Huzzah
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In the past year, Gramma and I had become close, even though we were still technically acquaintances.
She had taught me everything there was to know about housecleaning, which would be my chore, which she washed clothing and dishes, and Jack Mint worked out in the Orchard with Monsieur Dodu, the caretaker of the Gingerbread Plum Trees.
To my surprise, I had actually not done too terribly bad about the whole housekeeping bit, even though it was the first time in my life to ever actually work; but I hadn't told anyone else besides Gramma my secret, we both agreed it would be far to hazardous for both of us, Monsieur and to Jack, so my new full name was Geneva Amelia Lola Kay, which had been shortened to Genny (pronounced Jenny) by Jack.
"You know Mistress Kay," Jack said, leaning against the table as I swept "A nickname would certainly be in order for you if you're planning to stay here."
"Oh?" I asked, hardly looking up from my sweeping. I hadn't been to keen on Jack, he was incredibly formal, yet managing to remain casual at the same time. His successful accomplishment of this seemed to annoy me, so I kept my distance, playing it off as a shy and distant girl.
"Well we can't go around saying 'Mistress' and 'Master' all the time, it gets old quick, believe me. What's your full name; we'll see what we can get from that."
"Geneva Amelia Lola Kay." I said automatically, remembering the name that Gramma had helped me come up with.
"Huh…well, Mistress Kay, if you wouldn't mind, I believe that Genny would be quite fitting for you." He said, and I looked up from the broom.
Genny…Genny…it was like he said; it fit me.
"And yourself, Master Mint?" I questioned politely.
"Jack. Plain old Jack." He said, and grinned.
I nodded, looking back down at my work, brushing a final bit of dirt into the collecting tin.
"What shall you be doing today, Genny?" he asked politely, hands in his trouser pockets.
"I must wash windows and bang the rugs; a chore that'll take till nightfall I fear." I sighed, wiping my hands on the clean white apron over the cotton dress with faded pink flower pattern.
"Well then It's my duty as a gentleman to help." He said cheerfully, and I gave him a reprimanding look.
"Master Jack, it's hardly a man's job to help a woman clean house." I said, standing on tip-toe to try and reach the high shelf in the closet that stored the rag towels used for cleaning the windows.
"But as a gentleman I should help you get done sooner so that you should be free so I may take you on a picnic." He said, standing behind me and easily reaching the shelf, taking one for himself, and handing one to me.
"Are you inviting me to a picnic?" I asked, astonished. No one had ever asked me to go on a picnic with them before…and certainly not any guy.
"I believe I am, Genny." He said, and I blushed. I really needed to work on talking to boys who were trying to ask me out on picnics.
"I don't think I can…" I began, but Gramma came in, cutting me off.
"Don't think you can what?" she asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow at Jack, who stepped back from his discomforting closeness.
"Nothing, Gramma Nutt." He said innocently, and I looked at him curiously. Why didn't he just tell Gramma?
"If you'll excuse me Master Mint, I really must be on my way." I said demurely, taking the rag from him and leaving the room.
Instead of going out back I went to my bedroom, shutting the door behind me, leaning against it, my face flushing.
In just the short span of a year I had transformed into a new person…once led by the promise to the duty of Crown Princess and the freedom from my nursery purgatory, I was left without any goal but to keep my head down, shying away from strangers who might recognize me as the Crown Princess who had been ruthlessly taken the night of her crowning.
It was true; Gramma had come back from town the next week with word that officials would search every home until they found the kidnapped Princess, who in truth hadn't been kidnapped.
I was willing to be that the King and Queen, as I now called Mother and Father, knew that I had run away, but ruled it a kidnapping to avoid the unwanted subject as to why.
Gramma had decided that I would have easily been recognized as the Princess, so she brought back a bag full of Teaberries to dye my Ash brown hair a dark auburn.
After she had done it, I felt different, as though I was a completely new person; and I really was. I was introduced to Gramma's neighbors as 'Geneva Amelia Lola Kay' and, as they had never seen the Princess up-close, they only knew her by her supposed beauty and hair that looked as though it belonged to Angels. I had bowed my head to hide the blush when Gramma had informed me of this, only to have it pulled back up so she could continue dying my hair.
She pulled it back into a knot at the back of my neck, so I didn't have to part with my long curly locks that fell to my breast.
