tales of the latter kingdom 08 - moon dance

by Christine Pope

  And then we were at the doors to the hall, and the footmen were opening it for us.

  Truly, if I had not known it was the same space where my aunt and uncle held all their large gatherings, I should not have recognized it. The long tables placed up against the walls were gone, and instead the enormous chamber had been filled with row after row of wooden benches — all of which had been made by the craftsmen who lived on the estate. Those benches were now crowded with lords and ladies in their best finery, so my eyes could barely take in the array of colors, the gleam of metal embroidery, the glint of jewels at throats and wrists. Along the walls were tall vases filled with roses and lilies and ferns, their perfumes at war with those worn by the guests.

  At the end of the hall was a dais, and on that dais were more flowers, and the priest of Inyanna who would oversee the ceremony. We four girls were charged with walking down the aisle between the rows of benches and scattering rose petals as we went. Once we were done with that all-important task, we were to take our positions, two of us to either side of the priest, so we might stand there as guardians of her virtue until the priest had completed the ceremony and Coryn and Adalynn were officially bound as husband and wife.

  More footmen stood inside the door. They handed us our baskets of rose petals — I knew several of the maids had been up early preparing them — and we all headed down the aisle. I was first, because I was the eldest, followed by Janessa, then Carella and Theranne. A murmur of approval went through the crowd as the four of us passed, and I could feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment. I was not used to having so many eyes upon me.

  Even worse was catching a glimpse of Mayson, who sat in the second row on the right. His dark eyes shone as he looked at me, admiration clear on his features. Oh, dear. If he was already this starry-eyed….

  But I did not have time to think of him further, because it was time to climb the two low steps to ascend the dais, and to take my position to the left of the priest. Janessa stood next to me, while Carella and Theranne headed to the right, so they might stand in locations that mirrored Janessa’s and mine. I had been so overwhelmed by the crowd that I hadn’t even realized music was being played; the musicians sat to one side of the dais, the harp and the flute and the fiddle playing a pretty country melody. Then the tune shifted, became more solemn, and another murmur moved through the crowd as Adalynn appeared in the doorway to the hall, the light streaming in from the corridor behind her and outlining her in a golden glow.

  Yes, she and I had had our differences over the years. But in that moment, I could feel my breath catch at how beautiful she was, how queenly her posture as she glided down the aisle, the silken skirts of her train rustling as she went. My gaze flicked to the front row, where my aunt and uncle sat. Aunt Lyselle was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, while Uncle Danly practically glowed with pride at the sight of his eldest daughter.

  Coryn, too, seated on the opposite bench with his own parents, looked as if he couldn’t quite believe that this glorious creature was about to become his wife. She paused next to the bench where he sat and held out a hand, and he nearly stumbled over his own feet in his haste to get up and take her fingers in his. Perhaps one corner of her mouth twitched, but otherwise she did not react.

  Then the two of them came to stand on the dais, and the priest began to speak the words of the ceremony. This was where I would allow my thoughts to drift, for I had attended enough weddings to know that this part of the proceedings was quite dry, and contained a number of words on the subject of obedience and duty and a whole host of admirable qualities that managed to make marriage sound quite dull.

  I did not think it would be dull. Not if I could have Reynar as my husband.

  My gaze shifted, and I caught sight of Mayson staring up at me. He, too, did not appear as if he was terribly interested in the words of the ceremony. No, he seemed far more occupied with watching me, as if he had never seen me before and wanted to commit every detail of my appearance to memory.

  Oh, dear. There would be no escaping him during the festivities that would follow the ceremony itself, and it seemed clear enough to me that he had no desire to spend those hours with anyone else. In that moment, I wished I were mage-born like Reynar, so I might cast a spell to take me far, far away from here.

  But I could not let my worries show in my expression. No, I had to stand there and fix a small half-smile on my lips, and pretend to be interested in the proceedings. It did not help matters that I could also see Lord Elwyn sitting next to his son. His lordship glanced from Mayson to me and back again, and his mouth pursed slightly, as if he was considering something that had not entered his thoughts before.

  To my relief, the priest said the words that invited Coryn to kiss his new bride, and the newly made husband and wife shared a very chaste kiss. From the intent look Coryn gave Adalynn, I guessed that the kiss was only chaste because it was so very public, and that things might be very different when they were alone together.

  The hall erupted in cheers as everyone stood to congratulate the couple, and they strode in triumph from the dais, out through the doors, and into the corridor, where they would stand with their parents on either side and personally greet all the wedding guests. Luckily, we attendants were not required to stand there as well, although we were certainly not allowed to do as we pleased. No, we must join the long line of well-wishers, taking our place at the very end so as not to make anyone wait longer than they must.

  To my relief, Mayson did not attempt to join us, but stood with his father near the head of the line. I saw him bend toward the happy couple and say something, but of course it was too noisy in the hallway to hear anything of what passed between them. Next was Lord Elwyn, who also smiled as he offered his congratulations. The line slowly lurched forward, and I found myself wishing I could curse my new slippers, for they were not fully broken in and pinched my feet. The other girls were in the same position, for Aunt Lyselle had had to hurriedly order new shoes for them all to replace the ones that had been ruined during their moonlit dances.

