The Lost Princess

Chapter 2

When Charlotte turned around she was looking up a two men. One was tall with grey hair, but the other could not have been older than twelve. “Please, I’m just passing though,” she said , “I do not mean to trespass on your land. If you would so kindly let me be I shall be on my way at once.” Charlotte sat staring down at her hands. She was outside the city. Even though her father had ruled these lands, the farmers had never seen her face. Come to think of it very few people have ever seen her face. 

She was only allowed in the city once when she was thirteen. She had been surrounded by guards and her mother made her wear a long cloak that hid everything but her face. Her entire family had gone out, but it was short lived. Charlotte was frightened by the people she saw. There were some on the streets begging her father, who was to her left holding her hand, for money or food. Others shouted insults, yet his face was stone cold. He never let on that anything hurt him. He was so strong. How could he be gone?

“I asked you a question, girl,” said the older man. Charlotte was shocked back into reality at the sound of his voice. “I - I’m sorry,” she said, “I - I must … still be… a bit drowsy from my sleep.” “I asked you where you came from,” he said. She wasn’t sure what to say. In all her panic it had never occurred to her what to tell people. She couldn’t tell them who she really was. Not until she figured out what was going on. What would they do to her if they ever knew? These people might still be loyal to her father, but a lost princess can bring in a lot of coin and she could true no one.

“She’s obviously from the castle, father,” said the boy, “She probably worked as a servant or something for the queen.”

Once again she was shocked out of her own mind. “Yes, sir. Thats what I am- …was,” Charlotte said. 

“Great, son. Now we’ll never know the truth,” said the father, “If you worked the fields as well as you work your mouth we would be rich by now.”

Charlotte smiled at that and looked the old man in the eye. “He’s right, sir, I swear it. I was a handmaid to the queen,” she said, finally learning how to use her brain again, “When the siege began I was with her majesty. She told all of her servants to flee while they still had a chance. My mother was also a servant for the queen and when I was young I would always play on a staircase that led to a secret tunnel out of the city. When we all fled I went straight the the tunnel and it led me here.”

Charlotte tried to sound confident in her lie. The old man starred at her a while longer then looked at his son. “Get up,” he said, “the way I hear it you have no place to be until we can find your mother -“ “She dead” “- … I’m sorry…Until we can find you somewhere to go, you can stay with my family and I. My name is John, this is my son, Christian, and my wife back at home is Susan. I’m sure she will be able to find you something to wear and you can help out around the house in exchange.”

Charlotte just now realized that she was still wearing her night clothes. Blush rose to her cheeks. “Thank you, sir,” she said.

“You can ride the horse with me. Christian, you still have work to do in the fields. Don’t be out past supper or your mother will have my head,” said John. Christian didn’t look to pleased that his father was leaving him out here, but he picked up a shovel, that Charlotte had failed to notice, and ran off. Charlotte got to her feet and excepted the hand john offered her onto the the horses back.

“It must be pretty bad inside the walls,” said John. 

“Yes, I suppose it is,” Charlotte replied. They began riding and Charlotte could barely see the outline of a small house far off in the distance.

“Did you enjoy working for the royal family,” asked john.

“Yes, they treated all the servants very kindly,” Charlotte replied once again. An awkward silence fell over them for the remainder of the ride.