Betrothed

Chapter Ten: A Day in the Marketplace

By the end of the day for the royal court, Audrianna was emotionally and physically spent. So much so, that Rozelle and Castalia locked arms with the princess so as to hold her up while walking back to the room. Once in the room, the three Ladies in Waiting stripped her and dressed her for bed. Audrianna didn't even realize much of what they did to her until she came to her senses and found herself lying in bed. She felt her arms, stomach and head and realized that she was wearing her nightgown, her corset was gone, and her hair was unbraided and brushed out.

How did I miss all that? She thought to herself. She smiled at her silliness, then rolled over on her side, pulled a big fluffy pillow into her arms and drifted to sleep within a few minutes. As she slept the Ladies in Waiting were now able to dress for bed themselves. Over the next hour, while Audrianna was asleep, they brushed each other's hair, laughed about the day, admired each other's dresses, and told stories from home. Soon enough, they all rolled out their mats and blankets, and fell asleep, lined up in front of the door.

Audrianna had slept peacefully for a few hours but was suddenly awakened by a strange noise. The princess sat up in bed. She looked towards the door and saw her three Ladies sleeping on their mats.

"Pssst..." she whispered to wake them, but not draw attention to herself. "Pssst!" The ladies remained asleep. She didn't know what the sound was, but it kind of sounded like a moaning, or a howling. Someone being tortured, maybe?

Audrianna slid off the high bed and hit the floor with a loud thud. She rolled under the bed and looked at the other three, still peacefully sleeping. The noise wasn't coming from them. It sounded far away, perhaps down the hall, or in one of the towers. It wasn't a constant moan, just ever so often. It stopped for a while, so Audrianna pulled the large blanket off her bed and covered herself with it. She then crawled on her belly, like a bizarre-shaped turtle, towards Ethlyn. She grabbed Ethlyn by the foot and pulled on her big toe to wake her. Ethlyn stirred and looked down to see who or what was pulling at her feet.

"Your Highness? It that you under the blanket?" Ethlyn asked still rather groggy. Audrianna poked her face out from under the blanket, while keeping her head covered.

"Quick!" she exclaimed. "Come under the blanket." Ethlyn sat up and shook her head to clear her tired mind.

"Your Highness wants me under the blanket with her?" Ethlyn asked.

"Yes! Come quick!" Audrianna answered, then hid herself under the blanket once more. Ethlyn scratched her head, wondering what was the matter. She lifted one side of the blanket to reveal a frightened princess coaxing her under the blanket. She crawled toward the little girl, and they both sat with the blanket shrouded over the two of them in the middle of the room.

"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Ethlyn asked.

"Listen!" Audrianna commanded. They both sat silent for a few seconds.

Nothing.

"What am I listening for?"

"Shhhh!" the princess whispered.

Nothing.

"What did Your Highness hear?"

"Listen!" she told Ethlyn. "It sounded like someone moaning." They both sat quietly for a few more seconds.

"I don't hear anything, Your Highness. It might have been the wind."

"It didn't sound like wind to me. It sounded like someone in pain."

"In pain, Your Highness?" Ethlyn asked, uncovering the two of them of the blanket. Audrianna thought for a moment.

"Is there someone locked up in the dungeon, maybe?" she asked.