TIWC Entry #4
Help

Never had I seen someone look so lost in their own home before.

Her brown eyes had the most faraway look in them as she gazed out her barred window. Chin in hands and lips turned down tightly, I knew she must be deep in her reveries again.

She hadn’t even touched the tray of food I had left for her an hour ago. She just sat there at her desk, staring emptily through the glass.

It wasn’t good for her to be like this. But what could I do? What was I? A servant girl, that was all. One of many maids assigned to the personal needs of milady. Bound out to the Duke and Duchess until my father could pay his debts.

Yet I still wanted to help Lady Simplice.

 Lady Simplice had the kindest, warmest brown eyes of anyone you could ever imagine, and yet in a flash they could turn into fierce, determined and devoted ones. She had long, beautiful brunette hair with the sweetest smile often playing on her lips, and yet they too in a flash could open to spill forth words that changed the hearts of many. She aimed to make the word around her a better place and glorify the One who saved her; she was so benevolent and kind to everyone, even me. All she wanted to do was help people.

And that’s what got her in trouble.

Simplice wanted to help others so badly, she was willing to communicate with another noble lady in the rivaling kingdom, Leirmyd, by letter. Lady Constance was her name, and she wanted to help, too. Both ladies were tired of the fighting that went on between the kingdoms of Bastonse and Leirmyd. Their correspondence between letters consisted of plans to end the war, which no one could even remember the origin of anyway.

Honest and innocent plans they were. Lady Simplice and Lady Constance only wanted to help; they were more than sick and tired of the fighting, the needless bloodshed, the war; but it was to no avail.

Because somebody found out.

The Duke and Duchess were infuriated. As soon as they found out she was communicating with the enemy and involving herself in war affairs she had no business getting involved in, they punished her. Lady Simplice was locked in her room with no way at all to have contact with Lady Constance. The only people who ever saw her in this lonely state were her maids.

And we of all people wanted to help this woman who had devoted so much of her time to help others, including us. Just one kind word or a smile from her would carry us through one hard week to the next. The love of God flowed through her and to our lives like a spout.

And that’s why we had to help her.

I stepped back from the keyhole I had been peering through. A soft shaft of light shone through it and into her room when I moved away from it. I lifted my hand to the keyhole, holding a key one of the servants who loved Lady Simplice as well had smuggled to me. I opened it slowly and peeked in.

I stepped in fully, closing the door behind me and gripping the key tight. I coughed to get Lady Simplice’s attention, and after a while coughed again. There was no telling how deep Lady Simplice was in her ruminations.

This time Lady Simplice was jolted out of her pondering state of mind and whirled around on her seat. “Mae?” She questioned. “Oh, you can take back the tray. I’m not hungry.”

She looked horrible. Ending this war meant a lot to her; saving as many precious lives as possible. Now that she couldn’t keep contact with the rivaling kingdom, how could she do that? She needed a way.

And more than hardly anything, I wanted to be that way for her.

“I didn’t come for the tray,” I murmured, keeping my voice low.

“Oh. What is it, then?”

I studied Lady Simplice’s kind and concerned brown eyes. I had to help; how could I possibly not?

“I want to help you.”

*

Oh no! My eyes widened at the portcullis being closed shut after a carriage left the manor. I have to make it! If I could just run a little faster, I could duck my head and roll under the sharp, iron edges of the portcullis before it was closed.

My feet flew across the ground as I fled away from the manor. I had supposed that a measly servant girl like me would go unnoticed by all; but that wasn’t true. There were other servants – “butlers”, they posed, but they were really bodyguards – outside Lady Simplice’s room, stationed there by the Duke and Duchess themselves.

They watched me when I first spoke to Simplice. They watched me bring her paper, ink, and a quill. They watched me accept the letter she handed me under the door. They watched me as I nodded to Simplice’s whispered directions through the keyhole. And they watched me fold the letter and hide it down the back of my dress inconspicuously.

Or so I thought.

Now, two of them were running after me, determined not to let that letter make it to the rivaling kingdom of Leirmyd.

It was all or nothing as I ducked my head and bent my knees before the closing iron bars.

“Don’t let her get away!” Shouted one of the servants chasing this little maid.

But it was too late. My back hit the ground and I somersaulted with just inches of clearance between me and the sharp iron edges of the portcullis. Only my cape was caught and unbuttoned off my shoulders.

I leapt up from the ground after my roll and continued sprinting in the direction Lady Simplice had told me the Leirmyd kingdom was in. I kept racing off, ignoring the creaky sound of the heavy grating being raised to let the servants out to chase me.

I’ll do anything for Lady Simplice, I vowed once more as I disobeyed their shouting commands of “Halt!” She deserves it. I hiked up my skirts and bolted faster across the countryside, more than determined to help the selfless one that had in so many ways helped others.

Hmm. I like it. ?

Grace, I used all three prompts and included my team’s writing utensil – a quill. :D

I can’t believe September is almost over! That means TIWC is almost over! :o And the first day of fall is tomorrow, guys. :o I’m so excited for cooler weather! Well, like we ever get any here in Florida. Fall will probably just be hot like usual. :P At least it might get down to 60 degrees when winter comes. I love summer, but not humidity! So come on, cooler weather! ?

What was I saying before I went off an that little tangent? Oh, yeah. GO TEAM QUILL! ? We’ve got this! ;)