  At last, though, our little group reached Coryn and Adalynn. I smiled and said I wished them every happiness, and Janessa and Carella and Theranne offered similar sentiments. Adalynn gave us what looked like a genuine smile in return, and told us how lovely we all looked, to which Coryn chimed in as well and said that he thought himself a very lucky man, to have the most beautiful bride in all of Purth. To their right, Coryn’s parents thanked us as well, and Aunt Lyselle beamed at us and said, “You have done beautifully, girls. Now you may go and enjoy yourselves.”

  Freed from our duties, we hurried out into the courtyard, where a great pavilion had been erected on the green lawn at one end, and where the other guests had already gathered to drink wine and eat the delicacies that our servants had prepared. Some others wandered along the paths that wound through the rose garden, chatting and sipping wine.

  Altogether, it was a very festive sight. Janessa and Carella and Theranne made a beeline for the pavilion, dragging me in their wake. Theranne especially was excited, for Aunt Lyselle had said she might have wine today, whereas under ordinary circumstances she had been forbidden anything stronger than cider until she was past eighteen.

  I made a mental note to keep an eye on my cousin and make sure that she did not do anything to call attention to herself. Perhaps that should have also been the task of the other two girls, but I could see the way Janessa’s eyes roved the crowd, clearly looking for Lord Gwyllim. And Carella wore a rather defiant expression, one that told me she thought she had done quite enough for everybody else and was now going to enjoy herself.

  Very well. I had only resolved to survive the afternoon and the evening that would follow. I could not expect more than that, not when I knew I would have to deal with Lord Mayson at some point. If I were very, very lucky, perhaps his father would keep him in check, but I could not plan on that.

  But as I had not seen him yet, I followed the other girls into the pav
ilion, which was quite crowded, enough so that I worried whether the skirt of my gown would survive the day, or whether a misplaced foot would tear out the hem. Out of deference to us as attendants of the bride, however, most people moved out of the way so we might go to the table where the enormous bowls of wine punch had been set out, and where the footmen were pouring cups for all who approached.

  I noticed that Branwell, the elder of the two footmen pouring out the wine, was careful about the serving he gave Theranne, and that her cup was only a little past half full. Her lips formed into a pout, and I feared she was going to protest, so I said, “Go on, Theranne. For there are others waiting for their drinks as well, so it is best not to linger here.”

  She heaved a sigh but did not bother to argue, and went off to be lost in the throng — no doubt hoping she would meet up some of the girls she knew but did not see that often, for their parents’ estates were not within easy riding distance of her own. I did not think I needed to fear her flirting with the young men among the guests, since she had never shown that much interest in that sort of thing — unlike her sisters, or Janessa. But still, I thought I should keep something of an eye on her to make sure she did not have too much wine. Her mother would be preoccupied, as would Adalynn, and Janessa would be occupied with Lord Gwyllim. Carella had no such distractions to prevent her from watching over her little sister, but I feared she would not be of much use.

  Branwell poured wine punch into my cup, and I headed into the crowd. I knew I was expected to be social, and merry, and yet, now that I had performed my required duties, I wanted only to flee to my room and hide there. Such a retreat would be even more enticing if I knew that another assignation with Reynar lay at the end of it, but I knew such a wish was but a vain hope. He would not expect me to come to him after such an exhausting day. No, he would wait until the guests had departed and things had returned to normal, or at least as normal as they could be with Adalynn gone off to her new home with her new husband. We would have to find a different rhythm in our lives without her.

  That seemed rather a melancholy thought — even though Adalynn was certainly not my favorite person in the world — and I brought my cup to my lips and drank, even as I attempted to find an inconspicuous corner of the pavilion where I might hide myself. For a few moments, my stratagem seemed to be working, but then I heard Lord Mayson’s voice.

  “Ah, Iselda. I wondered where you had gotten to.”

  Automatically, I summoned a smile, even though I was not all that happy to see him. My happiness decreased that much more when I noted a certain bleariness to his gaze. Barely past two in the afternoon, and yet he must have already consumed several cups of wine punch, judging by his appearance.

  I knew I would have to tread carefully.

  “Lord Mayson,” I replied. “I thought it best to stay out of the sun, and this seemed the best place to stand, as here I do not have to worry so much about being bumped into, or spilled on.”

  He glanced around, seemed to take note of the corner where we stood, and nodded. “Yes, that does seem rather wise. This pavilion can barely accommodate half the guests.”

  Was that a hint of disapproval in his tone? “Well,” I said, my tone perhaps crisper than it should have been, “this lawn is not so large that we could possibly erect a pavilion here big enough to contain everyone. But no one else seems to mind strolling through the rose gardens, or going inside if the sun should become too strong for them.”

  Mayson was not so far into his cups that he could not see his mistake, for he said swiftly, “No, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. I have been to many weddings, but I think this has been one of the most lovely. Your aunt has outdone herself.”

