With a Jester of Kindness

by K. C. Herbel

  “Sir Hugh?” said Billy cautiously.

  “Yes, William,” he answered.

  “Um . . .” Billy held out the shield. “This good enough?”

  Hugh looked down at Billy’s handiwork. His eyes popped open when he saw his reflection. Hugh reached out and took the shield from Billy. He smiled as he saw the halo of stars that surrounded his head.

  “Now that’s what I call a shine!” he exclaimed. “We might make a squire of you yet.”

  “Well, if you could do it, I’m sure William can.”

  Lady Myrredith’s appearance caught both Billy and Hugh off guard. The two of them snapped around to face her.

  “Milady,” they said in unison.

  “I think it’s time for you to be in bed, young man,” she said to Billy with a smile.

  Billy grinned up at her and rolled his eyes in protest. “Yes, Lady Myrredith.”

  Billy watched the fire as he went to bed in the wagon. In the soft red glow, he could see the faces of his two best friends, the two people he loved best in the world, after his father. He watched them, as they sat in silence, staring into the dying embers, neither one looking at the other.

  “G’night, Lady Myrredith.”

  “Good night, William.”

  “G’night, Sir Hugh.”

  “Good night, William.”

  Billy closed his eyes and listened to the silence. It said more to him than most people can say in a lifetime.

  * * *

  Most of the camp was up long before the sun. The king’s court beckoned to them, and all were eager to be there. Billy watched in amazement as many of the wagons were uncovered to reveal bright pastel colors. He climbed atop Lady Myrredith’s wagon to get a better look at the spectacle. In the night, while he slept, many more wagons and caravans had arrived. In every flat area of the meadow, as far as he could see, there were beautiful wagons filled with wedding gifts of every description.

  In a fanfare of trumpets and dancing colors, the likes of which has rarely been seen, the army of revelers hit the road. The earl’s entourage took the lead, followed by Lady Myrredith and her escort. Behind them came another wagon and another and another, until all had fallen in line. There were thirty-seven wagons in all: thirty-seven wagons, several hundred horses, and easily more people than horses.

  The morning air was cool and clean with the scent of blooming vines and flowers awakened by the recent rains. Billy closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. The sweet smell combined with the warm morning sun was intoxicating. He leaned back in the wagon and gazed at the long line of wagons behind them. Mounted warriors lined either side of the grand parade, each one with armor and weapons glistening in the sun.

  “William?” called Lady Myrredith from the front of the wagon.

  “Yes,” he replied.

  “Wouldn’t you like to sit up here with me? I think you’ll have a much better view of Nyraval . . . and Castle Orgulous!”

  “Castle Orgulous!” Billy exclaimed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  “What do you mean, William?” said Hugh from his horse.

  Billy looked to the side of the wagon at the King’s Champion. Sir Hugh’s armor was so radiant that Billy had to squint to look at him.

  “Everything is so beautiful! I nearly forgot where we were going!”

  Billy stood in the front of the wagon next to Lady Myrredith. He stretched up on his tiptoes and scoured the countryside. “Where’s Orgulous?” he shouted.

  “Be patient, William,” said Lady Myrredith. “The king’s castle is only a short distance ahead of us.”

  Billy collapsed in the seat and put on a pouty face.

  “Oh come now, William. Sing for us!” said Lady Myrredith.

  “Well . . .” Billy groaned.

  “Yes, sing for us,” encouraged Hugh.

  “Well . . .” Billy said, still pouting.

  Slowly, one corner of his mouth curled up and then the other. In his very impish manner, he turned to them and flashed a devilish grin. “What would ya hear?”

  “How about . . .” said Sir Hugh.

  “I know,” said Billy. “I’ll play ya a little tune I’ve been workin’ on.”

  Billy reached back into the wagon and pulled out Hugh’s lute. As he tuned the instrument, Lady Myrredith turned to Hugh with a puzzled expression. Hugh simply smiled and shrugged.

  “I call this one ‘Sir Hugh and the Dragon’,” said Billy strumming the first cord.

  Lady Myrredith returned her gaze to Hugh, who blushed and shrugged again.

