High School Ramblings

High School Ramblings, 9

Mary sat in her rocking chair, looking out the front window of her hut.  She was twenty-four, and eight months pregnant with her second child.  Mary was Queen Gwendolyn's most trusted maidservant.

Queen Gwendolyn had eight children, and she was not quite yet twenty-one.  There were two sets of twins, a single child, and a set of triplets.  The triplets would have been a quadruplet, if one of the children hadn't died before it was born.  The Queen had been married for close to five years.

Mary's three-year-old daughter came in, holding a bunch of flowers.

"Mommy!  Look what I brought you!"  The little girl handed her mother the flowers.

"Thank you, Lyara.  They're so beautiful."  Mary pushed herself out of the chair, and went into the bedroom of the hut.  There was a special cup that Mary put every flower Lyara gave her in.  When the flowers were dry and dead, their petals were put into a bowl for bathing water.

"Mommy, com play with me!  I wanna play!"  Lyara tugged relentlessly at her mother's dress.

"Don't you want to play with Sara?  Mommy's tired today.  I also have to go help Queen Gwendolyn soon, so I need to rest."

"But Mommy, you never play with me any more.  Wanna play with you, not Sara."  Lyara looked sad.

"Come here, Lyara, and sit beside me."  Lyara came sullenly.  "Lyara, I would like to play with you, too, but there is a baby on the way.  Mommy doesn't have much energy right now."  Mary found herself explaining the situation yet again to her daughter, who didn't quite get the concept, nor seem to remember what was going on.

"I'll be a big sister, Mommy?  Will it be a brother or a sister?  When will I be a big sister?"  Lyara seemed anxious at the news that her mother told her.

"Yes, you'll be a big sister.  I don' tknow if you will get a baby brother or sister yet, or even when the baby will arrive."  The child smiled all the same, and hugged her mother.  "Tell you what, I'll walk you over to Sara's.  How would that be?"

"OK Mommy.  Let's go!"  Lyara tugged on Mary's sleeve.

"Just a moment!  Let me get up!"  Mary laughed, and got up.  She took her daughter's hand, and they walked to Sara's hut, which was thankfully only a few huts away.

"Hello, Laura," Mary said to Sara's mother.

"Good morning, Mary.  Lyara, Sara is inside.  go on in."  Lyara dropped her mother's hand, and went inside the hut.  "Mary, you look tired.  Go home and rest.  I can watch Lyara today."

"I'd rest, Laura, but I'm supposed to go to the castle.  Queen Gwendolyn expects me there shortly."

"Good luck, Mary.  I'll bring her around this evening."

"Thank you so much, Laura.  I really do appreciate it."  Mary looked at the sun.  She had just enough time to put on her castle clothes before she needed to leave for the castle.

Upon her arrival, Mary was sent to the Sewing Chamber, where Queen Gwendolyn was waiting.

"Good morning, Mary.  Or should I say good afternoon?  Please, sit down, Mary."

"Oh, no, Mistress.  I dare not for I would surely be severely reprimanded!"

"You forget that you are above all of the other servants, and will not be reprimanded.  Obey your Queen and sit down, girl."  Mary sat down, very much relieved that she would not be sent off on an errand.

"Mary, have I ever told you why you became my chosen hand-servant?"

"No, Mistress," Mary replied, very curious.

"Today I shall."  The great Queen settled herself.  "You were the lowliest servant, never able to repeat any gossip.  Why you held that station and lived at the castle, I'll never know.  Your husband seemed rich enough to give you a place to live and a better serving position."

"He only dresses like that for the castle, Mistress.  He didn't even have a house for himself.  We were very, very poor."

"That explains it.  Anyway, there was one day that he came to the castle.  I was pregnant with Cora at the time.  I was late to the Audience chamber, and your husband spoke for me.  He told Andiysies that I did not have to be there for his audience, for he understood how I felt, because his wife was close to giving birth to a child.  I had heard the rumors about the lowly servant who was preparing for the birth of her first child, and was possibly closer to that time than I was."

"It is true, Mistress.  My three-year-old daughter Lyara was born two days later."

"Really?  Well, I decided to have that servant become one that I could trust, because she was the only one who really knew what family meant.  I waited a couple of months before sending for you the first time.  Then, you were no longer the lowest servant in the castle, and had a larger space for your belongings.  Later, you became even more trusted and was given a better room.  Now, I want to raise your pay a bit, and I want you to stay home until after this child of yours is born."

"But, Mistress, don't you need me here?"

"Yes, but you need your rest more than I need you.  Are you willing to listen to me, or do I need to have the Royal Guard enforce my wishes?"

"No, Mistress.  I will listen.  Thank you for letting me rest.  I appreciate it."