The Village and The Suitor
The carriage continued down the dirt road, and Mary looked out the window at the nearby meadows where the local children play, imagining what it would have been like if she had grown up as a commoner wondering if she would have been happier that way, as Rabastan told Mary a story about the time he went vacationing in their neighboring kingdom Grimmauld
The carriage ride seemed like it would never end. Mary learned how to tune him out after some time because she could not listen to another one of his stories about how he saved the king of Grimmauld and now the king owes him a favor. As if that is going to convince Mary to marry this man.
After what felt like hours, but was actually only twenty minutes they arrived in the village. The village was full of people today. Usually it is deserted and she sees ten people who don’t work in shops walking around.
Today though the village is jam packed full of people. The sight brings a grin to her face.
“It is so lively and full of people today!” Mary said excitedly.
“It is truly awful actually. Forcing us to walk among… them.” Rabastan says in disgust.
“I for one enjoy being around people actually.” Mary says looking him dead in his eyes and then returns to looking out her window.
They drive around the village until they reach the royal parking lot. It is an entire parking lot just for the royal family. Mary has always found it to be quite ridiculous in her opinion.
She steps out of the carriage with the help of the carriage drivers and waits for Rabastan to come out of the carriage. Rabastan actually fell out of the carriage and Mary had to keep herself from laughing at him because his hair was sticking out in every which way.
They started walking through the village with the guards always a couple of steps behind them. For once Mary is actually grateful to have the guards nearby. She does not trust this man to be left alone with her for more than ten seconds.
They walk to the nicest fabric shop in the village so she can choose the fabric for the gown they are designing for her eighteenth birthday ball. The shop was on the opposite side of the village so they had to walk for a little while before they reached the shop itself.
The walk to the shop must have only been 10 minutes but Rabastans boring stories about his “prospects” made it seem like an hour. He had to have been the most annoying man on earth, and if there is someone more annoying than him then Mary hopes that she never has to meet them or else she might die.
“In one week I will be eligible for my inheritance and I will tell you it is quite a big number. Would you like to know how much I am inheriting?” Rabastan said in a way that made Mary think that she will be hearing how much he will inherit anyways.
She is not paying attention to him though, She is looking at a woman on the side of the road covered in dirt with her two children asleep next to her with her hands out begging for money. She wants to run over there and give her all of the money she has on her and get her somewhere to stay, so that is exactly what she does.
“Did you hear me? He said, “Do you want to know how much money I will inherit!” He said again, slightly annoyed.
“I am going over there.”Mary said, pointing at the woman.
“I thought you said that the fabric shop was that way?” he says confused.
“I am going to help that woman over there, and then we will go to the fabric shop.” Mary tried her best to add a commanding tone to her voice but she can’t tell if she did it correctly. Since she is always kept in the castle she never has had a reason to ever really speak up for herself.
Rabastan scoffs at the woman,”Why on Earth would you want to associate yourself with someone so below you?”
“Because she is still a human being.” And without another word she walked over towards the woman, not waiting for his response.
As Mary got closer to the woman she got her first really good look at her, and it was worse than Mary thought. Her hair is a light brown and in a matted mess, her eyes are a very pale blue, the rest of her face is covered in a mixture of soot, mud, and dirt. Her clothing is a simple brown dress that has several holes in it and she has no shoes on her feet. Mary walked a few feet closer when she finally saw her and held her hands out in her direction.
“Please, help me.” The woman says weakly. Mary put my hands into the hidden pockets of her dress and grabbed all of the galleons Mary had with her which is about 100 galleons. The woman gave her a look of shock as if she had not expected Mary to give her any money. It makes Mary’s heart break that so many people are not willing to give even a galleon to the poor women that she expected nothing from her at all.
“Thank you!” The woman said as she beamed at the money Mary had given her.
“You're welcome,” Mary said, beaming back at her. Mary started to cross the street back to a waiting Rabastan who looked equally as stunned as the woman that she had actually gone over and given her the money.
“You actually went over there!” He says, looking astonished.
“Well isn’t that what I said I would do?” Mary says with a smirk and then signals to the guards that they are moving on, and starts walking towards the store not checking to see if Rabastan is still with them.