Shackled Crown

3

    I woke to the sound of pots and pans clattering onto the kitchen floor. Confused I got out of bed, and cautiously made my way down the stairs. Joseph was in the kitchen and when he saw me his face fell.

    "Did I wake you up?" He asked

    "Yes, but it's totally fine, I should be up anyways. What are you doing up so early?"

    He looked at the stove "I was trying to make breakfast for you." He turned back to me "But I can't cook, it all turned out looking like.. like."

    "Like father's cooking." I finished for him.

    "Yeah like that." He smiled. I laughed and walked over to the stove, he was right. Joseph looked at me expectingly, so I grabbed a dish served myself some depressed oatmeal-like slop, and sat down to eat.

    After gagging down half my bowl of slop, I went to change.

    A few years ago the king had decided that maids should have to wear the stereotypical "maid outfit" and I being a maid had to wear it. It wasn't terribly uncomfortable, but it was very tight.

    The outfits only come in two sizes, small and large. I mean like were they thinking that every single maid would have either a tiny waist or be three times my size? Cause that's what they had.

    As soon as Joseph saw me he started laughing.

    " You look absolutely ridiculous." He managed in between bits of laughter

    I felt my face flush full of color and I shot him a dirty look. We laughed an I started on his lunch. I would eat at Edith's, but Joseph needed to bring his own food.

I packed him an apple, a slice of bread and some cheese and sent him off. After I pushed him out the door I looked around and sighed. I started thinking about my situation and how fast my life flipped me on my head. I felt my face get hot, and all the sudden I was crying.

I didn't quite understand why I was a crying but I was. I tried to reassure myself that everything was ok and yet I couldn't shake the thought that everything was hopelessly descending into chaos.

I looked at father's portrait framed neatly on the mantle next to mother's and felt my face flush with anger. How could he do this to us? His children! I felt the urge to throw the painting. I could see the image in my head. The once Beloved man's face flung across the room,smashing against his ever-so-loved elks head, and shattering into a hundred tiny peices as the glass that was there to protect him from fingerprints became the very thing that ripped into the cloth to destroy him.

As the violent thought withdrew.  I sank into one of our armchairs, the one that mother loved, and sobbed. I sat there for a long time, but eventually I had nothing left to cry. I was just empty. A strange feeling it is, to be empty, with so much you should feel yet you feel nothing at all. Like getting used to darkness to where you can see clearly.

I looked out the window and jumped. It must have been ten o'clock! Wiping my eyes frantically, I ran out the door and across the street to Edith's house.

I knocked then proceeded to enter and walk towards the kitchen, when I was stopped short.
"Edith?" I questioned confused "what are you doing?" She had a small table with two chairs and a chess board. On one chair was a small metal vase,
"well isn't it obvious child?" She seemed surprised that I was this oblivious.
"Umm, not especially" I began to lift the lid of the the strange container
"well im playing chess of coarse, but you weren't here so I and to find someone else to play with. No worries though cause Eddie volunteered." I quickly dropped the lid and wiped my hands on my apron. I looked at Edith with surprise and panic in my eyes.
"Uh um so what do you want for breakfast, I'll go work on that." I sputtered trying to get out of that room as fast as possible. You see Edith's husband Eddie had died three years ago "Anything is fine child" she was distracted trying to beat the ashes she had as competition.

I walked into the kitchen still in shock and immediately washed my hands. I searched the pantry for anything that might possibly be edible while being careful of any vases (Edith had three late husband's). I ended up with fried eggs and some oatmeal. I hoped I could eat the oat meal this time.

I brought Edith two bowls of oatmeal and two  eggs. One for her and one for Eddie. I ate my own serving in the kitchen then went to work dusting and scrubbing. After a while Edith called me into the sitting room, I brushed off my skirts and went to her. When I entered the room she had Eddie on her lap and was stroking him like a cat. She looked up and motioned for me to come closer, I did.

"I have something very important for you child." She held out the word very as if to make sure I understand, she still treats me like I'm the two year old staying a her house while my mother gave birth, I nodded
"Ok listen very carefully" she held out the very again "go to the cellar and turn the corner, there you will see them, bring up what you find and we will clean them."
I nodded skeptically but did as I was told.

I found a candle and the door leading to the cellar and went down the steep stairs. I turned the corner and saw something I was not expecting in the least. Guns?

Why would Edith need guns?
A strange feeling filled my gut, suspicion.
Edith was crazy enough. no she wouldn't, she couldn't have. But I remembered how even the man I trusted as a father wasn't the man I thought he was. Maybe she did.

Was Edith the princesses killer?