"What can we do?" Her growing appetite left, she felt lost. "They won't believe I can't."
"YOU must educate ME." Sonya giggled at Daphne's mystified look and explained.
*****.
They soon went outside and the child went to the camp wood pile. Then under the child's hesitant directions Sonya built wood around tinder. The cloaked adult then took flint and steel and struck a spark. They conferred quietly, the child took back the flint and steel to strike her own spark. They alternated in this way until the child struck a spark that ignited the tinder then they both blew it into flame. "We did it?" They smiled together over the smoking growing fire.
"Yes milady. Your servant can do that so much faster. If you just allow her..." The guard was interrupted by Sonya.
Sonya spoke waspishly without looking up. "No! It has become VERY clear that closer protection and supervision is needed. Nor would it hurt for me to learn some womanly arts. I know so little of this. I AM to be wed soon. She will teach me at every meal and every stop for the rest of the trip. I so command it! If it delays my mealtimes, so be it! Today, mind your OWN cooking!"
*****.
Two cooking fires lit the encampment that day. Both flared and died in increasing strident wind slowing cooking. At one point, the clasp on the travel cloak gave way and it flew into a guard's hands. Both girls froze as the Captain returned the cloak.
The captain presented the cloak on bended knee. He bowed his head. "Great lady Daphne, I wish to apologize, today was, unfortunate, but proves the child's abiding fealty. My only concern was that you were deserted in your hour of need."
He took a deep breath, looked Sonya in the eye, paused, stared, seemed confused, then continued with a smile. "His wise majesty, good king Tobias always claimed that devotion in a vassal, only comes from good leadership from the lord. Have no fears about my report to him. May I be forgiven great lady?"
Blake stares right at her? And sees me? Daphne looked from one adult to the other, noticed sweat on Sonya, was her fever back?
Sonya grinned widely. "Arise and be forgiven. You WILL keep trooper Davis AWAY from my little one. He hits her, is rough with her, scares her, and today was NOT the first time!"
Daphne started. She hadn't mentioned him being rough on the trail. He had done so before?
The captain came to attention smiling. "Already done, and gladly, great lady. Peace?"
Sonya nodded accepting the cloak. She smiled. "Besides, You prefer her cooking over the drover? Yes I knew she spiced your meals as well as mine." At the shocked look, then slow smile, she laughed. "OK captain peace. However, I will practice womanly arts, like cooking. Fair warning?"
The captain chuckled. "Fair enough great lady. Better eat swiftly, storm will hit soon."
*****.
They soon retreated to their tent, Sonya grabbed little Daphne and whirled her around at shoulder height. Exclaiming. "It worked mistress. We did it!"
Daphne felt a thrill of pleasure and involuntarily cried. "Whee!" Which shocked her. She sobered as she was set down. "Uh. He called you Lady Daphne? He looked right at you?"
Sonya shrugged. "He saw what he expected to see. A long haired woman in a fine dress is all Lady Daphne is to him, I guess. Kinda sad." She frowned then brightened. "Hey! You take me herb picking tomorrow." She knelt and spoke haughtily, her nose in the air. "I so command it."
They both laughed. Then the first thunderclap sounded. Daphne felt raw terror and leaped into Sonya's arms, trembling. "Want my mom." Daphne whimpered fervently. Taking a deep breath, she eased her tight grip. "Sorry. Childish. Haven't been scared of storms in a long, long time."
Sonya pulled her into her lap. "Since you were little? How about, we stay together until the storm passes. Share blankets. You remember our first night? I called you mum?"
"Yeah, sorry I yelled. Didn't want to be anyone's mom. Seems so petty... MOM-MY!" Daphne squealed and trembled, whimpering anew at a much bigger KA-BOOM of thunder, hiding her face at the lightning flash. It was the loudest thing she had ever heard.
"How about, you call ME mum. It may comfort you and it is what the guard's expect. Try it now." Sonya spoke soothingly, as she smoothed little Daphne's hair rocking her gently.
"Yes mum." It did help, a little. Daphne loosened her grip to curl up in Sonya's lap. She tried to resist the urge to bite her right fist, but as the wind howled, into her mouth it went.
"In case they overhear us talking. Until we fix this. I should stop calling you mistress. OK?"
