Chapter 5 – Ginger and the People
The moment the door closed behind the king, Ginger cried out in jubilation and hopped out of happiness. He'd had his guards take all the golden thread out of the room, leaving the spinning wheel looking rather forlorn in the big empty room. Ginger kissed it with exuberance and continued to dance about the room. She had the king wrapped around her finger, and she loved it.
Before long, maids were bustling into the room to prepare her bath and her clothing. They were eyeing her with something bordering on awe, and Ginger grinned to them as they freshened her flowers, filled the bath with hot water and intoxicating oils, and brought her a gorgeous emerald dress and matching hat. Once they left, Ginger sunk into the bath, humming to herself. She closed her eyes, trying to etch the picture of the king's face as he looked upon the gold into her memory so that she could remember it forever. The way his eyes had lit up, the way his lips had curled into a smile, the way his breathing had become harsher… it was all rather sensual, in a way.
Emerging from the bath smelling of lavender and vanilla, Ginger eagerly put on the dress; it was low cut in the front, with a sparkling diamond brooch at the bosom. It was cinched around the waist, and the skirt flared and fell to around her knees. She twirled a bit in it before the maids were arriving again to fix her hair. They pinned it back, adorning it with a few pearls, before affixing the hat, which was jauntily set at an angle so that the small veil hung over her eyes. They then handed her short gloves and some shoes and left once again, bowing their heads slightly as they left. She pulled on the lacey green gloves and buckled the pointed, high-heeled shoes before going to stand in front of the mirror. She smiled happily, even as her door opened and some guards marched in. Sighing, she turned away from the mirror to face her new visitors.
"Presenting His Highness the venerable Lord Agustino, Highest Counselor to His Majesty the King," the nearest guard announced in a booming voice. Ginger's brow furrowed; she couldn't see any counselor. But then the guards parted and a tall, thin man emerged from the hallway, walking in the shadows of the bulky guards. It wasn't until he had reached within a foot of Ginger that she could see his face, but when he did, her happiness waned considerably.
Lord Agustino was easily a foot taller than she, and seemed to be made of naught but skin and bones. His fingers were long and bony; his skin was paler than the moon and had wrinkles so deep they looked like craters; his face was pinched and drawn, with eyes as big as saucers that were watery and pallid, and a large, hooked nose. His mouth was small and his lips were thin and cracked. She bowed her head slightly out of shock, but he seemed to expect more.
"Curtsy," he rasped in a deep, crackling voice.
She sunk into a curtsy immediately, feeling the need to do whatever this man said. He innately instilled more fear in her than the king ever had, and she didn't seem to be the only one. The guards were stiller and more tense than she had ever seen them.
"Arise," he ordered, and she rose, keeping her eyes down.
"Look at me," he ordered again, and her eyes flew up to meet his.
"So, you are the miller's daughter Terrence can't seem to stop talking about," Lord Agustino began, circling around her like an overgrown vulture. "Certainly not quite as remarkable as he made you out to be," he went on, picking up her wrist and examining her rather skinny arm, "nor nearly as… spirited."
This comment struck Ginger, and she straightened and cocked her chin, nearly laughing in the face of this shriveled old weezebag.
"You do me an injustice, sir," she said defiantly. "You only just met me."
Something flashed behind his hazy eyes. "You curtsied without the blink of an eye."
"I was taught proper manners," she retorted.
He paused. "You seem to have made an extraordinary impression on the king."
"I have that effect on people," she said, her initial fear growing into dislike.
"Well, let me tell you it will not last long. Terrence often finds toys he likes and then discards them before long."
"Have any of his toys ever made him richer?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, but a few wise words from his most trusted advisor might make him change his mind."
"I think his majesty is capable of making up his own mind."
"I wouldn't be so sure." He stepped closer to her, bringing his voice to a near whisper. "I run this kingdom, Miss Ginger. Remember that."
And without so much as a farewell, the venerable Lord Agustino turned away from Ginger and swept out of the room.
Standing still in the spot where he had left her, Ginger felt overcome with the need to jump into the bath and cleanse herself again. Lord Agustino had left her with an awful feeling that began in her heart and was spreading throughout her body.
