Beyond the King's Gate

Chapter Five

"Come here! There is no time to stand around," Mother called with a stern voice, when Bethany froze, Melissa took the lead and walked to where mother stood beside the hearth stoking the fire.

"What took you both so long?" The heat coming from the fireplace was a warm welcome. Not the stern commands from her mother. She was vexed, it was clear to see why. She was missing half the dinners ingredients. Gulp. " Here take this, give it to Hilda, have her chop these up quickly. The king will be served soon enough." Mother took the basket of fresh herbs from Melissa and dumped it in Bethany's hands.

Melissa disappeared.

Bethany rushed with the basket of fresh herbs over to where Hilda stood a knife and board ready. "She asked that these be chopped up." It seemed everyone but Melissa, was upset at her right at the moment. Her friend Hilda was assigned food preparation, she gave her a mean glare.

Her mother saved her at that moment from a harsh reprimand from yet another person in this room. Though her mother was stern she simply wanted everything to go smoothly. Which at the moment, was far from.

"Come, I have some things to discuss." Mother said and directed the kitchen servants to continue on without her. She led her away, and into a room meant for servants to dine in. They sat upon a long bench that ran the length of the table. The empty room was cold and dingy. Nights came with westerly winds with a cold bite to it. It didn't bother the servants or the Royal family either, for the days were long and hot.

"Lady of Ascott is coming with her daughter to stay for a season. I'm not sure if you have heard, but Lady of Ascott's daughter is the future queen." Here it was. Wait, she would come to stay here? And soon? Bethany couldn't help but wonder if Prince Ronald knew. "You have been ordered to serve Princess Katherine, Lady of Ascott's daughter. When she comes to stay indefinitely, you will be her servant."

This was something she never heard before.

"The Queen has spoken with the head of housekeeping, and decided after word got out about you," she put a finger under her chin, but there wasn't any blame, just pity. Bethany knew, she felt it. She ruined it for everyone. "Being in the palace library, they wanted to make sure the children of ours didn't get into trouble for lack of chores or direction. Now you will have a permanent job here among the staff, as will the other girls."

"They know I did it?" Panic surged in her veins, ramping up her pulse.

"No, they only know it was a servant's child."

Tears pricked her eyes. "I'm sorry, mama. I ruined everything." She felt sobs come when her mother enveloped her in a hug. A shiver of warmth passed through her when she gently stroked her hair.

"You know, you remind me very much of me when I was your age." She said.

"Really?" She picked her head up from where she was burrowed into her mother's dress, and looked at her to see if she was only saying that to make her feel better. She was not.

"Really. I got into deep trouble, my grandfather used to work for the former king, as an advisor and when I got into trouble in the church for being too chatty, I got shamed for it. After all, we were the face of society, I had to be showing a good example." She stroked Bethanys hair away from her face where it desired to stick to her cheek. "I often found myself in situations where I let my curiosity, my fire and zeal for life get the better of my judgment. That didn't necessarily make me a bad person, it just meant it took me a bit of time before I realized the things which my father and mother spoke of."

Sigh. "I'm sorry, I should listen to you more. I just thought that since I wouldn't be seen by anyone, wouldn't bother anyone, that maybe I could just see for myself what they look like up close." Books that is. Mother knew what she meant.

"You always did love a good story." She smiled. "But darling I must say you cannot be in their quarters, lest you have a chore or duty to fulfill there. Is that to be understood?" She said it with as much kindness as sternness would allow.

"Yes, mother." Bethany replied. She'd given her mother so many headaches, her countenance conveyed her remorse. She resolved to be better, to do better.

"They couldn't figure out that it was you because Marie wouldn't give up your name. You're lucky, lass." Only on rare occasions did she catch her mother using that term for her. "Next time may not be as lucky. Neither of us. Your sister, I, and you especially, could be turned out onto the streets, then what?" Her point was made clear. Do her best to not endanger what they had.

"I promise I won't do that ever again." She wondered at why Marie didn't give her up, surely she would take any opportunity to rid the castle of Bethany with her annoyances.

"And good thing if you wouldn't. It's for your own good. You know we have our place, and the royals have theirs. The quicker you catch on, the easier it will get. We do our part, they do theirs."

Bethany understood. Ruling a country couldn't be easy, she was sure of that. She was dismissed and asked to take out the scraps and peels out to the garden while her mother rushed to finish the meal. Behind the servants quarters was a small garden that served to provide some food for the servants, it was their responsibility, they cared for it. Harvested it. Mother was always proud of it. Said it was a great way to learn to fend for one's own. For she once did have everything bought from a seller at the markets.

They had a place where they held compost for the garden. As used for the enrichment of the garden. Manure was also used in that compost pile. Scrunching her nose at the smell, she dumped it, and ran back into the quarters.

So resumed her new daily chores of cleaning floors mopping hallways and helping in the laundry room. It was because of her foolishness that the kindness of the king and queen be turned away from the servants children. Who, up until recently, were able to quietly play in the meadows and do some light cleaning.

Nothing quite this drastic. Her muscles weren't accustomed to the weight of the labor that was put upon them. Looking at her scrawny arms as if to confirm what she thought, she agreed she wasn't yet built for the strength required. Mother said as one got older, muscles adapted and became stronger.

Bethany only wished it could happen faster for her.

When she returned to the kitchen, she found her friend glaring at her, snatching Bethany's arms she told her, "Walk with me." Once they were out of earshot she told her, "What were you thinking? Now we have all this to do!" She pointed back to the kitchen where her tasks were to help with the preparation of food, stoking the fire, bringing firewood in from just beyond the palace gates. Hilda had only learned of her actions today. And she was livid. "You ruined it for the rest of us. Why do you have to be so careless?"

She let out a harsh sigh that sounded more angry than anything else.

"You don't think I've had enough punishment already?" When more tears pricked at her eyes, Bethany felt all she was doing this past day was crying.

"Fine, I am rather upset." A beat of silence passed, then Hilda said, "But to be understandable, I would've done that too," Bethany was shocked at what she heard. Surprise made the tears dissipate abruptly. "Although I have not the courage that you do, so it would seem utterly impossible for me." She giggled for the first time since Bethany saw her today.

Bethany studied her friend, her cheeks were rosy from all the bustling around yet she could still see the freckles on the apple of her cheeks. She flashed Bethany a smile with her dimple making an appearance before she disappeared. And Bethany found herself alone but a moment later.

As she went about her chores, she was left to her thoughts that seemed plagued by despair. Before the night rescued her from her troubles, the day's work had sought out all her energy. And when it was all said and done, Bethany all but collapsed onto her straw filled mattress.

In seconds, blackness enveloped her and she dreamed of the meadows just beyond the King's gate.