Chapter Two

Rose and the chosen noble girls arrive at Redreu Castle, but how will she fare against the higher class now she is all alone?

The Game

by omegax45

 

 

Chapter 2

 

 

                        Rose sat in the carriage with her head down, hands in her lap.  She couldn’t believe that Joseph would do that to her, after she told him repeatedly that she didn’t want to go.  She knew that she was invited as a jest by Queen Usio.  Why would someone in such a high position as Dios would want her as a bride?  She had no dowry, no lands, or anything of value to give.  All she had was her small sewing kit and the clothes on her back.  At most, she could give him children as a mistress so the one he does marry doesn’t have to worry about siring heirs.  She was going to be a laughing stock at this game, and Rose knew it.

                        Rowen observed the young woman a crossed from him through his slightly blurred vision, her eyes downcast enough that she didn’t noticed hm looking at her.  She wasn’t like the other noble girls that he had met.  They were all dressed in their finest and barking orders to the servants like they owned them.  Rowen didn’t really like them.  They were such a worse lot, spoiled children that had everything given to them without a second thought.  As a servant, though, he had very little say in the matter and had to treat them with the utmost respect.

                        The girl before him, however, she was different.  He didn’t know if it was due to her being of the poor class or if she had been raised differently.  Certainly, she looked the part of a poor person, with her patchwork of cloths that made up her dress and her worn shoes to the point there were holes in the soles and dirt caking her face and hair that not even the dip in the river could get rid of.  Her posture spoke of something else entirely.  She sat with her head down, but her back straight and her feet perfectly aligned on the floor.  She sat like a noble woman.  He wondered who taught her so.

                        “There’s no need to worry,” Rowen smiled at Rose, “You and the others have been chosen by Queen Usio herself for this game.  No harm will befall you during that time.

                        “Each of you will choose a suitor out of the twenty Her Majesty has chosen that you believed to be Dios.  You will then go through a variety of challenges and test to not only prove your worth to your suitor, but also to prove that he is, indeed, Dios.”

                        “You mean we must decide who he is,” Rose asked incredulously, “Many of us only heard stories of Dios, and most of those are made up to extend his greatness.  I’ve never met him in person, nor do I know much about him.  How are the others and I suppose to guess?”

                        “That’s all part of the game,” Rowen answered, “You will be given clues throughout the game that will either help you find the truth, or lead you down the wrong path.  I am unable to evaluate further than that.

                        “The game will be going on for several weeks until Her Majesty declares a winner.  That winner will marry Dios and live a life of royal luxury, while the losers will marry their chosen.  All of your necessitates will be taken care in that time, so there is no reason for anyone to bring anything.  Although, some of the candidates didn't seem to either read that part of the invitation or simply didn’t care for it.”

                        “I mean no offense to Her Majesty, but I feel that this game is just that to her as a form of amusement.  As I said earlier, no one has seen Dios in years, let alone have even seen a painting of him.”

                        “Indeed,” Rowen laughed, “but that’s all part of the fun.  In any case, as you know, Her Majesty’s commands were absolute, and we have no choice but to obey.  Whether it’s to protect the kingdom or to make her laugh, we either do as told, or it be the chopping block for our heads.”

                        Rose nearly swallowed hard at that.  Too many people’s heads were on spikes around the gallows for disobedience.  No one has dared disobeyed the queen in some time due to her temperament.  At one time, she had heard a group of noble girls calling her the Queen of Hearts, whatever that meant.

                        They soon arrived at a large castle surrounded by large trees and bushes.  There were other carriages parked by the entranceway young noble girls getting out and fussing about their dresses and luggage.  The carriage stopped and Rowen opened the door and stepped out, helping Rose out.  The noble girls noticed them and pointed and laughed at Rose, who kept her head down  and followed Rowen inside.  Rowen gave her an encouraging smile and led her with a hand on her back.  They also teased about his face, but he ignored them.  He heard it all before.

