A Tale of Two Princesses (25 page)

     "Everyone, listen!" the man called. "Fresh news! Princess Celeste is to wed Prince Cross! The whole castle is abuzz! It's to take place in seven days, on the princess' eighteenth birthday!"

     "Three cheers for Prince Cross!" someone shouted.

     "Hip, hip, hooray!"

     "Best news I've heard out of the castle in years!"

     "Thank goodness! Now, Cross won't invade Avelot!"

     "Hah! Any man what can put up with the spoiled Princess Celeste must be a strong man!"

     "Only a knight could deal with that girl!"

     "Hope she doesn't do the prince like the queen did the king!"

     "Hey, not too loud about that."

     "Probably raise taxes for the wedding. Great."

     Sienna turned around, walking back through the door and into the kitchen. She picked up her brush and began scrubbing her dishes. Her lower lip was trembling. She pinched it between her teeth to stop it. Her tears rolled down her cheeks without a sound.

     "Can you believe it?" Mrs. Crockery said as she came back in, starting on another order. "The prince is getting married to Princess Celeste. That's great news."

     "Yeah," Sienna whispered, her tears running into her mouth. She sniffled to pull them back.

     Mrs. Crockery smirked at Sienna. "Maybe they'll need some more help in the castle kitchens. You'll get to watch them get married."

     "Yeah," she repeated, sniveling again.

     "What's wrong with you?" Mrs. Crockery said. "Always crying about something."

     "Soap in my eyes," she whispered.

     "Don't think that will get you out of work tonight!"

     Mrs. Crockery left the kitchen for a moment, the rowdy noises in the tavern reaching her ears. "A drink for the cook in honor of the royal wedding!"

     Sienna wiped her face and went on scrubbing.

     It was an hour later before the tavern began to quiet. The hunting party left, returning to town. It was the usual three or four customers left. Mrs. Crockery headed home, leaving Sienna to clear up the tables and scrape the plates. Afterward, Sienna filled her bucket with water and began scrubbing the floor, leaning all her weight on the brush as she pushed back and forth. Cleaning at the base of the stairs always made her nauseous now, probably always would, remembering the bloodstain. Then she crawled under each table, brushing thoroughly around the stand and the chairs.

     The tavern door suddenly burst open, with rowdy cheering. Sienna's eyes spread open as Court came in, his knights all around him, clapping his back. They set him down at the bar, ordering drinks.

     "You know the tradition, sir," Finn said. "A shot for each year of happy marriage!"

     "You'll at least want to get five down before you quit!" Sven said.

      Everyone laughed and Banyan began pouring shots. The knights were chanting as Court put back the first one. Everyone clapped.

     "One year's enough, I think," Court said, coughing. "Whoo! Banyan, what do you put in that?"

     "My own brew! Half price in honor of your wedding, your highness."

     "Half price?" Wellington said. "Then you're only charging an arm and not the leg."

     "Aye, Wellington!" Banyan said. "Always happy to please, sir."

     Sienna put her head down. She wished she had finished the floor before the prince had arrived. There was nothing for it though. If she left it unfinished, Banyan would grab her by the hair and throw her back in. Best to finish it quietly, hope no one noticed her. She scrubbed out from under the table, moving to the next.

     "So, tell us what you said, sir," Morris said.

     "And tell us what she said!" Crank said.

     "I simply told her I loved her, that she was the only one for me. I knelt down and did as any man would, begged for her hand."

     "Hah, the prince on his knees!" Jents said. "I want to see that!"

     Everyone laughed.

     "He'll be on his back before the night is through!" Grotto said. "Another shot!"

     "Oh, no, please," Court said.

     "Do it for the princess!" Clance said. "For each happy year! Come now, it can't be done on any other night but the night proposed!"

     They cheered again as Court threw another one back.

     "Really, two years is more than I could ask. I'll have to hope love takes me the rest of the way."

     "Come now, sir, don't leave so soon!" Finn said.

     Court climbed up, backing away from the bar stool. He immediately stumbled over Sienna. She cried out as he stepped on her.

