Chapter 1
“William! I told you to take the horses
around to the stables! Julia is looking for you inside. Why are you
wasting time with these two wenches? Wir haben viel zu erledigen,
bevor ich gehe, siehe, die Sie tun, was Ihnen gesagt werden! "
Ophelia could feel the heat from the anger
rising in her sister and the last thing any of them needed was
another scene like the one they had in the marketplace. The sisters
had been in a neighboring village to barter for food when Gertie
had become angry and produced the heavy blue mist that if noticed,
would label them as one of the hunted. Only this time if that would
occur, none of them would survive. Ophelia took her sister’s hand
and squeezed, hoping to convey the urgency of the moment.
“Excuse me, Milord, we were merely inquiring
if there were any positions that William here could help us obtain.
I was wondering if he could use his influence with his cousin, the
King, and be of help to us.” Gertie said and then she curtsied.
The man laughed out loud.
“William is but a servant himself, he has come to the Palace with
my wife and I. My wife, Julia, is the King’s cousin.” The man then
studied Gertrude a bit too long. This one
is a real beauty, what a shame that I am leaving . He then shook his head and
spoke again.
“My goodwife is with child and perhaps she
should have help. Come along now inside, Julia can make that
decision.” Ophelia and Gertrude started to following the man
through the Palace gates. “Not you.” He pointed to Ophelia. Then he
motioned for Gertrude to follow him. The sisters looked at each
other, fear on their faces. Ophelia nodded to Gertrude, signaling
to her to follow the man.
“So, you are not the King’s cousin.” Ophelia
said to William once the man and her sister had passed through the
Palace gates.
“No, but then I never said that I was. I met
Gertrude one day when I had ventured out too far and had to inquire
about the way back to the Palace.”
“But you were not sorry that she was left
with that impression, aye?”
William smiled. “That man is Mathew and he
can be a bothersome fool. His wife, Julia, is a very nice person
and like he said, she is with child.”
“Is it not dangerous to travel when you are
with child? Do you know when the child will be birthed?” Ophelia
asked.
“The carriage is grand and
more comfortable than most. But aye, I would not wish my child to
be bounced around in the mother that way.’ William said, blushing
at his words. “We have come a long way from Deutschland where the
Catholic, Lutheran and Reformist faiths are in conflict. And here
we are at the request of your King to do his bidding with his own.”
William said, sounding angry.
William noticed the look of concern on
Ophelia’s pretty face and added “Gertrude will be alright in there,
would you like to walk to the stables with me? I don’t want Milord
to have any reason to be displeased with me again.”
“Might as well walk with you. Why would
Mathew and his wife travel so far under these circumstances?”
“A great deal of money has exchanged hands.
We have traveled far and long. Indeed it has been hard on Julia,
not that her beast of a husband notices.” William told her.
Ophelia studied William’s face and decided
that she liked this young man. He seemed honest and trustworthy.
The fact that he was tall, had black hair that shinned under the
sun light, and big brown eyes was a plus. “Tis nice a ‘meeting you,
William.” Ophelia said, her face registering a bit of heat.
Ophelia walked with William over to the
stables. There were many rumors that there would be a purification
process where people would be watched and which pitted neighbor
against neighbor in an attempt to weed out what was not understood.
They in the forest had also heard that the King’s cousin was to
arrive at the Palace soon.
Gertie, with her flame red long hair and
beautiful face not only had assumed that William was
“William! I told you to take the horses
around to the stables! Julia is looking for you inside. Why are you
wasting time with these two wenches? Wir haben viel zu erledigen,
bevor ich gehe, siehe, die Sie tun, was Ihnen gesagt werden! "
Ophelia could feel the heat from the anger
rising in her sister and the last thing any of them needed was
another scene like the one they had in the marketplace. The sisters
had been in a neighboring village to barter for food when Gertie
had become angry and produced the heavy blue mist that if noticed,
would label them as one of the hunted. Only this time if that would
occur, none of them would survive. Ophelia took her sister’s hand
and squeezed, hoping to convey the urgency of the moment.
“Excuse me, Milord, we were merely inquiring
if there were any positions that William here could help us obtain.
I was wondering if he could use his influence with his cousin, the
King, and be of help to us.” Gertie said and then she curtsied.
The man laughed out loud.
“William is but a servant himself, he has come to the Palace with
my wife and I. My wife, Julia, is the King’s cousin.” The man then
studied Gertrude a bit too long. This one
is a real beauty, what a shame that I am leaving . He then shook his head and
spoke again.
“My goodwife is with child and perhaps she
should have help. Come along now inside, Julia can make that
decision.” Ophelia and Gertrude started to following the man
through the Palace gates. “Not you.” He pointed to Ophelia. Then he
motioned for Gertrude to follow him. The sisters looked at each
other, fear on their faces. Ophelia nodded to Gertrude, signaling
to her to follow the man.
“So, you are not the King’s cousin.” Ophelia
said to William once the man and her sister had passed through the
Palace gates.
“No, but then I never said that I was. I met
Gertrude one day when I had ventured out too far and had to inquire
about the way back to the Palace.”
“But you were not sorry that she was left
with that impression, aye?”
William smiled. “That man is Mathew and he
can be a bothersome fool. His wife, Julia, is a very nice person
and like he said, she is with child.”
“Is it not dangerous to travel when you are
with child? Do you know when the child will be birthed?” Ophelia
asked.
“The carriage is grand and
more comfortable than most. But aye, I would not wish my child to
be bounced around in the mother that way.’ William said, blushing
at his words. “We have come a long way from Deutschland where the
Catholic, Lutheran and Reformist faiths are in conflict. And here
we are at the request of your King to do his bidding with his own.”
William said, sounding angry.
William noticed the look of concern on
Ophelia’s pretty face and added “Gertrude will be alright in there,
would you like to walk to the stables with me? I don’t want Milord
to have any reason to be displeased with me again.”
“Might as well walk with you. Why would
Mathew and his wife travel so far under these circumstances?”
“A great deal of money has exchanged hands.
We have traveled far and long. Indeed it has been hard on Julia,
not that her beast of a husband notices.” William told her.
Ophelia studied William’s face and decided
that she liked this young man. He seemed honest and trustworthy.
The fact that he was tall, had black hair that shinned under the
sun light, and big brown eyes was a plus. “Tis nice a ‘meeting you,
William.” Ophelia said, her face registering a bit of heat.
Ophelia walked with William over to the
stables. There were many rumors that there would be a purification
process where people would be watched and which pitted neighbor
against neighbor in an attempt to weed out what was not understood.
They in the forest had also heard that the King’s cousin was to
arrive at the Palace soon.
Gertie, with her flame red long hair and
beautiful face not only had assumed that William was
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