(A/N: So, apparantly being a wall flower started back in medieval times.. Lmfao. I'm not Stephenie Meyer and I don't own her wonderful characters. :( Anyway though. I wrote this chapter and I was very excited about it. I'm in a writing mood these days! Sorry it took me so long to write. I've been quite busy with school. :/ )
It was rare that I could escape from my stepsisters, but on the occasions that I did, I ran to the attic. Of course, the attic isn't the ideal place for hiding out, but it was just fine for me. That is where I found a few of my books. I liked to peer through the stained glass window at the frontmost room of the attic and look down at all the peasants who worked for us. Their living conditions were certianly far from ideal yet, they were happy nonetheless. It amazed me how someone with so little could work for my father and still be happy go lucky.
I watched out the window for quite some time. It made me feel better about the work that my sisters force me to do. If the peasants can do all their work and still live merrily, why couldn't I?
Two children - well, maybe not children, they appeared to be only a few years younger than me - skipped around jabbing eachother with sticks. I was puzzled for a moment before I realized what they were doing. They were having a pretend sword fight. It saddned me that they had no luxuries. It always had. My mother and father always told me that peasants were only good for work, he treated them as if they weren't even people but just slaves. I never thought that was fair.
After watching the boys fence a little longer I had made up my mind. I was going to do everything in my power to give these peasants a better life. The Swan Manor peasants would be the happiest ones for miles and miles. I headed out of the attic nearly colliding with one of the dinner maids said a rushed apology and headed to the kitchen to go out the back door before someone caught me.
I realized that I had thought too soon when I heard a loud screechy voice calling my name. "Isabella! Just where do you think you're going?" I turned to see Jessica's taunting smirk.
"I...I was going to check on the peasants - see how their work is coming." I stammered looking for a quick response.
"I hope you know - you're not going anywhere until you clean the parlor. I believe that it's getting a bit dusty, and you can't possibly go to the masquerade ball if the house is left untidy." She spat her s sounds and it made me quite annoyed. Her demands were beginnning to get a bit tiring and I was sick of hearing them.
"You know we haven't even gotten an invitation yet, Jessica. After last year, I'd say that the King and Queen wouldn't really be too eager to invite you back." Jessica was beginning to anger me. So, I didn't really think before I spoke. However, I was going outside to have a word with some peasant boy and her nor the possiblility of getting a beating could tell me otherwise. The angry words just kept flowing from my lips. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Jessica, I believe that I have some buisness to tend to." Of course I should have known that no one offends Jessica and gets away with it, but I tried to walk away regardless.
As I turned to toward the back door she shrieked at me. "Oh take keep, Cinder-Bella. If I have any say whatsoever - and of course I do - you will not go to the ball. That I can promise you. Oh, and one more thing I think you should know; invitation or not, I'll be at that masquerade ball. Maybe I'll even get to dance with Prince Edward again this year." She thought she was so much better than me just because she got to dance and converse with royalty, and I stood by the wall the whole night ignoring men who wanted to lay me on my back.
I wasn't jealous that Prince Edward danced with the ever-wicked Jessica. I was more angry with the fact that she sneered at me and made horrible jokes about me in front of him and rather than he being a gentleman, he laughed. Later that night when he asked to take my hand for a dance I was unkind. I hadn't told my stepsisters I danced with him, because in truth I didn't. I didn't treat him pleasantly like each and every other person that he talked to. And although he was a very handsome man, he was unkind to me. I remember him spinning me around and when he had spun me back to face him I stomped on his feet. He had deserved it. Prince or not, he'd been on my bad side since we first met back when the two of us were children.
His guards didn't even stop me as I stormed off of the main floor and back to the wall. I distinctly remember Lord Newton and Lord Cheney's sons asking me to dance. All night. It was terribly bothersome considering the fact that I didn't - and wouldn't - have either of them. As friends or lovers and the later of which is what they prefered, but they were far to foolish and rude.
I was dragged back into the present and forced to focus on what was going on right now as I heard Jessica growl her warning at me. I just stared at my wicked life controling stepsister and resisted the urge to lash out and strike her cheek.