What exactly had he meant, I run this kingdom? The very thought gave her goosebumps. The king seemed very much in control – but then again, things aren't always what they seem. Why, many people saw her as a meek, impoverished girl which she certainly was not. Perhaps the king wasn't in control, perhaps that hooked nose slimeball really was running the kingdom.
Or perhaps he was a sorcerer, manipulating the king's mind so that he listened to whatever his esteemed counselor said. Or perhaps he was just a nutty old man with grand illusions of power. Or perhaps…
"Ginger!"
Ginger gasped and jumped around, only to find the king himself standing in her room, behind him five guards, and staring at her with a look of suspicion.
"Your majesty!" she cried, and immediately curtsied – of her own accord.
"Is everything alright?" he asked, one eyebrow arched.
"Yes!" she said with a smile. "I was only… Actually, I just met your venerable Counselor." There was a pause. "Lord Agustino?"
The king's eyes had narrowed at the mention of his advisor. A flash of… anger, perhaps?… flew across his face before he regained his composure.
"How wonderful that he came to introduce himself… without asking me," he muttered. Ginger just smiled while she tried to figure out what could possibly be going on between the king and his advisor. To her frustration, though, she couldn't make it out just yet.
"Come," the king said, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "We must go."
"Where are we going?" she asked with a grin.
"First, you shall have breakfast. And then you shall be introduced."
"To whom?"
He just gave her that sly smile of his and kept walking.
After breakfast, Ginger was led through several hallways that she had a faint recollection of seeing before. They finally stopped at two large white doors just as the clock chimed ten.
"Don't be nervous," the king murmured.
She smirked at him. "I'm not."
He offered her his arm, and with some surprise, she took it. He kept his eyes straight ahead, so she did the same; in a matter of moments, she heard fanfare on the other side of the door, and a loud voice introducing the king. Applause thundered as the doors opened and he led her through them.
Her eyes widened at the scene before her. They were standing on a small balcony, high above a grand hall filled with people. Every single pair of eyes were staring avidly up at them, the applause deafening. Ginger grinned in spite of her shock as the king led her to the banister, waving and smiling. After a few moments, he held up his hand and silence fell immediately.
"My good and loyal courtiers, friends… advisors," he added, looking to his side. Ginger looked as well, and couldn't help but gasp when she noticed Lord Agustino and several other men clothed in black robes standing on the balcony next to the king. Lord Agustino gave them an ironic little bow, but Ginger couldn't see the king's reaction. She cocked her chin and looked away from the creepy counselor as the king continued.
"Almost two weeks ago, I was visited by a miller. I know, nothing extraordinary," he said with a chuckle, "but it did bring about something rather… remarkable." He looked at Ginger, an unfathomable expression in his hard, crystal blue eyes. She smiled lightly at him.
"I would like to introduce someone to you, someone who has just made us… well, me… far wealthier, and in a way that we never could have imagined. Behold!"
He let go of Ginger as two men came between them, carrying a robe made of her golden thread. A collective gasp resounded throughout the hall, and even Ginger felt a little short of breath. The robe was a thing of beauty, she thought, as it glittered and sparkled in the sunlight. The king stretched out his arms as the two men lifted the robe and placed it around his shoulders. Ginger grinned as the king turned to her and held out his hand once more. She took it, turning once again to the hundreds of faces that were now wearing looks of astonishment.
"Lords and ladies, I think we have found Aurelia's… my… most amazing subject, who can spin ordinary straw into pure gold. Ginger of Tivilla!"
The applause started up again, and Ginger was practically blushing as she looked down upon all the awed courtiers. Fame, fortune, she thought to herself… what more could a girl want?
Soon the king and Ginger joined the courtiers downstairs in the hall. The king sat on his throne in his resplendent robe while lords, barons and duchesses all came up to introduce themselves to Ginger. She was soon caught up within the crowd, shaking hands, nodding her head, smiling until her face felt like it would break in two. Many people asked her how she did it, but she only responded with a crafty smile and told them it was a secret.
