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The morning that the king was due to arrive everyone was running around trying to make sure that everything was perfect. Cecily was once again down by the creek before the start of the day. She was taking a quick bath in the woods while Emma and Mirabelle were washing up in the cottage. For some reason taking a bath in a house that a dirt floor seemed sillier then taking a bath in a cold stream. Which is what Emma had told her when she left the cottage this morning? This was probably the only time in her life she was going to get to see the king up close and she didn't want to look messy.  She thought she heard a noise behind her but thought is was an animal until it started talking. "You have to be cold. That water is freezing." Cecily turned around and found the same royal guard that she had yelled at a few days ago. She grabbed her clothes and quickly got dressed. He had turned around so at least he wasn't staring at her. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you." "That's very nice of you and thank you for not staring." "No problem, I know I would not want someone staring at me if I was naked. What are you doing out here anyway." "Having a bath not that it's any of your business." "Why don't you clean up in your cottage like everyone else?" "You already said the answer, because everyone is there and no one is out here. Except you it would seem." The royal guard was turned around and looked at her like she was the smartest person in the world. Cecily blushed and put on her apron which the guard walked over and tied behind her back for her.
The guard was turning out to be a very sweet man. He was not bad to look at ether. A couple inches taller then her with dark almost black hair and the most amazing gray eyes she had ever seen. "So are you finally going to tell what your name is?" Cecily had to laugh at him because she could not believe that he had spent to two weeks thinking about her. "Does the laughing mean that's a no?" "No and if I tell you will you tell me yours." "But of course dear women it's only fair that way." "In that case my name is…" All of a sudden horns stared to sound distracting them from what they were doing. It horns meant that the king was arriving. The still mystery guard ran off to his post with a frown and Cecily went to find her roommates in the crowd of people lining the way up the dirt road to the front door.
There were at least ten carriages and carts making there way onto the grounds.  Some of them carried more members of the royal guard. Others carrying the tents they would now stay in on the grounds and many other things for all the merriment planed for the weeks to come.  There was going to be a tournament and a feast every night. Everyone was going to be working nonstop for the next two weeks and although she should have been worried about Emma all see could think was how she wanted to see that royal guard again. One day she was going to find out what his name was if it killed her.  Everyone was waiting for the king to walk from the carriage to the house. The guard was standing there in rows so no one could get that close and most of the people never even saw him go in. Dinner was a different story. Serving dinner was a nightmare. There had to be three hundred people in the dining hall. All of them were pushing and shoving for a chance to talk to the king. She was backed into a corner and someone. "Sorry it's a bit of mad house in here." "That's quite alright I was looking for you anyway." She turned around and as was become in a habit was looking at the royal guard once again.
"Hello before we get interrupted again my name is Oliver Drake of the royal high guard. It would be wonderful if you would tell me yours." "My name is Cecily Caine of St. Ebrulf." "How wonderful I was thinking that I would never find out what you name was." "I was thinking the same thing and I have no idea why it matters so much." "I don't know why it matters to me ether but I would like to get to know you." "Well right now may not be the best time for that." "I know but you always seem to running off to somewhere." "Well being a servant does not give one much free time to do anything." She was called to pour someone a drink. She finally made it home about one in the morning after everything was all cleaned up and the king was sleeping sound in his bed. The next day the king was gone early in the morning with lord Thurston and some of the guard on a fox hunt. When they retuned around lunch time everyone who was not making lunch was outside getting ready to watch the jousting tournament. The royal guards and a few knights from the village were the ones competing for a hundred gold pieces. Simon because his father was a knight was allowed to compete.
The king started the tournament which would also include sword fighting and boxing later in the day before a huge feast. The first few rounds went quickly because most the nobility did not practice they just assumed that because they were noble they could do it. The guards were doing very well and sadly so were Simon. It went on for almost three hours before the final round. It came down to Oliver and Simon. Cecily was on the edge of her seat and cheering at the top of her lungs. Bryce punched her in the arm and she sat down. "Why in the world did you hit me?" "You should be cheering for Simon not some random knight that you don't even know." "I hate Simon; he's the biggest jerk in all of England and has the biggest head too. They started to ride toward each other and Oliver knocked him clean of his horse. Everyone jumped up and cheered except for Bryce and few others who knew Simon. This was not the last thing that Oliver won that day ether. He won the sword and boxing tournament too. She finally got to see him at dinner were he was the guest of honor.  She went up to him to congratulate him and he swung her around in a circle. "So I take it you saw my wonderful victories today." "I did and they were wonderful. You beat Simon which was the best part." "I will beat him everyday of the week if it makes you this happy." Bryce had seen this whole thing and when they were done talking he took her back to her cabin. "You should never let a man do that to you." "He didn't mean anything by it he was just happy." "Letting random men swing you in circles does not send the right message to people." Cecily thought he was wrong but just nodded her head and went inside to go to bed.
All the festivities of the day before had been for the servants as well as the king. Today was another story. Only those of noble blood that had arrived with the rest of the king's convoy this morning were allowed to participate in anything else for the rest of the two weeks.  Cecily was so tired and did not want to get up and go to work. Mirabelle was so worried about the fact the Emma had been gone more then a day that she was not even going to work anymore. She was spending all her time looking for Emma everywhere and so far she was not having any luck. Emma was nowhere to find and Mirabelle was going to ether lose her job or at least not get paid for any of this week. Cecily's parents would kill her for not going to work whether for a good cause or not because it would make them look bad so she headed off to the gardens in the morning.
It would have been a normal morning except for the fact there were about a hundred extra people on the grounds. The king was taking breakfast in the dining hall late so everything was off schedule. He had only been here a week and it was not worth the stress of being honored with his presence. Cecily was picking the last of the late vegetables and then began the days of slaving in the kitchen putting up food for the winter. Oliver was walking into the garden to talk to her. "Good morning miss Cecily. How are you today?" She looked up shocked to find him there. "Morning Oliver. What brings you out here? Want a potato?" "No, thank you. Just came to talk to you." "I'm kind of working in case you don't notice."  "Right, keep on doing that." "What do you really want Oliver?" "I would like for you to have dinner with me." Cecily stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "I have to serve the dinner that you supposed to eat." "I'll tell lord Thurston that I want to eat dinner in my tent and you can skip work." "Not all of us can just skip work like you. I need the money to quit working here someday." He looked around the almost barren garden and could see why someone would want to quit. "So how about a gold piece for the trouble?"   "I may work like a slave but I don't get paid to "eat with" someone. I'm not a prostitute." "That's not what I meant at all. I just really want you to have dinner with me." She looked at him standing there nervous at hell and thought up a compromise. "I eat after I serve the dinner in the main house. You can eat with me after that if you want." Oliver smiled and she couldn't help but smile back at him. "Sounds good see you then." Oliver ran off to where ever he was supposed to be during the day leaving Cecily to think about the night to come.
Dinner rolled around quicker then Cecily would have thought possible and Oliver had skipped it. After she was done serving dinner and helping wash dishes in the kitchen, she walked down to the grounds where the guards had set up there tents. There had to be twenty tents, how in the world was she supposed to which one was his. "Hello Cecily." She was about to scream when Oliver covered her mouth. "I didn't mean to scare you but you can't wonder around here by yourself now can you?"   "I was working on that." She followed him along the edge of the woods to his tent starting to think about how she must look. "How exactly were you going to find me? Ask someone for directions? Then people would have thought you were here for something besides dinner."  She looked like she might hit him and then thought better of it. "You know that not how you should talk to you dinner guest." "I quite agree my lady, please allow me to take you arm and show you to the table." She knew that there was no way that he had gotten a table down here and the royal guard didn't have them because they were way too much of a hassle when traveling by horseback. She took his arm and started walking.
