A hand falls to her waist. A gentle sigh escapes her lips and she leans into his body. This man, this Prince, her husband, was leaving that day and she would be alone in his manor house in the country. Sure there were serving girls, but they spoke of nothing interesting to her and if anything they envied her status. She herself had been just a maid in another household, even lower than the noble servants. But she somehow caught the heart of this man who would turn out to be a prince. That was a story all on its own! What a whirlwind romance that was. Her heart beat and she clutched her husband close, not wanting to leave his side. She knew he had love for her, not like some of the nobel women who were given away like commodities, bought and sold for favor with higher nobles and family status. Her husband kissed her forehead with a whispered promise "I will be back before night falls on Saturday." It was Tuesday. She had never been alone in the manor by herself for more than a day or two. She walked her husband to his horse and they kissed one more time before he departed. She put her hand to her lips and blew a sweet kiss as he galloped away. One of the hand maidens came to stand by her side and ushered her back in as she was left quite alone.
The woman brought her back to her room and they chatted over silly things, the maid speaking carefully. Too carefully. Too careful for regular conversation. She grew frustrated with the lack of substance and withdrew herself into a bit of stitching,the cross stitching of a dove onto one of her favorite handkerchief. She thought life as a princess would be free and careless, but it was anything but free when her husband wasn't around to free her. When they were alone the whole world stopped existing and they could fly to new heights that had never even been explored! But when he was gone,or when they were on royal business.... oh what drudgery.
Soon dinner time drew near and dinner was served to her alone in her room. She sat at a table by the large window and stared at the beautiful rolling fields. Perhaps she'd take a horse ride along the golden waves of sweet grasses and daffodils. A gentle sigh escaped her lips as she took a bite of some poor creature that had been cooked up to please her palate. It looked like a quail but it had been decorated so pompously she could hardly scry whether it be beast or bird! It tasted good at least, wonderful in fact. The herbs and spices she had become accustomed to were rare, the servants weren't allowed such frivolity in their food. She called a handmaiden in and told her to eat the rest of her quail if she liked, only to be informed that she had been eating pork all along. She sighed again but raised her eyebrows hopefully. The maid hesitated but after a long while she took the pork and ate a few pieces, saving the rest for later. Unorthodox but..whatever. The servants could talk about her all they liked, she would still be civil...she didn't see herself as above them but jealousy proved to be a hard horse to break.
She set herself to bed soon and was changing into her night gown, a white lace up thing, when there was a knock at the door. "Who is it!?"
"The royal adviser is here to see you, your highness" came a sly voice from the doorway as the door swung open without her bidding. She jumped a little, it had frightened her to have a man who was not her husband enter her chambers but she quickly slid a robe over her bare shoulders, blushing. "How dare you enter without my permission!" She looked quite flustered which made the adviser laugh. "Without your prince, you are just a maid who captured the heart and the sensibilities of a member of the royal family" The adviser had always hated the girl, ever since the prince laid his beautiful eyes on her. There was obvious jealousy from him too. A hint of longing whenever he saw the prince, his every movement watched with lust with a facade of royal protection and humility. The girl saw all of this but said nothing, in hopes to gain the adviser's trust but it was an impossible task. "What do you want of me so late at night."
"Where is your prince off to?"
"He never tells me these things, for fear I be captured and tortured for the information" A shudder crawls through her body at those words.
"He won't be back in...what...days?"
"Yes...but I think I may ride a horse tomorrow to cure the boredom"
"Oh you will be doing much tomorrow..."
"How do you mean?"
"Come with me"
"No! I won't leave this room! Guards! I am finished with this man!"
"the guards are on my side, so are the maidservants..."
"What..?"
"You will not be here tomorrow, you will never see your prince return and he can go back to serving his country the way he was meant to, without your hinderance.." His voice fell to a low sneer and two guards stepped in.
"What will...wha..what are you doing!?"
"Come quietly"
"What are you doing!" The guards, her guards, reach for her.
She grabs the heater from under her matress and casts the glowing coals at them and takes into a sprint. Out the door, down the hallway. She nearly makes it down the stairs before she is caught and tackled to the floor, knees hitting hard, bruising. Fingertips gripping her delicate arms. She groans in paina nd frustration as she is brought to her feet, her hands bound behind her back, blindfolded. She is stripped of her rope, left in only the night gown, she is slung over a guards back. She sobs, fighting, praying her prince would come save her, but there is no way he would know to come for her. She is paraded over the shoulder of the guard through the castle. There seems to be no hand that does not clap and no voice that is not raised in excitement as the maid turned princess is captured and brought to what they consider justice. Soon they retreat to the stables and force the girl into a cairrage of sorts, locking the doors. She hears the breathing of a man echoing on the cairrage walls and feels his presence close to hers.
There is silence in the cairrage, except for breathing and gentle sobs. Then the cairrage driver begins strikes the horses and they set on their way. Kidnapped. It is fifteen or so minuts before the man with her speaks. "Hello, Katrina" for thsi was her name.
She does not speak in turn and tries to free her hands.
A slap across the face.
"You ought to learn to speak when spoken too, I thought you'd have learnt that in the royal courts and your life as a maid..."