No one will come after you. You're only a girl. Your family is worried and wants you home. Come on!"
Talia franticly looked around, as if the air could tell her what to do. She didn't know! Stay, or leave? "Wes.. I.."
~~~~
muhahahaha! what will she do?? I know, evil of me. please review!