Chapter 6
Through out the day I wasn't able to enjoy myself with Lyress. After her classes she, Fara, Lairoe, and I went to the garden fields a mile or so away from the castle. The three of them were able to relax and chat in the ivory-iron garden chairs, but my thoughts gloomed on my brothers. It wasn't until Fara and Lairoe went in search of the cherry blossom trees that Lyress realized that I was wasn't completely present. Standing up abruptly, she beckoned me to follow her. She offered her arm and I linked mine with hers, silently condemning myself for forgetting to bring her jacket because her arms were as cold as the iron chairs. We walked in silence for awhile, veering away from the path Fara and Lairoe took toward the bigger plants of the garden. Ending up at the center of the vast garden, -it seemed like I was in a bubble of green- we sat on the two-seat-er wooden swing. It was crudely constructed, something I wouldn't expect in a royal garden, but I didn't mind it's humility.
"What's bothering you?' Lyress flat out asked.
"Well-"
"It's the higher taxes isn't it?"
I nodded.
"I know. I was furious when he told me. Especially because this whole thing is ridiculous. Mostly on their side though."
"What exactly is causing all of this?"
She sighed, "the Yanslavian king wants my father to recognize his sons as heirs to the Nyressian throne. Because I'm a woman there needs to be a man to take my place, or I need to marry one. Long ago I was promised to my cousin, the oldest prince of Yanslavia, Jeric but," she rolled her eyes, "it seems that's not good enough to my uncle. He wants all of his sons to be heirs instead of just Jeric marrying me. You see, if his sons become heirs then if I die none of the Nyressian nobles can elect a king. My father doesn't want that, he wants only true Nyressians to rule. He hates his brother and thinks that his brother's Yanslavian mother polluted his bloodlines."
"I see, so we suffer for their family feud?"
"Seems that way. I know I know, I hate it too but," she took my hands in her cold fingers, "I've tried everything to convince him to stop taxing so high. But he won't listen to me, he wants to build our army and navy and explore new technology for weaponry. If there's going to be a war, he wants to be prepared."
"Well his preparation is killing my brothers," I said bitterly, like the bile tasted when throwing up.
"Killing?"
"The ingredients for their medicine is so ridiculously priced that it would take several months to save for it all. By then they could be dead." I was exaggerating a bit more than I should have, but in all honesty I wasn't completely confident that I was exaggerating.
"Oh," she said with pity, "Iris, I promise you I'll find a way to make it work. We'll think of something, I won't let your brothers die." Her earnest eyes comforted me in such a way that I could fully trust her.
"Ok," I smiled and instinctively hugged her tightly, like I would hug my sisters. I thought about pulling away quickly and asking forgiveness for being too rash, but when she hugged me tighter than I held her, pulling away seemed rude. So I laid my head on her clammy cold shoulder and allowed her to warm my worries away.
Few days past and there was no sign of figuring out a way to make enough money. Camilla started searching for other gems, but had yet to find anything to use. Lyress couldn't come up with anything either. All solutions seem to come to dead ends.
In the moments before dusk -when every chore of mine was done- Lyress and I sat on her balcony looking over the stables and riding rings. We were quietly sipping tea while she read out loud and I mutilated a scarf I tried to sew. The story she read consisted of the usual knights and ladies, and to be honest I tuned it out. My thoughts still lingered on my brothers.
"I'm just done with this!" Lyress suddenly shouted as she slapped the book closed.
"Done with what?"
"These stupid books. Did you not hear the ridiculousness?"
"It sounded nice to me," I lied.
" 'And then Lady Ferriella swooned as the knight picked the distressed woman out of the mud hole' what? What sensible woman swoons when you're in mud? Why do all these stories have the women swooning? It just shows you what men really think of us women. Swooners. And if we are not swooning over the knights or princes, we're plotting their demise with our 'tangible wiles'. What crock!"
"All books are written by men, what'd you expect?"
" For once I'd like to read a story where the woman does the saving."
I laughed a little, "what? should she be the knight and the man the one in the dress? That'd be a sight."
"Yes it would," she laughed with me, "could you imagine a man swooning?" She acted out swooning over her chair but with a man-like voice. I laughed harder now, I really couldn't imagine a man acting like that.
"That's just as funny as a girl in armor jousting or something," I continued the joke, "while the man cleans and cooks, the woman is running off fighting wars."
I didn't realize for awhile that I was the only one laughing. Until I stopped, I hadn't notice the look on Lyress' face.
"What is it?"
"I just got an idea," she said and bit her lip, "a crazy idea."