He had not only managed to get a table from somewhere but chairs too and real dishes. There was a ton of food and all of it from the same meal see had served just a few hours earlier. "How in the world did you get all this?" "What do you think I was doing while you were at dinner?" She just stared at everything while Oliver pulled out a chair for her. "My lady please sit down. Don't want dinner to get cold do you? You would be surprised what some people will do for that gold piece you turned down." "You paid people to do this for you?" "Not all of it, some I did get myself." He sat down with her and started to serve there dinner. "So how was your day at work?" "All this work just to make small talk with a servant girl." She tossed a grape at him and was highly disappointed when he caught it. "So you live in the village when your not here?" "Yes with my parents and brother who would die if he knew I was here." Oliver brushed off the warning and just went back to eating his dinner. "How much trouble would you get into for having me here?" "I have no idea; I have never done it before." "Really never ate dinner with a woman before. Do you live under a rock?" "That's not at all what I meant and you know it. I have never had a women eat dinner with me and my tent before." "Why in the world should I believe you?"   "You don't have too, I'm just saying." She looked around the tent and noticed there was two of everything. "Are you supposed to share this tent with someone?"
"Yes I have a one, Sir Albin Webb. He is a severe pain in the arse." "So like your tent mate?" "Of course didn't I say just that a minute ago?"  "Oliver!!!!" The scream for him had come from outside and before they could even stand up a disheveled knight ran in the tent. "Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear." "Ello who are you? Oliver theirs a lady in the tent."  "Goodness you might be right, she does look like one doesn't she." "Oh, Oliver were you having a dinner date weren't you." Oliver threw Albin down on his pallet on the tent floor and looked at Cecily. "I'm sorry but I have to take care of him or our captain will have us both in the stocks. "That's alright, I understand and it was a great dinner." Oliver smiled and showed her to the tent door. Cecily thought that all things considered it had been a great night with Oliver. Walking around randomly on the grounds was not a good idea with all the guards around so she went back to her cabin. Mirabelle was sitting outside when she got there waiting for something.
"What you doing outside? Its getting really cold out." "Yes it was warm to long this year; we'll have frost by morning." "I'll have to bring some warmer cloths from home. How are you and Emma tonight?" "I'm ok. Just worried about her she's not home yet." "Where in the world is she?" Mirabelle looked down the path but there was nothing there to see. Everyone was in bed or working up at the manor at this hour of the night. "I don't know, she should have been home hours ago." "She'll come home soon but your going to freeze if you stay out here." The frost was there by morning just like Mirabelle had said and it was very cold out. Emma had never come home and everyone was quiet all morning. Bryce found them in the kitchens canning food and pulled them outside to talk to them. "Where's Emma I want to tell her this too. It's big news." "We haven't seen her this morning, what are you talking about?" "Two royal guards got into huge trouble last night. There was a lot of noise I don't know how you didn't notice." "What happened?" Mirabelle looked very interested. This was huge news but Cecily was worried. "Well I don't know these people but Sir Webb got really drunk and ended up almost burning the dining hall wall down. You have to look in there it's a huge mess. Some Sir Drake guy like the bishop that runs the church in the village stole a bunch of furniture and food from the manor. He returned the furniture in the morning but he's still in a ton of trouble." Cecily nearly fainted when they mentioned Oliver but managed to look like this was news to her. At least he had taken the stuff back. He had only barrowed it when it was not being used.
"What's going to happen to them?" Cecily snapped out of her thoughts when Mirabelle asked that. "Well thank you for asking, as my sister is just staring at me blankly. They were thrown in the village jail for two weeks." "That's till after the king leaves." "Yes they have to ride out and meet him after there released." "My word has anything like this ever happened before?" "They get drunk but the never steal anything or make a nuisance of themselves like that. The royal guard is good work and the punishments and very hard on them." Bryce and Mirabelle kept talking but Cecily went back in and started putting vegetables in jars for the winter. Mirabelle and Cecily were very sick of canning and with worry when they were done for the night and still had not seen Emma. They went to bed and she was still not there in the morning. They worked in the kitchens all day and sense it was Friday they were heading home for the weekend.
William dropped them off at home just in time for dinner. There mother was happy that they hadn't caught colds without there warmer winter things. Cecily was really tired and went upstairs to bed early and Celeste followed right after. "Your never this tired after you get home from work what's wrong?" Cecily was putting what was left of her weeks pay in the shallow box at the bottom of the wardrobe. There wasn't a lot of money in the box but it was a good amount. "Hello are you listening to me?" "Not really, what where you saying? I'll listen this time I promise."  She sat down on the bed and Celeste sat in front of her. She undid the braids that made her sisters brown hair curly like hers. "My teacher says that I'm almost to old to go to school anymore can you believe that? I don't want to leave school. I want to go to the universities with the boys." "You certainly are smart enough to go but I don't think that it going to happen." "I know but one can always hope can't one." Cecily tugged her sister's hair and sent her to wash her hands and face while she got ready for bed. She kept thinking about how nice her night with Oliver had been and wondered of he and Emma were all right. "Cecily are you sure your all right?" Celeste had come back to find her sister just staring out a window. "Yes I'm alright, now into bed before mother gets after us." The girls climbed into bed and Celeste went right to sleep but her sister didn't fall asleep till almost dawn.
"Ecily ake up" Cecily opened her eyes to Gaven's happy baby face.   "Good morning Gaven." He ran around the room in day cloths which meant that she had missed breakfast unless Celeste had dressed him. Their mother never dressed him before breakfast. She got dressed quickly, grabbed Gaven and headed downstairs. "Morning sleepy head." Her mother was alone in the kitchen. "Where is anyone and why didn't anyone wake me for breakfast?" "Your father and Bryce are at the shop, Celeste is in the garden trying to save potatoes after that frost last night, Gaven I think went in our room and were here so that's everyone. You only missed breakfast, you'll be fine though you are looking a little on the skinny side. I need you to run lunch down to the shop." "Alright anything else you need me to do?" "No enjoy the sunshine but wear a warm cloak, its bitterly cold out there today."
Cecily took the basket her mother handed her and started to walk crossed town to the shopping district.  It was almost a half and hours walk to the shop. Her father made wonderful furniture and had the only shop in town so he did very good business. Bryce had no real talent for it but he helped stain the pieces when her father had a lot of work. There were only a few people in the shop when she arrived and Bryce was working behind the counter talking and her father was probably in the back working.  "Hello there dear, I haven't seen you in ages let alone in the shop." She turned around and found herself talking to one of her mother's friends. "Hello Mrs. Smith, how are you today?" "Fine young lady, what are you doing here? I'm picking up a new chair myself." Her father was getting a lot of work most of it from out of town because he had made the bed the king was sleeping in. he had loved it so much he was having it sent to London. "Just bringing lunch to my father and brother." "What a good girl, your mother is a dear lady please tell her I said hello." "All right have a nice day." After talking Bryce's customer had gone and she gave him the food and started to walk home. She got two blocks away before she knew she wasn't going home. She walked six blocks down to the constables office witch also held the village jail. It was not until she got there that she realized that she couldn't just walk in to see him. She started to walk home when someone called her name. Cecily looked around and saw Oliver waving at her from behind a barred window.