She was in the middle of being told a long story by the Duke of Toreva – something to do with some goblets that he had that weren't real gold but tasted like it – when she happened to glance up at the king. To her dismay, Lord Agustino was hovering by his side, talking into his ear. The king was resting his chin in his hand, but the look on his face was somewhere between frustration and interest. She narrowed her eyes; no one was going to ruin this for her. Especially not a man who wore long black robes in the middle of spring.
Cutting off the Duke with a suave thank you, Ginger edged her way through the crowd and walked up to the king and Agustino. The counselor immediately stopped talking and straightened. Careful to keep her eye contact with the king alone, she smiled and sat down next to him.
"You know, I never even got a chance to ask you how you liked the robe. How is the thread?" she asked.
"Wonderful. Your next batch shall go to the mills, and then perhaps we shall begin to export it."
"Ah," she replied, before looking up at the counselor. "And what is your wise counselor's advice?"
Lord Agustino looked down his overlarge nose at her; his lip twitched slightly.
"The amount produced by only one girl is hardly going to be enough to make it worth it. I strongly advise against it," he sneered.
"On the contrary, keeping the production amount small will make it more valuable. And besides, anything the kingdom makes off it will be pure profit – after all, it's costing the kingdom nothing to make it," she replied smoothly. Looking at the scorning, greasy advisor, Ginger knew she would never be able to win him over. But she did know she could win the king over enough to overrule him.
"Excellent reasoning, Ginger. I think exporting it is an outstanding idea – you must agree Agustino," the king said.
Agustino's lips were positively quavering with fury.
"Whatever you say, you majesty," he replied stiffly. Ginger was careful not to smile too widely as she turned away from the counselor and settled more comfortably in her chair. The courtiers were once again staring up at them, and the king stood and began talking about other matters. Ginger was quickly bored with the court affairs, and began examining the room more closely. She was just admiring a portrait of the late Queen Faynor when she felt hot breath on her neck. Her entire body clenched as Lord Agustino bent down toward her.
"Mark my words, he will weary of you."
"Don't be so jealous. It seems like he wearied of you a long time ago," she responded softly.
"I would be careful if I were you. You will want to watch what you say," he sneered into her ear.
"Or what, pray tell?"
"Or you might find yourself in an… unpleasant situation."
She turned to question him further, but he drew back to stand behind the king once more. She turned back, trembling slightly. She didn't know what this man was capable of, but she also didn't want to make the mistake of underestimating him. Her pride had gotten her into trouble before, and she had learned to regard anything as possible. She looked up at the king; she had grown to almost like him, even in his pretentious gold robe. He was intelligent, and actually listened to what she had to say. He continued to surprise her… especially by having such a sinister, power-hungry counselor. Why did he keep this man as his advisor? He was just plain creepy.
Just as she was getting lost in a swirl of her own thoughts, the king was saying her name. She jerked out of her stupor and noticed that the courtiers were leaving the hall, bowing to the king as they left.
"Are you all right?" the king asked her, his eyes narrowed; she just barely perceived them flicking to Agustino as he said it.
She smiled, standing up. "Fine, I'm fine. What's next?"
But he was still looking at her suspiciously. "Are you sure?"
She nodded a little too enthusiastically. "Yes!"
"Alright, then let's eat lunch."
"Excellent!"
After a lovely lunch outside on the lawn, the king left her for a brief time as Ginger wandered through the gardens. Although the palace's lawn was limited, it was absolutely gorgeous. There were many beds of flowers arranged around eating areas and ponds. It was enclosed by a very tall black iron fence, and Ginger came to a stop by an ancient sundial that stood in the middle of a bed of lilies near the road. A great commotion was coming from the city outside; during lunch, Ginger had just assumed that it was the city going about its regular business, but now that she actually stopped and looked through the fence, she noticed streams of people walking down the street towards the front gate of the castle. For a moment she watched them pass, completely bewildered, but then it struck her: she still had people to meet. The people.
With a giddy laugh she turned away and, upon seeing the king standing by the side door, strode over to the castle with a grin on her face. The king led her inside and they once again began to wind their way around the hallways.
"So," she began, "what is next?"
He turned to her with an arched eyebrow. "I thought you had already figured it out."
