To Be A Princess (court life)

5- Arriving at the Castle

A gilded carriage strode into my estate, halting outside the front of my manor. I was called on by a footman and I exited my room, I do not know when I shall see it again. I walked down the grand staircase and crossed to the left corridor, and down to the servants hall, where I was greeted by all my dearest friends. They are the only friends I have ever had and I am devastated to leave them behind.

"Goodbye Tom and Tom!" I said as I hugged the two stable boys.
"Goodbye miss Rose!"
I turned over to Frank, the footman.
"See you soon, yeah?" I muttered, feeling myself begin to tear up.
But I wouldn't cry. Lady Rosalind Ravenswood does not cry.
"Cheer up Rosie, try not to miss me too much."
He smiled as his eyes danced with mischief .
"If anything, you'll be the one who's missing me Frankie." I laughed in reply.

Once I finished my goodbyes, I exited the room.
Bessie would not be attending the castle with me, as is royal custom for a ladies maid. However, leaving everyone else behind is harder than I thought.

" Goodbye Papa!" I greeted my father, rushing over to him with pretend glee and a faux expression. He nodded and returned my hug before returning to his office to continue his work.

"Farewell my dear, dear governess." I chanted demurely as I lowered my eyes and bobbed down to a curtesy.
"Be rid of you, child. I'm warning you, if you do not find a rich husband, you will be a disgrace to this family and shall never return." She muttered into my ear with a deadly expression and her eyes drilling into me, her spindly fingers grabbing around my arm and her nails gnawing into my delicate flesh.

I flushed my eyes towards the ground before muttering my "certainly" and "yes's". This was, of course, before I looked up grinning, leaping out of her grasp and giving her a rather rude hand gesture that I was taught by Frankie.

"Damn you governess, I hope I shall never see you again!" I shouted, my grin as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. I ran and jumped into the carriage before poking my tongue out at her and turning my attention to the onlooking servants and giving them a smile. As my governess ran up to the carriage, shrieking in fury, I called to the driver telling him to "hurry up please, before we are both killed". With a clang of chains, the carriage began to move. I looked down at a startled Frank and grinned, throwing him a wink as he bowed, a smile peeping through his serious face, as his eyes danced with laughter.

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The journey went on for what felt like decades but was only hours. Nightfall soon hit after 8 hours of absolute agony, jolting around in the carriage with no company. It was an utterly ridiculous rule that a lady may certainly not travel with a commoner, thus poor Bessie was forced into one of the luggage carriages, which left a few hours prior to mine. I missed my best friend already.

We stopped at a small estate just 4 hours distance from Kingston Castle. We were happily welcomed by the baron and baroness of Darclons, who were family friends or distant relatives, I cannot remember. The night passed swiftly and with much comfort and soon I was on my way again. We left in the early morning, the baron and baroness sending us off, eager for the driver and I to leave.

*2 hours later*

I tapped on the side of the carriage, poking my head out the window to ask the driver to pull over. He obliged and helped me out of the carriage, asking me what I requested to do. I expected he thought I needed to freshen up or have a few moments breath, before returning to the carriage, but I had other ideas.

"I'm quite bored, are you?" I asked.
"I s'pose milady." The old man replied.
"May I ride up front with you?"
He practically choked on air and looked as if he were to faint.
"Milady, I ain't think that's proper"
"Oh please? I am so positively bored" I replied, glancing up at him with large, open eyes.
"I'm not sure, I don't think--"
"Excellent!"
And with that I jumped up to the front of the carriage.

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As the next hour passed, I discovered the that Jim, the driver, was once a merchant. He has sailed across the seas and to countries like Spain, France and even India! He seems awfully interesting and has only filled my heart with even more desires to travel. Even more reasons not to marry.

We fell deeply into conversation before realising that we had arrived to the inner city. Streets upon streets lit up with busy merchants and shopkeepers, carting and selling goods to the overcrowding flow of onlookers and villagers. My eyes immediately turned from Jim and to the vast and colourful environment surrounding me.  Children happily running and little girls braiding flowers into each other's hair. Old women and flustered mothers looking for the cheapest bargain and arguing over egg prices. Upon further inspection, I discover a boy grasping for an apple without the shop keeper realising and began to laugh uncontrollably. He shot me a terrified look and I gave him a wink and placed a single finger to my mouth till his face morphed into a wicked little grin as he tipped his hat to me.

We were soon outside the castle gates and were greeted by guards, looking ever so disgruntled and serious. Jim announced that he was here driving "Lady Rosalind Beatrice Ravenswood of Northington, daughter of the Duke of Northington" to the palace. I have Quite a formal title, but that is what is expected in court society.

The guards eyes soon turned to me as their grotesque eyes gleamed in hunger. I began feeling extremely uncomfortable.
"Hey miss, you the ladies maid? Pretty little girl you are, what would you say to meeting me at the stables tonight" he implied suggestively, his eyes lowering to an area below my face. I grunted with disgust.
"You are revolting." I replied, deciding that I have a hatred for this vulgar man. As far as I am concerned, no man should ever speak as such to any women, and I will have none of it. If Frankie were here, he would certainly punch his face in.

The man looked at me before jumping onto the carriage and tugging at my dress, pulling me off the carriage as I landed into a heap on the floor. Jim immediately clambered down onto the floor and approached the man, creating a rather large brawl. He was immediately pushed to the floor and held down by two surrounding soldiers.
"Who do you think you are, woman?" The soldier yelled at me with extreme conviction and anger.
"I am Lady Rosalind, as dear Jim here has already announced. Who do you think YOU are?" I replied, covering my smirk as his face dropped at the realisation that I wasn't a maid and his skin turned to the shade of snow.
He nodded at the other soldiers and they inspected inside the carriage.
Obviously, nobody was inside.

"Now take your hands off me. I am no maid, and even if I was, you still have no right." I replied angered. He removed his hands.
"You were riding up front, so I just assumed you were a maid, another ripe Virgin, fresh for the picking, if you know what I mean." His friends laughed as he raised his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

I punched him in the face.

My fist made direct contact with his nose before I knew what I was doing, and my closed hand collided with his face win much force, created from fury and anger.
I wiped the blood from my hand and stepped into the back of the carriage.

This whole experience has just reaffirmed my desire not to marry. Men are brutes.

As I sat in the carriage I saw a stable boy standing there, shocked and grinning, flashing me a cheeky smile and tipping his hat to me. I smiled in return and his handsome eyes seemed to communicate with me, as if congratulating me on my punch and yet astonished that a lady could throw one that hard.