"Cecily what are you doing in this part of town?" "Would you believe that I was coming to see you?" "I would because I was hoping you would. I didn't think that you ever came to this part of town though. How did you find out what happened?" "Bryce heard from somewhere that you and Albin had been thrown in jail." Cecily looked around on the street to make sure no one was watching them because you were not supposed to talk to the prisoners. "Your brother is a great guy. Did he yell at you for letting me swing you around?" "That and the fact that I cheered for you and not Simon." "You should go, I'll see you when they let me out I promise." "You better because I'll miss you." Oliver just smiled at her as she ran a couple blocks away.  She was back in the business district before she realized that she had missed lunch too.  Cecily decided to shop a little while she was already out and about. She got roasted peanuts from a street vender and wondered around window shopping. She didn't have a lot of time for hobbies but liked sewing and embroidery all right. She decided to walk to the dressmakers shop and see if there was anything nice for sale.
She was about to go into the shop when Simon walked in front of her. "So here we are again. Why do I always find you near me?" "It could be because you always blocking my way. Do you follow me around or do you just get lucky?" "That's not a very nice thing you say to you future husband now is it?" "What in the world do you think your talking about?" "You and me getting married, you becoming Mrs. Cecily Rowntree." "You have to be out of your mind. I would never marry you." "Your parents have the final say on that and I think that I'm a great catch." He walked away, leaving her standing there with her mouth open and nothing to say. Simon was a horrible person she would never in a hundred years marry him. After that little talk on the street she didn't want anything more then to go home and be around good people. When she got there her mother was making dinner while Celeste and Gaven were playing in the living room. "There you are what took you so long?" "I was doing a little window shopping. It was a really nice day out." Her father and Bryce walked in the door then for dinner. Gaven ran to the there father to be picked up and Bryce sat down next to Celeste. "Good evening Cecily, nice to see that you made it out of bed." "Thanks father, how was your day at work?"  "It was a very interesting day. I had someone come into the store today and ask me to something that I was not expecting." "What did they ask for father?" "Well he asked for you."
"What you mean they asked for her father?" "Well they asked to marry your big sister Celeste." "Who in the world would want to marry that little pain the butt?" "Bryce you will not be rude to your sister and I'm surprised that you don't already know." Cecily thought that this was a nightmare come true. "It was your friend Simon that came and asked me for her hand in marriage." "NO!!" The scream had come from both Bryce and Cecily. "What are you to screaming about?" There mother had come in from the kitchen to see what was going on. "Well dear, Simon Rowntree wants to marry Cecily." Her mother dismissed the subject by saying dinner was ready and they would talk later. Everyone was very quiet though dinner and everyone went to bed early knowing they had to go to church in the morning. Normally the Caine family spent Sundays at home doing quiet things and there father would read some of the bible to them but the king was here and everyone was required to go. Everyone had been having new dresses made to impress the king. Cecily wanted nothing more then to crawl into a hole and die.
Church was very quiet and everyone was on there best behavior sense the king was there. Except Gaven of course, He made it have way though the service before he had to be taken outside. Cecily was happy that she had to take care of Gaven for once. He was running around on the green outside but you could still hear Bishop Drake talking. She was having a good time till Simon came out. "I hope you will make sure our children are better behaved in church. I go every week you know." "I'm wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth." "You see that's what I love about women; they think that they have something to do with the way the world works. You will marry me and have my children and your going to like it." He had backed her up against a wall and Bryce had heard the whole thing. "I don't think that my sister is going to marry you ether Simon and I don't know why you think she would." "I'm well off why would you not want her to marry me?" "You're a jerk that's why." Simon walked away and the family was soon on there way home to have lunch.
They were sitting around the table having chicken noodle soup when there father bought up the subject of Simon. "So I know that you don't like the idea of marrying Simon but I don't think that you going to find a better match them him." "What are you talking about were nothing a like unless you talking about money." "I think that you both have very strong personalities and not just anyone will work for ether of you." Her mother was not saying anything and Celeste looked shocked. "It will never work Simon is a pig. He has different women over every weekend. He doesn't even own a house of his own; everything you see him have is his fathers." "Thank you Bryce but I have made this decision carefully and I think he will be a very good match for her." "What about what I want to do with my life. Like be happy for example." She got from the table and ran upstairs to her room. No one came and got her after an hour so she just went to bed.
She woke up early and left before Bryce or there father was even awake. She told her mother she was walking to work and would see her Friday. She got to the manor and was half frozen but had to go straight to the kitchens to work because walking her had taken her so long. "Morning Mirabelle how was your weekend?" "Horrible, Emma finally cam home Sunday morning and looked like someone had tried to beat her to death." "Oh my god, who did it?" "She won't tell me and I don't know what to do to about it. Why would anyone want to beat her?" "I have a good idea why but none as too who. I'm just glad that she's alright." "More bad news concerning my weekend too." "Goodness I don't know if I can take much more. What happened? Please tell me that Bryce is alright." "He's fine but my father is going to marry me off to Simon." "SIMON!!! Has he lost his mind?" "I think so because he thinks were well suited for each other." The girls wondered if this week was going to be any better then the last one but didn't have very high hopes for it. They worked all day and managed to avoid Simon, Bryce and anyone else that they didn't really want to talk to.
They made it back to the cabin and Cecily saw Emma for the first time in over a week. She looked like she had been beaten and left to die in the woods which was pretty close to what had happened. "Goodness Emma you look just horrible." "Thanks like I didn't already know that." "Sorry but who did this to you?" "I don't know they hit me in the back of the head and I was blindfolded when I woke up." This enforced there idea that Emma could not stay her at the manor anymore. "What are we going to do there's nowhere she can go." "I don't know but I might not stay here ether if they want me to marry Simon." "So looks like were in the same boat." "Yes you are, one without a paddle." They looked at Mirabelle as someone knocked on the door. No one wanted to be the one to open the door but someone was going to have to because they were not going away. Mirabelle went to open because there was no one was out to get her. It turned out to be Bryce and of course she let him in. "Good to know you made it to work. Father was angry as a hornet when he found out you had left early and walked to work." "You walked to work?" "I wasn't going to let Simon drive me here." "Well I would have been there to you not going to be alone with him. Now that your engaged to him you not allowed to be alone with any man." "I'm not going to marry him Bryce."
"I know you don't want to marry him but sadly he's right and you have no say in the manner." "What do you mean she has no say in the manner it's her life." "Look were that type of thinking got you Emma. Your in no position to talk." "Don't be mean to my friends just because you don't like something any more then I do." Bryce decided it was time for him to leave before things got any worse. The girls had no ideas about how to solve anything tonight so they had dinner and went to bed. Mirabelle and Emma had no money because they had missed so much work in the last week so they were up early in the morning to earn there pay for the day. Cecily was not in any mood to do work but had nothing else to do during the day. The week went by quickly when your going serving a ton of extra people. It was Friday again before they knew it and everyone was happy and sad to see the king go. Most of all the servants. They were going to miss the extra pay but not the extra work. The king left with a huge feast at which almost everyone had gotten drunk. Cecily did not want to go home for the weekend because it meant that she had to see her father.
