by M. Gregg Roe
“Excuse me.”
Audrey was surprised to see her mother standing at the entrance to the greenhouse. Marilee looked around and said, “This is lovely, Almera. I hadn’t seen this before.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “Is there something you need?”
“I need to talk with Audrey,” Marilee replied seriously. “Come with me, Audrey.”
Almera nodded and Audrey replied, “Yes, Mother.”
The two of them left the greenhouse and Marilee led her to a stand of hardwood trees about thirty yards from the greenhouse. Audrey couldn’t help but worry what her mother wanted to talk about.
“Audrey, your father has done something unbelievably stupid. You know how he asked some of his friends to look after the pigs and such?” Audrey nodded. “Well, he also told them that they could have all of it. And our house. He said that we wouldn’t be coming back unless it was for a visit.”
So that was why her mother seemed mad at her father at lunch. He must have only told her this morning.
“Uh … I can’t believe he did that. What are you going to do?”
“Audrey, there’s no choice. We are going home, and I’m going to straighten things out. Start packing your things. We’ll be leaving early tomorrow.”
Audrey was stunned. After all of Almera and Draymund’s efforts to scare off her parents, it was her father’s idiocy that had finally done the trick. “Uh … I’m not going with you. Almera has offered to let me stay here and I said yes.”
Marilee’s face lit up and she clapped her hands together. “That’s wonderful! I can tell how much Almera likes you. I think you’ll be a lot happier here than back in Farmerton. I know you’ve been desperate to get out, Audrey. I think you may need to find a new boyfriend, though. That Saxloc really doesn’t seem to like you anymore.”
“I know, but I haven’t given up yet. Uh … are you going to come back after you have sorted out the pigs and the house?”
Marilee smiled gently. “No, Audrey. We may be simple, but we know when we’re not wanted. It was a mistake to come here, and I wish I hadn’t let your father talk me into it. The Witch’s City is no place for a pig farmer and his wife, but maybe their daughter can find a place for herself here.”
Audrey gave her mother a hug with tears in her eyes. “I really hope so, Mother. And I probably wouldn’t even be here if it hadn’t been for Father’s crazy plan. Thank you so much!”
“I’m proud of you, Audrey. We both are. Now let’s go back and talk with Almera.”
When they arrived back at the greenhouse, Marilee told Almera about their decision and that she had already asked Draymund to arrange for their trip back to Farmerton. He had already left to work on it, along with both Anton and Saxloc.
Almera shook her head and sighed. “So much for my dinner plans. He could at least have stopped by here and told me. Not that I really expected him to. This isn’t the first time that something like this has happened. Shall we go out and eat? Or, since it’s a nice day, we could have a picnic on the grounds.”
“A picnic sounds good,” said Marilee. “I want to talk about your plans for Audrey.”
Almera grinned. “You mean other than forcing her to cook and work in the greenhouse?”
Marilee burst out laughing.
The three of them ended up sitting on a large blanket underneath an old cherry tree. They brought a variety of food with them, including bread, cheeses, pickles, and cold meats. Almera had also brought a jug of rice wine and three small cups. Audrey drank sparingly, determined not to end up drunk again.
As they ate, Audrey asked Almera how much of what she and her husband had said about life in the Witch’s City was actually true. “More than you might think,” she replied. “The Thieves’ Guild really was legalized here, and many people are unhappy about it. I would not call Ermizad a tyrant, because she doesn’t abuse her power, but she does have absolute power. There are a few corrupt guards and officials here, but that is true of any large town or city. On the other hand, the temples help the people here a great deal.”
“That’s good to know,” said Audrey. “This is all still very new to me.”
“I think Anton believed everything you two said,” said Marilee. “He’s such a fool at times.”
After they had finished eating, Almera told Marilee about her plans for Audrey: a tutor to teach her how to read and write and perform basic arithmetic; studying the history of the city and of Andoran’s Realm; learning all about Almera’s plants. It sounded like it was going to be a lot of work, but Audrey was determined. Soon she would no longer be just an ignorant peasant.
“This is very generous of you, Almera,” said Marilee. “I’ve always regretted not being able to teach Audrey properly. Anton was against it, and we don’t have hardly any books back home. Maybe when she comes back to visit she can teach me a few things.”
Almera nodded. “I will see that Audrey receives a proper education. What she chooses to do after that is up to her.”
“What about the engagement? I assume that’s off now. That’s another thing I shouldn’t have let Anton talk me into.”
“For the moment, we will tell everyone that the two of them are still engaged. Audrey has already agreed to it.”
Her mother looked at her, and Audrey nodded in reply. “Okay. I’ll tell Anton that they are still engaged. That’ll make him happy.”
They talked until it began to get dark. The others still weren’t back, so Audrey went to her room and then to bed.
♦ ♦ ♦
The ship was leaving so early the next morning that there was no time for breakfast. Audrey hugged and kissed both her parents, and she promised to visit when she could. The four of them stayed and watched until the ship cast off and began to move away down the river.
