by K. L Roth
Soon enough she reached Melina resting on a rock with a small wooden cart beside her. She whistled and skipped to her, smiling ear to ear.
‘I have managed to find all on my list and make it back without getting lost,’ she laughed out loud.
‘Well, in that case, excellent job. I knew you would be okay. Are you ready to head back?’
‘Yes. I see you visited a certain someone. Hope he had more of those delicious apples you brought back last time.’ Elle licked her lips in anticipation of sinking her teeth into one of the red juicy apples.
‘Why yes he did. Would you like to put your basket in the cart and have one for the way back?’ Melina reached into the brown feed bag and pulled out a bright red apple. She shined it up using her apron and handed it off to a drooling Elle.
Elle took it and bit into it the second it left Melina’s hand. The juice sprayed onto her face and she giggled. With a mouthful of the succulent fruit, she thanked Melina for the apple and they headed off to the cave.
Melina and she took turns with the cart after Elle had finished her dessert. She licked her fingers cleaned and placed the core back into the cart so they could save the seeds to grow their own apple tree. They both remained quiet, taking in the serenity of the outdoors.
The wooden cart seemed to be more of a hindrance than she thought it would be. The creaky wheel in front was starting to wobble under the weight and got stuck a few times in the damper spots along the path where the sun could not dry up the moisture.
Nevertheless, they finally made it back to the cave. Melina called out to the girls to come and help her unload the cart and carry it back into the cave to be repaired. It wasn’t going to make it another journey without breaking down.
Cassie came into the kitchen from the lower levels of the cave. She had been washing their clothing. ‘Melina, are you ready to start?’
‘Yes, just let me get a few things from my room and I shall be right back,’ she replied and scurried off to her room.
Elle and Cassie put away the stuff not on the lists left out on the table for them to read from. They emptied the baskets and counted out nine of each item on the table, placing them in small groups so they would be easily accessed.
Melina came back in with a tiny glass bottle with a cork stopper and placed it on the table, giving Cassie a sideways glance.
‘What are we making?’ Elle asked when she spied the bottle.
‘A love potion. Love Potion No. 9 to be exact,’ Cassie replied, ‘one that will make the king fall madly in love with you.’
Elle blushed and thought about it for a minute.
‘Do I want the king to fall in love with me? I best do as Melina says. She would not ask this of me unless she was sure it was the right thing to do.’
‘Sounds like fun!’ Elle squealed out, now excited about the possibility of the King of England head over heels for her.
Cassie was the potion maker of the group and Melina was always glad to help her and learn. This was the first love potion Melina would be privy to watch being made so she hung on to Cassie’s every word.
‘Elle, please pay close attention so you can make this on your own someday if need be. I have made this before and each time it has worked. We must all think thoughts of love and how loved we feel right now.’ Cassie told them and removed the nine pink candles from the basket below and set them out all around the outside of the table.
Melina started a small fire under the hanging black cauldron where they cooked their food. She took a small twig that caught fire and lit the candles.
Cassie took the medium sized pot out from under the cabinet and started to read through her potion book.
‘Ok, Elle you will place each item in the pot, Melina you and I will prepare them for Elle. Any questions before we begin?’ She raised her voice a bit to clarify she was ready to start and there would be no interruptions after this.
‘Melina, please pour out nine glasses of the wine you brought with you and then Elle, you will pour them into the cauldron,’ she said to them both and watched as they both did as they were ordered.
‘Now crush nine basil leaves and give them to Elle.’ Melina placed the leaves on the wooden board and used the rock in her hand to break them up. When she was done, she handed off the board to Elle and she pushed them into the pot.
‘Nine rose petals now. Do not crush them. Just pluck them from the pod and add them straight to the rest of the brew,’ she instructed.
Elle piped up, ‘I may have accidentally gotten blood on of those roses. I am sorry. My thumb caught a thorn when I tried to retrieve the one I dropped.’
‘Excellent! We will most definitely use that one. It will only strengthen the potion’s power,’ Cassie cried out, especially excited about the new ingredient.
Elle knew which rose she had dropped, it was the biggest one of them all. She pointed to it and Melina carefully picked off nine petals and passed them over to Elle who dropped them in the mixture.
‘Nine whole cloves and apple seeds are next.’ Cassie told Melina. She brushed them into her hand off the table and gave them to Elle who plopped them in, making sure to count each one as she did.
‘Here is the tricky part now. We need nine drops of vanilla extracted from the bean and nine drops of strawberry and apple juices,’ she told them as she handed the vanilla bean to Melina with a knife. ‘You will have to have Elle hold the ladle underneath the bean. Cut off the end of it and keep constant pressure using the blunt of the knife to press into the bean and slide down until she has counted exactly 9 drops, no more and no less.’
Melina did as she was told, sweat beaded on her forehead. It was difficult to get the correct amount without using a press. Something they could not afford yet. When Elle becomes queen, they will have it all.
Elle watched with eyes never leaving the end of the brown bean. She counted until she got to nine and removed the spoon. ‘Done!’
‘You are completely sure there is nine, right?’ Cassie asked gravely.
