Title:  Serena, Born A Slave - Chapter 3
Author:  Keely
Email:  keely1@home.com

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A small girl and a woman in a beautiful silk dress ran through a 
candle lit stone corridor. The girl ran and tripped on a cobble stone 
but the woman held on and picked her up. "Serena we must hurry! Now 
come on keep running," called the woman. 

"But Mommy what about Teddy?" 

The woman started to run again. "Don't worry I'll get you a new bear. 
Now come we must get out quickly!" 

As Serena ran she heard footsteps coming nearer and nearer and then 
she heard voices. "Hurry! Don't let them get away! There! They went 
left!" 

Suddenly she felt her mother's grip tighten. "Dear, listen. I am going 
to put you on this boat. You mustn't look back, no matter what! I will 
see you again. Wait for me after you get out of the boat," said her 
mother as she set her on a life boat. 

"Mommy, I'm scared. I want Teddy." The mother sighed and gave her the 
teddy bear. 

"You didn't leave it behind!" exclaimed the five year old. 

"Serena, if I don't come back please go look for someone who will care 
for you. Do you understand?" The girl nodded her head. The woman 
kissed her and gave her a hug. With that, she sent the boat away. 
Suddenly the voices were right behind the woman. 

"Mara, where is the child?" asked a man in a tunic. 

Mara looked at him with disgust. "I will never tell you! You have 
deceived me and your country! I will give you one more prophecy. In 
thirteen years you will become ill and my daughter will rule what you 
have destroyed! I curse you!" The man growled. "Guards, do what you 
would like with her." With the swish of his cape, he walked away. As 
the little girl listened to all of this tears came down her cheek. *No, 
I will not cry! Mommy said to be strong.* Suddenly a scream entered 
Serena's mind and Serena's blue eyes started to water. *Mommy! No!* 
Serena fell to her stomach and she started to cry. 

The next morning Serena awoke in a bed. *Huh? Was that just a dream?* 
Serena looked around and noticed a beautiful woman staring at her. 
Worry was etched on her face. "Oh good, you're awake! How are you 
feeling, child?" 

Serena looked at the woman and answered, "I'm fine. But my- my mommy 
was killed." A tear came down her cheek. 

The women came over to her and hugged her as the child cried. "Oh I'm 
so sorry! Tell me, what's your name?" Serena sniffled and she wiped 
her nose on her sleeve. "My name is Serena. I used to live in Wilter 
Castle." 

The woman stared at her in awe. She quickly regained her composure. 
"Well dear, would you like to stay here? I have a daughter about your 
age. Would you like to live with us?" 

Serena sniffled again and nodded her head. "Where am I?" 

"Why, you're in my home. You see, we're slaves. I work at the palace, 
Father works in the fields and my daughter cooks and sells food. You 
can help her." 

Just then a girl with blonde hair came in. "Mommy, is she awake?" 

"Yes she is fine. Serena this is my daughter Mina." Mina looked at 
Serena and took an immediate liking to her. 

"Hi! I'm Mina!" said the girl brightly. 

Serena smiled and jumped out of the bed. "I'm Serena! Nice to meet 
you, Mina!" 

The girls giggled. "Here Serena, let's get you some clothes," said 
Mina. "We can share them!" The girls ran off to see what clothes would 
fit her. As it turned out they were the same size so everything would 
work out. In the next few days Serena learned how to sew and cook and 
then a few days later she was working with her sister. As the years 
wore on Serena and Mina became older and prettier and looked so much 
alike that if Serena hadn't had a deeper eye color it would have been 
impossible to tell them apart. 

"So Mina, is Lita going to come help us with baking the food?" asked 
a seventeen-year old Serena. 

"No, she had to go see Sir William," Mina replie with a smile. Lita 
was one of the noblewomen in the court but was a very down-to-earth 
person and liked to help people out. She had met the two girls when 
they were about eight years old and had introduced them to her good 
friends, Amy and Ray. Serena had begged them to teach her and Amy 
finally taught her to read and do much more. Ray on the other hand had 
taught both of the girls to do karate. She was from Japan. It had 
helped Mina and Serena with a few problems with some guys who were 
trying to hit on them. The girls had entered the court together and 
had mingled well, but things were changing so it was harder to go into 
the court room. Out of the many times Mina had gone there Serena had 
only gone once or twice. One day, Mina had asked her why, and Serena 
replied, "Because the king is a very bad man and he hurt my mother." 
Serena would say only this for it brought her too much pain. 

