Pond of Words - Without You, Today Pt. 3

Morning sunlight falls through the glass windows on the third floor, inside Chara's home. Sunlight covers the green woolen rug in front of their sleeping quarter. Chara is woken up by the sounds of birds chirping through the open window. As she gets up and leaves the bedroom, she sees Carly in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for herself and her older sister. Bethany, their mother, spent last night inside the apothecary storage room; creating new remedies to restock the shelves with. Their kitchen is small, just the right size for everything necessary. After finishing preparing their breakfast, Carly leaves it at the table they eat at. There are various bookshelves filled with books or notes in the central room of their home. There are even a few decorations and paintings, depicting nature, inside the room. As they both sit down at the table to eat, Carly begins talking about various things she had done yesterday:

"Mom brought many new ingredients yesterday! So many vegetables...I will have to ask her to teach me how to cook new things!" She said excitedly.

"I wonder if she will have time to teach me those things today...I spent most of yesterday alone studying those dumb plants..."

"I did go outside as well. It was a very nice day! I'm glad the summer is coming. I love summer!"

"Mom said there was a meteor shower once...but I was too little to remember. Did she lie? What is a meteor?"

"I saw Violet yesterday! She said she misses hanging out with you! I heard she got into a big fight recently. She's probably joking...after I got worried she started laughing!"

As Carly talks about her day, Chara listens closely. Suddenly, Chara stops focusing on her and begins to get lost in her own thoughts.

"I don't know what this feeling is. Me, a lowly nobody. I didn't think too much about the day she saved me. I brushed it off as a stroke of good luck. I turned her goodwill into my own benefit. What else was I supposed to do? But now I think...maybe it wasn't just luck."  She takes another bite of the apple she was munching on, and her eyes drift further from Carly, "I don't...know. She is beautiful. Her delicate stare, her long blonde hair, her confident posture. I don't know why I'm thinking about her. She is royalty, Chara. You are nobody. Why would you even take a liking to someone of her status? Did you forget who she was, Chara?"

"Um, Chara? Are you there? Am I annoying you..."

"No, no, no, Carly. Just a little tired is all. I've got more work at the tavern today. I hate that place."

"How are you tired if you haven't left yet?"

"Why don't you stop working if it upsets you! You always come home late...and upset. Last time you were hurt too!"

Carly is too young to be forced to understand their families' situation. Chara and Bethany don't want to put that kind of pressure on her. Carly was confused by Chara's behavior this morning. She is usually more uplifting and cheerful in the morning, but today she seemed off. Chara shakes her head and gets up from the chair she was sitting on, moving closer to Carly and patting her on her head before proceeding to get changed and getting ready to head out.

Four days in a week, Chara spends her time at a tavern in a nearby street. Money is the only reason she still works there. They are the only place that she could get hired at, that even barely tolerated her kind. Chara puts on a brown coat over her sand-beige tunic and leaves the house. Silver-grey clouds began covering the morning sky, obscuring the sun. A warm summer wind blows lightly through the streets of the capital.

While walking down Aloe Road, thoughts of Stella creep up on her again. The thoughts ring in her head like a loud instrument. She tries her best to keep them silent, as she believes she is in no place to have them. Someone like her, a sole peasant in the kingdom, has no business of that kind with a person of royal status. She begins thinking more about Carly's words.

"Why don't you stop working if it upsets you!"

After their father's passing, things have never been harder. They were lucky enough to be taken under Sir Drake's wing, since he was a close friend of their fathers. They live on the third floor of his home, without having to pay any rent. Their peasant tax is taken from some of their earnings from the apothecary that is registered under Drake's name, although he has no insight on the business itself. He lets them be out of sheer respect he once had for their father, and the little respect he has left for their sick mother. If it was found that they don't pay any rent, there would be serious trouble for everyone included.

Approaching Clover Avenue, Chara manages to stop her thoughts. The tavern she works part-time at, Leaky Soup, is a few steps away from her. The family-run alehouse was a large and broad building, with a dark wooden exterior and interior. Inside the tavern, on the cold stone floor are wooden tables and chairs, with an unlit candle on each table. There is a fireplace towards the northern wall, with a fire already ignited inside. It is very dark at the moment, since all the curtains are closed shut, the only light is fcoming from the fireplace, or behind the counter and inside the backroom, where food is prepared and ale is stored.

"Thank the heavens. Someone still cares about me. Come Chara," spoke Maximus, the owner of the tavern and head of the family, before giving her a hug, "Nobody is coming in today except Sarah. Everyone is sick. They hate me!"

Maximus was always sharply dressed, at the moment wearing a black vest under a white tunic. Today was a special occasion. He mentioned to Chara that some "exceptional" guests will visit today, although he repeats this every day she comes into work. Chara shrugs and walks past him, sharing everyone's feelings towards Maximus, and taking off her coat to put on a gray apron. She proceeds to do her duties, sweeping the floor, setting the tables, igniting the candles by striking a special piece of iron on a piece of flint, and opening the curtains by the windows. She opens the front door to turn the welcome sign around, when a sudden gust of warm wind blows towards her back, slightly pushing her forwards and fluffing her short dark hair.

The day seemed to be going well. The atmosphere inside the tavern was bustling with energy and loud laughs. There weren't many people inside, but the people that were there seemed to be enjoying themselves greatly over some food and ale. Chara helped around as much as she was allowed, as her hands weren't allowed near preparing food, due to being marked as dirty by her social status. Suddenly, Maximus seemed to get excited behind the counter, and walked outside to meet some guests and walk them inside. Chara was standing behind the bar, inside the kitchen, but could still see the front door through a small window.

King Heraclius, a few generals and the king's daughter, Stella Widowgast, enter the tavern. Everyone inside cheered upon their sight, and they greeted everyone. The king was wearing a long purple robe out of fine fur and splendid cloth, which was gathered up to his waist. Under the robe, he was wearing an apricot-orange undertunic made of silk. Standing close to him was Stella, who was wearing a long light-blue linen gown with lace trims. Maximus sat them down, and had a short discussion with them before walking back to the kitchen and placing their order of food.

Chara's heart couldn't stop beating out of her chest. She once again crosses paths with Stella. The thoughts she had this morning rise again in her mind, enshrouding any other thought she had. She can't stop looking and thinking about Stella. Maximus snaps her back to reality with his loud voice:

"Chara! Are you even listening? His Majesty, the King! Show some respect, please! There isn't anyone else in here besides you and Sarah. Chara, while I prepare their food delicately with Sarah, I don't want to see you in here! I don't care where you will be, I don't want you in here!" He walks into the wine and ale cellar, returning with an exquisite wine bottle and hands it to Chara, "Pour them our finest wine. I at least have some trust that you won't mess this up. Quick, quick. You aren't paid for standing still."

With her hands shaking profusely, she pours wine in clay cups, putting the cups on a silver platter before walking out of the kitchen. She keeps her head low, looking at the shaking platter she was holding, before accidentally looking up and seeing the table she was carrying the wine to. Princess Stella was looking directly at her, with a surprised glare in her eyes. Chara's heart skips a beat, and she feels time freeze around her, as she stumbles on her own foot, falling down with the silver platter, and spilling the wine everywhere on the floor. The tavern is filled with dreadful silence, and all eyes are on the incompetent peasant on the floor.

To be continued.