When they got there they went right up to bed because the feast had made them very late getting home. It was morning and Cecily was up early making breakfast with her mother before anyone else was up when her mother finally brought up the dreaded subject. "Now I know that you don't like Simon but your father is right and its about time you got married." "Make me marry anyone else but him. I will, just don't make me marry Simon." "Its past time that you started to grow up young lady and that means that is time for you to marry." "Are you saying that you like Simon?" "That's not what I said I just think that you need to find you place in the world. Were not always going to be around to take care of you." Her mother was right and she knew that but marrying Simon was not an option. "Now I need someone to run this letter down to the magistrate's office and I would like you to do it. You and I are going to the dressmakers shop today and are due there at eleven. Try to find some nice things around town or something till then." Her mother handed her the letter and a cloak and sent her out the door before she could even answer.
Cecily got halfway there and had to read the letter. Her mother had not even sealed it so there was way she would know. She read it and then read it again. It said that she was getting married next weekend and they needed him to write up the wedding license. That's why they were going to the dressmakers shop because she need a wedding dress. Were they even going to tell her? Well her mother would have had to tell her when they were getting the dress made but not to tell the bride first was just wrong. She took the letter into the magistrate's office and he wasn't even there. "He went to find up some bread and water so that we don't starve." She turned around and there was Oliver looking like he could use some sunshine. "Goodness you don't look jail is getting along with you at all Oliver." "What are you doing in here I didn't think I would see you again till I got out." "I have to deliver a letter about a wedding." "Is your brother getting married I didn't even know there was a women." "No, I'm getting married my parents decided last week." "Do you want to marry him?" "No, of course not. He's the most horrible person that I have ever met." Oliver looked behind him at Albin who was still asleep this early in the morning and then at the door to make sure no one would hear him.
"Don't marry him then." "That's a wonderful idea why didn't I think of that. Right because there is no way to get out of it." "Never say never my dear lady because I am not going back to the royal guard." "Don't they hang people that do that?" "You can't hang what you can not find. England is a big place and it's not that hard to avoid the king." "What about Albin?" "The dummy is coming with me and so can you." "What about someone else? Could I bring someone else?" "Sure I don't see why not but they have to have a reason to run." "She's pregnant with lord Thurston's bastard child." "Well that will work just fine then. When is the horrible wedding taking place?" "Next weekend I only get to work one more week." "There not rushing things at all are they. The timing is perfect. Be ready to go Friday night." "Alright and thank you so much Oliver." "Please call me Oli, everyone else does." She left the letter on the desk and set off into town to pick up a few things she might need for the road.
Cecily had a lot time till eleven and had no idea what see should get to take with her. She enough cloths and would take the money in the wardrobe but what else. Her doll from when she was little and her journal would have to come. What was she going to carry them in though? She went to the tanners and got a leather bag that she could wear on her back and would hold everything she would need. She stopped at a couple other stores to get some ink and a couple small things. She knew that she could get a needle and thread at home and there were eating things at the cabin at the manor. She was trying to figure out what all she would need on the run and was coming up a little short. She couldn't wait to tell Emma the news that they make it though it all yet. She was not looking forward to seeing what kind of dress her mother had worked up with Mrs. Smith but there was no way to get around that.  She walked into the dressmakers shop at a quarter till eleven and her mother was already there. "Oh good, you're here early. We have a lot of work to do." Mrs. Smith quickly had her into the plain white dress that she would were next Saturday. "My goodness you look so lovely dear." "Thank you." "She's right you look wonderful. Saturday is going to be the biggest day of you life and you should look nothing less then you best." Her mother was right of course but she had not idea that she was not planning to show up. The fitting lasted almost an hour and most of it was them telling her how nice she looked because they knew she didn't want to hear about Simon. Her mother walked home with her so that she could make lunch. Cecily had run home before the dress shop and hid the bag in the bushes in front of their house.
"So what did you think of the dress? I spent a lot of time working on that." "It's a very nice dress mother." "I'm glad that you think so. Now of course you will being moving into Simons house after the wedding. I think that I should tell you a bit what happens when people are married." "Mother please stop we already had this conversion when I went to work at the manor." "That was about what not to do while your there. This is about how to make a man happy in bed." Cecily just stared at the wall and stirred the potatoes while her mother talked. Thankfully Celeste came in the door with Gaven from wherever there mother had sent them. "There you are did you take them their lunch?" "Yes mother, father says he'll be home about eight o'clock." "Wonderful that gives me plenty of time for me to help you sister pack up her things after lunch."
Cecily was sitting on the bed while her mother sorted though all things that were in her and Celeste's wardrobe. "Well you two have so much more stuff then I ever did at your age." Her mother was having her try on older cloths to see if they fit or would go to Celeste. She was glad they were doing it because it normally was done during spring and Cecily had to go though then any way for when her and Emma left. Her doll had almost been given to a neighbor girl but she had thrown her under the bed. The only thing in the wardrobe besides cloths were Cecily's journal, money box, old embroidery projects, and some supplies from when she had tried to make salves and lotions. The embroidery projects could be undone for the fabric but the rest of the stuff was going to taken with her when she ran. Her mother was surprised that she was going along with it so well but was not going to question her good fortune. " I just can't believe that this time next week your going to be married to the son of a knight." "Is all of this about status?" "No its about making sure that you are well cared for and you don't have to work for the rest of your life at that work farm of a manor." "Please I don't mind. Just let me find someone that makes me happy." "Cecily it's done and over with. You will marry Simon Rowntree next Saturday. Now is that understood?" "Yes ma'am" Cecily had a lot of things that would go to Celeste and many of her things would go to the younger neighbor girl who's mother gave them her older sons outgrown cloths for Gaven. There mother hated to waste a dime. It made Cecily feel a little guilty that she was wasting the money for the wedding dress but her mother would have the money she was saving from her paychecks to make up for it. Cecily was trying to make sure everyone was happy when she was gone.
They went to church Sunday because her parents wanted to make sure that everything was set for the wedding next week. Simon was there looking happy as could be. Bishop Drake wanted to talk to the too of them after church. "Hello Simon, Cecily; It makes me so happy to see young people getting married. Cecily aren't happy to marrying such a good man?" "I don't want to get married." "Now dear I know you say that know but when its all over your nerves will calm down." "Don't talk to me like you like me you fool." "I don't know what you talking about. Bishop she's a little nervous about the wedding." "More like I hate you and would never marry you in a hundred years." "That's all going to change next Saturday." "Aright that's enough of that I'm sure everything will work out once your all married and your going to be very happy. I just wanted to congratulate you both." They both thanked him and Simon walked her home right before lunch started. Cecily's parents invited him to have dinner with the family. Cecily didn't say a single word until after he had left. "That was a lovely lunch was it not?" "Mother you have to be out of your mind. They didn't speak a single word to each other the whole time." There mother gave Bryce a look that would have made a plant die but Bryce was not taking it back. "I agree with you mother is was a lovely lunch." She sent Cecily out to the garden to sweep up leaves and Bryce to cut firewood.  Whatever their feeling their parents were going though with this wedding.
It was time for bed before she knew it and it was her last night that she was going to spend at home. She had retrieved the pack from the bushes out front before she went up stairs and put it in the wardrobe. She was ready for bed before Celeste was even upstairs. "Hey your ready to sleep already, I'm surprised your not fighting still." "Fighting with words is not everything and sometimes you have to take a different road. I want you to always take the different road. I want you to follow every dream you have never give anything up for anyone." "Cecily you only moving four blocks away your not moving to Ireland." "Sometimes even small distances are farther then we think and I want you to know I love you, Bryce, Gaven and even though I'm mad at them mother and father.