                        They entered a very large room that had long tables filled to the brim with dresses, jewelry, make up kits, and every type of shoe known to all the noble girls and more.  All of the girls cooed and awed at the display, Rose stepping back in unease fright.  She knew that look in their eyes, the way the noble girls were reacting to the items and how they were trying to not to drool in their greed, and she started looking for the closest corner to hide in. 

                        “Ladies,” Rowen announced as a large heavy-set woman walked into the room, her face set in a way that showed she would take no argument from anyone, “I welcome you to Redreu Castle for Her Majesty Queen Usio’s game.  I am Rowen, the head butler, and this is Marin, the head maid.  We will be taking care of your needs, but do remember that we are in the employ of Her Majesty and no other.”

                        “On the tables here are the items you will be selecting to aid you in the game,” Marin continued, “You may take as much as you can carry, and no servant will assist you.  Breakfast is after dawn with lunch served at high noon with dinner at sundown.  Do not be late, or you will not eat.  Her Majesty will be by tomorrow with the suitors you will choose from along with each challenge you must partake in.  You will be given a question to answer, and your suitor will be given a challenge he will participate in depending upon said answer.  Violence against the staff and each other is strictly forbidden.  We have been given permission from Her Majesty to discipline if needed.  You will-“

                        The noble girls didn’t let her finish before they ran to the tables and began grabbing as much stuff as they could.  They could no longer maintain themselves and some even began pulling items from the others’ arms.  Rose ran for a nearby corner and curled up into a trembling ball, the screams of the noble girls reminding her of a time long ago.  The noble girls ignored her until they filled their arms to the brim before finally seeing her.  Some laughed and pointed at her, while others ignored her and followed a servant out of the room.  They all enjoyed the poor girl’s fright and began making up stories about her to laugh even more before they became bored and ignored her once again.  The other noble girls paid no attention, trying to get the servants to help them and squawking in anger when they were denied help before leaving.

                        Once the noble girls had left, Rose uncurled from her ball and looked around.  The tables were in disarray, many dresses ripped, shoes thrown about, make up spilled and dripping all over, and jewelry strung about.  She saw Rowen and Marin looking at her with a mix of sympathy and pity in her eyes, but they said nothing to her.  They watched her shakily stand and take a moment to compose herself before looking to the door the noble girls walked out of before and went over to it.

                        “Wait,” Rowen called, making Rose stop, “Why aren’t you taking anything from the tables?  You will need the items for the game, seeing as you didn’t bring anything with you.”

                        “I don’t want anything,” Rose replied, “I have gotten along well over the years with just my dress.  Besides, I won’t win anyway, so what will be the point of a poor girl ruining such lovely items?”

                        “Don’t be daft young woman,” Marin scoffed, “That bundle of rags you called clothes will not do for this game.  You must be at your finest if you wish to participate and not meet your end in the gallows.  Now, come here and I’ll help you find something decent.  I’m certain there is something here those vultures missed.”

                        “Thank you, but I really don’t want to bother.  A poor class person shouldn’t even think of wearing such luxuries.”

                        “I’m not giving you a choice, girlie.  I am in charge of your well being, and you must do as I say.  In this game, you are all equals.  Class has nothing to do with your standing.  Now here.  This make up kit survived the worst of it.”

                        “Best to do what Marin says,” Rowen chuckled when Rose turned to him for help, “You do not want to incur her wrath, as many servants here have.”

                        “Speaking for yourself, Rowen?”

                        “Um,” Rowen stammered while blushing,  “I didn’t say anything.”

                        Rose giggled before walking over to Marin, picking up a few items along the way.  She picked up a few dresses and shoes along with some accessories, politely declining Marin when she tried to give her more.  Arms full, she followed Rowen and Marin out the door and down a hallway.  They went up a flight of stairs and down another hallway before reaching another hallway full of rooms.  The other noble girls were already there, arguing over which room was there's. 

                        “You two stop right there,” Marin shouted at two noble girls pulling at each other’s hair, pulling them apart, “We're you not listening to the rules earlier?!   Violence will not be allowed!”

                        “Be silent maid,” one of the noble girls commanded angrily, “and keep your commoner hands off me!  I had already claimed this room and this w***e is trying to take it from me!”

