Chapter 34: Chapter 34: The Doctor, The Author And The Homeless
(This chapter plays three weeks before Raingency)
Despite all the deaths, the royal family planned to spend their holidays at the rural estate in Surrey. The planning and moving would take a week. I was asked to take more than one festive robe. My maids were measuring me before I had even gotten out of bed. I opened my right eye briefly and saw a small measuring tape dancing around in front of the tip of my nose. I cleared my throat and was immediately punished with an annoyed sigh. "Now I've measured myself..." I cleared my throat and raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?" I felt the door to my terrace open before I could get a look. I immediately pulled the thin silk blanket closer to my stomach: "I know we have to measure at my place, but there's still time." Ally, one of my three maids closed the balcony door and drew the curtains. It made a pleasant hissing sound, the curtains glowing in the sunlight like bright fire with single black shadows from the fir tree of my room. From what I could see, all my bouquets had been removed, I spied Nathaly bringing out a last one. She would probably put them outside the door in the Gand and then take them away. Of course, they thought I was still bad with the prince. Was I still bad with him? We hadn't cleared everything up between us, granted, it had only been a few hours. I hoped they hadn't discovered Annabeth's letter. I fumbled under my duvet in a quick, unguarded moment. There was a rustle and I fished out the note and placed it under a dust catcher on my bedside table. It was a porcelain elephant. The German proverb "Wie Ein Elephant im Porzellanladen" came to my mind. It meant something like being insensitive. My mother used it often when we children once again argued with each other and more than one plate was broken. At that time we still had the possibility to buy food with my parents' salary. There were still dishes on the plate, now as we all know, the dishes are just ornaments. I would even go so far as to say that it was also a status symbol of wealth if you were invited to a family's house and they served you real food on a plate. That the nobility takes such customs for granted should be obvious. Mandy, Ally and Nathaly held up costumes from last week and I chose a light blue Chanel costume. "You'll look good in it Maybelle, I heard that the Prince wants to invite you over for tea today. Martin had forwarded it to me," Nathaly squealed excitedly. Nathaly was my favourite. She always wore a smile on her face, her snow-white skin was dotted with freckles, her dark blue eyes were deep and intimidating. They came into play especially when she was very angry about something. She wore her fiery red hair in a concave cut, actually disappearing completely under the white cap. Only the two foremost strands flashed through and looked like two snake's teeth. Ally was bolder than Nathaly. She also looked different in contrast. Her dark skin with the blonde, curly, metre-long hair, framed her face. Her eyes were also brown, but unlike Nathaly's, they were very transparent. I could tell immediately what Ally was thinking and sometimes I took advantage of it. Especially when she tried to sell me something she thought was suitable for princesses. This was not to say she didn't have safe fashion taste. On the contrary, it just wasn't mine. Ally was also the only one of all the maids who did not wear a bonnet but a mesh band in her hair. The last of the bunch was Mandy, about whom I had little to report, she kept to the background and hardly interacted with me. She wore red lipstick and looked very much like me, except for the fact that I was a bit taller and had browner hair. It was with these three women that we had sparse things in common, although we came from the same class, with the difference that they had grown up here in the castle. Their career paths were also set. Their families had served the cantons for generations. It was never questioned what other opportunities there were for them. Apart from that, there were restrictions in our model of society. Breakfast was brought to my room, with an additional letter and a newspaper clipping.