     "Ah!"

     "What?"

     "Ow, your highness, I'm so sorry," Sienna said with a whimper.

     The knights were roaring in laughter.

     "Sorry, Sienna," Court said. "I didn't see you."

     She put her face to the floor. "It's my fault, your highness."

     "Another drink!" Finn said, putting Court back on the stool.

     Sienna returned to scrubbing. Her back was sore after Court tripped over her, but she pushed through it. She was nearly to the front door, nearly done, and then she could go to her stall and cry herself to sleep. The knights kept cheering as Court took another shot.

     "All right, enough, men, please! Three years with the Princess Celeste is more than a man can ask for."

     "The prince has turned into a lovesick pup!" Sven said. "Would that your brother could see you now."

     "Oh, how he'd laugh!" Jents said.

     "True enough!" Court admitted. "But he'd quiet his tongue the moment he met Princess Celeste!"

     They all laughed, slapping his back.

     Sienna scrubbed along the front door, dipping her brush back into the water, rubbing deep into the planks, as this was the filthiest area. Her arms were tired but she pushed them, not wanting to slow. She just wanted to get out of here.

     "Think she missed a spot, sir?" Finn said.

     Sienna glanced up. Court was watching her. She immediately looked away, and he laughed. "No, I think it's never been so clean."

     She kept scrubbing. Almost done.

     "Princess Celeste likes clean floors too," Court said, sighing, putting his hand to his cheek. "She remarked how you can tell so much about the quality of a place from the cleanliness of the floor. Banyan, you're lucky you have such a dutiful niece."

     "I'm lucky enough if she pulls her weight, your highness."

     "Another shot for the prince!" Clance said.

     "Oh, no, no more," Court said.

     "Just one!" Sven said. "You'll thank us on your four year anniversary."

     "Here, here! Drink to the princess!" Finn said.

     They cheered and Court took another drink. Sienna quietly picked up her bucket and took it into the kitchen. She opened the back door and threw the dirty water out, putting the bucket away. Then, she returned to the bar, coming up to her uncle as he filled Court's fifth shot, which Court promised would be his last, no matter what.

     "I may not make it five years if you keep putting shots into me!"

     "Uncle," Sienna whispered, keeping her head down, "may I turn in for the night?"

     "Yes, yes, off with you," he said. "Make sure the stables are clean."

     "Yes, sir. Goodnight."

     She left to the sound of the knights clapping. Court slammed down the shot glass.

     "All right, men, I'm off to bed."

     They groaned. "One more!"

     "No, heavens no," Court said. "You'll be the death of me, I daresay. Let the prince dream of his princess and five years of happiness hard-earned."

     They laughed and patted him on the back, saying goodnight to him. Wellington was by his side, helping him up the stairs.

     "Sir, I am so happy for you," he said. "The king will be so pleased when we return to the castle with your queen on your arm, seeing her beauty, telling him of your new kingdom."

     "Can't wait for that," Court said. "I'm glad you're going to stay on as my valet, Wellington. I don't know what I'd do without you."

     "You shall never have to wonder, your highness. I am yours until the day I die."

     "Thank you, Wellington. You've always been a good man."

     "It is my duty, sir, and a duty that so pleases me."

     "I really am lucky," Court said with a sigh.

     Wellington helped him into his room and Court fell on his bed, but when his head hit the pillow, he sat up. There was a package waiting there. "What's this?"

     "Oh, I put that there, sir. It's the dress you bought for the stable girl. I was not sure if you wanted to deliver it yourself."

     "Ah, I forgot all about it."

     "Shall I take it to her?"

     Court took a deep breath. "No, I suppose I will. She's such a hard worker, isn't she, running about all day, cleaning the barn, minding the livestock, scrubbing the floors?"

     "She is a servant, your highness. What more could be expected of her but to be a hard worker?"

     "I meant she takes it without a word of complaint, without pay, and she puts pride in everything she does."

     "I suppose, sir. I hadn't noticed."

     "Well, anyway, I think I'll give it to her before I turn in."

     "Shall I come with you, sir?"

