“Um yes, I’m looking for some help.” My words came out raspy. I realized that the last time I had spoken was right before a dagger was held to my throat. I shuddered at the thought.
The man eyed me up and down, raising an eyebrow as he did so. It was only now that I realized I was an absolute mess. My once white cloak was stained with mud and covered in wet leaves from my hike through the woods. A few stray sticks clung to the hem of the cloak and my previously styled hair now stuck to my face in wet clumps.
“I ain’t got any vacancies tonight. You’ll have to look elsewhere, missy.”I had to stop myself from scrunching up my nose in distaste at the man’s atrocious grammar.
“Ya can stay by the fire until the sun rises, but then I’m gonna have to ask ya to leave before breakfast hour. I run an honest establishment and don’t wanna scare off my guests with a filthy wood runner.” The man pressed his hands on the desk and laughed loudly. How rude could one man be! I was tempted to give him an earful about whom he was talking to when I remembered my predicament.
If I told this man or anyone else who I was, then that assassin would have better a chance of finding me. I bit back my desire to give him a piece of my mind and tried again. “Please, sir, I’m afraid I got lost on my travels and need to find a safe place to stay for awhile. Only a few weeks and then I’ll be on my way. I don’t exactly have money on me, but I do have these.” I pulled out the earrings, necklace, and bracelets from my pocket, but kept the tiara out of sight.
The man’s eyes grew large at the sight of my jewels and looked to me inquisitively. “Eh, you didn’t steal those trinkets, did ya? Cause I earn an honest living and I won’t be gettin involved in anything that’s gon’ get me in trouble.” The man took a few steps back and crossed his arms disapprovingly.
“No, sir, I didn’t steal them, I swear.” I wasn’t quite sure how to convince my innocence to him. In his defense, I was a dirty stranger who suddenly showed up with no money and a handful of expensive jewelry. Even rich ladies who could afford such jewels would have at least a few coins on them. I couldn’t exactly tell him where I got them from either, so I decided to change the subject. “If you won’t accept my payment, then do you know someone nearby who will? I’m in desperate need of proper accommodation.”
The innkeeper laughed heartily at my inquiry. “Hah! Ain’t that a hoot! I don’t know about any proper accommodation, but I think I might know of a job for ya that would get ya a warm place to sleep and a couple meals.” He jumbled through the papers on his desk as he spoke.
A job…I gulped. That wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. I had never worked a day in my life and certainly didn’t have any skills worthy of getting hired.
“’ere ya go!” He handed me a crinkled piece of paper. I took it apprehensively and read the bold ink at the top.
Woodlands Laundry Mill: Launders Needed! Five silver coins and one hot meal a day! Sleeping accommodations available!
“Is it just washing clothes?” I grimaced. The thought of dealing with other people’s dirty laundry was probably the second sickest feeling I’d had all day- second only to being threatened with death.
“Pretty much. They mostly just wash the soldiers’ uniforms from the outpost a few miles north. They’ve been stationed ‘ere since the beginning of winter and have brought a lot of business to that old mill this season, so they’ve needed extra hands. If you follow the road and take a left at the apothecary, you’ll see the mill in about ‘alf a mile. Tell ole Franklin that Wilson sent ya, and I’m sure he’ll give ya a shot.” He sat back on a creaky wooden chair behind him and leaned so far back, I thought he was going to fall.
“Uh, thank you. I guess I could give him a visit.” I tucked the flyer inside my cloak and headed toward the door. I groaned at the thought of working for the next two weeks, but it’s not as if I had any other options.
“Good luck, little miss!” Wilson called as I headed for the door. “Oh, and don’t go flashing those fancy jewels around ole Franklin. He’ll call ya a thief and steal them from ya himself!” The man roared in laughter, nearly tipping out of his chair in the process.
“I appreciate the warning.” I paused at the door before leaving, and spun around to face Wilson again. “Oh, and one more thing…” I added as he was finishing up his chuckle. “If anyone stops by and asks if you’ve seen anyone with my description. could you…” I wasn’t even sure what I was asking. I couldn’t expect this complete stranger to keep my visiting here a secret.
“Miss,” he began in a much more serious tone, “I’m an honest man, but I do understand the impor’ance of keeping yer business private. Yer business ain’t none of mine, so I can promise that I ain’t gonna go spreadin gossip about some random gal who was lookin’ for work.” He smiled at me much more kindly than I had expected from a man who didn’t even know my name. “Now ya better get a move on. The mill opens at seven, and you’ll wanna make a good impression and show up on time.”
