A/N: I am absolutely floored by everyone's excitement for this new story. "Interesting" seemed to be the word of the week so I sincerely hope that this will hold your interest. Please feel free to leave your comments. If you haven't yet, please do sometime. I always love to hear from both newcomers and old friends.
I'm trying to find a middle ground when it comes to dialogue to make it authentic yet accessible; something like "A Knight's Tale" where it teeters between old English and modern speech. Basically, my main strategy is avoiding contractions like using "it is" instead of "it's" (shrugs)
And now, chapter 2 . . . .
Days become months. Months become years.
And in time, the abandoned girl Victoria became a steward of the royal family.
Given her close proximity in age, she was oftentimes charged with duties involving her Lady, Princess Jadelyn. Over the years, since she was just under ten, Victoria always harbored a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach when she was near the king's daughter. This uneasiness was chalked up to the natural nervousness that anyone would feel in the presence of the monarch and his family.
Though understandably nervous and eager to please, Victoria did not feel quite the same as when she was in the sight of King Helmond. The apprehension when with Jadelyn wasn't fully articulated until her formative years progressed into the beginnings of young womanhood.
The other servant girls would fawn over the latest young man of nobility who sought the hand of the teenage princess. Victoria, on the other hand, would find her attention drawn to the princess herself. The only thing the humble orphan found more preposterous than being enamored with a female was the very thought of someone of her standing being the object of a princess's affection.
"It was a pleasant thought," she sighed to herself. "But it shall never be more than a thought. A creature this high and adored deserves her equal. And that is not me."
Princess Jadelyn feigned being ill from a cold to get out of her etiquette classes. She then proceed to barricade her chamber doors and crawled out of the window. The roof was slanted not too steeply that Jadelyn could make a quick getaway without being detected. After a couple of close calls from the roof still being somewhat wet from the night before; she gripped a banner bearing the family coat of arms and slid down it.
It was a foggy morning. Only in the courtyard of the castle could one stroll outside and see clearly. Having an affinity for cold weather like this, Jadelyn thought to go for a stroll. She knew this part of the castle would be deserted this time of day. Her father and mother were busy with their duties as were the servants; nobody would be there to bother her nor notice her missing from her room.
Smelling the morning air, she was distracted long enough for a figure to take her by surprise. It was Victoria. And she had a sword.
More intrigued than alarmed, Jadelyn went to investigate just what she was doing. There was a post in the yard that had a lookout post a boy could climb and be able to see across the entire valley in every direction. Victoria was apparently pretending to spar with the stationary post. The princess had to admire the girl; her movements were quick and she commanded that blade with the ease of a quill.
"Impressive," Jadelyn said aloud, startling Victoria with a gasp.
"Your Highness," her brown eyes quickly downcast, her once broad stance slunk. "My apologies. I am so so sorry."
Jadelyn held up her hand. "Please, do not curtsey. Really."
Victoria slowly raised her head while keeping her body crouched. They made eye contact but the servant was determined to keep them from being level. It would be disrespectful.
"Permit me," Jadelyn continued. "I was just admiring your swordplay." She cocked her head at the tall wooden post. "Not much of an opponent but it is nice to know you do not back down from someone bigger than you."
The girl laughed, instinctively covering her mouth embarrassed. "So sorry, My Lady."
"Would you please stop with this foolishness," Jadelyn shook her head. "It is perfectly alright to laugh at something funny."
Victoria smiled meekly.
"As I was saying, you are quite good Victoria. You must have practiced a great deal."
"Oh rather," she nodded. "I normally practice out in the fields during my free time but I woke up extra early this morning and got ahead with my chores."
Jadelyn nodded, "I see. Listen, would you do me the greatest of favors and not mention to anybody that you saw me out here?"
"But what if your father...?"
"Just tell him that you saw me in passing and I looked...well. See, that is the truth is it not?"
Victoria was dumbstruck by the princess's ruse but was compelled to agree with a nod.
"If it pleases Her Highness," Victoria said as she stood upright, hiding her sword behind her back. "Could she also not mention to anyone about my own whereabouts?"
"That to me seems fair" Jadelyn winked devilishly. "But why?"
"Some people would think of it improper a girl wielding a sword and fighting..."
The princess raised an eyebrow, "Well it seems that some people are rather ridiculous, would you not say?"
Those words shook Victoria to the core. Never had she imagined that someone else, let alone a woman - a lady of royal lineage at that - would regard her less feminine activities in a positive manner.
"It is heavy, is it not?" Jadelyn asked, indicating the sword.
