Mary's Path

Mary stood and stirred the white sauce to be poured over the root vegetables. It was a delicate sauce that was quick to burn as soon as you stopped stirring. She was concentrated on her task but still registered that the door was opened and the silence that descended across the room.

She looked up at the door and could hardly believe her eyes. First came the castellan walking with a grim face and behind him the Lady and Kopa. Kopa looked like a thunder cloud and for the first time Mary was genuinely afraid of him.

The kitchen staff moved out of the way to let them through, they were heading straight for Mary. As in a dream, Mary pulled the pan with the sauce from the heat to keep in from burning of pure habit, never looking away from the intimidating trio.

Before the three people had reached Mary, Mrs. Karrots had appeared beside her. Once again, Mary marveled at how quickly the woman moved through the kitchen.

“Castellan, why are you bothering my staff when we are at our busiest time?” demanded Mrs. Karrots.

“It’s not my intention to disturb,” he replied, bending his head slightly. “But our honored guest has asked to speak to Mary.” Mrs. Karrots looked at the Lady and then at Mary.

“Mary, please lead our castellan and his honored guests to the dining room and come back when you’re done,” she said. Mary could only nod and then begin walking towards the dining room while desperately trying to figure out why Kopa was mad at her.

---

Tariana was shocked by the young woman who led the way through the kitchen. The child with a glow in his eyes seemed to have completely disappeared. Instead, there was a woman who looked like a frightened ghost.

The red mark on her cheek could explain some thought Tariana. Who would have laid hands on her? They went through a door and stood in a large hall, full of tables, the dining room Tariana assumed.

Mary turned to them with her eyes lowered. The castellan took a step aside to let Tariana walk up to Mary.

“Do you remember me?” she asked.

“Yes, your grace,” Mary replied, and curtsied as deeply as she could. Something in Tariana was breaking.

“Have you been working in the kitchen since we left?” she asked Mary.

“Yes, your grace. First as a kitchen maid, then Mrs. Karrots started teaching me to cook and after that I have been working as a chef’s assistant” she replied.

---

Mary thought she understood why the Lady had come down into the kitchen. She wanted to make sure Mary had behaved and done well for herself. If Mary just answered the questions honestly, she might not get hurt, she thought.

“Where do you live?” the Lady asked.

“I have a room in the servant’s part of the castle,” Mary replied. The lady turned to Kopa and spoke quietly to him.

“Mary, I want you to show Kopa where you live and then you go with him. I’ll stay here and talk to the castellan and the cook.”

“Yes, your grace,” said Mary, and felt her insides turn to ice. Had she answered a question wrong? Perhaps she had not seemed grateful enough, she thought as she led Kopa through the narrow corridors. None of them said anything. She stopped in front of her door and opened it to let him in.

---

Kopa walked through the door and ended up in the smallest room he had been in. To call it a room was to be generous. He was already furious at the way they had treated Mary, the room didn’t make his feel better.

“Pack your belongings,” he said. Mary nodded and quickly picked up a couple of small things that were on the small bedside table and put them in the chest.

“Is that all?” he asked. Mary nodded. “Come with me,” he said, lightly lifting the chest and started walking as the only thought he had was to get Marry away from here.

---

Mary knew this was the end. She was to be banished from the castle. Perhaps Father Link could help her, she could go to a monastery, she thought. She almost had to run to keep up with Kopa.

It took a while for her to realize that she was not heading for the exit. Instead, they went further into the castle. After another while, Mary realized that they were on their way to the tower where she had lived with the Lady and her entourage when Mary first arrived at the castle.

Soon she saw the door leading to the large living room, on each side stood a gray-clad guard. They opened the door when Kopa came walking and Mary followed him through the doors.

She had the feeling of having walked straight into a dream. In the big room, it seemed that time has stood still. Everything was exactly as she remembered it.

At one of the large windows, the Lady stood and looked down at the castle courtyard. She turned to them when Mary and Kopa came walking. She smiled at Mary.

“Can I talk to you, Mary?” she asked.

“Yes, your grace,” replied Mary. The lady made a gesture towards Kopa and he walked away. The lady signed for Mary to come closer.

“Sit here with me, my friend,” said The Lady, patting one of the pillows in the window. Mary carefully went forward and sat as far out on the edge as she could.

“Mary, I have to apologize”, the Lady began, and Mary was so surprised that she forgot about being careful and looked up at the Lady.

“We shouldn’t have left you the way we did when we went back home. I trusted the king, but that’s no excuse. I should have made sure you were fine before we left,” the Lady continued.

“I thought you’d be taken care of and get to grow up at court.”

“At court?” said Mary in amazement.

“Yes, my friend, that’s what was decided. I thought you’d be best off staying here where you felt at home. I was wrong, can you forgive me?” Mary didn’t know what to say.

The thought of growing up at court was so strange. She thought of lady Sarah and couldn’t imagine growing up to be like her. Mary suddenly realized that the Lady was waiting for an answer.

“There’s nothing to forgive,” she said. The Lady smiled faintly. They both turned around when Kopa came back into the room, he still looked to be in a bad mood, but the anger had subsided.

“Don’t blame Kopa for what’s happened. He wanted to bring you back with us, it was just out of loyalty to me that he agreed to leave you here,” the Lady said.

The words surprised Mary, but slowly it began to sink in that neither the Lady nor Kopa were angry with her. The relief was like a wave running through her body and it caused tears to rise into the eyes.

“I want you to stay here with us. You get the same room as last time, and we’ll solve everything else as we go” lady said. Mary nodded.

“But I have to go back to the kitchen soon, it’s almost time to serve lunch,” Mary said. The lady smiled.

“You won’t have to go back to the kitchen, my friend. Never again” she said firmly. Mary looked at her in amazement. What would she do if she didn’t work in the kitchen? But she nodded.

“Good. You stay here. I have a lot take care of, I might as well get on with it” the Lady said, standing up to leave the room. When Kopa was motioned to go with her, she spoke quietly to him. Bota stayed behind and instead two grey-clad men followed the Lady.

Mary still sat in the window and didn’t know what to do. After a while, Kopa came over and sat next to her. There they sat together in silence, immersed in their own thoughts.