Kingdom of thieves

Kingdom of thieves - part 14

The princess was, as usual when something went her way, very excited. 

She looked like she might actually dry she was so happy.

She danced about her fathers office, the king was conveniently absent, straightening papers and glowing.

A few times she even grabbed Narla's hands and squeezed them in gratitude, gushing thanks and praise to Saynts. Each time she did this Narla carefully extracted her hands from the princess's grip and took a quick step back.

Only himself and a few other guards were present, two standing either side of the door.

Cain did not believe that Narla meant any harm anymore to the princess or to the palace personnel, so she was not chained and stood in her too big shirt and ragged trousers in the immaculate office, while the princess of Saynts floated around in all her finery.

"Oh Saynts, there's so much to do, so much to plan, why did I not arrange anything before hand? Oh I'm so silly" the princess said, she seated herself at her father's desk and pulled out a clean piece of parchment and began to make notes,

"So we'll have to arrange proper duties, yes that right-" she made a quick annotation on the paper

"-and I will have to make a presentation to my father, oh and also to his advisers, hmm and possible to the nobles, though they wont like it, oh who cares about them, and..." she paused to consider,

"May I suggest your highness-" Cain cut in "_that you also make sure that the palace servants and staff are aware of the new addition" he glanced a Narla standing there, her dirty feet making snudges on the marble floor,

"And perhaps clean her up a little"

Narla shot him a sardonic glare, he grinned at her and she looked away with a sigh,

"I su'pose, I ain't gonna be workin lookin like I do in the breakin royal palace"

The princess clapped her hands, "Oh yes, well done Cain, so I need her to be beautified-"

-Beautified!" Narla said, horrified.

"Well, a wash and change of cloths at least" the princess said hastily, "and...oh, your'll need slave bands-" she froze and glanced at Narla,

Who narrowed her eyes and glanced at Cain, who stared back at her.

He waited, testing her reaction.

The accepting of slave bands would be the crucial point to see if she was prepared for this huge step to becoming the future queens handmaid. The servants from the district had no choice in whether they became servers of the upper districts, but here she was being given a choice and it was not a light one. Although the bands could be removed, the simple accepting of them would mean she would give up her freedom and become what she, a ghetto dwellers had never, and should never be.

Cain had no doubt that it was the appearance of the prince that had made her consider being a servant, but he did not know if it was enough for her to forsake the thing that dwellers prided themselves most with, their freedom.

After a time, Narla slowly nodded her head and Cain let out his breath. As did the princess, she smiled and, turning back to the parchment, made a note.

She rolled up the peice of paper and rang a small bell on the desk, very quickly a young messenger boy ran out of a side room.

He had just accepted the parchment with a bow, and the instruction to, "Make copies and send to all recipients" when he caught sight of Narla he froze. His eyes widened in shock and his whole body tensed, he glanced panicked around the room, looking for an escape route.