"Yes mum." Dimly, Daphne realized they had just completely switched places, that didn't matter. Right now, she was scared and just wanted to be held. She didn't feel so good.
"Good girl." Sonya smiled slyly as she began to hum comfortingly. She leaned back and settled a blanket over both of them. "How about, I talk until you calm and can sleep. OK? Once upon a time, in a land..." Sonya recounted the classic story of the scullery drudge Cinderella.
A fairy tale? Daphne almost objected but the shrieking wind made her cling close. The rumble in Sonya's chest distracted her from the storm. Daphne soon relaxed. As Sonya said "lived happily ever after.", Daphne was softly smiling and had been for some time. She felt sleepy, warm, and safe.
Sonya positively beamed a smile down, her singsong voice honey sweet. "There. All done. Uh huh. Ah there's my good little girl. Safe and so very trusting. Now you are calm and very sleepy but you still hear my voice. Hm? Good. How about, YOU tell ME a story. Um. The last Beltane fete in your father's court. Start with the receiving line." Sonya spoke softly and rocked gently.
Daphne felt sleepy, detached, she heard herself talking and answering the occasional question. The May day feast seemed so clear in her memory now. Her throat hurt a bit as she talked on and on.
*****.
In the morning little Daphne was flushed and feverish. Her throat was a raging fire and she could not speak above a whisper. She clung to Sonya and rasped "don feel good mommy." A small moan, that pulled at the heart, escaped the child as her eyes fluttered shut.
"Uh. Right." Sonya touched a hot forehead then carried the child outside to dip a cloth in fresh cold water. The captain ran up as she dabbed the feverish face.
"Milady, the bridge is repaired, we need to break fast and be underway. ...Milady?"
"Here. I need to make tea." She unburdened herself and knelt by the campfire.
The captain looked up, his face a mask of horror. "Milady! Your servant is ill."
"Figured that out huh? Hey! Keep that cloth to her face. Now dip it, keep her cool. Mind her a moment longer. This tea will sooth her throat and ease the fever." Sonya put leaves in a pot and put it on to boil. "OK. Give." She held out her arms.
"Milady. She has the influence, I cannot let you touch her. Y-you..." Blake sputtered.
"Captain Blake! I have held her all night! Idiot. Not influenza, just a child's chill from the river. Give her back, now." Sonya beckoned. "For my sake." She sighed.
"Sonya make tea for princess. Make all better." Daphne muttered hoarsely, struggling feebly.
"No! She is off her head with the sweats. She thinks she tends you! Milady may feel honour bound, but I am charged with your security, your safety. Milady. There is a nunnery near here. I will leave her with them and they can care for her. It will be good." Captain Blake clutched the child, started to rise.
Silence stretched as Sonya paused.
Daphne struggled, tried to protest but her voice didn't work. She couldn't grow up a nun!
"CAPTAIN. STOP. It is not GOOD! I am charged with her welfare. I alone! We are inseparable! By order of your KING! Give her back. NOW!" Sonya thundered.
Blake was startled at the outburst. "But. Milady..."
Sonya took Daphne out of Blake's arms. She handed over coins. "I want fruit from the next village. Juicy mind, AND fresh. Well? ...Break our fast, prepare departure. To duty! Go!" She soon tipped cooled steeped tea to a little mout
h.
******.
Daphne slept fitfully in the carriage. A wineskin of herbal tea seemed to ease her throat and help her sleep. She didn't want the cut fruit Sonya put in her mouth but some went down her raw throat anyway. By evening, she was rested enough to help big Sonya with her hair.
Sonya's wealth of hair proved too long and awkward for its owner to adequately deal with. Daphne took over the bedtime combing Sonya's long locks before putting them in Daphne's night sock. Even that small effort left her exhausted. "When dance?" She tiredly rasped.
Sonya cuddled her close. "Still pretty sick little one. Barely stand. No dance for days yet. No arguments. Shh, sleep now. Haven't even gotten our herbs yet."
****.
The trip passed quickly after that. The captain wanted to make up for the time lost at the bridge, so they left near dawn, and travelled till past dark. It seemed they just travelled and slept.
