8: The letter

"Earl wake up! Wake up!" I heard someone calling me from afar and I opened my eyes wearily, squinting against the morning light to see my little sister, who sat on my bed tugging at my sheets excitedly.

"You're a princess now Earl," she exclaimed, waving a letter above her head, "a real, real princess."

I snatched that paper off her and sat up abruptly, almost knocking her onto the floor.

"What's this," I croaked, my voice thick with sleep.

"You've been enlisted," my mother spoke from doorway, I glanced up to see her leaning against the door frame, arms crossed with an expressionless look on her face.

"This can't be real," I quickly read the letter, tasting the words eagerly till I reached the last line and I looked up with an overwhelming feeling of excitement. I swung my legs off the bed and stood up with a squeal.

"I'm going to the palace, I'm actually going to the palace." My mind was jumbled up with a dozens of wild thoughts that I could barley get my words straight.

"Calm down Earl, it's only for a week." My mother said with a small smile.

"Isn't Earl going to be a princess?" Coral asked, rocking her legs that hung from my bed.

"Nope but guess what?" I pulled her off and swung her around the room from her waist.

"What?" She yelled, giggling as the room spun before her.

"I'm going to eat the most delicious food and wear the prettiest dress to have ever been made, it's going to be so much fun." I set her down and dance around her as she laughed ecstatically.

"At least behave yourself when you're there, I can't have you embarrass me in the Imperial district too." My mother said sternly.

"Of course I will and I'll bring back as many things as I can, food, clothes, trinkets to sell when I return."

"No stealing mind, Silvia won't do your chores for you even when you're dead." My mother added.

"She doesn't do them when I'm alive so why would she?" I rolled my eyes, "does she know, about the letter?"

"She's the one that got it off the postman at the gate, dead shocked she was too." My mother replied, "almost fainted."

"What about father?" I asked expectantly.

"He also knows and now will you get up and fetch us water? The buckets empty." Mother asked.

My mouth tasted sour and I looked down to see the crumpled gown I was wearing with a curled lip. I couldn't help but envisioned myself dressing in flowing dress of dazzling amber with golden studs adorn in my hair, sleeping on a soft, downy bed in a gorgeous room that smelt of privilege and velvet.

"Earl? Stop daydreaming and make your bed, there is so much to be done today." My mother called severely.

I nodded and quickly adjusted my sheets, propping up my saggy pillow before hurrying to the bathroom to get my teeth brushed. I couldn't wipe the smile of my face and stared at myself in the mirror with a anticipated sigh.

A week of bliss- I couldn't wait.

I padded down the hall and entered the kitchen, groaning when my feet met the wet floor.

"What's for breakfast?" I asked.

Silvia had her arms halfway in the sink and glared at me when I came in.

"There's porridge on the stove and mind the floor." She muttered coldly.

I winced in disappointment when I picked the lid of the pot and gazed down at the grey, unappetising mush, scratching the back of my neck. It didn't look good and wrinkled my nose when I sat down and ate a spoonful of the tasteless, pulpy mess. It was an uninviting and unwholesome meal but I kept myself entertain by imagining the glorious breakfasts I would be able to eat at the district.

"What's for lunch?" I asked Silvia.

"How on earth am I supposed to know?" She said irritably, throwing a cup she has just dried into the cupboard.

"Smash a plate of something, it'll make you feel better." I replied with raised eyebrows.

"Better duck," She said, "I'll be aiming at you."

"Try me and you won't have arms to aim with."

"Something the problem?" Mother asked as she hurried in with a basket of eggs she had just collected from the chicken hut.

"Nothing," I told her, "mother can I go see Ciara to tell her about the letter?"

My mother sighed as she rummaged through the pantry, "what about your chores Earl?"

"I'll get them done I promise, can I just stop by after I get the water?" I gave her a pleading look, clasping my hands in earnest appeal. "I want to see if she has received a letter too."

"I highly doubt that," Silvia snickered and I ignored her.

"Fine but only as long as you take Coral and Silvia with you." Mother replied and I frowned, slightly aghast at the prospect of doing so.

"Coral and Silvia? Mother are you serious?" I whined and she nodded resolutely.

"Quite so, I need two bucket and I don't think you can carry both by yourself."

"But why Coral as well? She is such a pain." I pushed away my pate of sloppy boiled oatmeal and huffed pettily.

"Because I'm slaughtering a chicken at the back for dinner and I don't want her to hear any of it, Arez has gone with his father to the market so I just need you to take Coral out from my feet for a bit." Mother turned to me for my answer and I obliged reluctantly.

"Why do we need a chicken anyway? I thought you said we won't be killing anymore for the rest of this year?" I asked her, taking my plate to the draining board. Silvia glared at me when she placed the final dish in the shelf and saw me stealthily leaving another for her to wash.

"You aren't the only girl to receive a letter from the palace, many other have as well, the most ever seen in Aleand actually." Mother considered, "I remember when I was younger and King Elio was in need of a wife, only two girl got any letters, the rest were mostly sent to Ocelia."

Girls from Oceila were infamous for being beautiful and rather spoilt, the culture there was a little backwards for my taste as the men were the only ones who went out to sea to fish and trade. Women stayed inland and did the more domestic tasks which explains why their faces weren't leathered or hands worn like many of ourselves.

"Maybe King Azreil likes a hardworking women," mother shrugged and continued, "Some Aleands wanted to hold a little gathering to celebrate."

"That's sounds like fun, tonight?"

"Yes tonight, you're leaving tomorrow morning." Mother handed Silvia and I a bucket before running a brush through Corals dark curls. "Off you girls go now, keep safe mind."

We set off a few minutes later, clambering over the fence that ran around our field as our empty buckets clanged against the back of our legs. Silvia immediately took off and Coral and I had to almost jog to keep up with her swift pace.