applepie

[I]Finally, I've finished it. This was a hard chapter to write for many reasons. Some of them include the fact that I'm thinking of restructuring my earlier chapters so they're not so short. Another was that I needed to resolve a conflict about the story within myself before continuing. I've a firmer grasp on where I wish to go, and I hope to find more time to write soon. 50 hours a week is not leaving me much to work with, but I'm trying for even just thirty minutes a day. Enjoy the story:)

Meg[/I]
CHAPTER 14

It was in the early dawn when Arabella was awoken by what sounded like a skirmish outside of her balcony window. When she went to investigate, she was able to see what seemed like two large cats with fox like tails fighting over food scraps left from the evening dinner. All the food waste had been piled outside the kitchen entrance to the gardens in preparation for its removal from the palace. The room in which she had been placed overlooked a section of the garden in which she had shared her kiss with Allarick, and it afforded her the perfect view of the comings and goings of the workers. Three days had passed since that kiss, but she raised a hand to her lips as she recalled the feel of him. It was likely better that their time had been cut short by Nechemya’s interruption, but she still was curious of what could have occurred between them.

Never in her life had Arabella felt such chemistry with an individual. Maybe she was a bit of a romantic, but much of her adult life had been spent waiting for prince charming to come and sweep her away. She wasn’t sure if Allarick fit into the charming category after seeing how quickly he had become remote and distant from her the previous evening, but she was certain that he had the prince part down. It just seemed odd to find her so far from home and worrying over an attraction that she didn’t want. She was not foolish enough to believe that anything could come of a relationship between the two of them. Allarick was the ruler of an entire planet, and she just designed aircraft for a living. Her idea of fine dining was ordering take out Chinese food to share with Vern in his penthouse office. If dinner for the past three evenings was any indication, Allarick was used to a lavish lifestyle with which she could never become accustomed.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Arabella went to answer it. To her surprise, it was a sheepish looking Nechemya at the door. Arabella had not seen Nechemya since he had interrupted Allarick and herself in the garden. It seemed that he was still quite embarrassed over his intrusion. She laughed inwardly at his discomfort, but she was careful to not let him see her amusement at his expense.

“My lady, Philomina, would like for you to join her for the morning meal in her chamber. She is awaiting you now if you will follow me.”

“Just give me one moment to dress Nechemya, and then I will be happy to come along.”

“As you wish my lady,” Nechemya bowed as he addressed Arabella, and he made to leave the room.

“It is just Arabella, or Bella. Please don’t address me so formally because I can’t seem to get used to such a proper title.”

“As you wish my…” Nechemya trailed off and corrected himself, “As you wish Lady Arabella.”

Arabella smiled at the way in which he still attached lady to her name. She was hoping to convince him to not call her the “lady” of anything. She would much prefer just being known as Arabella, but she could push him gradually to call her by only her given name.

“Go on outside, and I’ll be out in just a moment. Would the yellow gown be suitable for the morning?” She made a shooing motion with her hands as she spoke. She was barely able to understand his affirmation that the yellow gown would be fine through the door that she was closing.

Arabella hurried to her closet and began to dress in the yellow gown. It was of the same style as all the others in her wardrobe, but the fabric was gossamer fine. She still wasn’t able to figure out why one could not see through the fine fabric. After her gown was on, she finger-combed her curls and she then slid on some matching slippers. In a matter of moments, Arabella had dressed and opened the door to Nechemya.

“Follow me… Arabella,” the pause was still there, but it seemed he was willing to try and accommodate her wishes. They began to walk down the hall to Philomina’s chamber. She was not too sure why Nechemya accompanied her, the door was only around the corner, but she was glad to have been invited to spend time with Philomina.

“Good morning Bella,” Philomina greeted as Nechemya held the door open.

“And to you as well Mina,” Arabella replied with the budding familiarity of friendship. Philomina had been working hard over the last couple days to help Arabella learn what was required of her in her new role. She was appreciative that Philomina had not once upbraided her for failing to grasp a seemingly simple concept, and she had approached her tutelage with infinite patience.

“I invited Allarick to join us, but he has found something more important to take care of again,” Philomina let out a dramatic sigh, but she watched Arabella’s reaction to her statement. A telling blush rose to the young woman’s face at the mere mention of her brother’s name, and Philomina hid her satisfaction that her thoughts were correct. She was certain that something had occurred between the two of them, but she had no proof. Nechemya avoided her questions each time she began to mention anything romantic between her brother and their guest. Allarick had avoided being in her presence since she had asked how their walk in the garden had went, and Arabella studiously avoided any talk of Allarick.

“So your brother will not be joining us today then?” There was a hint of pleading to Arabella’s query.

“Not today it seems. I’m still hoping to trap him into joining us for dinner this evening. He’s not attended since your introduction, and I worry that he’s not been eating at all. Perhaps you would invite him Bella. I know he would not be able to refuse an invitation from you.”

“I do not wish to intrude Mina. I’m sure your brother has just been very busy with the visiting lords. I am not at all sure he has resolved the situation with Phelon that called him away from our walk the night of my appearance to his satisfaction. He was very upset that he harmed the young girl, and I am sure it is best he keep an eye on him.” The reasoning Arabella used would have been much more convincing if she had been able to look Philomina in the eye and not have her face flare bright crimson at the mention of that evening.

Philomina sighed to herself and thought about what stubborn fools they were being. A child could see the attraction that simmered between them, and she couldn’t understand why they would wish to deny it. She knew something had happened between them the evening Nechemya had went to fetch Allarick to rein in Phelon. Nechemya had refused to answer any of her questions, and both Allarick and Arabella blushed at the mere mention of the other’s name. She just did not see why the both of them were fighting something that seemed to be so natural between them.

