Chapter Two: Freedom
Amber was about to protest as Xavier left the room. "Be ready in five minutes." He said. "Dress in the plainest thing you have." Silently she shook her head, instantly regretting she had, her head still ached terribly. Amber quietly began to dress herself in her peasant's costume. A plain brown dress that consisted of a bit of gathered calico underneath to shape the dress, a plain brown cotton shift over the top with a square neck, sleeves that hit at the elbow, and a cream apron tied about the waist to make her look like one of the richer class of peasants...perhaps a merchant or banker's daughter.
Quickly she glanced around the room realizing that many of her light summer dresses (some of the plainest garments that she owned) had been taken. She glanced around one more time to make sure no one was wither her, then she opened a compartment along the west wall where she hid her most precious possessions. From there she took a small silver necklace and dangling from the end was her mother's wedding ring, a silver and sapphire ring with a small diamond in the center, which she placed around her neck, some small silver coins and her favorite shawl of silk that a gypsy had given her on her fifteenth birthday two weeks ago.
Amber looked about the room one more time, instantly thinking this would be the last time she saw this room and quickly left to escape the sadness she could feel pressing into the room. As she left Amber realized she hadn't even questioned Xavier on where or why they were leaving. Why was she so...unquestioning?
As Amber shut the door she turned to come face-to-face with her maid Susan in her small sitting room, Amber again began to ask the questions she had penned up in her mind, gently Susan shook her head and put a quivering finger to her lips, in a motion to shush her Mistress. Amber nodded briefly and proceeded to let Susan throw her hair up into a quick rash bun, Susan then dabbed Amber's face with ashes and rubbed a bit of liquid, which smelled like smoke, into her lovely auburn hair.
Glancing in the nearby decorative mirror Amber was surprised to find she looked like a kitchen maid, plain, but with a coy sort of beauty at the same instant. She smirked slightly; she had always wondered what it would be like to work for her keep instead of just lazing about getting any desire granted. She supposed she was about to find out.
Quietly, Susan opened the door and Xavier instantly sprang into action. He grabbed Amber by the hand and motioned Susan forward. Susan looked a bit nervous but she nodded gently, gave Amber a reassuring smile, and started running down the stairs.
"Guards, Guards! Quickly, the man he's trying to clime the willow! He'll get into my mistresses room! Go outside and stop him!" Amber glanced at Xavier, apparently this was part of the plan because he didn't look the least bit concerned by the now sobbing Susan's act. Amber blushed slightly as she realized he still held her hand.
From the sounds of the retreating voices Susan had convinced the guards that some strange man was outside Amber's window. Amber silently congratulated Susan in and looked to see that even Xavier had an appreciative smile on his face for her great act. Amber steeled herself and was determined to escape this prison of a palace.
Susan quickly ran back up the stairs drying the fake tears from her face. The guards are easily fooled by tears so it hadn't been too difficult to make them believe her. The tricky part was convincing them to go outside rather than through her Mistress's bedroom window. Honestly, she wasn't quite sure how she convinced them but in the end they had left for the courtyard. They only had a few moments however and the stables were some distance from the gate, if they were going to make it they needed to be quick.
When she reached the top of the stairs she motioned for Xavier and Amber to follow her quickly. She shook her head as she saw the blush that was slowly fading from Amber's face, there would be time for romance later; right now they needed to run.