Audrey was feeling relieved as they walked back to the mansion. Her parents were going home. Draymund had arranged for them to spend two nights in Rohoville and then to travel to Farmerton with a Novox caravan. He had also given Anton what she felt was an excessive amount of money.
Almera and Draymund both looked happy as they walked back, but Saxloc was another matter. He suddenly demanded, “Why couldn’t Audrey go too? I don’t want her here! I am not going to marry her!”
Audrey felt like she had been punched in the stomach and abruptly stopped.
“Saxloc!” yelled Almera. “That was incredibly rude. Whether you like it or not, Audrey is your fiancé and she is our guest. She is staying.”
He scowled and said, “I’m going to go visit Gabriel.” He went stalking off in the direction of the Witch’s Castle.
“Are you sure about this, dear?” asked Draymund, frowning.
“Yes,” she replied. “I like Audrey and I promised to help her. She is staying and that is final. Saxloc is just going to have to deal with it. I am not sending Audrey back to waste her life in Farmerton.” No one said anything else as they walked back to the house. Draymund’s expression was unreadable.
Much of her day was again spent helping Almera. Draymund left mid-morning and didn’t return until dinner. Saxloc didn’t return until evening, and he just glared at her when she tried to speak to him. Afterward, she retreated to her room to sulk.
Audrey was beginning to realize just how alone she now was. Almera was the closest thing she had to a friend there, and yet she didn’t really trust her. Almera had never admitted to Marilee that she and Draymund had arranged their fake robbery. Audrey had been afraid to say anything about it to her mother for fear of angering Almera. She also didn’t understand why Almera was so insistent that the engagement continue. The woman certainly understood that the whole thing was a sham from the very start.
Saxloc had tolerated her initially after their arrival in the Witch’s City, but she now realized that was only because he believed that both she and her parents would all soon be leaving for good. He had expressed his true feelings for her only after finding out that his mother was going to allow her to stay with them. No
w he hated her, and Audrey felt deeply hurt.
Draymund was a complete puzzle. He didn’t at all fit with her mental image of a mighty dragon-slayer, and yet that’s what he clearly was. He and Almera seemed to get along well, but Audrey suspected that when it came to her presence, Draymund would side with his son and not his wife.
Audrey realized that she really just wanted someone to talk to. There was no one she could confide in. She had no friends or family in the Witch’s City. Gabriel and Hankin had been friendly toward her during the journey to the Witch’s City, but they were Saxloc’s friends, not hers. She was going to have to make new friends, but she really didn’t know how to go about it. She had grown up together with Violet—her only real friend in Farmerton. They had been close for as long as she could remember.
To her great surprise, she found herself already missing her parents, especially her mother. She had never been away from them before, and it would probably be months before she saw them again. She kept thinking of things that she wished she had talked to her mother about before they left. She also missed her Aunt Berna. She even missed her two pesky cousins.
But most of all Audrey missed Violet. She missed Violet’s quirky sense of humor, her silly smile, her quick wit, the way she always gestured when she talked. She could tell Violet anything and never have to worry that Violet would tell anyone else. Violet was the best friend that Audrey could imagine, and being away from her was torture. At that moment, she would have given anything just to be able to talk to her old friend.
7
‡ Draymund ‡
The next morning, Audrey went down to the kitchen to have breakfast. She hadn’t slept well and was so drowsy she nearly fell down the stairs. She had gotten up in the middle of the night to use the toilet, but it had been difficult in the dark. She searched her room in the morning, but she hadn’t been able to find candles anywhere. It was puzzling.
Saxloc and his parents were sitting at the table in the kitchen. The dining room was apparently only for when they had guests. It looked like they had just begun eating, and she was happy to see that food had also been set out for her. That made her feel like she was part of the family.
The three of them looked up as she walked in. Saxloc put his fork and knife down on his plate and scowled at her. Then he stood, picked up his plate and cup, and walked right by her and out of the kitchen, not noticing the look of severe disapproval that his mother was sending his way. Draymund continued eating, seemingly unperturbed by his son’s abrupt exit.
Audrey sat down at her place, and Almera said, “I’m sorry about that.”
“It’s okay. It’s my fault. I deserve it.”
“No one deserves to be treated like that,” Almera stated, and Draymund looked up and frowned. “I know Saxloc is angry, but he is taking things too far. I will speak with him.”
“Uh … okay, I guess.”
Audrey began eating, and the meal proceeded without any more conversation. When they had finished, the three of them carried their dirty plates and cups over to the table by the washbasin. Draymund departed, and she helped Almera clean the dirty dishes, dry them, and then put them away.
When they were finished, Audrey said, “Almera, can I get a candle for my room? And something to light it?”
“Oh, dear,” she said. “No one told you?”
“Told me what?”
“Did you notice a glass cube with white sand inside of it? There should be one on your nightstand.”
“Yes, and one on the desk. I’ve seen them other places too. Aren’t they just a decoration?”
“No, Audrey. They are lights. Come with me to the library and I will show you how they work.”
“Lights?” she asked in surprise. “Uh … what’s a library?”
Almera smiled and shook her head. “I keep forgetting who I am dealing with. A library is a room for storing and sometimes reading books and scrolls. The room across from the dining room is our library.”
