The Grand Palace

Charlotte walked through the market, she was buying meat...lots of it. Finally, another chance to eat the very rich, succulent, and ever delicious chicken. 'Long time no see' she thought to herself. The abattoir was not as crowded as she expected. She walked to the clerks table.

"I want a chicken well groomed...fat...weighs over a hundred..." "Are you looking for an ostrich?" The clerk asked with a cold irritated face. Charlotte frowned, then scoffed it away. "I want a really big one" she said nodding "well lady...or...man in a very wack dress..." He couldn't keep quiet about it and asked; "...are your ears for fancy?" He retorted making Charlotte frown, this was some really rude man. She shrugged "I can't afford earrings" she said faking a smile which did not last long "get lost then...you can't afford a chick even...this is an abattoir, not a wish palace" he spat. "You are rude hugh...oh well..." "Besides..." He peered left and right "the chicken we have is fully reserved, we are expecting guests..." Charlotte scoffed cutting him short, he stared at her amused as she placed a pouch full of coins on the table, he picked it looking at her suspicion clear in his eyes. He glanced inside, his eyes widened, and he nodded clearing his throat.

"I guess you can spare" she said raising her brows

"Three kilos of chicken miss" he said, she smiled broadly.

*****

Maisy stared at the basket then Charlotte who had a smirk on. 'Why is she wasting money?' Maisy thought, they were visibly, obviously, clearly... poor...

"Why are you so insensitive Charlotte?" She asked Charlotte who frowned... "Chicken?, potatoes?, eg.. you dumb child..." "It's your birthday granny, we should celebrate... and people eat these on a regular basis... it's not even special enough..." "Oh..." Muttered Maisy in realization, but she didn't want to agree with her completely "nonetheless, we should manage..." "You are welcome" Charlotte said taking the basket and leaving for the kitchen.

"She's such a sweet child" Maisy said in admiration.

Maisy nodded relishing her meal made specially for her by her granddaughter. She smiled warmly

"Delicious Charlotte...oh you are a beautiful cook... your husband will be so luck..." "Of course he will be, I will not only serve him food but burnt offerings..." "What?" Asked Maisy confused. Charlotte nodded, chuckling heartily she sure was taking the talk somewhere and diverting Maisy's attention from marriage.

"I am Mary mother, the holy spirit is my husband..." "You are not alright"

Charlotte nodded in agreement"yes granny, it bothers me; if the holy spirit can take our money in the name of tithes and offerings, it certainly means he is physical, which means he can come to us...but I've never seen him before" Charlotte said faking ignorance, Maisy shook her head, Maisy was questioning God's existence again, and was criticising the church, the pope and the crown. The young one continued her 'unasked for' explanation;

"That means; the church is a business run by the crown and their puppets... filthy liars, why I never trust people." Charlotte concluded. "And you want to be trusted??..." "Not at all...haha..." Charlotte had a good laugh "... trust me and you'll lose your eyes" she added. "I trust you" Maisy mumbled shrugging "yeah... and that's why we had to buy you glasses" joked Charlotte snorting. Maisy nodded slowly;

"You really do like the fact that nobody likes you" she observed

"Yes..." agreed Charlotte "... and I want to keep it that way forever" she affirmed

"You'll never marry that way" Maisy said shaking her head "remember granny... I'll marry the holy spirit..." Maisy stumped the table making Charlotte stare at her amused "blasphemy you ignorant child" she said. Charlotte wore a thin smile

"You've joined them?, now-now granny, you have stumped our frail table to retaliate for...'the holy spirit', if our table breaks, our loss. Holy spirit will be alright , or he probably doesn't exist" she picked the dishes from the table and left to the kitchen "choose wisely nana"....

CHARLOTTE'S POV

Oh granny... always trying to buy marriage into our talks. I want to live a free life, and all the married wenches I see are not free. So single I will be. Sometimes she tries to be convincing and brings in the family tree, how she birthed my father, and how he in turn birthed me together with my mother and how I would never have existed if not for the bold step they took to get married. Makes zero sense to me because if my mother hadn't married my father, she would not have been poisoned by my father's jealous git of a friend. In conclusion, if she had not gotten married, she would still be a lot alive... ignorance is sin...

****

"The villagers are all ignorant, my lord" Lincoln said shrugging "they do not even know what he looks like..." then something flashed in his head, that sickly girl...there was no way she would know, and even if she did... she will be too busy to realize it. "... so my district is perfect." He ended "very well".

****

"Oh look... that crazy girl I told you about" Sarah said to Klara who scoffed "I know her... Charlotte, where are you headed to?" Klara asked Charlotte plastered a visibly faked smile "hell" she replied with a dirty look. It made Klara frown "I just wanted to talk" she said shrugging oh really... after condemning me every second... want to talk about how my hair isn't straight now hugh? "oh really... with the crazy girl...your companion isn't enough for you?" Charlotte asked Sarah scoffed looking away "I tell you not to talk to this girl" she said in a rather sing-song manner. Charlotte agreed with her on that one and she didn't hesitate to pitch in "listen to your mate" she said nodding Klara shook her head in disagreement, it was not normal for anyone to be treated like an alien, unlike Sarah who was full of hot air, her cousin was kinder and people loved her, but not Charlotte who saw her overly good gesture as a facade. Klara was more well to do than Sarah. She was sire Adams Willow's daughter, sire Adams was the head of the Oscar family being the eldest son of Willow Oscar. Sarah's father was his immediate younger brother and lived in the Western moors handling and supervising the farming and production which was a menial job the residents of Alston would not do for cheap so the Western was perfect, and it had good soil. Sir Adams handled the marketing and supervised financial input and output hence he resided in the trade capital of the penine moorlands, their family was well known even in the castle, as a major trade cause they pulled the strings in the kingdom. Withholding their supplies for three months could lead to an increment in taxes as the kingdom will rely more on imports, it was a blessing to acquire such great lands, a huge blessing. One would expect that Sarah was more reserved of course, but reverse was the case. Nonetheless, the two remained best cousins almost like twins infact, Klara was only a day older.

