by Lisa Dawn
“I keep telling you I’m doing the best I can!”
“Here, let me help,” I said.
I tried to remove a tray of rolls from the oven and immediately burned my hand. That explained where all the scars on Missy’s hand came from.
“Ow!”
“Those are still hot,” she said. “You can serve these for now.”
She handed me a basket of scones.
“I also need four glasses of apple juice and four bowls of oatmeal,” I said.
Edgar pointed to a pile of glasses and a barrel of juice. As I attempted to fill them, it occurred to me that there was no way I could possibly carry four glasses at the same time, even if I wasn’t holding a basket. I settled for one glass in each hand and headed back out to the lobby, where even more guests had gathered. Greta had finished cleaning upstairs and was hard at work taking their orders. I approached the family with the two children first and placed the glasses on the table.
“I’ll be right back with the other two,” I said.
“Look, Mommy! I’m a horse!” said the little boy.
Using his face as a muzzle, he knocked the glass of apple juice directly onto me and the basket of scones. My legs grew cold as the juice stained through the fabric. Greta gave me a sympathetic look before heading back toward the kitchen. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so frustrated or alone.
“I’m so sorry,” said the mother.
I put on my best princess smile.
“Don’t worry about it,” I said.
“Girl! Where are those eggs?” shouted the nobleman.
“They will be out shortly. Perhaps these will tide you over in the meantime.”
I handed him the basket of scones.
“You must be joking! They’re covered in juice! What kind of dimwit do you take me for?”
“There’s no need to be ungrateful.”
“It’s those little brats who are ungrateful. They should be banned from the premises if they’re going to cause this much trouble!”
“Edgar welcomes guests of all ages here. I think that’s something that should be celebrated.”
“Not if your other customers have to suffer in the process.”
“We’re doing the best we can.”
“I thought this was supposed to be a respectable establishment.”
“You will get back just as much respect as you give,” I said, remember something I was taught during my diplomacy lessons from back home.
“What drivel! If this is how you run a business, I will be taking mine elsewhere.”
Good riddance.
Before storming off, the nobleman flung the basket of scones in my face. They bounced around the floor in every direction. I knelt down to pick them up. The world looked different from the hard stone. Everything towered over me as though I was only inches tall, like a bug that could be squashed at any moment. I sobbed to myself as I reflected on all of my failures as a human being. In that moment, Greta returned with freshly prepared eggs only a few seconds too late.
Chapter 13
“It was only one customer,” Greta reassured me later. “We’ll have plenty of others.”
I had been trained to never let anyone finish a meeting unhappy. If that had been an ambassador at the castle, I could have started a war. How could I explain that to Greta in a way that didn’t give away my identity?
“Let’s say that man was… a competing innkeeper,” I said.
“Then why would he be staying here?”
“I don’t know. To scope out the competition? Anyway, if I offended him, and he went back to his inn and told everyone about the service he got here…”
“They’d stay at his inn.”
“Maybe that’s not the best example.”
“Do you always worry this much?” she asked me.
“Yes, I suppose so, but I always had good reason to.”
“Well, whatever happened in your past, I’m glad you’re here now.”
“Thanks,” I said, “Me too.”
To my surprise, I actually meant it. When I left the castle, I thought I would never find a new purpose for myself, and yet here I was, serving my people just as I wished to do as queen. The only difference was that it was on a smaller scale. If I hadn’t stolen that jewel, I might have never had the opportunity to see how people in Klingland lived outside of the castle. I decided to make the most of this experience.
“Why don’t you take over the front desk while I go out to the stream to fetch some water for the kitchen?” asked Greta. “Edgar tells me you’re good at record keeping.”
“I do love organizing and taking notes,” I said.
“Then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this more than serving breakfast.”
She grinned at me as she headed out with some buckets.
I took my place at the front desk. There was a quill and some parchment to keep track of guests and a locked box underneath to hold their coins. I was eager to enact the diplomacy skills I learned at the castle in real life scenarios. My first guest entered the inn. She was a tall well-dressed woman in a dark purple overcoat and a hat with a large feather. I greeted her with a warm smile.
“Welcome to Edgar’s Inn,” I said. “May I help you find a room?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m visiting family in this part of town.”
“How lovely. May I get your name please?”
I pulled out a fresh piece of parchment and began writing.
“Emmeline Dellancourt.”
I nearly snapped my quill. That was Lily’s family name! Lily’s family visited often for ceremonies at the castle. There was a good chance this woman would recognize me. In fact, she was probably here for what would have been my coronation. I acted as though nothing was wrong and recited the lines that Edgar taught me. He said I would earn a customer’s trust by not trying to upsell and make them think that getting the more expensive room was their own decision. Unfortunately, the woman didn’t seem to be paying much attention to what I said about the rooms.
“We have a basic room for two coppers, a standard room for five, and a deluxe suite for two silvers. I recommend the beds from the standard room. They’re very comfortable.”
