With a Jester of Kindness

by K. C. Herbel

  Billy smiled broadly and sat on the floor, looking up at the princess. Yes, he thought, a very formidable queen.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Oh . . . Um . . . If you’ll forgive my sayin’ so, Your Highness, ya look very . . .”

  Billy didn’t want to say “formidable,” for he had first heard the term used by Sir Aonghas, when he described a particularly nasty encounter with a wild boar. After all, he didn’t want the princess to think he didn’t like her. If the truth be known, he found her beautiful and had liked her from the minute he heard her girlishly giggling with Lady Myrredith.

  “Yes?” prompted the princess.

  Billy measured his words very carefully then said, “Well, I think you look very . . . beautiful.”

  “She said you were a charmer,” said Kathryn with a grin.

  “Lady Myrredith?”

  “Yes . . .”

  The princess leaned forward and touched Billy under the chin. She held his face up and stared into his eyes. Normally Billy wouldn’t have stood still while a strange woman touched him, but her hand was so soft and gentle, and her eyes such a pretty blue, that he didn’t mind.

  “And I’m inclined to agree with her,” continued the princess, sitting back in the chair. “However, your charm is not what concerns me.”

  “What is it that concerns Your Highness? Can I do somethin’ for ya?”

  “William . . . ?”

  “Yes, Your Highness?”

  “What do you plan to do with your life?”

  Billy was stumped. At no time, in all his days, had anyone seriously asked him this question. For a simple innkeeper’s son, from an isolated valley, there weren’t any choices. Everyone expected him to eventually take over running the inn for his father. He would probably find a wife, have children of his own, and die in the valley, which had always been his home. There wasn’t much more a common fellow could ask from life. However, he had now come all the way to Castle Orgulous, and somehow that made all the difference in the world.

  “I don’t know, Your Highness,” he answered earnestly.

  “I see,” she said flatly. “So what were you thinking about?”

  “Just now?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well . . . it’s just that until I met Lady Myrredith my life was practically written.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “My father is an innkeeper. I am his only son, his only family.”

  “And so you too will become an innkeeper.”

  “Exactly, Your Highness.”

  “Please, William. Do you think you could call me Lady Kathryn?” pleaded the princess. “I’m not fully heir until I’ve been crowned.”

  “I think you’ll make a wonderful queen! Don’t you want to be queen, Your-Lady Kathryn?”

  She stared across the room vacantly. Billy noticed sadness in her eyes.

  “I wish I knew,” she whispered.

  “Then we are in the same boat,” said Billy.

  The princess regarded Billy with a queer expression and asked, “Why do you say that?”

  “Because, you were born to be queen, and I to be an innkeeper.”

  “I would wager, you make a pretty good innkeeper already,” she said.

  “And as I said, I think you’ll make a great queen, but . . .”

  Billy paused, and she made eye contact with him again. He could still see behind her lovely, smiling eyes a hidden sadness—a secret regret, an unfulfilled dream. This time, it was Kathryn who looked away.

  “But,” continued Billy cautiously, “I can see from your eyes, that . . . you do not desire to be queen.”

  Lady Kathryn turned and gave him a cold, hard stare. For a moment, Billy thought she would strike him. He lowered his face submissively.

  “How dare you!” she said angrily. “Desire has nothing to do with it!”

  “I beg Your Highness’ forgiveness,” he quickly said. “I am only a churl. I had no right to say . . .”

  “No!” said the princess, cutting him short. She paused for a moment then added, “You had every right—no, obligation—to say it.”

  Billy looked up at her timidly. “Then you’re not angry?”

  Lady Kathryn shook her head and smiled. Billy, relieved to see he wasn’t going to be cuffed, smiled from ear to ear. His companion laughed.

  “No, William. I don’t see how anyone could stay angry with you. I begin to see why Myrredith is so taken with you.”

  Kathryn got up from her chair and extended her right hand to Billy. He was caught off guard. Did she want him to take her hand? Maybe he was supposed to kiss it. She saw his hesitation and reached down to take his hand.

