chpter 2 : her secret

Anna had never been happier in her entire life! Not only does she have a friend - something she had practically wanted or maybe needed - but her friend happens to be her mistress. Whenever Amy had asked for something from Anna, she would never hit Anna if she was disrespectful or tardy. Merely smile & tut.

After fulfilling a week of being a servant to Amy, things had changed for Anna's status. The heap of rags she once called a bed was replaced with a real bed! Her clothes, once torn & tattered & covered with sewn patches, were replaced with newly bought merchandise from Amy (Anna had realised on the first day itself that Amy's hobby was bargaining in the Market).

Amy's uncle was not pleased with her "unneccessary kindness" but she did not care as she was the heir to her late grandfather's riches, her uncle was merely at the guardian status, not a real uncle.

One day, Amy called Anna to her chambers.
"Yes, my lady?" Anna said with a curtsy.
"Don't curtsy, Anne! How many times have I told you that there is no need of this politeness. We are friends! Don't just sit there grinning! Come here & sit next to me." Amy giggled & patted the empty spot on her bed.

Anna refused to & Amy sighed, "Very well. Then just... Sit down near me. Yes, thank you."
"So, what is it that you need me to do, my la- Erm... Amy? From the urgent tone in your voice I had suspected there was a need for me to wash your sheets?"
Amy burst out laughing & stopped abruptly, a grim look on her beautiful face.
"No, Anna. I have decided that you shall be the first person whom I shall share my deepest secret to..."
"Oh?" Anna's heart beat in excitement. She has a friend who would share secrets with!
"Yes, but this may take a long time to explain. Do get comfortable. So I told my uncle that we are both busy making signs of admiration for the up-coming ceremony of the Pharoah's..." at the mere mention of the pharaoh, her cheeks went a deep red.


Amy took a deep breath & began the story...


"Four years ago, before I was born into this world, my late mother had a best friend named Jenny R."
'Jenny R...? Why does that name sound so familiar to me?' Anna wondered.
Amy interrupted Anna's thoughts. "Ah. I think you recognize the name, do you not? For she is the mother of our Pharaoh."

Anna gaped at her friend incredulously, for who has heard of a close relationship with the lord?
"Both our mothers, his & mine, were planning for us to be... Well..." Amy's face turned a bright red again & cleared her throat. "... Lovers. It must have been exciting, hoping to be related with one's dearest friends. But the Pharaoh's parent did not expect him to be the heir to the throne, as the previous Lord was hoping for more children. It seems that Je- the Pharaoh was the only true heir to lead our country."
"Though as everyone knows, the Pharaoh had claimed his throne at the mere age of 10. Before that age, we were great friends. He was my only friend before you. The other girls in the village hated me, for some infathomable reason. When we were 7, Jeffer - oh, do excuse me if I keep calling the Pharaoh by his name - & I used to go up the hills & scream out our wishes. At the age of 6, we would have chased each other around the neighbourhood, laughing off the warnings from the notorious old hag at the corner. Those were the true childhood memories I had held onto till now. Eversince my parents had past, he was the only one I could count on. But he moved on, without me.
"No, it was not fair to blame him for my status. That I am still just the heiress to the fortune of my family. Yes, I may not be poor. But I would give all the money in the world just to spend time with him..."

Amy's lips quivered with misery.
How Anna was touched by her mistress's vulnerablity. That she had a weakness too.
Loneliness. Just like what she had gone through nearly her entire life.

"So, Mis- Amy. Are you & the Pharoah's just friends?" Anna asked, a little intrigued & curious.
Again, Amy turned a beet red.
"Well... Yes, I presume." she mumbled.
"But anyway... Jeffer & I are childhood friends, to cut it short. He grew up with me but is going through his lfie without. He has his duties, I have mine. We both live in different worlds.
"But sometimes, when we just want to escape from these worlds, we would meet somewhere. In the Sacred Garden."
Anna gave a small sigh. How exciting it must be to live in her mistress's world! To have a dear friend who is a royal! & they meet in the Sacred Garden.
The Sacred Garden was a blessed place where it was believed that true soulmates were meant to be. The ideal location for a romantic scenery.
But wait? Were the two not merely friends, as said by her mistress? What were friends doing at a scenery such as the Sacred Garden?
"We still correspond. Through letters, I mean. Sometimes I pay him a visit to the palace but it was a little awkward... To see the Pharaoh not for a request to the village or an increase for the tax. But to catch up with friends. I still keep his letters. Locked safely here." Amy looked under her bed & pulled a box.

She opened the box & Anna gasped.
It was filled with letters! Some aging - pages so yellow - some new.
But they were obviously tucked in carefully.

Each letter was folded by three & on it was a spidery-handwriting, which wrote,

"To Ms Amy Shari."

"Oh! How romantic!" Anna said out loud.
Amy cringed.
Anna had not realised that she had voiced out her thoughts to her mistress! How embarrassing...
"It is not romantic. We are merely friends, Anna." Amy said coolly.

'Too coolly...' Anna thought suspiciously. 'Was that a bitter tone I had heard from my mistress? I truely had thought that she may have a small admiration for the Pharaoh like the other girls in the village.'

"Are you sure, Amy? Why then am I having a thought that you are, maybe, more than friends?"
Amy kept quiet & looked away, playing with one of the letters.
"Amy, as I tell you this, you are sworn to the Lord himself that you shall not repeat the information that you are about to hear from me, Amy Shari."

Anna nodded.

"I... We... Jeffer... We are more than friends." Amy admitted. "Or maybe just on my side. It is just that... I... I do not wish to remain as friends. I wish to be more than that."
Amy looked up in Anna's eyes. Anna was startled that Amy's eyes were swimming in tears.
"I... I like him, Anna. No! I... Love him..."
Anna kept silent. She was speechless. But she had found this very common throughout the female population. All the girls always express their feelings for the Pharaoh at the palace & would be kicked out for harrassment.

But this. Amy looked as if she meant it.
Why else would she have cringed at the name of the Pharaoh's? Why else would she cry for the burden of having a passion for him? Why?
The thoughts were swimming in Anna's head, but she dared not to voice them out.

"But there is nothing I can do! He does not love me. He would never love me. When he can have the power of attracting any woman he would want with the snap of his fingers. But what can I do? The pain. Having a load of carrying this secret with me every single minute, day, night. It hurts everytime. When he walks down the street, he does not acknowledge me - as our friendship is very private - but he pass by. He walks behind his bodyguards & pass me, the cold air trailing behind. Have you not felt this stinging, Anna? Have you not long for more than just companionship?"

Anna shook her head.

Amy sniffled & wiped her tears with the sleeve of her blouse. She cleared her throat & straightened her posture. "Well then." she said with a bright smile, when just minutes ago she had been crying of the love she suffers for the Pharaoh, "Lets get started on the decoration for the Pharaoh, shall we?"

She picked up a few cloths & started sewing patters on in silence.

Anna stared at her mistress for a while.
'Maybe it is not easy for the mistress to cope with her life. Maybe we all had just... Overestimated her. But I shall never feel the pain that she is going through now.' she thought & decided to join her mistress with the sewing.