The day was cloudy and gray though the people liked the change from 
the hot days they had been having. Serena stood in front of the cart 
and started to yell. "Fresh bread! Only three shillings a pound! Fresh 
bread!" 

An elderly woman walked towards her and Mina who was working the 
register that day. "Hello dear. I'd like to buy four rye buns." 
Serena smiled and handed the elder the bread. The women looked into 
her purse. "Oh dear it seems as though I only have three cents to 
day." 

Serena smiled sweetly. "That's all right! I'm sure you need this so 
just give us three cents and there won't be any more trouble." 

The old woman smiled at the girl. "Oh, thank you dear. I'm so sorry 
I don't have enough." 

"That's okay. I understand. It's getting harder and harder with the 
king taxing us so much. I think that six pence is too much." 

The old woman smiled at the sweet child. "Thank you. Did you know that 
the king is holding a ball? I heard it for the prince to find a bride. 
Why don't you two girls go? You are nobles aren't you?" 

The girls giggled. "No. We aren't." 

"Oh my! Well, I must be going, or else my daughter will start to 
worry." 

Serena smiled. "Well, you really should be going then." They waved and 
the woman left. Suddenly a boy about their age ran to them. "Sere, 
Sere! Guess what? There's a ball coming up! Why don't you go?!" The boy 
looked a lot like Serena and Mina, having gold hair and the same blue 
eyes as Serena. He had a very good build which he got from working at 
the horse stable. 

"Travis! You have got to take a swim in the lake! You smell terrible," 
exclaimed Mina. 

Travis smirked. "Gee thanks, Mina! So are you going?" 

They shook their heads. "We don't know. I'll have to ask Lita, Ray and 
Amy if they can get all of us in." Travis was almost the only boy that 
didn't actually hit on the girls. "Oh well, I was wondering if I may 
escort you two ladies to the ball." He looked at the sun. "Well better 
get going. Let me know when Lita tells you." Travis paid for a bread 
roll and then ran off. 

"Well, it's lunch time. Let's go home for a break." said Mina. 

"Ok. I'll stay here. Tell Mom I'm going to get a new paper, all 
right? Oh, and bring me back some tea." Mina nodded her head and 
ran off. Serena went over to the boy who was selling newspapers and 
bought one. Serena went to the stand, took a piece of bread and 
started to read the newspaper. The wind started to blow and Serena 
sniffed the air. *Hmm its gonna rain. That means Dad will get tomorrow 
off. I get to stay home. Ah that will be nice.* Serena started reading 
again until she saw something the caught her attention. There on the 
left side of the page was a picture of a woman in a white rotting silk 
dress. In her hand was a charm. Serena practically spit out her bread. 
"Mama." Serena whispered. Serena skimmed down and read the article. 

"Last night a gardener was shoveling when he hit something hard, with 
the help of some guards they lifted out a box. In the box a beautiful 
woman was discovered. No one knows who she is and so a burial will be 
on Saturday afternoon. The woman seemed to be of noble blood. By the 
looks of it she seemed to be hung and then stabbed on the back several 
times." 

There was more to the article, but Serena's tears had blurred her 
vision. Serena sank to the ground and started to cry. "No, it can't 
be! Mother you can't be dead." Serena looked at the photo carefully 
and then knew it was true. "Mommy, you really are dead." Serena 
whispered. "Nooooooo!" Serena pounded the ground with her fist. Her 
brown ragged dress spread out and the handkerchief that had held her 
hair up had fallen off. Her hair cascaded around her in a golden 
blanket. Just then Mina came up happily bringing the tea. As she saw 
Serena in the ground crying she dropped the cups and ran to her fallen 
sister. 

"Serena! Serena! What happened? Are you all right? Serena, speak to 
me!" Serena looked up and handed her the newspaper pointing to the 
article. Mina read it and had a puzzled look on her face. "Who is 
this, Serena?" 

Serena ran into Mina's arms. "Mina, th-that's my mother," Serena said 
quietly. 

Mina gasped. "Bu-but she's a countess! How can......" 

