The lone rider marched his horse up the mountain continuing his path south. Behind him another person rode with him holding tightly to his waist and covered from head to toe in a black veil. They continued climbing as the moon lit the miserable path. Once the horse slipped but the man competently maneuvered the horse up the trail again. They lost their followers once the mountain was behind them. They had been tracked since the first morning but the slower horses had not been able to compare to his strong one. The stallion had been born to climb steep hills. They stopped at dawn .careful not to seem suspicious they did not build a fire. They ate the last of their rations and at noon they began to rid again only letting the horse rest long enough to carry the weight of three. The rider stopped before night fell and warily the two of them opened the bundle. A little girl lay there sleeping peacefully. Only once in the whole trip had the child cried making the woman nervous but now that the journey was over the lady changed the youngster’s clothing and alone began to make the trip into the valley.
The male stayed with the horse looking carefully at his surroundings. When the woman came back they both set out north. The child had been disposed of.
“Galatea”
The girl continued to sleep, her hand working around the covers and pulling them above her head.
“Galatea”
The persistent voice pulled the sheets and finally the twelve year old roused from her bed. Her long raven locks covered most of her face and naked body.
“Yes is there something wrong?”
She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands and quietly swung her legs over the bed and stood. The other girl nodded persistently and Galatea pulled her old dress over her head.
“Where is the problem?”
She asked and when the other girl did not respond Galatea looked out of the window. It was dark and her eyes could not gain any visible sight. The younger child grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door. Galatea followed obediently trying to decipher what in the hell was happening. When she stepped out of the door the little girl pushed her out and closed the door behind her leaving the twelve year old outside. Laughing to herself she put the bar over the door. From a bed in the corner another girl stood up and giggled. Galatea was ever so naïve. How charming.
“She is out! I told you it would work!”
She sat on the bed and the little one laughed.
“You are right Madelia. She is quite stupid!”
Madelia flicked her golden hair out her eyes and pulled the bedcovers over head and kicked her feet up in the air.
“You were amazing tough Sadat really amazing”
The two girls went to sleep leaving a child outside crying and cleaning her tears with the back of her hands.
“Why do you cry?”
“I’m all alone”
The little girl answered her own question and then leaning on the tree sniffled. Why did they always trick her? And why did she always fall for their stupid traps? She sat on the dirt and waited for the morning dawn to arrive. It was cold and shivering she drew her hair closer trying to seek some warm out of that.
“The dress is beautiful Galatea”
Sadat whispered in awe holding the gown carefully .She had asked Galatea when Madelia was absent, to sew a dress for her to wear to the town square dance. Galatea at age sixteen had agreed and cheerfully spent most of her time at her needle. When the gown was finally done she had presented it to Sadat who overly joyful hugged her and went inside to try it on.
“Does’ it fit?”
Galatea asked nervously from the door. The muffled answer made her cringe; perhaps she had not done it right.
“Yes it fits”
Sadat came out twirling around and smiling. The blue dress really accentuated her voluptuous curves of which Galatea lacked. Her eyes sparkled and then looking to the left her smile fell. Madelia was huffing with two pails of water up the road. Sadat quickly went inside and took off the dress and hid it away.
“Well what do we have here Sadat, Mistress of the needle has stopped her work…come on. We do not have all day Mistress needle, to work”
Madelia then entered the small cottage and Sadat smiled apologetically and followed the eldest of the girls inside.
“She is worse than a pig driver”
Galatea murmured under her breath and returned to work on her spool. The wheel kept winding and the yarn went up and down while her foot tapped the lever. She could not remember the last time she had been inexperienced at this. Perhaps when she was five. Dusk found her still on the spool and tiredly she stopped and picked up the wool balls and the yarn.
“Dinner is ready Galatea”
Sadat spoke behind her and the girl turned around surprised.
“Oh you spooked me Sadie “
Galatea gasped putting her hand to her chest.
