Chapter 5
"Oh, look. 'Tis the wench, 'is 'ighness the prince's whore," a voice called as Keelin entered the chamber. She could hear loud, raucous laughter from the other scullery women.
"Perhaps when 'is 'ighness is finished with 'er, I could 'ave me a go," one of the servant men suggested. He came up on her from behind, placing an arm around her waist and attempting to plunge his hand down her bodice. He leered at her and she was sickened by the few black, rotten teeth that were left in his head. His breath was rancid and his body smell was even worse.
"Unhand me," she commanded, eyes blazing. The man brought back many terrifying memories of the earl and she could feel her anger begin to blaze into a blinding rage.
"Nay. Give us a kiss first so I can sees what makes you worthy of royalty," the man said.
Suddenly, everything went red. Keelin slammed her elbow back into the man's groin with as much force as she could muster. He howled in pain and attempted to grab her by the neck, but she evaded his grasp. He fell to the floor and she kicked him soundly in the groin for good measure. Then she turned on the women.
"Who wishes to call me the prince's whore to my face?" she challenged. She could see the shock and fear on the faces of the other women. "I am no man's whore!" she shouted, her fists clenched at her sides.
"What's going on in 'ere?" asked a cold voice, cutting through the tension in the chamber. Keelin turned and saw the ugly, fearsome woman who had led her to the scullery the day before, the woman whose name she now knew to be Nan. Keelin could feel all of her anger begin to dissipate, but she held onto it to give her strength.
"The bitch attacked me," groaned the man on the floor.
"Pity you 'ave been beat by a woman," Nan replied. The other women tried to stifle their laughter, succeeding when Nan turned her evil eye on them. She then turned to Keelin.
"What right did you 'ave to attack this man?" she asked, her voice like ice.
Keelin drew herself up, refusing to yield to the woman. "He attempted to violate me after these women called me His Highness the prince's whore."
"Well, are you?" Nan demanded.
"Am I what?" Keelin asked, uncomprehendingly.
"Are you 'is 'ighness's whore?"
"I am no man's whore," Keelin said, repeating her earlier defense. She spoke through clenched teeth. "And I do not know what gave these women the idea that I am."
"It may be because you seem to be quite a favorite with the prince," Nan said, sarcastically. "'e rescued you from The Earl of Essex and then 'ad 'is own physician attend you. And as if 'is 'ighness's physician were not enough for your delicate constitution, 'er Majesty sent 'er maids to attend you."
"I saw 'er talkin' to 'is 'ighness in the corridor yesterday," another woman piped up.
"There you are," Nan said, simply. "These women do not take kindly to servants what try to live above their station. We do not tolerate servants what think they are too good to scrub 'is 'ighness's plate."
"I think nothing of the sort," Keelin said, her voice low and angry. "You may work me to the bone, force me to do the most disgraceful of tasks, and I will never feel as if I am too good for your work. I know my place in this world."
"Then do not forget it," Nan said, hissing the words right into Keelin's face. Keelin refused to flinch and the woman eventually backed off, giving Keelin an evil smile. "I think you will make a fine serving wench tonight, once you 'ave finished with your chores as a scullery maid, mind you. Tonight, you shall serve 'is 'ighness and the knights."
The other women snickered. They would normally give their eyeteeth to serve the prince and the knights, but they found it funny to think of Keelin demeaning herself that way. She could see that they were convinced that she had designs on the prince and that she would be humiliated by having to serve his dinner. She felt no humiliation, as she did not consider herself as anything more than a mere servant to the king, so she did not feel any sort of work was beneath her station. However, her anger flared at the thought of having to do double duty. She knew that Nan had intended this punishment to be twofold. Keelin suspected that Nan somehow knew that she was still weak and couldn't help but feel that the woman was trying to work her to death.
"Very well," Keelin answered, holding her chin straight. She turned away from Nan and ignored the other kitchen woman. She went to work promptly, scrubbing the crockery and goblets vigorously. For now, the exercise helped to work off some of her anger, but she knew that it would not be long before the weariness would overtake her. Still, she would fight it off. She had survived horrors worse than this in the house of Essex and she now knew that she was strong. She was determined to survive this new test.
Still, it did make her sad that the other women hated her so much. She had hoped to find a friend in the castle, but it seemed that her situation, which had inspired pity among the peerage, merely inspired a sense of jealousy among the peasants. While they deeply admired the prince for showing such care for a mere peasant, they despised her for being the object of his generosity. Keelin knew that it was every peasant woman's secret dream to capture the heart of a man of wealth and property who would rescue her from the drudgery of peasant life. To even think of capturing the heart of a prince was unspeakable. It was no wonder to her that their attacks against her were so vicious. Still, she wished that they had the sense to see that she had no designs on the prince. Even if she had, she knew that there was no chance that he could ever feel that way about her. He was a prince and was used to fine, beautiful, and noble ladies. Moreover, to fall in love with a servant would disrupt the natural order of things. Keelin knew that the prince would never allow that to happen. Indeed, she felt that he would have to be a fool to do so. Such an event would compromise the security and happiness of his country and that was something no king or prince should ever risk.
