All Chapters of Spider King: The Legend Begins: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

A pale and small hand, a worn out and dry hand, it gripped a pair of tongs and used it to seize a wire rack that held thick slices of bread. The wire rack was then taken to a spot close to an open flame so the bread could be toasted. The hand went up to a thinning apron so it could brush ash away. A woman's voice a few feet away asked her, "Muriel, would you poach the eggs? I need to focus on the bacon." The sizzling noises were already beginning. That woman, preparing the toast, was the only servant family could afford to keep. But Muriel Devin was working with her regardless. "I'll be there when the bread's finished," Muriel said as her blue-gray, slightly upturned eyes scanned the crusts and crumb. Her accent was more refined than the servant's, but it wasn't any less gentle. But suddenly, a ringing! Muriel looked up to a panel of small bells on a wall, attached to cords that

When breakfast was ready, Muriel helped to serve the food to her older sisters and her father. Then she took her serving and sat down with everyone while the servant left to do a few other chores. Muriel was very proud of the toast. Her father was thinner than he had been last year. His jaw was tight and his eyes were normally deep and worried. However, when he turned to look at Muriel, most of the tension in his body faded and he smiled. "Are you feeling well, Little Ferret?" Muriel nodded. "I'm fine Papa. Thank you." "Have your sisters been giving you trouble?" "I haven't been given anything I can't handle." Her father's voice sharpened. "Oh? So they have been giving you trouble." Muriel cringed at his next words. They were bitter and directed right at her beautifully dressed sisters. "Your little sister has been slaving herself ragged so you two won't have to give up your dowr

A letter arrived the following morning. It was addressed to Glen Devin. The red wax seal on the envelope had the shape of a circle with a sleeping bear inside. That bear wore a crown of roses. It was the seal of their lord's mother, Princess Arya Shirma, formerly a queen, the woman who dared to divorce the king. The nation was called Norantha. The Devins lived in a province called Matas. Previously, the Earl of Matas was a man with two sons. And sadly, that man was murdered. His first son died of illness. His second son was convicted of shameful crimes. The next possible heir had an accident with a hunting rifle and died. The king threw his hands up, or Muriel liked to imagine he did, and then he gave all the land, the castle, and the title to his second son, Prince Vidar Petran. This meant that the current lord of that land, the Earl of Matas, wasn't only entitled to rent from his tenants. He also received an allowance from the king.

If you were to see a well dressed lady who paid attention to the most recent magazines and fashion dolls walking down a street during, for example, a warm spring day, you'd see a colorful and bold silhouette. The shape of this woman's skirt would be extended at the sides while the front and back would be flat, a result provided by a set of panniers or side hoops. The more formal the occasion, or the richer the woman, the wider the skirt was. Yet for practicality's sake, a wealthy woman walking down a street would have reasonably smaller panniers. This woman would be wearing a chemise and a set of stays, also called a corset, underneath her colorful gown. Stockings with garters were also a requirement. A poorer woman would still have these things, but they would often be of cheaper materials and they would need more repairs over time. It wasn't spring, however. It was winter, and Muriel wasn't very colorful as she sat inside the carriage bein

The room she was given was actually very nice and bigger than her room at home. The walls had smooth plaster covered by a medium teal blue wallpaper. There was also a barely visible pattern of subtly lighter stripes. The floor had shiny black and gray tiles in a straight grid pattern. There were a few tapestries on the walls, some rugs on the tiled floor, a fireplace, a dressing table, a tall standing mirror, a wardrobe, a washing stand, a window, a few armchairs, a dining area, and a white ottoman at the foot of an elegant canopy bed. Muriel washed her face and hands. Then she changed into a mostly featureless gown of a dark olive color and put her cloak right back on. A few maids came and served her a meal. It was vegetable pottage with bits of roasted chicken mixed in and a hunk of white bread. It was a perfectly filling meal, but Muriel didn't enjoy it. After the meal, Muriel was told to follow a maid down to a sitting room, where the pr