Chapter 3

In the time before the great the Great Eclipse Robyn Deliqua had been just thirteen years old, preparing her self for the Coming of Age ceremony that every girl had to have once they had turned thirteen. The ceremony was to celebrate the girl moving from childhood into becoming a lady, not only did this now mean she could start learning how to ride properly on horseback but that she was now old enough to join her mother in working for the King as a scullery maid in his castle if he was impressed enough by her. This was seen as a great honor for women as they then got a chance to live within the castle with the Royal Family and be under their protection. With their husbands and fathers working away for the King in the war their protection was needed. However, no maid ever spoke of the mistreatment they would recieve from his majesty, just looked away with a saddened memory replaying in their eyes. Whenever his greed became him, he would summon them into his chambers only then to have them the next morning a changed woman. Like Robyn's mother once had, many maids would enter the Kings chamber full of loyalty and blindness as to what followed only to be disreguarded the next morning, glum faced and no longer their cherpy selves. Inside the castle, all staff including guards were sworn to secrecy, and if you kept the secret and were important to the Royal Family, then you may have been lucky enough to have the King grant you a personal maid, to whom you may order as you wish seeing as they were obligated to follow.
Robyn had been outside the castle walls mischieviously teasing the guards as she always did whilst waiting for her mothers visit. For an hour a day the mothers who worked for the King were allowed outside the castle to see their children or to attend their duties outside the castle. This ment that Robyn had to stay with her aunt Clarice who hadn't been fortunate enough to be chosen at the ceremony. Her mother, head low and arms hugging her chest tight walked out of the big iron gates and up to the first guard Robyn tried to tease. She showed him her ankle and he smiled, the whole time she looked lovingly at Robyn who had now began smiling back and standing innocently awaiting her mothers freedom. The guard rustled the keys around his belt, unhooked them and began unlocking the shackle from around the womans ankle, it was these shackles and the crown emblem that had been burnt over your heart that had proved you were property of the King, a sign for others to not touch you or face his judgement more like.
Once she had been set free her Robyn ran into her mothers arms, a warm embrace both sweet and needed. The guard hurried them on as they started their journey through the field and back to the small town her aunt lived in. Her mother spoke little but her body language showed Robyn that she was listening. Occasionaly a small smile would press on her thin lips, causing Robyn to smile and enlighten her mother with more tales of her day with aunt Clarice and her cousin Cyron. Even though Cyron was four years older he had always made a fuss of her and had started showing her how to plant forget-me-knot flowers in their garden.
"Little bird, im tired. Let your mother rest and we shall then continue on, we have plenty of time." Her breathing had deepened and her voice quiet but filled with exhaustion.
"Alright mother, but we don't have that much time" Robyn excitedly replied, quickly sitting next to her mother on the sweet smelling grass, picking daisies from the ground.
"But we really don't have that much time mother, his majesty prefers to keep you to himself. Doesn't he realise that I need you more than he does? Doesn't he know how selfish he's being?" That caused her mother to sharply turn towards the girl. Sternly she took hold of Robyn's hand pulling it away from the grass "Don't you ever speak of the King in that way again. Do you hear me? He has been good to our family," she paused "he pays Claurice three times what we would have earned from selling our crops, he makes sure we have enough money to have a roof over our heads and food in that big belly of yours." softening her expression she smiled as her daughter started laughing at the joke.
Standing again, they made their way on down the small man made path through the field towards the village. Half an hour had passed by the time they had reached the house where Aunt Clarice lived. It was more of a barn that they converted into a living space since thats all that they could afford. A house in this land ment that you were under protection of a knight or had sworn yourself to the King, something Claurice made sure never to do. She was the independant one of the family who believed the King was a fool and shouldn't be trusted as much as Robyn's mother did.
Suddenly Robyn's mother burst off into a run towards the door that had been smashed in of the barn, Robyn quick on her tail. "Claurice! God dammit don't you do this to me! Claurice get out here." She shouted, but with no reply. Looking around they realised that they house had been broken into, the chair had been smashed on the floor with wood splintering in every angle. The pottery she so loved to make had be left in a mess on the table, which was unusual since she believed everything had to remain in its place.
"Mother...." Robyn's voice carried through the dust filled air towards her mother who turned quickly towards her. Running over she saw the girl looking out of the window towards the back garden. There lying in the new flower bed lay the aunt they had been searching for. What was once baby blue forget-me-knot flowers had been soaked in a red thick blanket. Her mother screamed and ran straight towards her sister.
"Robyn go get help now." Panic seared over the mothers face as she picked up the womens shoulder to rest her head in her lap, tears began trickling down her pale cheeks. Claurice's throat had a long thin line were she had been cut, blood had continued to pour out showing that the wound had been recent. Frantically Robyn's mother tried to keep the wound covered by her dress, covering her neck begging for no more blood to be spilt.
A few minutes later Robyn returned with a knight from the village, he toke one step into the garden, looked at the maid and at the body emotionless in her arms and back at her.
"What happened?" He asked sternly, no other emotion but anger showed on her face.
"I don't know, we just got here to find her like this. Please you must help us, you see I haven't got long and my child has no one else." The mother pleaded desperatly as her sisters blood continued to seep through the dress.
They knight came closer and knelt by the body, using his hand to close the womans eyes.
"I''m afraid there's nothing else I can do, she's gone." He looked up to the woman whose eyes had been red from tears. "You bear the King's mark" he gestured to the tip of the crown burn on her chest that could be seen under her maids dress. "Take your daughter to the King, she is old enough now he may take her on."