Chapter 129. Victoria's story 1

A young girl stepped off the carriage and looked at the busy town. Peddlers loudly praised their products, people walked around chattering and laughing, children run around playing with small trinkets.

I

Young girl smiled brightly as she walked around and saw the happy expressions on their faces. " Oh well, I have no idea how is this place much different as ours. People seem happy, children look safe, Elders really exaggerated with all those warnings. I have no idea what grandmother was talking about."

She continued to walk around, looking at different kind of products and trinkets. She took some money from grandmother's stash and bought some accessories she liked. She walked down the street, following the masses and ended up by the huge lake. She saw people walking towards small boats and driving towards a certain point on lake.

She was curious so she went towards one of the boatsmen. " Uhm, sorry, I am not from here, could you kindly tell me what is going on and why are there so many boats at one point?"

He saw her simple but clean clothes and sighed. This child seems to be alone here. " Its day of brides. Once a year the young women go on the boat as a sign that they are eligible and the clan Elders choose some of them for their sons. But child, these men have multiple wives so if next year Elder chooses another wife for his son, you are then divorced or sent back home. Are you sure you want to go there?"

She was curious, but not sure does she really want to get married this early. She shook her head. " I am indeed curious but to get married in my age is against our clan rules. I still have a question, are there any jobs available for such young person asci am?"

" There is a need for servants and manual workers in houses but you would have to sign a contract to work there. Are you sure you want that?" He was worried that she would be used by those nobles. He saw her smiling and shaking head.

'" Thank you for your worries, but I am clearly able to discern good from the bad contract. Where can I ask for a job?" She looked at him with eyes filled with self-confidence. He sighed and explained to her where she should ask. While she walked away he mumbled into his beard. " If I could, I would have taken you in, but I can't afford a worker. Soon I will die and those people will take everything, your condition at that time would be even worse. Child, take care of yourself..."

She walked quite a while and asked random people for direction before she arrived at a huge iron gate. She looked at the big weird windings that looked like thousands of snakes intervened. She shook her head as her back became cold at the same time. She turned her head towards the mansion and saw an older woman walking down the path towards the gate.

" You must be a new servant, Sarah, right?" The older woman looked at her with an inquiring stare, seizing her up and down.

" No mam, I actually was searching for a job. My name is Victoria. May I ask is there a place for me as well?" She didn't want to enter under someone else's name.

" Just for lower manual maid and helper in the kitchen. Which one do you choose?" The woman asked calmly and looked behind her back, searching as it seems for Sarah.

" I don't know how to cook, bit would like to learn if it's possible. I would like to choose helper in kitchen." She heard on her way that maids in nobles homes have a hard time. So she chooses to just stay further away from them.

The the woman nodded with a slight smile. " Good choice. A cook is a nice person. She will teach you all you need to know. Let's go I will come back out for Sarah." She looked one more time down the street and sighed. " So unreliable. The maids these days..."

Victoria couldn't answer on that, so she kept quiet. She slowly mumbled into her breath. " Do far so good, let's see what will happen. "

She wanted to prove them wrong, all of them, the town, the Elders, her family... She is able to survive so far, right?

The the kitchen was a big noisy place with the center of humongous woman that ordered the servants around, and all with a kind smile. She saw the two of them entering the kitchen and smiled brightly.

" Mrs. Stevenson, who did you bring me today? I hope a helper. If its again one more maid I will get crazy. I need more helpers here, please." She pointed at the mess in the kitchen and sighed.

" Calm down Katherine, these ones wish was to be in the kitchen. So she is all yours." She pushed slightly Victoria towards a big woman that smiled at her and so she smiled back.

With slight knick she bowed towards her and introduced herself. " My name is Victoria. Please let me know what I can do. For now, I don't have any kind of experience but hope to learn."

Katherine nodded and reached for her to hug her. " Don't worry, we are here as a family. Nobles don't come here and we don't set foot onto their territory. This is the most important thing you need to know. Never, ever, EVER... go to their rooms. You are kitchen helper, not a maid. If they catch you up there, they might think you are up to no good or stealing and then your little life is gone, understood? "

Victoria nodded and promised not to break the rule, but soon she broke it.

Repeatedly...