"Quite," Victoria choked out. "However, I have had enough things to carry every day. I suppose you could call this a pleasant side effect." Victoria was trying to be humble about it but her upper arm strength were unlike any other young lady in the kingdom. In fact, she could hold her own with the right patron in the nearest tavern.
Jadelyn began to walk around Victoria and before she got too far, she turned back to the servant girl.
"If you do not mind my saying so, I certainly feel safer with you close by."
Victoria was grateful for the distance between them. Jadelyn surely would have seen her blushing. As she admired the vanishing princess, her dress flowing freely in the wind, Victoria noticed the large window overlooking the courtyard. One of the older women was unfurling a rug to beat it clean. Victoria knew that was her cue to make her way to the main hall for her next series of chores around the castle.
Victoria's heart beat frenetically as she hastened her pace. She had worked tirelessly to keep her secret activities to herself. The presence of Princess Jadelyn was certainly the first time in a very long time anybody caught her in the act.
When she was much younger, Victoria was awestruck at the statuesque knights in their finery on horseback. Being a servant, she was regarded very little and oftentimes blended in. Victoria took advantage of her relative invisibility and absorbed a treasure trove of harrowing tales. Men would return from their travels and speak of distant lands, creatures that were the things of nightmares and witches and wizards that could weave the impossible out of nothing.
The knights that made up the royal army of Reinhart saw very little battle. There was a war that lasted for weeks against Rosym, the kingdom in the east. King Harris and King Helmond's ancestor agreed to an armistice. The kingdoms from that moment forward would stay on their opposing ends of the deep, dark forest.
Despite that, the men continued to train regularly so as to keep their minds and bodies fit. One would never know when a new Enemy would rear its head. Victoria would watch from afar the knights practicing their sword fighting, horseback riding and archery. She also made a point to get ahold of any books or scrolls about knighthood and the like. Victoria learned of chivalry and strategy.
When no one was around, either early before the break of dawn or late at night when everyone is in bed. Victoria grew to know the castle inside and out, having the ability to find the right places to not be seen. There she would practice handling an average sword, getting used to its disproportionate weight and being mindful of its sharpness. When she got to the stables and cleaned them, Victoria snuck out one of the horses named Johan and rode him around the castle grounds. She would range from a four-beat walk to a trot when starting out and ease into a full gallop. There were a few times when she rode past the king himself and he couldn't make out the rider as she was a blur.
Her biggest problem was archery. Practicing proved to be difficult; almost impossible. One requires yards upon yards to properly practice with a bow and arrow. But Victoria managed on those rare occasions when she could convince the groundskeeper to allow her to use the fields outside the castle. In the meantime, Victoria spent most of her archery training in the aesthetics; how to properly pluck her bow, steadying her arrow, and building up her arm strength wherever possible when there was something heavy that needed lifting. She had to build up her arm strength; to withstand the resistance when lining up the shot.
One evening, when she was about eleven, a guard on watch caught Victoria sneaking around. Getting the surprise on her, he snatched the bow from her hands and snapped it into splinters. He then proceeded to lecture Victoria into acting "more like a lady" and to let go of such foolish things. A poor girl in her standing with no prospects would be inclined to marry a man whom is well-off. That cannot happen if Victoria is outside playing like a young man.
That was right. A young man was coming to the castle.
Victoria almost bumped into the king and stood still out of respect.
"Your Grace," Victoria curtseyed. "My apologies. I rushed right over."
"It is fine," King Helmond sighed. "Listen carefully, Victoria. As you have been told, there is a new suitor from the Northern Valleys that is coming to visit and we need everything look welcoming and proficient."
"Yes, Your Highness. What would you have me do?"
The king in a very fatherly way puts his hand on Victoria's soldier.
"You, my dear, have the most important job of all. The princess needs to look her best for our guest."
"I see," Victoria nodded. "I will go to Princess Jadelyn's chambers and see to it that she is ready and radiant, My Lord."
The older man smiled warmly.
"Thank you, Victoria. I knew I could count on you."
As the king departed, leaving Victoria in the throne room. She sobbed a little to herself, silently so as to not arouse suspicions from anyone with the right kind of ears. It quite literally broke Victoria's heart to see suitors come and go to try and win Jadelyn's hand in matrimony. She dreads the one day a young man will come along and sweep the princess off her feet.
This man was reputed by the other servants as a well-decorated captain, which was unheard of given his youth. Victoria cursed her own luck. Had she been a boy born as a prince or a military man who rose through the ranks, then she would have a fair shot at her dear princess.
But it wasn't mean to be.
Victoria swallowed that large lump in her throat and went westbound in the castle to Jadelyn's chambers.