"No...I do not agree to that"

"You have to... Charlotte crumbles doesn't give us a choice does she?" Sarah asked rhetorically, Klara peered at Charlotte expecting her to say something in her defense, like how much she needed a friend, but...

"Just so you know blonde one, I treat bad breath too" Charlotte chuckled, that would be a brutal riposte but the look on the girls' faces meant she had said that out loud. Their eyes were widened in horror and before Charlotte could apologize, she had felt a sharl sting on her cheek, Sarah had slapped her.

"Don't ever speak to me like that again" Sarah spat, but she had slapped Charlotte already what else can she possibly do? She decided to provoke the already angered lady some more

"You don't speak at all, I could get a typhoid... air pollution... perhaps that's why you lost your fourth date to Maria..." Klara's eyes widened in realization, Charlotte continued uncontrollably "who knows where else stinks" she ran off, another slap would leave a mark. Klara and Sarah watched her run off in silence due to annoyance beyond words .

"That filthy girl !!" Yapped Sarah, Klara averted her gaze to her gesturing a listening ear "it is all your fault she insulted me, we should have just ignored her and went our way" Sarah was angrier than ever. Klara patted her "forget her... she is crazy indeed... there is alcohol amongst the things I brought with me... it's a gift from Walter... let's go home and drink" Klara said "ooohh... alcohol My father never lets me near the bar..." Sarah said as Klara led her to her (Sarah's) house.

Klara did not think Charlotte was crazy of course, but she was quite daring and it wasn't a good thing for commoners. Nonetheless if it made Sarah feel better why not?.

****

CHARLOTTE'S POV

Word went around fast, the crown prince would be paying a visit to our local cold ditch of a district, as a result of a tour organised by the king to get the crown prince to know his kingdom better. What a pointless reason to put us on our toes. He had assembled all the representatives of each family residing in the penine moorlands to assemble at the government office in Alston. It was a three houred journey if one hired a horse, but that costs ten pence and a farthing. A single caravan cost fifteen pennies and lasts four hours, a crowded cart pulled by two horses and boarded fifteen people at least (if the charioteer isn't a greedy man) costs seven pence and lasts six hours aproximately.But a journey on foot lasts eight hours and costs a gallon of water on your side. I love free so...

Getting there as early as we could, all good old patriach Lincoln could do was keep us standing for over an hour. When he came finally he kept exchanging pleasantries with sire Adams and sire Louis who were offered seats in a shade whilst the rest of us wallowed standing still for as long as he wanted.

He rambled about how we had disturbed his peace...he had summoned us, did the old man forget??. He ordered us to make sure the streets, market, and church were clean and in order so as not to make all his efforts go to waste what efforts? I had asked my self. Lincoln was never a sane man. His gaze dropped on me, he wore a mope, displeased to see me I guess.

"Charlotte... You made it, a wild animal didn't devour you on the way?" He asked faking a concern. He knew I had used the forest which was a shortcut. I shook my head...

"How fortunate... luck" he said with a too good to be true smile, I faked laughter "of course" I muttered "mhmm..." He hummed dryly "... saying this so no animal devours you-mind your business, no one wants your filthy, dirty, and disorganising suggestions, okay?" He said raising an eyebrow. I chuckled dryly "no way a rat can devour me..." I mumbled making his jaw tighten. Those who had wisdom enough to understand our conversation seemed appalled, sire Adams squinted his eyes, as sire Louis whispered to him, he nodded slowly, then moped his eyebrows shrugging instead of his shoulders.

"Very well, Charlotte... very well, since you aren't scared of wild animals, you don't mind fetching wood for the fest do you?" He asked. I fought a grimace slowly creeping it's way to my face. This cunning man was trying to use my words against me, I was too smart for that "I do mind sire, as I stated that I fear rats not, and not 'wild animals' " l said trying to smile. He wore a hard earned smile as well; "fetch wood then Charlotte... enough to feel that storehouse" he ordered pointing at a big empty room, one almost two times our cottage. A direct order which I could not disobey or I face the wrath of the stick. All eyes were on me now, everyone wanted to see my reaction, even sire Adams peered at me eager to hear something rude or retortive. I gave a stifled nod "of course your grace..." "Good, now leave." He said gesturing with his hands, I furrowed my brows

"You do not expect me to fetch all that by myself, your grace..." "Tipping the disrespect with a little respect..." He said mockingly everyone burst laughing...I just hated this man... "Toss her out" he ordered a man servant who matched to me "hey hey...I will leave... " I said heading out of the compound.

When we got to the gate, I glared at the manservant who tilted his head wondering why I gave him such a look like he gave the orders...

"And how am I supposed to fetch all that wood?" I asked the servant who scoffed "follow orders girl" he said I scoffed as well but dryly "tell him he has daughters" the man shrieked, lord Lincoln was a witty man, and could do a lot to suit himself, he had a lot of tricks under his sleeves and I was sure this man didn't want to cross his witty boss.

"Besides... what will you be doing?" I asked, seriously why me when this patriarch had more servants than the ki...or I dunno...

"Mind your business, and do as told or you'll get severely punished girl" he said not answering my question. I scoffed walking out of the gate. The men guarding the gate stared at me or glared rather at me in disgust, I was not their typical kind of girl. It did not bother me although, I had escaped their perversion.

Granny was horrified, I was even more horrified, I could no longer work as a physician and apothecary as I would be too busy which meant granny was going to overwork. I was troubled of course, but Lincoln didn't care an weeny.