"How crazy?"
"So crazy," she said looking me up and down, "that it just might work."
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"What if a girl being a knight is not as ridiculous as it may seem. Think about it Iris, who makes the money in this world? Men do. Sure, there are some women that can pick up a trade, like what you said your sister does with her jewelry, but who makes more to feed five families? Noblemen, knights!"
"Umm ok what are you saying?"
"I'm saying, wait stand up," she commanded and I obeyed. She looked me over again and took me by my shoulders. With a nod and a smile she met my eyes, "I'm saying you could become a knight."
"Ok ha ha, joke's over."
"I'm serious. Very serious. Think about it you can send your earnings to your family and your brothers could get the medicine they need."
"No! That's crazy. Please, I don't mean disrespect, but have you lost your sanity? I'm just going to waltz into knight registration saying 'oh hello, I'm a peasant girl wanting to become a knight'."
"Not like that," she shook her head, "we'll disguise you as a boy. Your breasts are... well small enough where we could bind them, and if we cut your hair and let your brows go unplucked, you could pose as a boy. A very pretty boy. "
"Then there's the whole getting caught part, and me getting hanged for posing as noble and a boy!"
What was she thinking? Knighthood? Women belonged on the battle Field as much as a toad belonged on a cake. It was insane. Never was there such a woman who rode with swords and Shields. As much as I adored her, Lyress wasn't thinking clearly. I had remembered her talking about how unfair it was that she couldn't rule Nyress as a lone monarch because of her sex, but I didn't think her feelings towards society would go this far. Could a woman even survive what a knight had to go through? I doubted it.
"You let me worry about that. If anything should happen I could tell my father I forced you into it."
"Great two hangings."
"It will not come to that. Do you trust me?"
"Yes," I said though that trust was beginning to fade with this crazy idea.
"Then understand that I would never let anything happen to you," she said as she cupped my face with her delicate hands, "you mean a lot to me Iris. I'm forever in Sir Wrider's debt for giving you to me. I want to help your family. I could not bare to see your face if your brothers died."
It was then that I decided I could trust her more than I ever trusted anyone. With words and promises like that, who wouldn't? Her eyes proved it all. I've known untrustworthy people before, and Lyress had no traces of such lies. She meant every word she had just said.
I breathed deeply, "Ok," I agreed, "we'll discuss this further tomorrow I guess. We better get you ready for dinner. Can't keep your father waiting."
She smiled and nodded, not saying a word further on the subject as I brushed her hair. She kept a satisfied look on her face all through out the night. I could tell she really believed that her plan could work. Certainly she was used to her ideas working according to plan, and her confidence almost gave me hope.
Surprised to see him out of the house, Jacsen met me later that night. In a long sleeved loose black shirt he came gliding up the hill. He looked like a phantom with his pale skin and wild curls. Leading away from the gate I nodded politely at the guard, and then met my brother at the edge of the hill before the bridge. He seemed sicklier every time I saw him.
"Hey there," I said.
"Hey," he barely said as we headed across the wooden bridge. Stable though it was, I hated crossing it. The smell from the moat's water singed my nose.
"Rose let you out?"
"I begged her. I couldn't stand stayin' cooped up."
"I see. You doin' ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine. Don't worry."
I locked my arm around his, "you know none of us can help that."
"Tryin' to convince you people I'm fine is wasted effort."
"Well tryin' to convince you that you're not fine is a squander. Look at you Jac, you look like a corpse."
"It'll pass."
"More like you'll pass. I'm serious too."
He rolled his eyes and kept walking. Biting his lip, he made sure I couldn't see his expression. I figured it portrayed annoyance.
As we walked we saw our home in the distance, and noticed that the downstairs lanterns were lit. Strange, was everyone awake? Or could Rose be that worried about Jacsen that she waited up for us? I looked at Jacsen who only answered with a shrug. Walking with a faster pace, we quickly came through the door to see nearly everyone looking into Rose's and Kelen's room.
"What's going on?" I asked Anar who leaned against the wall.
He nodded his head toward inside the room.
Peeking into their room I saw Braeg, Terron, and Kelen crowding around a chair with rope in their hands. Rose, Maelyn, and Jasmine were picking up Rose's dresses that were scattered around the room. I looked to Lillie to give me an explanation.
"A thief broke in and tried to steal Rose's dresses. Clearly she didn't notice that Kelen was awake, waiting for you two."
"She?"
I walked into their room to get a better view of the thief. She was bound from shoulders to feet in rope, seemingly Terron's work. She was gagged and unable to make a sound. I figured that was also Terron's thorough work.
