Chapter 2
On that morning, the women and my mother cleaned the blood and sent the girls to pray. Later that day the entire kingdom had marched and buried the limbs of the lost souls, not knowing which limb had belong to whom but those who had died were known. For the next twelve winters that was the new routine. I would pray with my fellow girls while the women cleaned the new freshly spilled blood. As time went me and my fellow girls had stopped praying, being replace by younger souls who needed it more. We now help cleaned the blood every dawn. We were no longer girls, but women.
I am now the age of nineteen, and had moved out from my mother's quarters, giving her the privacy she deserves and now sleep in the large stuffy room with all the other women, the girls having their own, smaller one as well that they all shared that I myself should have been in growing as a child. My brown hair grew passed my arse, as well my short body grew taller and I no longer need to go on my tippy toes to pour liquor. I developed breast and longer cheek bones and a sharper chin. I had grown out of my tiny vest and skirt, now wearing a blue gathering skirt that brushes the floor, a lace up bodice that shields my long button up shirt with large sleeves that could be wings.
Hope had died out a long time ago, with the dying population of our strongest men. Grendal, that beast that strikes at night, his claws sharp, his teeth hungry for their next piercing of human flesh would not take our bribes, warning or attacks. Hrothgar had tried it all. And the king was worried for he is too old to stand up to the monster and the beast could not die. We all were about to lose hope when a miracle had occurred.
"Arietta! Arietta! Have you heard?!" my best complain Gretla had shaken me out awake in my bed that was across from hers'. My brown eyes sluggishly pull apart to see her bright green eyes sparkling in the dim morning light, her pale blonde hair loose and tousled as she hovers over me with the biggest grin I have ever seen.
"What? Is it time to once again clean the blood?" I yawned noticing all the other women my age bubbling over with excited chatter and giggles, running all around, hurriedly changing. Gretla rolls her eyes "No, the lord has sent us a warrior! He is strong and brave and quite dashing which doesn't hurt." Gretla grin only grew and I just stare at her with a blank expression. "So he is here to defeat Grendal?" I ask.
"Yes, obviously. Oh and he is a prince!" she gushes excitedly which didn't stir anything in me. "Oh and he brought fourteen warriors, so if he fails I hope one will take me away from here and Grendal!" Gretla gushes dramatically. "That is no way to think. Pray that he will fight Grendal fairly and hope he will come back with earned glory also with his life safely in tacked. Positive outcomes only, Gretla." I say laying back down and curling into a ball.
"Arietta what are you doing? Get up!" Gretla orders shaking me once again. "Why? It is too early and we are not needed yet. These days are rare thus let me enjoy this moment to the fullest." I say. "But you have to see him! Come on!" Gretla orders tugging at my arm till I sit up.
"Why? Can't you just point him out to me when I am pouring later in the evening?" I ask as she yanks me out of my bed and to my feet. "Believe in me Arietta. This is a sight you must see to believe. You will thank me later, I guarantee it." She says.
"But I'm not even dress." I say. "You're not going out to go formally meet him, just throw on something. It is only a small peak." Gretla says as I rush to throw off my night shirt that now hovers on me knees instead of being the length of a gown. I throw on the first shirt I see which is Gretla's old shirt that the sleeves were chopped off after a horrible wine stain. The awkward ruffled up material barely stood in place, even with my bodice. "Oh no… I have to change shirts." I sighed reaching for my shirt but Gretla just threw my red skirt me at me.
"No time!" "But-" "Hurry!" I quickly slip on the skirt trying to tie the slash but for it to only get caught with the skirt while I holding up the torn shirt and trying to use my thin fingers to tie my hair. When we got to the doorway of our large quarter women swarm around it, whispering all trying to catch a glimpse.
"Well go on!" Gretla says her hand pushing onto my back, send me through everybody to the very front. I felt like a soldier on the front line. Which would have been fine if I haven't look so indecent. My brown eyes found Hrothgar on his throne, his back to us, unaware of us. Or maybe the king was pretending we were not eavesdropping. Then I saw fourteen men in two lines of seven each, whispering to their comrades and seizing us up with their eyes.
But when my eyes found the prince who was at front of both lines, standing tall with his golden helmet tuck under his arm and kneeling at Hrothgar my breath caught when his dark eyes took a glimpse at our direction and caught mine in mid stare. This man of noble blood, his large muscles clearly visible through the mail shirt he bore, his face beautifully chisel with his dark hair at his shoulders saw me.
Hand running through my loose hair, shirt dangling and my skirt at knee level because it was knotted. This prince saw me in this vulnerable, awkward state without proper attire. And you know how the noble brave prince reacted? By smirking and giving a low chuckle. My eyes widen and my face became hotter than the sun and I knew my face flushed. I let out a quiet shriek and ran, diving under my thin blanket and burring my face. "Well what did I tell you? Was it not worth it? Now where is that grateful thank you?" Gretla asks. I murmured out a low thanks, making her walk away with satisfaction.
Oh how I wish I hadn't. The prince now must think I am an easy tart who walks around half dress!