“Oh. Okay.”
Audrey followed her to the library. Almera picked up a sand-filled glass cube that was sitting on a table and then walked over to the darkest corner of the room. She shook it vigorously and the sand began to glow, producing soft white light.
“That’s amazing!” exclaimed Audrey. “Is it magic?”
Almera stopped shaking and the cube continued to glow. “No, it is not magic. They are made by alchemists, so I suppose you could say that it is alchemy. They are fairly expensive, but they last for years.”
“Amazing! What are they called?”
“Different alchemists call them by different names, but we just call them glow-cubes.”
“Okay.” Audrey grinned. “I wish I had known about them last night when I was trying to find the toilet.”
Almera chuckled for a moment, but then turned serious. “Audrey, I would like you to go through all of my dresses. Sort out the ones that need repairs or are improperly made. I am going to have words with the owner of Clarios.”
“Clarios?”
“That is the name of the first shop I took you to. But even if you knew how to read, you would not have been able to read that ridiculous sign of theirs.”
“Okay. I’ll be glad to look through your dresses. I can do it right now if you want.”
“That’s fine,” replied Almera. “Take all the time you need.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Almera owned almost forty dresses in total, all very beautiful. She also had simpler clothing for when she worked in the greenhouse or gardens, as well as a large assortment of footwear. Audrey found a number of dresses in the huge wardrobe with what she now recognized as the Clarios label on them, but only one had the same poor stitching that she had seen in the store. The others from Clarios were sewn far better than she could have done herself. She found three other dresses in need of minor repairs and put them in a separate pile.
She also found herself marveling at Almera’s underclothes. The cloth they were made from actually had a sheen, and they were incredibly soft. She desperately wanted to try them on, but they were all too small for her. She would definitely ask Almera where they could be purchased, but she suspected that they were expensive.
When she had finished, she decided to look at Draymund’s trophy room again. It was still frightening, but also fascinating. She found a display of over a dozen different dragon scales, each one a different color. The shapes of the scales and their textures also varied. She found herself wondering just how many types of dragons there were.
Audrey heard rapid footsteps and turned to see Draymund standing in the doorway. “What do you think you are doing?!” he yelled as he strode toward her. “You are not supposed to be in here!”
He looked angry, and Audrey recoiled in fear and retreated into the nearest corner. “I’m sorry!” she cried with tears running down her face. “I didn’t touch anything. I won’t come in here again.” Draymund took another step and she collapsed to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest. “Please don’t hurt me!” she begged.
“Draymund!! What do you think you are doing?!” Audrey glanced up and saw Almera standing in the doorway, furious and with her hands on her hips. “Get back from her! Can’t you see that she’s terrified?”
He took a step back and frowned. “She shouldn’t be in here. This is private.”
“Private?” scoffed Almera. “You show this to everyone. This is your pride and joy. Did you tell Audrey that she wasn’t allowed to come in here? I certainly did not.”
“No, I didn’t tell her. But I don’t want her in here. I don’t want her around Saxloc. I don’t want her in our house!” he concluded with a stubborn look.
“Saxloc has an entire section of this house to himself,” lectured Almera, sounding calm but still looking angry. “Other than meals, he can easily avoid seeing her. If we had built the house that I had wanted, then we would have had a separate guest building with its own kitchen.”
Audrey desperately wanted to just flee, but A
lmera was still standing in the doorway. “I can start eating in my room,” she offered. “Or at different times. I’ll stay out of the left wing. I promise.”
Almera’s expression had changed to smug, confusing Audrey. Draymund was startled. “Don’t you mean the right wing?” he asked.
“Uh … I guess if you were looking from the front,” she replied in a shaky voice. “But isn’t this house supposed to be a giant dragon?”
“Ha!” exclaimed Almera as she crossed her arms in front of her. “I told you she was smart. Audrey has already figured it out, and I didn’t say a word to her.”
Draymund took another step back, and she was surprised to see that he was now almost smiling. Almera walked over and helped Audrey to her feet. Then she turned and stared at her husband.
“Yes,” he said quietly, “it is supposed to look like a dragon. Saxloc lives in the left wing, just as you said.”
Audrey was excited now. “And I’m staying in the right wing,” she said. “The front door is the mouth. Your bedroom is the brain, and the two round windows are the eyes.”
“Yes,” he replied. “That’s exactly right. The pantry behind the kitchen narrows because it’s the tail.”
“If Draymund had gotten his way,” explained Almera, “then the house would really have looked like a dragon. But there was no way I was going to put up with people entering our house through a giant mouth lined with teeth.”
Audrey found herself smiling as she tried to picture that.
“It wouldn’t have been that bad,” he objected. “But I admit that it would have been somewhat cramped.”
“And it would have bankrupted us. Even the lowest estimate was much more than we had at the time.”
“Yes, dear. You’re right.” Draymund sighed and then looked directly at her. “I apologize, Audrey. I should not have yelled at you. You may look around in here whenever you like.”
“Uh … okay. I promise not to touch anything. I’m actually scared to touch the things in here. Dragons are scary.”