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Part 10
A month had gone by, and I had been working in Alexander's Castle the entire time. I cleaned the dishes, washed the laundry, hung the sheets, cleaned for mites, tended to the wounded passerbys who stayed in the Castle, and shovelled in the stable. My muscles ached, and I was once again dirty from head to foot - covered in dirty filthy soot. I had not seen Alexander since that night after the gardens - nor did I wish to.
He ordered that I be sent to the basement and the castlemaid corridors, to fufill my assigned duty here. I did not enjoy my stay - I did not enjoy the company. Back in my old castle, the other maids had at least talked to me, instead of behind my back. The other maids looked down on me and ignored me, calling me a whore behind my back. I had even started missing Miss Oriana! One day when the name calling had gotten so bad, I decided to take matters into my own hand. 'What am I doing here?' I thought angrily. But I knew what I was doing here - I had false hope that Alexander would come back and apoligize. It had been a month since the incident and I hardly saw his face - if not around the castle.
"King Richard, I would like to be released of my duty from your Castle of Gutaherm and be traded back to my previous castle." I said, standing up straight, my palms sweaty, twisting themselves behind my back. I had to get out of here - I had to! I could not stand the torture of the fellow castle members, or the guilt and pain I felt everytime I saw a glimpse of Alexander.
The King raised an eyebrow. "Miss Kyla, I have been watching your interaction with my castleservants and I've been noticing some...fret. Some sort of, grudge. My Son, Alexander, has been mirroring your mood...Miss Kyla."
I nodded, and held my emotion, hiding it from my voice. "King Richard, I would like to be released from this castle. Whatever matter you have with your son, Prince Alexander, I do hope you regain composure and content with him." I bowed infront of the King, on one knee.
I heard him sigh, deeply and heavily. After a short period of time, he stood up. "Very well. You are released. Although, you must find your own means of transportation if you plan to leave today, or you can wait until three days time when I return to your castle to meet up wtih your King." He waved his hand, "Dissmissed."
"ISABEL!" I cried, running at her with open arms. She let out a scream and ran for me aswell, gripping me tightly against her. "I've missed you so!"
Tears streamed down her cheeks. "You're home you're home you're home!" She kissed my cheek and we ran into the castle to tell Lady Ann of my homecoming. Of course no one else in the castle cared, but apparently Lady Ann and Isabel worried sick. I had come home three days early, before the King was supposed to arrive. I stole a horse from the stable and rode back to my Kingdom. It was good to be home - but I knew I would miss the richness of their Land, in Gutaherm.
I warned Isabel not to mention or speak of Alexander, but I should tell them when I was ready. She and Lady Ann understood almost too well, and we sat and chatted until Miss Oriana grudgingly brought me back to my maidroom. Isabel, Sherrie and I shared a room - we did not speak to Sherrie most of the time, but just ignored her as she constantly grimaced at us. We did not care - Isabel and I were together again!
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Part 11
I stood still alongside my fellow co-workers, all of our dresses cleaned and ironed, and our backs up straight. Our red-tuniced guards stood on either side of the doorway, holding long thin poles with our castle emblem on the top on brightly coloured flags. The family of Gutaherm was slowly flooding into our castle, Queen Elmera alongside her husband, King Richard, proudly walking down the carpeted aisle. Prince Alexander followed suit behind them, his eyes held ahead of him, ignoring the maids and guards on either side of him. 'I am nothing..' I cried inside my head. I held my hands tighter together, to get the pain focused somewhere else.
They stopped at the end of the staircase, and there stood our Kingdom's King and Queen - King Rowan and Queen Johvan. King Rowan's booming voice filled the stone walls, "Castle of Gutaherm, I am pleased to welcome you back on such a fine occasion, to our Kingdom. I assume you travelled on a well note?" He gave a short bow, and the King and Queen of Gutaherm did too.
"Thank you King Rowan. We are quite happy indeed. Now, it is late in the evening, and I think my family is ordering to preserve the dinner until the morn'. Would that be alright?" Queen Elmera smiled sweetly as she said this.