  These words should have mollified me, but didn’t. For I knew he had only said those things to ingratiate himself, and not because he truly believed them. But since I would not pick a quarrel with him here, I made myself smile and say, “She would be very glad to hear that. I know she has been running ragged these past few weeks. But Adalynn has had her day, and a very lovely one it is.”

  “True.” Mayson fell silent for a moment, clearly turning something over in his mind. I did not like his quiet, for I could guess all too well what he might be thinking. “But what of you, Iselda? Do you not wish to have a day like this for yourself?”

  I sipped from my cup of wine punch and desperately wished myself elsewhere. Unfortunately, since I did not possess any magical powers, I remained standing right where I was. “Of course I do. Sometime in the future,” I added quickly as I saw a certain light begin to kindle in his eyes, “after I have had a chance to recover from this one.”

  Those words did not seem to have the quelling effect I had intended, for he said, “Oh, not too far in the future, I hope?”

  This time I could not prevent myself from letting out an exasperated breath. “My lord, we already said we would discuss this later. This is simply not the time, nor the place. I have been up since dawn, and I can barely think straight!”

  As soon as the words had left my mouth, I regretted them, since I could not be sure how he might react to such an outburst. However, he did not appear angry. In fact, he gave a sympathetic nod and said, “You are right, of course. You have your duties to manage today, and I should leave you to them. But you will dance with me tonight?”

  “I already said I would.” And oh, how I regretted that promise, even though I knew there was no way I could possibly avoid him during the rest of the festivities.

  If he noted the churlishness of my tone, he gave no sign. Instead, he made a very slight but graceful bow, and said, “Then I will see you later this evening, my lady. Until that time.”

  And he was off, weaving through the crowds before he disappeared from view. I could not allow myself a sigh of relief, for I knew that I had only been granted a brief reprieve.

  I would still have to face him that night.

  CHAPTER 12

  As was the custom at these sorts of events, the reception lasted until the heat of the afternoon was too much for everyone, and then we all retreated to the comfort of our rooms within the castle, which, with its thick stone walls, provided a more than adequate buffer against the summer sun. Some took the opportunity to nap and sleep off some of what they had drunk earlier that afternoon, while others only sat and perhaps loosened the lacings on their gowns, so that they might be comfortable for a time before being required to make a somewhat more fashionable appearance at the evening’s events. The servants, of course, were not granted such leisure, for during this time they must go to the great hall and remove the benches where everyone had sat for the ceremony, and redecorate the space so it would be ready for the ball later that night. Dinner would be served in both the dining chambers, and there would also be tables set up in the pavilion outside for those who wished to dine by the light of the setting sun.

  During this lull, I gratefully escaped to the room I shared with Janessa…but she never appeared. I suspected that she had taken advantage of the respite to retreat to a forgotten corner with Gwyllim, and I certainly would not begrudge her that stolen time. If only I had been able to do the same with Reynar! But of course I had no idea where he even made his home, and, desperate as I was to see him, I was not so desperate that I would attempt to slip away from the crowded castle and make my way to the forest. No matter how careful I might be, I couldn’t know for certain that I would not be spotted. Besides, I had made no arrangements to see Reynar, and so I had no reason to believe he would even be waiting there for me.

  No, all I could do was retrieve the book I had been reading, kick off my too-tight slippers, and allow myself to enjoy a few hours of peace and quiet before I must put on my public face again and endure the rest of these celebrations. I had no real duties at dinner or at the ball which would follow, save to be gracious and charming, and make sure that I did not favor one young man over another during the dancing. Right then, I could only thank all the gods that my aunt had requested such behavior of me,
since that stricture would make it far easier for me to beg off from dancing too much with Lord Mayson.

  I read, and drank some cool water from time to time, and began to feel restored. Not more than a quarter-hour before we were due to go downstairs, Janessa reappeared, her careful coiffure somewhat disarranged, and a few telltale reddish marks showing on the fair skin of her throat.

  “I am glad to see you are still with us,” I remarked dryly as she went to the mirror and began repairing the damage to her hair as best she could.

  “Oh, well, I was talking with Lord Gwyllim,” she replied in somewhat breathless tones, “and I completely lost track of the time.”

  “‘Talking’?” I repeated as I lifted an eyebrow.

  Her hand went to her throat. “Yes, talking. I cannot think how I got these marks! There must be some kind of biting insects in the garden.”

  No doubt something had been biting her, although I rather doubted it was insects. But since she was clearly inclined to protest her innocence no matter what, I only said, “Best you should put some powder on those marks. To take out the sting,” I added with a smile I could not quite suppress.

  She opened the cabinet that contained our hairbrushes and combs, and the chamomile mixture we used for our hair. Hidden there was also the small pot of rice powder, along with the lip and cheek stain Tarly had mixed up for us and had made us promise that we would never, ever tell Aunt Lyselle where it had come from, as young ladies of good birth were not supposed to resort to such artifices.

  Janessa pulled out the powder and the hare’s-foot brush we used to apply it, and dabbed at the red marks on her neck. They did seem to subside somewhat, although they did not completely disappear.

  “Do you think your aunt will notice?” she asked anxiously as she peered into the mirror and turned this way and that, no doubt trying to see how well her artifice held up under the shifting light.