Chapter Nine
Mer was once again irritated and any second she was sure that she was going to collapse, and yet she refused to sit down, or let herself be babied. She was going to get through this. She WAS going to get through this and nothing was going to stop her. She had explored every boundary. Memorized the limits of the place where she and the others were forced to go every night. There just wasn’t any way out other than they way that they used to get back there. If they didn’t use the portal to get there however, the Master would come and get them, and the last time that had happened there had been disasters in all the kingdoms. The Princesses knew better than to distress the kingdoms again and they weren’t necessarily steady enough to last another disaster like that and the pain and financial stress that had caused. Knowing that they had survived another night gave Mer strength enough for the day, even though some of the others cried themselves to sleep in the night when they had finally gotten back at dawn and were allowed rest. At least the kings had narrowed down the physician visits. Each girl was visited everyday by the physician who had delivered them. The ones that they were comfortable with. The Physicians had told them they should stay resting as much as possible but it seemed they couldn’t figure out what was exhausting them so much. The girls didn’t give any hints and they just rubbed their eyes of their sleep and groaned and tried to move their achy feet. They managed to get ready and Mer noticed Reverie wincing with every step. She gave her a questioning look but Reverie pretended not to see her and they went to the main rooms where the Princes would be talking with them individually. The purpose was that they would get to know each other better. The Princes entered and still Reverie winced and Mer watched some of the other girls were wincing as well. The Prince from before was watching them intently as if he could figure out their secret just by watching them. The other’s watched them too, though Mer couldn’t read their expressions. The girls dipped into curtsies for the men and suddenly Reverie cried out in pain, and she fell onto the floor. The girls all rushed to her but they seemed to be crying too. Some of the Princes went to fetch the physicians and others crouched by the princesses trying to understand what pained them. Others stood there unsure what to do or say. Mer stood there in shock not sure what good she could do. It wasn’t like the girls to break down in public. “My feet” Reverie finally shouted as she saw the physicians enter. The man quickly crossed to her and made her take off her shoes and found blood staining her stockings. He asked the Princes to move away from the girls and all of them at least stand against the wall if they refused to leave. The physician made her remove her stockings and Reverie blushingly did so. He looked at her feet and Mer heard an audible gasp.
“Why have we not checked before?” he exclaimed, “You’re feet look terrible! They’re in terrible condition!! You shouldn’t even be wearing shoes how can you stand at all?” The other physicians had entered and the first one ordered the other girls to do likewise as Reverie and sure enough their feet were covered in blisters, and cuts, and were afflicted with terrible swelling. Mer watched and gave what aid she could. Then, Mr. Cartwhite, her personal physician turned to her.
“Shoes off” Mer protested, but the man persisted and she finally ripped off her shoes surprised to find blood. “Just as I suspected, all of your feet look terrible!” Mer looked down in shock at her blood stained stockings. She had not even realized that she had been bleeding. She wondered how all those pains got there for a minute before she ceased her silly thoughts for she knew why, but she was not allowed to tell anyone. Only now did she realize how much her feet hurt and she sat down on the floor with the rest of the girls refusing to cry but put her head in her hands as the overwhelming sensation of blood loss in her feet waved through her. Her face stayed dry and she did not complain. The physician patched up her feet with bandages that she knew wouldn’t do anything. They were not allowed to walk, which Mer found ridiculous. She was perfectly capable of moving on her own and she did NOT need to be carried everywhere! Nevertheless no one was allowing her to walk and when she stood on her own two feet she was severely reprimanded and eventually Mer just gave up trying. Might as well allow her feet rest before the night anyways.