She had unearthed clothes that had previously belonged to her, and mended them where they needed to be, and washed and starched them, to make them look fresh and new.
The royal guards, all of whom I could recognize by face if not by name, didn't recognize their Princess, the would-have-been ruler of their children.
Imagine if I really had been stolen…would they have recognized me? Most likely not.
The hardest part of it all was Jack; he had already seen my un-touched dark hair, but he thankfully must have assumed that he hadn't seen the red tint when he brought me to Gramma.
After the initial re-naming I slowly relaxed to him, and we became friends, although I never opened up to him about my past, even when he shared his story.
"Now look here, Genny, you aren't being reasonable at all; I've told you my, however un-eventful it may have been, life story and yet you still won't share yours." He said lightly one bright afternoon.
It had been the perfect day for a picnic (I had given in a month before) and we had finished eating a while before, and we simply lie back, watching the fluffy clouds overhead.
"I never consented to the agreement that if you told me your terribly boring past, that I would tell mine." I teased, and he propped himself up on his elbow, casting a shadow over me.
"But we've all been dying to know how such a pretty thing like you came to get lost in my woods." He said, and I knew he meant his family.
"Your woods?" I asked, hoping to deter him from his inquisition.
"Yeah, once I'm older they're all mine. It's a family tradition, see? Once the oldest boy, me, turns eighteen then he gets the whole forest to do what he pleases. Of course we usually just sell lumber or use some of the trees to make a new home once we get married…" he said, and I suddenly knew what I could say when he badgered me about my past.
"But anyway" he continued, scrutinizing me "you still have to tell me."
"And what if I don't?" I asked, one eyebrow raised and a little smile on my lips.
"Then I'll…" he paused to think "tell Gran where you really skirted off to today."
I gasped, "You wouldn't dare!"
Gran didn't approve of a boy and a girl going off on their without an escort. She said it was shameful, and so I had lied to her about coming with Jack, saying that I was visiting Mistress Heath, the old widow who lived up the road.
"Oh I would…" he grinned, and I bit my lip, as though I were struggling with something.
"You really want to know, then?" I asked softly, sitting upright and looking down at my hands in my lap.
I could tell that his grin had faded as he said "You don't if you don't want to…"
"No…if your folks really want to know…" I said slowly, and I felt his hand on my shoulders making me look up.
"Genny, they can bide their time until you really want to tell." He said, his green eyes kind, but I shook my head.
"I…had run away…Mum and Dad had arranged a marriage to a man that was as cruel as the devil, and had a heart cold as an icicle and as hard as diamond." I said truthfully, calling the King and Queen names I had never used before, but had heard Jack refer to him parents that way.
He was silent, and I glanced up to the sun, marking its position in the sky as one of my tutors had taught me to do.
"Jack, I have to go…Gramma will be ever displeased if I'm late, not to mention suspicious." I said, standing up and brushing off my baby blue and white striped cotton dress.
"Genny, it surely isn't that late." He said, but I gave him a rare dimpled smile.
"Maybe tomorrow if you're lucky." I said, bending to pick up my abandoned leghorn bonnet, tying the snowy ribbon under my chin as I straightened up "Besides, shouldn't you be getting back to the Orchard? Dodu will be missing you."
He jumped up at my words, standing a full head above me, with my head reaching only his neck.
Thankfully I hadn't been home late, and Gramma hadn't suspected a thing.
We would have those picnic lunched as often as we could, when the weather permitted.
He even escorted me to the husking bee and now the Winter Solstice, even though Gramma strongly believes that we spend far too much time together, even though I keep protesting that we are simply friends and that friends spent time together.
She was more of a mother than the Queen or Cecilia could have ever been, much as I loved them.
I had found that it took almost no time at all the adjust to life in the Peanut Brittle house nestled in the middle of the Gingerbread Orchard, and that it seemed, if possible, better than at the Palace.
I didn't need to study boring literature or history, learn the who's who in the Countries, learn how to rule a country successfully, without offending anyone, and to be the perfect Lady like was expected of me.
But at Gramma's house, I only needed basic housekeeping, how to cook, and to be a good girl with Lady-like manners.
Of course, I was bending the good girl rule, because I believe lying about where I was going in the afternoons isn't very good of me.
Right now I couldn't care less about if Gramma wasn't exactly thrilled about me going to the Solstice party with Jack.
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Again, no proofreading, please forgive me for any mistakes.
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