Cold as Ice

Chpt 4

(Flashback)
"Princess Laura stop running you'll trip!"
The nanny runs after Laura feeling her corset pinching slightly.
The young princess has been full of nothing but energy.
She's usually entertained by the Queen but she has taken to her bed chambers with severe nausea and fatigue.
The nanny had a sneaking suspicion that the queen was with child again.
The princess sat down on the ground looking at bugs crawling with an Intense interest.
Deciding that she was ultimately too young to understand why she shouldn't be on the dirt path looking at bugs the nanny left her be in peace.
The princess wavey blonde hair was blowing slightly in the wind as she refused to let it be tied up.
The princess was the beauty and pride and joy of the land.
By her first birthday she had five offers from possible suitors.
All of which were rejected.
Although the king had no interest in his daughter he did respect the fact that she should have a marriage out of love.
His marriage to the queen had not been of love and they only are in eachothers chambers for reproduction purposes.
They respect eachother and get along but there is no love for eachother.
"Fräulein Ella?"
Snapped from her thoughts the looks down at little princess who was pulling at her apron.
"Dont pull at people it's rude"
"Sorry fräulein"
"What do you need princess?"
"Don't call me princess my name is Laura!"
"I have to call you Princess"
Looking confused Laura stares at nothing in particular for a few seconds.
"That's silly my name is Laura not princess"
"Princess is your title"
"What's that?"
"You'll learn about it with your teacher Princess"
"Oh,when will that happen?"
"When you're four or five"
"That's forever away!"
"Don't talk like that princess it's common"
"And it's not forever away"
(Present day)
(Lucia's pov)
"Are you ladies ok?"
I wake up my vision is hazy my clothes are stuck to me in the dampness.
"I'm ok thanks mister but my sister isn't doing so well"
What on earth is she talking about I'm perfectly fine.
I try to speak but I can't.
My body feels as heavy as lead.
As I come more to the present I realise my clothes are damp with sweat and my skin feels incredibly clammy.
"I'll get the med cart to pick you girls up"
"That's so nice of you sir"
He must have went because Andi starts shuffling around picking up stuff.
I slip out of consciousness Again and wake up in a hard bed that must just be a board on base.
My body doesn't feel as heavy now and I sit up to look around me.
I look around me and it seems that I'm in some type of historical hospital set up.
Yep I was definitely drugged by whoever Andi made that deal with.
A nurse walks up to me and starts checking my pluse and writes something down.
"Nurse Carrie how old is the blonde one?"
"She looks to be about seventeen sun's"
What on earth are they on.
Seventeen sun's? how old am I 21 seas?
"They look to be kin"
"Are you Kin to the blonde girl?"
"Excuse me?"
"Are you Kin to the blonde girl?"
"Which blonde girl?"
"There's only one blonde girl here nobody has natural blonde hair here"
"Can I see her?"
Andi is quickly moved to the bed next to me on a stretcher.
What on earth happend to her.
"Is she your kin?"
"She's my sister what happened to her?!?"
"You two where found around the flower meadow"
"So?"
"Those flowers are poisonous"
Of course they where what else is going to happen.
"How old is she?"
"Andi?"
"Is that you kins name?"
"Her name is Andrea but everyone calls her Andi"
"How old is she?"
"She's 15-"
"What on earth do you mean?"
"She's fifteen years old"
"How much time is a year?"
The sun system makes sense one sun is one year because it's one rotation around the sun.
"She's 15 suns-"
"She's 15 suns looks atleast 17 sun's you two seem extremely well fed maybe that's why"
Did she just call us fat?
"Your parents must have a Search out for you girls your mother must be beside herself with anxiety"
"My mother left my father after Andi was born-"
The nurse nearly drops her equipment in shock.
"Your parents weren't married?"
I need to lie now if I tell the truth we'll be shunned.
"They separated"
"Oh ok"
"Those types of things can happen with the arranged marriage"
"You seem to be right in the head I'll arrange for you to get some appropriate clothing"
"What age are you dear?"
"I'm 20 suns-"
"20 SUNS AND YOU'RE HAIR ISN'T COVERED OH HAVE MERCY WE'RE SORRY"
What on earth are they talking about it's just hair and everyone has it.
"It's not that big of a deal?"
"Matron is confused by their status"
"Nurse Stacie it is most improper to interrupt a conversation with a patient"
"But matron said it's urgent and gave me these papers for you to review"
She quickly hands a few papers to the nurse who was talking to me, who promptly skims through them.
"Alright tell the matron that on of them is well enough to speak"
"Right away nurse Xalvador"
"Alright I need to know who you are for files"
"What is your name?"
"Lucia moretti"
"You're definitely not from around here then"
"No miss"
"How old are you?"
"21"
"What is your title?"
"Miss"
"So you're unmarried?"
"Yes"
"Unusual for a 21 year old you must be a scholar"
"I am"
"Where do you study?"
"I don't think you'd know the school"
I'm not really in the mood to explain the concept of modern education.
"How is your eyesight"
"Perfect"
"Do you have any illnesses?"
"Not that I know of"
"What is your social status?"
"Define the question?"
"What title does your house hold?"
Oh my god am I in Romeo and Juliet or something what the fuck is a house.
"I'm not sure-"
"You look to be mid range you have the eyes of the highest class but the skin and hair of the peasants"
I officially have no clue what she's talking about.
"Your sister has the look of the highest class but has the skin and eyes of a peasant"
"She looks like my grandmother if that helps?"
"Is she of high status?"
"She has blonde hair,blue eyes and light skin"
The nurses face drop for a second and she looks conflicted.
"Excuse my absence for a minute I need to discuss this with the matron, I'll have nurse Stacie bring you appropriate attire"
She gets up smooths out her skirt and apron and goes out of the ward.
Those questions weren't even vaguely health related.
"Luci where are we?"
"I don't know Andrea you got us here not me"
"I don't remember that"
"Well you somehow got us here Andrea"
"Where even are we?"
"Some hospital in a Romeo and Juliet type place"
"Do they speak all weird like Romeo and Juliet?"
"No just more formal Version of our English and they have a weird way of measuring time"
"What do you mean?"
"One year is one sun and I'm assuming one month is one moon"
"That makes no sense but ok"
"I'll explain it later"
"This bed is horrible"
"Excuse me Miss Lucia I have your new attire"
"Is that a corset-"
"Of course it's a corset Andi what else would it be"
"Do you require assistance miss Lucia?"
I really don't want to say yes but I've no idea how corsets work.
"Yes please if you don't mind"