She was cut off by her sister who had quieted to a sob. "I was found 
in a boat because Mother had sent me on it to save my life." Serena 
cried more. 

Suddenly a handkerchief appeared in front of the two girls. Mina 
looked up to see a man with deep blue eyes and black hair. Mina took 
it. "Thank you, sir," said Mina as she lifted Serena's face and 
started to wipe it. 

"Might I ask, why she is crying so?" Serena looked up and saw deep 
blue eyes. 

Serena gasped and a look of horror crossed her face and eyes. She 
backed away as fast as she could, got up and looked at him. Mina stood 
up and started to walk towards her. "Y-y- you." Serena pointed her 
finger at him and then ran away. Mina looked at Serena's retreating 
form, then back to the man. "Say, aren't you the king's son?" The boy 
nodded his head, deeply puzzled. 

"What was that all about?" he asked her. Mina picked up the paper and 
skimmed over the paper again. "Oh my!" *I see what's wrong! Serena's 
mother was buried right next to the castle. So that must mean.... Oh! 
Poor Serena! No wonder! He looks just like his father! She must have 
thought it was him!* 

"Um i don't mean to be nosy but you know how to read?" 

Mina looked up at him. "Oh, well yes, and Serena knows how to as well, 
and I'm sorry but I can't tell you why Serena was acting like that. I 
mean I know why she was acting like that but...." 

"You can't tell me," the boy intterupted. "Well, can you tell me what 
made her cry?" 

Mina looked around nervously. "Well well.... look at that. Serena 
forgot to lock up. Better go." 

She gathered the article and started to walk away quickly but the boy, 
known as Darien, grabbed her wrist. "What's that your holding?" 

Mina hid the article behind her back. "Holding what?" 

Darien grabbed the article and looked at the picture. "She was crying 
over this? Why?" He looked at Mina's eyes and knew she was hiding 
something. "You're hiding something. Who was this woman?! Tell me!" 

Mina grimaced as he shook her. "I-I can't. I'm sorry. If I told you 
Serena would definitely kill me! Now, please let me go." 

Darien shook his head. "No, not until you tell me whats going on." 

Mina was starting to get annoyed. "Listen, Prince, take your hands 
off me! If you don't I'll.... I'll......" 

Darien smirked. "Or you'll what? Call the guards on me?" 

Mina narrowed her eyes. "I wish it didn't have to come to this." Mina 
twirled around and kicked him in the back. 

He fell to the ground. "How did you-" he started. 

"I told you to let go. You just had to learn the hard way." With that 
Mina walked off. 

Serena had run all the way home, tears spilling from her face. She ran 
up to her room and cried and cried. Mina came in a few minutes later. 
"Serena?" Mina said softly. She came and sat by her bed. "The king 
killed her didn't he? Is that why you hardly ever went to the court?" 

Serena sat up and nodded. "Yes. But it wasn't the king that killed 
her." Serena told her story of how the king had had an affair with her 
even though he was married. She told how he had killed her father 
before she was born and how he had given the orders to kill her and 
her mom. Her mother's maid had overheard and she told her mom and that 
night they ran off but they caught her mom and killed her. 

Mina had tears streaming down her cheeks as she listened to the story. 
"Serena, why did he want you killed?" "Well my mom tried to break off 
the affair, and he said that if he did he would one, take me away from 
her or two, kill her," Serena explained quietly. Mina hugged her and 
stayed by her bed until she fell asleep. 

That night when the parents came home Mina told them what Serena had 
told her and by the end of the story Sally, the mother, was crying and 
George, the father, just sat there and thought. The next morinig 
Serena got up silently before anyone, else left a note to Mina (since 
she was the only one in the family that could read) and left. Serena 
rapped her shawl closer to her as the wind picked up. Serena sniffed 
the air. "It should rain soon. It's perfect to mach my mood." A single 
tear ran down her cheek. *No. I had promised a long time ago that I 
would be strong. I will be strong.* "Oh mother, why did you have to 
leave me? I thought you said you would meet me after the boat had 
landed on the shore. So why are you gone now?" 

"Who's gone now? Are you Serena?" a voice sounded. Serena whipped 
around and found she was face to face with the same man from yesterday. 
She backed away in fear and horror was clearly written on her face. 