Description
The morning that the king was due to arrive everyone was running around trying to make sure that everything was perfect. Cecily was once again down by the creek before the start of the day. She was taking a quick bath in the woods while Emma and Mirabelle were washing up in the cottage. For some reason taking a bath in a house that a dirt floor seemed sillier then taking a bath in a cold stream. Which is what Emma had told her when she left the cottage this morning? This was probably the only time in her life she was going to get to see the king up close and she didn't want to look messy.  She thought she heard a noise behind her but thought is was an animal until it started talking. "You have to be cold. That water is freezing." Cecily turned around and found the same royal guard that she had yelled at a few days ago. She grabbed her clothes and quickly got dressed. He had turned around so at least he wasn't staring at her. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you." "That's very nice of you and thank you for not staring." "No problem, I know I would not want someone staring at me if I was naked. What are you doing out here anyway." "Having a bath not that it's any of your business." "Why don't you clean up in your cottage like everyone else?" "You already said the answer, because everyone is there and no one is out here. Except you it would seem." The royal guard was turned around and looked at her like she was the smartest person in the world. Cecily blushed and put on her apron which the guard walked over and tied behind her back for her.
The guard was turning out to be a very sweet man. He was not bad to look at ether. A couple inches taller then her with dark almost black hair and the most amazing gray eyes she had ever seen. "So are you finally going to tell what your name is?" Cecily had to laugh at him because she could not believe that he had spent to two weeks thinking about her. "Does the laughing mean that's a no?" "No and if I tell you will you tell me yours." "But of course dear women it's only fair that way." "In that case my name is…" All of a sudden horns stared to sound distracting them from what they were doing. It horns meant that the king was arriving. The still mystery guard ran off to his post with a frown and Cecily went to find her roommates in the crowd of people lining the way up the dirt road to the front door.
There were at least ten carriages and carts making there way onto the grounds.  Some of them carried more members of the royal guard. Others carrying the tents they would now stay in on the grounds and many other things for all the merriment planed for the weeks to come.  There was going to be a tournament and a feast every night. Everyone was going to be working nonstop for the next two weeks and although she should have been worried about Emma all see could think was how she wanted to see that royal guard again. One day she was going to find out what his name was if it killed her.  Everyone was waiting for the king to walk from the carriage to the house. The guard was standing there in rows so no one could get that close and most of the people never even saw him go in. Dinner was a different story. Serving dinner was a nightmare. There had to be three hundred people in the dining hall. All of them were pushing and shoving for a chance to talk to the king. She was backed into a corner and someone. "Sorry it's a bit of mad house in here." "That's quite alright I was looking for you anyway." She turned around and as was become in a habit was looking at the royal guard once again.
"Hello before we get interrupted again my name is Oliver Drake of the royal high guard. It would be wonderful if you would tell me yours." "My name is Cecily Caine of St. Ebrulf." "How wonderful I was thinking that I would never find out what you name was." "I was thinking the same thing and I have no idea why it matters so much." "I don't know why it matters to me ether but I would like to get to know you." "Well right now may not be the best time for that." "I know but you always seem to running off to somewhere." "Well being a servant does not give one much free time to do anything." She was called to pour someone a drink. She finally made it home about one in the morning after everything was all cleaned up and the king was sleeping sound in his bed. The next day the king was gone early in the morning with lord Thurston and some of the guard on a fox hunt. When they retuned around lunch time everyone who was not making lunch was outside getting ready to watch the jousting tournament. The royal guards and a few knights from the village were the ones competing for a hundred gold pieces. Simon because his father was a knight was allowed to compete.
The king started the tournament which would also include sword fighting and boxing later in the day before a huge feast. The first few rounds went quickly because most the nobility did not practice they just assumed that because they were noble they could do it. The guards were doing very well and sadly so were Simon. It went on for almost three hours before the final round. It came down to Oliver and Simon. Cecily was on the edge of her seat and cheering at the top of her lungs. Bryce punched her in the arm and she sat down. "Why in the world did you hit me?" "You should be cheering for Simon not some random knight that you don't even know." "I hate Simon; he's the biggest jerk in all of England and has the biggest head too. They started to ride toward each other and Oliver knocked him clean of his horse. Everyone jumped up and cheered except for Bryce and few others who knew Simon. This was not the last thing that Oliver won that day ether. He won the sword and boxing tournament too. She finally got to see him at dinner were he was the guest of honor.  She went up to him to congratulate him and he swung her around in a circle. "So I take it you saw my wonderful victories today." "I did and they were wonderful. You beat Simon which was the best part." "I will beat him everyday of the week if it makes you this happy." Bryce had seen this whole thing and when they were done talking he took her back to her cabin. "You should never let a man do that to you." "He didn't mean anything by it he was just happy." "Letting random men swing you in circles does not send the right message to people." Cecily thought he was wrong but just nodded her head and went inside to go to bed.
All the festivities of the day before had been for the servants as well as the king. Today was another story. Only those of noble blood that had arrived with the rest of the king's convoy this morning were allowed to participate in anything else for the rest of the two weeks.  Cecily was so tired and did not want to get up and go to work. Mirabelle was so worried about the fact the Emma had been gone more then a day that she was not even going to work anymore. She was spending all her time looking for Emma everywhere and so far she was not having any luck. Emma was nowhere to find and Mirabelle was going to ether lose her job or at least not get paid for any of this week. Cecily's parents would kill her for not going to work whether for a good cause or not because it would make them look bad so she headed off to the gardens in the morning.
It would have been a normal morning except for the fact there were about a hundred extra people on the grounds. The king was taking breakfast in the dining hall late so everything was off schedule. He had only been here a week and it was not worth the stress of being honored with his presence. Cecily was picking the last of the late vegetables and then began the days of slaving in the kitchen putting up food for the winter. Oliver was walking into the garden to talk to her. "Good morning miss Cecily. How are you today?" She looked up shocked to find him there. "Morning Oliver. What brings you out here? Want a potato?" "No, thank you. Just came to talk to you." "I'm kind of working in case you don't notice."  "Right, keep on doing that." "What do you really want Oliver?" "I would like for you to have dinner with me." Cecily stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "I have to serve the dinner that you supposed to eat." "I'll tell lord Thurston that I want to eat dinner in my tent and you can skip work." "Not all of us can just skip work like you. I need the money to quit working here someday." He looked around the almost barren garden and could see why someone would want to quit. "So how about a gold piece for the trouble?"   "I may work like a slave but I don't get paid to "eat with" someone. I'm not a prostitute." "That's not what I meant at all. I just really want you to have dinner with me." She looked at him standing there nervous at hell and thought up a compromise. "I eat after I serve the dinner in the main house. You can eat with me after that if you want." Oliver smiled and she couldn't help but smile back at him. "Sounds good see you then." Oliver ran off to where ever he was supposed to be during the day leaving Cecily to think about the night to come.
Dinner rolled around quicker then Cecily would have thought possible and Oliver had skipped it. After she was done serving dinner and helping wash dishes in the kitchen, she walked down to the grounds where the guards had set up there tents. There had to be twenty tents, how in the world was she supposed to which one was his. "Hello Cecily." She was about to scream when Oliver covered her mouth. "I didn't mean to scare you but you can't wonder around here by yourself now can you?"   "I was working on that." She followed him along the edge of the woods to his tent starting to think about how she must look. "How exactly were you going to find me? Ask someone for directions? Then people would have thought you were here for something besides dinner."  She looked like she might hit him and then thought better of it. "You know that not how you should talk to you dinner guest." "I quite agree my lady, please allow me to take you arm and show you to the table." She knew that there was no way that he had gotten a table down here and the royal guard didn't have them because they were way too much of a hassle when traveling by horseback. She took his arm and started walking.
