บท 3: A Month
Madeline took a deep breath. If this was what it would take for the good of their business, then she would try her possible best. She would impress the king and make him buy it.
He would have to buy it, not until they had worked on all of which he had requested. She would make sure he buys everything.
Madeline said sternly to the messenger, "Tell the king it will take a month to prepare all of the weapons he asked for."
His Jaw opened, It was not a command, but the richness in her voice and the deep way she spoke made it seem like she was giving him an order.
"Madeline, are you sure about this?"
" Yes, Father," she said with a warm smile, "We cannot turn against the king, can we?"
"I know, but can you handle it? This might be too much. Do you want me to go?" he asked, his voice filled with so much concern. She could understand though; he did not know the king, and he did not know what he was capable of.
"The king would not make us work for him and not pay us," she shrugged.
"I do not know why he needs convincing, but this should be easy." She turned back to the messenger who was still looking at her in a daze. "Every weapon will be ready in a month, and I shall deliver it."
The man gulped and nodded. The scrutinizing gaze he had come with was now replaced with fright. Maybe it was the depth in her voice.
Even days when she feels insecure, the moment she spoke, it always seemed as if she was confident. That was why she believed that she could convince the king, and maybe that would make her father to accept the offer.
"Very well then, Mr. Gavin," the messenger said, pointing at her.
"Madeline," she said.
"And Madeline, I will relay your message to the king," and with that said, he left.
The fierce sound from the furnace was the only thing disturbing the silence. Madeline's back was facing her father as she gazed at the door the messenger had just taken.
Despite the bravery in her voice, her heart was beating frantically. She would be meeting with the king, the ruler of their country, and convince him to buy their weapon?
What if she couldn't convince him and he decided not to buy? What would they do? Nothing, of course. He was, after all, the king, and there was no way they could defeat him.
"Madeline, my dear, I wish I could stop this. Maybe I could go to the king and tell him we can't."
"We can," Madeline turned to her father and smiled. "We can, father. This is the king we are talking about. Maybe we could invent new weapons, think outside the box, and make him see what we are made of."
She was talking too much and too fast; her voice was shaking.
This has not happened before, was the king playing a trick on them?" She shook her head. No, she must convince him; she would have to. But what if, after all of their hard work, he ends up not patronizing them?
Despite the doubt building inside of her, Madeline gave her father a reassuring nod. "I can do this, father."
He forced a smile, saying, "I wish I had the power to change things. A month? Are you sure?"
"Yes," Madeline nodded.
She went back and resumed her work, but with every passing second, her eyes kept darting towards the letter, her heart beating frantically.
No, no, Med, you can do this.
For the family.
She was usually a content girl, but these days, with the sales dropping, it was hard for them to barely eat.This was not just for her, but for the whole family, for their survival.
She took a deep breath. 'Yes, that's good, Med. You can do this.'
She resumed work with a new spirit. Apart from the condition, this was a good opportunity for them.
The king noticed them, and if word spread out, other buyers would notice them, and business would start booming again.
"Madeline, do you think your mother would approve of this?" Her father's sullen voice jolted her.
"Of course she would," she stammered, unsure. Her mother was strict, bluntly. She did not like things going through the corners, and she would assume this was a trick being played by the king. But then, this was the king. Being noticed by the king alone should change her mind.
"I'm sure she would agree," she smiled, "We are almost done with the swords, father. Hungry?"
He sat on a stool close to the table where he worked, with concern in his eyes, as if he wanted to do this but the condition made him uncomfortable. It should have been him going and not her.
She knew it was his protective instinct.
"I will go get you food, father," she said.
He smiled.
As Madeline walked out of the shop, the fresh evening breeze, along with the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread from the nearby bakery, filled the air and made her stomach rumble.
She had only eaten a bowl of pottage in the morning before coming to work. The fact that it was her only meal, coupled with the enticing aroma of freshly baked bread, ignited her hunger.
Perhaps they could have hot, freshly baked bread from the bakery until they returned home. There are affordable ones she could purchase with just a few pennies, which would sustain them until they reached home.
Josiah spotted her and raced towards her as she allowed him to play with their neighbors' children, Mrs. Sophia, whose tailor shop overlooked the market street.
"Madeline," his face lit up with a huge smile as he raced towards her and engulfed her in a tight hug.
"Have you been good, little Jo?"
He nodded, smiling up at her. "Mrs. Sophia gave us a sweet treat, and I get to keep the penny you gave me."
Madeline ruffled his hair, parting the strands that had fallen to cover his forehead. "Then you must keep that penny safe. It will be useful someday."
He nodded eagerly. "Are we going home to mother now?"
"We just need to buy some loaves of bread first, and then we can head home."
Initially, he was supposed to stay back at home, but their mother had some work at the cathedral before going to the farm.
"Bread, yummy!" He jumped up in excitement.
Madeline laughed and held his hand as they began heading to the bakery. The road was bustling with people, most of them heading home with their belongings, many carrying bags filled with items they had purchased.
It was in this crowd that they tried to maneuver through that she bumped into Philimon, the boy who had been pestering her every time he ran into her, which irritated her.
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