A Tale of Two Princesses (3 page)

     "Why?" Sienna asked. "My hair's fine how it is."

     "I'm tryin' to do somethin' nice for you here!" Banyan yelled. "Get on with what I said. Lordy, complainin' when I'm givin' gifts." He stormed out of the kitchen and back into the bar.

     Sienna left the kitchen through the back door, coming into the barn. She stepped into her stall, stopping for a moment, holding her stomach. It hurt all over. She sat down, taking off her sandals, her shirt, and her pants, changing into the slip she slept in. Then she lay down and curled up in her blanket, her head in the straw, her eyes wide open. She did not need to hear the rooster crow to wake up the next morning.

Chapter Two

Parlor Tricks

     Princess Celeste's landau rolled down the road, the sound of her guards' horses thundering in her wake. Her lady-in-waiting, Homa, sat across from her.

     "I'm so glad you're taking an afternoon ride, your highness," Homa said. "It so relaxes you."

     "I cannot relax, not with that prince coming in a few days. I am ever so anxious."

     "It shall not be as bad as you fear. Do give him a chance. You may even fall in love with him."

     "I do doubt that." She shook her head. "Why cannot I rule by myself, Homa? Am I not my mother's daughter? Am I not the product of a great king? Why must I hang on the arm of a king?"

     "Would you truly never marry, given the choice, your highness?" Homa asked.

     "Why marry when men fall before my feet? Why give away the power of the throne to another? It is madness."

     "What of an heir?"

     "Plenty of time for that. Let me marry a man who worships me, not wishes to rule me."

     "What of love?"

     "I will believe in love when I find it. Until I do, it is a story I once had read to me from a book."

     "I believe I read that book to you, your highness."

     Celeste laughed. "Homa, whatever would I do without you?"

     "Pray we never find out, princess. But I do believe love is more important than you let on. Surely, you do not know it until you have it, and once you have it, you shall never desire to let it go. And if the prince is as handsome as the stories say, he may take your love from you."

     "Perhaps then I will not mind to marry, but until that moment, I am a slave. Oh, how I desire to be free, to do as I choose, to find my own king. Might he be out there, Homa? Might I lose the chance at love by marrying the prince?"

     "Her highness has a point, but wherever shall we find such a man?"

     "Where indeed!" Celeste spread the window curtain aside in her carriage. "Driver!"

     "Yes, your highness?" he said, turning halfway around, hanging off the seat to look at her.

     "Drive farther. Take me out to the country."

     "Yes, your highness!"

     Celeste came back in, laughing. "Let us see what is out and about. Do you realize, I have never even left the bounds of the kingdom?"

     "Surely, you do not intend to leave them today, your highness," Homa said. "We are so unprepared."

     "Oh, of course not," Celeste said. "Just a little stroll. It will do me good."

     "Indeed."

     "What I really need," Celeste said, "is a noble, a man of impeccable background, and he has to be handsome, but weak mannered."

     "A puppet, your highness?" Homa suggested.

     "Precisely! But where is one to find such a man? All men with a little bit of power only desire more power, and they will see me as a jewel to be won and wielded, when it is I who wish to wield them. Oh, whatever am I to do?"

     "Perhaps Prince Cross will not be at all bothersome as your king."

     "Homa, by the mere assignment of the word king, I find him already bothersome. I wish to rule as my mother rules, a queen. I will set right the kingdom my father left to her and restore our good name."

     "These are righteous desires, your highness, but it is an easier thing to say than to do."

     "So true."

     Celeste sighed as she turned her eyes to the window, looking at the rolling countryside. And then they passed a middle-aged woman and a young girl. Both of them fell flat on their faces, their hands on the ground, their noses in the dirt, worshiping her mere passing.

     "See, that's what I need!"

     "Pardon?"

     "That sort of devotion, the devotion of a peasant to a ruler. That is what I need in my king."

     "Your highness, no noble would serve in such a manner."

     "This is true," she admitted.

     "However, might her highness consider a commoner?"

