She passed by the stairs, which were blocked by Ret's friends. The one at the bottom of the stairs cracked his knuckles, and snarled. Kella quickly picked up her pace, not wanting to meet that fist.
Her home lay at the other end of the castle. As she walked, she noticed how she could be the only one walking down the busiest streets, without running into a single soul. Everyone was along the castle walls. Even the rats seemed to be missing. She clenched her fists. It had been her dream to see one of the knights. And today would have been her day, if it hadn't been for Ret.
Ret.
Ret and Kella had been close friends a long time ago.
Kella smiled, remembering her first day in the castle.
Her mother had come here, when Kella was two. She had come, looking for a job. The nobles of the castle took pity on them, and gave Kella's mom a job as a servant of the household. Kella had been five at the time.
The nobles had given them someone to show them around, so they would know of every nook and cranny that could be of some use. They had given them Ret, another servant, as a guide.
Everyday, as Ret came to show them around, he would always talk to Kella. At first it was simple things, such as her name, age, her likes, or her dislikes. After awhile, they turned into whole conversations. Ret became Kella's first, and only, friend.
As the years went by, they grew closer and closer, until they were inseparable. They would sneak away from their jobs to play pranks on others. Once in awhile, they would sneak into the training grounds, where pages and squires were taught hand-to-hand combat, archery, fighting with a staff, and sword fighting. It was a dream of Ret's to become a knight. But, as he was a servant, the closest he could ever be to becoming one, was by watching the others train.
But then, Kella got a rare opportunity. On her thirteenth birthday, the nobles approached her and told her that there was an opening for a lady in waiting. They wanted Kella to be a lady in waiting for their youngest, Rhona, who was eight years old. Kella's mother had made her except.
Kella, not knowing the first thing of being a lady in waiting, had to go into 'training'. Her 'training' took up all of her time. This made Ret believe that she thought that he was in a too low of a station to be her friend. He started going to the pub a lot. There he met a bunch of drunkards. He must've found a way to convince them to follow his every command.
Kella tried with all her might to get his friendship back, but, no matter what she did, he just tormented her.
Being so caught up in her own thoughts, Kella did not see a plank of wood that lay in her way. She was thrown down to the ground, as she tripped over it.
Snarling, she pushed herself off of the ground. Trying to get revenge, she kicked the wood. She jumped up and down, holding her throbbing toes.
She continued on her way home, trying to get her temper under control. Her mom had a way of knowing if something was wrong.
Kella walked up to the small place that she called home. The roof leaked, the door hung crooked, and the walls sagged. But it was the only home that she could ever remember. And pretty soon, she would be leaving it, to go live with Rhona so she could wait on her constantly.
Walking through the door, she saw her mother bent over a small fire, trying to keep warm. Looking up, she said, "What's wrong?"
Kella sighed. It had been no use to try to hide it from her mother. She sat down next to her mother, and just shook her head, not wanting to talk about it.
"You didn't get to see any of the knights, did you?" Naturally, her mother was right. Kella was an open book written in a language that only her mother could read.
"Well, I told you that it would not be worth it. Even if you could see anything, it's not like it would change your life. You would forget about it after three weeks."
Before she could protest, her mother's eyes grew big.
"What is all this on you?! Hay?! And how did you rip your dress? Ladies in Waiting always keep up a good appearance, to honor their Lords or Ladies."
Kella looked down. She hadn't realized that she had ripped her dress. It must've happened when she had tripped over the wood.
Sighing, she left the room to go change. She had to go up to the castle again, to finish her 'training'. "It does not do to show up messy. You could loose your great opportunity." Her mother's words went through her mind. She shuddered. Her mother would have a heart attack, if Kella lost her place. Kella didn't even want the position, but she went through with it for her mother's sake.
She closed her eyes and thought, 'It's too bad that I've no one to laugh with. Things have been so tough lately. Things would be different if Ret and I were-"she ended her thoughts quickly and found another dress.
Her home lay at the other end of the castle. As she walked, she noticed how she could be the only one walking down the busiest streets, without running into a single soul. Everyone was along the castle walls. Even the rats seemed to be missing. She clenched her fists. It had been her dream to see one of the knights. And today would have been her day, if it hadn't been for Ret.
Ret.
Ret and Kella had been close friends a long time ago.
Kella smiled, remembering her first day in the castle.
Her mother had come here, when Kella was two. She had come, looking for a job. The nobles of the castle took pity on them, and gave Kella's mom a job as a servant of the household. Kella had been five at the time.
The nobles had given them someone to show them around, so they would know of every nook and cranny that could be of some use. They had given them Ret, another servant, as a guide.
Everyday, as Ret came to show them around, he would always talk to Kella. At first it was simple things, such as her name, age, her likes, or her dislikes. After awhile, they turned into whole conversations. Ret became Kella's first, and only, friend.
As the years went by, they grew closer and closer, until they were inseparable. They would sneak away from their jobs to play pranks on others. Once in awhile, they would sneak into the training grounds, where pages and squires were taught hand-to-hand combat, archery, fighting with a staff, and sword fighting. It was a dream of Ret's to become a knight. But, as he was a servant, the closest he could ever be to becoming one, was by watching the others train.
But then, Kella got a rare opportunity. On her thirteenth birthday, the nobles approached her and told her that there was an opening for a lady in waiting. They wanted Kella to be a lady in waiting for their youngest, Rhona, who was eight years old. Kella's mother had made her except.
Kella, not knowing the first thing of being a lady in waiting, had to go into 'training'. Her 'training' took up all of her time. This made Ret believe that she thought that he was in a too low of a station to be her friend. He started going to the pub a lot. There he met a bunch of drunkards. He must've found a way to convince them to follow his every command.
Kella tried with all her might to get his friendship back, but, no matter what she did, he just tormented her.
Being so caught up in her own thoughts, Kella did not see a plank of wood that lay in her way. She was thrown down to the ground, as she tripped over it.
Snarling, she pushed herself off of the ground. Trying to get revenge, she kicked the wood. She jumped up and down, holding her throbbing toes.
She continued on her way home, trying to get her temper under control. Her mom had a way of knowing if something was wrong.
Kella walked up to the small place that she called home. The roof leaked, the door hung crooked, and the walls sagged. But it was the only home that she could ever remember. And pretty soon, she would be leaving it, to go live with Rhona so she could wait on her constantly.
Walking through the door, she saw her mother bent over a small fire, trying to keep warm. Looking up, she said, "What's wrong?"
Kella sighed. It had been no use to try to hide it from her mother. She sat down next to her mother, and just shook her head, not wanting to talk about it.
"You didn't get to see any of the knights, did you?" Naturally, her mother was right. Kella was an open book written in a language that only her mother could read.
"Well, I told you that it would not be worth it. Even if you could see anything, it's not like it would change your life. You would forget about it after three weeks."
Before she could protest, her mother's eyes grew big.
"What is all this on you?! Hay?! And how did you rip your dress? Ladies in Waiting always keep up a good appearance, to honor their Lords or Ladies."
Kella looked down. She hadn't realized that she had ripped her dress. It must've happened when she had tripped over the wood.
Sighing, she left the room to go change. She had to go up to the castle again, to finish her 'training'. "It does not do to show up messy. You could loose your great opportunity." Her mother's words went through her mind. She shuddered. Her mother would have a heart attack, if Kella lost her place. Kella didn't even want the position, but she went through with it for her mother's sake.
She closed her eyes and thought, 'It's too bad that I've no one to laugh with. Things have been so tough lately. Things would be different if Ret and I were-"she ended her thoughts quickly and found another dress.