  Billy began to sing the heroic tale of Sir Hugh single-handedly taking on the fierce forest dragon. All who were in earshot stopped talking and listened. Many also turned their eyes to look upon the subject of the song. One verse of such praise and appraisal was all that Hugh could stand. He suddenly spurred Splendore into a gallop and rode to the head of the huge caravan. Billy finished the second verse then stopped.

  “Why are you stopping?” asked his companions.

  “That’s all I have finished,” Billy answered. “Besides I wrote it for Sir Hugh and he isn’t even gonna listen!”

  “Well,” said Lady Myrredith, “Sir Hugh isn’t the kind of man who feels comfortable telling or hearing about his own exploits, even if they are quite heroic.”

  “Humility?” said Billy.

  “Yes. Among the best of knights, it is a valued virtue.”

  “I think that it’s even more with Sir Hugh.”

  “What do you mean, William?”

  “It’s just that there seems to be something more . . . He is the noblest of knights, the King’s Champion, the best, and still he seems to feel as if he’s got to be even better.”

  “Yes. That’s what it means to be the King’s Champion: always under scrutiny, doing what is expected of you by others, showing no weakness or flaw. It seldom leaves room for a man to do what he desires in his deepest heart.”

  “Like you?” said Billy.

  Lady Myrredith looked at Billy with a furrowed brow. “What do you mean by that?”

  Suddenly Billy wanted to bite off his tongue. He hadn’t meant to say it like that. He didn’t want her to know that he knew about her and Hugh. He shied away from her penetrating eyes. Billy glanced nervously around, trying to think of anything that might save him.

  A cry rang out from the front of their column. “Orgulous! Orgulous!”

  The cry echoed through the caravan. “Orgulous! Orgulous! Hurrah!”

  Billy felt a rush of excitement like he’d never felt before. He was just minutes away from seeing and being in the king’s court, in Castle Orgulous! His lifelong dream had been to see the king and all his most splendid courtiers, and now it was about to come true. Billy thought back to the day when he left the Valley of the Yew with Lady Myrredith. Only a few short weeks had passed, and nearly every day since had seemed more miraculous than the one before. He wondered if the news had reached his father that he was visiting the king. Most likely everyone would think him a terrible liar; after all, who was he? He was only the son of a poor innkeeper, from a remote part of the kingdom.

  Billy once again stood up on his tiptoes in an attempt to see the king’s castle sooner. The earl’s wagons were turning a corner around the steep hill to their left. Billy could see Sir Hugh sitting, like a magnificent silver statue, at the turn. The knight’s noble face was beaming as he gazed down the road. Billy strained to see what Hugh saw.

  As the wagon cleared the hill, Castle Orgulous came into view. First one slender white tower peeked over the crest of the hill, then another and another. The elegant silver-roofed spindles stretched upward, like a snow-covered forest, a full dozen stone giants in all, with an apron of the same pale rock joining them together. Each step of the horses brought more of the grand edifice into view, until—at last—Billy could see the whole of Castle Orgulous. The splendid walled city of Nyraval snugly wrapped around its foot, and Louch Nyraval shimmered in the distance.

  Billy struggled
to catch his breath as a chill went up his spine. The beauty that lay before him was all he had dreamt it would be and more. Best of all, it was real. Billy felt something wet on his cheeks. He reached up with a shaky hand and wiped the tears away.

  “What is it, William?” asked Lady Myrredith from beside him.

  “It’s just so beautiful!” Billy said.

  Sir Hugh was once again riding beside them. He smiled at Billy and said, “It was the same for me the first time I lay my eyes on Orgulous.”

  Billy returned his smile.

  The King’s Champion and the innkeeper’s son laughed in unison. Lately, their laughter had become as familiar as rain in spring. It seemed to be the only way to express the pleasure they felt when they were together. The two friends’ laughter was contagious. Soon it had infected Lady Myrredith and all those who heard it.

  In the midst of their laughter, Billy started to play another of his own tunes. When he caught his breath, he started to sing. The melody was light and the lyrics simple.