     Celeste burst out laughing. "Me, with a commoner? Oh, Homa, I do hope you tease. What a wicked idea you've shared."

     "I only mean to say, a commoner would love and adore you as you wish to be loved and adored. Surely, you could find a handsome man, strong, good stock. Your children will need that, of course. And such a man might pass the queen's eye of scrutiny. Truly, I do believe the queen only wishes to see you married and happy. This is all the time she has left in her so ill state."

     "Homa, you have nearly offended me. Do you think I, a royal princess, could ever so sully myself with a commoner? I would never delude the royal bloodline with common wash! The very idea is offensive."

     "Forgive me, your highness. I was only trying to encourage you. For what is a noble but a lucky-in-life commoner? If the monarchy can stand such a man, they can stand a peasant."

     "I think not! Imagine what the people would say. I would be a laughing stock. Oh, no, not me. My name shall stand up to scrutiny."

     "Then why not take the prince, for isn't he of such honorable stock?"

     Celeste sighed. "I cannot have it both ways, can I, Homa?"

     "I'm afraid not, your highness."

     She shook her head. "These are the musings of a girl so desperate to escape her fate, but musings none the less."

* * *

     "Bless my soul! How honored we are! The royal carriage, here, in the street! On your face, girl! On your face!"

     Mrs. Crockery yanked Sienna down, shoving her face into the dirt as her own met it with welcome. A stampede of horses with armed soldiers made clear the way. The long white landau followed on eight-wheels, pursued by yet more guards, bearing the flag of the kingdom. Sienna did not look up until the rumbling came to an end.

     "Was that the queen?" Sienna asked.

     "Might well have been! Or more likely, the queen's steward or chancellor. But to even be in the presence of her highness' servants is more honor than a good-for-nothing like you will ever know in her lifetime."

     Sienna lowered her head. "I was honored."

     "Come on then. We've got a ways to walk yet."

     They started down the road again.

     "Just to share the road with the royalty is a great honor," Mrs. Crockery continued. "You'll tell your children about this one day, girl. Mark me."

     "Children?"

     "Well, don't you want them?" Mrs. Crockery said.

     "I never thought much of it, to be honest."

     "You'll be thinking of it more now, I expect."

     "Why?"

     "You're getting older. It's time to think of such things."

     Sienna dragged her feet as she walked, receiving a hit in the back of the head for her laziness.

     "Don't behave so," Mrs. Crockery said. "Come on now. I've got more important things to do than tidying you up."

     "Why are we going for a proper bath? Couldn't we just use the water at the pump?"

     "They do more than bathe at the parlor. They'll pluck that nasty hair between your eyes, scrub up that filth under your fingers, polish those nails with color, add a bit of makeup to that shallow face, run a brush through that dirty hair."

     "Why do I need all of that?"

     "It's a gift from your uncle for all your hard work, not that you earned it."

     Sienna swallowed. "I heard you and my uncle talking about, about selling me for a night."

     Mrs. Crockery stopped walking, but then she restarted. "I don't know anything about that."

     "What does that man want with me, Mrs. Crockery?"

     "Don't ask silly questions. Just do as you're told."

     "Yes, ma'am."

     Mrs. Crockery shook her head, looking at Sienna as they walked. "Well, don't you know what a man and a woman do alone at night?"

     "I've never been alone with a man at night."

     "Lord above," Mrs. Crockery said.

     "Why? What do they do?"

     "They make love, you silly girl."

     "I, I don't know how to do that."

     "You'll learn soon enough."

     "I don't think I want to learn...not with that man."

     Mrs. Crockery sighed. "Listen here now. It's all a part of life. Best not struggle. You'll get through it, and it won't be the last time either, don't you doubt it."

     "It won't be the last time? Why not?"

     "You ask too many questions."

     They reached the town, the houses and streets a patchwork of stone, with people moving from here to there. Sienna had not been here in quite some time, not unless her uncle needed her to fetch some bread.

