4 Preparation

The days flew fast, and were aggressively cruel to Elizabeth whose countenance lost all shades of colour on account that she was deprived of her books, also the fact that Mr Pickle was murdered in all elements of brutality on account of her mother. Although, she tipped a certain butcher to do the job.

A week and six days felt like the twinkle of an eye. But, in all actuality, that was how long a time it had been since the visit of the news-bearer of Aegremonth to Griffinwald during which time he had made the royal invitation known to the Blythes and other selected families of not just Griffinwald, but other towns and villages.

With attendees to come from Wimborne, Dragoncourt, Rivermoor, and a lot more others, every maiden whose family was invited could not contain their joyfulness. One of such maidens was Louisa.

"Beth, do you think that Prince Aldrich would fall so much in love with me at first sight that he would not let me go?" The fact that Louisa was extremely delighted gave Beth a sense of joy herself. Beth never hated Louisa for treating her ill on most days.

In fact, she forever excused Louisa from every blame even when she was deliberately mean to her. Beth felt that her sister meant no harm towards her, and that Isa was expressive enough of her sisterly affection, the only way she knew how.

At this time, in her elder sister's room, Beth was tending to her sister's hair to prepare her for the journey to Aegremonth which she would embark on with their parents in an hour time when their father, Mr Blythe would have returned home with the carriage they were going to use as their means of transport.

Beth's father had decided that since it was a seven-hour journey on carriage from Griffinwald to Aegremonth, that he and his family excluding his younger daughter, would reach there the night before and put up with a relative who lived there, for fear of having to miss out on the Coronation ceremony by arriving too late, if they should embark on the journey the following day.

The Barons and most of the invited families had decided to employ the same wisdom by arriving at Aegremonth the day before the inauguration ceremony.

In that instant, Beth halted from using the hair brush to straighten the subtle coils of her Louisa's brown hair which had a tint of gold intertwined with her hair locks. She was to everyone, a goddess to behold, and Beth had always felt privileged to exist as merely her sister's shadow.

Elizabeth adored her sister's looks. Everything about Louisa's charisma reflected divine beauty and Beth held no doubt that the attention of the prince who was fated to rule in his late father's stead, would get drawn to her.

Little wonder that more than half of the eligible suitors in town had contested long and hard for Louisa's heart which she was so selfish to give to any one of them. She had always wanted to get immersed in royalty and as such her mother had taken her backing.

While, Elizabeth concluded in all honesty, that Louisa deserved to have her dreams fulfilled.

"I believe that he will, Louisa. You are the brightest of beauties. I hold not a single doubt in my heart that you will become the queen," said Beth with a smile that painted a ray of sunshine over her face.

Just then, Louisa adjusted herself on the dressing stool which was of reasonable height, and smiled gracefully. Her smile was easily caught by Beth who could see her sister's reflection in the concave mirror that sat in front of Louisa.

"Oh Beth, I am very happy indeed. Father said it is best if we left today," Louisa informed her sister even though she knew that the trip excluded her company.

"Yes, Isa. You told me yourself."

"Yes, yes. We will settle under the moonlight, at Uncle Harrow's home, and leave for the coronation the following day."

The more she spoke about the event and the preparation for it, was the more Beth calculated the possibility of her escape.

'This might be a more difficult task than I thought. If I carefully hid myself in their cloth wraps, it still would not be convenient enough. It could work for me to get halfway through the journey. But after that, what next?' She kept deliberating in her mind until she no longer heard the words that Louisa spoke to her. She had become lost in her thoughts.

"Beth! Beth!" The faded voice she thought she had heard in her head of someone calling her name, became louder until she repented from thinking so much and let her mind journey back to Louisa's room. As she became more aware of the present situation, she saw Isa gaze at her disconcertedly.

"Where did you journey off to? You kept me silent for half an hour since," which was actually an exaggeration, coming from her elder sister, so Beth paid little attention to it.

"I am sorry, Isa. My mind truly journeyed somewhere."

"Do tell!" Louisa urged Beth, as she turned around to trap her with her demanding stare.

Beth knew better not to divulge her escape plan to Louisa, so she decided to say something else as a replacement, knowing that Isa would not back down from asking, continuously. Beth felt flattered thinking to herself that this was Isa's approach to showing her concern.

