"Oi! Watch it! Sharp objects, coming behind you. Didn't you hear me?" Leith's voice broke the trance-like focus Mona had on the apple tarts she was making.
"Sorry," she winced apologetically.
"Mona, you need to get your head out of the clouds. We've got hot pans and sharp knives moving around this kitchen," he shook his head disapprovingly as he set the knives down beside the wash bin "One bad cut and you're in for a trip to Nostradamus and out of work for a week. Are you sure you're cut out for this?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.
She rolled her eyes and playfully bumped her hip against his. "If my idiot brother can do it, I'm sure I'll manage."
"Idiot brother, eh?" His eyes alight with mischief, he pulled her into a headlock, quickly making a rat's nest of her hair as she shrieked in protest.
"HEY! Quit it," she whined before swiftly dropping to the ground, slipping out of his grip. She stood to face him before he could try to swipe at her again. "Ha!"
The two locked eyes on each other, bodies tensed to pounce, before they broke out in laughter.
"Alright, why don't you go take a break, huh? Maybe some fresh air will do ya good."
She nodded in agreement, snatching an apple from the nearby basket. "Sounds like a good idea."
"Don't be gone too long though," he warned. "We may be done cooking, but there's a mountain of dishes to do."
She groaned in protest. "I thought dishes at home were bad… Alright."
Mona sauntered along a dirt footpath that led toward the edge of the woods before taking a sharp turn to the side of the castle. Spotting a large building she had yet to explore, she approached with caution.
"Hello?"
Hearing an unfamiliar voice, Bash looked up from brushing Nocturne, his pitch-black horse gifted to him by his father on his tenth birthday. "Well, hello there. We don't usually get that many visitors out here. What brings you to the stables?" he asked, looking over the plump-figured brunette. For the French Court, new staff often meant a possible English spy, especially since Mary's arrival.
Mona couldn't help but notice the stunning contrast between his onyx-colored hair to his sea-glass eyes. "Uh… um… just getting the lay of the land," she stammered before clearing her throat, attempting to regain her composure. "Just started in the kitchens today. You must be the stable master."
Bash chuckled under his breath. "Something like that, yeah."
"Am I allowed in here or is this off limits to servants?" she asked apprehensively, not stepping another toe past the threshold without approval. "I don't want to get into trouble on my first day. Leith'll have my head."
"The stables are open to all. As long as you don't try to steal the horses, you'll be fine," he chuckled, amused at her overly anxious demeanor. "Relax."
She let out a sigh of relief, her entire body releasing as though a weight had lifted. "Thank goodness. So," she came closer to get a better view of the horse, "who's this pretty boy?" Her gaze shifted from the horse back to him at the end of her question.
He raised a brow. "Are you asking about me or the horse?"
Her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. "Let's go with both," she said, holding his gaze, though just barely.
He smirked, then tilted his head towards his horse. "This handsome devil is Nocturne," he gestured towards the stallion. He paused a moment, weighing the danger of honesty compared to the safety of a small lie. "I'm Jonathan,"
"Pleased to meet the both of you. I'm Mona. Just started in the kitchens today." She flashed him a smile before turning her attention back to Nocturne, offering him what remained of her half-eaten snack. "Well," she sighed. "I should probably start making my way back. The dishes won't do themselves. I'll see you around, Jonathan." she said, waiving as she went.
The dishes now done, Mona collapsed into a nearby chair, her hands pruned to high heaven and her feet hurting like Hell. "Thank. God."
"Oh, just wait til your first banquet or dance. Every time a prince or dignitary walks through those front doors, you know you're in for a rough time until they're gone. It's good pay, but it's not for the weak," Leith pat her head reassuringly. "You'll get the hang of things in no time, I'm sure. Besides," he pointed to a thick, leather-bound volume under the counter. "I have a recipe book of all the favorites if you need it and I'll be in the trenches right beside you."
"I know I've been complaining a bit, but thank you for getting me this job. Really."
"Mother said you wouldn't stop begging," he laughed. "Is it that bad at home?"
"Leith, my dear brother, you do not have the misfortune of being born the only girl in our rather sizable family. Keeping up with all of the laundry, the cooking, the dishes, and mother pushing me to pop out babies with one of those village boys? For a girl, yes."
He snickered and shook his head. "Are they all so terrible?"
"The amount of times I've heard the phrase "birthing hips" from mother's mouth makes me want to vomit," she grimaced at the idea. "As for the boys, yes! They all smell like a rotting pig carcass and think I'll give in any day now simply because they're the only options available. That's the only reason Mother even allowed this, in the hopes I'd find someone here. She's praying I'll make a match with someone of similar or higher station and pop out a baker's dozen babies."
"Would that be so bad?"
"I spent enough time raising Liam and Olliver, so I don't have much desire for any of my own, to be honest," she shrugged. "I do, however, still want love in my life someday, but I think every woman wants that."
