ριɾαƚҽʂ

Part 2: Buju

Buju

The palace was excited about Princess Dahlia of Eldridge's arrival. Even the servants who would have little or nothing to do with it. There were flowers everywhere being trimmed and tied together with ribbon, their petals and stems scattered all over the kitchen floor. Pastries were being baked and frosted. Buju slowly polished her last piece of silver and placed it on her impeccably designed table. She was good at what she did. That didn't mean that she agreed with what was going on.

"Buju," summoned the head maid, Griselda at the doorway, "The Prince beckons,"

Buju nodded and left the room. On her way out, she met the palace apothecary. He stood waiting beneath an alcove in the servant stairwell. He held out a small purple bottle and jiggled it.

"Finally," Buju said and reached for it.

"Uh-uh," he said, pulling it out of her grasp and rubbed his thumb and pointing finger together. Buju groaned and pulled out a small satchel of coins. He took it and went up the staircase whistling. It was odd how the transaction went about. She asked him if he could make a poison. He told her 5 coins. She told him she could get that. He told her it would be ready in a week. Not once did he ask what it was for. She shoved it into her corset and continued up the stairs. Before she could make it to the third landing she had another visitor on the stairwell. It was Sir Theo.

"Ah, Miss Buju, how I've pined to see you," he said. Buju rolled her eyes. He came down the steps wearing the finest clothes a Knight could own; a crisp white shirt and brown pants with shiny black boots she could see her reflection in. He sword hung at his side; the sword of a First knight, encrusted with its beautiful jewels.

"Sir Theodore," Buju said, bowing without looking him in the eye. It was something a servant was supposed to do with her superiors.

"Oh, please do call me Theo. We're way past the formalities, don't you think?" he asked, fingering his yellow mustache as his eyes creeped down her shirt.

"A member of the royal family beckons, so if you'll excuse me, good sir," she said, trying to pass him. But he blocked her path by placing both of his hands on the railing beside her.

"I told you, my dear, to call me Theo," he said. Every young pretty servant had spent a night in his bedroom except for her. Buju figured he might come calling soon. But rather hoped he wouldn't.

"I can't, it's not proper. Now if you'll excuse me - " she said, trying once more to get past him.

"Where are you going so fast? I'm important here too, remember? The first knight to the king wishes to have your counsel for just a few moments," he said, backing her against a wall. He leaned in front of her.

"You have such pretty eyes. How did they get so green? They're like jewels," he said. He ran his ringed hand across her cheek, "And your skin a soft permanent brown like a sun tan that won't go away. Where did you get such a dark complexion? It's beautiful."

"Please get off of me," she said, with a frustrated sigh.

"The first knight commands that you stay right where you are. Now, tell me, lovely, what is it going to take for me to see the rest of your beautiful body?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said.

"Ohh, that eager?" he asked and ran a hand up the back of her skirt.

"No, I mean, there's nothing in the world that would inspire me to let you see or touch any of my body. Now get off!" Buju said and pushed him off.

She was strong, and it caught Sir Theo off guard. He went back a few steps. Buju tried to rush past him but he grabbed her arm, twisted it behind her back and shoved her against the wall.