AN: I am so sorry!!! This chapter has been way over due. My computer
deleted my entire story including this chapter plus I don't have a lot of
time to rewrite stuff. sigh. you probably don't care any way
Chapter 9
I couldn't tell who was more surprised me or the elderly farmer who discovered me in his hay wagon. Just my luck the farmer was superstitious.
"Back you demon!"
"What?" I asked groggily, still waking up "Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Who put straw in my bed? Where is my bed? Where am I?!" I was now wide-awake and panicking.
"Don't do anything tricky or I'll poke you with my pitchfork."
Not good. I had no clue where I was and some man was threatening to make me a human pincushion. Then I remembered and the events of last night came crashing back. Bursting into tears, I sat down. I wasn't paying attention but apparently the farmer lowered his pitchfork because the next thing I knew he was sitting next to me on the wagon offering me a handkerchief.
"I'm sorry" he apologized, " Your obviously not a demon just a lost little girl."
I didn't exactly like being called a little girl but I took the handkerchief anyway and wiped my tears away.
"There now that's better" the old man gave me a toothy grin from behind his gray beard. I tried to give a small smile back. The farmers seemed to be satisfied.
"Now I probably ought to take you back to the city"
"Back to the city?" I asked feeling extremely stupid after the words slipped out my mouth.
"I had been traveling for nearly three hours until I discovered you in the hay"
"I don't want to go back to the city," I decided out loud. The last person I wanted to see was Annette and for all I knew she was still looking for me in the city.
"You're a runaway"
"Yes," I answered slowly then continued, "Please take me with you"
"No, I am not mixing myself up with some little noble's daughter who decides to up and leave. Your father will be after you young missy."
I didn't correct the farmer. He didn't need to know my father was dead. I choked back tears and soon my grief was replaced by the overwhelming need to be practical. I guess Marta's upbringing comes in handy every once and a while. Reaching in the hay I found my stuffed blue bag. Quickly glancing to assure myself that shoes were safe I grabbed two gold coins. They better be enough because I'm not sure how much money I'm going to need to survive the rest of my life.
"Here" I offered him one coin, "I'll give you another once we reach a convenient place for you to drop me off."
The farmer hesitated, but only for an instant then snatched the coin.
"I'm delivering my hay to the winter palace. That's as far as you go."
I nodded in agreement.
************************
The Winter Palace was one day's travel from the city, at least by the main road. Most of the journey passed in silence for me, the farmer talked about his farm and his prize-winning hay. I never really paid to much attention. I was to busy piecing the broken shards of my life back together. My father had never really been there and he was an idiot for marrying Annette but he was still my father and I loved him. I suppose peace never comes easy after death and maybe never after murder. I would expose Annette eventually. Make her pay for her crimes. In the meantime I needed a way to live. Revenge would have to come later.
After a while I finally had a plan. Since I was already fairly skilled at the art of cooking and cleaning, I could probably pull off being a castle servant for a while. As foolish and childish as it was I couldn't' think of anything better. Perhaps it might even be fun. Who knows how many fairy stories where the princess runs away and ends up working at the castle only to meet her prince and live happily ever after? My thoughts jumped back to Terri, he was my prince even though he didn't know it and probably never would.
*********************************
"Well here we are" The farmer who's named turned out to be Ewan announced.
When we finally reached the Palace it was past sunset and I was tired. Stumbling out of the wagon I grabbed my blue bag.
"This is the castle?" I gasped.
"Palace," he corrected, "winter palace to be exact."
"Oh," was all I could reply. It looked like it had jumped straight out of a fairy tale. I had never seen anything so beautiful. It was made of some type of white stone that sparkled in the moonlight and one could see carvings of fairy's and far off worlds on the walls. If I owned a place like this I would never leave it.
"Where do I go for work?" I asked.
"Round back, here I'll take you"
I was still entranced by the breathtaking site. I bet Robbins would've had a fine time describing this place, Thinking about Robbins brought back painful memories. It seemed like ages ago but I guess it had only a couple weeks ago since I had that argument with Terri. I grinned to myself remembering his dramatic apology. He could always make me laugh. I wish he were here now.
"Hmm. . . so who are you?" snapped a plump middle aged women. I looked at her startled out of my thoughts. She was wearing a green dress complete with a floury white apron. Her hair was hidden behind a dark green kerchief.
"Ria," I said without thinking. Blast, I shouldn't have given her my real name, to late now. I added a curtsy out of habit.
"He," she said pointing a finger at the farmer, "says you want a job here ."
"Yes ma'm."
"What exactly can you do?"
"Uhh. . .cleaning, cooking, anything you need me to do really."
She glared at me and I blushed. Painfully aware of the hay covering me from head to toe. Finally she said, "You're in luck, cook fired the third assistant scullery maid today so now you've got a job missy."
"Thank you ma'm" I said dipping a slight curtsey again.
"Nice manners," she observed, "you might be suitable enough to serve in the banquet hall. Now get your things and I'll show you to your room. Then you need to clean yourself. You look like a haystack."
"Yes ma'm."
I hurried back to the cart and grabbed my bag. With a hasty thanks I handed Ewan the rest of his payment and ran back to towards the palace and my new life.
AN: Thanx so much for reading sorry this chapter is sooo boring but I needed to get places for the plot to continue. I wanted to give the farmer some type of accent but I have no idea hoe to write accents any suggestions would be great. Sorry for the wait. I'll shut up now.
