Lavender's Blue

Chapter 2: You

My morning starts the same as always. I wake up at 5:00 so I can be ready to open my shop at 6:00. I own the only tailor shop in the town. Well, technically it was my father's, but he and my mother died when I was eighteen. Now, three years later, I keep the business running.

The first customer I have is Mrs. Berante. She needs some alterations done for her daughter's best dress that she bought from me a couple of months ago.

While I am still working on that dress, Dutchess Yolanda of Dionne enters my shop.

"Dutchess Yolanda," I say curtseying, "what brings you to my humble shop?"

"I seek a dress to wear to a ball the king is hosting two weeks from tomorrow. I have heard great things about your skill, Ms. (L/n). I shall be back tomorrow for you to take my measurements for the ball gown." Then she whisks herself out the door.

Even if she didn't give me any chance to accept her request, I can't turn down a request to make a dress for a royal. Especially for a suitor of the king.

My day gets even better when I hear that the king and his father would be in a parade! I can hardly contain my excitement. I have never seen my king before. I mean, I've never seen him face to face. I've only seen glimpses of him from the distance surrounded by guards. A flash of dirty blond hair here, or a glimpse of his shoulders there. I am so excited that I can hardly focus on the dress alterations for Mrs. Berante.

At the parade, I am standing on the curb by the side of the road. As soon as the king's car is seen, the crowd goes crazy. In all the excitement, I get a hard shove to the back. The force causes me to tumble into the road, directly in front of the car the king is riding in. My head crashes into the ground and I temporarily black out. After a few seconds, I open my eyes again. A warm liquid starts sliding down my forehead and I realize there's a gash there. I'm so busy focusing on what just happened to me, and potentially experiencing shock, that I don't notice the car stop and guards swarm around me. When my foggy brain catches up to what is happening, I realize the guards have me by the arms and are dragging me towards the car where the king is sitting. The realization of what is happening sinks in and I start screaming and kicking my legs.

I get scared out of my mind. I never wanted to meet the king like this! But there's obviously not a lot I can do at the moment. The guards force me to kneel, and I let my head fall. The door on the opposite side of the car opens and I'm greeted by the sight of my former king, the current king's father. I'm physically shaking now. He's been known as a ruthless ruler. The door on my side stays closed and I think that must be where my king is sitting.

"Who are you?" a cold voice asks, cutting into my thoughts.

I freeze, my words getting stuck on my throat. I look up at the man staring at me across the top of the car. "My name, my name is (Y/n), Your, Your Majesty." I mentally slap myself for stuttering, blood dripping from the cut on my forehead.

There is a silence before the previous ruler speaks again, "Why are we stopping the parade for a mere commoner? Let's continue with the parade." At being called a mere commoner, my heart fractures slightly.

As I am kneeling before this man who clearly despises me, a new voice joins the conversation, "Hold on, father. She's hurt."

I freeze at the voice. It's the king. Unfortunately I can't really focus on what he sounds like because my head is still foggy from the fall. I am only faintly aware of a muffled conversation and the king lowering himself so we could be at eye level. I don't look at him, though.

"Guards, let go of her," he tells the guards. They release my arms and they hang down at my sides. "What happened to you?" the king asks and I'm surprised by the kindness in his voice.