Post by Mini on Jul 11, 2014 21:02:40 GMT -4
Just as Alimar had predicted, returning to her original room to take a moment to finally cope with what had almost just happened to her is exactly what young miss Abigail did. Once she had slipped into the servant's quarters and taken a few steps into the silence, reality finally hit her, and it hit hard. Overwhelmed by sudden exhaustion and terror, she collapsed on the nearest bed and started sobbing uncontrollably. So much had happened, and so much hadn't happened. What would have happened to her if Alimar hadn't walked into his quarters when he had? How could she have faced her family and friends if that man had done what he had been intending to do?
It was almost twenty minutes before Abigail had cried herself dry, and without meaning to, cried herself to sleep. It wasn't until some time later that another young servant named Elizabeth slipped into the sleeping quarters to fetch a forgotten letter that she saw Abigail asleep on the bed closest to the door. Elizabeth's first instinct was to instantly run over, awaken Abigail, and scold her for being in here sound asleep when there was work to be doing, but as she approached her, she saw signs that Abigail had been greatly distressed. Her hair was a mess, her shirt was still disheveled, and the area around her eyes looked rather puffy. Frowning, Elizabeth crept over to Abigail and gently shook her shoulder.
"Abby? Abigail, wake up. What are you doing in here sound asleep so close to dinner time? Come on, get up," Elizabeth whispered, giving her another shake.
With a start, Abigail jerked upright. "What the-- Elizabeth? Wha... What time is it?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes in a childish manner.
"Nearly dinner time! Abby, what's going on? Are you all right? You look distressed," Elizabeth pointed out, giving her a sour look. "Meister Eldon wouldn't like it, knowing you're in here sleeping. Are you sick?"
With a great deep sigh, Abigail quickly summed up what had happened earlier in the day. Elizabeth said nothing the entire time. She simply sat there with a stoic look on her face. Once Abigail had wrapped her story up and ended with explaining that she was now employed with Alimar, Elizabeth gasped and shook her head. "Abby! You can't just go quitting your job with one viscount and going off with another just like that!"
"He isn't a viscount, he's a duke," Abigail quickly countered, scowling at Elizabeth. "And besides, he... he saved my life, Elizabeth. If not for him, then I shudder to think what would have happened to me from that... that..." She muttered something in her native under her breath, then took a few breaths to compose herself. "I owe him a great debt, and working for him ought to be much better than working for Mr. Eldon. Do you know how often I've had to make sure I'm with others after dark? Mr. Eldon hires whatever scum he sees fit to hire and seems to care very little for those he employs. Honestly, I feel more like a warm body filling an occupancy on a list than I do anything else," she said very quietly.
Elizabeth scowled right back. "Abigail O'Leary! Listen to you, talking so... so casually about viscounts and dukes! They are above us in all aspects of our lives. It would serve you well to remember that. What gives you the right to talk about those your boss and master employs?"
Abigail stood up and glared down at Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, did you even hear anything I was saying?! Are you telling me that you are perfectly all right with those cretins cat calling at you whenever they see fit?! We may be servants, and we may be women, but that gives them no right to--"
"Abigail, say no more. Please. Perhaps it is for the best that you are leaving here to go off and serve another noble. I need to return to the kitchens before I'm missed," Elizabeth said, clutching the letter she had come to fetch close to her chest. "I'll say a prayer for you tonight before I go to bed, though. Goodbye, Abigail," she said, turning to practically run out the door.
Abigail stood there fuming, glaring daggers at the spot where Elizabeth had just been. It was people like this that Abigail absolutely couldn't understand. Muttering to herself, she paced over to her own bed and quickly started packing up her belongings. She didn't own much that she could actually call her own, so it only took her about ten minutes to pack her four outfits, extra pair of shoes, her journal, a knitted blanket her grandmother had made her, and a few other little odds and ends. Abigail stuffed everything into her traveling case, then stood looking at her empty bed. "Well, I guess that's everything. ... Wait a minute. What time did Elizabeth say it was?" she asked, realizing that she never did hear the answer to the question. A quick peek out the windows showed the sky bathed in crimson and pink. Abigail nearly dropped her bag on her toes.
"SUNSET ALL READY?! Ohh, how long was I sleeping?!? I-I told Mr. Marion that I would be there within the hour!!" she yelped as she made a frantic run for the door and booked it down the hallway, nearly plowing into two more maids when she rounded the corner. The girl was running so fast that she didn't even see the three men huddled in a dark corner, watching her head off towards Alimar's part of the castle. One of them pointed towards her as she ran, then the three nodded their heads and went their separate ways. Abigail appeared to safe... at least for now.