He had not only managed to get a table from somewhere but chairs too and real dishes. There was a ton of food and all of it from the same meal see had served just a few hours earlier. "How in the world did you get all this?" "What do you think I was doing while you were at dinner?" She just stared at everything while Oliver pulled out a chair for her. "My lady please sit down. Don't want dinner to get cold do you? You would be surprised what some people will do for that gold piece you turned down." "You paid people to do this for you?" "Not all of it, some I did get myself." He sat down with her and started to serve there dinner. "So how was your day at work?" "All this work just to make small talk with a servant girl." She tossed a grape at him and was highly disappointed when he caught it. "So you live in the village when your not here?" "Yes with my parents and brother who would die if he knew I was here." Oliver brushed off the warning and just went back to eating his dinner. "How much trouble would you get into for having me here?" "I have no idea; I have never done it before." "Really never ate dinner with a woman before. Do you live under a rock?" "That's not at all what I meant and you know it. I have never had a women eat dinner with me and my tent before." "Why in the world should I believe you?"   "You don't have too, I'm just saying." She looked around the tent and noticed there was two of everything. "Are you supposed to share this tent with someone?"
"Yes I have a one, Sir Albin Webb. He is a severe pain in the arse." "So like your tent mate?" "Of course didn't I say just that a minute ago?"  "Oliver!!!!" The scream for him had come from outside and before they could even stand up a disheveled knight ran in the tent. "Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear." "Ello who are you? Oliver theirs a lady in the tent."  "Goodness you might be right, she does look like one doesn't she." "Oh, Oliver were you having a dinner date weren't you." Oliver threw Albin down on his pallet on the tent floor and looked at Cecily. "I'm sorry but I have to take care of him or our captain will have us both in the stocks. "That's alright, I understand and it was a great dinner." Oliver smiled and showed her to the tent door. Cecily thought that all things considered it had been a great night with Oliver. Walking around randomly on the grounds was not a good idea with all the guards around so she went back to her cabin. Mirabelle was sitting outside when she got there waiting for something.
"What you doing outside? Its getting really cold out." "Yes it was warm to long this year; we'll have frost by morning." "I'll have to bring some warmer cloths from home. How are you and Emma tonight?" "I'm ok. Just worried about her she's not home yet." "Where in the world is she?" Mirabelle looked down the path but there was nothing there to see. Everyone was in bed or working up at the manor at this hour of the night. "I don't know, she should have been home hours ago." "She'll come home soon but your going to freeze if you stay out here." The frost was there by morning just like Mirabelle had said and it was very cold out. Emma had never come home and everyone was quiet all morning. Bryce found them in the kitchens canning food and pulled them outside to talk to them. "Where's Emma I want to tell her this too. It's big news." "We haven't seen her this morning, what are you talking about?" "Two royal guards got into huge trouble last night. There was a lot of noise I don't know how you didn't notice." "What happened?" Mirabelle looked very interested. This was huge news but Cecily was worried. "Well I don't know these people but Sir Webb got really drunk and ended up almost burning the dining hall wall down. You have to look in there it's a huge mess. Some Sir Drake guy like the bishop that runs the church in the village stole a bunch of furniture and food from the manor. He returned the furniture in the morning but he's still in a ton of trouble." Cecily nearly fainted when they mentioned Oliver but managed to look like this was news to her. At least he had taken the stuff back. He had only barrowed it when it was not being used.
"What's going to happen to them?" Cecily snapped out of her thoughts when Mirabelle asked that. "Well thank you for asking, as my sister is just staring at me blankly. They were thrown in the village jail for two weeks." "That's till after the king leaves." "Yes they have to ride out and meet him after there released." "My word has anything like this ever happened before?" "They get drunk but the never steal anything or make a nuisance of themselves like that. The royal guard is good work and the punishments and very hard on them." Bryce and Mirabelle kept talking but Cecily went back in and started putting vegetables in jars for the winter. Mirabelle and Cecily were very sick of canning and with worry when they were done for the night and still had not seen Emma. They went to bed and she was still not there in the morning. They worked in the kitchens all day and sense it was Friday they were heading home for the weekend.
William dropped them off at home just in time for dinner. There mother was happy that they hadn't caught colds without there warmer winter things. Cecily was really tired and went upstairs to bed early and Celeste followed right after. "Your never this tired after you get home from work what's wrong?" Cecily was putting what was left of her weeks pay in the shallow box at the bottom of the wardrobe. There wasn't a lot of money in the box but it was a good amount. "Hello are you listening to me?" "Not really, what where you saying? I'll listen this time I promise."  She sat down on the bed and Celeste sat in front of her. She undid the braids that made her sisters brown hair curly like hers. "My teacher says that I'm almost to old to go to school anymore can you believe that? I don't want to leave school. I want to go to the universities with the boys." "You certainly are smart enough to go but I don't think that it going to happen." "I know but one can always hope can't one." Cecily tugged her sister's hair and sent her to wash her hands and face while she got ready for bed. She kept thinking about how nice her night with Oliver had been and wondered of he and Emma were all right. "Cecily are you sure your all right?" Celeste had come back to find her sister just staring out a window. "Yes I'm alright, now into bed before mother gets after us." The girls climbed into bed and Celeste went right to sleep but her sister didn't fall asleep till almost dawn.
"Ecily ake up" Cecily opened her eyes to Gaven's happy baby face.   "Good morning Gaven." He ran around the room in day cloths which meant that she had missed breakfast unless Celeste had dressed him. Their mother never dressed him before breakfast. She got dressed quickly, grabbed Gaven and headed downstairs. "Morning sleepy head." Her mother was alone in the kitchen. "Where is anyone and why didn't anyone wake me for breakfast?" "Your father and Bryce are at the shop, Celeste is in the garden trying to save potatoes after that frost last night, Gaven I think went in our room and were here so that's everyone. You only missed breakfast, you'll be fine though you are looking a little on the skinny side. I need you to run lunch down to the shop." "Alright anything else you need me to do?" "No enjoy the sunshine but wear a warm cloak, its bitterly cold out there today."
Cecily took the basket her mother handed her and started to walk crossed town to the shopping district.  It was almost a half and hours walk to the shop. Her father made wonderful furniture and had the only shop in town so he did very good business. Bryce had no real talent for it but he helped stain the pieces when her father had a lot of work. There were only a few people in the shop when she arrived and Bryce was working behind the counter talking and her father was probably in the back working.  "Hello there dear, I haven't seen you in ages let alone in the shop." She turned around and found herself talking to one of her mother's friends. "Hello Mrs. Smith, how are you today?" "Fine young lady, what are you doing here? I'm picking up a new chair myself." Her father was getting a lot of work most of it from out of town because he had made the bed the king was sleeping in. he had loved it so much he was having it sent to London. "Just bringing lunch to my father and brother." "What a good girl, your mother is a dear lady please tell her I said hello." "All right have a nice day." After talking Bryce's customer had gone and she gave him the food and started to walk home. She got two blocks away before she knew she wasn't going home. She walked six blocks down to the constables office witch also held the village jail. It was not until she got there that she realized that she couldn't just walk in to see him. She started to walk home when someone called her name. Cecily looked around and saw Oliver waving at her from behind a barred window.
