Chapter 8.
1283 Words
"Are you ready to leave yet?"
Sal asked the Coachman as he watched him saddle the horses. The sun was setting and night time was approaching, some of the carriages had left, theirs was only waiting to get the letter Astra wanted delivered to her father.
The Coachman nodded.
"Yes, I should get back home before nightfall. I pray the roads are much more favourable this time."
"Also. Lady Astra would like to request for a new handmaiden. And also tell them about what happened."
"She has sent a personal letter."
"I am to deliver it to her father."
He said as he went on about his business. He wanted to start his journey early enough to avoid trouble in the Forest of Abbot.
He was still very shaken up by what happened with the bandits.
They had lost one of theirs and Summer was taken by the bandits.
Sal sighed.
He couldn't stay anymore without wanting to pull his hair out. He had kept up with Astra's demands of him staying. But his mind wasn't at rest, knowing that Summer was lost in the woods.
It had been more than a day already, he believed he would find her if he searched the forest of Abbot.
"I cannot stay any longer. I'm off to look for Summer."
"Summer! Who would stay with the Lady Astra?"
Sal rolled his eyes.
"She's in the Castle, it's impenetrable. She's going to be protected with a dozen or more bodyguards. She's in the safest place she can be right now."
"But... But.. If the General finds out that you left his daughter..."
"Will you tell him? Because you cannot expect me to stay here doing nothing while Summer is gone!"
"But, I must say, you must consider the options. How are you sure she's still alive?"
Sal paused and narrowed his eyes.
"What are you insinuating?"
"She was taken by the bandits Sal, be reasonable please! She may have been sold by now or something even worse."
"Don't! Don't think that way! Summer is a smart lady. She might have found her way away from them, perhaps she's on her way here..."
He went off looking for the right words to say.
"She might be lost in the woods. The thing is, she needs my help and I'd be stupid to ignore that."
Sal insisted.
The Coachman raised his eyebrows as he looked around.
He looked defeated and Sal was right, they had to do what they could to try and find her.
If it wasn't for the letter he had to deliver and the family he had waiting for him at home, he would have gone with him.
But the General hated when his orders were disobeyed.
"I have no hand in this Sal. I know nothing about this But, I will take you back to the Forest."
"Oh! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
The Coachman looked around nervously, hoping that Astra wasn't anywhere watching them.
"Come on now! We have to hurry."
"Yes. Yes."
Sal said as he walked beside the coachman.
He looked at the Castle one more time, he was sure that Astra would be fine.
He only hoped that he wasn't too late.
He would never be able to forgive himself if he was too late.
Summer didn't fully understand what was going on around her, but she knew she was being prepared for the Queenstrial.
Which made everything in her life even more odd.
She had agreed to Silver Falcon's offer, but after that she had not seen him.
A few maidens had come to see her in the room that was provided for her. One of them had come to take her measurement, another provided fresh clothes.
One thing was common with all of them, they were all chatting happily as though nothing had happened. Unfortunately, she didn't share their sentiments, she was terrified of everything that was going on.
First, there was the issue of a whole new identity of someone she didn't know about. She also didn't know anything about how to be a lady, much less pretend to be one at the Castle where everyone would be watching her.
And to perform in the Queenstrial!!!
Two days ago if someone had told her something like that would have happened she would have laughed and thought of it as a bad joke.
It just didn't make any sense to her to her. Of all the people that they needed, why her? Why was she the one to use.
She was still pondering on her predicament in front of the vanity mirror when Silver Falcon and a tall stern woman walked in.
The woman had a thin face and all of her thinning blond hair was scraped away from her face into a bun so tight her face was pulled taut.
She wore long white robes, like everyone in the house did.
Her mouth was set in a thin fine line and she looked at Summer with disgust etched on her face.
"There's much work to be done."
She said and Silver Falcon nodded.
"Yes, I know that. That's why you're here."
The Lady shook her head distastefully.
"First, her hair. The Lady Larissa, God bless her innocent soul had white hair. We will have to dye hers."
Summer instinctively touched her hair fearfully. Dye her hair? How was it possible?
She asked herself as she looked at the two of them.
The procedure wasn't always an easy one and sometimes the effects could be permanent so she heard.
And it was even harder trying to achieve white hair through dying. Her hair may never recover from such trauma. She hoped that it would. She took great pride in her long thick hair.
Maven liked it. She liked it. Sal used to tell her she was vain because of the pride she took in combing it.
"Good. Do what you must to make her look the part. The Opening Ceremony of the Queenstrial is in three days. I want her ready for the Castle then."
Silver Falcon said with a small smile. Even though the Castle had not bothered to send him an invitation to the Queenstrial, probably because they thought his granddaughter was dead. He knew they would never be able to turn down Larissa when she arrived at the Castle with the Whitby house's royal seal.
They would be shocked, nonetheless but there was nothing they would be able to do about it.
The Queen would be outraged of course but she wouldn't be able to do much about it. But the King would fold his hands and bow to the law.
He would be there too, to witness it all and try and sniff out where the Gem might be.
"Now, Summer. Let's start with a few basics. This here is Hydra. She will be your handmaiden. She will be with you at all times during your time in the palace."
"So, if you're thinking of a way to escape or run away from our agreement, it's best that you put away such thoughts."
"Hydra wouldn't hesitate in silencing you if you compromise our plans."
Her heart thumped loudly in her chest.
Handmaiden?
Barely three days ago she was Astra's handmaiden.
She took another glance at Hydra and she gulped hard. She wasn't one to mess with. In fact, she looked far from a person to mess with.
She would be stupid if she attempted to escape with the woman in front of her always at her side.
Summer was tiny next to her gigantic frame.
"Secondly, as from now on, you are no longer Summer. You are now Lady Larissa of House Whitby."
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