The Unlikely Traitors

Chapter 4

Every week, Adalene read stories of riots and rebels marching the streets of big cities. They carried torches and burned important documents and buildings. Some nobles had even been murdered! It made Adalene very nervous about her family. She didn’t even know where her parents and brother ended up. Adalene knew there was no way to contact them but she still dreamed of it.
Adalene had begun to enjoy her new job very much. It got her mind off the fighting and uncertainty. One day, Rose asked Adalene to fetch the water from the well. As Adalene walked outside, she noticed a man working in the garden. He looked similar to the one she had danced with but Adalene figured it was her imagination and didn’t mention it. She did wonder who he was and what he was doing.
“Excuse me, sir. Ahem” The man glanced up, startled and a hint of recognition flashed across his eyes. Just as soon as it had come, it was gone.
“Hello ma'am.”
“What are you doing here? Who are you?” Adalene question him.
“I am- I am- Isaac. Isaac Headman. I work here, at the orphanage.”  
“That’s odd. I’ve never seen you here before.”
“ Yeah well I, uh, just started working here.”
Adalene looked at him again, skeptically, then walked back inside. She found Rose in the kitchen.
“Rose, who is Isaac? He said he is working here but I’ve never seen him before.”
Rose looked surprised at the question. “Oh, yes, he just started working for me a few days ago. Now where’s the water I asked for?” Adalene set the buckets of water on the counter and began washing the laundry in it. Something about that man didn’t seem right. Somehow Adalene always managed to get too involved into situations she shouldn’t be in.
Days went by at the orphanage, much of the same. She continually saw Isaac around the building but hadn’t talked to him since that day in the garden. She always made a point to talk to Lucas and had even helped him make some new friends. She was beginning to fit in better with everybody. Lilia, one of the other maids, had taught Adalene how to properly churn butter and chop fruit. Adalene was looking more and more like the peasant girl she was supposed to be.
There was one day that was particularly exciting. Rose asked Adalene to go into town! She hadn’t been into town since La Fête Paysanne. Rose gave her instructions to go to Victor’s Market, fetch the items needed, then come straight back to the orphanage. Adalene had a horse saddled for her and then began riding. It was times like this that she was thankful for the tutoring and riding lessons her mother had made her take. Adalene was shocked as she began to get closer to the city. Gone were the beautiful colors and laughter that used to fill the streets. People were shouting, posters on the walls screamed messages of warning and harassment against the first or second estate. Suddenly, Adalene noticed a crippling fear take over her. She wished she could turn around and never come back. How come no one had told her things were like this? She knew it was bad in the capitol but not here. She tied her horse up outside Victor’s then quickly walked inside. Thankfully, there wasn’t very many people inside the store. She gathered the items from the list, checked out and began to walk outside. Right as she stepped out the door, a crowd of men with glares on their faces ran toward her.
“It’s a noble! Come on, let’s get her!”
Adalene froze. She didn’t know what to do. All of the sudden, she was grabbed and put on top of a horse. This time, Adalene gathered her bearings and screamed. Someone put a hand over her mouth and she looked up.
“Isaac?! What? How?”
“Shhh. We are trying to keep attention away from us,” Isaac said.
“Isaac, what is going on?” It took all of Adalene’s strength to keep quiet.
“You were about to be attacked, probably killed. Lucky for you, I happened to be next door picking up some items and was able to rescue you before anything bad happened.” Isaac guided the horse swiftly with control.
Adalene still didn’t understand how anyone could recognize her. Even in her regular clothes, she wasn’t famous. Today she’d been wearing a traditional servant’s outfit. No, there was no way they could’ve known her. Somebody must have told them. That meant somebody knew about her secret.