“The night is so quiet and unrestrained that I get lost in it-
“No one cares mistress needle now stop your foolish fancies and come eat or your food will be with the pigs”
Madelia interrupted her scaring both Sadat and Galatea .
“Moved it, you too Sadat you and mistress needle get in I will not reheat the pies”
With that Madelia huffed and went inside. Sadat followed and Galatea with one last look at the night went to eat her meat pie.
She was twenty three. This day she was twenty three. Her, now dead, foster mother had told her that on this day they had found her outside their door. With a sad smile Galatea drew a circle in the dirt and put some imaginary candles on top. When she blew the dust off her dirt caked she sang to herself
“ In this marvelous day
When the birds sing
And the gods cry
You dear arrived here
At my castle
Today you were born
Today of all days
I knew what joy was
Thus happy birthday
Dear heart”
Then laughing at her foolishness she covered her head with the sheets and went to sleep. Sadat had married the previous year leaving Madelia and Galatea alone. She did not hate Madelia, she actually liked her very much, but sometimes she could not help but hope for something else. Madelia, well she was a tough little nut to crack. She would rarely speak and when she did only commands and bossy little insults would emerge from her mouth. Madelia was indeed a tough little nut.
“I hope you are satisfied”
Madelia spoke up from her pot.
“ we no longer have Sadat to help around the house”
Madelia then rolled her shoulders in a manner that seemed insulting as if Galatea was the one to blame for Sadat’s little romance.
“But you had to introduce her to that man”
Galatea wanted to defend herself. She had not introduced Sadat to anyone. Sadat was pretty enough to call anyone’s attention.
“yes is your fault”
Then Madelia went quiet and only the little squeak of Galatea’s spool would interrupt the stretchable silence. Madelia kept stirring the pot with one hand and the other one at her hip. Finally she broke the stillness
“Well we can’t whine about it now. A year has gone by”
And like that their conversation was over.
Galatea walked over the river one day and looking down she stared at her face. Long ears went back narrowing her face. The lips were rosy and full, and her eyes almond shaped sported green pupils. She pulled her hair forward covering her entire body with it. It was along veil of black hair. So long that she sometimes hated it. Unlike the mother she never knew Galatea disliked the long hair that made her stand out among the red headed and the blondes. She wanted to shop off the hair, but doing that would accentuate her long ears. Troubled with the dilemma Galatea stopped looking and continued in her path. She picked up some berries from the growing bushes and finally when she knew that Madelia would miss her Galatea returned.
“well mistress needle where were you?”
Madelia asked as soon as Galatea entered .
“by the forest picking berries”
Galatea answered meekly almost too somberly.
“well what is wrong now?”
Brusquely the eldest went to her and put a hand to Galatea’s forehead.
“There, you have no fever now stop mopping and return to your chores”
Galatea nodded and put her mind to her needle.
“Wake up...child...wake up”
Galatea opened her eyes aware that she had dreamt something. Something about her.
Her lips parched made her stand up and reach for the glass of water she always kept at her side. What had she dreamt about? She did not remember. Closing her eyes she returned to sleep.
“Return. Return to Veletia”
“where is that at?”
She asked quietly the voice that kept calling her.
“listen with your heart”
Galatea somberly reached out
“will that tell me something about me?
The voice kept quiet for a few seconds and finally it answered
“No, I can tell you who you are”
“then tell me?”
“you are the banished princess daughter”
“That still does not tell me …that”
“you still do not who you are”
“Nay”
“then you will have to find out.. Seek Veletia”
She woke up feeling far more depressed than she had in the couple of days. Madelia noticing let her recline for half an hour and then like a slave driver sent her back to her needle.
“Have you ever dreamt of something that would tell you about yourself”
Madelia answered with a “harrumph” and continued shelling peas.
“Well have you?”
Galatea persisted .
‘‘No Mistress Needle I have not, now let me continue”
The girl in the spool went quiet after that, oblivious to the sudden change in her life that was soon to come.
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Submission Name: Legacy
