Nelco De La Countess Dubronska: only daughter, mute.

Semorald day lor Senior Dubronska: Eldest son, in charge of Nelco.

Jonathan don Lordel Dubronska: middle son.

Renita de la Countess Dubronska: Mother, murdered.

Ronald lar fea Portagrate Dubronska: father.

Margaret: Maid, friend of Nelco's, about 35 by looks.

The Mute Night

Nelco sat up in her bed, staring at the dark, cold ceiling. Her new room was, like a cell. One small window that she could only reach her arm out of. The room had one rug in the center of the rectangular room. She had one dresser/closet. Her bed was a simple wooden, no posters bed. There was a quilt on the top and a feather bed. There were no pictures on the wall; she had an old red privy pot. She was expected to clean her own room as well as her stair case. She had the simple servant room, and thus she was in charge of the stairs. Her oldest brother was now in charge of her. She never said his name anymore; she simply called him, Him (in Jabby of course.

He had said she was too pampered, especially for someone who is simply a dead wait. He said, "Since you are Mute, and a week girl, you cannot be married off, making us lose money, no one will pamper you, you will earn your keep. You will help the cook". And he left the room. Nelco didn't care, she did that anyways. Her mother never liked to have people pampered.

Nelco started towards the kitchen of her new home. She was moved to a smaller castle, more of a big stone house, "so that she wouldn't be spoiled". Nelco didn't care either! Nelco ran down towards the stairs and sat down, and pushed her way down each and every step, making a "Thump!" at every step. By the time she had reached the bottom the servant maid, Flentic, was laughing so hard she was holding onto the cupboard for support.

"Now Nelco", Margaret said looking her straight in the eye, still drying her hands with the rag for the dishes, "That was pointless, now it will have to be repaired", said Margaret pointing at the dress Nelco was wearing. There was a hug rip in it, from the waste down. Her petticoats could be seen. Nelco blushed and started work with the dishes.

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"I expect you to continue your practice even though I won't be looking over your shoulder every five minuets" said Margaret as she handed Nelco her archer supplies.

'I will' Nelco wanted to say, but her hands were presently full of arrows. Margaret smiled at Nelco, her wrinkles showing from her years of smiles, her eyes wrinkled, and then she sighed and went back to work, her blue dress, white petticoats and apron following closely behind.

Nelco set up the target and walked back 25 paces. The round wood was fading as she walked away. The white and red lined, in a circle, were slowly turning more of a pink, so they blended. Nelco, finally after the 25 paces, looked back at the target and got her bow ready and put the arrow in the string and let go. The arrow whistled as it passed by. Nelco did five more in the liking. Then Nelco slowly walked up towards the target and looked at the arrow. The first one she shot, blue tip, had hit just a line out of the red circle. The second, purple stripe, hit the center, third, blue feather, missed the target, and the red wood and orange feathered one hit the center.

This meant that, Nelco doing the math in her head, she had to add 11 paces to her walk away. You see, every one that hit the center is worth 5 paces, that meant 15. Everyone that hit with in a line was worth 2, so that mean 17. And everyone that missed the target was worth a -6 paces, 11 paces in all. Nelco did the math and this time walked back 36 paces. She continued that way for about an hour.

Then she switched to swords play and practiced her swings. She continued this for about another hour. Then last of all, she had to pick up a Javal (Long stick used to push people off a horse, yes there are three names for it, I've only mentioned two). Her mother had filled it with little weights, so every time she could lift it, another weight was added. Then, her clothing all covered in dirt and sweat, Nelco walked into the house, went up to her room, and changed into a new red dress, simple and bland. She brushed her hair and put it into a bun.

"Why hello Nelco" said a voice from the Parlor. In it sat the cook that Nelco had eaten with just a week ago. The Queen sat in the corner of the room and smiled at her. She was the one who had spoken the greeting. The Queen wore a simple blue dress, almost identical to Nelco's, except made for someone with more of a curve and had a slight sleeve drape. Margaret smiled at Nelco and motioned for her to sit down.

"Ella and Mandy here came for a visit. So, how was your practice?" asked Margaret. 'Why are they here' wondered Nelco, but she set that thought aside and said, 'It's a pleasure to see you again, Your Royal Highness, Mandy'.

