Hiding From Royalty, Part 3

 Hiding From Royalty, Part 3, by Kathryn

       Clang, Clang! The wake-up bell sounded and Isabella groaned. It was hardly even light out! The same servant lady came down the dungeon steps.
"Alright everyone! To the fields!" The slaves mumbled and walked sleepily up the steps. Isabella sat on her cot, unsure what to do.
"You are to go to the fields and work with the rest of them," the lady said. She followed her out of the dungeon, where it immediately led to a fenced-in field. The other slaves were already working.
Isabella shielded the sun with her hand and looked about. While the slaves were hard at work, soldiers on horses nearby made sure no one left. It was going to be a long and tiresome day.
            
                                                                          ***

        Isabella fought back the tears as she rubbed her blistered and bleeding hands on her dress. The sun beat down on her back as she pulled up weeds. She was sorry she had ever complained while working in the garden back home. Oh! Even the word 'home' made her heart ache. Where was her family? Would they come rescue her? Why weren't they here, begging the officials to let her go?
"Stop him! Stop him!" shouts broke her thoughts. She looked up to see the King's soldiers galloping through the huge field. One of them raised their bow and arrow, and whish! it whizzed through the air. She couldn't see anything, except that the soldiers had stopped.
"What happened?" Isabella asked a nearby woman slave.
"A slave tried to escape," she said solemnly. "Got an arrow in the back, too." She gulped. Maybe trying to escape at the moment wasn't such a good idea.

                                                                          ***

It was almost bed time when it happened. She was laying in her cot, staring at the cuts on her hands. Footsteps echoed and the servant lady appeared.
"Listen up everyone! We are in need of girl house slaves, to help with the cooking and cleaning and serving." Murmurs and whispers sounded throughout the room. What luxury! To be a slave in the palace instead of these horrible fields!
Without saying a word, the servant lady grabbed Isabella by the wrist and pulled her up.
"You two," she said, grabbing another girl, "will come with me." Isabella gave a startled look to the other girl. She had dark brown eyes, and long black hair, unlike Isabella's bright blonde hair. She wore a simple brown dress, and worn out shoes. I wonder if she has a family? Isabella thought.
But before she could study the girl anymore, they reached the servant entrance to the palace. Isabella's heart leaped excitedly as the servant lady opened the wooden door.

To be Continued!