‘One hundred percent,’ she answered back.
‘Ok, now the same with the strawberry first then the apple. Go pour the vanilla in and let us get on with it.’
Elle tapped the spoon on the inside of the cauldron to make sure all the vanilla was gone from the utensil and rushed back to gather the other two juices and did the same. Nine drops of each went into the pot.
‘Ginseng, we need nine small pieces cut from the largest root we have.’ Cassie handed the dirty root over to Melina. ‘Only use the inside flesh. We do not want our potion tasting like dirt.’
Once she cut the ginger, Elle took the fleshy white root and added it to the potion.
Cassie began moving the candles around the fire.
‘Elle, stir the mixture and we will all repeat this verse three times as you do.’
Elle grabbed the ladle and began to slowly stir the liquid and its contents. They all chanted, ‘Let the one who drinks this wine,
Shower me with love Divine,
Love potion number nine,
Let his love be forever mine.’
Elle stopped stirring and let the ingredients boil down for a few minutes as the potion book said to. Once the last basil leaf fell to the bottom, the potion was done.
They waited until it did, then removed the pot from the fire and placed it by the cave entrance to cool.
Cassie said to name all nine Goddesses of Love while the boiling liquid cooled. As they bid their time, all called out, ‘Venus, Ishtar, Astarte, Nephthys, Hathor, Aphrodite, Freya, Arianrhod, Inanna.’
The pot instantly cooled with the breeze coming into the cave. Cassie brought it over to the table. ‘Melina, we need to strain it. Grab the cheesecloth and a bowl. Elle, help her pull the cloth taunt so I can pour it out. We keep the liquid in the bowl and discard the rest.’
Both women did as Cassie asked and held the cloth over the bowl making sure it covered the sides and would not let the chunks and leaves into the bowl below while Cass
ie poured.
She lifted the pot and started to pour, the smell coming from the pot was enchanting and Elle licked her lips greedily. She was getting hungry again and this whole ordeal made it even worse.
When Cassie was done, she grabbed the cloth and took it outside to get rid of the impurities left behind. She dumped it in the bushes far enough away from the cave. Melina was already spooning the bright red liquid into the glass bottle when Cassie came back inside.
She corked it after she was done filling it to the stop point and put it in her apron pocket.
‘Now to get you bathed and ready to meet your future husband,’ she rang out merrily, clapping her hands.
The other girls were coming back from their chores to eat their early suppers. They were all tasked with helping Elle get ready tonight.
‘Sit and eat, girls. We have a big night ahead of us. We must get Elle ready and out to her king way before the sun goes down,’ Melina explained.
They sat and ate in a rush, a combination of smoked meat, cheese and hard-boiled egg. Elle was the first to be done. She was way too nervous to eat and thought she may get sick to her stomach even touching any of it.
‘Elle, my dear, if you are done, go down to the hot spring and bathe. Janell, Jayne and Jerilynn will be done shortly with scented oils for your skin,’ the High Priestess proclaimed as she looked directly at the triplets. She nodded her head to the left to hurry them along.
Elle went to her room and undressed, carefully folding the clothing she removed. She would no longer need it after tonight if things went to plan. Butterflies flitted in her stomach as she made her way down the narrow steps to the springs below.
She stepped into the warm water and dipped under to drench her hair completely. The wear and tear on her nerves today calmed as her muscles relaxed. She swam around a few times, waiting on the girls to come down.
The girls showed up right as she came up for air after diving to the bottom as far as she could stand the heat to.
Janell washed her body while Jerilynn combed the soap into her hair and massaged her scalp. She rinsed several times by thrashing under the water and having Jayne shake out her long raven coloured locks.
Once she got out, the girls patted her down with her robe and rubbed the scented oil into her skin and end of her hair.
Janell braided her hair into a series of fishtail braids and knotted the first two together with three cords of string; one pink, one red and one green. She then braided the rest of her hair, tying off five more knots after the first one, then lastly braided the remaining hair and cords together, knotting off the long braid with the cord at the end. Seven knots were tied into her braid.
Elle asked Janell, ‘Why the cord and knots?’
She replied simply, ‘Just another Love Spell, my dear sister.’
‘Oh, well I will take all the help I can get. I will miss you both, all of you. You know that, right? I was not asked nor do I have a say in this whole thing from what I can tell. Melina says it is my destiny and I was chosen for this life from birth,’ she tried to lighten the mood. She couldn’t help but feel like the other girls were jealous of her. Hell, she knew she would be if the shoe was on the other foot.
‘We know. Melina explained it all long before you showed up. We just did not know if it was going to happen or not. She said she had watched you grow up throughout the years and that this way your year to come to us. We will never place doubt on anything she tells us ever gain,’ Jerilynn told her.
‘Best to get upstairs now. The other girls are waiting on you,’ Jayne said with a sigh, wishing she was in Elle’s place.
Elle hurried up the steps feeling like a brand-new person. All in all, it was turning out to be a beautiful day. Unbeknownst to her, one that she would forever hold in her heart as the day she would meet her true love.
