13 Lost Maiden

The intensity of the fall sounded like something heavy had just given in to the rudiments of gravity. Now, it was the Court Lady Sigrid's turn to give in to her anxiety.

"Goodness gracious! Who could that have been?" asked Court lady Sigrid as she clutched at her chest tightly.

'Heaven show mercy! I can tell that the King is near this forte. Oh, lord! What sort of temptation is this?' panicked Sigrid.

At this time, the heavy footsteps of the King, and his knights could be heard more audibly by the court lady and her train of maid-servants-- who were below her in rank, but still worked under the Royal umbrella to render their service solely to the queen of Aegremonth. They all panicked.

Everyone, except Elizabeth became swarmed up in the heat of the moment as all looked for the best way to save her own head if they should be found out by the King.

Were they not just at the Queen's side, and tending to her demands when the darkness had erupted the Castle? And had it not been merely thirty minutes since the oddious storm relinquished?

Now, this being or creature lurking nearby...

Who could say for sure that it wasn't a demon or magical entity of some sort that had just come lurking, in wait for any one human it could find to devour?

Surely, even if it were a maiden that had assumedly gotten lost in this part of the castle--which was least likely, would the blame not fall on Court lady Sigrid?

More so, had Sigrid not heard of how fierce and deathly Lord Briceus's temper got once he felt his privacy infringed upon?

What would be her excuse?

These thoughts and many others rampaged Sigrid's mind who knew that if it was a 'Who' and not a 'What' that had just fallen so loudly, then it was her position to fix things quickly before Lord Briceus and his knights drew closer. Or else, she would have no means of explaining.

Impulsively, Sigrid turned around to acknowledge one of the maid-servants behind her.

Turning to one of them, she spoke, "Be quick, Meera, hurry to find out who just dropped by the king's former bedroom."

Meera was hesitant, and clocked eyes with the maid servant beside her, pleadingly, to have her do the assignment in her stead. However, Meera knew that court lady Sigrid, however kind and soft-spoken, could become highly irritable once she got disobeyed.

Clumsily, Meera thrusted forward, counting her steps deliberately until she was standing in front of the open door of the majestic bedroom.

Her ink-dark eyes widened in shock at whom she saw.

Alarmed, Meera called for backup, yet she was careful to only whisper.

"Lady Sigrid, it is... it is a maiden."

Sigrid could not believe her ears.

"Such nonsense words you blurt out Meera. Move aside, and make way for me to see for myself," ordered Sigrid, as she darted forward with Meera stepping aside.

"Good gracious! For say, it is a maiden indeed! Quick, tap her, Meera. It could be that she lost her way," said Sigrid to Meera.

"La-lady Sigrid-" Meera hesitated.

But time was of essence to Sigrid at this point, so she scolded Meera.

"Move from here and let me do the job if you will not," said Sigrid.

Using her hand to push Meera behind her, though gently, Sigrid moved further into the King's bedroom and crouched beside Elizabeth.

"I hope I don't get into trouble for this," mumbled Sigrid.

TAP! TAP!

Sigrid hit Elizabeth gently, meanwhile the coarse voice of the men talking and headed in that direction, had become intense.

Thus, Meera bellowed on the court lady.

"Please, lady Sigrid, let us retreat through another route and allow her to face her punishment alone," said Meera.

"Keep shut, Meera. Do you not know she is a maiden like you. Help me help her."

Sigrid's words caused Meera to feel bad. As such, she too pulled forward and crouched to tap on Elizabeth.

——

Like a faulty light bulb, Beth's beautiful eyelids flapped lightly in an attempt to steady her vision.

She could not make out what she saw at first or where she was, but Elizabeth could see two caricature of silhouettes kneeling by her left side.

Her vision steadied, and she panicked from who she saw, also where she was.

Sigrid was the first to speak as she flaunted her youthful dentition at the newborn before her.

"Maiden, you are awake! Did you lose your way?" asked Sigrid.

Ignoring the kind lady's words, though not on purpose, Beth questioned her sanity.

'What happened, how come I am here, and they are also here?'

At that point she tried to lift herself up by using both her elbows to support herself on both sides. However, immediately she attempted to lift her head, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head. The piercing pain jolted her memory back to the fall she had just suffered from, and she panicked again.

Oblivious of the mixed emotions going on in Elizabeth's mind, Sigrid was quick to call on another maid-servant to assist Meera in lifting the lost maiden up.

This, they tried to do, but Elizabeth offered some form of resistance which should have angered Sigrid, but something about the girl in particular made it easy for Sigrid to warm up easily to her.

"Do not be scared, child. We won't harm you. We must hurry you up from here, because the King and his knights are just but a hair's breadth from us. We don't want you to get into trouble."

By this time, Beth had been supported by the two maid-servants to sit up. It was when they had intended to help her up completely that she had felt like they were taking her to serve some sort of punishment.

Even though the court lady seemed friendly, Beth still wasn't sure if she would be doing herself more harm by letting them take her.

The more she deliberated was the more she realized that by that time, her companions should have departed for Griffinwald.

Still, there must be a way. Beth thought.

With teary-eyed visage, Elizabeth looked on at the court lady, Sigrid to make her plea.

"Please, kind lady, I have not acquainted with you before now but best believe my words that I had run out with the others and returned when I lost something but had taken the wrong route instead. Hence, you can see me here."

By the time Beth finished her explanation, Sigrid could see the shadow of the men which had been cast on the wall at the instant, by the huge torch of flaming fire which was positioned high up on the hallway to afford brightness to the area.

"Silence, child. Quick! Meera, Ayda, get her from there and shut the door. The king and his knights are here," said Sigrid, whose heart would divorce her body any moment from being already worn out by her fearful emotions.

Elizabeth co-operated and lifted herself up, needing no helper.

BANG!

The door slammed shut just in time to welcome Lord Briceus, Zeke, and some knights. They were within earshots to have mistaken the loud slamming of the door.

Feeling irritated, and nerved by the sight before him, Briceus thundered...

"What madness just erupted here?!"