“Haven’t I seen you before?” she asked.
“Have you selected a room?
“You’re Princess Charlotte, aren’t you? I heard rumors that you were excommunicated from the royal family. Is that true?”
This wasn’t going well. I pulled out some old parchment records.
“It looks like you’re our lucky thousandth customer. How about I offer you a special discount?”
That got her attention.
“What sort of discount?”
“I can give you the standard room for three coppers instead of five.”
“I hope you’re proud of how you’ve shamed your kingdom, taking away our most precious resource.”
“Do we have a deal?” I asked, holding my plastered on smile for dear life.
She handed me three shiny coppers. I marked it on her log. Hopefully, Edgar wouldn’t find out about this.
“Fine, I’ll take your discount, but only because you were so rude to me. I was just trying to make conversation.”
I was rude to her? It fascinated me how different people treated me here compared to the castle.
“A discount, hm?”
Shoot. Edgar heard.
“We can afford it,” I said. “I checked.”
“Just because the inn can afford it doesn’t mean I can. This would have come out of your earnings if I paid you.”
“Well, how would you have gotten rid of her?” I asked.
“I would have used the truth rune to make her say something so embarrassing she’d be running for the hills.”
“That’s not a very courteous way to treat a guest.”
“Do you always take things so seriously?”
“I had to. The kingdom’s future depended on me.”
“Well, now you’ve just got a mangy old coot depe
nding on you.”
I laughed.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
“Touché.”
Later that night, I served dinner to some guests without a hitch. When Edgar asked me to send everyone to bed so we could clean up, there was one drunkard who refused to leave.
“Look sweetheart,” he said, “I’m paying for this place, and I’ll stay down here as long as I goddamn please.”
I swallowed my pride and held back the urge to slap him.
“I’m sorry, sir, but this area is closed for the night. You can come back down in the morning.”
“Look, sweetheart, if you want me to go back to my room so badly, why don’t you take me there yourself?”
“Okay, that’s enough!” said Edgar. “We’re closed, so go upstairs or get out. I won’t have you harassing my staff.”
“Geez, calm down,” he said. “I just wanted to have some fun. So uptight.”
Thankfully, that got rid of him. I wished I could have handled it on my own, but I was grateful for Edgar’s interference.
“Thank you, Edgar. I apologize for my inability to complete my task.”
“If you have anyone else talk to you like that, come find me immediately. His behavior was inexcusable. Some people think they can do whatever they want after a few drinks.”
“You really are kind to your staff.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t be able to run this place without them.”
“That’s how I feel about the people of Klingland. I want to return what is rightfully theirs because they are what makes this kingdom great.”
“I hope you do. So, how was your first day?”
“It was a bit overwhelming, but I learned a lot.”
“Great. See you bright and early first thing tomorrow, and this time, no dawdling with your dress.”
“Of course.”
It wasn’t like I could get any worse at this.
Chapter 14
“I, Charlotte von Earenthrop, hereby accept this crown on behalf of the good people of Klingland and all those who came before me. I swear to uphold and honor the traditions of my motherland and place her above all else.”
I’m at my coronation in a stunning brocaded gold dress. I bend down for Denise to place the diamond-studded crown on my head. Just before it touches my scalp, Krystal bursts into the room.
“I object! That woman is an imposter! She has committed a hate crime against her people that cannot be forgiven.”
Denise lifts the crown away from my head.
“Charlotte, is this true?”
“I just wanted to protect Klingland from King Mercer,” I sob. “Using the rune seemed like the best way to go about it. I didn’t know I would get caught.”
“That is unacceptable. How could you betray our own laws? You’re supposed to be a leader to our people.”
“It was a mistake. Please let me have another chance.”
“There are no second chances after what you’ve done.”
I get down on my hands and knees.
“Please, Aunt Denise. Please forgive me. I’ll do anything. Anything.”
“Krystal, come forth.”
“Yes, Mother.”
Krystal smirks as she kicks me aside and kneels before Denise.
“You will never be worthy,” she says as the crown is placed upon her head.
“All hail Princess Krystal!” cheers the crowd.
I cry and cry until the audience chamber becomes a sea of my tears. They fill my lungs as I struggle to come up for air. I feel myself suffocating as the world around me fades into darkness.
My eyes snapped open. I had gotten so used to my life at the inn over the past week that my memories from the castle felt like a far-off dream. What day was it? I calculated in my head beginning from my banishment. Where did the time go? No wonder I dreamt about the coronation. Today was my birthday. It was supposed to be today. I slammed my fist into my mattress. I had never imagined I would spend my eighteenth birthday toiling at an inn.
I tied my hair back and changed into Greta’s dress, trying not to think about the significance of the day. As soon as I opened the door, I found Greta waiting for me with an ecstatic look on her face. She pounced on me and gave me a tight hug in a way that reminded me of Lily.