She gave a muffled scream and then bowed down. "Please Your Majesty, 
don't kill me! My mother never did anything to you." 

Darien looked at her questioningly. "What are you talking about? I'm 
not the king." 

"Bu-but you look just like him," she said, confused. 

"The king is my father. Why would he want to kill you or your mother?" 

Serena stood up but her back was facing him. Her hair was put in a bun 
and was under a handkerchief. She wore a long blue dress and had no 
shoes. "I can't tell you." *I will not cry. I will not cry. Be strong, 
Serena, be strong.* But despite what she thought, tears came down her 
cheeks. 

"Why can't you tell me?" asked Darien gently as he walked towards her. 

"Because you wouldn't know what it was like to have your mother killed 
or to have been hunted down like a dog," she replied tearfully. 

Darien paused and then touched her shoulder. Serena shuddered under 
his touch. "I-I know what it is like," he said slowly. "My mom was 
shot by an arrow, but it was on accident. At least, we think." He 
turned Serena around and saw that she was crying and that her eyes 
held terror in them. *My goodness! She is beautiful! How could she be 
lower class and look like a princess? I must get to know her,* he 
thought. 

Suddenly he heard a voice. "Sere? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Darien 
saw Serena's eyes sparkle and she smiled. *I wish she would smile for
me,* he thought ruefully. 

Darien looked over to see a man walking over to her. Serena spun 
around and ran over to the man. The man wrapped his arms around his 
dear friend. "Serena, is he bothering you?" He looked as if he wanted 
to punch Darien if he was. 

Serena shook her head. "I wouldn't do that. He's the crowned prince." 
Darien smirked at the man. "Come on Sere lets go to the stables. Why 
are you out so early anyways? You always come running into your booth 
at least ten minutes late, still doing your hair!" Serena smiled. 
Darien watched with interest at how peasants lived and acted. 

Serena punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You should talk! If I 
remember correctly you were the one I saw sneaking off with Mina last 
night." Travis didn't even blush. "And then, I heard from Ray 
that......" Serena paused as she noticed Darien listening to them. 
Serena whispered in Travis's ear and all of a sudden they started 
speaking in French. It was translated like this. "Anyways, Ray told 
me that the next morning your clothes were all messed up as was your 
hair AND you smelled of perfume. The same kind that Mina wears!" Now, 
Travis started blushing furiously. "Ah ha! I knew it," exclaimed Serena 
in English. ''I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Wait till Lita and Amy 
find out! There will be so much gossip in the court tomorrow!" Serena 
started to tease him as Travis turned a lovely shade of pink. 

Meanwhile, Darien's thoughts ran wild. *What? How did Serena learn 
to speak French? Wait! Did she just say the court?! What's going on?!* 

Travis, finally regaining his composure, said, "Oh really Serena?! I 
never see YOU going to the court anymore! If I remember the last time 
Mina went with Lita they practically had to drag you to make you go! 
What, are you afraid of the king?!" Travis immediately regretted 
saying that because Serena stopped laughing and turned white. She 
began to shiver. *Oh great! Now look what I have done!* Travis thought, 
dismayed. Serena had told him what had happened but he never let anyone 
know and pretended like he never knew about it. When everyone asked 
about why she hated the king so much, he never teased her about it. 
"Oh sere! I'm so sorry! I really messed it up now didn't I! I'm really 
sorry! Please forgive me! Please don't hurt me!" 

Darien smirked at the last comment. "How could she hurt you? She's a 
girl!" 

Serena nor Travis paid attention to him and Travis went to Serena and 
hugged her. They started to walk away when Darien stopped them. 

"Wait? How did you guys know French? And why is Serena so scared of my 
father?" 

Serena hid her head in Travis's chest and Travis held on to her 
tightly. "You wouldn't believe us even if we told you," Travis told 
him. 

"What do you mean by that?!" Darien said, offended. 

Travis looked at him, straight in the eye. "Do you love your father?" 
Darien looked at Travis straight in the eye as well. "Of course. He 
is always there for me." 

"Then I shouldn't tell you because if I did, you would end up hating 
him just like the rest of us peasants." With that they left. 

"Hmm. I wonder if Father knows what going on? I'll go ask him." Darien 
walked off towards the castle.