A Mark of Metal

Chapter 7

A frantic and stressed filled Ms. Buckets heaves in exhaustion as she opens the large doors, leaning against the frame in support as she searches the room. Upon seeing me she prepares herself to almost run and collect me, but peering to the person to my right, she suddenly becomes speechless. A second head peers in from behind the door with his brows cocked wondering what is causing so much noise. Ah shit...

When the muscle head saw me he raised his brow in confusion, but upon seeing who I was occupying the room with, he immediately started to stroll in, a look of shock evident on his brows, but putting on a smile as to not show his true emotion.

"Ah! Caspian! My friend!" The prince smiles in excitement, leaving my side to meet the muscle man part way for a firm handshake into a side hug.

Caspian? Not Brutus the destroyer? Killion the bringer of death? His name doesn't measure up to his muscles. But it works I guess. I bite my lip in thought looking at his muscular arm.

"I didn't know you had finished your mission so quickly, if I had known you were coming today I would've greeted you along with my father." He smiled as he scanned his friend for any physical injuries, before sighing and grabbing him by the shoulders again. Showing his true excitement from not only seeing his friend, but also knowing he was safe from battle.

Caspian just smiles at his friend, grabbing his shoulders in turn. But in doing so he turns me around with one hand and pushes me under his arm into Ms. Buckets, who then quickly checks me over with a look of shock so intense, you could tell you were in deep shit.

"Ah Caspian! This woman says she is to be a maid in your castle." He smiles, turning to his right to introduce me to him. But upon seeing he was talking to air, he looked beyond Caspian's shoulder to see me leaving. And in an attempt to call attention to me, Caspian moved his shoulder, so the view of me being dragged out of the room by Ms. Buckets couldn't be seen.

"Ah yes, my new maid. She's a bit slow witted so don't take anything she has said to mind. Also, I wouldn't touch her, not even a graze. She's carrying scabies." Caspian frowned at the prince. "Please tell me you haven't touched her." In which the prince swiftly shakes his head, peering to my retreating figure with slight disgust.

WHEN WILL THE INSULTS END?!

"I-" I tried to speak ,but my voice was immediately cut off by Caspian shutting the door on Ms. Buckets and I.

WHAT THE HELL!?!

"I do not have scabies." I quickly turned to reassure a disgusted Ms. Buckets, who had swiftly removed her hands from me at the mention of the word.

"Well..The only way to confirm that is for you to take your bath. In COLD water!" She starts to push my back into the direction of the cellars once again.

"Cold?" I ask, looking at her from over my shoulder.

"It would've been warm if you had stayed where I asked you to." She frowns at me.

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"Well I'll be damned. Your skin is so smooth and untouched by disease it reminds me of a newborn babe." She scans my bare back in amazement, as she pours another bucket of cold water over my head.

"Is bathing always done..With other people?" I question shyly, my back turned to her as I cross my arms to hide my chest.

"Oh please, I don't mind helping."

I do.

She sits me down in the cold bath water, and sits on a stool behind my head. She grabs my head and places it between her knees as she empties a vile of unknown liquid, and starts to scrub my hair with it.

"The Sir never mentioned that he was bringing a girl. But he's not really the type to splurge on his life. I think it's because he likes to surprise people haha." She laughs to herself, as if she doesn't really believe in what she said.

"I didn't expect to be brought along." I shrug.

Suddenly the thoughts of my unexpected journey make tears well in my eyes. The thought that my friends were in probable agony trying to find me, and my mother...The idea of her losing another family member starts to tear the seam in my heart wider. Before I knew it, tears just endlessly fell as I started to whimper.

"Oh darling, what's the matter? Were you brought here against your will?" She questions.

I suddenly think of the course of actions that would've happened if I had told her I was. That I was taken without my permission, and that I wanted to be put back to where I was. Almost tempted by the idea to tell her I was, the quick reminder that the world was no longer the same, came to my mind.

Even if I was free to go back the way I came, who is to say I could find the unnatural way I came into this world, and if it would work again in getting me back home. Nevermind the fact that mythical creatures now roamed the land. Orcs? I couldn't even fight off a seagull stealing my fish and chips at the seaside.

The best course of action was to get someone to bring me back, and without any money on hand, the possibility of that seemed low. What about the prince? He seemed nice and well fit to fight any beast. I question myself, but I'm quick to remember that he thinks I currently have scabies, and that he was a prince. He has duties to attend to that are more important than bringing a contagious woman into a random forest.

Sighing again, I realised my only real hope was getting on Caspian's best side and asking him to bring me back. The possibility didn't seem like too much of a difficult feat, as although he was a little rude to me, he was nevertheless a gentleman.

Feeling as if I now knew what I was doing, the well of dried hope in my stomach started to fill again. The thought that I might be going home, even if it would've taken me a while to accomplish, made me smile as the whimpers came to a cease.

"No, I'm fine. I was just confused on what I wanted to do. But now I know." I smile to myself.

"Was it starting on the preparation for the Sir's room?" She heartfeltly questions, as if my tears were caused by the idea of doing cleaning after having a long journey.

"No?" I answered confusingly.

"Well then you must still be confused, as your duty for today, after you've had your bath, is to prepare the Sir's chamber before the nightfalls." She pats my shoulder in encouragement, washing out the liquid she had just put into my hair.

Great...

After Shirley had finished getting me washed up, she proceeded to help me dress in the many layers required to wear the garments of this world. Now fitted into the outfit of a housemaid, I was quickly sent to work in preparing the bedroom for Caspian to sleep in.

Which was a lot of work to my surprise. I was shocked at the duties required to fulfil a single task, praising my poor ancestors in their painstaking work they would've had to also do. Keeping the fire going, making hot water, dressing the large bed, keeping the bed warm with hot coals in a metal pot, dusting, the list went on. Never having to put this much work in setting up my own bedroom to sleep in each night, I started to feel the true sense that I was taking my previous life for granted.

Flattening out the bed to smooth out the creases, I huffed out a tired breath as I walked over to the fire and settled myself in front of the soft chair in front of it, watching the fire as it danced about.

Hearing steps nearing the door, I stand up gracefully from the chair, waiting for Ms. Buckets to come and inspect my work in the room.

Watching the door open, a surprise came to me as I watched the tall, muscular man I had spent two days with on a horse, open the door instead. I curtly bowed as I prepared myself to leave the room, feeling it awkward and ill fitting for myself to now speak to a man of such high status.

Moving my way past him, he gently grasps my arm, turning me to face him. "I have a few questions." He raised his brows to me, then gestured with them for me to sit down on the chair in front of the fire.