"Iris stay outta here," Braeg demanded, "Robin get in here and hold her down. Kelen lets get these knots tighter."
"Rose?" I asked.
"Best stay out there," she said, "already she's tried to escape."
"Yeah, that's why I said to tie her tighter in the first place," Terron said.
"Don't hurt her though."
"Ahhh. She deserves it."
"What are you goin' to do with her?" Jacsen asked. He was farther ahead of me, getting a better view of her than I was.
"Take her to the prison of course," Kelen said.
"No!" Rose protested, "that's a waste. She can work for us. Get more done. We need all the help we can get if we're goin' to try to afford their medicine."
"Right. Like we can trust this theif," Braeg said.
"Trust?" Maelyn said as she picked up the last of Rose's dresses, "not at all. Keep an eye on, and make sure she won't runaway? That can be done."
"How?"
"Make her work with you in the fields. She'll be surrounded by men, she won't think to get away. And if she tried," she glanced at the girl, "doesn't seem she'd get far."
Braeg knelled so that he could look straight into her eyes. It was then I saw her full appearance. Long straight brown hair, wide oval face, large blues eyes, and pert-looking lips defined her as a beauty. But the furrow of her thin brows made her seem less than appealing.
"Ya here that? Work for us and you won't go to prison. Try to runaway and we'll get you. Understand?"
She scowled.
"Ungag her Terron," Braeg commanded. Terron did so, but hesitantly.
"When my masters figure what happened to me, they'll raid you dry," was her corrosive answer.
"I doubt they even give a wit about you," he said with a sneer, "we both know that kind of folk only use you for your sex."
"Braeg!" Rose shouted, disgusted.
"No use denyin' it Rose. The fact is girl, you have a better chance of survival with us than with them."
"You makin' me stay?"
"You got it. You'll be workin' for us now, instead of taking."
"As far as we see it," Kelen leaned on her chair with a smile, "you best behave. I hear they treat women very badly in prison. Very badly."
"Guys," Rose gruffed, "quit it." She shooed the boys away from the chair and knelled, " I won't let them hurt you. Promise to work for us for awhile, and we'll let you go."
"What's wrong with you?" The girl snapped, "I tried to steal your dresses and your treatin' me kindly. Are you trickin' me?"
"No tricks. You can even keep some of those dresses. I was planning to make more anyways."
The girl gave her a quizzical look.
"Tonight you can think it over, tied up. In the morning, give us your answer and we'll go from there. Until then," she turned around to look at us, "everyone go to bed."
Jasmine and my other sisters followed her orders. The boys fiddled with the girl's knots then re-gagged her. This time Jacsen tied her gag, and it looked comfortable around her mouth. I remained in the doorway, watching her, trying to decipher what she would decide in the morning.
When Maelyn and Braeg left the room, the girl finally realized my presence. I had to admit for a common whore, the lantern light made her eyes classy and polished. She held my gaze, and I heard her muffled, "What are you starin' at?"
"Good question," I answered and left with my brothers, leaving just Kelen and Rose with her.
Without a doubt in my mind, with the princess' nonsensical idea and this thief, I knew tomorrow would provide a chain of interesting events.
My sisters and I awoke to the harsh sounds of coughing. Immediately we rushed across the narrow hall to my brothers’ room. Sure enough, Jacsen and Anar were coughing violently while the boys stood there helpless. I ordered Robin and Terron to pat them firmly on the backs, but it took several slaps for Jacsen to spit out the flam that was choking him. For Anar, it took nearly everyone to clear his air ways.
Right on time, Rose came in with two glasses of water. She looked frantic, but not surprised. Since there wasn’t any medicine, she must have had an alternate process to keep them from suffering too much. Accepting the waters, both of them were able to breathe and sit up without worry. But their skin was still as white as ever. Looking at them now, it seemed they had never had a tan in their lives. But my memory betrayed that notion.
An hour or so before dawn, there was no point in trying to get back to sleep. So I went to the well earlier than usual. With everyone up and ready, our morning chores were done way before breakfast. It gave us time to look at the thief girl. Still tied up, her chair faced the window and at first we couldn’t tell if she was awake. When Terron untied her gag, we found out she never fell asleep.
“Not even for awhile?” Camilla asked her.
“Well when you get tied to a chair, let’s see if you get to sleep.”
“So what’s your decision?” Rose asked as she popped her head in the door.
“I’ll stay,” the girl grunted.
“Wonderful,” I said sarcastically.