"That's fair. I think everyone wants that," he smiled, though she could swear she caught a glimpse of a deep sadness in his eyes. "Anyways, I'm off! I'll see you back down here for dinner. Stay out of trouble," he warned.
"I'll do my best."
After resting her feet for a while, Mona resumed her exploration of the castle. The structure was dauntingly large, but there was beauty around every corner. Ornate tapestries of the richest, most vibrant colors adorned the walls. Stained glass windows changed the sun's rays into lovely rainbows of differing shapes and hues. In every room, only the plushest of rugs could be found. After a time, she found herself a bit lost. Finding the nearest open door, she stepped inside cautiously.
"Hello, sir?" She asked the large man who seemed to be focused on grinding herbs at a desk, muttering under his breath.
"Hm? Yes, child?" Nostradamus brought his head up to meet her gaze. "How can I help you? Are you injured?"
"Injured?" she asked, confused. "Oh! You must be the Nostradamus my brother mentioned. No, sir, I'm not injured. Just a bit lost," she chuckled nervously. "I'm new and seem to have gotten a bit turned around."
"That's very easy to do in a large place such as this. Where are you trying to go?" he asked patiently. Though his stature was intimidating, his eyes were kind, albeit pitch-black like the hair on his head and face.
"I'd like to keep looking around, so back to any main hallway would do really. I'm starting to wonder if I should have brought a ball of twine with me," she joked.
"Ah, like Theseus and the great labyrinth. It may seem that way, but you'll learn where everything is with time. I recommend asking one of the many maids to guide you around. They know this castle better than even the king and queen themselves. As for the nearest main hallway, you'll need to go back the way you came and take two lefts and a right. I suggest following a wall with windows as that will help you find most any main hall."
"The maids, I never thought of that before. Thank you. So," she glanced around, looking at all the various jars of herbs and books of varying color and thickness. "What exactly do you do in here, if you don't mind me asking?"
Nostradamus laughed. "Now that is a loaded question, the answer depends upon who you ask. To most, I am a physician. To the king, a fool. The queen, an advisor of what is yet to come."
Mona picked up a volume at random and began to page through it. "You're into the holistic practices," she observed from the drawing of plants as well as the paragraphs beside each that detailed their various practical uses.
"You're familiar with them?" His eyes widened with surprise that she was able to read the pages in her hand in addition to her familiarity with the subject matter.
"More of a beginner. Books like these aren't exactly abundant in a village where maybe half a dozen of its inhabitants know how to read. I've had to attempt trial and error from old wives' tales and remedies that have been passed down from generation to generation. I know dandelion tea can dull pain and honey-soaked garlic can help one recover from sickness, but if you asked me why, I couldn't tell you," she admitted.
"Not many care about the why. If anything, they tend to dismiss it in an instant as witchcraft."
She smiled wryly. "They're more likely to hang you for it than accept it, that is until they're in dire need and you're the best hope they've got."
He nodded solemnly in agreement. "Unfortunately, yes. Nature is not good or evil. Nature does not care, it just… is."
"Nature is also a force to be reckoned with and should be respected as such." She gestured in his direction with the book before closing it and putting it back in its rightful place on the shelf. "A monsoon does not care who it kills and cannot be controlled. She is both beautiful and terrifying."
"What did you say your name was, young lady?"
"Oh! How stupid of me, I'm Mona. Sorry! Lovely to meet you, Mr. Nostradamus."
"Just Nostradamus, if you please." The corners of his lips twitched up slightly in amusement. "Mona, would you perhaps consider taking on an apprenticeship?"
Her eyes went wide. "An apprenticeship? Really? I mean, you barely know me…"
"I could use an extra pair of hands with gathering ingredients for poultices and salves. People often come to me, whether it be to save them from Death's door or just for a simple headache. As this is a castle with many people and I am only one, I could use some assistance with gathering ingredients."
"I would love that! Um…" she paused for a moment. "Do I have to answer now? I'd like to run this by my brother. He worked so hard to get me my placement in the kitchens and I don't wish to let him down."
"Take your time, by all means."
"Thank you so much for understanding!" she exclaimed, practically vibrating with pure joy. "I'll see what he has to say tonight and let you know in the morning. Either way, thank you so very much for the opportunity."
He nodded towards the shelf. "I'll be glad to not be the only one trudging through these marshes. In the meantime, feel free to take a book with you. Whether you become my student or not, I'd like to ensure that your academic fire for the sciences does not go out. I suggest starting with volume one of Most Potent Potions. You picked up volume three, so it should be just to the left there."
She glanced through that section of shelving and plucked it out. "Thank you so much, Nostradamus. I'll have an answer for you tomorrow morning." Holding the book to her chest, she all but skipped off the direction he'd recommended. Just as he'd instructed, she found her way back to the main hallway.