A Collection Of My Short Stories

Incarnation Of Noise

As a maid you learn secrets many never hear. You’re let in on so many hushed conversations and information that commoners would be beheaded for knowing. But in my case, it’s alright. Who else would clean, collect, and fetch? They need someone to do dirty work for them and most maids, knowing the vulnerable position they would be in and the sensitive information that would be exposed to them, cower. Most don’t even notice them and couldn’t fathom that they would have the nerve to say anything, hence the total trust in keeping us so close to their personal businesses.

For me, it’s an opportunity to learn. To understand the world around me better. Before the official document to decrease farmers rations gets printed, I’m already carrying the information down the hallway in a small pocket in my brain.

Of course, I couldn’t tell anyone. The starving hate-filled villagers would start a revolution against the King, and my head would go rolling. Still, I continued to collect precious information about the kingdom of Christhaddeusen like its politics, affairs, and newly considered bills and laws.

If knowledge equaled money, I could’ve done so much more with my life. I could attend the most prestigious schools, and train with the best quality armour and weapons a blacksmith can forge.

On the other hand, why learn filtered knowledge when you can learn straight from the source, the faucet, and the root of the tree? That’s the best pure and raw education you can get.

What I heard in private conference rooms lingered in my mind and heart, and I became more intrigued with royal politics with each word. For years now the royal Generals have whispered about an upcoming war, or some form of battle outside of the kingdom's gates. I can hear the prince training in the room above the kitchen. The clanging of swords, thumping of running feet, and shouts and grunts of effort.

It steals my attention within a heartbeat. The possibilities and opportunities he will be exposed to in a matter of months. Oh yes, I now know when the war will take place, but the public doesn’t know about this, just me. The other maids are starting to catch on though.

“Heavens!” One exclaimed as she stirred this evening's soup. “Hear how hard he fell? What on Earth could he be training for?”

A little redhead maid swept under the stove. She added, sarcastically, “his royal highness is going to hunt us a dragon!”

“No, no,” a fat maid bringing the basket of washing through the kitchen piped. “I bet the neighbouring kingdom wants to take over. They know how poor we are, might as well take us out of our misery and make us bow to their king. Move, Gia.”

And I, Gia, wave a stoker around, thrusting it at the other maids and the air. “Whatever it is, I’m going to fight with him.”

The kitchen goes quiet. An older maid lowers the stoker from my hand. “Sure, Gia…”

“I really am!”

“Do you even know what the war will be about?”

I did know, but still I replied, “No. But I will do it!”

Nervous laughs stretch to every corner of the kitchen, something that rarely happens. The stoker clatters on the tile, slicing through the noise. With my fists balled I leave the kitchen in hot tears. As I stormed through the empty castle halls, with such determination, it began to remind me of marching. The stone-cold faces of the soldiers and knights heading to war. Fresh eagerness filled me, and I realised that the intense combat and cries through the walls began to grow faint. I followed the imaginary string that tied me to the training room.

Inside it was cool and bright. The sounds of combat intensified and as much as I wanted to run to the centre, I stayed on the mezzanine surrounding the sand-floored training room. My ears created their own image of the skills and techniques his royal highness is perfecting below me down to the last move.