Scarlett's POV
"Catch the thief!"
I was running away from the victim of my pickpocketing and more people started chasing me. I kept running until I hit a store where they sold pastry. Wonderful!! I was covered in flour.
Suddenly while running a hand yanked me to the side. I was not sure who he was but I decided to trust the process, so I followed him. We reached certain safe point,then we stopped.
When he looked at me it was a familiar face.
"Oliver??What are you doing here? I asked him.
He replied "What are YOU doing here?"
"I asked first" I said.
"Doesn't matter, did you pickpocket again?
"NO I did not!!!" My eyes had probably given me away at that point.
"You can't fool me with your lies" He said in an obviously-you-know-this tone.
"Right! Okay fine! I admit I went pickpocketing again"
There was no point lying to Oliver, he knew me best.
"I asked you not to do that anymore, and you continued? So much for a friendship of three years. Why won't you collect money from me? Your mum is like a mother to me!" He exclaimed.
Oliver barely made ends meet himself. If I collected money from him it meant me becoming a burden on him. Friends do not do that. I trusted him and I knew he cared but nahhh. Let's get past this.
Eventually I replied him "NO no, take care of yourself well. No need to give me money. Hehe"
We started to walk towards my house when Oliver remembered he has quite a lot of important work to do.
I knew had job, a low paying one infact. But, I kid you not when I tell you he never told me what his job entailed. A little suspicious if you'd ask me.
After Oliver had left, I was alone in my thoughts thinking of a way to escape this perilous life of mine.
On getting home, to my surprise everywhere was scattered and turned inside out. The little house we have looked more shabby that usual.
Shivering in fear, I rushed inside in search of my mother. She's still where I left her in the morning, on the wooden floor covered with a cotton cloth just to fit her size and keep her warm.
She looked at me as if she had been crying for hours straight! I ran over to hold her in my arms.
Scared, I asked her "mother, are you okay?what happened in here? Who came by?"
She could barely speak because of her illness but she managed to say "l...l...lo...an sh...sharks"
Immediately I realised what had happened. Father must have gone gambling and fallen into debt again!!! This is frustrating.
"Mother, don't worry everything will be fine now. I'm here! Do you know where the twins are?" I asked her.
"They.....le..left to pl....ay a few...ho...hours be...be...fore those.....pe..people came...here"
I sighed in relief. My little brothers didn't get to see this terrible sight or I couldn't have forgiven myself for leaving in the first place.
I stood up to take a look around the house and try to arrange the envy. Then I saw a note that read:
"We didn't touch your wife this time, the next time you delay our payment you will have yourself to blame for the demise of your family."
~Greg
I fell on my knees and I started to cry. Why was my life so hard? Was there an ever an end to this. I heard footsteps coming closer and closer and then I started to hear my brothers' voices. Immediately I cleaned my tears and walked towards the direction of the voices.
"Scarlett, Scarlett" They screamed my name with joy at the sight of me. When they got close enough Jack jumped on me, leaving James to sulk.
These 10year olds always manage to make me feel better.
***************
I made the bold decision to go see the loan sharks. Very scary decision infact. The office of the loan sharks was easy to locate because my father lent money from them occasionally for his awful addiction to gambling. I hated him. He took usually took loans, ran away and left the family in danger.
I tried my best to pay off the loans a few times, I guess this time it was just way out of something I could afford.
As I got to the office I was welcomed by a haggard looking man with naturally furrowed eyebrows. He looked like he was finding who to prey on. The haggard looking mad took me to meet the boss who I'm guessing is Greg.
"What is your name?" Greg asked.
I replied "my name is Scarlett"
"Ah, Scarlett the name ring a bell. You're that girl who always pays off her father's gambling debt" He said.
I am ashamed to admit this but it's all true. He didn't lie, my father actually makes life difficult to bear for me.
"Yes, now how much is his current debt" I asked in the most confident voice I could come up with. Despite the fact that I was ashamed, I decided act tough in front of these guys so they didn't see ma as weak.