THIRTEEN
James mounted up with Edmund and his guards in tow. Not like he needed them but everywhere he went, they followed. The privy council would not let him leave the castle unguarded since he was the only successor. Not like he could not protect himself, he had his bow. That’s all he needed.
He has spent years riding though these woods, hunting this land and fishing its rivers and streams. He jousted with Muse, his favourite horse. Learned to shoot a bow and wield a spear with the help of his father when they hunted together. That was the only thing he was going to miss now that his father was gone.
The Irish Wolfhounds that were given to his father a few years back, joined the group at last and they set off for a Red Deer Stag to kill for the feast.
The hounds bound ahead, excited to be out hunting and the horses snorted at the sight in front of them. The smell of leather and horses was just the thing James needed to blow off some steam.
How dare Alice get drunk and pass out, slobbering all of herself. What the fuck was she thinking. Guests would be arriving soon and if they came early, who would greet and attend to them? His stepmother-in-law wouldn’t be very happy to see her like that. She would have a fucking field day with her current state. Alice! That was her only duty right now. Fucking women! Argh!
They crossed the fields and worked their way down the rolling hills to the grassy meadow Edmund had visited this morning. Most of the trees on the castle side of the woods already lost their leaves or they were brown and crumbling. No one could ever figure out why the opposite side’s trees still held leaves of colour yet. It has been this way for as long as James could remember. They would have to venture there, he was sure, to find what he was looking for today.
Edmund completely forgot about telling James about the people he seen earlier until they rode up on the same spot. He was too busy worrying if anyone seen him besides the stable boy and James. Once they stopped to rest, he would fill him in on everything.
The hounds began to bark out their warnings. They found something at last. James spurred Muse on to get ahead of the other men, especially Edmund. Every time they went out hunting, Edmund would shoot something bigger in size or rack. James loathed it and vowed to prove himself better than Edmund today.
The four-legged beasts flew through the woods sounding off their alarms. Their barks where so loud it echoed among the sparse covered trees.
At last! James spotted a Red Deer Hind running ahead of the pack. Where there is a Hind, there is going to be a big Stag somewhere around.
‘Whoo Hoo! Yah, Muse, yah!’ James could not contain himself anymore. The chase was on!
His adrenaline was pumping at full speed as Muse flew through the trees, jumped logs and slowly gained on the hounds. The pack darted off to the side and down a hill. Muse slid down the hill on his front legs with James leaning backwards to stay in his saddle.
Once they reached the bottom, James could see the mass of antlers running right in front of the dogs. This Stag was huge, bigger than any Edmund has ever taken. Muse sped right back up. He was just as stoked as James is.
Now’s my chance to show that fucker up!
James looked behind him and seen Edmund and the guards were having trouble getting down the hill. He bent down and patted Muse, ‘Good boy, Muse. Let us get ourselves a big Stag.’
James could see the pack slowing down and the white of the Stag’s antlers standing still. Now was his chance! The Stag had turned and decided to fight instead of running himself ragged.
Muse caught up and slowed to a trot, allowing James to get his bow ready. He reached into his quiver that was strapped onto his back and pulled out an arrow with a freshly sharpened broad head.
Muse halted to a stop just in time for James to draw back and aim his arrow straight at the heart of the massive beast and let his arrow fly. Swhack!
The Stag ran a few yards and fell over dead. James had hit his target perfectly. He called the hounds off and walked Muse over to the fallen animal.
He waited a few minutes to make sure the animal was indeed dead. He had watched his father walk up on a boar he thought dead due to his spear sticking out both sides
.
However, the animal got back up and charged at his father who no longer held a weapon. The giant tusked boar bit his father in the leg and then died.
The king had a massive gash that bled profusely and had to be carried back to the cart they brought with them for the dead game.
The boar and his father rode together all the way back to the castle. James learned a lesson that day that stuck with him still.
Muse pawed the ground but the animal did not stir. Edmund and the guards finally showed up just as James was dismounting.
‘James, my man! Impressive job! He is a brute for sure.’ Edmund called out, still atop his horse.
The guards came and got the dogs so they wouldn’t start tearing apart the Stag.
‘Guards! Bring the cart up and gut this Stag. I am off to the large pond to rest and get Muse a cool drink,’ he bellowed out.
‘Edmund, help them please and make sure they leave the hide on the head. I am going to have the whole thing stuffed. I want it done right, you hear me?’ James commanded and the others followed.
Edmund shook his head, ‘Fuck off, James! I will see you at home.’
James mounted up and headed Muse to the pond. It was not that far from here if he remembered correctly.
He passed the big fallen oak, the white tree the bark peeled off easily and followed the ridge around until he found the spot.
The water called to him, beckoning him to come closer.
James pulled back the reigns and Muse stopped. He dismounted and walked Muse to the ponds edge and let him have a long, over-due drink. He softly patted his neck and gave him a couple “Atta Boys”.
After all, had it not been for Muse’s skill on the downhill slope, he probably would be going back to the castle empty-handed.
The blue-green grass looked like a delightful place to lay down. James tied Muse to the tree close enough to the pond where he could drink and eat as he pleased.