[Books of Bayern 1] The Goose Girl (25 page)

"Conrad, don't say anything to anyone about my hair. If you understood—"

"It's not fair. They think you're the queen of geese or something and I'm just a dumb boy who couldn't do it by himself. But you're not even one of us."

He ran back to the pasture.

That night, a light snow fell. The mood in the hall was gloomy as the workers contemplated potatoes like warmed rocks, skimmed milk, and wrinkled, winter apples dry as cork. No cheese, no sugar for sweet breads, and no winter-moon to look forward to. The wind shook the window-panes. Spring seemed as far away as the ocean.

The workers began to talk of home, exchanging stories of the hopelessness of pulling a livelihood out of the evergreens and ferns and spongy soil. There had been news of sick siblings last marketday. There were widowed mothers and widower fathers and donkeys too old to keep pulling a cart to market.

"My wages are a last chance," said Razo, his head bowed as he contemplated the fleabites on his arm. "Of course, they have been now for three years."

Some chuckled, nodding their heads.

"I make more chasing sheep," said one boy, "than my da pulls in all year."

"I think the marketgoers buy my ma's weed hats out of pity."

"I know about that. You've seen our family's rugs."

Bettin pulled chicken feathers from Enna's hair. "One winter harder than this one, and they'll have to leave the house and come to the city."

All grew quiet at that. Images of the city passed as a collective thought, houses shoved in any corner, stories piled on top of wobbly stories, the whole place stinking and sweltering in the summer, children playing in the streets, splashing in downhill trickles of dirty water.

Ani shuddered. The city was as beautiful as a birthday cake from afar. It was not so friendly when one was out of luck. She glanced out the window toward her little room. It had never felt like a home, but it felt safer than any place she had known.

Maybe after I return to Kildenree and all is set to right,
she thought,
I'll come hack
here again and he queen after all.
She had no desire to wed the boy prince she had seen at wintermoon, but as queen she could do something to better the ugliness she had seen in the city.
And perhaps,
she thought wryly,
by the time I come back he might've grown up
some.

"Isi, what does your family sell?" said a girl next to Ani. Her clothes emanated clover and clean animal.

"I don't know what they're doing now," said Ani.

Conrad leaned back, put his boots on the table with two thuds, and laughed roughly.

"You don't know what they're doing now," he said. "Very good."

The attention spun to him. Ani held her breath.

"You know, Conrad," said Razo, knocking Conrad's feet off the table, "lately you've come close to being a genuine imbecile."

"What? She's fooled you all? Your beloved goose girl's not from the Forest. She's not from here at all." His voice drove higher, mocking. "Oh, you've such milky skin. Your eyes're almost green. What's wrong with my duck, goose girl? What's the matter with this pig? Go ask the stuffed horse when it's going to rain next."

"Conrad," said Ani, "this isn't going to help. Please."

He looked around as though wishing that someone would come to his side. "I can't believe no one else sees it. She's not one of us. She's been playing us all along. I've seen her out there combing her hair down to her knees like a precious little queen. She's the one those guards're looking for."

He stood up, and Ani started back.

"She's a yellow girl," he said.

The workers were silent, staring at her, the room tense as a saddled stallion.

"Isi," said someone.

Ani thought,
I'd best do something or they'll hang me on a wall like Falada.
She stood up.

"What you're saying isn't right. I'm sorry I've come here and made you think I've taken what was yours, but you don't have to make everyone hate me for them to like you."

"Yeah, so shut it, Conrad," said Enna.

Ani winced. "Enna means that you should let this go, all right? None of us wants to choose sides in this hall."

Conrad ignored her. "You don't know, Enna. I've seen her...."

"So've I," said Enna. "So just drop your ugly jealousies and eat your cold potato before I cram it in your gullet."

Conrad's face burned red, and he slammed his fist on the table. Razo and Beier stepped up beside him and gently held his arms. Conrad flinched but kept his eyes on Ani.

"Then tell me, Enna, why she's always hiding. Always with a hat or scarf. Why doesn't she just take off that scarf now and prove it?"

"Yes, Enna, you know me. Tell them." Ani looked at Enna and waited for her to speak.

It felt good to take this risk and to trust another person again. But when Enna looked up, her eyes were sad and mouth drawn.
Oh no,
thought Ani, panic twisting her stomach,
I was
wrong to trust her. She's going to betray me.

"Come on, then, Enna," said Razo, "what've you got to say? Why not let Ani just take off her scarf and prove it so we can get Conrad to bed? I think it's plain that the city's getting into his head this winter."