Tired of Waiting

Chapter 2

I went through the day's work with not so much dread as usual. There was more work than yesterday, but it was easier. I was assigned the task of doing the dishes, washing clothes, dusting, quick pick up, and my other daily chores.

When I finished it all, it was around three in the afternoon. I went to Sylvia and asked her if she had any more jobs that needed done. She thought for a second, and said, "Actually, yes. There is something I want you to do. I need you to go to the market and get some things. The royal ball is this tonight and Nadine needs some things. We also need some groceries to last us for the next few weeks. Also, if you could go to the carpenter and ask him if he could stop by and fix the table for us, that would be nice, too. Now, go ask Nadine for a list of what she needs, and be on your way."

"Yes, stepmother," I replied and walked out of the room.

I found Nadine in her room brushing her hair. She tugged her brush through her long, red hair. I noticed that she was having a hard getting the tangles at the end of her hair.

"Would you like some help?" I asked Nadine.

"Sure, I never was a good hairdresser," she replied, handing me the brush.

I pulled the brush through her silky hair that had the slightest curl to it.

"Stepmother said you needed some things from the market for the ball tonight. Do you have a list that I could use?"

Nadine pulled out a folded square of paper from the drawer in her desk and handed it to me. It was a list of various little things like, a necklace, hair pins, and other things like that.

"Make sure the necklace will match my dress." Nadine said after I finished reading the list.

"Of course. Is there anything else you will need?" I asked before I left.

"No. You may leave now."

I left her room and went to the barn. I hooked up Brigham, the donkey, to the cart and grabbed my hooded cloak. I led Brigham through the farm area and into the street. The market was only about a quarter mile from our house on the mountain. I led Brigham down the twisty road toward the city.

When I got there, I went to the farmers' table. There, I got some fruits and vegetables. I made sure I was getting extra supplies for my journey tonight. I paid for the food, and placed it in the cart. I carried on through the market, and found the baker. While looking through various loaves of bread, I overheard some palace guards talking behind me.

"Check that one. The king will be furious to know that the prince is still missing. What could have brought him to leave?" said the guard closest to me.

I bought the bread and went in search for the jeweler. He was around the corner in a tiny shop by the butcher. I walked in and was startled by the little bell above the door. The shop was owned by a short, slick man in a suit, named Mr. Wiltz.

I came up to the counter and asked, "Do you have anything that would match this?" and held out a piece of royal blue fabric, which was the fabric her dress was made from.

"I might. How much are you willing to pay for it?" he asked, his gray, bushy eyebrows rising.

"That depends on the quality of your work," I replied.

A smile slowly crossed his little face and he said, "How about this? I can tell you are a woman of no-nonsense." He pulled out a silver necklace with dark sapphires around it and a large, tear drop shaped one dangling from the center.

"Twenty silvers?" I asked, knowing that starting with a low, unreasonable price would keep a dealer from going too high in prices.

"What? The least I will take is thirty silvers. Not that I will do it willingly, though." He said, startled that I was asking so low. I don't think I've ever seen someone's eyebrows go that high on their forehead.

"Done." I said and handed him a little pouch of money.

"Nice doing business with you," he said and handed me the necklace, "Is there anything else you need?"

"Nope. Good day sir."

"Good day"

I left the jeweler and started on my way home after I got the last few things we needed. I stopped when I saw a sign on a store window. It said:

Please be on the lookout for Prince Derek. He is tall with brown hair and hazel eyes. If found, please alert a guard immediately.

By royal decree of his majesty,

King Thomas.

"Well, I guess the ball might just be postponed. Not my problem," I said and kept walking.

When I got back, I put Brigham in his stall and refilled his food and water. Then I grabbed all which I had bought and put the cart back. I took the supplies I got for my journey and put it in the potato sack. I brought the rest back to the house.

When I got in I found Stepmother in the library. She was reading a large book. I handed her the remaining money and she poured it into her lap to count it.

"We are missing ten silvers. Why is that Cindy?" She said looking at the money on her lap.

"The farmers have raised their prices on produce," I said, trying to make up a reason why some money was missing; for I had spent it on the supplies for my journey.

"I see. Did you get everything for Nadine?" she questioned.

"Yes, though I almost had to spend forty silvers on a necklace, which is what it was worth, but I bargained it down to thirty." I said.

"Very good. You are dismissed. Start supper now, it is getting late."

I left satisfied, I had led her to believe my story of the market. I dropped off the necklace and other things at Nadine's room and went downstairs.

I went into the kitchen and pondered on what to make. After a while, I decided upon soup. I took a large pot out from a cabinet and went outside to the well. As I pulled the bucket up from the well I saw something in the distance. It was a person, crouched behind a bush in the woods not far from our house. He or she was in a dark cloak, facing away from me. I shrugged it off and went inside and put the bucket of water in the pot, and placed it in the fireplace. I started cutting some vegetables and put them in the pot. I was in the middle of cutting a loaf of bread, when someone pounded on the door.

I placed my knife on the counter and went to the door. I opened it up and it was two palace guards. One was the one I saw at the market.

"Excuse me mam', may we speak with the residents of this household?" the guard asked.

"Uh, sure. Let me get my stepmother," I motioned for them to come in. I went upstairs and got Sylvia. We came downstairs and the guards were where I left them.

"Hello, officers. How may I help you?" she said with a fake smile

"The prince has gone missing and we need to ask every household if they have seen him. He left in a servant's clothing to avoid suspicion. He also is wearing a black cloak. He is tall and has brown hair. Have you seen anyone who meets this description?"

"I have not," said Sylvia, "Have you Cindy, darling?" Sylvia only called me darling in front of important people. She explained to me at a young age that "important people don't need to know everything about our lives. If I fail to keep our life to ourselves, then I will be punished".

I was silently having a war in my head whether or not I should tell about the man in the cloak by our house, who was most likely the missing prince. I decided to tell them.

"Actually, mother, I did see a man in a black cloak hiding in the woods today. He was there when I was getting water for supper," I said. Calling Sylvia "mother" was forbidden except for in front of "important" people.

"Thank you for your help. We must leave now. Good day." They left without another word.

Sylvia shut the door and went upstairs again. I went back to the kitchen and finished supper.