understand the meaning behind Lady Mila’s contemptuous words.
The woman gave Seri a cross look. “The prince thinks so, but not the rest of us, and not for much longer. She has been his lover for some months now, which means that he should kick her from his bed once his hunger appears again.”
Before Seri could ask what she meant, Lady Mila continued. “The betrothal ceremony will be held this year for the prince—and rumor has it that he will cast aside Lady Aynee soon after and choose a new lover. That, inasmuch as the ceremony, is why the entire court has dragged itself out to this godforsaken bit of country. The king has given him leave to marry after this ceremony,” she said, as if imparting a great secret. Her look suggested that Seri should be thrilled with this bit of information.
“And you wish to be his wife,” Seri said carefully, trying to follow Mila’s thoughts.
The smug smile declared that she had chosen correctly. “I intend to flaunt my beauty before him and catch his eye once and for all. Lady Aynee is but a lesser noble, after all, and I am the daughter of a great and powerful landowner.” She gave a haughty sniff and then looked over Seri, as if noticing that the Vidari woman stood, wet and nearly naked, in the middle of her lush apartments. “Do you have no clothes, girl?”
Surprised, Seri looked to Winna.
The maid responded with a haughty sniff. “My lady, her garments were unacceptable. I informed her that we would have new clothing for her.”
“Quite so,” Lady Mila agreed, tilting her beautiful head to regard Seri. “For now, you may clothe her in one of the servant dresses. I have something more spectacular planned for the ceremony itself.”
And with a flick of the elegant lady’s hand, Seri was dismissed.
~~* * * ~~
Several hours later, Seri sat in the kitchens, stuffing her face full of warm stew and buttered rolls. Enemy though they may be, there was plenty of food to be had in the castle kitchens for both servant and lord alike, and the talk was free and loose. The other servants did not speak to her, of course—her darker skin marked her apart as surely as her manners would. As she sipped a mug of warmed ale, Seri sat and listened to everything around her as the women gossiped about the upcoming ceremony and the ladies at the castle who had arrived to try their chances at winning the prince’s interest.
Seri mopped the last of her stew with a biscuit and sighed at the sight of her clean bowl. She could have eaten more but no more was offered to her. The cook distinctly avoided making eye contact once she realized that Seri was not going to leave as soon as she was served.
“Here,” a friendly voice called to her side, and Seri looked up into the smiling young face of a kitchen maid. The woman nudged a second stew bowl in front of her. “You look like you could use a bit more to eat. Are all your people as skinny as yourself?” The girl smiled, showing a flash of white teeth broken by a wide gap between the front ones. She had frizzy brown hair and freckles and a round, appealing face that called to Seri’s loneliness.
She took the bowl with gratitude and smiled at the young woman. “The ones who cannot afford to eat well, yes, I do imagine they’re as skinny as myself.” Seri smiled to take the sting out of her words and shoveled another hot mouthful between her lips. “Thank you for the food.”
The girl grinned. “Plenty to go around. I’m Idalla. Got here just a few weeks ago in preparation of the lord’s coming. You’re one of the… locals?”
“Vidari,” Seri agreed. “We were here before the lords came,” she said, trying to keep the sour note out of her voice. It wasn’t the girl’s fault that the Athoni kings had decided to conquer Vidari lands. “Will you follow when the prince and his court leave again, Idalla?”
Idalla laughed. “Oh, the prince is not leaving, girl. He’s here to stay.”
Seri’s stomach churned
The woman gave Seri a cross look. “The prince thinks so, but not the rest of us, and not for much longer. She has been his lover for some months now, which means that he should kick her from his bed once his hunger appears again.”
Before Seri could ask what she meant, Lady Mila continued. “The betrothal ceremony will be held this year for the prince—and rumor has it that he will cast aside Lady Aynee soon after and choose a new lover. That, inasmuch as the ceremony, is why the entire court has dragged itself out to this godforsaken bit of country. The king has given him leave to marry after this ceremony,” she said, as if imparting a great secret. Her look suggested that Seri should be thrilled with this bit of information.
“And you wish to be his wife,” Seri said carefully, trying to follow Mila’s thoughts.
The smug smile declared that she had chosen correctly. “I intend to flaunt my beauty before him and catch his eye once and for all. Lady Aynee is but a lesser noble, after all, and I am the daughter of a great and powerful landowner.” She gave a haughty sniff and then looked over Seri, as if noticing that the Vidari woman stood, wet and nearly naked, in the middle of her lush apartments. “Do you have no clothes, girl?”
Surprised, Seri looked to Winna.
The maid responded with a haughty sniff. “My lady, her garments were unacceptable. I informed her that we would have new clothing for her.”
“Quite so,” Lady Mila agreed, tilting her beautiful head to regard Seri. “For now, you may clothe her in one of the servant dresses. I have something more spectacular planned for the ceremony itself.”
And with a flick of the elegant lady’s hand, Seri was dismissed.
~~* * * ~~
Several hours later, Seri sat in the kitchens, stuffing her face full of warm stew and buttered rolls. Enemy though they may be, there was plenty of food to be had in the castle kitchens for both servant and lord alike, and the talk was free and loose. The other servants did not speak to her, of course—her darker skin marked her apart as surely as her manners would. As she sipped a mug of warmed ale, Seri sat and listened to everything around her as the women gossiped about the upcoming ceremony and the ladies at the castle who had arrived to try their chances at winning the prince’s interest.
Seri mopped the last of her stew with a biscuit and sighed at the sight of her clean bowl. She could have eaten more but no more was offered to her. The cook distinctly avoided making eye contact once she realized that Seri was not going to leave as soon as she was served.
“Here,” a friendly voice called to her side, and Seri looked up into the smiling young face of a kitchen maid. The woman nudged a second stew bowl in front of her. “You look like you could use a bit more to eat. Are all your people as skinny as yourself?” The girl smiled, showing a flash of white teeth broken by a wide gap between the front ones. She had frizzy brown hair and freckles and a round, appealing face that called to Seri’s loneliness.
She took the bowl with gratitude and smiled at the young woman. “The ones who cannot afford to eat well, yes, I do imagine they’re as skinny as myself.” Seri smiled to take the sting out of her words and shoveled another hot mouthful between her lips. “Thank you for the food.”
The girl grinned. “Plenty to go around. I’m Idalla. Got here just a few weeks ago in preparation of the lord’s coming. You’re one of the… locals?”
“Vidari,” Seri agreed. “We were here before the lords came,” she said, trying to keep the sour note out of her voice. It wasn’t the girl’s fault that the Athoni kings had decided to conquer Vidari lands. “Will you follow when the prince and his court leave again, Idalla?”
Idalla laughed. “Oh, the prince is not leaving, girl. He’s here to stay.”
Seri’s stomach churned
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