The hushed voices in the dimly lit room wakes me but I don't get up.
"So it's decided then, she'll be going over to live there." I shudder at the words I hear, who will be leaving to live where? I shrug and drift back to sleep.
"Griselda, Zelda, wake up." I rub my eyes and wake up to see my brother Alan's face right before me. He helps me sit up and hands me a cup of water which I gulp and stare at him.
"What's wrong Al?" I ask as a sense of foreboding fills me with his grim look.
"I promise you that this won't be long. You won't spend your life there forever working as a mere maid, I'll do something quick to make our lives more comfortable, I promise you. Just know that I'm not in support of this act, I never was and will never be. I'll work harder till sunset to earn more, and together we'll run away, yes, we'll run away to a better place where I'll give you the comfortable life you deserve, you don't deserve this Zelda….." he trails off and his words are choked with his tears.
I stare at him in confusion and cup his face in my small hands and say, "I'm not going anywhere Al…" my words are cut off with the slamming of the door, and my father bangs in with an angry look on his face. "Get your stupid self up and go outside! The Garcia's guard is outside, so don't keep him waiting. Your bags have been packed so just get up and leave!" I shudder at his shouting but confused as well. I'm already used to his harsh treatments and anger always directed towards me, but the question 'why?' lingers.
"She's not going anywhere!" Alan quickly gets up and stands before me shielding me as my confusion increases.
"Alan, stay out of this. I thought we've discussed this over and over again. Having this girl here will leave more mouths to feed and... " my dad says before being cut off by Alan.
"You've been taking care of her for seventeen years, what's a few more years then she'll be married or will be able to cater for herself."
My father gives him a death glare at his retort, grab my arms and drags me outside. I struggle to free them but it proves abortive. He successfully drags me outside. There I see my mom silently sniffing, I run to her, grip her shoulder and ask her what was happening.
My dad furiously grabs my arm and pushes me, while roaring incomprehensible curses, "We've decided that you're an extra burden to us and we've decided to sell you off to the Royal family. Getting rid of you in the appropriate way and also making quite a fortune of it. That's killing two birds with a stone, isn't that right?" He shakes my limp body while questioning as I haven't recovered from the shock.
"Sold?" My eyes brim with tears as I stare at my mother first who quickly averts her gaze, I can tell she's been crying seeing her eyes, how puffy and red they are. I look at my brother who stares at my father with such intensity as though eyes could kill, with his knuckles clenched and teeth gritting. Slowly I look at my father and the tears flow freely. Since the age of reasoning, I haven't experienced what fatherly love felt like, I'm aware he doesn't like me but weren't aware the hatred was deep rooted to the point of selling me off.
The guard opens the carriage door and gestures that I go inside. Still in a trance of not fully understanding the situation at hand, I don't comprehend the words my brother say to me while giving me a light kiss on my forehead. I step in the carriage and stare at my family as the carriage starts moving. I keep staring at them, the villagers and passersby who stand at far places watching the scenario. With a bent head my cheeks are wet again with tears, till I hear a voice in the carriage which startles me.
"Don't cry for those who don't deserve it, dummy."
I slowly lift my head up and meet his intense gaze with his imposing aura. His eyes are the calmest I've ever seen, light blue eyes that reminds one of the sea, his high cheekbones and sharp square jaw. His hair is combed backed with about four or five strands settling on his forehead, his look screams perfection. Slowly, I lower my gaze to his royal blue coat which on the chest has a golden embroidery of a horse with raised fore hooves, 'The Royal family's insignia'. My eyes slowly lift up and linger a little more on his lips before I notice his intense gaze on me with squinted eyes.
I swallow unconsciously and swiftly shift my gaze to the window to watch the passing trees.
His gaze which I can feel, lingers on me a little while before he shifts them to the paper on his laps asking without looking up.
"What's your name?"
"Zelda… Griselda Capell." I answer fiddling with my nightdress which I didn't get any chance to change before my father dragged me out. I clench my knuckles relieving the incident that just happened.
"You shouldn't get yourself hooked on things and people of irrelevance Zelda." He says calmly with his eyes still glued to the paper.
"What?" I ask with my eyes looking up at him swiftly.
He totally ignores me, exhales and begins, "The Queen's maid was found stealing and she was executed, leaving the position vacant. Your father approached with the intent of selling you off as the Prince's mistress, a maid or anything your use might be needed for. The Royal family bought you and now you're their property, and would be working for the queen as her temporary maid."
I clench my fists in anger at the thought that my father sold me off as a Prince's mistress or anything they deemed fit, my eyes brim with tears as I look out at the window.
"Those feelings will lead you nowhere so perish them, anger, sadness, revenge, whatever it maybe, perish it." He says without sparing me a glance.
With trembling lips, I keep my eyes on the window. I want an outlet where I could cry out my feelings. With muffled cries, I mumble an incomprehensible 'okay' .
The ride to the Royal residence was long. The wheel moved swiftly avoiding potholes. It's been two hours I guess, I yawn in hunger with my head leaning on the glass window and my hand fumbling with a loose thread on my gown.
He glances up at my yawn and continues scribbling. After a few minutes, he taps on the window and the carriage comes to a halt. My closed eyes jerk open as I stare at him. He tosses an apple and a wrapped bread smeared with butter to me and places a bag of water on the seat next to me.
"Eat this and stretch your legs a little bit before we continue our journey." He says swiftly, opens the carriage door and steps out.
I drink some water first before gobbling up the food, and drink the remaining in a swift manner.
In about twenty minutes we arrive at a narrow path with trimmed flowers on the sides leading to a large gate. The carriage arrives slowly to the gate and after a few seconds the gate is opened to reveal a large glorious castle.
Not the common type of buildings that the elites live in, this is a different type. In all it's glory and splendor, the sun reflects on it's creamy white color giving a bigger magnificence.
The surrounding is so spacious that one could get lost in it. Different flowers, lawns and water fountains are arranged neatly. The carriage suddenly comes to a stop at the entrance. A guard quickly runs and swiftly opens the door, while another stands beside him, both with bowed heads.
The man in the carriage who I didn't get to know his name, steps out of the carriage swiftly and in a stylish way as I follow behind. He arrives at the entrance and walks in but I hesitate looking at his retreating figure not sure what to do. He stops in his steps, faces the butler and says something I can't comprehend while the butler removes his coat. He finishes up and walks farther away without sparing me a glance.
"Follow me." the butler says and I swiftly do so.