Short Stories

Jadwiga

  Jadwiga looked out the only small window in her tiny room. It was quite chilly since it was mid-October in Krakow and the season of fall had started with minimum amount of sunlight. Although the sun shined brightly on her coronation day. Jadwiga watched as carriages arrived containing the nobility that chose her to run their country. She watched as they entered the Wawel cathedral with the finest clothing and jewelry, covering them from head to toe, with massive fur coats that covered their delicate bodies. "I wonder if they know that the poor are freezing out there" she muttered to herself. She heard the door open but didn't turn around. She recognized the footsteps of the owners; it was her closet friend and lady in waiting, Magdalena.

     "Princess Jadwiga! Get away from this window! You will catch a cold! That won't be a lucky start on your coronation day! And why didn't you let me know that the fire was slowly dying? I could have called someone!" Magdalena started to ramble, closing the door behind her. The once small peaceful cobblestone church room was now filled with the rambling of her dear friend. Jadwiga turned to look at her. Magdalena had an elegant green colored dress on, and fine jewelry littered all over it, with a matching head piece covering her most of her blonde hair. She added more wood into the small stoned fireplace, hoping for it to get bigger and add warmth into the small cold church room. Then she helped Jadwiga into her coronation dress which was dark blue with a red clock on top. It was embroidered with many jewels like diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, fitted for a future Queen.

     "Did my mother arrive yet?" Jadwiga asked as Magdalena started to brush her future Queen's hair. "I did not see her out there" Magdalena replied. 

"She wasn't in the church nor outside? What about the church garden?"

"I have not seen her in either of the places"

        Jadwiga sat in silence while her lady in waiting finished brushing her long dark brown hair. When her hair was finished being brushed Jadwiga stood up and Magdalena went to stand in front of her and exclaimed, "You look so beautiful! I am so excited for you! I can't wait to be the lady in waiting for the Queen!" 

         Jadwiga managed to put on a smile and felt a bit excited. "Can you go find my Mother?" Jadwiga asked. Magdalena bowed and left the room to search. Jadwiga went back to leaning against the small window and watching the people enter the church. A knock on the door was heard and Jadwiga turned around, "You may enter" In came in her older sister Maria who was known as Mary, Queen of Hungry.

       "Maria!" Jadwiga shouted with joy running up to her older sister, giving her a tight hug. They haven't seen each other in a long-time since her sister became Queen. "I haven't heard that name in a very long time! Everyone just calls me Mary now! It has been ages since I was last here" Queen Maria chuckled. The sisters went to sit down across from each other in the chairs that were places near the fireplace. "How did you manage to get away from everyone?" Jadwiga asked as she sat down. "You just need a very good lady in waiting!" Queen Maria laughed as she did the same, sitting in the comfortable velvet chair. Queen Maria took off her gloves and started to warm her hands, "Are you excited or are you nervous?" she questioned her younger sister.

"A bit of both I guess" 

"Are you nervous about running the country?"

"That isn't the nervousness eating me away my dear sister"

         "Is it aching of the heart?" Queen Maria turned to look at her little sister. Jadwiga kept silent looking at her hands. How could she be so happy? She couldn't be with her loved one. "I see now," Maria spoke looking at the fire.

        "This can't happen Hedwig. When it comes to being Queen, there are many things you must give up. There are also many benefits that replace the things you must give up, but you must leave him behind. You must forget about him. You can't be thinking of him when this country chose you to run it. They put their trust in your hands my dear sister and this comes first! All your other needs and wants come second. Starting now they don't matter, your country does."