by K. L Roth
‘Thank you. That is all.’ He motioned the boy to leave and turned back to Valentina who must have went under the water when she seen the boy approach. She came up and blew the water from her face. ‘That was a close call. I cannot be seen out here like this. Please get me something to cover myself or your shirt seems how mine has been ripped to shreds, if you recall.’ James rushed back to the stables and grabbed his shirt and a horse blanket off the shelf for her. He brought them back and helped her out of the trough. She was still giggling about the whole ordeal until she looked down and saw the bright red rings and lines where the ropes had bit into her skin. ‘Oh shit! How am I to hide these from the Dauphin?’ James inspected her marks and told her he would take her down to the surgeon for some salves and care. He carried her back into the stable area and they both dressed. He gave her a horse brush to comb through her tangled mess. Once they were somewhat put back together, he led her to the surgeon’s private room just off the north side of the castle where Muse was waiting. ‘Just tell him you fell off your mare and got tangled in the brush and vines in the forest. But be sure to tell him that is what King James, told you to tell him. He will understand and keep the matter quite while still tending to you. I am off for another kind of ride. Feel free to visit my chambers anytime. I am feeling most revived now.’ He kissed the back of her hand and walked off.
TWELVE
Melina strolled with Elle by her side over to the large pond near their cave. Today Elle would meet her future husband, King James.
She had to prepare her to seduce him when he came to hunt later in the day. Melina knew the boy always stopped here to water the horses and rest after he hunted. Her spy within the castle walls had told her he planned on killing a stag today for the feast so this what the only chance they had.
Elle looked at Melina in wonderment as she meandered through the moss-covered rocks. Melina came to a stop and perched herself on a large flat rock protruding from the side of the rocky wall closest to the cave side of the pond. She motioned for Elle to sit and took both her hands into hers, lacing their fingers together.
‘What could she possibly have to say to me that she could not speak in front of the others about?’ Elle asked herself.
‘Elle, today is the most important day of your life. The new king will be coming to the woods to hunt and my source claims he always stops here, at this pond. You will need to “happen upon” him. I have a carriage that will appear wrecked and you will be the only survivor of the robbing,’ she laid it out in front of her.
Elle’s eyes were as big as saucers. ‘The King will be here? How will I know which one he is? Why are you choosing me for this, Melina? Why not anyone of the other girls?’
‘Elle, my dear, you are special. You may not see it but I do. I have never brought forth so many distinct colours while we were inducting a new member into the coven. The Maiden and Mother have truly blessed you and chose you for this act. You must see it, we all did. It was brought forth from the earth, spewed into the sky and regurgitated back into the earth. You are the one, there is no doubt,’ she looked Elle directly in the face while she told her the seriousness of her blessing.
‘Why would the king want me though? I’ve heard tales of the beauty Lady Alice is. I have no title or riches, nor the clothing to even come close to being a proper Lady. My mother may have been the queen once, but how am I to prove that?’
‘My dear, your mother was a queen and that makes you a princess. Her blood still runs in your veins. You were born a noble and a noble you shall once again be. I have papers drafted stating that you are Lady Brighton from France. You have been away for many years in the care of Duchess of Dino, Contzel Arnsberg in Berlingen. She was widowed during the Battle of Bicocca when her husband fell to the sword of an enemy soldier and left his great wealth and homes. She retired from Swiss Court and died shortly before your return to England. Quite clever if I do say myself, do you not think? No one from English court ever pays attention to the Swiss nobles so there will not be anyone to question your story. If asked, simply repeat what I have told you. You already know how to play the piano, read and write, you can properly courtesy and I have found you a gown and shoes of French design. It’s a real stunner. You will look gorgeous in it. Remember the oath you took this morning. Some things are better left to secrets, my love,’ she said as she wiped the tear drops from Elle’s face.
‘Someday you will rule this land, mark my word. Now on to the tasks ahead of us. We have lots to do before you meet His Majesty today. I want you invited to Court to live in the castle. Let us go and start our journey ahead.’ Melina jumped up and hugged Elle, lifting her from the mossy rock and twirling her around.
‘I have our list of items we need to find here in the forest yet. Let us go back to the cave and stow away our ceremonial robes first and change our clothes,’ she said happily.
Melina took her hand as they made their way from the pond back to the cave. The sun was warm and the day was alive with the song of birds in the trees and the buzzing of insects flying here and there. Everywhere they stepped, the multi-coloured leaves slowly dried and crinkled beneath them.
This side of the forest always took longer to die each year. Something the common folk wondered about. Elle chalked it up to the Coven and their rituals, praising the Gods that helped them survive.
They passed a few berry bushes and large patches of roses that Melina commented on as items they would need to come back to retrieve. Soon enough the all too familiar waterfall could be heard and Elle spotted landmarks she knew well now.
Over the hill and down to the small pool where the water fell, they found the girls busy with their chores for the day.
‘Ladies! Continue with your day. Elle and I have some items to find in the section of woods between here and the large pond. We are going to dress and head out once we have had a bit to eat,’ she told them when they were in earshot.
‘Melina, Jayne and I have taken the gesture of packing you a small lunch for your journey. We also brought in the baskets you will need. You should be all set once you have changed.’ Janell smiled at them when she explained to Melina what they have done to help the two of them out.