                        “Lies,” the other noble girl screeched, “I was already in this room when this brat marched in and pulled me out, declaring the room hers!  If anything, I’m the victim here!”

                        “How dare you!”

                        “Enough,” Marin yelled, glaring at both noble girls to silence them, “All the rooms are the same, so there’s no need to fight over which one gets which room.  Now, you go to that room, and you return to the room you were in before.  And no arguments!”

                        The noble girls cowered before Marin’s glare and edged to a room each.  Rose was impressed.  Not many things could scare a noble girl into submission like that.  Even their own parents had to bribe them with gifts just to get them to cooperate.  A part of her felt smug for seeing those spoiled brats be put in their place, but she kept it hidden.  No need to show that side of her to them yet.

                        She waited until all the noble girls were in their rooms before going into the last room left.  She was in awe at the spacious room with the large bed that looked like it was loaded with embroidered blankets and over-stuffed pillows.  A vanity table sat by one wall, the mirror large and the wood white with elusive carvings around it.  A large closet sat on another wall that was stained a dark brown with carvings that Rose had never seen before, not even in the windows of the furniture shops.  A table sat by the window with two cushioned chairs surrounding it and covered with a fine embroidered cloth.  An oil lamp that looked new and filled with oil sat on the nightstand by the bed that filled the room with light.  The room itself was beautiful, but not to Rose’s tastes.  It brought up too many memories of a time she wished to long forget, a time that she wished was not a part of her.

                        The poor girl placed the items on the bed and began to sort them out.  She placed the jewelry and the make up kit on the vanity table and hung up the dresses in the closet, where she found a sewing kit that had more colored threads that she had ever known.  She also found in the pile ribbons and torn pieces of cloth, which gave her exactly what she needed.

                        She went to work and patched up the tears and rips in the dresses, then made a few modifications of her own that made them look a bit more glamorous than before.  She checked them thoroughly before she closed the closet and looked at the bed.  She was so used to sleeping on the hard ground, most of the time without pillows or something that even resembled a blanket.  Had she been lucky,  she would find a torn sheet littered with holes that helped her even in the coldest of nights.  It was why she added onto her dress in the past years.  It gave her warmth when she couldn’t find any.  Perhaps she could just huddle up in a corner or even under the bed.  Under the bed sounded a bit better, for it didn’t leave her vulnerable when she was asleep.

                        There was a sudden knock on her door, and Rose wondered who it could be.  She opened it to see several servants carrying a tub and buckets of water and towels.

                        “Good evening miss,” one of the servants bowed, “We are instructed to inform you that supper should be ready in about an hour.  Attendance is mandatory, and all of our guests are to be instructed to be… presentable.  We have brought you fresh hot water and cold water to make your bath most comfortable.  We also included some bath salts and the finest soaps from the Isles.”

                        “Thank you,” Rose replied and the servants set up the tub in an empty corner of the room, placing the buckets and soaps down next to it while dropping the towels on a nearby chair. 

                        “Shall we undress you miss,” one of the servants asked, “The men will leave if you feel most uncomfortable.”

                        “No need,” Rose raised her hand, “I can care for myself.  Please come get me when supper is ready.  I’ll be done by then.”

                        “As you wish,” the servants bowed their heads and left the room. 

                        Rose sighed and looked at the tub.  She knew from the look in their eyes that they did not want to touch her.  She probably didn’t smell nice either.  The last time she had any form of cleaning was too far back for her to remember, too busy trying to make enough coin for her next meal or supplies.  She took to bathing in the river if she found a sandy area.  The sand scrubbed away the dirt and dead skin, although she had to rinse off further away as sand tended to stick.  Most of those shores were owned by the farmers for their water routes, so finding one where she wouldn’t be chased away with nothing but her own skin was difficult.  She had stopped looking a long time ago.  Her dress fared worse, using only rainwater to wash as much mud and filth away to look at least a bit nice.  It was a patchwork of old thread and ripped fabrics, layers upon layers added to maintain warmth.  She doubt much could be done for it.