The boys untied her and she stood up firmly. Her rags for a dress were by far the ugliest thing I had ever seen on a girl. Rose had Lillie and I watch her as she dressed in one of Rose’s dresses. Rose had a bigger bust that the thief, but the girl's waste and long legs fit Rose’s frame.
“Am I always goin’ to have one of you watchin’ me?” She asked us.
“More than likely,” I admitted.
“What’s your name?” Lillie asked.
“Shalice.”
“Shalice? That’s pretty. What do your parents do?”
“Lillie,” I said with annoyance, “if she had parents she wouldn’t be a thief. They’re dead aren’t they?” I said with icy cockiness. I didn’t like this girl at all, and I didn’t care if what I said hurt her. I doubted she would let anything affect her.
“Yeah, they’re dead,” she admitted just as coldly as I.
“You’re so rude,” Lillie snapped as she pinched me.
“Whatever.”
Instead of sitting next to Lillie at breakfast, I had to sit next to Shalice. Since Rose noticed the pinch mark on my arm, she thought it’d be better if Lillie and I were separated. The way Shalice devoured her food made me wonder if she ever had a full meal. It seemed she hadn’t.
“You can chew,” Jacsen said as Shalice gulped her oats, “it’ll still be here.”
She wiped the oats off her face, “ok.”
Thankfully, the rest of breakfast went smoothly. I found the less she talked, the more I was able to appreciate my food. Her voice wasn't exactly irritating, it was just the words she uttered made me hate her more. Once I was done I headed off to the castle, saying goodbye to everyone save, of course, the thief.
"Where is she going?" I heard Shalice asking as I stepped out the door.
"The castle," Rose answered, "she's the maid for the princess."
I looked back through the window to see Shalice staring at me oddly. I sneered and let her think what she would. I wasn't about to let her get to me. Especially not today. I could only imagine the thoughts that would be occupying my mind when I met with Lyress.
When I walked into Lyress' room, I saw that Lady Fara and Lairoe were already there. All three of them stared at me, then brightened when I stood fully in the room. Going to make her bed, Lyress stopped me.
"We were just talking about you," she said.
"It's lunatic idea," Fara said, "you could get her killed."
"Nonsense," she brushed Fara off, "my father isn't so cruel. And besides, I told you, I was the one that forced her into it."
"Are you forcing me?" I dared to ask.
She looked at me puzzled, as if it hurt, "no. Of course not. It's your choice Iris. But all three of us did agree, it seems to be the only way to help your family."
Pursing my lips together, I gave a glance to Lairoe who met my eyes squarely. She nodded.
"We couldn't come up with anything else," she explained, "I could help you too. Be your servant. Fara said it would be fine. Knights have had women servants before, it's not that uncommon. I could help you everyday to look like a boy and take care of everything you'd need."
"Plus," Lyress added, "I already gave you a story. Where you came from, who your family is. All of that. No one will suspect a thing, because, really, no one keeps track of the country nobles."
"I still think it's a bad idea," Fara protested, "the girl is not strong enough to take on what the men do. Seriously, she will more likely die from the exhaustion."
If what she said, in so many words, not been a challenge I'd agreed with Fara. But the way she presented it provoked my stupidity. What a challenge it would be, keeping up with boys twice my size. I had worked hard all my life as a commoner. Building up as much muscle as any woman could. I carried two twenty-five pound water buckets from one side of the village to the other, every day. Before I was a shepherdess I worked in the fields with my brothers, tearing down the wheat and binding them in bundles. I could do this. Sure, I knew hard work awaited me, but I didn't fear it.
Besides, my brothers withered away with each passing day. Not being there every minute to witness their condition worsen didn't mean I wasn't privy to everything that went on with them. Lillie filled me in every night of what they did. Since they weren't allowed out of the house, she was with them always. Remembering all the times she said they coughed, vomited, and wheezed I knew that they would not survive much longer. How could they? Rose and Maelyn were optimistic, always saying that we would figure something out. But the days passed and the time slipped through. And no matter how much Jacsen denied it, both he and Anar were dying. If I could have done anything to prevent my father's suicide and my mother's death I wouldn't have hesitated to do so. I'd have taken my own life to prevent their deaths. Now it seemed, I'd be doing the same for Jacsen and Anar. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly headed over to Lyress' drawers where she kept all her sewing material. I gingerly picked up the silver scissors, examining their blades. Handing them to Lyress, I nodded slightly.
"Let's do it." I said as she sat me in the chair.
In two seconds I felt the first long lock of my earth-colored hair fall to the floor.
In ten minutes I was no longer a woman.
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