She smiled and opened her mouth to respond but just then they stopped at the great front doors. The clock struck two, and within moments she once again heard fanfare on the other side of the door. Her heart thumping in anticipation, she happily noted that Agustino was nowhere to be seen. With a final side glance to the king, Ginger placed a smile on her face and walked out the doors to a roaring public.
The sun was shining brightly on the many faces of the citizens as they clapped and cheered. Ginger smiled politely and stood a little behind the king as he raised his arms and silence fell.
"Good afternoon, fair people of Ende," he began. "And what an extraordinary afternoon it is. I know you all have heard rumors, but today I would like to introduce to you someone who will be a great benefit to all of us. I was told of her remarkable talents not two weeks ago, and resolved on having her visit us here in this fair city. I assure you, Parfalia has nothing that comes close to the amazing Ginger of Tivilla!"
The crowd thunderously applauded again; Ginger grinned and waved, astonished to see proper, chic, and upright men and women cheering with such giddy enthusiasm. She even laughed a little at the sight.
"Ginger," the king began when the noise died down, "is a true miracle. This common, unschooled peasant girl, the daughter of a miller, no less," he paused to chuckle along with the crowd, "has been blessed with the gift to spin plain straw into pure gold."
The crowd roared again, but Ginger's smile had vanished. A common peasant girl? she thought angrily. Not three hours ago the king was praising her reasoning! Now he was scorning her upbringing, calling her a simpleton? Her feelings toward the king made an immediate nosedive; how could she have liked such a pompous, cold man? He was nothing more than a gluttonous jackass who would die all alone in his stupid golden robe. Ginger had always been passionate – perhaps too passionate – with her emotions, but she felt her anger toward the king was justified. She snorted softly as the king talked about using her next batch of gold to help revive the textiles industry. She could just see it now, the king walking into the straw room the morning she was finished and declaring that he wanted this batch as well, but certainly the next one would go to the people.
Ginger purposely turned her gaze away from the king; unfortunately, her eyes immediately fell on Lord Agustino, who she could see standing on a second floor balcony surrounded by his usual servants. Push him off, she thought angrily. The world would certainly be better off without him.
"We will easily double – nay, triple! – the profit that Parfalia is currently making on textiles exports," the king was saying. The crowd positively wailed in excitement at this declaration, but Ginger pondered it. So that was what this was all about; the king was making it seem like he wanted to boost the fabric industry when all he really wanted to do was rub Ginger's talent in Parfalia's face. She was merely a tool for revenge; everyone knew how only a few years ago, the king of Parfalia had discovered that one of his subjects had a mine rich with diamonds right on his land. The subject was, of course, executed for keeping such a secret from the king, but Parfalia's economy was suddenly booming from the unearthing of the jewels, and Aurelia's was suddenly declining.
Despite her best efforts, Ginger felt immensely disappointed. She had felt so proud of herself for the way she had the king wrapped around her finger, for the way she could speak her mind and he would actually listen. But then she thought of something else… Lord Agustino must not be in on any of this, either, or else he wouldn't have been so critical of Ginger. She thought of the moment that morning when she had told the king that exporting the gold was a good idea, whereas the counselor had contradicted her. If she really was just a tool to get back at Parfalia, then it had to have been the king's, and the king's only, idea. The only comfort she could find in the whole situation was that Lord Agustino was gravely mistaken: he certainly did not run the kingdom.
She looked back over at the counselor; his eyes were narrowed, but he seemed to be listening very carefully to the king's speech. Sorry, counselor, she thought, I already am in an unpleasant situation.
After a few more minutes during which Ginger practically steamed with anger, the speech was finally over and the crowd applauded once again as the king led Ginger back inside. She was careful not to smile as she turned to the king.
"I'm going to go lie down, I'm very tired," she said flatly.
"Yes, I thought you looked weary. Go rest, I'll see you for dinner," the king said, before turning his back on her and walking away with his guards. She turned on her heel and stormed to her room.