                        She mixed the water together, leaving some in the buckets for later.  She then peeled her dress off her, never realizing just how heavy it was with all the fabric sewn into it.  She sat in the water that felt heavenly to her worn bones, closing her eyes and resting a bit.  The warmth soaked through her skin and made her relax, but she did not have the luxury of enjoying it for as long as she wished.  She had to get ready for supper. 

                        Rose grabbed the bar of soap set aside for her and ironically realized that it smelled of roses, her namesake.  The Isles were famous for their roses.  The queen was said to have a garden full of roses of every color.  It was a rumor of course, but one could dream of it.  She scrubbed herself until her skin turned pink and smelled just like the soap.  She washed her hair with the soap as well, turning it from almost black to a light brown color.  She scrubbed herself once more before getting out and drying herself off with a towel.  She turned to see the water in the tub a dark brown color.  She was amazed that she had that much dirt and mud upon her.  She threw her dress into to the water and used the last of the soap to wash it, figuring the would be her only chance to.  She was amazed at all the colors of her dress that were revealed as the mud and dirt washed away, using the clean water to help with the rinsing.  She wrung her dress dry and placed it in the closest farthest from the other dresses as to not get them wet before grabbing one of her new dresses to put on.  She added a touch of make up and jewelry before putting on a new pair of shoes and looked herself in the vanity mirror.  She looked like a completely different person, almost look like…

                        Rose shook her head of that thought before it began.  She didn’t want to remember that person at all.  It did her no good to do so, only cause trouble.

                        A knock on the door broke her from her thoughts and she opened it to see a servant waiting for her, looking at her in confusion before realizing who she was.  He bowed and extended an arm before leading her through several hallways into the dining area.  There were several noble girls already there, sitting at a long elegant table and talking away while showing off their dresses and jewelry.  They turned to Rose upon noticing her sitting down and were quiet for a minute before turning back to their conversation, ignoring her. Rose sat the farthest away from them while accepting a goblet of water from a servant.  She had nothing to say to the noble girls anyway. 

                        They waited until the other noble girls arrived before servants came out with large plates of food and goblets full of drink.  Rowen and Marin came in last and stood before the front of the table, commanding everyone’s attention.

                        “Good evening ladies,” Rowen announced, “Welcome to the evening meal.  As you are aware, you will be staying with us for a month while participating in the game for the right to marry Dios.  There are a few more rules we have to inform you of, as we were cut short earlier by your eagerness to begin the game.

                        “You will choosing a noble man out of twenty candidates and you must prove that he is the real Dios through a series of questions and contests.  With the exception of meal time, you will not be allowed to leave your rooms unless you are with your chosen candidate, myself, or Marin.  We will give you a tour of the castle and show you which rooms you are allowed in while chaperoned, and rooms are you not allowed.  You will be given clues throughout each contest to aid you in your quest to deduced whether or not your choice is the correct one.  The items you have been given are yours to use during the game only.  They must be returned at the end of the game. 

                        “At the end of the game, you will present your findings to Queen Usio why your candidate is Dios.  If your answer is correct, you will be declared the winner.  If you lose, you must marry your candidate.  There will be no switching candidates or working in teams to eliminate the others.  As we said earlier, violence is not allowed.  Anyone that breaks the rules will be disqualified and have to pay a compensation fee, which would be determined at the time of disqualification by Queen Usio herself.  Do you ladies have any questions?”

                        The noble ladies began asking a series of questions, but Rose ignored them all.  Her eyes were on the plates of food the servants had in hand.  Her mouth watered and she kept it closed so as to not drool and make a fool of herself. She had never seen so much food in so long unless she was watching a party outside in a noble’s backyard.  A good day of fixing tears would get her a load of day-old bread and maybe a small piece of meat to go along with it.  A bad day had her digging through garbage bins last at night to avoid the owners chasing her off or trying to hunt for food in the forest.  Many poor people like herself dreamed of having so much food to eat not have to worry about when their next meal is coming from.  She could feel her stomach gnawing away at her insides just to get out and eat all that food until it burst. 

