Brown Skin by Timaira Smith (best beach reads of all time txt) 📖

himself, Oh I do not belong here, my awful luck heeds me." She continued to sob quietly until she heard the clop clop of heavy heels coming near the door. She quickly wiped her tears and forced herself up, forgetting about the sore bruise on her ankle thanks to the lovely door. "Ah!" she accidentally cried out, covering her mouth.

"Edwina is that you? You are back already?" Snickered a crude voice from the other side of the door. Hurrying to try to cover her torn dress she quickly snatched a sheet off the bed and threw it over her body. Suddenly the door swung open and in came two witches of women laughing and snickering without grace. Lady Macy Windson was the first one, her bones as fat as her heart cold, her chubby cheeks were full of pieces of cheese while laughing with her mouth open. Following her was her friend Lady Rebecca Gladstone who's heart was frozen solid was snickering at Lillian, her skinny frame and pretty face not matching her off personality. Lillian sat on the bed and pretended to act as if she just woken up. "How was the ball, Edwina? Get any faces to turn your way?" Macy laughed as she and Rebecca stood in front Lillian to prepare for an interrogation.

"The king said that Lady Howard is not here after I stood and searched for her. I thought you said she called for me?" Lillian asked trying to keep her peace and not be too obvious that she was covering her gown with a thin sheet.

"I said our mistress called for you? hmmm... sorry I do not seem to recall, saying a Mary Howard, I thought I said Macy the coward did! Oh you poor girl, must have been embarrassing to have your first experience in court expose you as a fool" Rebecca cackled. "I heard the laughter all the way from the gardens! I thought the king invested in a jester or something of the sort the laughs were so hearty!" Lillian did not watch the two girls laugh in her face, out of habit she kept her gaze on the floor, her hands tightened her grip on the sheet. "It is not chilly in this room why are you covering yourself?" Rebecca grabbed the sheet and started to tug on it. Macy got the hint and started doing the same, laughing like a little school girl throwing the hunk of cheese aside.

"No reason, please let go please!" Lillian tried with all her strength to keep herself covered, with a final rush of energy she pulled the sheet away from the girls with all her might, causing a mighty RIIIIIIIPPPPPP, tearing the sheet in two. Unfortunately, the part she was holding was much smaller than the one in the girls' hands, revealing her secret."

"My, my, what have we here? A torn gown. You have not been here a week yet and you allow some man to access your woman parts, what a whore. And it was new! Ha, our lady is not going to be very pleased with you." Rebecca said with a grin. Lillian could not hold back any more tears, nor pretend that she did not have any building up . She covered her bare breasts with her arms and lowered her head and began to cry. She hoped that her sadness would provoke some compassion but it did not. "Oh stop that crying, you are so pitiful, just throw the sheet and dress away and request a new one, but I would be careful who to ask, you would not want this incident to get out would you? Edwina, a brown skin, a whore and a careless possessor, I surely would not trust you with my belongings!" Rebecca threw the sheet over Lillian's head and left the room in an uproar of laughter. Lillian, still sobbing, took the sheet off her head, praying silent prayers for peace, then she discovered Macy still standing near her. The girls were silent for a moment before Macy picked up the cheese she was eating and broke a piece off the edge, offering Lillian a piece.

"No thank you, I cannot eat, I have not any stomach any more" Lillian said wiping her tears. Macy's demeanor changed as she looked at Lillian.

"My, you do have copper eyes. Never seen any thing like it in my life." she remarked. Lillian looked up at her in surprise.

"Thank you, Lady Macy, for the compliment"

"Hey, my name does not have a Lady in it, though I am one, I always hated that name, makes me feel old and I am younger than you! How old are you anyway? You look about seventeen or eighteen."

"Seventeen" Lillian lowered her gaze back at the floor. Macy smiled, proud at her guess but she lost the sense of pride looking at how sad Lillian was. After another moment of silence, she heard Macy sigh. "Look, I have a lot of dresses, you can choose one to wear if you need so, you are smaller than me but I presume your bosom would fit perfectly." She whispered.