"Cecily what are you doing in this part of town?" "Would you believe that I was coming to see you?" "I would because I was hoping you would. I didn't think that you ever came to this part of town though. How did you find out what happened?" "Bryce heard from somewhere that you and Albin had been thrown in jail." Cecily looked around on the street to make sure no one was watching them because you were not supposed to talk to the prisoners. "Your brother is a great guy. Did he yell at you for letting me swing you around?" "That and the fact that I cheered for you and not Simon." "You should go, I'll see you when they let me out I promise." "You better because I'll miss you." Oliver just smiled at her as she ran a couple blocks away.  She was back in the business district before she realized that she had missed lunch too.  Cecily decided to shop a little while she was already out and about. She got roasted peanuts from a street vender and wondered around window shopping. She didn't have a lot of time for hobbies but liked sewing and embroidery all right. She decided to walk to the dressmakers shop and see if there was anything nice for sale.
She was about to go into the shop when Simon walked in front of her. "So here we are again. Why do I always find you near me?" "It could be because you always blocking my way. Do you follow me around or do you just get lucky?" "That's not a very nice thing you say to you future husband now is it?" "What in the world do you think your talking about?" "You and me getting married, you becoming Mrs. Cecily Rowntree." "You have to be out of your mind. I would never marry you." "Your parents have the final say on that and I think that I'm a great catch." He walked away, leaving her standing there with her mouth open and nothing to say. Simon was a horrible person she would never in a hundred years marry him. After that little talk on the street she didn't want anything more then to go home and be around good people. When she got there her mother was making dinner while Celeste and Gaven were playing in the living room. "There you are what took you so long?" "I was doing a little window shopping. It was a really nice day out." Her father and Bryce walked in the door then for dinner. Gaven ran to the there father to be picked up and Bryce sat down next to Celeste. "Good evening Cecily, nice to see that you made it out of bed." "Thanks father, how was your day at work?"  "It was a very interesting day. I had someone come into the store today and ask me to something that I was not expecting." "What did they ask for father?" "Well he asked for you."
"What you mean they asked for her father?" "Well they asked to marry your big sister Celeste." "Who in the world would want to marry that little pain the butt?" "Bryce you will not be rude to your sister and I'm surprised that you don't already know." Cecily thought that this was a nightmare come true. "It was your friend Simon that came and asked me for her hand in marriage." "NO!!" The scream had come from both Bryce and Cecily. "What are you to screaming about?" There mother had come in from the kitchen to see what was going on. "Well dear, Simon Rowntree wants to marry Cecily." Her mother dismissed the subject by saying dinner was ready and they would talk later. Everyone was very quiet though dinner and everyone went to bed early knowing they had to go to church in the morning. Normally the Caine family spent Sundays at home doing quiet things and there father would read some of the bible to them but the king was here and everyone was required to go. Everyone had been having new dresses made to impress the king. Cecily wanted nothing more then to crawl into a hole and die.
Church was very quiet and everyone was on there best behavior sense the king was there. Except Gaven of course, He made it have way though the service before he had to be taken outside. Cecily was happy that she had to take care of Gaven for once. He was running around on the green outside but you could still hear Bishop Drake talking. She was having a good time till Simon came out. "I hope you will make sure our children are better behaved in church. I go every week you know." "I'm wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth." "You see that's what I love about women; they think that they have something to do with the way the world works. You will marry me and have my children and your going to like it." He had backed her up against a wall and Bryce had heard the whole thing. "I don't think that my sister is going to marry you ether Simon and I don't know why you think she would." "I'm well off why would you not want her to marry me?" "You're a jerk that's why." Simon walked away and the family was soon on there way home to have lunch.
They were sitting around the table having chicken noodle soup when there father bought up the subject of Simon. "So I know that you don't like the idea of marrying Simon but I don't think that you going to find a better match them him." "What are you talking about were nothing a like unless you talking about money." "I think that you both have very strong personalities and not just anyone will work for ether of you." Her mother was not saying anything and Celeste looked shocked. "It will never work Simon is a pig. He has different women over every weekend. He doesn't even own a house of his own; everything you see him have is his fathers." "Thank you Bryce but I have made this decision carefully and I think he will be a very good match for her." "What about what I want to do with my life. Like be happy for example." She got from the table and ran upstairs to her room. No one came and got her after an hour so she just went to bed.
She woke up early and left before Bryce or there father was even awake. She told her mother she was walking to work and would see her Friday. She got to the manor and was half frozen but had to go straight to the kitchens to work because walking her had taken her so long. "Morning Mirabelle how was your weekend?" "Horrible, Emma finally cam home Sunday morning and looked like someone had tried to beat her to death." "Oh my god, who did it?" "She won't tell me and I don't know what to do to about it. Why would anyone want to beat her?" "I have a good idea why but none as too who. I'm just glad that she's alright." "More bad news concerning my weekend too." "Goodness I don't know if I can take much more. What happened? Please tell me that Bryce is alright." "He's fine but my father is going to marry me off to Simon." "SIMON!!! Has he lost his mind?" "I think so because he thinks were well suited for each other." The girls wondered if this week was going to be any better then the last one but didn't have very high hopes for it. They worked all day and managed to avoid Simon, Bryce and anyone else that they didn't really want to talk to.
They made it back to the cabin and Cecily saw Emma for the first time in over a week. She looked like she had been beaten and left to die in the woods which was pretty close to what had happened. "Goodness Emma you look just horrible." "Thanks like I didn't already know that." "Sorry but who did this to you?" "I don't know they hit me in the back of the head and I was blindfolded when I woke up." This enforced there idea that Emma could not stay her at the manor anymore. "What are we going to do there's nowhere she can go." "I don't know but I might not stay here ether if they want me to marry Simon." "So looks like were in the same boat." "Yes you are, one without a paddle." They looked at Mirabelle as someone knocked on the door. No one wanted to be the one to open the door but someone was going to have to because they were not going away. Mirabelle went to open because there was no one was out to get her. It turned out to be Bryce and of course she let him in. "Good to know you made it to work. Father was angry as a hornet when he found out you had left early and walked to work." "You walked to work?" "I wasn't going to let Simon drive me here." "Well I would have been there to you not going to be alone with him. Now that your engaged to him you not allowed to be alone with any man." "I'm not going to marry him Bryce."
"I know you don't want to marry him but sadly he's right and you have no say in the manner." "What do you mean she has no say in the manner it's her life." "Look were that type of thinking got you Emma. Your in no position to talk." "Don't be mean to my friends just because you don't like something any more then I do." Bryce decided it was time for him to leave before things got any worse. The girls had no ideas about how to solve anything tonight so they had dinner and went to bed. Mirabelle and Emma had no money because they had missed so much work in the last week so they were up early in the morning to earn there pay for the day. Cecily was not in any mood to do work but had nothing else to do during the day. The week went by quickly when your going serving a ton of extra people. It was Friday again before they knew it and everyone was happy and sad to see the king go. Most of all the servants. They were going to miss the extra pay but not the extra work. The king left with a huge feast at which almost everyone had gotten drunk. Cecily did not want to go home for the weekend because it meant that she had to see her father.