                        Rose didn’t had to wait long, for the questions ended and the servants placed the plates of food before them, the noble girls filling their plates to the brim.  Rose didn’t placed as much food on her plate as much as she wanted to, for years of living on so little has made it difficult to eat so much. 

                        “What’s the matter poor girl,” one noble girl sneered when she saw Rose’s plate, “Food not good enough for you?”

                        “She’s so used to eating garbage,” another noble girl piped up, “That’s all she can eat!”

                        “Hey servant,” a third noble girl sneered, “Best to bring your finest garbage bin out for our special guest!”

                        “But after we all eat,” a fourth noble girl added, “We don’t want to lose our stomachs watching her eat!”

                        Rose felt tears pricking her eyes from their comments, grateful when they turned back to their own food.  She picked up a piece of bread and took a bite, the tears nearly slipping from her tightly-shut eyelids.  The taste was heavenly, putting the taste of day-old bread to shame.  She tasted each sampling of food, taking her time to savor each bite of such delicious food.  She wanted more, but paced herself so she did not eat too much and become sick.  After eating everything on her plate, her stomach felt blissfully full, a first in such a long time.  The smile she was giving had the servants smirking at her and looking prideful.

                        Some of the noble girls took notice and looked at Rose.  They were not finished with their food, and they thought the poor girl would be going for more food and eating like a pig.  Instead, Rose had used the utensils and cut her food into small pieces and ate each piece with the practice of a noble.  Where did such a worthless girl learned such manners?

                        “Hey servant,” a noble girl suddenly yelled, “My chicken is too satly!  How much salt did you used in this?! “

                        “Mine taste too plain,” another noble girl complained, “Where are the spices?!  Does this dump of a castle have any?!”

                        “This is far too hot,” a third noble girl waved a bread roll in her hand, “Did this just come out of the oven?  Are you trying to burn my mouth?!”

                        Rose looked at the noble girls like they were insane.  Why were they complaining so much?  Don’t they understand how fortunate they were to have such delicious food?  There were poor people on the streets that dreamed of having such food like this.  Hell, some were known for stealing food from others that looked almost as good.  To know that you have a meal ready for when you’re hungry…. to not have to worry about sleeping outside or sickness with no means of paying for medicine, or bandits trying to rob you of the few meager possessions you have…

                        Rose pitied the noble girls for their ignorance.  If left out in the cold with no one to help them, they would not survive.

                        Once everyone have their fill, their plates were taken away and they were led into a sitting area that was very large with windows on almost all sides that almost reach the ceiling.  They were then served tea and crumpets, the noble girls watching Rose with eyes like hawks.  It made Rose uncomfortable, like they were examining her for how a poor person ate.  She nibbled on her crumpet and sipped at her tea quietly, refusing another helping when asked.  She could barely taste the snacks, too worried that the noble girls would make fun of her again.  They appeared disappointed and returned to their own tea and crumpets, completely ignoring Rose for the rest of the night.  The servants came back in an hour and took them back to their rooms, each giving sarcastic wishes of good fortune to one another.  Rose said nothing to them and closed the door before they could give her any snide remarks.

                        Rose sighed once she was in the room, feeling safe once again.  She could hear Rowen reminding everyone that they were to not leave their rooms until morning, when the servants would come for them for breakfast.  She heard the noble girls wishing Rowen good night before it became quiet again.  Her eyes fell upon the bed again, and she wondered if she should sleep in it.  She walked over and sat down upon it.  It was soft, too soft.  She didn’t weigh much, but she was sinking into the mattress and felt trapped.  She won’t be comfortable in it.

                        Rose got up and undressed, putting away the dress and jewelry before toeing off her new shoes that felt very uncomfortable, then placed on her new nightgown that felt like satin on her skin.  She grabbed a pillow and and blankets from the bed before settling underneath it.  Years of living on the streets with the noises of the insects in her ears had left her frustrated in the silence of the room.  She got out and opened a window, feeling much better hearing the music of the forest surrounding the castle.  She returned under the bed and fell asleep.