December 7th, 1000
Sasha sighed. She stared at the closed kitchen door as she thumped her heels on the wooden trunk. In the long room that made the girl servants’ dormitory there wasn’t a soul to hear her speak or cry. The tears fell one by one onto her lap.
“Stupid. Why’d I have to go an’ sass Lady?”
She whispered. Another great sigh tore through her skinny chest. From the kitchen she could hear laughter and clanking pans. The other kitchen servants were getting dinner ready. She tried to stop her rumbling stomach from thinking of what it would be. She would be good next time.
More careful, if only they would let her eat dinner. Another giggle. It sounded like Bella, Sasha’s twin sister. They must have been telling jokes and chatting their secrets. Ones that Sasha wouldn’t ever get to know never. Being a big girl wasn’t fun. Mama has said it would be- said the thing would be a great adventure like in books Daddy would read at night to get them quiet and sleeping.
Bella yelled. Sasha could imagine her. Waving arms and twirling with excitement. Only one person who left the manor could get such joy. Either Lady or, well, maybe the man. Or the other man that Lady saw sometimes when her other husband was gone. It confused Sasha, with all the different men coming and going. Who knew a person could be married to more than one person?
“Sasha!”
Bella yelled through the thin door.
“Come out, nobody’s to be the wiser. We got plenty of good stuffs.”
Sasha sniffed and rubbed her red-rimmed eyes.
“Coming.”
A teeny-tiny smile floated on her lips a second before popping like soap bubbles when washing dishes. If Lady caught her or a servant let something slip- she was liable to be sent off. Sasha peeked around the kitchen door. Laila and Bella were talking together. A man was trying to get the big hearth fire to re-light. Laila said the thing was possessed by a demon, sure thing. In the middle of the large kitchen the two tables held dinner. Fresh baked bread smell wafted over and made Sasha’s stomach growl even more than before.
Bella’s fancy blue dress proved she’d been chosen as the new serve-girl. Sasha bit her cheek. If she was better- if she tried harder, maybe she’d get the same job.
Laila stopped talking and turned to Sasha.
“So good to see you’re pert face again. I thought I might never do so again!”
she giggled. A hot feeling spread from her tingling toes to the tip of her nose.
“Lady ain’t here anymore- nor is any of her visitors. We get the whole spread to ourselves today,”
Laila said. Sasha gasped. Bella laughed.
“You look like that fish Jame brought for us to cook last night!”
Sasha’s blush deepened. She scuffed her shoe against the hard stone tiles.
“Now, don’t get to harping on her already. Come, love, and help me peel potatoes for tomorrow’s festival.”
Laila smiled and held out her calloused hand. She couldn’t take it. Not if her new vow of working harder would be honest. Being true was important. Daddy always said so.
“No thank-you. I can do it myself.”
Laila grinned. She withdrew her hand.
“Sure thing sweetie.”
The door into the main hall was thrust open with a loud thud. Sasha leaped backward, halfway through the dormitory door before anyone could say ‘who?’.
“This is the last straw!”
a male’s voice yelled. Sasha turned. It was just Jame, the knight-in-training of the manor. She sighed and the tension in her legs and arms eased right off. In the corner of the room she spotted Sol, her baby brother. Sasha scurried to sit down beside him to play. She made sure to keep one ear open, Jame knew more than anyone she could think of. Even Laila.
“Look what he did to my face. It’s past insanity. I’m leaving this very night,”
Jame said. He stared at Laila as If daring her to say no to him. Sasha held her breath.
“You should just beat him up in return,”
Bella said. Her face shone with the idea. Her twin made note to speak sense to her later in the day.
“If I could, oh-wise-and-short-one. If just I could.”
Laila swatted them both with her thick brown hand.
“You two are the worst. I got work to do, get out of my kitchen unless you be helping.”
Jame bowed as he did to visiting noblemen. Bella rolled her eyes and hung her head until Sasha could just see the curve of her face and long lashes.
“Your wish is my command dearest lady,”
Jame said. Laila chuckled.
“You should cheer Sasha up. She got told off today for sassin’ after chipping a teacup.”
Sasha winced and longed to have the power of being unseen by Kar’lee eyes. Why’d Laila have to draw attention to it all? She’d been trying her best to forget the whole thing and be better than before. Sol held his arms up, wanting to play pat-pie. Sasha followed his lead letting him say the song in the lisping way babies did.
”Pat-pie, pat-pie…”
he stopped and thought hard. He stuck his longest finger in the corner of his mouth.
“What nex’ sasa?”
He asked. Before she could reply Jame pulled her to her feet.
“Do I hear that you’ve turned blue?”
he asked. Sasha shook her head as he looked her all over for hints of blue coloring.
“No, sir. I just got in trouble is all. I’m goin’ to be good now, I promise!”
she said. Laila sighed and returned to her work. Bella helped her despite wearing the best dress they owned.
“Aw, come on kiddie. You’re already a good girl, twas just an accident wasn’t it?”
He asked. Sasha stared at the scrape on his face. She longed to get a clean napkin and tie it on his face to keep it clean. Jame patted her shoulder with the tips of his fingers.
“Don’t let Lady make you think you’re bad, ‘cause you’re not.”
Sasha nodded. She tried to smile at the taller boy but couldn’t. Tears pricked her eyes.
“Sorry.”
Jame grabbed her by both shoulders and shook her twice. Bella giggled.
“No more sorries for you! You aren’t allowed to say that word any more.”
Sasha glanced at Laila from under her lashes. She was nodding, her hair bobbing. She was beside Bella, both peeling a great barrel of potatoes.
“I’ll try,”
she said. Jame slapped her on the back. He turned to Laila,
“You hear that? She’s going to try and not be so gentle and plain. Good job, girlie. Well- I best get back to my duties. I got a load of chain-mail to clean. I’ll be checking on you, kiddie, to see if you’re keeping your promise.”
Jame meandered past the tables. His hand shot out and he grabbed a cherry pasty then bolted out the door.
“Jame! Give me that back!”
Laila screamed. She ran after, her skirt flapping and shoes clicking on the hallway tiles. Bella chuckled. She laughed until she almost slid off the stool.
Sasha let the image of Laila chasing Jame go again through her mind. She chuckled. Laila had been going so reckless she had shown above her ankles!
“What do you think Laila will do with him when she catches the stupid boy?”
Bella gasped between bouts of giggles.
“Probably whup his behind,”
Sasha said. Both girls collapsed against each other. Sol was watching them, his eyes large and wondering. Sasha didn’t bother to explain things to him. She couldn’t speak with all the laughter roaring through her entire body. Bella was the first to reign in her unseemly laughter.
"Sasha, we can't keep on staying here,"
she whispered. The twins stared at each other. Sasha picked at her ratty apron.
"We've got to run. It can't be above twenty miles to the border. Folks ought to know our faces and let us in."
Sasha stared at Sol. It would be hard, carrying him while also going as quick as they could.
"What about the slavers?"
she whispered. Bella put her hands on her twin's shoulders.
"I can't stand much more of this servant business."
Sasha nodded. She bit her lip. Bella had never settled down to life in the manor. Ever since Mama and Papa had left them here the girl had been in trouble so often the other workers wondered that the lord and lady still had the girl.
"Fine. I'll go."
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