From the Sketchbook: Scene 5

I'm sketching each scene of Courting Trouble in my sketchbook as I gather ideas for an illustrated version of the book. Here's Scene 5. Cynethrith goes to the nearby abbey, founded by her mother, and formulates a “plan” to sneak into the King's Court. Her best friend, the nun Athelfald, isn't too sure about this.

 “You don’t mean you’re planning on staying there?” she said.
“Yes,” I said.
“Don’t you think they’ll notice an idle woman wandering around after a while?”
“I won’t be idle,” I answered. “I’ll pretend I’m a servant.”
“You’re not serious.”
“Yeah, that’s the idea. Don’t you think I’d make a great servant?”
“No.”
“What do you mean ‘no’?” I was offended. I tended to assume I was good at everything.
“For heaven’s sake, Cynethrith, you’ve never had to work a day in your life.”
“I beg to differ,” I said. “I work like a slave. Who feeds the dogs? Who has to fetch embroidery floss and gather dyes endlessly for the troll, and run messages to the servants until I could drop? And I’m immensely strong, you know. I ride and practice sword play and archery every day—well, almost.”
“And that’s the sort of thing you think servants do?” she asked.
“They do as little as possible,” I said. “At least that’s what ours do. Of course Waldberg never pays any attention to them so they get away with murder.”
Athelflad looked at me and smirked a little, an uncharacteristic expression for her. “Maybe it’s not such a bad idea,” she said. “How long are you planning on staying there?”
“Long enough to see what it’s like. Haven’t you ever wondered about royal life? About money and majesty? Gold, gowns, jewels, men . . .”