“Can you believe it? They’ve accepted me to work at the castle! They said they need extra help preparing the new Princess Krystal for her wedding to Prince Braydon! What luck! I bet it’s wonderful there. Imagine how beautiful a royal ceremony would be! The gowns! The music! The decorations!”
“I’m so happy for you,” I said, trying to hold back my tears.
“I just wanted to thank you for taking my place here. You’ve shown great improvement over the last week. Edgar seems to like you. I’m sure you’ll do wonderfully.”
She handed me a mop and left me standing there dumbfounded. I couldn’t imagine how demanding Krystal could be as a princess if both Elsie and her personal handmaiden were still not enough for her. I hoped Greta wasn’t getting in over her head. I noticed that she said the new princess, not queen. I supposed Krystal wouldn’t be crowned until after she married Braydon.
I tried to think about happier things as I cleaned the unattended rooms. I had learned to knock loudly before entering because some people didn’t hear me and often become very angry if I caught them in various stages of undress. I didn’t actually mind cleaning because I enjoyed restoring each section of the inn back to its pristine state each day. The only thing I did mind was emptying the chamber pots, but that couldn’t be helped.
My favorite task was working the front desk. It was less stressful than serving food. I only needed to talk to one person at a time, and I loved keeping track of how much money we collected each day and the challenge of upselling to richer guests in order to fill the quota. It was like the perfect combination of my math and diplomacy lessons put to actual practice. I tried to keep my thoughts focused on these things as I stood at the front desk and calculated Edgar’s profit margins from the past few days. I was so lost in my calculations that I barely noticed when a petite woman walked in and approached me.
“I’d like to rent a room, please,” said a familiar high-pitched voice.
“Sure. I’d recommend the standard room because it has the most—Lily!”
I thought I’d recognized that cheerful tone. I looked up to find Lily grinning at me in a dark green velvet traveling cloak. So much for keeping my mind off my old life. Still, I was delighted to see her. She reached over the desk and gave me an even bigger hug than Greta had this morning.
“I can’t believe it!” I exclaimed. “How did you find me?”
“Magic.”
“Really?”
For a split second, I wondered if she had stolen a rune as well, but her child-like laugh told me otherwise. Before I could stop her, she grabbed a stool from one of the nearby tables and pulled it up in front of the desk. She leaned in toward me as if we were gossiping in our sitting room at the castle.
“So, tell me everything,” she said.
“I’d love to, but I’m very busy.”
I was sure Lily didn’t come all the way here to be enamored by tales of soiled bedsheets and burnt scones.
“Too busy to celebrate your birthday?”
Lily removed a satchel from her cloak and slid it across the desk.
“Oh, Lily, you didn’t!”
“How could I forget my best friend’s birthday?”
I reached into the satchel and slid out a beautifully bound notebook with a red leather cover etched with the Klingland royal crest. My eyes teared up as I remembered what happened to my old notebook. This one looked so much like it. It was an incredibly thoughtful and personal gift. I hugged it to my chest.
“Thank you so much,” I said.
“I knew you’d like it! You’re always writing lists and taking notes on everything. I figured you’d want to take even more now that you’re exploring so many new places.”
In truth, I hadn’t done very much exploring after my life was threatened by angry peasants. Earning a living for myself was difficult enough already.
“Are the villagers as barbaric as they say?”
Several peasants drinking at the bar turned to glare at Lily. She didn’t notice.
“Can you please keep it down?” I asked.
“But I’m dying for someone to talk to! Krystal has been ignoring me ever since she became the princess.”
“I’m sure it’s been very hard on her.”
We both burst out laughing. Greta really had no idea what she was getting herself into.
“Was that a joke? You’ve changed.”
“I’m learning,” I admitted.
“At least tell me what happened the day you left. Did you encounter any bandits? Were you rescued by a brave knight? Is the innkeeper handsome?”
If you’re into old and balding men, maybe.
“This is my life, not one of your fairy stories,” I protested.
“Please? I’m dying to know what it’s like out here on the streets!”
Did she only bring me the journal as an excuse for entertainment? Being robbed, flung in the mud, and chased down by an angry mob wasn’t exactly my idea of a fairy tale, but I didn’t want to tarnish Lily’s innocent mind with such traumatic tales of woe. This burden was mine to bear and mine alone as punishment for what I’d done.
“Then go see for yourself,” I said.
“You know what I mean.”
“It’s not like I had a choice.”
My eyes darted around the room to see if Edgar was nearby. He wouldn’t be happy to see me catching up with an old friend when I was supposed to be working. Lily remained oblivious to my plight.
“You know, Braydon was worried about you too.”
“I want nothing to do with that cad,” I said.
I hadn’t given Braydon a thought since the ball. In a way, he was responsible for what happened as well. If only he had been clearer with Krystal about his feelings, she wouldn’t have gotten so jealous. He also could have done a better job of convincing his father to call off the alliance. My efforts with Aunt Denise were not effective enough.
“He feels awful about what happened,” she said, as if reading my mind.