Tangled Hearts

Lonely

I

For late spring and early summer, it was moderately warm in Denmark, enjoyable for young Ophelia who walks through the grass outside the castle, humming along the birds chanting. She wanted to get away from her duties and, mostly, the mockery a bit. She walked nearby a lake, her favorite place, where she felt free to be herself.

She removes her dress, and only with her underdress, she walks into the water until she is all wet. The water was cool, too much for her body, but the more swimming, the water would turn into a reasonable temperature. Swimming indeed helps her with stress. Fresh water brings her fresh mind.

Those moments of freedom were only limited. Her duties await her. Ophelia returns from the lake with a vase full of water for her queen's bath. When she's on the way she walks through people, she bows her head as usual to ignore them. She is very reserved when she is around people. It's not like people come up to her. In fact, nobody in the world pays attention to her. Many have no idea that she is one of the queen's ladies. Of course, the queen has many, and what is special about her? She doesn't wear jewelry nor a luxurious clothing like the other ladies. Nor they know she is the daughter of the king's adviser.

It is an honor for her to serve her queen, but among the ladies, and others, she feels out of place. She's lonely.

Before entering the queen's room, she hears the other ladies talking about her behind her back. The same talks as always. A reminder of nothing that she possesses is special.

"It is worse the way she dances. She is a goat," Christina says, apparently the one that leads the talks.

"Ugh, truly, and her smell is of garden soil," another lady named Josephine continues.

"Whatever does the queen see in her?"

With great shame, Ophelia removes the jasmine flowers that beautifully adorned her hair. She tries to ignore such mockery, that was the only thing she could do. She walks in to approach the bathtub. After pouring water into the tub, the queen Gertrude approaches her bath, then her nose notice a smell.

"What do I smell? Garden?" Gertrude asks.

The ladies do not make an effort to stop the sniggering. They know that smell comes from Ophelia, it is the girl who wears flowers instead of jewels.

The queen noticed in Ophelia's hands some petals."You brought sweet jasmine for my bath? Lovely idea, Ophelia."

Ever since she met her, the queen saw in Ophelia that like her she revered the beauty of nature. Gardens and lakes. Only she would come up with that idea. Gertrude's compliments enlivened Ophelia's mood. Perhaps others do not appreciate her but the queen herself does and it is enough for her to feel satisfied with herself.

By bedtime, as usual, the ladies dress up Gertrude and prepare her bed. Meanwhile, Ophelia lightens small candles. The ladies are soundless once Heinrich, king of Denmark, enters the room to join his queen. They all bowed before the king, who was looking straight to his queen.

"My sovereign, in time for reading," Gertrude says excited.

They both had the habit to read before bed once in a while, it was the only thing they were able to do together. There are nights that they don't even sleep together. Tonight, Heinrich felt no want to read.

"I have hoped only to sleep your side, my queen. My eyes are too weary to read," he responds to a saddened Gertrude.

"I could read to you," Ophelia offers.

The ladies laughed since no women, unless from nobility, were to read, not even someone like Ophelia. The monarchs are left with eye wide opened with Ophelia's proffer.