"Oh please oh please oh please don't be angry," she whispered as she turned the last corner, huffing and puffing as she practically burst the door down to run into Alimar's quarters. She was about to call out to him that she had arrived when she made the awkward realization that she had absolutely no idea what to call him. Duke Alimar? Duke Marion? Mister Marion? Meister Marion? Master Marion? And so it was that she stood half in and half out of the doorway, a perplexed look on her face as she tried to figure out just what she was supposed to call the Duke of Veryn.
It was almost twenty minutes before Abigail had cried herself dry, and without meaning to, cried herself to sleep. It wasn't until some time later that another young servant named Elizabeth slipped into the sleeping quarters to fetch a forgotten letter that she saw Abigail asleep on the bed closest to the door. Elizabeth's first instinct was to instantly run over, awaken Abigail, and scold her for being in here sound asleep when there was work to be doing, but as she approached her, she saw signs that Abigail had been greatly distressed. Her hair was a mess, her shirt was still disheveled, and the area around her eyes looked rather puffy. Frowning, Elizabeth crept over to Abigail and gently shook her shoulder.
"Abby? Abigail, wake up. What are you doing in here sound asleep so close to dinner time? Come on, get up," Elizabeth whispered, giving her another shake.
With a start, Abigail jerked upright. "What the-- Elizabeth? Wha... What time is it?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes in a childish manner.
"Nearly dinner time! Abby, what's going on? Are you all right? You look distressed," Elizabeth pointed out, giving her a sour look. "Meister Eldon wouldn't like it, knowing you're in here sleeping. Are you sick?"
With a great deep sigh, Abigail quickly summed up what had happened earlier in the day. Elizabeth said nothing the entire time. She simply sat there with a stoic look on her face. Once Abigail had wrapped her story up and ended with explaining that she was now employed with Alimar, Elizabeth gasped and shook her head. "Abby! You can't just go quitting your job with one viscount and going off with another just like that!"
"He isn't a viscount, he's a duke," Abigail quickly countered, scowling at Elizabeth. "And besides, he... he saved my life, Elizabeth. If not for him, then I shudder to think what would have happened to me from that... that..." She muttered something in her native under her breath, then took a few breaths to compose herself. "I owe him a great debt, and working for him ought to be much better than working for Mr. Eldon. Do you know how often I've had to make sure I'm with others after dark? Mr. Eldon hires whatever scum he sees fit to hire and seems to care very little for those he employs. Honestly, I feel more like a warm body filling an occupancy on a list than I do anything else," she said very quietly.
Elizabeth scowled right back. "Abigail O'Leary! Listen to you, talking so... so casually about viscounts and dukes! They are above us in all aspects of our lives. It would serve you well to remember that. What gives you the right to talk about those your boss and master employs?"
Abigail stood up and glared down at Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, did you even hear anything I was saying?! Are you telling me that you are perfectly all right with those cretins cat calling at you whenever they see fit?! We may be servants, and we may be women, but that gives them no right to--"
"Abigail, say no more. Please. Perhaps it is for the best that you are leaving here to go off and serve another noble. I need to return to the kitchens before I'm missed," Elizabeth said, clutching the letter she had come to fetch close to her chest. "I'll say a prayer for you tonight before I go to bed, though. Goodbye, Abigail," she said, turning to practically run out the door.
Abigail stood there fuming, glaring daggers at the spot where Elizabeth had just been. It was people like this that Abigail absolutely couldn't understand. Muttering to herself, she paced over to her own bed and quickly started packing up her belongings. She didn't own much that she could actually call her own, so it only took her about ten minutes to pack her four outfits, extra pair of shoes, her journal, a knitted blanket her grandmother had made her, and a few other little odds and ends. Abigail stuffed everything into her traveling case, then stood looking at her empty bed. "Well, I guess that's everything. ... Wait a minute. What time did Elizabeth say it was?" she asked, realizing that she never did hear the answer to the question. A quick peek out the windows showed the sky bathed in crimson and pink. Abigail nearly dropped her bag on her toes.
"SUNSET ALL READY?! Ohh, how long was I sleeping?!? I-I told Mr. Marion that I would be there within the hour!!" she yelped as she made a frantic run for the door and booked it down the hallway, nearly plowing into two more maids when she rounded the corner. The girl was running so fast that she didn't even see the three men huddled in a dark corner, watching her head off towards Alimar's part of the castle. One of them pointed towards her as she ran, then the three nodded their heads and went their separate ways. Abigail appeared to safe... at least for now.
"Oh please oh please oh please don't be angry," she whispered as she turned the last corner, huffing and puffing as she practically burst the door down to run into Alimar's quarters. She was about to call out to him that she had arrived when she made the awkward realization that she had absolutely no idea what to call him. Duke Alimar? Duke Marion? Mister Marion? Meister Marion? Master Marion? And so it was that she stood half in and half out of the doorway, a perplexed look on her face as she tried to figure out just what she was supposed to call the Duke of Veryn.
