Impaler

Women

Angelina was taken to the female servant quarters on one of the lower floors. It was not as low as the prisons. Once they arrived in front of the door, the guards let her go and motioned her to go inside. "Don't get any ideas of trying to escape. We guard the castle all night. You know the punishment if you try," said one of the guards.

"Yeah, I saw." She slowly opened the door. Once opened, she peaked inside, and there were rows of beds with women inside. Many women were either bathing, changing, brushing their hair, or were on their beds. Angelina slowly entered, closing the door behind her. No one noticed her, and it made her nervous. She gathered her courage. "H-Hello. I-I was ordered to come here."

Everyone stopped what they were doing and finally noticed Angelina. Some of the women were silent while others whispered among one another. Suddenly, an older woman walked before Angelin and stopped giving them space. The woman had messy black hair and many gray hairs. She was smaller in stature than Angelina. Her eyes were dark brown and had some bags beneath. The older woman had many wrinkles on her face. She was slightly overweight. Angelina noticed the woman also had a scar on her neck and a mole on the right side of her nose. "So you are the new woman that everyone speaks about." The older woman eyed Angelina from head to toe. "You wear such strange clothing that we haven't seen before. What is your name?"

"Angelina. It's nice to meet you..."

"Ioana. I am the main lady-in-waiting for Lady Minah and in charge of her household. The Voivode ordered you to be a part of the female servants."

"Yes, madam. He also told me that I am to be one of...Lady Minah's ladies-in-waiting."

The women whispered to one another while Ioana raised an eyebrow. "The Voivode wouldn't just choose any woman to be in his wife's household."

"I-I understand. Believe me that I didn't want any part of this. I was taken against my will."

"Really. You look like a mere peasant," laughed one of the women.

Angelina felt angered as she looked at the young woman. She had long brunette hair that was wet from her bath. Her skin was slightly pale, with many freckles on her face, shoulders, and back. Her lips were slightly discolored from the dryness; her teeth were crooked and yellow. She had a little muffin top. "You can say that, I guess. We would be here working for the cruel rich if we weren't, right?"

She received many glares, but Angelina went through a lot in the last couple of days and hours. All she wanted was to sleep. "That is enough of you, Daciana. I will speak to Lady Minah, and if all goes well, be trained in your duties. Follow me." The young woman followed Ioana to the left corner of the room, where there was an empty bed. It was small, but Angelina didn't care. All she cared about was rest. "I will give you your clothing to sleep in and what you will wear when working in Lady Minah's quarters." Angelina sat on the bed and took off her shoes as Ioana went off. 

She was still receiving some stares and noticed that the young woman next to her was sitting on her bed. The young woman had brunette hair, light brown eyes, and light olive skin with scars on her chest. She had acne on her face and a slightly long nose; she had an average appearance. Angelina thought that she had a somewhat youthful appearance, but the stress made her look older than she was."You wear strange clothes. I'm surprised that our Voicode didn't kill you. You look like an Ottoman."

"I get that a lot. You know, you look young to work here."

"I am sixteen and have been a servant all my life. My mother was a servant before me, so you can say that it is in the family. I am Sorina. You are Angelina, right?"

"Y-Yeah." Angelina motioned out her hand toward Sorina. Sorina looked at her hand and looked confused. "Where I'm from, we shake hands to greet one another. It's a sign of respect." Sorina slowly held onto her hand, and Angelina motioned up and down. They let go.

"What a strange custom. Where are you from? From the looks of it, you are not from here."

Angelina noticed many of the women looking at them; they were curious. She thought about telling them the truth. However, she felt hesitation. Vlad was still cautious of her and felt that telling Sorina about her timeline could create more problems. She and the others would view her as insane. The young woman didn't want any more problems. "Well, would you believe me that I am not from this country? I have crossed the oceans to get here."

"It's Impossible! We are not close to the waters! How were you able to cross the waters?" one of the women asked. 

Most of the women were curious about Angelina's origins, and she knew. "It would sound impossible, but it's not. My mother and father abandoned me, and my grandparents cared for me. However, they both died of illness, and I have been alone since then. However, I refused to succumb to my fate and became a traveler. My goal is to write books of my travels, but as you know, here I am."

Ioana returned with a small pile of clothing. "I got you clothing that looks to be your size. Do not lose them; you are responsible for keeping them clean. You will wake up early to meet Lady Minah. It is time to sleep, all of you!"

The women were finishing up before going to bed. Angelina removed her modern clothing and wore a plain, dark, beige dress. "Will you tell us stories tomorrow night? I am intrigued by your travels."

"Uh, sure. I have many stories to tell."