The Comte and the Peasant: Chapter Eight
Hey everyone! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out, but college sucks and I took way too many credits this semester -_-;;;;;. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this latest chapter and PLEASE remember to send me feedback J.
HYD does not belong to me. It belongs to Yoko Kamio and all the people who actually pay money to use her idea.
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"She is the most beautiful lady you will ever see," Charmagne declared as she placed a large silver lid over a delicious plate of roast pheasant. "I'm telling you Rosita, Lady Serafina is everything her name describes. She has the face and body of an angel and the heart of a saint."
"Really? I can't wait to see her!" Rosita exclaimed with enthusiasm. "I've heard so much about her these last few days that the anticipation is just eating me alive! Everyone keeps telling me how wonderful she is. They tell me she's well educated in the arts and literature for a lady, and that her beauty surpasses that of any courtier in France."
"Well it's all true my dear," Charmagne said matter-of-factly. "I've never seen any lady who was equal to…."
Thadea listened halfheartedly to the chatter of her two fellow workers. For the past twenty-four hours, ever since news of the future comtess's arrival had been announced, the staff had been able to talk of nothing else but the perfect Serafina Toureau.
"Beauty, brains, and breeding," Thadea thought silently as she listened to Rosita and Charmagne go on and on about the beautiful Serafina. "The three things that matter most in a lady. I guess noble women are of a higher caliber than the rest of us." Suppressing a sigh, Thadea turned away from the two older scullions and searched the room for Yeva. She hadn't seen her around the kitchen earlier this morning, and wondered briefly where her friend could have gone.
As if on cue, the door to the kitchen flew open at that moment Yeva marched in, her dark hair in disarray and her face blown red from the wind. "Ack! You won't believe how difficult it is to find goose eggs this time of year!" Yeva cried as she plopped her basket dramatically onto one of the kitchen tables.
"They sent you out to get goose eggs?" Thadea asked incredulously, "But it's impossible to find goose eggs this time of year! It's too early!"
"Tell me about it," Yeva muttered, "But they said that it's the lady's favorite…so, well, what can you do right?"
"I really don't see what all the fuss is about," Thadea muttered under her breath.
Yeva looked at her questioningly, "Sorry Thadea, I didn't hear you. What did you say?"
"Nevermind," Thadea replied, "It's nothing." She gave Yeva a half-hearted smile before returning her attention to polishing the silver.
Yeva threw her a puzzled look, but decided not to pursue the matter. "Maybe she's just tired," she thought to herself as she picked up her basket and headed over to where the cook was waiting, "This visit has been pretty stressful for all of us. Maybe tonight will cheer her up when she sees how beautiful everything will be for Lady Serafina's arrival…"
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Later that evening…
Thadea walked slowly, dragging the bucket of water she had gotten from the well as if it weighed a hundred pounds. The arrival of the Lady Serafina had been announced with all the clamor and excitement that she had anticipated, but she had slipped away before the lady had entered the house, not wanting to see her reunion with Ruiz. She had caught a glimpse of him earlier that day, and the joyful expression on his face caused the pain in her heart to ache all the more.
"I shouldn't let this get to me," she muttered to herself as she lugged the sloshing bucket toward the house, "It isn't like me to behave so stupidly. He's a comte for God's sake, and I'm a peasant. How could I have ever entertained such foolish thoughts…"
A peal of laughter suddenly broke the silence, and Thadea nearly dropped her bucket at the sound. It had come from the direction of the gardens, and involuntarily she turned, knowing what she would find and yet unable to stop her curiosity from getting the better of her.
The sight made her breath catch in her throat. Far off in the gardens, quite a distance away but still close enough to see, Thadea got her first glimpse of the famous Lady Serafina Toreau. Enchanting was an understatement, yet Thadea could not find a better word to describe the young woman in front of her.
Under the pale light of the moon, her copper hair looked golden, forming a beautiful hazy halo around her head. The long curled tresses flowed freely down her shoulders and past her waist, swaying gently with the soft spring breeze. Her flawless, translucent white skin glowed with an unearthly light, and the beautiful white silk dress she wore shown even brighter against the darkness of the night.
"She's like a living angel…" Thadea gasped, her eyes fixated on Serafina's tall form. "Just like everyone says…" A strange, unexpected feeling of peace swept through her as the earlier pictures of the snobbish lady she had imagined dissipated in her mind.
"She's nothing like I thought she'd be," Thadea realized, her eyes moving away from Serafina and onto Ruiz, who stood beside the lady with a white rose in his hand. He looked equally beautiful under the pale moonlight, but the usual placid expression he wore on his face had been replaced by a warm smile.
Thadea stared at him for a while, not noticing the tears that had begun to streak down her pale cheeks. Oddly though, despite her reaction, the dull ache in her heart was slowly being replaced by an eerie sense of tranquility that she did not fully comprehend. It was at that moment that she realized she had to let go of Ruiz Hainault and whatever bond she imagined they might have shared.
"He belongs to her," she realized as she watched Ruiz hand Serafina the rose that he had been holding. "I understand that now…"
Tearing her eyes away, Thadea turned and slowly made her way back to the looming structure of the great house. Her expression was strangely serene as she entered the kitchen, and only Yeva noticed the sadness in her dark brown eyes.
End of Chapter 7
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