The Royal Seamstress | ONC2020

Chapter 14: Sickness

I helped her out of the dress and into the night gown. I made little ribbons in the ends of the sleeves. She was shaking. I didn't understand why she was so afraid of the bedding ceremony. She had tried it before. It wouldn't hurt, but she soon told me the reason for her fright.

"Elizabeth, what if he discovers I'm not a maid?" she said. Her whole body kept trembling. "What about the missing blood on the sheet?"

"Don't worry," I said and pulled out at little handkerchief from my pocket. "This is a little power. Mix it with water and drip it onto the bedsheet. He will think it's blood and it will wash of easily next time the laundry is done."

She looked curiously at me.

"How do you know such things?" she asked. "This is witchcraft."

"No, it's not. It's just some spice I used in the food at home before coming to court. Nothing magical about it. It just colors the water. I used it when I made soup for my family."

"Oh, I didn't know. I sorry. I just became afraid. Witchcraft is the last thing I want to have my hands in and it almost sounded like that."

"But it isn't. It's just a little portion of spice, which is giving soup a delicious reddish color." I smiled lightly. Encouraging her that it wasn't dangerous to use. "Are you ready to be a woman once more?"

"I guess I am," she said slowly. She sighed heavily. "I know he can be here any minute."

"Perhaps you should get into bed?"

"Will you pray for me, Elizabeth?" she asked. "Pray that everything will be okay, and that God will soon bless me with a child."

"I will, Margaret. Now, get into bed."

As she climbed into bed, her new husband came into the room. I looked at him for at second. He smiled to Margaret. He seemed like a good man. I was sure she was going to be happy. I nodded towards him before leaving the room, giving Margaret a last glimpse before the door was shut. Now, I was off to the King's room.

The weeks went by fast. I tried to plan the murders I had promised Lord Surry to execute. I didn't know how to kill anyone. Maybe I could steal a dagger and cut all of their throats. I shook my head. I was going to lose my head. I was sure. Either I would not do what Lord Surry had asked or I would be caught while killing someone. But soon nature came to my help. Sickness broke out in England. People fell like flies. The King began talking about moving to another palace while the sickness raged through the city and it came into reality when the sickness reached the court.

Lord Huntingdon, who had been at court for quite some months feel ill overnight. God was on my side. He was one of the seven I had to kill and now God helped me release the burden. Lord Huntingdon meant he was a just man though he was extremely disagreeable and only thought of gaining more riches than he already possessed.

Within a few days he died. The very minute his death had been declared, Lord Surry was immediately coming into the sewing room. He smiled all over his face.

"Elizabeth Webb," he said. "I must congratulate you on your witchcrafts. You have called down the sweating sickness to wipe out all the men. I hope you've made sure only the bad men are going to die."

I couldn't believe my own ears. He actually thought I was a witch and had called down the sickness upon the city and court. I guess I just had to pretend it was me who had done it. If I said it wasn't me, my quest to kill the seven people for him was over since Lord Huntingdon was dead.

"Don't worry, Lord Surry. I've only made sure to strike the bad men the King has given titles and land to who doesn't deserve it."

"Very good," he said and gave me a smile. "Why aren't you married yet?"

"I don't now, my Lord. I guess my vanity had the best of me by making me believe in real love."

Lord Surry gave me a little grin.

"You believe in real love?"

"I did," I answered. "I don't know if I do anymore."

"Real love doesn't exist," he said, still amused. "Women only have to marry for a good position in society. You marry for titles and money. Nothing else."

"Don't tell me Lord Surry you never wanted a woman, because you were in love with her?"

"No," he said. "I've never loved any woman."

"Then it's hard to believe in real love, when you have never experienced it yourself."

He walked even closer to me. His body almost touched mine. He looked down into my eyes.

"Maybe I have found the love I have looked for, but other obstacles stand in the way of me having this woman."

"And who is this woman, my Lord?" I asked while giving him a serious look. He signed hard.

"A woman under my own station who isn't even of any title or noble birth."

"Why does title and nobility matter so much to you?"

I really didn't understand why it bothered him this much. New nobles were created all the time. He couldn't change the King making new nobles. The King was the mightiest man in the whole of England. Lord Surry could never control him and his decisions. No matter how hard he tried.

"It's important to keep the line of nobility clean. It can't be smudged by all these men who never made anything good in their life. All they are doing is drinking and whoring."

I nodded. I could easily see his point if he laid it out like this. But that wasn't all. There were more than what he had just said.

"I understand, but I just don't understand why it means so much you that you can't marry the woman you love?"

"Because it would not be presentable to the world to be from one of the eldest noble families and then marry one of no noble blood. It would be a disgrace. Everyone at court would look at me strangely and no one would talk to me anymore."

"The meaning of others are more important than your own happiness?"

"Don't say such things!" He was getting angry. Maybe he didn't like me saying such things. I came to the conclusion he was angry because I was right in everything I had said. It was better not to say more for now. Lord Surry was older than I and he would never listen to my points in such a matter. After all I was just a common whore in his eyes.

Word count: 1155 words.

Total word count: 16090 words.