Each night, little Daphne combed, plaited and coiled Sonya's long locks into the hairnet snood for next day's travel. Days in the carriage, Daphne slept or raptly listened to Sonya about herbs, cooking and the life of a servant. Evenings, it was soothing for both of them to sit and groom, talking. Daphne often found herself talking of even her most private matters. As the illness faded, her trust of Sonya grew.
It took Daphne days to recover. She clung to Sonya as if to life itself. Sonya the ‘princess' cared for Daphne her ‘servant'. This amused the guards immensely, but impressed Blake. None had noticed anything amiss.
Sonya referred to Daphne as ‘little one', even in private, which Daphne accepted. By the end of the illness the whole party did. A good thing, Sonya reasoned, it prevented Daphne from not answering to the wrong name. Daphne WAS the only little one here she asserted.
Late at night, Daphne was troubled. Sonya knew too much. Sonya talked and behaved like the adult she resembled. It felt natural acting childish, but Daphne remembered being a child.
*****.
By the time Daphne was nearly strong again, they were in the well populated lowlands and sleeping at roadside inns. This meant, they locked in mornings and evenings and couldn't go gather herbs, their guards wouldn't let them leave either inn or carriage. Desperate, the pair tried the dance, but nothing happened.
It wasn't all bad. The best part of solid food was sweets. Daphne had discovered sweets, in a raspberry patch, while looking for the river pool, an hour after... this. Sweets were the nicest thing about being little. Before they were just desert. Now, they tasted soo good. Fruit filled pastries were best yet. Most adult food was so spicy and icky now. Daphne marvelled anew, that was the thought of a very, very small child, ...how old was she now?
Sonya just smiled at this knowingly. When she bought their food, Sonya made sure a ration of berry filled tarts were included in their lunch basket. She had to admonish the child to finish her entree before starting on desert. Saying "Children. Honestly." which made Daphne laugh.
Each evening seemed so full of spooky night noises, that Daphne kept requesting shared blankets. Sonya always agreed with an understanding nod then told the Cinderella story till she slept. The trip was no longer boring. Early one morning, a sleepy Daphne was slow rousing to dress. Sonya barked "Arms UP!"
Daphne groggily complied to have her nightshirt yanked past her upraised arms. Her shift and dress were then snugged down. "Saves time little one. We have so little, lately, these mornings." Sonya pragmatically explained. ‘Arms up' was commanded every morning thereafter.
Daphne felt violated, but only vaguely. Mornings, she was too sleepy. Sonya knew best.
At stops, Daphne kept close to Sonya. It kept her from interacting with the guards, who seemed harsh and demanding. Perhaps they always had been. When the others spoke to her, she always did as they bid fast, if only to retreat to Sonya as soon as possible. Her obedience and submissive ‘yes sir', ‘no sir', and ‘please sir' became a swift, automatic, reflex.
Finally, Captain Blake announced the final night of travelling. He suggested the princess prepare a bath to make a good impression on Galt itself in the morning. The pair got a room with a private bath. The tub seemed huge, big enough to drown the child Daphne. Sonya proposed to share the bath with her. It seemed only natural for Sonya to bathe first, for that allowed the scalding water time to cool. Afterwards, body and long hair wrapped in towels, Sonya bathed Daphne, like any small child would be. She talked amiably, lingering, while gently working shampoo into Daphne's hair. All while grinning as if enjoying some private joke. Daphne wondered what was so funny, but never asked. The pampering just felt too good to interrupt.
That night Daphne had a peculiar dream. Their room seemed lit up, all colours, like a rainbow, as Sonya stood in its middle pulling on a dress. There was a roar that wasn't a sound as Daphne ‘felt' the dress pull and stretch like taffy. Sonya suddenly looked at Daphne and said "sleeeep". The next Daphne knew was being woken at dawn.
In the carriage, Sonya laughed when told about the strange dream.
Chapter 07: The Palace of Galt.
The last morning, at the first rest stop, the drover announced. "Hurry back from the privy milady, this be our only stop. Captain wants to be in the capital before lunch." As always, the drover neglected to give the servant child as much as a glance. No wonder, nobody noticed our switch. Daphne mused gloomily as she followed Sonya.
"Smile. It's not so bad as that little one." Sonya tipped Daphne's chin up, trying to transfer her own smile to the small face.