"I just feel sad, Isa. When the whole family leaves, but for Bessie, I could die from boringness. Mother said I could not go out, so if Bessie was to go by the stream to get water or do the dirty clothes, I would be alone - all by myself with no book to cheer me up for company."

Louisa could never relate to her sister's love for reading many books. She never understood why she had to read so much for a lady.

"Books mean nothing to me, Beth. They should not to you too. Reading is a hard thing and I shall never be impressed by the subject," said Isa.

Beth expected nothing more than the words her sister had just spoken but, she had a different perspective about reading altogether. For Beth, she considered reading to be something as natural as "the air that escapes the tiny openings of our nostrils when we breathe. Who could not love books?" Was her response to Bessie whenever she asked her why she had to read so many books.

But in her sister's case, Elizabeth knew that nothing she would do or say could ever persuade her to like books.

"Dear Isa, I know you cannot understand my connection to books. But, that is what I thought about just now," said Beth.

As her sister turned to face the mirror again, Beth settled to finish making her beautiful long brown hair into a single conspicuous French braid.

"You look beautiful, Isa. You are easily going to be the most beautiful maiden at the castle tomorrow."

Beth's comment on her beauty caused her to smile broadly. Louisa knew that she was beautiful. She had heard it from every single person she had crossed paths with. She grew up feeling like a beauty goddess compared to Beth.

"Thank you, Beth. And I will return with so much talks of how Prince Aldrich locked eyes with me, and we fell in love instantly." Louisa declared.

"And I shall wait to hear your tale of it, Isa. All of it!"

They chatted more about it, and a gleeful Isa told Beth of the rumours involving Prince Aldrich. But just then, a call from their mother ruined the conversation between the girls.

"Louisa!!" Mrs Blythe called.

"Mother!" her daughter replied as she excused herself from her room, and half-walked, half-ran to her mother's room. When she arrived, her mother demanded to know if she had included her outfit for the morrow; the gown she was going to wear, along with the clothes they were taking along, on their journey.

"Yes mother, I did. But how long shall we stay for? It feels like we are taking our very wardrobe with us on this journey."

"Hahaha. Nonsense my dear girl. We are staying for three nights, so that the Prince can arrange another meeting with you before we return home."

Louisa smiled as she concluded in her mind that her mother was the smartest and most-calculating woman she had ever met.

"Thank you mother for being so thoughtful."

"It is okay, my love. Hurry now, and get ready! Your father would return in a matter of minutes."

Thus, Louisa excused herself to her room, where Beth had left a while back.

In her own room, Beth positioned a stool beside her window, just as Bessie joined in after requesting permission to do so.

Bessie was saddened by the fact that there was no preparation made to have her lady, Elizabeth, journey with the rest of the family. She wished that she had the means to fare her there herself.

"The master of the house is soon to return, milady. You still withhold your purposeful actions from me," Bessie said.

But Beth did not respond immediately. Instead, the glint of satisfaction in her eyes caused Bessie to imagine what her lady had up her sleeves.

'Truly, it would make my heart rejoice for my lady to be the chosen of the newly appointed king of Aegremonth. Shall I not aid and abet her in her escape? It shall be beautiful indeed to imagine her adorned in the brightest of colours and richest of clothing once the king takes her to wife. But what if she could not let me in on her little idea. What more could I do to push? For milady surely has a mind of her own,' concluded Bessie.

The worries in her mind reflected on her countenance, and it did not go unnoticed to Elizabeth.

"Why do you seem troubled?" was Beth's question to Bessie.

"Milady, It is you! Why will you not involve me in your plan? Few hours into the morrow, the king of Aegremonth shall be appointed to office and the castle of Barad-dûr shall be flooded with families as well as many beautiful maidens, including your sister."

"Hahaha, you seem eager to know my thoughts. Do you not?" Beth teased.

"Milady, please do tell."

Elizabeth giggled and finally decided to reveal the absolute truth.

"In truth, dear Bessie. I do not have a plan."

"You do not?" Bessie was stunned as she did not know if her lady was being mischievous and deliberately hiding her plans, which she doubted to be the case. Still, she could not believe that her lady was being serious about it.

"Milady, are you joking with me?"

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