The Twisted Throne

Chapter 6: Edris

I clutched my notebook to my chest as I scoped out the town square, looking for someone to help me execute my plan. I spotted a girl who was wearing the uniform of a castle servant. Perfect, I thought.

"Hello," I greeted her as I approached. "You work for the King, correct?" She nodded hesitantly, and I continued, "His Majesty asked me to come find you and let you know that you have the rest of the week off. He also wanted me to take your uniform to be washed."

"Oh my! That's a surprise. I didn't know that His Majesty even knew who I existed!"

"The King likes to take care of his servants."

"Of course! He's a good man. I'll run home and change, will you wait here?"

"Actually, per His Majesty's request, you are to change right now. I have a dress for you in my bag, and there is an outhouse right over there," I pointed to the slightly secluded area in front of me where the small wood-paneled shack was located.

I pulled the dress out of my bag that I had packed for this very purpose, and I gave it to the servant girl. She scampered into the outhouse and began to change. This was proving to be much easier than expected. This poor girl was very gullible, and hadn't even noticed that I showed no sign of working for the King. All guards, messengers, and servants wore specific items to portray their position, and I did not have any of those. That was the reason why I approached the girl in the first place.

When she had finished, she shoved her servant's outfit into my arms and left after expressing her gratitude. She was in such a hurry, that she had forgotten about the wicker basket that she had previously been carrying. I scooped it up, figuring that it would provide a good reason for me to be outside the castle grounds.

I changed into the girl's uniform, glad that she had been wearing trousers instead of the traditional skirt. I waltzed confidently through the village and all the way down the path that led to the castle gate, with the basket in my hand. I had neatly folded my old clothes and placed them inside, so that if anyone questioned me, I could just say that I was out visiting the tailor.

I nodded to the guard as I passed by. He did a double take, and I couldn't tell if it was because he thought he recognized me or not. I stopped just inside the gates, wondering if it would be appropriate for me to use the main entrance. I knew of other doors from my time at the ball, but I was uncertain about where the servants were supposed to go.

I saw another servant who appeared to be just finishing his job of trimming the hedges. He swung the long shears over his shoulder, and wiped his brow with a handkerchief. I decided to follow him as he began to walk. I hoped that he would bring me to an acceptable entrance.

We plodded around the first tower, and I could see a door wedged against the curve of the wall. The man kept going, but I decided to check it out. I tested the knob, to find that it was unlocked. I heard footsteps approaching on the other side, so I dropped to the ground and pretended to lace my boot.

A messenger swung the door open, nearly hitting me in the process. She stepped outside, adjusted her satchel, and bobbed her head towards me in greeting. I kept my head low, where my hair covered my eyes and mumbled a "good day" in response.

Once she had gone on her way, I got up and reopened the door. This time, I didn't hesitate to step inside, but I did remember to check the hallway before deciding that the coast was clear. Now I was inside the castle. My plan was unfolding even quicker than I had anticipated. If all went well I'd have the job finished by tonight.

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Of course, nothing went well once I was inside the castle. I quickly realized that I had not even explored a fifth of the palace in the one night that I was there for the ball. It would probably take days to cover every foot, but luckily I only needed to go where the princess was. Not so luckily, I had no idea where that could possibly be. I trailed around the castle for about an hour, feeling helpless, until I saw a maid carrying a load of fancy dresses.

"Need some help?" I offered, thinking that the dresses might belong to the princess.

"Oh! Thank you!" The woman allowed me to take a few dresses from her.

We walked in silence for a bit, until I worked up the courage to ask, "where are we heading?" I tried to appear nonchalant, as if I was only wondering.

"We're delivering these to the Queen's dressing room."

I began to feel deflated and nervous. I had spoken to the Queen on the night of the ball, and I worried that she might recognize me.

We rounded a corner, and the maid knocked, politely, on the nearest door.

"Come in," Her Majesty's voice rang out.

We did, and I was nearly shocked to see the Queen lounging on a sofa, wearing only a dressing gown. She looked so different without her elaborate clothes and makeup.

"Just hang them there," she instructed, gesturing to the rack that resided in one of the corners.

 The servant and I began sliding the dresses on hangers and  them up. I could feel Her Majesty's eyes on my back the whole time. I turned around when I was finished, and the Queen was giving me a quizzical look.

"You feel both strange and familiar to me," she said.

"I've been told I have that effect on people," I lied.

"That must be it, just an impression." She sounded confused, but there was nothing I could do to help her without blowing my cover.

"Is there anything else you need, Your Majesty?" I asked.

"No, thank you. You can leave now. I am grateful for your help."

"It was my pleasure."

I gave a small bow, and exited the room. As I leaned against the wall, trying to slow my racing heart, I realized that I was very wrong before. This was going to be so much harder than I could have ever expected.