"Mum, we can't search for herbs today. The last day." Daphne tried to smile, but instead began to cry.
Sonya crouched embracing Daphne. "Easy little one. There, there. Everything is fine. The palace will have a scullery, with a well stocked larder full of every imaginable herb. For wedding feasts, they will import the very best spices and herbs from all over. You'll see for yourself this very day, I will see to that. We will make our special tea, tonight, count on it."
Daphne broke into a huge smile and embraced Sonya fiercely, gloom forgotten.
"Great Lady, you tarry. What's all this about? What upset your little one that you stop to comfort her?" The captain looked harshly at the guards who tried to stand at attention and vanish at the same time.
"The little one doesn't understand about palace life Captain. She, well, you won't let her collect herbs today. She became SO worried that our lunch would displease me. It broke her little heart."
Sonya smiled hugely and gushed. "Isn't that ADORABLE? I promised to take her to the palace scullery's pantry and prove them well stocked. If that didn't satisfy, we would come RIGHT back here and have her collect plants to her hearts content." Sonya put a hand on her heart and with exaggerated solemness. "Princess promise."
Daphne coloured deeply as all the adults laughed at her expense.
****.
Soon they entered the capital and went up the long steep incline to the palace. Daphne was impressed, both the capital and palace were bigger and better defended than her father's, implying vast long term prosperity. "No wonder father ordered this marriage."
"Yes. Immature of you to oppose it. Still, what of Prince Adam? His fidelity, his character, how he might treat a wife?" Sonya's arm was around Daphne in a hug, smiling. "We will find out together eh, little one? You could go spy." She was answered with a smile.
Little Daphne blinked in the sunny courtyard while the captain and his men formed up to escort them inside the palace. The people of Galt formed up in formal greeting. The locals were tall blonde and fair.
Suddenly she realized they would all be introduced to Sonya not her! Daphne would have much explaining to do later after they danced. Sighing, she looked at Sonya when she noticed the changes in their clothes.
Sonya no longer looked like a scarecrow in Daphne's petite princess finery. It fit perfectly! The sleeves reached wrists on her longer arms, the hem brushed her shoes. Finally, the waist and bodice complemented her far more genero
us figure. Daphne looked down. Her own child sized livery no longer dragged on the ground, it fit! Like magic. How? She tugged at Sonya's dress to ask.
Sonya scarcely looked down. "Shh little one. We can talk later."
Scurryfunge, the Lord Chamberlain looked down at this and finally noticed little Daphne. He stared. Silence descended. Finally. "What, is this ...person?"
His staff crowded around to see what the matter was. Daphne soon had a fine view of their legs. This was the first time Daphne had been surrounded by adults, since losing stature. She clung to Sonya shyly as Sonya and Scurryfunge conferred quietly.
Scurryfunge suddenly bawled. "A SERVANT!" Agitated, he barked orders. "Chief Matron! Assign a junior to escort and watch over the waif."
"What?" Daphne was appalled. Sonya looked sharply at her signalling for silence.
"Milord, little one here is my ward. I care for her and she me. She is very devoted to me, and I her, we are never apart." Sonya stepped behind little Daphne gripping her shoulders for moral support. "Curtsy for milord Chamberlain Scurryfunge."
"If it please you sir." Daphne overbalanced but Sonya knelt to enfold her in a hug.
"Good girl." Sonya looked up at the chamberlain. "Milord Chamberlain. She is my personal servant and stays at my side always. None, but me, may hit her, my father, the King has so commanded it. Captain has a royal writ giving details. See to suitable refreshments fit for the child are at my presentation." Sonya sounded fiercely protective.
Scurryfunge looked down disdainfully. "Indeed. She cannot accompany you to your presentation milady. That, is only for people of rank, IE your captain and your-self. Not any child, let alone a toddler."
"But Milord..." Sonya protested.
Chamberlain became stern. "She would be underfoot. The palace is not for infants! She will be confined to one of the inner courtyards. Chief Matron! this... does not belong. Have her taken to the palace rose garden. And minded!" He turned to examine the papers presented by the Captain.
An older severe looking woman reached for Daphne's hand. Daphne clung to Sonya. Separated? No!