The Painted Slippers, An Undercurse Fable

To Compensate for Good Company (CH12)

Evelynn and the other children had been completely right. Rowena did have to move into the small room that was adjacent to Morfydd's chambers, in the likelihood  of her requiring something in the night whilst she was blinded by her sleeping mask and wrapped in her luxurious fur-lined dressing gown, or likewise, if she was kidnapped.

"Do you like spending this amount of time with me Roweenah?" Morfydd enquired as she was reading the latest gossip paper, the Kinellish crown monthly, a subscriptive thing that Mr Maddaly paid for to get all of the news, true and untrue, from the distant world that was the Kinellish Palace.
"Very much," Rowena lied, as she began to sew a row of beads onto one of the new frocks. It was actually a chore that she found to be very therapeutic. It helped that Morfydd liked it when she added her own artistic liberty to her embroidery as it made her look wealthier. Unlike most things, it was something that made life a bit brighter for both of them without argument and without another one's light being diminished.
"We are like sisters or maybe step-sisters," she decided excitedly, kicking her legs, backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards, "But I'd rather us be sisters. Ask me why, Roweenah, ask me why I'd rather us be sisters."
"Why?"
She gave a squeal, "Because Prince Claude has a sister!"
"And does his sister bead and repair all of his fine doublets?" She asked, pausing her work to watch the other carefully for a moment.
"Of course not, silly, she's a princess. That is what I am to become when I marry him which might be soon and I suppose there is the possibility that I would bring you to the palace with me...though I shall have proper maids and ladies-in-waiting then."
"But who would make your gowns so spectacular?" Rowena enquired, shocked and humoured by this generosity, "And I do very much enjoy embroidering your gowns." She hinted down at the fine gemstones she had added along each hem and the swirls of ribbons that overlapped to look like flowers. The way she had made the dress go from simple to extraordinary was something surely to be respected now this was her new form of canvas, but Morfydd stuck her nose up in the air.

"That is a good point, but what would my husband think if I dragged some simpleton from the village of Swine to the palace? What would the court think? They would all laugh their frilly socks off!" She announced as if Rowena would understand completely. She didn't. What a corrupt place it seemed to be if that were the case. In fairytales, these things were never discussed, if anything, they were blissfully skipped over in promises of true love and happily ever afters. Rowena's brow furrowed as the usual polite smile began to taint her face, "Oh yes of course, if I was princess..."

There was a snicker. A giggle. Morfydd covered her high pitched chortles behind her hand, "if I was a princess...Oh I do love you, you are such a jokester!"

"I would..." Rowena resumed, unfazed by being ridiculed, "...want to help out where I could..."

"Naturally, which is why you are such an ideal little servant to me!" She said, giving her a pitiful pat on the head, reminiscent of the way should would pet Arthur from time to time, "Now, I have a pile of mucky undergarments waiting for you by the door. Make them all spick and span, and if they are not shining, I shall have father beat you for the laziness."

However, the girl in rags did not move a muscle towards the undergarments, there were words demanding to be let free. The curiousity could not be contained. "May I ask you something first? About...the prince..."

She gave her a second look and groaned in frustration, "And why should I tell you about him? No, I am not giving up his private information to someone of your quality, it simply isn't proper."

"Could I look at your article then...?"

To this, Morfydd gave a cheery smile, "Oh yes, you may look at the pictures. I'm so glad they started adding them for all the illiterate folk such as yourself."