Instead I spoke before thinking once again. "Oh dear Jessica." I began in a snide tone of voice. "I sincerly hope Prince Edward wisens up and lets you be the one standing at the wall this year, because I'm fairly sure he doesn't want his toes stepped on by a clumbsy wench again this year. I saw you dancing with him and I must say, you are a terrible dancer. I thought you took ballroom lessons?" I didn't give her a chance to answer my question - it had been rhetorical we both knew about her failed dance lessons. I had more talent than her for God's sake - and I continued to speak. "I'm sure that this year he'd rather dance with a proper lady too. You're not as sciene as you think yourself to be and if I were he I would not want a repeat of the previous year."
Jessica stood there stunned that I finally lost my temper with her and I took advantage of that and walked out. I would have to face the repricussions later, but I'd deal with that when it came time. For now I had some things to do.
I pulled up my baby blue billowy dress a little bit and steped down the back stairs and walked through the garden path. Summer's last roses were losing their petals. It was like the roses were crying - unhappy for the glorious season to end. The air smelled of roses and the scent tickled my nose. I walked under the weeping willow tree. It was a very beautiful tree. My favorite. I was very close to the tiny village now. I could hear the children giggling. The happy laughter rang in my ears and it made me remorseful and joyous at the same time. I was upset because the children were living in such unsuitable conditions, but I was optimistic because they seemed to like where they lived. Then again, it was all they had ever known.
I suddenly felt guilty for my easy lifestyle. I had everything I wanted, I rarely had to ask. I had food and my own sleeping quarters and these children...they shared beds and barely had enough food to eat. But that- that would come to and end if I had any say.
I opened the large gate and heaved the door out of my way. It shut behind me with a clang. Two boys and a girl were sitting together in a circle drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick. I could tell now that these were the two boys I had seen earlier and the girl looked a lot like the younger of the two boys. I approached them slowly and they looked up at me silently. The older boy and the girl both giving me blank stares while the younger boy smiled. "Good Morrow, friends!" I smiled and greeted them.
The two giving me blank stares didn't show any signs of movment while the young boy smiled. "Good Morrow, Miss Swan." He said grinning. The boy was tan - from spending so much time in the sun and his hair was dark and curly - the same color as his wide happy eyes framed by long doll looking eye lashes. He would have been a very handsome child if he had bathed anytime recently. Dirt smudged on his cheeks and spread out as he smiled up at me. The other two both looked very unhappy, the girl looked just like the younger boy but she had to have been my age. Her long black hair was pleated back heald together by red ribbon. Some scrap from the main house. Her nose was smaller than the young boys though and her full lips were turned down into an almost scowl.
"May I ask your names?" I looked at the youngest boy politely.
"Well, ma'am. I'm Seth." He grinned and waved and pointed at the girl. "This is my sister Leah." He patted her head as he pointed her out. I noticed that she was tense. Then, he walked over to the older boy, and this was the first look I'd really gotten at him. His hair was long. He reminded me of a jouster, I could see him with a knights helmet on. His hair was black as ink and well kept for how dirty the peasants were. His eyes were wide and deep brown. When I looked at them, I realized they were the same as the bark of the trees in the bailey. He sat shirtless his body strong looking. It must have been from all the work he was made to do. "This...this is Jacob." Seth said his smile never leaving his face. I wondered what was up with Leah and Jacob but of course I knew I musn't ask. The answer was probably something along the lines of their hatred towards me, because I was the ruthless Lord's daughter.
"Well, hello Seth, Leah and Jacob." I began "I bring you news. Things for your families and friends and everyone else you know who lives on this estate is going to get a lot better. I wish for you to spread the word."
Jacob stood up his hands crunched into tight fists. "A pokkes in her gargot for her spoken pseudomancy!" I gasped at his words. I couldn't believe he though I was a liar I also couldn't belive he wished an ilness on me.
"Listen here, boy. I lie not to you, I needn't. I you have my word things will get better and I am not preaching you lies of spiritualism. I'm speaking words of truth. All your prayers will come close to being answered. I promise you I will do the best I can to make your families live happier lives. All I need is you three to follow through with my wishes. Do we have an agreement?" I was beginning to get irritated.
The Jacob and Leah looked at me skeptically but Seth simply shoved them with an elbow and they nodded. "Yes, fair lady. We have an agreement." Seth spoke up smiling. "We thank you very much." I nodded and turned to walk away and heard Seth call out to me "Alderbest fair lady." I smiled and continued to walk off.
I had only gotten a few steps when I heard horse hooves and a voice behind me that sent shivers up my spine. I didn't even want to turn around to greet him. But, I knew I had to.