"Oh, yes, Your Majesty." Ellian heard a woman giggle in the Northern bed chamber. "I'd love to become your queen. But, I'm afraid the peasants wouldn't like me."
Once she reached the top of the winding staircase, Ellian tapped on the door.
"Who is it?" The woman sighed exasperatedly.
"Ellian, Lady, your chamber maid," She replied as loud as she could muster.
"Well, then, come in!" The woman shouted back.
With a slight creak, the door was opened to reveal a room littered with wrinkled papers. When she got closer, Ellian could see they were all of a man with short, black, wavy hair; dark stubble around his chin; a chiseled jaw line; and piercing blue eyes. Each image had the man in a different position, from a straightforward profile to a full body crouch. Ellian recognized the man as the young King. She smiled at the stunning accuracy in the drawing.
With her hands on the waist of her long, royal blue skirt, the woman laughed. "Do you admire my artwork, Maid?" And in a much fiercer tone, "Or do you admire the king?"
"Lady, you have a well earned gift which rightly matches your features." Ellian smiled.
The woman's body agreed with Ellian's broad statement. She had a slender build, and long hair which reached past her waist. As she laughed, her white teeth shined.
"You flatter me, Maid. But, I am ugly," She turned to a mirror behind her and spat. "What did you say your name was?"
"Elian, Lady."
"Ellian, your meaningless praise will get you nowhere, so stop trying."
"Yes, Lady."
Ellian closed the door behind her and got to work. She gingerly placed each drawing in a pile next to the door. The carpet was dusted, as well as the table which held the mirror. She knocked on each stone around the windows, inside and out. Lastly, she straightened the covers on a bed in the corner, and fluffed the pillows.
"Would you like me to take these, Lady?" Ellian asked, gesturing to the pile of drawings on the floor.
"Yes, and burn them." The woman waved her hand as if to dismiss Ellian.
With one graceful stretch, Ellian gathered the papers on her arm, stepped out, and pulled the door closed behind her. She rushed down the stairs with a newfound excitement. At the base of the winding spiral, she selected one image which had the King lying down in a framed bed, without any clothes, and looking lustfully up at her. This one was folded up and stowed away in her apron pocket.
Ellian trotted away as though she hadn't a naked image of the King in her keeping. She was halfway to the kitchens when she heard a yell.
"Oi! You there! Stop!" A man shouted from behind her.
Ellian came to a halt, and quickly spun around. A guard briskly walked toward her. She felt her face flush when the guard removed his helmet to reveal a smile.
"Gavin, you frightened me. I thought I was in real trouble." Ellian punched him in the shoulder, and quickly regretted it.
Gavin laughed. "I'm sure punching metal gave you more pain than I."
"Shut it. What do you want." Ellian glared at him.
"First of all, I'll need to see what you're carrying; we're doing random checks after Mary was caught with a quarter of the treasury."
"I thought that was Telin."
"No, no, he only stole a loaf of bread. We let him go, though. The young King is kinder than his father."
"Hmm, yes, I suppose you're right. I'll be off, then." Ellian turned from him and was caught by his hand on her shoulder.
"Ah, ah, ah. You still haven't shown me what you're carrying, Ellie." He walked around to face her, and put his free hand out. "Give it up."
Ellian pierced her lips. "Before I do, I want you to know these are not mine, and I have no intention of keeping them. I was sent to burn them by the young King's 'guest'." Once she cleared herself, Ellian passed him the drawings, except for the one in her pocket.
Gavin flipped through the pages, each one was met with an increasing amount of alarm on his face. He finally looked up at her and hoarsely whispered, "He's naked in many of these, you know. I haven't even seen them all. There's bound to be at least a hundred in here! It'd be treason if I didn't take these to the young King." Gavin lifted his head and looked around.
"Gavin, no! I've seen many of those drawings, and, if King George finds out, I'll be dead," She shrieked.
"Don't worry." Gavin smirked. "I will tell the young King that you came to me with these pictures. That way, you'll be fine."
Ellian relaxed, "God bless you, Gavin."
With another smirk, Gavin stole away to the King's chamber. Ellian watched him until he was out of sight. She suddenly remembered the folded up drawing in her pocked and panicked. If she stopped Gavin then he'd be suspicious, and if she kept it then someone would eventually find out about it. Fingering her throat, Ellian thought of being hanged.