When they got there they went right up to bed because the feast had made them very late getting home. It was morning and Cecily was up early making breakfast with her mother before anyone else was up when her mother finally brought up the dreaded subject. "Now I know that you don't like Simon but your father is right and its about time you got married." "Make me marry anyone else but him. I will, just don't make me marry Simon." "Its past time that you started to grow up young lady and that means that is time for you to marry." "Are you saying that you like Simon?" "That's not what I said I just think that you need to find you place in the world. Were not always going to be around to take care of you." Her mother was right and she knew that but marrying Simon was not an option. "Now I need someone to run this letter down to the magistrate's office and I would like you to do it. You and I are going to the dressmakers shop today and are due there at eleven. Try to find some nice things around town or something till then." Her mother handed her the letter and a cloak and sent her out the door before she could even answer.
Cecily got halfway there and had to read the letter. Her mother had not even sealed it so there was way she would know. She read it and then read it again. It said that she was getting married next weekend and they needed him to write up the wedding license. That's why they were going to the dressmakers shop because she need a wedding dress. Were they even going to tell her? Well her mother would have had to tell her when they were getting the dress made but not to tell the bride first was just wrong. She took the letter into the magistrate's office and he wasn't even there. "He went to find up some bread and water so that we don't starve." She turned around and there was Oliver looking like he could use some sunshine. "Goodness you don't look jail is getting along with you at all Oliver." "What are you doing in here I didn't think I would see you again till I got out." "I have to deliver a letter about a wedding." "Is your brother getting married I didn't even know there was a women." "No, I'm getting married my parents decided last week." "Do you want to marry him?" "No, of course not. He's the most horrible person that I have ever met." Oliver looked behind him at Albin who was still asleep this early in the morning and then at the door to make sure no one would hear him.
"Don't marry him then." "That's a wonderful idea why didn't I think of that. Right because there is no way to get out of it." "Never say never my dear lady because I am not going back to the royal guard." "Don't they hang people that do that?" "You can't hang what you can not find. England is a big place and it's not that hard to avoid the king." "What about Albin?" "The dummy is coming with me and so can you." "What about someone else? Could I bring someone else?" "Sure I don't see why not but they have to have a reason to run." "She's pregnant with lord Thurston's bastard child." "Well that will work just fine then. When is the horrible wedding taking place?" "Next weekend I only get to work one more week." "There not rushing things at all are they. The timing is perfect. Be ready to go Friday night." "Alright and thank you so much Oliver." "Please call me Oli, everyone else does." She left the letter on the desk and set off into town to pick up a few things she might need for the road.
Cecily had a lot time till eleven and had no idea what see should get to take with her. She enough cloths and would take the money in the wardrobe but what else. Her doll from when she was little and her journal would have to come. What was she going to carry them in though? She went to the tanners and got a leather bag that she could wear on her back and would hold everything she would need. She stopped at a couple other stores to get some ink and a couple small things. She knew that she could get a needle and thread at home and there were eating things at the cabin at the manor. She was trying to figure out what all she would need on the run and was coming up a little short. She couldn't wait to tell Emma the news that they make it though it all yet. She was not looking forward to seeing what kind of dress her mother had worked up with Mrs. Smith but there was no way to get around that.  She walked into the dressmakers shop at a quarter till eleven and her mother was already there. "Oh good, you're here early. We have a lot of work to do." Mrs. Smith quickly had her into the plain white dress that she would were next Saturday. "My goodness you look so lovely dear." "Thank you." "She's right you look wonderful. Saturday is going to be the biggest day of you life and you should look nothing less then you best." Her mother was right of course but she had not idea that she was not planning to show up. The fitting lasted almost an hour and most of it was them telling her how nice she looked because they knew she didn't want to hear about Simon. Her mother walked home with her so that she could make lunch. Cecily had run home before the dress shop and hid the bag in the bushes in front of their house.
"So what did you think of the dress? I spent a lot of time working on that." "It's a very nice dress mother." "I'm glad that you think so. Now of course you will being moving into Simons house after the wedding. I think that I should tell you a bit what happens when people are married." "Mother please stop we already had this conversion when I went to work at the manor." "That was about what not to do while your there. This is about how to make a man happy in bed." Cecily just stared at the wall and stirred the potatoes while her mother talked. Thankfully Celeste came in the door with Gaven from wherever there mother had sent them. "There you are did you take them their lunch?" "Yes mother, father says he'll be home about eight o'clock." "Wonderful that gives me plenty of time for me to help you sister pack up her things after lunch."
Cecily was sitting on the bed while her mother sorted though all things that were in her and Celeste's wardrobe. "Well you two have so much more stuff then I ever did at your age." Her mother was having her try on older cloths to see if they fit or would go to Celeste. She was glad they were doing it because it normally was done during spring and Cecily had to go though then any way for when her and Emma left. Her doll had almost been given to a neighbor girl but she had thrown her under the bed. The only thing in the wardrobe besides cloths were Cecily's journal, money box, old embroidery projects, and some supplies from when she had tried to make salves and lotions. The embroidery projects could be undone for the fabric but the rest of the stuff was going to taken with her when she ran. Her mother was surprised that she was going along with it so well but was not going to question her good fortune. " I just can't believe that this time next week your going to be married to the son of a knight." "Is all of this about status?" "No its about making sure that you are well cared for and you don't have to work for the rest of your life at that work farm of a manor." "Please I don't mind. Just let me find someone that makes me happy." "Cecily it's done and over with. You will marry Simon Rowntree next Saturday. Now is that understood?" "Yes ma'am" Cecily had a lot of things that would go to Celeste and many of her things would go to the younger neighbor girl who's mother gave them her older sons outgrown cloths for Gaven. There mother hated to waste a dime. It made Cecily feel a little guilty that she was wasting the money for the wedding dress but her mother would have the money she was saving from her paychecks to make up for it. Cecily was trying to make sure everyone was happy when she was gone.
They went to church Sunday because her parents wanted to make sure that everything was set for the wedding next week. Simon was there looking happy as could be. Bishop Drake wanted to talk to the too of them after church. "Hello Simon, Cecily; It makes me so happy to see young people getting married. Cecily aren't happy to marrying such a good man?" "I don't want to get married." "Now dear I know you say that know but when its all over your nerves will calm down." "Don't talk to me like you like me you fool." "I don't know what you talking about. Bishop she's a little nervous about the wedding." "More like I hate you and would never marry you in a hundred years." "That's all going to change next Saturday." "Aright that's enough of that I'm sure everything will work out once your all married and your going to be very happy. I just wanted to congratulate you both." They both thanked him and Simon walked her home right before lunch started. Cecily's parents invited him to have dinner with the family. Cecily didn't say a single word until after he had left. "That was a lovely lunch was it not?" "Mother you have to be out of your mind. They didn't speak a single word to each other the whole time." There mother gave Bryce a look that would have made a plant die but Bryce was not taking it back. "I agree with you mother is was a lovely lunch." She sent Cecily out to the garden to sweep up leaves and Bryce to cut firewood.  Whatever their feeling their parents were going though with this wedding.
It was time for bed before she knew it and it was her last night that she was going to spend at home. She had retrieved the pack from the bushes out front before she went up stairs and put it in the wardrobe. She was ready for bed before Celeste was even upstairs. "Hey your ready to sleep already, I'm surprised your not fighting still." "Fighting with words is not everything and sometimes you have to take a different road. I want you to always take the different road. I want you to follow every dream you have never give anything up for anyone." "Cecily you only moving four blocks away your not moving to Ireland." "Sometimes even small distances are farther then we think and I want you to know I love you, Bryce, Gaven and even though I'm mad at them mother and father.