I smiled at him and nodded gratefully. Despite not trusting me, he had shown me far more kindness than I deserved. Guess I had to follow through with his suggestion and get a… a job. I shuddered, then pushed open the door to find my new hiding place.
chapter four
My feet were already freezing again by the time I arrived at the mill. The sun had just begun to crest over the horizon, providing a minimal amount of warmth across my face. I stood in front of an expansive wooden building with a tall, brown thatched roof and cracked, dark blue shutters covering the windows. A rusted metal sign hung above the main entrance reading,Woodlands Laundry Mill. This must be the place. Why did it have to look so... indecent? Unhygienic? No, that wasn’t the word… Like the last place in all the realms anyone would expect to find a princess? I suppose that was the point. At least I could take comfort in the certainty that this wouldn’t be an obvious place for an assassin to look. That was the hope anyway.
Directly behind the structure was a thin icy creek with a small water mill constructed at the widest part of a tiny frozen waterfall. I presumed that when it wasn’t frozen, it would stream water from the creek into a reservoir at the back of the building. After completing a thorough analysis of my potential place of employment, I finally walked up to the door and pushed my way inside. A small bell hung above the doorway that chimed quietly as I pushed the door against it. As soon as I stepped across the threshold, the strong scent of cleaning solution slammed my senses. The room I stood in was cramped with a massive front counter that took up a majority of the space, along with two tiny wooden chairs stashed in the corner. There was a door nestled behind the counter that presumably, led to some sort of office. A second door was located only a few feet to my left with worn lettering across the front that read, “Staff Only,” I stood alone for a moment taking in my surroundings when I was interrupted by the opening of the office door.
The man who stepped out looked to be about the same age as Wilson, but he was evidently far cleaner and well-kept. His dark brown hair and beard were trimmed and tidy, and his clothes were spotless and well-starched. He wore a monocle over his right eye that connected to a copper chain pinned to his breast pocket. The well-tailored vest he wore expanded slightly from his wide build, yet rested at the perfect length for his tall frame. His expression was sour at first, however, he quickly plastered a grin to his face upon seeing me in the waiting area.
“Good day, miss,” he said with forced chivalry while straightening his already perfect vest. “Will you be in need of some laundering services today? I bet we could scrub up that nice cape of yours, good as new!” His enthusiasm was so exaggerated, I thought his eyes might pop out of his head.
“No, sir, I’m not actually here for your services.” I stood a little straighter, made appropriate eye contact, and smiled warmly. If I was going to apply for a job, I needed to make a good impression— and that was something I knew how to do. “I was informed by Mr. Wilson that you’re looking to hire some extra help.” I passed him the flyer without breaking eye contact. His fake smile dropped as he snatched the paper from my hand.
“Yeah, you heard right.” His smiling façade completely vanished. “I need some more gals to do pick-ups and work the washboards. You got any experience?” He eyed me curiously, looking up and down at my dirty attire. Applying to work at a laundry mill in a filthy cloak probably wasn’t the best idea.
“Not specifically in laundering,” I answered honestly. If I was going to hide here for a few weeks, I couldn’t risk starting off with too many lies. One of the tricks to good diplomacy was to always be honest where you could afford it then redirect any unwanted questions. “I’ve had some experience working with dressing maids, so I’m well-educated about clothing in general. My previous position had a separate staff to do the washing.” I stretched the truth as smoothly as I could. With any luck, my knowledge of fashion and fabric qualities would help improve the realism of my story. After all, no one could spot a cheap fabric across a ballroom as quickly as I could.
“Very well then,” he replied, looking slightly less critical. “I’ll let you on for now. I need the help too badly to be picky. You can train with Hazel for the first few days, and if you’re able to carry your own after that, then I’ll let you stay on for good.”
I smiled gratefully in response as he opened a drawer behind the counter. He pulled out a slip of paper with a list of names written down the left side. Grabbing a quill, he dotted it in a fresh well of ink before he positioned it at the bottom of the list.
“I’m Franklin Dwarfer, by the way.” He stretched out a hand in greeting without looking up from the paper.
I took it and gave a firm handshake in return.“Pleasure to meet you Mr. Dwarfer, I’m Ar—”