“I’ll go speak with Allarick after we are finished here this morning. He needs to spend more time attending to you as his guest or the others in our home will begin to wonder why he gives you no attention. My brother knows his duty even if he is attempting to circumvent it for whatever reason.”

“You must let your brother alone about me. You are doing well in teaching me the ways of your world, and I’ve no wish to be a burden upon the two of you. Are you so eager to be rid of me that you wish to foist me upon Allarick?”

The last was said in teasing, but Philomina looked immediately contrite when Arabella joked over such a thing. It did seem that she may be trying to be rid of the girl, but that wasn’t her motivation at all. She was just meddling a little by trying to find her brother a suitable mate. It wasn’t as if there was a real law that kept her brother from choosing a mate. He spoke of his choice to not choose a female as if it were a dictate that the Syine must follow, but it was really his own desire to not marry for convenience that kept him from choosing someone.

Philomina scoffed. The more she thought of her efforts at matchmaking, the more frustrated she became. He brother needed someone just like this strange woman before her. With her feminine beauty, teal eyes, and cobalt hair, Arabella was a lovely girl. She was also strong willed and quick witted. She would be all her brother needed in a mate. Arabella would be someone to help him with his duties as ruler, a good mother to her children, and most importantly someone whom Allarick could love and admire.

It was amazing that one could almost see the gears within Philomina’s head turning as she thought of a new strategy for throwing Arabella and Allarick together. Arabella smiled at the petulant expression on the younger woman’s face. It was obvious that she wanted her brother to be more involved with her time here, but Arabella was uncertain of why. She tended to think that it would be much better for both her and Allarick that they stay separated. She was determined that she would find a way home, and when she returned there she did not wish to carry a broken heart with her.

It was with a heartfelt sigh from each of the girls, both for different reasons that they turned to the lesson of the day. This day, Arabella was to learn how to properly address and greet others when not in a dining setting. Up till then, she had been only introduced to the other people in the palace at meal time, but her sequester in her chambers during the day could not carry on indefinitely. Eventually she must begin to move through the palace as if she was truly the child of a lord and a guest of the Syine. It would start to seem odd that Arabella was never seen doing anything other than taking her meals. The normal guests would be moving throughout the palace. They would visit the gardens. They would also be taking shopping trips into the city each day and meeting people within the ruling city. It was said they had the largest and most varied markets, and no guest of the Syine and his sister would be caught not attending them.

The remainder of the morning was spent in the exhausting study of the proper way to address people by their status. Philomina was a wonderful teacher, and she shared with Arabella all of the ways to determine the correct greeting to give based upon the appearance of others. It seemed the there were many subtleties within the ruling caste that marked their position within their family. There were also specific ways to identify laborers from slaves by sight, and she also learned how to identify which family the individual worked for or was owned by.

Arabella couldn’t help but be appalled by the differences in people’s status. The life of a lord was pampered and privileged, but that of a slave was cruel and unrelenting. Philomina let it slip that in many of the other ruling homes it was not uncommon for them to be starved, beaten, or even killed by their owners. It seemed that Allarick ran a most unusual home by continuing to allow his own slaves and servants freedom. They worked long days, but they were given one day off each week to do as they wished. They were also only to work a half day on their days of worship. Allarick also allowed them the freedom to mate with whom they wish instead of breeding them for different purposes, much the way that cattle were bred on Earth still.

“They breed people,” Arabella exclaimed upon hearing this. She was in shock that such a barbaric practice would exist.

“Of course they do. My parents raised my brother and me to think differently, but that has been a common practice for many generations in our world. Allarick is working to change it, but there is much resistance to his ideas. Some, like Phelon, do not with to abandon the old ways of our lives.”

Arabella sat in shock at the idea that anyone would be treated in such a manner. Even if Allarick was the best of the lot, it seemed that his ideas of human rights still had much to be desired. Ruefully, she admitted to herself that she was more irritated with him for viewing people as property than anything. Even if he allowed them freedoms it was hard to overlook the fact that they were not viewed any differently than a beast of burden.

“You can ask Allarick all your questions about the tiers of our social class this afternoon. That is, you can ask if my brother will make the time to join us for lunch.”

“I’ve still no wish to impose Mina. My curiosity about your world does not alter that. I’m sure Allarick is much too busy to dance attendance upon the two of us. Extend your invitation if you must, but please do not harass him for my sake.”

“I’ll concede to that. I will invite my brother one last time, but I will try not to pester him too much if he does not accept.” Philomina failed to let her new friend know that she would be delivering the invitation herself, and that there was no way she would allow her brother to continue ignoring Arabella. If she had her way, the two of them would become a couple all too soon. Her meddling was all for Allarick’s happiness she reasoned. He would not begrudge her wanting him to be happy, and if the blushes each had been exhibiting were any indication there was already an attraction to build upon. All Philomina had to do was ensure that her brother did not persist with his game of avoidance. Whatever had occurred between Arabella and Allarick needed to be addressed soon. “Why don’t you go and change for luch Bella. I’m certain that there pretty red dress will be just the thing for the afternoon meal, and you can still wear it to dine with guests tonight after making a few additions.”

With a quick, suspicious, glance at Mina’s thoughtful look, Arabella left with a smile and a promise to meet in the garden for lunch. She would use the intermediate time to explore the palace a little. She had only seen the gardens and that council hall, and there were many more spaces to visit. Perhaps a walk out to the stable to see what other beasts were housed there would calm her anxieties at the possibility of facing Allarick again.

With a final wave she left Philomina’s chamber and began her walk. She was fascinated with the borcas, but there were stalls much too large for such an animal. It would be interesting to see some of the other creatures and learn the names associated with them. Maybe she would also get some practice with the social graces she had learned that morning.