𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 ✦ 𝘳𝘦𝘻𝘦𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭

-10

It was a time-honored tradition for the princess to act as Lady Bountiful to the tenants and local villagers. This meant giving assistance and advice, and donating necessary items such as food and clothing to those who needed it most. Olivia had performed the duties willingly until now, but her condition had made it impossible.
There was no question of asking Christine to substitute for her- she was too abrasive and impatient for such an undertaking. She did not like to be around sick people. She made the elderly uneasy, and something in her tone inevitably caused babies to cry.

Therefore you were the logical choice. You didn't mind visiting all day at all. You liked taking the cart out by yourself, to deliver parcels and jars, read to those with bad vision, and collect news from the villagers. Even better, the informal
nature of the errands meant you didn't have to dress fashionably or worry about etiquette.
There was yet another reason you were glad to go to the village...it kept you
busy and away from the palace, so you could focus your thoughts on something other than the prince and the Heinrich brothers.
It had been three days since that bewildering ball and its consequences-
namely, dancing with a prince and being kissed out of your wits by your best friend. Now he was behaving toward you as he always had, cool and courteous.
You could almost believe it had been a dream except that whenever you were
near Mag, your nerves began throwing off sparks, and your stomach swooped up and down like a drunken sparrow.
You wanted to discuss it with someone but that would have been too mortifying, and somehow it would have felt like a betrayal, though of whom you weren't certain. All you knew was that nothing felt right. you weren't sleeping well, and as a result you were clumsy and distracted in the daytime.

Thinking you might be ill, you have gone to the headmaid with a description of your condition and had been dosed with a nasty spoonful of castor oil. It hadn't helped in the least. Worst of all, you couldn't keep your mind on your books. you had read the same pages over and over again, and they had no power to interest you.

You had no idea how to put yourself to rights again. But you thought it would be a good thing to stop thinking about yourself and do something for someone else.
You set out mid-morning in the big open horse-cart drawn by a sturdy brown
Horse named Hubert. The cart was laden with china jars filled with food, bolts of flannel, wheels of cheese, parcels of turnip-fed mutton, bacon and tea, and bottles of port.

The visits were generally quite pleasant, the villagers seeming to enjoy your
cheerful presence. Some of them made you laugh as they slyly described how it had been in the old days when prince Edel's mother had come to call.

The dowager countess had dispensed her gifts grudgingly, expecting a great
show of gratitude. If the women hadn't curtseyed deeply enough, the dowager
countess had asked sourly if their knees were stiff. She had also expected to be
consulted about what names they should call their children, and she had
instructed them on what their views on religion and hygiene should be. More
aggravating still, the countess had brought food that had been mixed in an unappetizing jumble, meats and vegetables and sweets all crammed together in the same tin.

"Gracious," you exclaimed, setting out jars and fabric bolts on the table. "What a wicked old witch she was! Just like the fairy tales..." And you regaled the
children with a dramatic recitation of Hansel and Gretel that sent them giggling and screeching beneath the table, peering out at you with delight.
By the end of visiting day, you had filled a little book with notes...would it be
possible to locate a specialist to look at old Mr. Hearnsley's failing eyes and
might the Blunts be given another bottle of the housekeeper's tonic for Mr.
Blunt's digestive complaints?
Promising that you would convey all questions directly to the prince and the princess, you climbed back into the now-empty cart and headed back to the palace.
It was almost twilight, long shadows of oaks and chestnuts crossing the unpaved road leading away from the village. This part had not yet been deforested to feed the fleets and factories that had sprung up in the major cities. The woodlands were still pristine and other-worldly, scored with small cartways half-buried by overhanging branches thick with leaves. In the gathering shade the trees were wreathed in vapor and mystery, like sentinels for a world of druids
and warlocks and unicorns. A brown owl glided over the lane, mothlike in the darkening sky.
The lane was quiet except for the rattle of cart wheels and the clop-clop of
Hubert's iron-shod hooves. You kept a firm grip on the ribbons as the horse
quickened his pace. Hubert seemed nervous, his head tossing from side to side. "Easy, boy," you soothed, forcibly slowing his pace as the cart's axle rattled over a rough patch. "You don't like the forest, do you? Neither do i. No need to worry- we'll reach open ground soon."
The horse's fidgeting continued until the vegetation had thinned and the overhead foliage had disappeared. They passed into a dry sunken lane that was girdled by a forest on one side and a meadow on the other. "There, my nervous friend," you said brightly. "Nothing to worry about, you see?"
As it turned out, your confidence was premature.
You heard a few heavy cracks coming from the forest, twigs and branches
snapped underfoot. Hubert nickered apprehensively, swinging his head toward the noise. A loud animal grunt caused the hairs to rise on the back of your neck.
Good Lord, what was that?
With startling suddenness a huge, bulky shape charged toward the cart from the forest cover. Everything happened too fast for you to comprehend. You bought no weapon. You gripped the ribbons as Hubert jerked forward with a panicked whinny, the cart rattling and bouncing as if it were a child's toy.
You tried in vain to keep seat, but as the cart hit a deep rut you were thrown
clear of the vehicle. Hubert continued racing pell-mell down the lane while you landed on the hard-packed earth with stunning force.
The breath was knocked from you, and you choked and wheezed. You had the
impression of a massive creature, a monster rushing toward you, its eyes were an unsual color, but the sound of a gunshot rent the air and caused your ears to ring.