‘Thank you. That was most kind of you. Elle, let us change and be on our way. We can eat as we go then.’ Melina looked back at Elle who was waiting on her next command.
‘Yes. I will go get dressed. Cassie, can you please come show me where my robe is to be stored? I want to replace it correctly,’ she asked Cassie.
Cassie replied with a nod of her head and followed Elle into the cave. Melina was not far behind them, ‘Hurry now, Elle. We do not have time to waste.’
Cassie removed the trunk from it storage place beside her bed and held it open as Elle removed her sash first and rolled it up. She put it next to Cassie’s red one and then folded her robe, crossing the arms and tucking them into themselves as she had seen Cassie’s being removed from the trunk this morning. She laid her white robe on top of hers and Cassie closed the trunk lid, latching it to lock. Cassie carried the slightly heavy item and set it down where it belonged.
Elle gathered her normal wardrobe of drably coloured dress and outer robe. She rushed to put them on and slipped her feet in her worn shoes. Melina peeked around the corner, waiting.
‘I am ready, Melina. We can be off now,’ she said, smiling.
‘Good, now let us get the stuff we need and rush back here. We must haste. There is not much time.’ Melina grabbed her basket and held one out for Elle.
Each one contained a small portion of bread and some cheese for their journey. They made their way out of the cave, behind the waterfall and down the slope to the forest floor.
Melina reached in the pocket of her apron and pulled out the list of items they still needed to find. She tore it in half and handed Elle the lower half.
‘You remember how to get back to the berry bushes, correct?’
‘Yes, I know the way now,’ she replied to Melina.
&n
bsp; ‘Ok, go get all the items on your list. The ginseng root grows right next to that berry bush. You will have to use a small hand shovel and dig up three good sized roots. Before you get to the pond, there is a small patch of basil that grows on the east side. You will need at least twelve leaves, no less. The small red rose bushes we passed grow right near those yellow berry bushes. Gather twelve rose heads and come straight back. I will meet you back here before midday. Hurry now.’
Melina handed her a small hand shovel and she set off racing through the woods. She followed the unmarked path they walked on their way back from the pond. It was easily seen by the people who travelled it on a regular basis. One who happened to be walking through and noticed it would probably think it was a deer trail even though no deer tracks marked the earth below the leaves.
Elle ate her bread and cheese while she marched to purpose. It seemed soon she would leave her new found family if everything went as Melina had planned. She was not sure of the whole plan yet but she figured it would be laid out before her while they concocted whatever Melina had planned with the fruits of the woods they were now gathering.
She was about to eat the last of her cheese when she found the yellow berry bush again. It peered at her like a beacon through the mass of green and brown of the foliage around it. She spotted the familiar small red berry-like fruit of the root she was looking for directly behind the bush.
She took out her small shovel, shoved the cheese in her mouth and dug deep into the earth. The smell of freshly moved dirt filled her nostrils. It was a smell she loved. Truly the Mother and Maiden were blessing her today. She found the three larger roots she needed under the large plant itself. Using the knife, the one she always carried in her apron, she removed the roots from the plant and placed them into her basket. She wiped the starchy white liquid off on a leaf nearby and put the knife back in its sheath.
A few yards away she spotted the pretty, small roses popping out of the thorny stems. She used her fingernails to break off twelve of the best-looking ones she could find and held them out in her apron. The very last one snapped off before she could catch it and landed in the tangle of thorns. She reached in and grabbed it but caught her thumb on a thorn.
‘Ouch!’ Droplets of blood formed at the end of her punctured skin. She sucked on it to relieve the pressure and stop the blood from flowing. When it stopped, she gently laid the cloth that covered her bread and cheese overtop the roots so the roses would not get smashed.
Each rose head was placed with care inside the basket. She checked her thumb once more to ensure the bleeding had quit. It had so she hurried on the path to the large pond.
She watched as squirrels gathered nuts dropped from the branches above, rabbits hopped through the piles of brush littering the floor, and birds flew around the tree tops.
Her mind wandered as she treads along the path. What would royal court be like? She only heard the stories her father had told her of the old days. The titled all dressed in their finest, rubbing arms with the king and queen. Would the king be handsome? Was he nice or an arrogant man? Was he tall?
She made a mental note to ask Melina when she returned. Hopefully she would have the answers to her questions. She heard the ducks before she saw the pond. They called out to a few stragglers flying above with their loud quacks.
They spotted her and abandoned the water for the sky. She went around to the east side and backtracked to find the patch of basil she was told of. It took her a great while to find the long green leaves.
She scratched the leaves and smelled them like Cassie had taught her to pick the correct ones. There were only thirteen leaves left so she left the one behind praying it would give life to new sprigs.
Her list was complete and the sun was high, seeping through the trees and dancing off the leaves that wisped in the faint breeze. She headed back to the cave, her dark black tresses shining in the bright rays of light that escaped to the forest floor bringing much needed energy to the earth.
She hummed a little song her mother had always sang to her when she was a child. Leaves floated down from their hosts above, a few ants scurried around the trunks of the trees that sap dripped from, and the clouds looked like puff balls suspended in a sea of blue.