     "No, no, Wellington, return to the men. Drink a few more shots in my honor, won't you? I'd like a long, happy life with my bride."

     Wellington chuckled. "I shall drink myself into a stupor in hopes of a happy marriage for you."

* * *

     Sienna's tears were falling over her paper as she wrote her letter, the droplets smearing the ink. But she had to say this, had to get it out of her heart.

     Dear Court,

     I'm probably going to be hung for telling you this, but I don't care anymore. I know you're a prince, and I know you could never be with me. I'm just a stable girl, and nothing will ever change that. I don't expect this letter to change your mind or your heart or make you feel something for me. I even want you to marry Princess Celeste. I do. I want you to be happy, and you should be happy, and you deserve to be happy, forever. And I know this is probably going to make you angry with me, maybe even disgusted, but I just want you to know the truth.

     The night you danced with Princess Celeste at the masquerade ball was a lie. All of it was a lie. You never even met her, at least, not that night. The princess was asleep, and they needed someone to pretend to be her, so they asked a servant in the kitchens with hair that looks so much like the princess' hair to pretend to be her.

     And then you danced with a servant girl, a girl who doesn't even know how to dance. And you got lost in the castle with a girl who's never been in the castle. And you smelled flowers with a girl who likes to smell flowers because that's the only thing that's free in this world. And you went riding on a horse with a girl who's never ridden on a horse before. And you ate cherries off the floor with a girl who thinks finding cherries on the floor is a feast. And then you gave a girl who had never been kissed her first kiss and she can't stop thinking about it and she fell in love with you the instant your lips touched hers. And then you proposed to the girl and she wanted to say yes because she hates her life and she's tired of being a slave and cleaning out horse stalls and sleeping in the straw and shivering at night and waking up alone. And she said no to you because you weren't hers to say yes to.

     But for one instant, just a small instant, you gave her a fantasy, a dream of what  it would be like to be loved by you, to be married to you, to be with you, even if she knew she would always only have her stall. And she decided she would take the stall and everything that came with it if she could just have you. But she can't. All she can have is the dream, and all she can give you is the truth, the truth that she loves you.

     Love,

     Sienna

     Sienna rolled up her paper, taking a candle and dripping some wax over the edge, pressing it closed, burning her finger. Then she went to Striker and slipped the scroll into the pouch of his saddle. She lay down in the straw, looking up at the barn ceiling. She put her hands over her eyes, fighting with her tears.

     "Sienna," she whispered to herself, "you're so stupid. You can't tell him. You'll ruin everything."

     She climbed up, digging into his saddle, pulling out the scroll. She brought the candle under it, but before she could burn it, the barn door opened. She spun around.

     "Sienna?" Court called.

     Sienna hurriedly stuffed the scroll under the straw, set the candle aside, and then opened the gate, stepping out. She bowed at the waist.

     "Hi, Court," she said. "I mean, sorry, your highness."

     He chuckled. "That's okay. How are you tonight, Sienna?"

     She stood up straight, looking into his eyes. He was so gorgeous. It hurt her heart just looking at him. "Good, your highness. You?"

     "A little drunk," he said with a sideways smile. "I'm glad I caught you before you turned into bed—turned into straw." He chuckled at his own joke.

     Sienna smiled. He had such a great laugh. "Your highness, since you're here, let me say I'm so happy for you. You and the princess are both so lucky to have each other. She's so, so pretty, and, and you are so, so handsome. You two deserve to be happy with each other. And I know you'll go on to be married and you'll have beautiful children and a long life together. And even as you grow old, you'll remember how you met, how you fell in love with her, how she fell in love with you, and you'll cherish those memories forever, even if you're separated. Not that you'll ever be separated, of course, only that I'm sure neither of you will ever forget how much you love each other."

     "Thank you, Sienna, that's kind of you to say. Princess Celeste truly is special. I am so very happy I found her."

     Sienna nodded, smiling. "Well, did you want anything, sir? Does your room need to be re-cleaned? Do you have an errand for me to run? Shall I fetch you something?"