  I have a song upon my lips on this enchanted day

  And if dark clouds come o’er my head I’ll laugh those clouds away

  With a ha ha ha ha ha tra-la tra-la

  I’ll laugh those dark clouds away

  With a ha ha ha ha ha tra-la tra-la

  And I’ll be on my way.

  Billy invited the revelers to join in, and they did. Other wagons in the caravan quickly picked up the song, until the entire army of wedding guests was singing. The sound of his music filled the countryside. Billy felt like a victorious general returning home.

  As the caravan approached the gates of Nyraval, they met another even larger caravan. Lords and ladies waved and shouted greetings to old friends and acquaintances long missed, as the two columns of wedding guests merged. All the while, Billy’s song continued. The new recruits to the merry army joined their voices gleefully to the chorus.

  In this manner, the joyous revelers made their exuberant entrance into the city. As they passed through the neat wide streets of Nyraval, its handsomely dressed people met them. Most of the citizens wore their finest white garments. Young and old alike waved flags and banners of blue, yellow, and white as the lengthy procession passed. They cheered and danced in windows and side streets, welcoming their special guests. Many of them, especially the children and young women, hailed Sir Hugh by name. Billy continued to sing his song and watch his humble friend. As with the second caravan, the people of Nyraval soon found themselves singing Billy’s simple laughing tune.

  The company of roisterers was nearing the great castle of their king. Billy peered up at the beautiful and imposing towers of Castle Orgulous. From this angle, the immense pale fortress seemed to reach to the sky. Long blue and gold flags fluttered from the tops of the towers. Billy could see scores of people in bright costumes upon the bailey wall waving and tossing flower petals down on them. Among their numbers he saw the Earl and Countess of Wyneddham, their physician, and others who had been in his entourage at The Valley’s Finest Inn. Also he recognized a few of the lords and ladies he had seen in Hillshire. Everyone was cheering and singing and dancing.

  An unexpected patch of black suddenly drew Billy’s eyes. He squinted up through the fragrant blizzard. Two men dressed in the darkest sable looked down on the festivities from a parapet above the huge sculpted gateway. One wore an odd tall hat and the other a gold chain of office around his neck. Neither one seemed at all excited about the celebration that surrounded them. They coolly watched as the parade of nobles entered the castle. Billy thought for a moment that they were watching Sir Hugh and himself. The hat-wearing man whispered in the ear of his brooding comrade. They nodded in agreement then turned and disappeared from view.

  The next thing Billy knew, he was entering Castle Orgulous. It was a trifle dark as they passed into the gatehouse, but Billy could still make out the large gilded doors that were pulled back to allow them entrance. Each of the doors was decorated with exquisitely crafted gold panels depicting different events in the history of Lyonesse.

  As they broke back into sunlight, Billy couldn’t believe his eyes. The outer ward, which they had just entered, was incredibly huge. There were stables and storehouses, a large smithy, and even a kennel. All were made of the same beautiful white stone as the outer walls, and the ground was covered with smooth pale cobblestones. Not one patch of earth showed through anywhere. It was all so perfect! The only thing that wasn’t absolutely in order was a small section of wall near the back of the ward, which seemed to be under repair. There were some missing stones here, and several scaffolds and ladders had been erected around it.

  The other incredible thing in the outer ward was the number of people who were rushing to and fro. There were servants and soldiers, lords and ladies, musicians and actors, and laborers and craftsmen. Every profession seemed to be represented. It reminded Billy of Dyven’s market square.

  As soon as Lady Myrredith’s wagon came to a stop, a servant and a young stable boy appeared and helped the women down from the wagon.

  “Lady Cyndyn,” said the servant, “what a pleasure it is to have you with us again!”

  “Thank you . . . um . . .” said Lady Myrredith.

  “Gullinburst, milady.”

  “Yes. Thank you, Gullinburst.”

  “Everything has been prepared for you, milady. We’ve had to make arrangements in town for many guests, but I took the liberty of readying the same rooms you had on your last visit. Is that acceptable, milady?”

  “Quite,” answered Lady Myrredith, scanning the busy ward.