  Lady Kathryn led Billy out on the balcony. A warm breeze brushed against their cheeks as they emerged through the archway. They stood quietly, hand in hand, looking over the surrounding countryside.

  “Someday I will be queen,” she said. “I wish I could have a good, honest, perceptive man like you. Someone I know I can trust. Someone to keep my feet on the earth, make me laugh, and keep me from lying to myself.”

  “What of your fiancé, the prince?”

  “A spoiled, arrogant foreigner.”

  Neither one of them, the princess nor the innkeeper’s son, could think of anything that would change all that, and so they fell silent again.

  “William?” said Kathryn at last.

  “Yes, Lady Kathryn?”

  “If you could . . . would you choose not to be an innkeeper?”

  Billy considered the question a moment.

  “But what else is there?”

  “Well, if you could . . .”

  “Lady Kathryn, I love my father, and I will be happy running the inn, but it’s just not . . .”

  “Not what?”

  “I have experienced more in the last few weeks, than I had in all my life before that. My dreams seem to be coming true before my eyes. I wish it could just go on forever, but sooner or later . . . I’ve got to wake up.”

  “This isn’t a dream, William.”

  “But I am an innkeeper’s son.”

  Billy heard a slight bitterness in his voice, and it surprised him. He never thought he would ever want to be anything but Billy, son of John, the innkeeper. He never thought he could be anything else.

  The new acquaintances remained silent, contemplating their personal regrets, but Billy was not one to stay contemplative for long, especially when it came to unhappy thoughts. He wanted to laugh and see Lady Kathryn laugh as well.

  Just then he had an inspiration. He ran to the next room and grabbed Sir Hugh’s lute. Before Kathryn realized Billy was gone, he had returned. He reemerged on to the balcony, singing his laughing song. His magical voice quickly dissolved her melancholy mood, and she began to laugh and sing along with him. Soon he was juggling and telling jokes for an amazed, happy princess.

  They were having so much fun that they nearly forgot Lady Myrredith waiting outside in the hallway. Laughing, they both ran to the doors and flung them open. Lady Myrredith sat across the hall in a stone niche. When she saw her two friends enjoying each other’s company so, she rushed over to greet them.

  “Kathryn!” she exclaimed.

  “Myrredith!” answered the princess. “You said he was a charmer, but you didn’t tell me what an absolute treasure he is.”

  Lady Myrredith laughed and placed her hand on Billy’s shoulder. “I see you have another convert,” she said to him.

  Billy shrugged and answered her with a sheepish smile.

  “Well,” said Kathryn, “I really must get back.”

  “So soon?” complained Lady Myrredith and Billy in unison.

  Their princess smiled at them each then reached out to Lady Myrredith and embraced her. Next, she crouched so she was face to face with Billy.

  “I am so happy to have met you, William,” she said.

  “Will I see you again?” asked Billy.

  Kathryn reached out and mussed his hair. “Of course,” she
said. “You will be at my wedding, won’t you?”

  Billy nodded enthusiastically.

  “Then I will see you there.”

  The princess started to rise but stopped to look him in the eye. “And . . . if you are here, any time after that, I would welcome your company.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness.”

  Princess Kathryn rose and started down the passageway. Lady Myrredith and Billy stood and watched her leave. Suddenly Billy’s companion put her hand on his shoulder.

  “Wait here,” she said to him. Then she went after the princess. “Kathryn!” she called to her friend.

  Lady Kathryn turned. “What is it, Myrredith?”

  “Kathryn . . .” started Lady Myrredith in a whisper, which Billy’s keen ears could barely hear. “My boon? Will you grant it?”

  There’s that word again. What does she mean by a boon? Billy watched the two great ladies, his curiosity growing.

  Lady Kathryn looked over her friend’s shoulder at Billy. He could only see her eyes, but it was enough to tell that she was smiling. She returned her attention to Lady Myrredith.

  “When I am queen,” she said with a nod.