By the time her shift as scullery maid was to end and her shift as a serving wench was to begin, Keelin was nearly faint with fatigue. She knew in the dark corners of her mind, those places she tried her best to ignore, that she should not have begun working as early as she had. She was much weaker than she would allow herself to admit. However, she was determined to bend her body to her will and so she ignored her fatigue as she lofted an enormously heavy tray onto her shoulder. She had served The Earl of Essex before, so she knew what to do. For that, she was grateful.
Naturally, Nan had decided that Keelin would serve the prince and the most important knights of the realm. The dinner was always held at long, rectangular tables, with the prince and the best knights seated in the middle of the head table. The setup allowed the knights to have regular entertainment, which meant that Keelin would have to wind her way through minstrels, players, and other various and assorted entertainers as she served the prince and his knights. She took a deep breath and walked into the great dining hall, winding her way through the entertainers, her ears ringing from the raucous laughter and song of the knights. She carried her tray to the prince and knelt very low before him.
"Long live His Highness," she said. She placed the tray before him on the table and then bowed before him again. She then took his goblet and began to fill it with wine. He picked it up and drank from it, waving his hand in a careless gesture at her. She was relieved to see that he paid her no attention and she went about her chores as swiftly and unobtrusively as she could.
She was just about to turn from the table and go to get her next tray when the huge, dark knight who had been the source of her escape the day before noticed her. His eyes grew wide and he turned to say something in the prince's ear, causing the prince to look up. As his eyes met hers, she could see the surprise in them.
"Your Highness," she said, bowing to him quickly and turning away swiftly. She did not want to allow him the chance to speak to her.
She hurried from the great hall and back to the kitchen, her heart racing. What was it about the man that intimidated her so? She had always been afraid of The Earl of Essex because of his cruelty, but she had never felt quite so intimidated by the status of him and his friends. Of course the prince held a position that was infinitely higher than that of the former earl, but she knew it was more than that. For some reason, she felt as if she were going to jump out of her skin every time he was near. That was highly unusual for her, as she had prided herself on her skill at being unmoved by the events in her life. She had learned to turn off her emotions while living with the earl, but every time she was near the prince, it was as if her thoughts and feelings were in an utter turmoil. She was afraid that they would bubble over.
As much as she was loath to admit it, she could see that Nan's punishment for her had worked, although not quite the way that Nan had hoped. She was not humiliated to be serving the prince's dinner. As a servant, she expected to do such things. She was, however, extremely on edge at the thought of having to go near him again. Her anxiety was almost torturous and it took her several minutes before she was able to calm herself enough to carry out the second tray. She knew that it was going to be a very, very long night.
*****
Rhain could hardly believe his eyes. He was dining with Edwyn and the other knights as usual when Edwyn leaned over and whispered to him that their serving wench was the very girl that the prince had rescued from the earl. He had barely even noticed that there was even a serving wench present before him. He rarely thought about such things. He simply took it for granted that his plate and cup would always be full.
As he turned his head, he caught the girl's eye. He could see a brief look of agitation on her face, which was hidden when she swept into a quick, low bow, muttered something to him, then turned and quickly moved off through the throng of entertainers. He did not even have a chance to say anything to her.
"Why is she serving us tonight?" Edwyn asked. "She is not the regular serving wench."
"Nay indeed," the prince said, frowning.
"Is she to serve us now?"
"I know not. I asked her last night if she was happy with her work. I wonder that she did not complain."
"Perhaps she feels that she is in her proper place."
"I suppose that may be true, but it seems strange to me. I did not expect to see her made one of my mother's ladies-in-waiting, yet I did not expect to see her serving my dinner."
"Well, now I see what you were saying last night," Edwyn said to him. "She looks most sickly indeed. I am surprised that she can lift the weight of her tray. She looks as though a good wind would blow her away. I do not think I have ever seen such a thin girl in all my life."
"'Tis strange indeed. She claims she is quite well, yet she cannot possibly be so. I fear she may work herself to death."
Edwyn frowned. "I believe you must speak to her soon. If something should happen to her, you would lose a valuable source of information about Mordrid."
"Indeed, I will tell her that I must speak to her. Then you and I will discuss a course of action."
Edwyn nodded approvingly. "That is kinder. She will talk to you because she knows she must. Once all is said, she may return to her life as normal."
As Edwyn spoke, Keelin reappeared in the chamber. She looked deathly pale and, although she held her head up resolutely, she stumbled as she crossed the chamber. Rhain could now tell that she was indeed much more ill than she would allow. It was imperative that he talked to her right away, lest she fell ill again and fail to survive the second illness.
