I wonder what the flyer is for? I’ll have to read it later.
“Thank you, Beatrice. I owe you!” I called as I scurried off toward the shed. The dingy space was overfilled with gardening tools and unused flowerpots. I shoved my small frame into a vacant corner, deep enough that I could shut the door. It was rather challenging to get dressed in such a cramped space, but the feeling of clean, dry clothes made it all worth it. Before exiting the shed, I couldn’t help but inspect the flyer Beatrice had brought me. The paper had been left folded at the bottom of the basket, so I quickly undid the folds with as much haste as the fragile parchment allowed. My eyes widened as I read the printed ink.
Temporary Jobs Available
In preparation for the anticipated royal wedding, several temporary positions have been made available to the general public. No formal experience required, though some is preferred. Please submit an application letter to the royal housekeeper, Prunella Frank, within the following week. Available positions are posted below.
Confectionary bakers
Sculptor
Candle craftsmen
Seamstresses
Floral designer
My breath caught as I read the last position over again. The royal palace was in need of a floral designer for the prince’s wedding!? How incredible would it be if I could secure such a position? It would only be temporary, of course, but I’m certain it would pay well—perhaps even enough to open my own shop. Not to mention, if I worked for the crown, even for a single event, I would gain an instant reputation with the nobility. My heart pounded with new excitement as I burst out of the dusty shed. As thrilling as this new opportunity was, I still had to survive dinner with Sapphira first.
Chester greeted me as soon as I stepped foot onto the grass. “You had better hurry inside.” The boy rushed over with a moistened rag. I accepted it kindly and dabbed at the dried mud around my hairline. “The mistress already stepped outside once to look for you. The dinner bell should be sounding any moment now, so you had better hurry.” He urgently grabbed my arm and tugged me in the direction of the house. I blindly scrubbed my face and ears with an aggressive force as we quickly approached the rear entrance of the house.
“Thank you, Chester.” I passed the used rag back to the boy. “I’ll be certain to bring you a sweet roll for breakfast tomorrow.” I barely caught sight of the elated grin that spanned the boy’s face just as I burst through the back door.
A multitude of eyes fell on me as I weaved past the bustling servants. I couldn’t see Milton anywhere, which meant he must already be in the dining room. I hastened my pace and darted through the halls, aiming directly for the dining room. At the same moment I swung open the oak doors, the dinner bell tinkled daintily from Milton’s fingers.
Sapphira and the girls were already seated, glaring at me silently as I allowed Milton to pull out my chair. Technically, I had made it in the nick of time, but Sapphira held the ultimate jurisdiction over whether or not my timing was acceptable. I held my breath as I calmly placed my napkin over my lap, keeping my eyes on the table. No words were spoken as the soup course was served, but the girls continuously snuck glances at me throughout the meal, waiting to follow their mother’s lead. My attention remained trained on my piping bowl of soup, attempting to enjoy the meal as much as I could before the peace was broken.
Once I finished sipping down the first half of my broth, Sapphira finally spoke up.
“Kalina, dear.” She placed her spoon down, then folded her fingers together gracefully. “I don’t know how to bring this up without sounding crude, but…” she pursed her lips as her eyes grazed over me scathingly, “you look filthy, dear. Your hair is gritty, your nails are caked with dirt, and there is something horrid stuck in your eyebrows.” Her disgusted tone sent a small chorus of snickers through my stepsisters.
I subconsciously reached for my eyebrows, and sure enough, a clump of dried mud remained in the hair. I reached down for my napkin to rub it off, but Sapphira held up a halting hand. .“No, dear, don’t ruin the linens.” She scrunched her nose in distaste. “In fact, don’t touch anything until you’ve received a proper bath.” She touched a hand to her throat for a moment, as if to fight off a gag.
“Mother, she smells awful,” Odelia whined dramatically while pinching her nose. “Perhaps she should eat in the servant’s hall instead.” She shot me a repulsed glare, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
It wasn’t that bad; she simply didn’t know what soil smelled like.
“Oh, Odelia, that’s nonsense,” Brielle declared in annoyance. “The servants need to be treated well. We shouldn’t toss garbage into their private quarters.” She side-eyed me with a narrowed look, and I tightened my grip on my spoon.
Despite my best efforts to remain collected, a bubbling anger began to build up inside me. I cast a glance at Sapphira, wondering if she would request that Brielle reign in her insults, but she only sipped at her soup.
Very well then, that’s how it was going to be.
I considered returning her snide remark, but it had been a long day, and I was hungry. Sapphira would always back up her daughters in a fight, and I didn’t want to get thrown out of the dining room before the main course. Plus, I was feeling far too ambitious today to be bothered. The new dream of working at the palace had been overwhelming me with joyous excitement all evening. I took a long sip of my soup to calm the remains of my churning frustration. Fortunately, the conversations drifted off my appearance long enough for the roast duck to grace the table. I had only taken my first bite of the flavorful dish when Sapphira decided I hadn’t had enough chastising for one evening.
“You know, Kalina,” a tart expression spanned her ageless features, “you’ll never find a decent husband working the fields. I know I have never been the type to offer maternal advice, but I feel the need to educate you in this matter.” She paused a moment to ensure I was paying attention, and I offered a feigned look of intrigue. “You see, dear, you won’t have a place in this house forever. Therefore, you’ll need to become resourceful. I suppose you’re pretty enough to attract maybe a lowly woodcutter or blacksmith. However, you’ll need to put a little more effort into your appearance if you want to attract anything other than fleas.”
A snide chuckle escaped from Odelia. “Oh, Mother, it’s far too late to teach filthy little Lina any lessons on hygiene. The only chance of her marrying up in the world is if she meets a bachelor who lacks a sense of smell.”
“It would help if they were blind as well.” Brielle snorted unattractively. “Honestly, Mother, you should let her play in the dirt. If she can’t find a man to take care of her, she should at least know what roots are safe to eat.”
The girls cackled deafeningly at their teases while Sapphira only chewed her food in silence. I would have been content to ignore their childish remarks as usual, but the slight glint of amusement in Sapphira’s eyes released my anger.
“I don’t need a man to provide for me!” I smacked my hands on the tablecloth, instantly silencing the room. Sapphira slowly turned her attention toward me with a disfavored glare. For a moment, I only choked on air. The piercing blue eyes that pinned me to my seat threatened me to remain quiet, but I had enough of being quiet today.
“I’ll support myself.” I rose from my chair, feeling far braver than I likely should have. “I’ll get a job. Then someday, I can open my own shop and be just as successful as my father was.” My words beamed with confidence, but it was instantly shrunken with only two syllables.
Sapphira’s graceful features sharpened into an aggravated glower. “What, job?”