The Price {Completed}

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I only woke to the sound of the key scraping in the lock, and thoughts of robbers or nosy neighbors flashed through my mind. Before I'd even fully processed the thought, my body jerked upward, my blanket of clothes spilling off to my side. Through the haze of sleep, though, I saw it was only Ferdinand entering the room with two bags, which he balanced on his hip while shutting the door.

From the tops of the bags I spotted firewood and food supplies. Ferdinand handed them over to me when I stood up, and he went to shed his coat onto our makeshift bed. I cooked the eggs straight on the stove since there were no pots to use, and we placed them on the left over bread. The only liquid that wouldn't kill you on this side of the Garrond River was wine, which didn't sit well in the morning but there was no other option available to us.

Afterward, we dressed on either side of the sheet in warm clothing and good boots. I stepped out, wrapping a scarf around my neck with gloved hands. Ferdinand wore his fur overcoat and a cap over his blonde hair. I noted to myself to sleep in these clothes when night fell, as it was the first time since we rented the room that I felt even vaguely comfortable.

After a few minutes' conversation, we decided to walk together in our search for jobs, hoping to maybe enlist sympathy from folks who might see a young couple who needed help.

The streets were still mostly empty, but there were still a few enthusiastic Vigilant Men out and about. Thankfully, they kept to themselves and didn't talk or nod to us, but their footsteps and horse's hooves still broke up the eerie silence that had so pervaded the area the day before.

Our first stops were at the fine houses near the palace, but as with Ferdinand's parent's home, we soon found that they had been abandoned by their owners and taken over by whole families of Vigilant Men supporters. They had no need of our services, and even looked offended when we offered. Some slammed the door in our faces, shouting that we should be helping to overthrow the bloody oppression of a corrupted monarchy instead of bothering everyone for jobs. We soon gave up in that sector and headed toward the businesses, where the shopkeepers might need someone to empty chamber pots or bins.

Finally, at an inn, I got a job scrubbing dishes. They had nothing for Ferdinand, though, and since we needed the money, he split with me and went to seek employment in the harder areas of the city, like the coal factories or the stables.

So, alone, I silently made sure the inn's dishes were clean as I could make them, stacking them in a pile that never shrunk because no one was eating there. The innkeeper kept fluttering around, clinking the coins in his pocket, no doubt afraid that he had made a mistake hiring a girl when he had no idea if his business was going to stay afloat. I worried that he might withhold the payment, making it almost impossible for me to retrieve it. Judges and courts would not be bothered with such petty claims at this time. I would simply have to trust in his character, which wasn't exactly something I was comfortable with.

In the afternoon, I finished the dishes and the sweeping and mopping, and approached the innkeeper. My hair stuck to my neck with sweat, and I knew my face was ruddy from the steam and heat. I held my scarf and overcoat in one hand, and held out the other one for my payment. For a moment I really thought he would refuse as he looked out over his empty dining area, but at the last moment he dropped two coins into my chapped fist.

"Spend these wisely," the man said. "You won't be finding work easily in the city in this atmosphere. None of us will."

I thanked him and exited the inn, bundling up against the sharp slap of cold wind. It scraped against my upper lip and hands, burning the sweat into the chapped areas and making my eyes water. Dark gray clouds hung low in the air, already sprinkling icy drops. It was a mist that you breathed in and it made your lungs feel waterlogged. It soaked me within minutes, though it was barely even seeable. I hunched my shoulders and tried to remember the way home.