"No," She whispered to herself before speeding off to the servants' quarters, and slipping into her own chamber.
She smoothed a spot on her bed, and sat down. After a minute of mindlessly staring at the wall opposite her, she hurriedly slipped one hand into a pocket on her apron, and pulled out the last drawing. With unsteady fingers, she unfolded the paper and sighed at the young king's body.
Suddenly, she heard rushing footsteps, and she shoved the drawing back into her pocket without folding it. Her door was pounded on, and she sprang to her feet to open it. When she did, she saw a pale and wide-eyed Gavin.
"I am so sorry, Ellian. I tried to make you sound innocent, but the young king is furious. He wants you in his bed chamber at once. It is all my fault, I am so sorry." Gavin grabbed her hand with his and patted it.
Ellian stared blankly and touched her neck, her mouth was agape. The young king would surely have her hung, and he'd laugh as she struggled to breath. Her hand slipped from his and she turned away.
"Goodbye, Gavin," She faintly whispered as she walked.
The hallway seemed to stretch ever farther as she trudged. The more she thought about hanging, the more her fingers stretched along her throat. At the end of the hall, she dropped her hands, and climbed down the spiral staircase. She passed the kitchens, and went up a second flight of stairs which led to a wide hall.
Ellian stopped and whimpered momentarily, before looking up at the grand doors to the evident wrath of the young king. She shoved the two golden doors aside to reveal a room —much larger than her own—which had two oak cabinets at each side. The cabinets were laced with golden embroidery, and freckled with all sorts of jewels.
The next set of doors, she merely patted on, were opened hastily. The room had many sheets hanging from the ceiling which all touched the ground, and hung from the ceiling on the other end. Each sheet was a different shade of a different color, and Ellian found herself forgetting about her troubles.
The carpet was soft and fluffy, and the walls were all light lavender. She stepped forward to one of the sheets and daintily reached out to grab it. Many times had she felt a sheet, but never as soft as this one. Ellian rubbed the sheet between her thumb and forefinger as she gazed around the room.
The doors were closed behind her, and she turned at them in fright.
"Hello, wretch." Ellian faced the source of the voice, but couldn't find one. "You're the one who's been exploiting my body."
"I didn—" Ellian tried.
"Don't interrupt me, pest!" The voice boomed and echoed. "Why did you not bring me the damned papers yourself?"
"I—um..." Ellian was suddenly pale, and she searched hopelessly through the sheets for the king.
"Instead you decided to share them with your little friends, and had respect nor thought of your precious king!" A dark shape appeared through the sheets, and was growing quickly. "You will pay." The king whispered as he flung back the sheets, and threw a stack of papers at her feet.
Ellian looked down at the many different depictions of the king, and her eyes fixed in one. His face in this was calm, and not as intimidating as the one before her. A stab of jealousy shot through her at the idea that the artist was able to see a kind King instead of this cruel one.
"Look at me, rat," The king slashed before bellowing. "Everyone, out!" Ellian turned to leave, but the king grabbed her arm with a firm hand. "Not you."
Ellian cried aloud at the grip the king had on her. This only made him squeeze tighter, and she held in her next cry. She stared at him as he watched the guards trot out. He wore a long red cape which was fastened by two small, metal shields.
When the last guard reached the doors, the King pointed at him. "You! Get me a rope and rubber-stripped paddle."
The guard looked shocked as he closed the door. Ellian grasped her neck with her other hand and whimpered.
"Are—" The King looked at her with the same harsh expression. "Are you going to hang me?"
He grabbed her other arm with the same amount of force, and pulled her so close that their noses were almost touching, and snarled. "I am not like my father." With that he flung her around into the sheets.
Ellian tried to regain her balance after being thrown to the ground. When she stood up, she pulled aside one sheet, and saw a small writing desk with a chair tucked into it. Opposite from the desk, there was a circular bed that seemed to sit in a giant seashell.
"On your knees." Ellian heard the King say behind her.
"What are you going to do?" Ellian's voice quavered.
"On. Your. Knees." She obeyed, and the King began to circle her.
They heard a soft tap on the door and King George barked a quick, "Finally."
He left her on her knees and after the door opened and closed, he was back with a long rope and a wooden paddle. The paddle had rubber dips on the edges excepting the handle.
The King forced her onto her feet, and led Ellian to his desk. "Bend over." She did as told and planted her chest on the desk.
