Legacy of the Crown

17

"Pardon me miss?" A soft voice called. Opening my sleep fogged eyes I saw a woman who looked to not be much older than I standing over me. Tangled blonde hair held in a tight bun, a dirty ruff spun dress and a face smudged with dirt and tiredness peered at me.

"Miss?", she called again. She must be the maid King Costello said would come. I pushed myself up from the bear rug and ignored the sharp pains in my body due from sleeping on the floor.

The maid seemed to let out a tight breath when she saw me stand from the rug. She then turned and busied herself with some clothes she must have placed on the bed. "I brought you some clothes. There's not much but I will bring you more." I walked over to the bed were she now stood with her head down and hands in front of her.  "Thank you." My voice came out more course than I expected. The maids body stilled and her head twitched and seemed to fight wanting to look at me. It was as if she's never been thanked for what she had done. "Follow me for your bath." She then turned and walked to a room I didn't even notice before that was adjoined to my bedroom. A large iron tub that sat in the middle of the room was filled  water that steamed into the air. Stone walls wrapped around the small room and shelves were full of some lit candles that flickered as the maid moved to light some of them. What made me pause was the white floors that were so much like the throne rooms. I hated the room instantly. Flashes of bodies piled up and swords through chests made my stomach heave.  "Do you wish to bathe?" Her soft voice carried to me through my haze. Still looking at my reflection on the floor, I noticed the blood that soaked my own clothes. Not my blood, the the blood of others. My comrades blood.

"Yes please." Again she looked startled but nodded and went to gather soaps on the wall while I hurriedly pulled off my clothes and sunk into the tub. The hot water never felt colder as I watched it dirty from the blood and dirt as the maid washed my hair and body. I was to tired to even tell her to stop, that I didn't wish to be served.

Once I was dry, I went to dress in the clothes that were placed on the bed. The maid was pulling out a chair at the vanity and cleaning combs. She looked so innocent but I knew that was not true. I was soaked with blood and knew I looked to be dragged threw thorn bushes earlier, but she didn't even bat an eyelash or paled. The only real expression that came from her was when I implied something gentle. She herself has probably seen more horror and torture than me in seven lifetimes. "What is your name?" I asked, wishing to know someone who has seen hell and still walks. She looked up and once again looked startled, but she was getting better at letting that expression go faster. "Audra", she spoke strong and walked over to wear I was fiddling with some long narrow strip of wool cloth. "And that is to wrap around your breast to hold them in place and minimize discomfort...since you are to train," her last words sounded strangled. I had no doubt now that the training and the soldiers I would be surrounded by would be a whole new bloody hell. My chest tightened in more misery.

I looked down at the strip of cloth in my hands and studied it before it clicked. The tight clothes and heavy cloak I always wore acted as my cover and support. I wrapped the strip of cloth around my breast and Audra tied the two ends together at the back. It was definitely a whole new level of support but somewhat irritating . "You don't have to wear right now. You will staying in your rooms tonight and dinner will be brought to you. Which leads me to tell you-,"while she talked I slipped off the strip of cloth and put on a pair of loose trousers and a tunic before slipping in bed and resting my head against the head board. The only reason I could relax was because I knew Audra wasn't capable to hurt me. The more I studied her, the more I begin to think she could hardly fight off those who wished to hurt her, "- the top floor you can not walk upon. I do not know why. The 3rd floor is most certainly out of the question for that is wear the royal chambers are held. If your caught walking amongst that floor, expect not to see another dawn. Most doors are locked and only people with keys may enter through those doors. Other than that, your free to go where you wish. Just be cautious. Your to report to the training field of the royal guards 3 bells before sunrise for training. You'll eat dinner most nights with them and...t-the k-king will call for y-you when your needed," her face was gaunt white as she mentioned the king. The only other emotion she has shown. I felt sorry for her. The things she must have been through.

"My names Hazel. Are you to be my maid?" I asked and then slipped off the bed and held my hand out to her. She was a few inches taller than me but still seemed to look small. She gently reached out and shook my hand, her movements spoke off unused gestures but her calluses and mine scraped against each other. At the feeling off my working hands against hers, she visibly relaxed. She must have thought me to never worked a day in my life but some how manage to piss off the king enough to end up here.

"Yes. I'm your-"

"No your not. I do not enjoy people serving me. I don't deserve it and neither do you deserve to serve. In my presence you can relax. I don't know what you've been through but I'm not gonna make it harder," I cut her off and slipped back in my bed and under the covers. I just wanted to sleep. I was overwhelmed with everything I just learned, but I wasn't gonna let a damaged person serve a even more damaged person.

Everything was silent for a long pause before I heard her soft steps lead toward the door. "I'll bring your dinner by later. Not as a maid but as someone who knows you need it." A soft click followed her words.

Was that a smile I heard in her voice?

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