The High Road (On Hold)

Chapter One

Since she was small, Christelle had hated court life. She much preferred to leave the suffocating safety of her castle walls and walk the streets of London, her birthplace. Her father, however, would have nothing of that. "It is unladylike", he would say, "to wander the streets of this city. Who knows what kind of thugs could lie in wait for an unprotected lady of the court?" He only ever said this when he was around, though. The matters of his kingdom most often took precedence over his only daughter. Even after his wife died during childbirth, King Godwine took little time to watch over Christelle. Why dedicate needless hours of his valuable time to care for one when there was an entire kingdom to manage?

For this reason, Christelle left her castle and walked as a commoner as often as she could. The idea of poncy nobility squabbling over the same issues for days with no end in sight had little appeal to a young princess of 22. She wanted real politics, not the feudal system she had known forever. So, off she went. She loved walking down Farthing Street and perusing the market stalls, speaking with the peasants who had no idea they were in the presence of someone leagues above them in status. Christelle stayed out for hours sometimes. She longed to depart the city's walls and explore the world around her.

The sun was setting in the distance. The evening watchmen would be out soon. They would recognize her and, under order of the king, escort her back to the castle at once. She quietly slipped through the castle doors and into the great hall. Her journey, however, did not go unnoticed. "If you came back any later you would've been spotted", a voice said from the hall. The princess quickly spun about, relieved to see that the voice belonged to her dear friend Madewin and not one of the other court ladies. "It was just for a few hours. Besides, would you rather I have sat here in these freezing halls and listen to the same lecture on court life that I have heard for years?" Christelle said, knowing that her friend understood her completely.

"Oh we could never have that, now could we? You would probably jam fire pokers in your ears before hearing another word from Lady Meribelle", said Madewin. The princess's closest friend had been with her for years. Despite being a year older, Madewin had no problem being friends with the princess. Her father had died in the war against France long ago and her mother lived in a cottage not far from the castle. She lived with her elderly mother, but worked in the castle to instruct Christelle in the ways of the court, or at least those she deemed important. "You need to be getting to your room soon. The evening watchmen will be about the castle looking for stray princesses. Fortunately, we have only one of those", teased Madewin. "Oh joy", Christelle sighed knowing that her friend was right. "Off to my quarters to brush my hair and arrange the religious books again and do whatever it is princesses do in their spare time".

"Princesses have no spare time", said Madewin.

"I wouldn't know", retorted the princess, with a wink in her eye.

"Goodnight, My Lady. Sleep well. Or do I have to tell you how to do that too?"

"Lady Meribelle isn't the only one I'll stick fire pokers in my ears for!", exclaimed Christelle.

With a wave, Madewin left the great hall to go home to her mother. The princess ascended the staircase that led to her quarters, her hands trailing the cold stone walls as she went. Her thoughts were on the events of the day. Fairly typical for her, very atypical for most princesses. This was of no matter to her. As she entered her large room, she stripped away her red gown and let it fall to her feet. She kicked it aside and looked at herself in the huge mirror made of finely polished metal that Madewin had given her as a gift. Staring at her naked body in the mirror, she poked and prodded the skin of her belly and thighs. "Will this attract a handsome prince?" she asked herself. "All the other court ladies have such tiny waists and I was 'gifted' with this frame." Christelle often wondered who she would marry, or if she ever even would. "I'll probably end up in the arms of some foreign nobleman who wants me only for father's money." She crept to her bed and slid under the linen sheets. They were cold to the touch. It was only autumn, but winter was not far off. Her thoughts became a haze of ponderings on the coming cold months. In time, she drifted into the full embrace of a deep sleep.