     They passed many merchants, all with beautiful things for sale, jewels and tools and fish and fruit, the baker too with fresh bread just sitting out in the streets. It made her tongue salivate. But then they passed the great gallows, a tier made of wood, with places for ten prisoners all to be hung together. She had never seen it happen, only heard stories. It made her neck hurt just to think about it.

     At the parlor, Mrs. Crockery handed her over to Ms. Geanne, who ushered her into the back, horrified at her filthy clothes. A team of women began pulling them off. Sienna cried out, covering herself as they shoved her into a steaming hot bath.

     "It's so hot!"

     "It ought to be hotter with how filthy you are!" Ms. Geanne said.

     "What are you doing with my clothes?"

     "Washing them," Ms. Geanne said. "Twice."

     "That's so nice of you."

     "Your mother said to bathe you and by God, we're going to do our best, though never have I been so challenged!"

     "Mrs. Crockery's not my mother. She's a mean old lady who hits me with a rolling pin."

     "Looking like you do, I can't blame her," Ms. Geanne said. She grabbed Sienna's head and pushed her underwater. Sienna gasped and coughed as she resurfaced. For some reason, the other women began gasping too. Sienna didn't know why. They weren't the ones getting drowned. "Look at your hair!"

     "What's wrong with it?" Sienna said, wiping her eyes.

     "It's bright as gold!" Ms. Geanne said. "You are the very vision of the princess."

     "Who, me?" Sienna said. "The princess' hair looks like mine?"

     "Yours like hers!" Ms. Geanne corrected. "Not the face though. She is so much more lovelier than you."

     "Well, she ought to be," Sienna said. "She's a princess."

     Sienna took some of her hair, pulling it around so she could see. Not even she remembered it being this bright. But then Ms. Geanne was grabbing it, rubbing it with some kind of soap, tugging her head from side to side.

     "Ow."

     "Don't complain."

     After they finished, they wrapped her in a robe, which felt very nice and comfortable, and then they whisked her away to a chair where they began scrubbing and polishing her nails and toes, which had her in a fit of giggles.

     "Stop, stop, you're tickling me!"

     "Keep still!" Ms. Geanne scolded.

     Next, they began her hair, brushing it out, while someone else took out a razor and began shaving her legs. And then another woman began plucking her eyebrows, which hurt terribly. They also sprayed her with some kind of perfume, which made her sneeze half a dozen times. And then another one put powder on her face and something that tasted like wax on her lips. Finally, they gave her her clothes back, clean, but which had still retained their brown color. Ms. Geanne stood in front of her, nodding her head.

     "You would look absolutely stunning in a dress. Will your caretaker take you to the tailor's?"

     "I don't think so," Sienna said. "We don't have much money."

     "Well, she'd better have five silver coins to pay for this!"

     "Yes, ma'am," Sienna said.

     Then Ms. Geanne fanned out Sienna's hair over her shoulders. "Your hair truly is lovely, as if it glows, such natural beauty. I daresay even the princess would be jealous."

     Sienna tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "If you say so." And then she put her handkerchief on, covering it.

     "Whatever are you hiding it for?"

     "So it doesn't get in my eyes while I'm working."

     Ms. Geanne shook her head. "Beauty is wasted on some. You're all ready then. Do tell, what is the special occasion? Your birthday? Big party ahead of you?"

     Sienna shook her head. "I'm being sold to a man for the night, and I think my uncle wants him to get his money's worth."

     The color drained from Ms. Geanne's face. "Oh, my. You poor thing. Chin up, all right?"

     Sienna nodded. "Thank you. I'm sure my uncle's friend will like it."

     Ms. Geanne frowned. "I don't think I've ever regretted my work this much before."

Chapter Three

A Royal Visit

     "Princess," Homa said, "it may be time to turn the carriage around. We're nearly to the next town."

     Celeste sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right. It's not as if I can run away."

     "Indeed not," Homa said.

     Celeste gave a nod and Homa stuck her head out the window, ordering the driver to turn around.

     "Truly, I must marry him," Celeste lamented.

     "Princess, you worry too soon. He has many fine qualities."