Mary's Path

“Hello,” said Mary and curtsied. Zerden’s mother smiled at her and pointed to the table. Mary understood and sat on the same chair she had been sitting on the last time she was there.

“Zerden, set the table,” said his mother. When Mary stood up to help, she was kindly told to stay seated.

“Zerden can set the table on his own,” said his mother. “I heard you were had a birthday,” she continued.

“Yes, ma’am, last week,” Mary replied.

“I guess you haven’t celebrated it,” Zerden’s mother said.

“No, not exactly, I got a gift from Erik, one of my old friends, but I’m so grown up now that I don’t have to celebrate my birthday anymore,” Mary said.

“Well, here in this household we don’t get too old for that. I thought we’d celebrate your birthday tonight,” Zerden’s mother said.

“Thank you,” was all Mary could say.

Mary sat quietly and watched as Zerden’s mother cooked and Zerden set the table. He told her about what he had done during the day, he had been practicing with the soldiers for fun and was very proud.

He told her in detail about how to hold a javelin, Mary thought it was some kind of long stick. His mother listened and commented in the right place and was satisfactorily impressed.

Soon they heard the door open and close, and the castellan entered the room. Mary jumped up from the chair and curtsied deeply this time as well, which made Zerden’s mother laugh before she walked up and pushed Mary back on to the chair with a firm pat on her shoulder.

The castellan settled down in his seat at the short end of the table. He nodded to Mary and then began to talk to Zerden about things that Mary did not understand at all.

“Don’t worry about the two of them, they can’t have a sensible conversation about anything even if their lives depended on it.” laughed Zerden’s mother. She started questioning Mary about how she enjoyed the kitchen and what she had done since they last met.

After a while, the food was being served and before they started eating, they sat quietly and waited for the castellan to pray the table prayer. He prayed the usual table prayer, but just before he was about to finish, he got a little push from Zerden’s mother who made a quiet gesture toward Mary.

“And we ask you to bless Mary as this meal to celebrate her birthday. Amen,” he concluded the prayer. Mary felt the heat on her cheeks, but her embarrassment was soon forgotten when the food began to be served.

Zerden’s mother continued to talk to Mary so that Zerden and his father could talk about their day. When the food was eaten, Zerden’s mother picked up a pie full of berries and a large bowl of whipped cream. She served Mary first and served a huge piece that she covered with a large dollop of cream.

“For the birthday girl” she said, giving Mary the plate.

“Thank you,” said Mary, and received the plate with joy. Mary and Zerden’s mother continued to talk, discussing different ways of cooking rabbits when Zerden got up from the tables and went to pick up a small package.

“From us all” he said, holding it out.

“Thank you,” said Mary in amazement, and barely dared to open it.

The package looked like the one she got from Erik. She put it on the table and tied up the string wrapped around it. With trembling hands, she opened the fabric and saw something small, oblong and fuzzy.

“It’s a lucky rabbit’s foot, I’ve shot the rappit all by myself. They bring luck,” Zerden said proudly.

“Oh, thank you very much”, said Mary and when she lifted the rabbit’s foot, it was attached to a leather strap.

“Do you were it around your neck?” she asked.

“Most of the men hang them by the belt,” said the castellan.

“Ah,” Mary said somewhat relievedly. Zerden’s mother giggled, and the castellan looked amused. But Zerden didn’t seem to have noticed.

“It’s really nice Zerden. Thank you very much” said Mary, smiling at him.

“I have the other one,” Zerden said, holding up an almost identical hare that hung in his belt.

When they had finished eating the pie Zerden brought out the Kai board. This time the castellan said he would sit out and offered Mary to play in his stead.

When they put the board away for the evening Mary had won six games and Zerden seven. She felt very happy with that result, even if he technically had won.

When Mary walked towards her small room a few hours later, she felt very pleased with her gift. Maybe a rabbit’s foot wasn’t what she’d wished for, but she could always need a little extra luck.

In addition, Zerden had the second foot and it felt special. She wouldn’t hang it around her neck. She already had her key and Erik’s rose there.

When she entered her room, she took out the small knife she had received from Kopa. She always wore it just like he said.

She looked at the sheet for a while and then she grabbed the rabbit’s foot and lashed it on the outside of the sheet.

She undressed and crawled into bed. It was really nice to have a birthday, she thought before she fell asleep.

The following day Mary was stirring a pot full of milk and butter with spices and onions in it. As the milk was simmering it was to be infused with the flavors of the spices and onions. Mary’s job was to make sure that the milk didn’t burn or boil over.

Mary stood with her back toward the entrance of the kitchen, but she could feel that something was off as the kitchen had become quiet.

She turned around just to see Mrs. Beata walking towards her with determination and her usual sour expression plastered on to her face.

“You there, Mary” Mrs. Beata called when she stood almost in front of Mary.

“Yes ma’am” Mary said and curtsied while still trying to stir the pot.

“Someone told me that you were out all night yesterday” Mrs. Beata said accusatory.

“No ma’am. I was just having dinner with a friends family” Mary said in chock.

“Are you calling me a liar?”

“No ma’am, it must have been a misunderstanding by the one that told you I was away all night” Mary said.

“Why are you not paying attention to me, stop stirring” Mrs. Beata said irritated.

“I’m sorry ma’am, I just don’t want the milk to burn”

“Don’t talk back to me child” Mrs. Beata told Mary and before Mary could react the woman had reached out and grabbed hold of Mary’s ear and twisted it.

Mary squealed in surprise and pain and let go of the wooden spoon.

“Now tell me where you were last night? Did you spend it with a man?” Mrs. Beata asked still holding on to Mary’s ear.

“No ma’am, I was eating dinner with a friend and his family” Mary told her again.

“Lier, you are a disgrace to the castle and ungrateful to his majesty for what he has done for you.”

“No ma’am, I’m truly grateful for what his majesty have done, for my work here in the kitchen” Mary tried to reason.

“I knew you were trouble the moment I saw you. That horrid women asked for your sanctuary, how could there not be something wrong with you. You should be out in the streets, and I will make sure that is where you will end up” Mrs. Beata continued as if Mary hadn’t spoken.

“Mrs. Beata” Mrs. Karrots’ voice roared through the kitchen. “What are you doing laying your hand on one of my assistants?”

“I’m reprimanding her for staying up all night”

“She wasn’t up all night. I gave her permission to go and eat dinner with the castellan and his family. She has done it before. I can’t imagen that the castellan held her there for the entire night. But if you feel it necessary, you can ask him about it” Mrs. Karrots said.

“She could have gone someplace else after the dinner”

“Mary did you go any where else after you had dinner with the castellan’s family?”

“No ma’am, I came straight here” Mary told her, trying to keep herself from crying.

“There we go. If you don’t have anything else, I would appreciate if you would release Mary so she can get on with her work” Mrs. Karrots said, it sounded less like a request and more like a demand.

Mrs. Beata let go of Mary’s ear and furiously walk out of the kitchen. Mary stood rooted in her spot, rubbing her tender ear. That’s when she recognized the smell of burnt milk.

She spun around and dragged the spoon along the bottom of the pot and saw how the white milk became tainted by brown flecks. The tears that were already close, started to run down her face.

“I’m sorry Mrs. Karrots. I burned the milk” she sobbed.

“It’s okay my child. It’s not your fault. Go and take five minutes so collect yourself and then start over” Mrs. Karrots said and patted her on her back.