From the crowd of courtiers, I watched as a ball of gilded fabric and jewelry rolled out of the crowd. With a start, I realized there was a person under all of that fabric. Heavy breathing could be heard from the lump as it stumbled to the center of the room. The mass of wealth reached a gilded nub in my direction and yelled "STOP" again even though it was obvious it had the entire court's attention.
The king rolled his eyes at the outburst before him and tapped his finger on his chair in annoyance. "Yes. wot is et my sern?"
'sern? I thought. what does that- Oh my God he said, son'
I tried and failed to not let my surprise show as I realized the person under that mass of clothing was a prince.
"You can't let her go your majesty."
The king's voice took on a cold tone at the insinuation of him not being able to do something, "And wai es it my sern thot thesss oney task escapey ur king's ablelities."
If masses of clothing could blush then I would say that the look the prince had as it struck back at the king's words would function as the definition of a blushing mass of clothes.
"My king," the prince said in surprisingly clear English," It is isn't that you can't let her leave." The prince wrung his hands in nervousness, "it's simply that you mustn't let her go."
The prince quickly added at the increasing coldness shown by the king, "She is after all my fiance."
At this comment, I didn't even try to hide my surprise. "Wa-Wait," I tried to stutter out a comment in response to this news but the maid beside me covered my mouth before I could say anything. Apparently, me adding a comment here was not a good idea in her opinion.
At the reminder of my apparent betrothal to the prince, the king paused in his icy anger, "My sern ur correcty in thesss fact. But whe cano' disregaredy thesss childs wheeshes."
"But Father," the prince wined, "She is to be my wife."
Just then a voice that sounded like bells joined the conversation, "Father he writes, this betrothal was promised to the prince." The origin of the voice appeared to be the woman in the chair beside the king. So she is a princess. "And on a more important note, the resources gathered from this union are much needed by the people. Breaking ties with the birdlands is not in the best interest of the kingdom."
The king pondered what his children had said while one sat serenely and the other tried not to fall over.
The king was quiet for such a long time that the prince spoke up "My king," How about we have dinner with Bell's father."
I angrily said that my name was not Bell but being damped by the maid's hand it came out more like angry muffled noices.
No one listened to me anyway.
"Over dinner," The prince continued, "We can talk about bells future and the birdslands relationship with our kingdom."
The king nodded in agreement, "yes my sern, thisy is a good iday."
"Well," The prince looked back at me. Even through all the fabric that surrounded his face, I could still see the mean-spirited look in his eyes. I remembered the fear that instantly sprung up at the sound of this man's voice. He was obviously not used to being challenged and I doubt doing so now would make me any safer in this palace.
I thought back to the body I woke next to not too long ago. Was he connected to that body in some way?
The prince was still waiting for my responses but I still stared blankly at him calculating my chances. I looked back at the crazy hat man that said he would save me but he wouldn't look at me in the eye.
See no other choice I nodded assent to the princes request.
"Perfect," the prince whirled away from me, face shifting in an instant from the mean look it wore before, "Then Bell will stay with me and-."
"WAIT," the king bellowed stopping the prince's twirling instantly, "she willy no bestayin' anay wherey near de princey's courters. She willy stay whidth in da guest courters."
"Of course," the prince bowed carfully which was hard to do under all that weight.
The king smiled gently at me, "Yoo ar dismissyed my laday."
With that dismissal I did heraldry left the room trying not to let anyone hold me there further.
Still somehow I did not feel safer when I left the presents of the royal family. As we walked through the quiet halls of the palace I felt very alone. The guard and made that had found me in the hall and stayed by my side in the court room had handed me of to a few guards. For some reason I missed there presents as if the first faces I had seen alive in this world had somehow made me feel safer.
The guards silently walked me to my new room. As one opened the door another gently but firmly pushed me in. I turned around to- I don't know thank them- but they had already closed the door behind them and with a soft click I heard them lock it.
After what felt like an eternity trying to navigate this new insanity that is my life, I didn't even have the energy to cry at my new state. I sighed, my shoulders slumped as I casted a lost glance around the room. I saw that the room had no windows apart from one 15 feet above that was to small for me to shimmy through. The room had a fire place and a small bed along with a night stand. It also had another door that lead to a bath room.
I was to exaused to think about the minimal of indoor plumbing that lay before me. I peeled of my clothes that we now sticky with blood. It took a ridiculous amount of time unlaceing and unbuttoning all the undergarments and corsets. I screamed in frustration several times. I through them behind me not caring were they fell and turned the shower on to blazing hot.
I sat on the floor of the shower staring blankly at the drain as blood slowly slipped down the pipe. At first the water was completely red as water rinses it from my hair and body but slowly and shurly there was only a small line of crimson that slipped down the drain. I didn't feel clean so I grabbed a bar of soap and vigorously scrubs at my body not careing how ruff i was. I scrubed until the red was gone. I scraped at my skin until it hurt. My arms were red and in flamed but I kept going only then realizing that I was sobing and gasping for breath.
Eventually I stoped scraping at my skin but it wasn't for a long time. Even then I didn't leave the room for a while.
When I finally did leave it was long after the water had turned cold and my skin was rinkled to extremes. When I left the bathroom I looked down at the dress I had entered this word.
My face crumpled with disgust.
I saw on the mantel that matches were left for the next ocupent of this room to start a fire. I grabbed them and had to try several times to successfully light one and cursed bitterly every time one wouldn't light. when I did get one to work I through It into the logs that where already set up in the fire place.
Angrily I stoped to my dress in all of its ridiculous parts and through it into the fire. Sitting down I wrapped my hands around my knees as I watched it burn.
'Good ridens' I thought 'I hope this day is always forgotten I hope I never have to see another day like this ever again.'
Watching the fire burn I sat in silence.
Eventually someone would unlock the door and I was morn than a little confused when I saw three racks if clothing enter the room instead of a person. " Hello lady Elizabeth. Sorry to keep you waiting but it took a long time to gather all these clothes." I just stared at her remembering that this day was not over yet.