  Lady Myrredith bowed deeply to the princess, and when she arose, the heir apparent turned and left the corridor. Lady Myrredith turned and beamed brightly at Billy.

  “What is it?” he asked her as she approached.

  “A surprise for you, William.”

  “What?” he asked insistently.

  “William, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you.”

  “Yes, but . . .” William was nearly beside himself with curiosity. He took a deep breath to get control of his excitement. “Oh, very well. I guess I can wait.”

  That evening, a host of nobles crowded the great hall of Castle Orgulous. Billy was disappointed when he saw that the king and other members of the royal family were not present. There was a great deal of noise and confusion as the wedding guests feasted in celebration of the coming nuptials and coronation. In fact, there were so many people and so much noisy chaos that no one seemed to notice when Billy’s usual luck with servants carrying large trays of food took its usual messy turn. Lady Myrredith and Billy decided that it was simply too much for them, and they hastily retreated to their apartment, asking the poor unfortunate servant to bring up their dinner later.

  Lady Myrredith had given her servants permission to feast with the common folk in the outer ward, knowing that it would be a celebration they shouldn’t miss. Therefore, she and her diminutive friend were feasting in seclusion when a knock came upon their door.

  Billy arose from his dinner and answered the door. Much to his surprise, Sir Hugh was standing in the hallway.

  “Sir Hugh!” cried Billy.

  “Come in, Hugh!” said Lady Myrredith from the dining table.

  Sir Hugh glanced in both directions of the corridor before entering. He was no longer in his beautiful armor; instead, he wore a handsome, quilted tunic of white with blue hose. At his waist an ornate bone-handled dagger dangled on a leather thong, and his long brown hair was tied back neatly with a blue ribbon. The entire image reminded Billy of the first time he had seen the noble warrior’s face.

  Lady Myrredith rose to greet him.

  “Please, milady,” said Hugh, humbly indicating that she should remain seated. “I’m sorry to interrupt your supper, but I felt I should talk to you. Both of you.”

  “Please, join us, Hugh,” offered Lady Myrredith.

  “No, thank you, milady. I only came to warn you . . .”

  “Warn us?” exclaimed Lady Myrredith.

  “Yes. Earlier today, I had an intriguing confrontation with the magister.”

  “Ergyfel?” said Billy.

  Both Sir Hugh and Lady Myrredith looked at Billy sternly.

  “What?” exclaimed Billy. “What did I say?”

  “Not what, but who, William,” corrected the lady.

  “Oh, yeah . . .” mouthed Billy, looking at her apologetically.

  “You shouldn’t pronounce that name, unless you really want his attention,” explained Hugh.

  Billy considered this for a moment. “Because he’s a . . .”

  Billy covered his mouth with his hand. Immediately his eyes shifted from right to left, scanning the room.

  Lady Myrredith reached over Billy and placed her hand on Hugh’s. He slowly pulled his hand away from her touch and rubbed his forehead contemplatively.

  Lady Myrredith asked, “What has that snake done now?”

  Hugh leaned forward and spoke softly to his friends. “This afternoon, while I was on the wall near the barracks, he approached me. Before he could say anything, I accused him of recklessly endangering His Majesty’s guests by bringing those confounded troghouls here! He said that there was no danger to any of the king’s guests. I told him that he was wrong, and that one of the king’s guests had already been attacked!”

  “What did he say?” asked Billy.

  “He wanted to know who it was that had been attacked.”

  “So he could apologize?” said Billy.

  Hugh raised his left eyebrow, giving Billy an incredulous look. “Hardly. In all the time I’ve known that vulture, he has never proven to have any care for the well-being of anyone other than himself. And he’s never—never apologized.”

  “You think he’s up to something?” said Lady Myrredith.

  “Undoubtedly,” Hugh said.

  “But what?” asked Lady Myrredith.

  “I wish I knew,” said Hugh. “Unfortunately he caught me off guard, when he asked me who it was, and I told him.” Hugh looked out towards the balcony and stroked his eyebrow thoughtfully.