Chapter 9
I couldn't tell who was more surprised me or the elderly farmer who discovered me in his hay wagon. Just my luck the farmer was superstitious.
"Back you demon!"
"What?" I asked groggily, still waking up "Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Who put straw in my bed? Where is my bed? Where am I?!" I was now wide-awake and panicking.
"Don't do anything tricky or I'll poke you with my pitchfork."
Not good. I had no clue where I was and some man was threatening to make me a human pincushion. Then I remembered and the events of last night came crashing back. Bursting into tears, I sat down. I wasn't paying attention but apparently the farmer lowered his pitchfork because the next thing I knew he was sitting next to me on the wagon offering me a handkerchief.
"I'm sorry" he apologized, " Your obviously not a demon just a lost little girl."
I didn't exactly like being called a little girl but I took the handkerchief anyway and wiped my tears away.
"There now that's better" the old man gave me a toothy grin from behind his gray beard. I tried to give a small smile back. The farmers seemed to be satisfied.
"Now I probably ought to take you back to the city"
"Back to the city?" I asked feeling extremely stupid after the words slipped out my mouth.
"I had been traveling for nearly three hours until I discovered you in the hay"
"I don't want to go back to the city," I decided out loud. The last person I wanted to see was Annette and for all I knew she was still looking for me in the city.
"You're a runaway"
"Yes," I answered slowly then continued, "Please take me with you"
"No, I am not mixing myself up with some little noble's daughter who decides to up and leave. Your father will be after you young missy."
I didn't correct the farmer. He didn't need to know my father was dead. I choked back tears and soon my grief was replaced by the overwhelming need to be practical. I guess Marta's upbringing comes in handy every once and a while. Reaching in the hay I found my stuffed blue bag. Quickly glancing to assure myself that shoes were safe I grabbed two gold coins. They better be enough because I'm not sure how much money I'm going to need to survive the rest of my life.
"Here" I offered him one coin, "I'll give you another once we reach a convenient place for you to drop me off."
The farmer hesitated, but only for an instant then snatched the coin.
"I'm delivering my hay to the winter palace. That's as far as you go."
I nodded in agreement.
************************
The Winter Palace was one day's travel from the city, at least by the main road. Most of the journey passed in silence for me, the farmer talked about his farm and his prize-winning hay. I never really paid to much attention. I was to busy piecing the broken shards of my life back together. My father had never really been there and he was an idiot for marrying Annette but he was still my father and I loved him. I suppose peace never comes easy after death and maybe never after murder. I would expose Annette eventually. Make her pay for her crimes. In the meantime I needed a way to live. Revenge would have to come later.
After a while I finally had a plan. Since I was already fairly skilled at the art of cooking and cleaning, I could probably pull off being a castle servant for a while. As foolish and childish as it was I couldn't' think of anything better. Perhaps it might even be fun. Who knows how many fairy stories where the princess runs away and ends up working at the castle only to meet her prince and live happily ever after? My thoughts jumped back to Terri, he was my prince even though he didn't know it and probably never would.
*********************************
"Well here we are" The farmer who's named turned out to be Ewan announced.
When we finally reached the Palace it was past sunset and I was tired. Stumbling out of the wagon I grabbed my blue bag.
"This is the castle?" I gasped.
"Palace," he corrected, "winter palace to be exact."
"Oh," was all I could reply. It looked like it had jumped straight out of a fairy tale. I had never seen anything so beautiful. It was made of some type of white stone that sparkled in the moonlight and one could see carvings of fairy's and far off worlds on the walls. If I owned a place like this I would never leave it.
"Where do I go for work?" I asked.
"Round back, here I'll take you"
I was still entranced by the breathtaking site. I bet Robbins would've had a fine time describing this place, Thinking about Robbins brought back painful memories. It seemed like ages ago but I guess it had only a couple weeks ago since I had that argument with Terri. I grinned to myself remembering his dramatic apology. He could always make me laugh. I wish he were here now.
"Hmm. . . so who are you?" snapped a plump middle aged women. I looked at her startled out of my thoughts. She was wearing a green dress complete with a floury white apron. Her hair was hidden behind a dark green kerchief.
"Ria," I said without thinking. Blast, I shouldn't have given her my real name, to late now. I added a curtsy out of habit.
"He," she said pointing a finger at the farmer, "says you want a job here ."
"Yes ma'm."
"What exactly can you do?"
"Uhh. . .cleaning, cooking, anything you need me to do really."
She glared at me and I blushed. Painfully aware of the hay covering me from head to toe. Finally she said, "You're in luck, cook fired the third assistant scullery maid today so now you've got a job missy."
"Thank you ma'm" I said dipping a slight curtsey again.
"Nice manners," she observed, "you might be suitable enough to serve in the banquet hall. Now get your things and I'll show you to your room. Then you need to clean yourself. You look like a haystack."
"Yes ma'm."
I hurried back to the cart and grabbed my bag. With a hasty thanks I handed Ewan the rest of his payment and ran back to towards the palace and my new life.
AN: Thanx so much for reading sorry this chapter is sooo boring but I needed to get places for the plot to continue. I wanted to give the farmer some type of accent but I have no idea hoe to write accents any suggestions would be great. Sorry for the wait. I'll shut up now.