"Will I remind you to take of that corset as soon as we get out of here Luci?"
"You don't need to remind me"
"Miss Lucia I'll show you how to do your head covering now if you will me to"
"Yeah if you don't mind"
"I brought hair ties for the braids"
I sit down on the bed and she starts brushing my hair and putting it in extremely tight braids.
I feel like I'm getting a facelift from them.
"You're hair is so thick, I've never seen this much hair in all my ages"
"Thank you-"
"It's so soft and the waves are perfect"
"Nurse Stacie an evaluation on her hair is not necessary"
"My apologies matron"
"Oh great the blonde girl is awake"
"Hello-"
"What is your name?"
"Andrea-"
"How old are you?"
"15-"
She takes a canvas out and shows it to Andi just out of my view.
"Do you recognise her?"
"She look familiar"
"Can I see please?"
"It's not necessary the blonde girls word is worth its weight in silver"
"Excuse me matron but Lucia is older then me she has a better memory then me"
"If you say so"
She shows me the canvas and I look at it in consideration.
The girl on it looks so familiar.
"She looks like my grandmother-"
"We've got them,go alert their majesty's"
I should not have said that.
"Stacie keep going with her hair and cover it tight, keep the blonde girls hair out but style it appropriately"
"Yes matron"
The matron goes out of the ward briskly and I feel relieved by the sight of her back.
"Do you want a scarf to match your dress or under dress?"
"Under dress will do I guess"
"I'll take off my own covering to show you"
She quickly takes off her own hair covering briefly exposing her braided chocolate brown hair.
She quickly puts on the scarf and I wonder if I got the technique at all.
I pick put the white scarf and do my best to replicate her movements.
"That's perfect"
"Thank you nurse-"
"Now miss Andrea I do believe your hair could do with a wash to see if we can make it fairer"

"My scalp feels like it's going to bleed from all the scrubbing Luci"
"Hey at least they cleaned your hair"
"Ladies your carriage is waiting, the clothes and belongings you brought are in it"
"Walk beside the blonde girl she's worth more then her weight in gold"

"Alright madames we should get there in 3 days"
"Luci I'm scared"
"Don't let them know that Andi"
The doors of the carriage are firmly shut and the carriage jostles on the rocky road.