  Lady Myrredith quickly shifted her focus to Billy. She put her hand on his and gave it a squeeze. Then she returned her attention to Hugh.

  Hugh continued. “He kept after me . . . probing me about Billy.”

  “What could he want with William?” asked Lady Myrredith.

  “Aye,” said Billy. “What could he want with me?”

  “I don’t know, but he was far too curious. Despite what he’d have me think, his interest was not casual.”

  “I’ve never met him,” said Billy.

  “I wish I could say the same,” said Hugh. Then he quickly added, “Say, maybe we can keep it that way.”

  “Impossible,” muttered Lady Myrredith.

  “Well . . . I suppose so,” said Hugh, “but I urge you to avoid him, William. He’s evil.”

  “So I’ve been told,” agreed Billy.

  “No!” snapped Sir Hugh. He reached out and put his hand on top of Lady Myrredith’s and Billy’s. He locked eyes with Billy before he continued. “I mean it, William. That one is the devil’s own. He will find a way to use you, or hurt you. Never doubt that.”

  The three friends fell silent. Then Hugh rose and headed for the door.

  “Where ya goin’?” asked Billy.

  “Whenever I’m away, you-know-who goes unchecked. I’ve much to catch up on.”

  Sir Hugh turned and left the room, leaving Lady Myrredith and her companion feeling very uneasy. They spent the remainder of the evening in quiet, distracted conversation, shying away from the subject that was most on their minds. There were none of Billy’s usual juggling tricks or songs that night. At last, Lady Myrredith retired, and Billy, without his usual arguments, did the same.

  Chapter XV

  The Wedding

  The wedding was scheduled for early morning, giving just enough time for the sun to peek into the inner ward of Castle Orgulous and shoo the dewdrops away. It was also just late enough for the previous night’s revelers to overcome their soggy wits in order to attend the blessed event.

  As was his usual habit, Billy rose with the sun. This wedding was the event of the decade, if not the century, and he wasn’t going to miss a moment. No one in the Valley of the Yew had ever attended the wedding of a noble, much less the wedding of royalty. Before his feet hit the floor, his mind was made up to reme
mber everything he saw and heard that day. To the people back home, Billy would be their eyes, ears, and heart.

  He crossed the room to the water basin and splashed the frigid water on his face. As he dried himself, he looked out the small arched window. Streaks of yellow sunlight in the eastern sky forecast a beautiful day. He heard scuffling below and saw dozens of servants quietly crossing the inner ward in every direction—many of them placing decorations.

  There were white poles spread about the ward, wrapped with blue ribbons. Miniature flags dangled from thin blue ropes draping between the poles, while flowers grew in pots around their bases. The crisp air bore a hint of roasted meats and freshly baked sweetbreads.

  Billy dashed to his bedside. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that his clothes were gone. In their place lay another set of clothes: fine garments, fashioned in Cyndyn green and red, tied with a black hair ribbon, a note resting on top.

  Billy snatched the note and opened it. The message simply read, “For William.”

  “For William?” he exclaimed.

  Billy warily picked up the colorful hat, not wholly convinced that the clothes were meant for him. Its color matched the scarlet hose that lay underneath it. While Billy didn’t wear hose—or want to wear them—the hat was another story. It was something he might have picked out himself. The hat was large and floppy, with a number of black strips showing through slits in the red. Topping it off was a long greenish pheasant feather that swept over one side and back.

  Billy laid down the note and hat to untie the ribbon. Once untied, he tossed it aside with the hose and lifted the forest green tunic up to his body. It looked like a perfect fit. There were red ties down the entirety of each sleeve and in the middle to hold the front closed. Each tie was tipped with a tiny silver ball inscribed with a leaf. In addition there was a wide black belt and two large pockets in the front. Billy had never owned fine clothes such as these, nor had anyone from the Valley of the Yew. It was obvious, from the fit and special pockets, that Lady Myrredith had ordered them made especially for him, but such extravagance was beyond belief. It was the greatest gift he had ever received.