"Really? Thank you La...Macy"

"Sure, but do not think of me as nice or anything. It is only because you are so weak and all weepy-eyed. But I would heed Rebecca's advice on who you would ask, word travels fast in court. I suggest you grab a backbone girl, It is a man's world here and no man, especially the king, is going to allow space to a sob story like you." She concluded before walking out of the room. Lillian got up and closed the door behind her. Finally alone she stripped off the remainder of the dress and petticoats. Standing naked and free she collapsed on her bed and took a deep breath. She pondered over Macy's words and promised herself that she would never allow herself to get that upset again. She turned her head and began to look around. Her room was plain and small, smaller than the rest of the ladies in waitings' rooms. She was promised by her mistress that she may receive a better room in time when she first arrived five days ago, the first words that she heard out of her mistress's mouth, before the rude comment 'oh look! you got the wardrobe room for an apartment! Never the less you should be happy, I heard you are used to wooden houses outside for you to live in!' by the heartless Rebecca. She stared at the one window that was small and square, with nothing but a simple light blue curtain to accent it. then at the wooden chair in the corner of the room next to the window. She sat up and looked at her bed, almost too small for her width. It was hard, cold and uncomfortable, reminding her of the floor in the grand hall. She winced as she relived that embarrassing moment when she fell and bruised her ankle in front of the whole kingdom. Before she knew it she felt tears again, but quickly dismissed the thought, remembering Macy's advice to "grow a backbone." Instead she thought of the king, and the confrontation she had with him in the hall. Suddenly she felt a warmth grow throughout her body, as if the cloak that he placed upon her shoulders was there again. She put her hands on her bare shoulders and relaxed into her bed. She closed her eyes as she gazed into his blue eyes again, causing her to breathe deeper. Her hands slide to her neck, collar and stopping at her breasts. "Oh he was a very handsome man, for a pale face I suppose." She wondered about his body, was his hair that naturally wavy or was it prepared that way? He was very tall and thick boned, muscular, no doubt. Why was she feeling this way? Surely feeling like this was not right. What was she feeling exactly she had never felt before. She just met the man! She opened her eyes and for a split second saw his face on the ceiling. She gasped. "Your majesty" slipped out from in between her lips and she found herself smiling for the first time since she arrived at court.

Suddenly the door cracked open and a large cloth object was thrown into the room. Rushing to cover herself she began to ask who it was but the door closed again. She got up and investigated the object. She lifted it up and looked at it. She then rolled her eyes and threw it back on the ground, turning around to go back to bed. On the dusty floor was a oversized set of brown dresses, all ripped at the seams.

A Frustration Fury

"How many times must we discuss this? I do not need your help with finding a queen!" King Troy slammed his fists down on the iron table. He got up out of his seat and walked towards the great fireplace to relieve some of his anger.

"My lord, you have been king for three years now, three years too long...we-"

"I am aware of how long it has been, I can find my own mate."

"My lord, these are matters of the state, you cannot just simply find your own-"

"I can and I will!"

"You cannot!"

"And why not? Who controls this kingdom, you or me Thomas? There is reasoning on why I have not found a woman!"

"And that is?" And suddenly King Troy was silent, he never considered this question. He stared back at the fireplace and held his cloak in front of it to warm it. He looked at the flames, and how the orange was married to the yellow coloring, only growing in size never breaking apart. Oh how he wished he had a flaming love like that, one that can set him ablaze, make him come out of himself. To burn him from the insides, to warm his heart and his manness.

"I want love, not a property or a womb to put an heir in. And that is something the state will not understand, only I and God himself"

"My Lord, you can not just search for love, what is more important is finding you a fertile woman to give you a son, love will come later! Surely that is not your reasoning!" Sir Thomas Seymour, the Prime Minister of the privy counsel was the main one talking now. He was famous for achieving his high status in court at the youngest age ever. He was only forty three with no grey hair appearing yet. He was considerably handsome for a man his age and had a reputation for being untouchable. He also had a powerful voice, which is the reason why he was so bold to speak to the king this way. All the other men in the room just stood and watched wide eyed at the unfolding drama.

"If all you are worried about is a child,