The Orchard Girl

Prolouge Part One

Magdalene sat poised in the stool, trying hard not to succumb with giggles.

"Maggie! Stop shaking!"

This exclamation did it, and the young girl crumpled to the floor, heaped with helpless laughter. Her younger siblings, not knowing what was funny chimed in with loud chortles. Maggie's older brothers and sister attempted not to laugh for their mother's expense, but the father, the King, freely let out a booming laugh.

"Oh, Sarah, let the girl laugh! She is still only seven and a half!" The King tried to hug his wife. but she gently pushed him away.

"Michal, that is no excuse-- oh, all right." The Queen allowed herself to become submerged in a hug, but nodded at Magdalene to regain her position on the stool.

Maggie pulled herself up, and once again poised herself for the artist painting her portrait.

After another agonizing hour, it was finally finished. The swirled paints resembled her exact likeness, every beauty of her, but also not a single flaw was lost. Her young, childish eyes splayed hidden humor, but also determination. Magdalene was surprised with the humor she so obviously displayed in the art, she always tried to be serious and grown up. As Maggie gaped in awe at the perfect painting, as her parents arranged a price on the marvelous work. Maggie could hear them semi-consciously haggling as the artist insisted on a lower price, while the majesties insisted on raising the price.

Maggie felt a hand on her shoulder, and as she looked up, she could see the warmth of her older sister's eyes.

"You look so very beautiful," Karen's voice whispered into her ear.

Magdalene looked back at the young brown haired, green eyed girl of paint. "I look nothing like myself she whispered, a tear slowly making its way down the side of her nose.

Karen impatiently brushed it away. "I have no idea what you are talking about," she insisted. "Every time I look at you this is what I see."

Magdalene smiled tearfully up at her beautiful sister. Almost eleven, she was already a heartbreaker.

"Children time for lunch now," the Queen announced, and in a running, pushing, bumbling herd, they rushed to the dining room.

***

Karen sighed as she lay contently on her bed. She sat there listening to the birds as they quietly hushed their little ones to a peaceful slumber. She laughed as she recalled her own mother doing the same thing but an hour before. Queen Sarah had certainly had her hands full trying to put to bed nine children. Treldon, Karen, Locidy, and Magdalene put up no fuss, being the oldest, but Ivory, Gerrerd, Forcumuinum, and Bennyjum all put up a rather dramatic fuss. On top of that, the baby twins, Dener and Liuky, were both fussy. In the end, the children were not the only ones that needed to be put to bed.

Karen remained on her bed, lost in her thoughts, when she noticed she couldn't hear anything. Panic surged through her, recalling a rare disease that caused the hearing to cease all at once. Karen stumbled off the bed, tears beginning to flow as sobs choked her. She hit the ground with a thud, and realized she had heard it. Karen stopped thrashing, and listened to her steady heartbeat and breathing, feeling instantly ashamed of her rapid reaction.

As Karen listened, she frowned. She could hear nothing coming from outside, not a single whisper of a leaf.

Karen rushed to her balcony. She looked out to the castle orchard, which was on the castle grounds, and where came most of the food that the residents of the castle ate. The vast acres of land were all covered in vegetation, and as the light was almost gone, their silent boughs seemed to show warning, standing dark and desolate against the twilight sky.