I touched the window's glass with a fingertip, leaving an oval of steaminess on it. It vanished soon enough.
I wished I could be that free. Free like the air. Free to choose.
But alas, I cannot be. I am bound, by blood, to my duty-- my duty that I must carry out, every night, until the Minister of Dusienne, Jameson du Bourne, deems my service enough and dismisses me. A dismissal means death-- when a servant is useless to her master, she is dismissed. Ah, how I long for that day.
I can be free. Free like the air. Having freedom to choose.
Of course, now is not the time. The Minister has personally informed me-- many times-- that I, Sophie Anastasia Edgewood, am invulnerable to him.
You might wonder what job I carry out-- I, the little servant girl. I work in The Three Witches' Tavern as a barmaid and occasional worker at the inn. On my free days, I visit my sister Elinor, who lives by the sea and owns an apothecary. She finds work for me, shelving herbs or tending to patrons out in the front. Needless to say, I usually am assigned the latter job. Not only am I clueless with herbs, but Elinor believes that I am-- what does she call me?-- "exquisite," and she tells me, too, that whenever I work for her, many more patrons come to the shop. She is much more successful with me as her shopkeeper. Elinor has already asked me to come and live with her! I wish I could. Oh, how I wish. But that is not to be. I am quite skilled at many things-- sewing, foreign languages, maths, art, and weaving, to name a few. (I would be quite fit to be a lady's maid!)
Those, though...
...are not why the Minister of Dusienne values me so highly.
You see, by day, I am a common girl. But by night... I am a princess.
