Madeline

Chapter 10

Over the next several days, I was happier than I ever had been. I felt so free, I almost didn't know what to do with myself. I wasn't even sure what I would really like to do besides draw. But I was able to draw. For whole days. It was wonderful!

About an hour after the prince left my parlor, an entire stack of sketch books and several pencils arrived. It was like a dream and I immediately began putting the images from my head onto paper.

But now, I was being brought back to reality a little. Alma had said that I wouldn't have to go to most events in the castle, but for some my "presence would be appropriate". I took that to mean that I was required to attend for whatever reason, and this afternoon was one of those events. It was a luncheon for everyone in the castle.

It felt strange to be going to an event in the castle and, honestly, pretty awkward since I knew that the prince and his fiance would both be there. But considering this was my only obligation here, I really didn't mind. Rebecca stood behind me doing my hair and chatting.

"...and then Jen told him she didn't care if she ever saw him again. That she'd be perfectly happy to just go on being the chamber maid forever. And he said-"

"Rebecca?" I interrupted her story about one of the love triangles among the servants.

"Yes?" She blinked, completely forgetting that she'd even been in the middle of a story. I'd learned that she could ramble on for days if you let her, and she honestly didn't mind being interrupted.

"What do you think this is?" I asked. "I mean, why do you suppose I was asked to go?"

Her tongue peeked out the side of her mouth as she thought about it and her nimble fingers pulled my hair into an intricate twist.

"I'm not sure," she said. "I mean, other than the king saying that everyone in the castle should attend..."

"Yes, but why? I'm sure that was mostly for my benefit." Most people who weren't servants would have attended anyway. And it's not as if the servants were even included by saying 'everyone in the castle'. So it was really just me and maybe a few others that the king meant to include.

"I suppose it's because if you hide away all the time, people will think you're ashamed. That they ought to look down on you, and that's not the way the king thinks it ought to be."

"Maybe."

"And maybe because he wants a look at you." She giggled.

I smiled a little and shook my head.

"I hope you don't feel that way though," she said seriously. "Even if it were a shameful thing, you're not even...uh qualified to feel that way."

Thank goodness for that. "But other people don't know that."

"It doesn't matter," she said seriously. "Folks are going to think what they like and, usually, it's not kind no matter who you are."

She was right. It wouldn't do any good to worry about what people might think. And it's not as if I could control it anyway.

"I am glad for you, but if it was me, I'd wonder..."

I waited a moment for her to finish the thought, but she was clearly lost in her own head. She had a tendency to trail off like that and completely forget what she was saying. It was one of her less endearing qualities.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing," she tried. "I'm just rambling. You know how I am."

I did know, but I also knew that right now she didn't want to tell me what she'd been thinking.