Part Four

Part Four

Tash wiped the seat from her brow with her sleeve, leaving a dirty mark across her forehead. She must have counted at least fifty guards already. Lugging round a large heavy bucket full of illicit gain under the eyes of the household guard was not Tash’s idea of a fun time.

One of the Queen’s Ladies-in-Waiting had actually had her do her hair for her. Her maid had become ill and the other one had been ‘a clumsy oaf’. Tash had always thought she had a well rounded and creative vocabulary, but it was nothing compared to this supposed noblewoman’s. Tash had been shocked. She had never before that of herself as being naïve and she was finding it very uncomfortable.

Plus she’d actually had to work.

Tash had thought that if she kept her head down and looked as if she knew what she was doing it would be fine. But no - the senior Housekeeper had looked her in the eyes and told her to go mop the main corridor. She may as well have come at night for all the notice the household was giving her. She could have a permanent job here if she just kept showing up. She’d probably even get paid if she hung around till quarters end.

Tash shook her head to herself as she entered Prince Joshua’s room. Security was a disgrace. If she were the Prince she’s sleep in a chain mail nightshirt.

It was a beautiful room.

Tash would have goggled at the expensive fabrics used in the curtains if she had not already been into quite a few richly appointed rooms already. She had been tempted to steal the curtains in the first bedroom she had entered. She would have seamstresses fighting to get their grubby paws on them. What a waste.

She went immediately to the large mirror-like polished cupboard and checked out the clothes. Not that she’d be able to manage to take them. Still, she was curious to see up close what a Prince wore. She’d seen him from a distance once a couple of years back. He’d looked very blurry. Tash’s distance vision wasn’t so good. The only thing that had stood out to her was the incredible mop of red hair the man had. Thick, curly and a stunning dark coppery red. She had been curious as to whether it would have felt soft and feathery or like wire. It was not the kind of thoughts she was used to having and had not concerned herself with them again. However, she had noticed she had developed a distinct partiality to redheads since then.

But having a crush on a Prince was ridiculous and she refused to succumb to the absurd urge to sneak in at night and cut off a lock of his hair.

And she was not stealing his hairbrush because of any silly fancy she had for the Prince. It was a good hairbrush. She needed a new one anyway. The one she had appropriated the other week hurt her scalp.

“What do you think you are doing?”

Tash nearly jumped out of her skin before she realised it was someone yelling in the courtyard that the Prince’s window faced.

“Oh hell and damnation,” she said, holding a hand to her chest to calm her poor startled heart. “I hope the Goddess of Plagues sends you the pox you loud mouthed decrepit hulking lardarse. You scared the living daylights out of me. I’m beginning to think sneaking in here dressed as a maid and ransacking the room isn’t such a good idea after all. The pickings aren’t bad, but by gods, it’s hard on the nerves.”

“Tash”, said Freda “although I don’t approve of your professions, I must admit you are very creative.”

Tash collapsed into the nearest chair and moaned.

“Don’t tell me. Leg me guess” she said, “I’m going to suddenly over balance and fall out the window. Or maybe the Prince is going to com in for no apparent reason In the middle of the day when he’s usually at sword practice and spot me riffling through is draws and skewer me with the poker.”

Freda raised her eyebrow and with lofty disapproval said “Actually … I was a little lonely and thought I would pop in and see how you were getting on, but if I’m not welcome I will simply go back to limbo and let you get on with your thievery.”

“Freda” said Tash, “if you don’t take your nose out of the sky you’ll get frostbite.”

Freda looked as if she was going to raise her other eyebrow, but instead thought better of it and smiled instead.

“It’s just limbo is so boring lately. Nothing happens. I mean it was interesting at first. You know … meeting knew people et cetera, but after a while it kind of starts to pale on one. Death is all they ever talk about” she said with a sad little sigh. “Oh, it’s not all bad really. I guess one just has to have the right mentality for it. It’s just I’ve been so restless lately,” said Freda.

“Good gods. A restless spirit” said Tash, “Next thing I know you’ll be haunting people.”

“Haunting people?” said Freda shocked. “Oh I couldn’t!”
Then she seemed to stop and think about it.
A little mischievous look on her face.
“You know, maybe that’s not such a bad idea after all,” and disappeared.

Tash stared at where Freda had been. Covered her face and slid own in the chair, half laughing and half moaning.
“Oh Gods! Me and my big mouth.”

“You mean you talk to them as well?” said a cool voice from the doorway.