He calculated for a while through his record and finally replied me "Plus his interest, it all amounts to 1000 taels of silver"
1000 taels of silver??
I could buy a better house for us to live in and then get more medicines for mother.
"Are you sure you checked the right name? I really don't think it should be that much" I said to Greg
He replied "Now listen girl, you don't run my business for me. I tell you your father owes 1000 taels of silver and you believe it alright??"
My confidence started to slowly fade away. I asked him "sure, sure. Could I like get a discount on the interests? I'll pay you every month for two years"
The scary looking people burst out into laughter, their voices so deep it's almost like it's giving a pounding effect on my mind. I want to cry again. "Why are you laughing?" I asked while I looked around.
Actually I understood why they laughed. I made a ridiculous offer that even I would not accept. Few minutes after, one of the scary looking men whisper into Greg's ear, and Greg nods in agreement.
"Little Scarlett, I have a solution that can save your family once and for all. Do you want to hear it?"
I nodded in agreement. He continued "I'll sell you to the Palace as a maid...."
"What?? A maid" I interrupted him"
He grunt loudly, clearly a signal for me to let him finish. "When I sell you as a maid, you're not worth 1000 taels of silver. But, you can pay the rest with your wages for eight months. What do you think?"
It sounded like a great plan. A great plan with major faults. If I enter the Palace as a courtmaid, I'm not allowed to marry anyone. I must serve at the Palace my enter life.
I got lost in my thoughts now. Greg interrupted "it's either you choose this or I sell your little brothers as slaves"
Not my brothers!!! I'd rather suffer than let anyone touch a single strand of their hair.
I immediately agreed to Greg's suggestion. He told me to meet him at this same place when the cock crows tomorrow. Tomorrow is too much of a short time to bid farewell to my family but I agree regardless.
On my way back home I grabbed a few medicines for my mother and I came to the decision not to bid my family farewell. I only needed to ask Oliver the favour of protecting my mother and my brothers from violent father.
However, I definitely won't be telling Oliver that I'm headed to the Palace.
By the time I got home, it was already late at night and everyone is asleep. So, I dropped the medicines on the old wooden drawer, kissed my brothers and mother on the cheek and told them a quiet goodnight before I lay down beside them.
I looked round our shabby house which has only one room for all of us as I slowly drifted off to bed...My new life in the Palace? How will it be like? I thought to myself. I hated the idea, but family protection comes first. These thoughts ran around my head until I slept off.
***************
As promised, I met Greg at the office exactly when the cock crowed. Before that, I dropped a letter at the door of Oliver's house explaining the enter situation to him.
"Ready or not, let's go" an old woman beside Greg said to me and I quietly followed her.
We arrived at the Palace gates after walking for 2hours. Phew! I sighed when I saw the gates. As expected, the aura of the Palace is WEALTH AND POLITICAL CONFLICTS. I will not be affected by them anyways so they are none of my concern.
As I entered the Palace, the gold designs at the gate wowed me, the carefully organised guards are ready to attack upon any threats. The buildings are labelled with different names depending on the occupant.
Just at that moment the Queen Dowager passed by us with her train of court maids,ladies and eunuchs, before I could take a satisfactory glimpse of her the old lady pushed my head down. Signalling for me to bow my head in respect.
The Queen Dowager stops at her track at once right infront of us.
"Court lady Agatha, you may look up!" She said in a commanding tone! And the old lady obeys.
At least now I now thew the old lady is a court lady named Agatha. How nice!
'Lady? More like old woman' I thought to myself.
My head was still down and started hurting.....Just when I began to think I was going to stay forever in that position, a cold soft finger touched my jaw and lifted my head up. It's the Queen Dowager! She looked at me as if observing my facial features and then gave a slight nod to court lady Agatha.
She took her finger off my face a one of the court ladies in her train quickly brought a piece of cloth to clean her finger.
What am I? Filth? I thought to myself. The train of the Queen Dowager moved and then Agatha signalled for me to follow her.
I knew this journey of the rest of my life was going to be one hell!