King Rowan nodded towards the castle maids, and Isabel, Sherrie, Melanie and I slowly made our way up the stairs, to lead the family to their rooms. To Miss Oriana's shagrin, we four were the 'welcoming' party, and we made guests feel comfortable before they entered their rooms. Sherrie had short blonde hair and was a heavy set woman, the age of 34. She was known for her stories, and she never stopped talking. Melanie was one of the nicer girls, and one of the prettier ones, aswell. Her sandy brown hair hung in a loose braid just above her shoulders, and she always wore a green dress. The only reason Melanie was nice to Isabel and I, was because she was once deemed a whore for sleeping with one of the regular Knights, Sir Patrick of Landervile. She was also quite pretty which set the other girl's green envy fire aflame. Not that she minded.
Miss Oriana chatted to Queen Elmera as they followed us four maids down the long hall way of the east end. Pictures clung dangerously to the wall, of past Knights and old scenery. The frames were wood and falling apart, and I almost saw a look of disgust in King Rowan's eyes. I felt a sense of embarassment sting through me - I knew the wealth they had, and we did not come near it.
Miss Oriana stopped just before we reached the rooms, and turned to face us. "Melanie and Isabel, you may cater to the King and Queen, and Sherrie you may come with me to bring some more blankets for their comfort," she turned and gave a sickening smile dripping with false honey to the Gutaherm family, then, "Kyla, you show Alexander his room and be out to help Sherrie and I - quickly."
Isabel sighed and began to walk away with Melanie, the King and Queen following. Sherrie and Miss Oriana turned around and hurried off down the halls. I turned and faced Alexander - his curls perfectly aligned on his forehead, his blue eyes a sparkling blue. As soon as I offered I smile, I could have sworn his eyes turned a pale grey. I coughed, excused myself, and then opened the door to his room to make sure it was all alright. As soon as I checked it over, I bid him in.
He set his cloak on the hook, and walked over to the open window. The sun was going down quickly, and night was soon to come. I stood nervously at the doorway. "Is there anything else you need, Sir?"
He turned and faced me, the sunlight outlining his figure, making his body look as if it was glowing. I blinked. He rubbed the back of his neck. "No thank you. That is all."
I nodded and turned to leave, but he stopped me. "Kyla." My hopes raised themselves and I spun around too quickly. I looked at him silently, my eyes dripping with hope.
He coughed. "Send your King in, please. I'd like a word."
My heart sank, and I nodded. "Yes, Sir." and headed out the door.
"You wanted to see me, Prince Alexander?" King Richard smiled broadly.
Alexander nodded. "Yes. King Richard I would like to ask of you a favour. I know that you may object, but it would be greatly appreciated."
"What is it, son? Anything, I will try to accomplish!" His red face became shiny as he chuckled self conciously.
"Well, lately I've been..travelling alot. I've no time to settle down and...allow myself pleasure...I-"
The king set his hand on Alexander's shoulder. "No problem at all, Prince Alexander! I shall send one of our castle maids up, right away! Now, we have a sweet girl named Melanie who is quite cute - a vixen if you ask me."
Alexander shook his head. "No. No thank you. I was thinking more of..." a redness appeared at his cheeks. "...Sir, I would like Kyla to be my mistress tonight."
"That filthy little bastard!" Isabel angriliy growled, slamming her hand onto a wooden bedside table. I had just been informed of my duties for the night, and was ordered to be up in Alexander's room in less then quarter past 7. I did not know what to think. Isabel however, found her words easily. "What a two-timing manwhore! Who does he think he is? What a perverted stu-"
"Isabel." I silenced her and stood up slowly, to change out of my dress. "It's alright. It's what I'm meant for, is it not?" I cried bitterly, as I pulled off the material. Isabel sat down on the bed and handed me my nightgown.
I turned around so Isabel could undue my corset lacings, allowing me to breathe a little. I took my breeches off and stood before her, naked. "How do I look?" I sighed, suddenly aware of what would happen in the next few hours.
Isabel gave a weak smile. "You look beautiful."