Slamming the door shut behind her, Ginger ripped off her hat and shoes and threw herself on the bed. She wasn't tired at all; rather, she felt like jumping up and down and breaking the elegant lamps the lined her walls. Instead however, she took several deep breaths until she felt calm enough to stand. She took off the beautiful green dress and hung it in the closet, and then stood gazing at her room in nothing but her boustier and slip. She sighed, wishing she was instead gazing her tiny cottage next to her father's mill, the feel of hard stone under her feet. But she couldn't give up now; to tell the king the truth would be even worse than letting herself be his weapon.
She walked over to the straw room door and opened it; the opposite wall was halfway torn down, revealing a dusty, cluttered room on the other side. She walked into the room, stopping to stand by the spinning wheel. Such a simple thing, a spinning wheel, and yet such an exquisite thing. She sat on the small stool and stared at the wheel, made of strong, smooth wood. How did her little man do it? There was no earthly way to turn straw into gold, was there? There couldn't be… he had to be the master of some powerful magic. Why did the king never question this possibility? How did he not know that she wasn't some great sorceress who had the power to turn straw into gold just by the snap of a finger? What did he think? Did he really think that she was somehow blessed with this ability, or that she had been taught how to do it, or that she had just randomly one day tried spinning straw and it came out gold?
Her hands fingered the wheel lovingly, thoughtfully. Her mind couldn't stop wondering just what the king thought. Perhaps he didn't think of it all… perhaps he just accepted it without question. But, her current anger at him aside, he was a very intelligent, clever man – how could he have not thought of the possibility that she was a witch of some sort? She knew, like all Aurelians, that witches were sometimes born of regular, human women, but that they were to be immediately killed or left to die in the enchanted forest. The idea of leaving one's own children to die had always disturbed her, but then again, the magic folk were very dangerous. And yet they were content to live in their own world, not wanting to bother the humans. Ginger's brow furrowed; she had never thought of this before. Why would that be? Perhaps they weren't so dangerous… her little savior had been extraordinarily polite and had come to her rescue. Why?
Ginger suddenly stood up, shaking her head free of all thoughts. They were starting to weigh down her mind, and she was beginning to actually feel tired. She staggered out of the room and fell onto the bed, trying to keep the constant swirl of thoughts out of her head. There were just too many questions; and yet they were questions she desperately needed answered.
Ginger had actually fallen asleep for a little bit when she was woken by a knock at her door.
"Miss Ginger? The king requests your presence at dinner," came a deep voice from the hall.
Ginger growled in her throat; she was in no mood to see the king.
"I'm not feeling well. Tell his majesty I'd like to stay in my room," she answered, making her voice sound weak and tired.
"Very well, miss," the voice said, and she heard footsteps walking away.
She fell back onto her pillows, thankful that the guard had not come in; she was still only in her shift.
Not feeling at all tired anymore, Ginger sat up and took a book from the shelf. It seemed her nap had calmed her mind down; her thoughts were leaving her alone for the time being. She turned on the lamps the hung above her head and then settled in and opened her book.
She was just getting to a particularly good part when there was another knock at her door. She sighed, but tore her eyes away from the book, and called, "Yes?"
But there was no answer. Her door opened suddenly and someone walked in, but considering she only had three lamps on in the entire room, she couldn't see them.
"Yes?" she said again, hurrying to cover herself with her bedsheets. The figure strode forward until they were by her bed and in the light.
"Your majesty!"
Dear readers,
Wow! Lame-o cliffie but I really wanted to post this chapter! Egats, how long has it been? There has been a great void in my life for the past few months that could only by filled by writing. I have been so incredibly busy that I'm so happy to just be sitting here in my swivel chair staring at my computer screen and seeing this chapter done! I'm so sorry – I know you all probably thought I had stopped writing but I hadn't! I mostly blame my new job that takes up 95 of my time – and the other five percent are spent feeling tired and irritable from the other 95 percent.
But I will make a more concerted effort to write more often from now on. I missed it so incredibly much, especially this story which I like a lot. I start college in about a month and a half, which I'm not saying will give me more free time, but it will get me away from my family who often prevents me from writing more.
Please review! I love you if you're reading this and I really would love to hear from you! I would also LOVE some suggestions as to help improve my summary. Thanks!
Love, luck, and flying Ringwraiths,
Emma the NazgulQueen