Chapter 6: Make-sport

Lucinda was something of a menace with her dark smile, her presence ignited her anger, her fists clenched facing her but it may as well have ended in aggrieved silence because she sat down on the other side.

Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you here?"

"Ravishing isn't it? The place has never looked filthier, with your presence," She laughed heartily.

"Go on then, leave my filthy presence" Jocelyn urged with simmering rage.

Lucinda fluttered her eyelashes with a sweet smile.

"Why princess, whatever do you mean? All the seats are taken,

Jocelyn looked around the crowded room, booming with heat and the full seats, a few servants were standing by the walls, sparingly eating, some were passing her looks of revulsion

She turned back to her soggy bowl even more displeased. I hate this place.

Jocelyn's spoon twisted as she clenched it aching to wring her neck, from the look in her eyes, she knew something was poaching up.

She definitely knew something, Jocelyn could feel it. She couldn't quite shove her paranoia back of her mind.

Lucinda picked up her first scoop and ate her mashed potatoes casually with an entertained look on her face. "Yummy"

"Spare me" Jocelyn couldn't bare another spoon of mashed potatoes and pushed up from the table to leave, her heels clicked on the tiles and Lucinda set her foot out causing her to fall over.

She winced at the shock of falling unexpectedly and her mind rang at the uncomfortable impression under her foot.

Lucinda refracted her leg before she looked back and acted upon eating her food.

She stood up marching briskly through the lanes, thrown off by the hushed laughter out the diner and into the quarters.

Elliot was talking to Patrick when she pushed through the doors.

"Out of my way pilchard!" She growled pushing past them to the corridors.

"What is the matter with ye!?" He said after her.

She stumped her foot hard and cried out in outrage. Gasping with no one to meet her demands.

The guards were aware of her and came around holding her arms "You must move to your quarters immediately"

"Hold yer horses, I've got a dealin' with the little monkey here!" Elliot pointed and she wrinkled her nose at his dusty stench.

"I demand to be chaperoned away from this_this...dirty, grimy..."

As she blurted the words, Elliott's brows creased.They led her away and Elliott's chest wrenched in fury and bellowed after her;

"Ooh, yer just weepin' bcos ya got what ya deserved!"

Her head rolled back enraged "What!!?"

As she turned back, the guards grabbed her arms before she could fight back.

"Unhand me!" She kicked with her legs out when Elliott cast her a grin of triumph as they took her away.

Jocelyn grunted when they pushed her inside her room.

The room was odd from the last time she was in and she irked at the burgundy curtains and the mattress,

She glanced at the maid who was caught up on making embroidery on a chair and desk with her back to her, in front of the beaming daylight from the large window, the only things clear was her curly red hair, her beige sleeves and her elbows moving as she sewed up the fabric in glee, humming.

She glanced at Jocelyn and her verdant green eyes rounded and her cheeks grew rosier in the sight of the kidnapped princess,

She wasn't supposed to be here in this very room, she was getting tired of having to come here to do her dirty work besides that, she was still sore from being pushed to the ground.

Fortunately, she was quick to forget, she didn't want to displease the king by treating her as such. Instead she nodded with a greeting. "Princess"

"You shouldn't be here" She lifted her chin with a haughty look.

Jocelyn sniffed walking to the window to hide her displeasure and snivelled with hatred for Lucinda, 'That witch is going to get it sooner or later' She thought begrudgingly and sat down.

Now she was heavily aware of the maid who was inside her room and flashed a nasty look at her.

Angelica knew immediately

"I am ordered by my king to stay here, twas my doing that brought me..." Her face was red as a tomato again "...on probation"

Her blood ran cold at the last statement, she nearly snapped a fan into her palm in indignation, forgetting that she did not have one.

"For how long, pray tell? Maid?" Her eyes flashed and she clicked her tongue as the maid turned white dropping her needle.

"A sennight" She confessed shakily, even she too was dreadful of her company. For the princess was haughty.

"I must tell you that I am not generous, you must sleep on the floor"

She was tight-lipped "It was foreseen and I must teach you the rules around here"

"Rules? Faugh! The scoundrel makes rules?" She laughed.

Jocelyn was contemplating and realized it was well worth it to just enforce her control over her, afterall, she was the one who brought qualms upon herself. Yet again, the maid is more knowledgeable about the foregoing.

"Interesting overture, my dear Lily"

"Angelica" She blurted.

"Nevermind, well then..." She was left to her own tedious corner while Angelica went back to knitting and hummed to fill the quiet except for men hoisting produce into a cart and yelling outside.

But for now it seemed she was succumbed to gratitude, the worst she expected was a prison, a limited view and rotten food. She realized she hadn't eaten a morsel contributing to her restlessness.

"Pardon me, there's a rip on you dress" Angelica cleared her throat trying to sound as dignified as possible.

Jocelyn wisped her skirt to her view and reddened. She could never guess how it took place, perhaps the fall left it that way making her more or less a make-sport. It was a big rip and she could almost imagine the looks on the servants' faces.

"How far do these seams go?" She muttered in distress and Angelica winced at her hysterics but didn't realize it was only a matter of figure.

"Not quite far, I'm sure I could stitch it up as quickly as possible, if you will" Her eyes lowered.