The ladies were no longer allowed to leave the area of our floor except for exceptional reasons. Which were: To avert harm or danger to another or to meet with the royal family. This was to be for our protection until the criminal investigation into the poisoning of Marina Temper and the unexplained death of Annabeth... What was her surname anyway? I bit my lip until I tasted blood and then sipped my tea quickly so no one would notice. "If you had a choice, what would you like to do for a living?", I set my cup down on the saucer rather awkwardly, it clinked and warm suat gathered. I even managed to spill a 1 cm stain, both on my hair thin and on my skirt. While I was busy concealing my mishap, my maids looked at each other. "I don't know if you're allowed to ask that question," Ally had joined me and was dabbing the carpet dry with a cotton napkin. I had not only soiled my costume, no, but the poor carpet also had to do it again. "I want to be a writer..." I was startled up to find Mandy dropping her broom on the floor and holding her bonnet in front of her chest. Her head flushed but she held my gaze, "I hate working as a maid, I never get out, and when I do I'm just in the background and not allowed to express myself creatively." He was silent. I hadn't expected Mandy to open up to us. Her breathing quickened, her eyes narrowed and her head drooped. "Please, don't tell anyone, I don't want to get in trouble." I rose and even took off my shoes so I was a little smaller than usual, I touched her shoulder and assured her that I wouldn't tell anyone about her desire to change. I also took myself as an example, "I would like to be a fashion designer or a fashionista, maybe in advertising. But because of my status, I have no choice but to remain a maid." "You're going to be Princess Belle, after all, Prince Nicolas loves you," it was almost shocking how confident Nathaly was in making this claim. I had to swallow and look to the floor, "What if he loves me but I don't want to be a princess? I can't imagine that responsibility and I don't want it." Nathaly swallowed and was almost on the verge of tears, "At least you have a choice...I will never get the opportunity to emigrate to France to work as an interpreter. I didn't even have the chance to sign up for this casting because I'm not allowed to marry the Kantonie due to a contract with my family. Do you know how frustrating that is!" She had become louder than she wanted, before I knew it she had slammed the door loudly. The pictures on the wall with the door frame rattled and threatened to fall. I could still hear her footsteps when Nathaly was long gone. After Nathaly, Mandy also rushed after her, but not because she was upset either, but because she wanted to check on her. I was left with my heart pounding and hot tears in my eyelids. I had only wanted to help and now, I made a girl cry. I stood rooted to the spot, Ally seemed more tired than annoyed. She plopped down on an armchair and snacked on a cucumber sandwich. "Please, don't take it personally, Nathaly is very sensitive about the subject. She's trapped in this system as much as we are." I couldn't say anything back because I found it simply overwhelming. "She's kind of right though, I have a choice. I could become a princess or go back and work for a three," I whispered. I wasn't aware of this truth. "Even if you have a choice, you're just as locked in as anyone else who isn't nobility or a Three." I moved slowly closer to her, resting a hand on the back of an armchair, "What is this contract Nathaly was talking about?" Ally looked into the lesson and grabbed another sandwich before starting. This contract was made thousands of years ago between the royal family and the workers. It stipulated that the royal family always undertook to provide jobs and that the servants would live on the estates. In return, marriage or a relationship between the two parties was strictly forbidden, even to think of choosing another profession was and remained a breach of contract. Likewise, they had to travel with the king or another high-ranking member of the family to state receptions.
"Nathaly's family is originally from France, she was born there, but she is half Little Englander. Her grandparents wanted to take her on holiday to Little England. As Mrs Master, Nathaly wanted to introduce her to her roots. After the great wall was built in the English Channel and on the coast of France, they were trapped and could not go home. Through good contacts, the Masters came to the royal court and signed the treaty. To avoid being recognised as French, they changed their name from Mastrés to Masters. Anyway, she has been trapped in this country for 10 years and has no chance of ever seeing her family again." I had sat down again in the meantime and listened sincerely to my maid. Nathaly, Annabeth and many other girls had their baggage to carry and we had no chance of breaking out of this wheel. I had already thought my life hopeless, but now I feel guilty for having given myself self-pity. The Wall War with France had been going on longer than I had been in the world. France had completely detached itself, both politically and trade-wise, from Little England. But once a year there is a state banquet in Europe and yes, the Cantons are invited. In Little England, as I mentioned before, there were always exclusions if a part of origin was not from Little England, but it was worse with the French than with the people from the United Teutons. They were enemies of the state and were even more marginalised. For this reason, I am no longer surprised that Nathaly's accent is extremely clear and almost without colouration. She certainly tried hard not to be exposed as a Frenchwoman. Ally rose and looked at her watch, "Oh dear, we've completely lost track of time, you have an appointment with the prince." To be honest, I had hoped she wouldn't remember. I didn't have the leisure now, after all, I had learned. "Thank you Ally.", I whispered guiltily with a gentle smile. Ally just nodded and started clearing my breakfast, which I hadn't even touched. I touched her on the shoulder and she stopped and looked at me expectantly: "Will you please tell Nathaly that I'm going to talk to the prince, I want to help her." Ally straightened up and looked at me like a lion looking down at its prey, "I'm actually a PhD student in marine biology. I don't know if the prince can do anything Maybelle, but you can try."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone