She held her breath as the company of men passed, fervently praying she would blend in with her unspectacular surroundings and remain unnoticed.
She didn’t dare glance up, but she did listen to every sound and step as the men marched past. They were in jovial spirits, laughing and jesting as they proceeded through the market. She wasn’t surprised by their good-naturedness considering she was well-accustomed to the cheerful disposition of their leader.
The men were almost safely beyond her, when one of the men trailing behind the group called out, “This is a wealthy kingdom! Look! Even the peasants can afford to wear purple shoes!”
Liesel yanked her feet back under her skirts and cursed her stolen shoes.
Her regret was sharp. She should have just left the shoes caked in the mud from the day before. Better yet, she should have left them long ago tucked safely away in her castle. She should have known they would only lead to trouble.
“What is that you said?” A man asked, obviously amused.
Liesel sank lower into her seat. The voice was all too familiar to her.
The company of men halted and the same, meddling soldier explained, “There, that shy woman there. You can’t see them anymore, but her shoes are a most brilliant purple hue.”
Liesel squirmed in her seat. She could feel the eyes of all of the men suddenly upon her.
“My goodness, it can’t be!” the commander then exclaimed.
Liesel grimaced. His tone could not be mistaken. She had been recognized.
She heard him yank on his horse’s reins to urge his horse back to face her.
“Princess Liesel, is that you?” the man asked as he neared, his voice laced with no shortage of surprise.
Resigned to the inevitable meeting, Liesel dragged her eyes up to meet his, and finally acknowledged him with a visible wince. “Hello, Prince Cornelius.”
A hum of whispers rippled through the company of soldiers, deepening Liesel’s mortification. News of her demotion would undoubtedly spread like wildfire once the soldiers returned to their kingdom.
“So this is where you have been hiding!” Prince Cornelius exclaimed, still stricken from shock.
“It would seem so,” she answered with a shrug of her shoulders.
He shook his head, obviously doubting the sight before him. “Ten days after your father’s banquet, I returned to see you, but you were nowhere to be found. And no one would tell me where you went … What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?”
“It’s hard to explain …”
“Come, Princess Liesel. You must tell me what is happening. I can’t just leave you here like this until I know whether or not I need to rescue you.”
Liesel scoffed at such a declaration. She did not need anyone to save her. Especially him.
“I am not in any danger … But please lower your voice, sir. I have no desire to start any rumors here. My father has simply betrothed me to a … minstrel.”
For some reason she found she didn’t want to merely call Roderick a peasant like she normally did. It would have made him sound too common, and although he was a commoner, she knew he was certainly anything but common.
“You’re not married are you?” Prince Cornelius asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“Good heavens, no. Just betrothed.”
Cornelius regarded her with furrowed brows.
“Was the betrothal of your choosing?”
“No … it was rather unexpected,” she replied wryly.
He nudged his horse closer and lowered his voice even further from the interested ears of his soldiers. “Princess, I want to talk to you, but I don’t have time right now. I’m due at the castle for a conference with King Carl and his six sons.” He paused to look up at the sun and then continued, “In fact, I am sure I am already late … But I must talk with you soon. Are you here often?”
“Every day.”
“You will not marry your minstrel in the coming week, will you?”
“Goodness, no. He’s actually away for the next few days as well.”
“Good. Then I’ll return as soon as my meetings are finished. They shouldn’t last more than three days. Can we talk then?”
She deliberated in her mind what she should say. It was her long-held custom to avoid all interactions with Prince Cornelius, so naturally she wanted to tell him no and to leave her alone, but an idea had begun to form in her mind. Perhaps he was the answer to her prayers. If anyone could help her find a new place to go, it would be him. He had all of the connections and influence she presently needed. Surely he could be persuaded to help her find a new working position somewhere in his kingdom.
“Of course, Prince Cornelius,” she finally answered. “I would very much appreciate it if you sought me out before you leave Brenhausen.”
“Then nothing will keep me from it,” he vowed.
Liesel felt a little uneasy by the earnestness in his voice. She sure hoped he wouldn’t get any outlandish ideas before they spoke again.
“Farewell, Princess Liesel,” he called after one of his soldiers reminded him of their need to be on their way. “Would you like me to leave one of my guards to look after you?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you. As long as you stop calling me ‘princess,’ I believe I shall be perfectly safe here.”
“Then farewell, Liesel,” he answered, smiling. “I shall return as soon as I can.”
She watched him lead his soldiers away and then turned to the empty space beside her with relief. How grateful she was that Albert had not arrived at the market yet to overhear everything that had just transpired. She would have had much to explain.
As if her thoughts had summoned him, Albert appeared just moments later.
“Hello, Liesel. I didn’t expect to see you here this morning.”
“I was a little shaken yesterday, but I found more pots that needed to be sold, so here I am!”
“I’m glad. I was worried about you last night. I told my wife what a tragedy it was for you to lose everything. Especially when you are trying so hard to earn enough money to be married.”
“It is unfortunate,” she replied. “But at least you prevented a far greater tragedy. I feel so indebted to you after the way you bravely pulled me to safety. If there is anything I can ever do for you, I hope you won’t hesitate to ask.”
She meant it with all her heart, but she felt a little guilty extending the offer when she knew she would soon be leaving. Wanting desperately to do something for the kind, old man, she quickly looked over her pottery selection and picked up her finest piece.
“In fact, perhaps I should give you this vase as a token of my gratitude,” she offered. “Or you can choose anything else from what I have if you or your wife would like it better.”
“Oh no,” the old man insisted, waving his hands in the air. “I couldn’t possibly take anything from you. You need to sell everything you have so you can finally marry your betrothed.”
“No, really … I wouldn’t mind at all.”
“You are a good girl. But no, I cannot possibly take anything from you. I’m looking forward to seeing you settle down with that nice young man of yours. I don’t want to add to your delay … But if I ever do need help, I will be sure to turn to you.”
“I hope you will,” she replied with complete sincerity, but she wondered if it was ungenerous of her to hope he would be in need within the next few days so she could fulfill her offer before she left. She really did hope to be able to return the favor in some way.
The morning continued on in a dreary way without any purchases or even a perusal. Although the streets were crowded, most of the people seemed to be foreigners like Prince Cornelius and were just passing through. Liesel reckoned the meeting at the castle must be quite a large one. With so many visitors, she wondered if her father would be there as well … She reasoned it was actually more probable than not, and wondered what she would say, if anything at all, if she happened to see him …
She pushed that hypothetical encounter from her mind. The wounds from being cast off were still too tender. Instead, she thought of what a great honor it was for Roderick to be invited to play for so many important guests. Surely he would have no shortage of work after such an opportunity to perform for so many different nobles. She imagined he would probably spend the entire winter traveling from court to court, and have little time to spend at home.
It was a good reminder that it was best to leave as soon as possible. There would be nothing for her here but a cold, empty winter with Maria if she stayed.
She leaned over dejectedly and rested her chin in her hand. She wished she could just leave now.
“Miss Liesel,” a man beckoned some time later, pulling her from her gloomy thoughts. He tapped on the table, and she looked up at him, perplexed. She was sure she had never met him before … but how else would he have known her name?
“I have something for you,” he explained.
“Pardon?” she asked.
“From Prince Cornelius,” he whispered as he passed her a small, wrapped parcel.
She accepted it with a blush, knowing Albert was surely looking on at the exchange. Oh dear. How was she ever going to explain an acquaintance with a prince?
“Thank you,” she replied. “I will open it later, but please convey my gratitude.” Considering Prince Cornelius always tended towards extravagance, she had no desire to open one of his gifts in front of her humble friend.
“Of course, Your … I mean, Miss Liesel.”
“Very well. Good day, sir,” she said, eager to dismiss him.
“Good day,” the servant returned with the slightest of bows before he slipped into the crowds of travelers and disappeared from sight.
She released a sigh of relief to see the servant gone. Prince Cornelius and his servant were apparently not very adept at being inconspicuous.
She fingered the burlap package in her hands and wondered what could be inside. She hadn’t the faintest clue. It was too large to be a piece of jewelry and too hard to be an article of clothing. At least she could be grateful it was obviously not another horse. She couldn’t afford one.
“A secret admirer, miss?” Albert questioned from her side.
“No, no, no … Just an old friend of my father’s,” she explained with a weak smile, hoping he wouldn’t press her any further.
Albert nodded and returned his attention to the jewelry he was selling.
She relaxed in her seat when he didn’t ask any more questions. She was grateful he was willing to leave the matter alone at that.
Liesel stopped at a food stand on her way home to purchase a few loaves of bread and a basket of vegetables so she wouldn’t need to depend on Maria for supper or any of her other meals while Roderick was away. The meager sight made her long for the warm meats and soups she had always known growing up, but at least she had food, she reminded herself. She was very grateful for that.
She was also grateful that Maria was nowhere to be seen when she arrived at the hut. After quickly slipping inside to retrieve her few belongings, she pulled her handcart into the barn and began to settle into her new, temporary home.
After sinking into the pile of straw, she finally pulled out the package Prince Cornelius had given her. She pulled off a layer of burlap and discovered a note from him within:
I purchased this for you on my way to the castle. As soon as I saw this, I knew you had to have it. I remember how fond you have always been of painting and hope it brings a degree of solace to you in your current circumstances. Forever Devoted, Prince Cornelius
Such was her excitement when she read the line referencing her love of painting, that Liesel didn’t even cringe at the word “devoted” next to the prince’s name. She hastily tore off the rest of the covering and fingered the various paints and brushes with awe. Her hands ached to paint again.
But then her heart sank. She remembered she had no parchment or fabric on which to paint. Her eyes quickly scanned the room. Surely there must be an old book or something she could use as a canvas. She walked around and searched every corner and shelf, but alas, there was nothing to be found.
Liesel looked the room over again. For a brief second she considered painting on the walls of the stables, but she quickly extinguished that thought. Maria would probably consider painting the barn an act of war and she had little desire to make such a provocation.
Liesel collapsed back onto her straw bed with a heavy sigh. It was quite vexing to be kept from painting by something she had always had in abundance before. She would just have to wait until she could make a trade or purchase some parchment the next day.
She wrapped the paints again in their burlap covering and carried them to her handcart. Maybe if she managed to find something in the morning, she would be able to paint during her spare time during the day.
As she placed the paints next to her cups and vases, an idea sprang to her mind. Perhaps she could paint some of her pottery!
She hesitated since she didn’t want to ruin any of the pieces and be stuck in Brenhausen forever if she couldn’t sell everything. But then she just couldn’t help herself. After all, she had nothing else to do in the next few hours before it was time to retire.
Maybe she would paint just one small cup.
She pulled out the paints and began to mix her desired colors. After everything was ready, she began to paint a pattern of tiny flowers around the base of the cup. After the chain was complete, she held the cup up to the light to inspect her work and she couldn’t keep from smiling.
Liesel would never admit it to him, but for the first time in her life, she was glad Prince Cornelius was so incorrigibly generous.
His gift was exactly what she had needed.
Chapter Twelve
Three days later, Liesel found herself sitting in the late afternoon shade in the market painting an intricate picture of a flowery meadow on her last unpainted cup. Including this piece, she still had eight more to sell before Roderick returned from the castle.
Even though she had not been able to sell everything like she had intended, she couldn’t wait for him to see how much she had earned from the pieces she had been able to sell. Her paintings had enchanted the customers in the marketplace, and she was proud of her success.
She set the small cup to the side to dry and looked at the empty space beside her. She wished Albert hadn’t left the market early today. Without him there, she didn’t have anyone to talk to, and with her last cup painted, there was nothing else to do but sit and wait for a customer to stop by. She looked up and down the sparse street and sighed. She was quite tempted to just pack everything up and leave for the day.
But she knew she wouldn’t ever do that. Not today, anyway. Prince Cornelius had told her he would seek her out after his meetings at the castle were finished, and today marked the third and last day that he had expected to be there. She didn’t know if he would find her today or if he would wait to embark for home in the morning, but regardless, she was determined not to miss him. She couldn’t afford to lose her best possible opportunity to escape.
Liesel leaned back against the wall behind her and started humming a song a nearby seamstress often sang about a young peasant girl pining for a prince. She flushed when she realized the irony of what she was humming. She had not pined for a prince as a princess and she was certainly not going to begin doing so now.
She tried in vain to think of a different song to sing, but nothing else came to mind. Fortunately, the sound of footsteps nearing soon pulled her from her thoughts.
She glanced down the lane to see who it was and then sprang to her feet.
Prince Cornelius was approaching with two of his guards.
She smoothed her dress, and then clasped her hands in front of her to still the nervous trembling that had begun at the sight of him.
How she prayed he would be willing to help her!
Prince Cornelius smiled as soon as he caught her eye. She could
n’t help but return the look.
His eyes swept over her remaining pieces of pottery as he came to a stop before her.
“I see you have found a good use for the paints.”
“I have. Thank you for giving them to me.”
“I’m glad I did,” he returned as he picked up one of the cups and inspected it more thoroughly. “Beautiful,” he murmured before proclaiming, “I want to buy them all.”
“Don’t be absurd,” she said, taking the cup from his hand and placing it back onto the table. “You don’t need to flatter me.”
“I’m serious. Your paintings are magnificent. But that’s not why I am here. We need to talk.”
Liesel glanced around at the few people scattered around her. The market was nearly empty, but she did not want to risk having a prying ear overhearing their conversation.
“I was hoping you would wish to talk, but we can’t talk here.”
“Can I walk you home? We can talk along the way.”
“Of course. I can leave at sundown or when all of my pottery has been sold.”
“I already promised to buy it all. Let’s go now.”
Liesel placed a hand on her hip. “A promise cannot buy me food.”
Cornelius reached to his side and then plopped a small bag of coins onto the table. She picked up the bag and gingerly pulled it open to peer inside. She gasped when she beheld not copper, but a pile of silver coins inside.
She waved toward the pottery. Such a deal suited her just fine. “They are all yours.”
“Then let’s be on our way.”
“Let me just gather my things …” she said as she began to return the cups to the handcart.
“Don’t trouble yourself. One of my men can do that. Here, allow me,” he said, offering her his arm.
She eyed his extended arm, but hesitated to accept it. She felt such a mixture of feelings at the prospect of depending upon someone she had previously always tried to avoid. But she needed him now, and she couldn’t deny it.
Princess without a Palace: A King Thrushbeard Fairy Tale Page 11