"If we do not leave now, we are going to be late! Do hurry up, before this storm gets any worse!" Lady Macbeth called out to her husband, Sir Macbeth.
Lady Macbeth had been looking for her husband for some time by that point. She despised being late to anything, regardless of the circumstances. She wanted to be on time, and she was not very appreciative that her husband was taking an awfully long time. Finally, Macbeth came down the stairs of the castle, in his formal attire, to join his lady at the front gate.
"I do apologize, my dear. I had a rather difficult time getting this ridiculous suit on! It is starting to not fit me as well as it once did," Macbeth said.
"Perhaps you ought to get a new one, then," Lady Macbeth suggested.
"Perhaps I should," Macbeth agreed.
"Now, let's get going, for we may be already late enough as it is if we do not hurry!" Lady Macbeth exclaimed, as she did not know what she would do if they were late.
As Lady Macbeth handed a coat to her husband, so that he too may be protected from the raging rain and howling winds coming from the outside, there I was. Lead lady-in-waiting to Lady Macbeth, and I was about to ask to embark with them to the funeral in which they were about to attend. Who was I you ask? Thou would be forgiven for asking such a question, since I have not yet introduced myself to thee. The name I was given at the time of my birth was Daniella Miller. Born to a respected, and rather famous family within the business sector of our country, I took it upon myself when the opportunity was presented to me at eighteen years of age to become a loyal servant of Lady Macbeth. I never found the life of being a merchant to be attractive enough for me, and so, I chose to have a life in which I would be a loyal servant of others, which I found to be much better in the end. At twenty-one years of age, after a betrayal from her former head handmaiden, that very title was bestowed upon me after three hard-working years of serving and helping wherever I can. I was deeply honored by such a promotion. Now, a year on from inheriting such a title, I have dedicated myself, as much as I ever had, to service. Now, to get back to why I had made myself known at that particular moment in time.
"The reorganization was done as you had requested, my lady," I declared, proudly.
"Thank you, Daniella," Lady Macbeth smiled.
"Everything was put along within the parameters that you had laid out for me, and I even took the opportunity to dust the entire room since I had finished earlier than I had expected, to ensure the room remains dustless and spotless, as you always ask me for," I added.
"Thank you, as always, Ms. Daniella. You've always been my most helpful and my most loyal servant, who has done everything that I have asked of you, and have even gone well beyond what I have asked of you, but now, you have something else you wish to say directly to me?" Lady Macbeth asked, curiously.
"I do, my lady," I said, confidently.
"Speak your mind then," Lady Macbeth said.
"I would like to request to accompany you, my lady, to the funeral of the late Banquo," I said.
Macbeth then had a confused look come across his face, which took me aback, for I was not expecting him to be confused as to why I would want to accompany and attend the funeral.
"Any particular reason thou requests for her presence to be welcomed alongside ours at such a celebration of life? Surely thou would not want to subject herself to the sadness and pains that a funeral can bring. I certainly would not want to subject you to that if you do not wish to be," Macbeth insisted.
"Thank you, sir, for your display of kindness, but I still do wish to accompany you both, and I know exactly my reasoning for wishing to do so. I never knew the man personally, but I do respect him for who he was as a man, who he was as a member of the King's Army, but also for who he was to the people of this fair land as a whole. As such, I would like to pay him the respect that he truly does deserve," I said.
"Well, anyone that wants to pay his or her own respects to an honored and respected man at his funeral is certainly welcomed to come along," Macbeth said with delight.
"Yes, most definitely. We would most certainly welcome you to come along, Ms. Daniella. I trust that you have the proper attire selected for the occasion then?" Lady Macbeth asked me.
"Of course, my lady. One must always be prepared for any situation or occasion," I replied.
I then took a step back, took my own coat off, and did a little twirl. I was wearing my beautiful black dress, with the hairstyle of choice being my personal favorite: a ponytail.
"It's as you always say, my love. She truly is prepared for every occasion, just like you," Macbeth said.
"Indeed. The purple hair and black dress blend together well," Lady Macbeth said.
"Thank you, my lady. Now, we best not be late," I said with a polite curtsy.
"Certainly." Lady Macbeth bobbed her head, appreciating my understanding of her own feelings on lateness.
And then, on our way we were. Not much was said during the carriage ride. One's thoughts can be such a whirlwind of a storm of sadness and grief, especially when thinking about a man's funeral, and an honorable and respected man's funeral at that. We then arrived at the destination in which we were originally told to come to. The area was well-lit, and it had many lanes in which one could have their carriages left upon exiting from the ceremony, but from the outside looking in, I could paint an entirely different picture in my mind. Hints of the decor that I could see on the inside as we had pulled up made the whole place seem gloomy, sad, and a little bit more depressing than what I would have liked, but this was precisely what one's feelings could be when attending a funeral, so I was able to live with these feelings, since I knew why we were there in the first place. I then stepped out into the rain, and held the door open for my lady and her husband. As the three of us walked and were about to enter the main area where the ceremony was going to be held, Macbeth stopped right in his tracks.
"Is everything alright?" I asked, frown in place on my face.
"My lady-in-waiting for my honored wife, would you mind to leave myself and Lady Macbeth alone for a bit to discuss some private matters?" Macbeth asked.
"If that is what you desire, then I shall honor your request. I shall be inside if you will require me." I said.
I then walked away, and allowed them to speak about whatever it is that they wished to speak about in private. Little did I know what the contents of this conversation were going to entail, and as I later found out, it went well beyond what I would ever have been able to imagine.