As she set the second tray down, Keelin's body swayed for just the slightest second. She bowed before him and would have hurried off once again, but he beckoned her closer with a gesture. He saw her wring her hands for a split second before she leaned closer to him.
"What is Your Highness's wish?" she asked. Her voice trembled slightly, making Rhain frown.
"I wish to speak with you," he said to her.
"To speak with me?" she repeated.
"Aye. I wish to speak with you about your former master."
"I have nothing more to tell Your Highness," she said, her voice taking on a nervous edge. She was visibly agitated now.
"Do not fear," he said to her, his voice gentle. "I will speak with you after I have dined. You will meet me in the same corridor as yesterday." He spoke the last sentence gently but firmly, letting her know that there was to be no argument with his wishes.
"As Your Highness wishes," she said, bowing before him and hurrying off to the kitchen once again.
Rhain was quiet and thoughtful for the rest of the meal. Keelin came and went several more times, looking worse each time than the last. It would be a severe blow to Rhain if he were to lose her. She was far too valuable a source of information, and he resolved to find her an easier position within the castle. He could not afford for something to happen to her.
When he was finished eating, Rhain turned to his friend to bid him farewell. "Wait for me in your chambers," he told Edwyn. "I will come to you when I have finished talking with the servant."
"Aye," Edwyn agreed.
The two men parted company and Rhain headed into the corridor to look for Keelin. He found her leaning against the wall, bracing herself against it as if she would fall without its support. She did not notice him right away, so he was able to observe her for a few seconds. Her skin looked pale and clammy with sweat. She raised a trembling hand to her face and wiped at her eyes and forehead. Her chest heaved mightily, as if she were having trouble breathing.
"Why is it that you lied to me?" he asked, making his presence known at last. Her head whirled to the side and she licked her cracked lips nervously.
"Li-lied to you? I-I mean, Your Highness," she said, looking horrified at the slip. She immediately sunk into a low bow. He watched as she pulled herself up. It was obvious that she was in a good deal of pain.
"Aye, I wish to know why you saw fit to lie to me about the state of your health." He leveled his gaze with hers, pinning her with his eyes.
"I am quite well, I assure Your Highness," she said. She smiled tremulously, but he was not at all fooled.
"You are not well at all," he replied. "In fact, you look as if you will soon meet your death if you continue this way."
"Please, Your Highness. I am of no concern," she said.
Rhain frowned deeply and beckoned for her to follow him. "I wish to speak to you privately," he said.
She followed, but stayed a very respectful distance behind him. As he glanced at her over his shoulder, he could see that she could barely keep herself on her feet. Her body swayed back and forth and she stumbled nearly every other step. He led her into the chamber that he used as his study. A fire had already been laid, which he was glad to see.
"Sit down," he told her, pointing to a stiff, wooden chair.
"But I..." she began to protest.
"Do as I say," he said, his voice coming out somewhat harsher than he had intended. She looked stricken at his tone and her body began to tremble violently. He felt a slight twinge of guilt, but shook it off. "I need to speak with you about something very important."
Biting her lower lip, she sank into the chair at last. As she sat, he could see her entire body relax, as if she was almost boneless, and he realized that she must be nearly sick with fatigue. He decided to get right to the point. He had tried being nice to her, but she had continued to evade him. He had to know what she knew and he would get her to tell him, at any cost.
"I am going to ask you some questions about the former Earl of Essex and you will answer me honestly," he told her, his voice firm.
"I have already answered Your Highness's questions as honestly as I could," she replied, her voice quavering.
"I require more information," Rhain replied. She opened her mouth to protest, but he raised a finger to silence her. "Let us begin at the very beginning," he said.
"Pray, Your Highness, have mercy. I have toiled all day and am very weary. I have nothing more to add to my story and my only desire is to be allowed to return to my chamber." Her voice sounded very, very tired and he wondered if perhaps this was not a good time to press her.
"Very well then," he replied. "I shall give you leave but I shall seek you again soon and I expect you to tell me everything there is to tell," he told her in his most commanding voice.
"Your Highness is most merciful and kind," Keelin said. She slid from her chair and onto her knees on the floor. She reached out and took up the hem of his cloak, kissing it. She rose and, as she left the chamber, Rhain saw her sway and nearly fall. However, she managed to hold herself upright and walk out of his chamber.
It was obvious from her state that the girl could not last much longer. Rhain knew that he would have to act immediately. He would see to it himself that she obtained a less strenuous position. He called one of his servants into his chamber and ordered the man to tell the mistress of the scullery that Keelin was to be removed and made a seamstress immediately.
Rhain felt satisfied with himself, certain that his show of kindness and favor would lead her to him with the information he wanted. If not, he could simply wait until she was in better health so that he could personally interrogate her.