"No need for fancy titles here" said Ella kindly. Ella smiled a big, brood smile. And so the day went, boring to boringer to boringest! By the end of the day Nelco was exhausted between the several games she played with the Queen. They did jump rope, and other such things. The queen talked to her while she (the queen) was jumping, and expected her to answer! Yu see, they had gotten a main to hold the other end of the rope, and they were doing double dutch. It seemed the queen's favorite word game for jumping went like this,

Strawberry shortcake,

Cherry on top,

Who's my boyfriend?

I forgot,

Is it A, B, C, D, E, F,...

And she did that over and over. When she messed dup on say, a G, she would say her boyfriend was Garry.

Nelco, although she didn't dislike the queen, still didn't truly like her. She seemed to have a plan about Nelco that she wasn't telling her about, making Nelco uncomfortable. Nelco, after seeing the two off, went back into the kitchen and gave Margaret a glare.

Margaret smiled and said, "Glad to see you enjoyed yourself".

'Ha-ha' said Nelco in fake glee. 'I hated it, and when they tried to leave? What did you say again?'

Margaret just smiled and shook her head in a questionly way.

'I know what you said, you said' started Nelco but was stopped. Margaret had put something in her hands, making her unable to say anything.

Nelco stared at her ceiling, counting the many cracks in the stone. So far she had created a whole entire world out of the ceiling. The crack to the left of the narrow wind created the border of the ocean and land. The land was split up into seven territories, Oplank, Nerthlan, Longland, Revland, Junkshore, Plintaskiol, and Legolass haha. It was ruled by three king, two queens, and two you boys. But I could go on and on explaining all this, but I wont, the important thing is she was lonely.

Nelco finally got to sleep, after several hours of bordness.

"Sir Jerald, you have a letter from Semoroald", said a young voice from the top of the room. You couldn't tell what the room looked like. There was only one light, a small fire place. Everything else was in pitch blackness. From what you could see from the fire light there was one big soft chair and a wooden table. In the chair sat a man, about 18. He had dark brown hair, curt short, and he had a short beard. He looked Arabic.

"Yes", the man in the chair said, "Bring it over here and then leave and go home, after all, you don't want to waist your holiday." The messenger, simple lad, about 12, classic yellow hair and cut smiled, gave the letter a pranced out of the room. The Arabic man opened the letter:

Dear Senior Demorale Nicolas,

I am sorry to say that the King is close on my sent. I am happy to say, that as you have heard, it worked! And there is nothing you need to concern yourself with. Respond with speed,

Sincerely,

Semorald day lor Senior Dubronska

Nicolas grinned wickedly. He HAD already known it worked, but he didn't think it worked this neatly. When his fathers had tried to kill her and her husband and failed, it became the only thing his father thought about. Now, his son was getting it done. And gotten the son to help! He was a master mind. I would be bad when he had to kill him, but he had to have all of that family killed.

Nicolas quickly got out a pen and paper and wrote in response,

Dear Semorald day lor Senior Dubronska,,

I am glad to hear everything is doing well. But what about that loss end? I have been told that your mother left a loss end in the piece? Wasn't it there while it happened? Are there any scorch marks? You also might want to be a little less obvious with the girls.

Sincerely,

Senior Demorale Nicolas

What the letter REALLY meant was this,

Dear Semorald day lor Senior Dubronska,

I am glad our plan worked splendidly. But what about that one girl? I have been told the daughter was there. Did she see anything? She was there when it happened after all. Did she see anything, like your face? Does she suspect you, with your mother so calm when you came in and THEN increase in worry...? You also might want to make our letters more discreet. If someone had found that letter!

Respond with speed,

Senior Demorale Nicolas

Sorry it took me so long to update, I was on two soccer teams and... I know it was short, but I thought it would be good anyway... Reviews, ah, how I like them!

Reviewer

Date

Chapter

Type

lady gwen

2004-10-08

3

Anonymous

I love your story you better update!

Pussin Boots: I am sorry it took me SO long to update...

rl3

2004-10-05

3

Anonymous

Good story (except for the part where she loses her mother). wipes away a tear Please update soon! (Oh, i didn't catch how old Nelco is)

Pussin Botos: She was about 11/12.