  The other wagons were likewise being unloaded. A servant or two and a stable boy met each wagon. Again, as in the castle at Hillshire, what Billy saw could only be described as chaos. Sir Hugh waded through the mob on Splendore.

  “Sir Hugh,” said Gullinburst, “what an honor to see you again!”

  “Hello, Gullinburst,” said Hugh distastefully.

  “What a beautiful horse!” said the chatty servant. “Your quarters in the east tower are ready, as always, Sir Hugh. Will you be staying long?”

  “Till after the coronation of our new heir,” answered the knight.

  Gullinburst reached out to pet Splendore Pomponnel on the nose. The snobbish steed snapped at his fingers. The pretentious servant snatched back his hand, just in time to avoid the bite.

  “What an ornery beast!” exclaimed Gullinburst, counting his fingers.

  “On the contrary,” declared the horse’s rider, “I find Splendore an excellent judge of character.”

  The servant nervously eyed the horse and then muttered to Sir Hugh, “Uhmm . . . Will you be with us long, Sir Hugh?”

  “Yes, Gullinburst,” said Hugh with a grin. Then he turned to Lady Myrredith. “Milady, it was indeed a pleasure to have escorted you once again.”

  “Yes, Hugh,” she said, “a pleasure for me as well. Thank you.”

  “Perhaps, milady, I may have the honor again?”

  Billy listened to the two nobles chitchat as if they were merely acquaintances. They seemed very distant and correct. He wondered if this was part of the expected behavior of which Lady Myrredith had spoken. It seemed tragically misguided somehow.

  “Yes. I will need . . .” Lady Myrredith suddenly stopped.

  “What is it, milady?” asked Hugh.

  “Nothing.”

  “Well, if ever you are in need . . .”

  “Thank you, Sir Hugh.”

  Sir Hugh bowed, turned Splendore in the direction of the stables, and rode away. Lady Myrredith watched as he disappeared into the farthest part of the huge stables reserved for the king’s knights.

  “And Sir Aonghas . . . ?” asked Gullinburst, nervously scanning the area. “Is he with you, milady?”

  “No,” replied the lady.

  Gullinburst made no attempt to hide his relief. “I remember the last time Sir Aonghas was . . .”

  “My husband, Lord Cyndyn,” scolded Her Ladyship, “was wounded in battl
e near Hillshire and we were forced to leave him behind.”

  “I see,” muttered the cowed servant.

  Billy watched Gullinburst’s face. Suddenly his eyes sparkled, and he smiled smugly at Lady Myrredith.

  Gullinburst leaned over and spoke softly out the side of his mouth, “I could arrange for you to have rooms near the east tower, milady.”

  Lady Myrredith speared the servant with eyes of sharpened steel. Gullinburst immediately backed away from her. He pursed his lips and swallowed, as if his throat were very dry.

  “But if you prefer your usual rooms . . .” spouted Gullinburst. “Shall I show you to your quarters now?”

  “Yes. That would be fine,” said Lady Myrredith coldly, “and once we are settled, I would like you to send word to Princess Kathryn that I wish to speak with her.”

  “Oh, I don’t think Her Highness will . . .” started Gullinburst.

  “Just send the message, Gullinburst!”

  “Yes, milady.”

  Gullinburst turned and quickly walked across the outer ward. Lady Myrredith, Megan and Rhianna, several royal servants, and lastly Billy followed him. Billy had trouble keeping up with the group, as he constantly had to push through people crisscrossing his path. Again, this reminded him of his day in Dyven.

  As Lady Myrredith’s party approached the gate to the inner ward, Billy heard a woman’s scream, and then four ladies wearing tall pointed hats rushed away from the entrance. They screamed and looked over their shoulders as they retreated from the dark archway. It took a few breaths for them to calm down, and then all at once they started to chatter. It sounded to Billy more like the clucking of excited hens than ladies from a royal court.

  As they passed by, one of the tall-hatted ladies, still looking over her shoulder, ran directly into Billy and knocked him to the ground. She glanced down at him, before continuing to jabber with her companions.