Chapter 55 – Karen's Story
Okay, so before we go, I may have pooped it in the last chapter a teency little bit ^^ Turns out I know nothing of measurement (I was never good with math). So great thanks Emma for making me aware of how I messed up with Varian's height. Of course I meant 5, or at least lower than you refer to. We don't refer to feet as a way of measuring where I live, and so I don't really know how that system works. I appreciate your note and I hope it didn't ruin for the rest of the chapter. I would love not to delete it and post it again. For the rest of you guys; sorry. I'll try to be more accurate next time.
But now; more maid gossip! I really hope you'll like the direction I'm heading with this ^^
Elfried felt a bit relieved to be finished with the conversation with the King, however it bothered her that Nigel had been there as well. The eyes he gave her wasn't to be mistaking; he questioned her.
And she wondered if perhaps he was in his right.
"Did I take it too far?" she whispered to herself, suddenly feeling a bit anxious. But then she shook her head to rid the though out of her mind. "No, it needed to be done!"
Taking a breath, she looked ahead and found one of the suite doors slightly open, realizing her companions were busy with their task, despite her absence. "Good girls." she smiled and headed towards the door. But as she closed in and were about to open it, she heard them talking, and she stood still a moment when she heard what was being said.
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"So, let me see if I get this straight; he snuck up from behind you in the kitchen, and then he had like… no memory of how he got there in the first place?" Diane asked as she mopped the floor.
"Aha!" Karen said while she washed the windows.
"And that's the same guy that both you and Elfried saw at the science expo?" Sarah said, occupied with dusting shelves and china as she listened. "The one that the King asked you out about?"
"I know, it's hard to believe. But I can swear it's him. He kind of stood out with those funny goggles." Karen giggled.
"But how did he even get into the kitchen in the first place? That's what I want to know." Diane asked a little suspicious. "You must have hit him pretty hard if he didn't remember that."
"Well, he gave me a scare, what would you have done if someone was sneaking up behind you? Karen said, feeling a bit insulted.
"So what happened afterwards, what did you do with him?" Sarah asked.
"Grandma came, and we took him to the sick room. Phineas has kept him there under strict observation."
"Hold on now!"
All three girls froze as the elder maid entered the room and closed the door behind her.
"Elfried!" Sarah said. "What did the King say?"
"That's irrelevant right now!" she said, raising a hand towards her and turned to Karen. "Now, that boy, that we both saw that day... Are you saying that the boy that you claim is in the sickroom right now… is the same boy that we both encountered here during the Science expo? The one that the His Majesty just asked us both about?"
Karen was a bit shaken of her stick when the normally calm and reserved maid spoke so direct, but she gathered herself and replied. "It is!"
"And he's in the sick room at this very moment?" she kept on.
Karen nodded. "I brought him breakfast this morning, and I gave him… I mean, I made him lunch and Grandmother 'took it' and brought to him about an hour ago…" Karen gave a little spit into her words mentioning her Grandmother, still feeling upset about what happened and how her Grandmother had been towards her, but she was interrupted before she could finish.
"Now, wait a minute!" Elfried asked shocked and placed her hands on her hips. "Is Phineas really keeping a wounded boy in the same room as the prisoner that escaped and got hurt yesterday?"
Sarah gasped I horror. "That's insane! What is he thinking?"
Diane was equally shocked as her eyes became twice as huge. "I know he is known for alternative treatment, but that…?"
Karen rolled her eyes and flung up her hands in a frustrated moan. "Why do everyone think there's a prisoner in the sickroom? I swear, there's no one there but Varian and his raccoon there now, and it wasn't anyone else yesterday either, except from that young Prince that snuck in, and I don't think the King would have gotten in there himself if it was someone dangerous there!"
The three maids exchanged confused looks.
"Really?" Diane said. "But we were told otherwise?"
"He has… a raccoon?" Sarah asked with an arched eyebrow, for a short moment forgetting the serious matter.
"Alright, let's see…" Elfried drew her breath and looked at Karen again. "Is His Majesty aware that the boy is in the medic's quarters at the moment?"
"He is, and gave orders that he will have everything he needs to recover!"
Elfried blinked. "But then again… how did he get here, and what's he doing here in the first place? That's what I would like to know!"
"I don't know, but I thought seemed like he must had been here a while. And from the way he looked, and smelled…" Karen crinkled her nose. "…and from the way he was sneaking into the kitchen, it would appear like he's been hiding all this time. He actually had food hidden in his clothes."
"Oh, poor dear…" Sarah gasped, covering her mouth.
"I'm wondering if he might be a thief…" Diane said thoughtful. "That's it! That explains everything! It wasn't a wounded prisoner, it was just a hungry orphan that…"
"No, he isn't a thief! How many times to I have to tell?" Karen grew angry. "The King knows him, that's why's being so cautious about him! He's some kind of a personal guest of the King himself."
Now both the young maids gasped.
"Did he say that?" Elfried asked.
"Uhm…" Karen looked down. "No, he didn't, but I just thought… Why else would he make sure he's so comfortable?"
"So… the King has an orphan as personal guest!" Diane asked, exchanging arched eyebrows with Sarah.
"He's not an orphan. He has a dad." Karen replied.
"Then where is his dad, and why is he here and not with him?" Sarah asked.
"I… don't know that." Karen looked down a moment, realizing how cracked her information suddenly seemed. "His Majesty didn't tell me much of that. I just know what Varian himself told me."
"Varian?" both girls asked.
"U-hu! That's his name!" Karen nodded.
"But if he's a guest of the King himself, why was he hiding around here?" Diane asked.
Karen became meek at sudden. "Maybe… it could be that the King forgot about him?"
"That's insane!" Diane arched and eyebrow at her. "Why would he forget about his own guest?"
"I don't know, but… it kind of makes sense with something he said to me after we found him..." Karen said, suddenly becoming thoughtful. "He said that… I may have done him a favor by… making him forget."
"Excuser me?" Elfried said questioning.
"Maybe he's had so much to do that he forgot to tend to him?" she shrugged and shook her head. "Look, there's been allot of strange stuff going on the last few months, and I honestly woudn't be surprised even the King forgot something. I mean, the guest that showed up yesterday weren't supposed to come for like… another month, wasn't it?"
"But this is a disaster!" Sarah started to blush and grabbed her short hair with her hands out of frustration and panic. "Does this mean that we've had a guest all this time that we didn't know anything about? What should we do with this? Elfried? Elfried?"
Elfried had been standing still a minute, thinking hard, and then she looked up rather determinant.
"Before we draw any hasty conclusions, we need more answers." She closed her eyes a moment and took a deep breath. "And I… know just where to find them." She said and turned on her heel.
"Where are you going?" Karen asked.
"I need to see someone. Hopefully, I'll manage to uncover the mystery behind this. In the meantime…" she grabbed both doors as she turned back to look at them, lowering her head so her eyes became visible behind her spectacles. "Keep this to yourself untill I return. Speak of this to no one untill we have all the answers to solve this. Is that clear?!"
Although they still looked concerned, all three maids nodded.
"Good!" Elfried smiled. "Now go on! There's still a few rooms left." And by that she walked backwards and closed the doors.
