by Simone Pond
That morning she’d heard a rumor that the prince would be coming to Ocelum the following day, and as usual Evelyn had been consumed with work. She had no time to prepare herself for his visit, so once again she’d be invisible to the prince.
Later that night at dinner, Evelyn cried to her mother, “It’s not fair!”
Deirdre sipped her wine, a product from the extraordinary grape seedlings she’d been harvesting since Evelyn was a baby. They had a vineyard and Deirdre’s wine was famous throughout the coastal villages of northern Galicia. Deirdre had enough wealth to hire additional help, and they could probably live in a much larger home, but Evelyn’s mother chose to remain humble. She told her daughter it would teach her important values.
“What’s not fair?” Deirdre asked.
“That they always get a chance to impress the prince, while I’m working like a mule out in the fields or stinking like goats.”
Deirdre tucked a loose strand of Evelyn’s ginger-colored hair behind her daughter’s ear. “Let me assure you, striving to win the prince’s affections is not worth your time. You have far greater things to accomplish in this life.”
“Like making cheese?!” Evelyn pushed away from the dinner table and stood up. “I don’t understand you! We have enough wealth to hire help, but here I am working from dawn till dusk. Every time he comes to Ocelum, I lose another chance. I don’t want to end up a spinster like you!”
Evelyn stomped off to her room and slammed the door, shutting herself inside the cramped space and hating herself for treating her mother so poorly. But it was painful seeing the other May Day girls receive the prince, while she was pushed to the side and overlooked. It didn’t help that the May Day Five laughed or threw apples at her every time she walked through the hamlet with her cart of goods. Evelyn had a couple friends in the hamlet—mostly young gentlemen—but the vicious May Day Five were her daily reminder that she would never measure up. “Prince material you will never be, Eve Queen of the Goats,” the girls jeered. The dark-haired raven, Ciara, was the worst of the five girls and made Evelyn’s life in the hamlet impossible at times.
Deirdre knocked on the bedroom door and creaked it open, coming in and sitting next to Evelyn on the bed. She wiped away her daughter’s tears and patted her hair, soothing away her sadness.
“They’re so mean to me,” Evelyn murmured.
“Of course they are, my love. Jealousy makes monsters of us all.”
Evelyn gave her mother an incredulous look. “What do you mean?”
“Those girls wouldn’t give you a second glance if you weren’t a threat.”
Evelyn laughed, thinking her mother might be more out of touch with reality than she thought. “Mother, that’s impossible. I have no chance. Look at me.”
Deirdre studied her daughter, stroking her cheek tenderly. “Oh, my dear daughter. You have the blood of a golden warrior running through your veins. Not just any warrior, but one of the greatest. Your father was a legendary dragon slayer. He saved many coastal villages from destruction.”
Evelyn’s lips parted slightly. “A dragon slayer?”
“Yes. Just before you were born, your father went off to fight a very dangerous dragon of Galicia, and though he never returned, neither has the dragon. I choose to believe he sacrificed his life to put the beast down. So you see, my love, this is why you are special. Your life is not to be wasted on one man, prince or otherwise. You will do great things … besides make cheese.” She smiled at her daughter.
The room grew quiet enough to hear the crickets chirping outside the cottage. Evelyn remained still as she processed the information. She had never heard of any legendary warriors who had lived among her people. And since she was conceived during the May Day ceremony, it’d be impossible to know the identity of her father.
“How could you possibly know who planted the winning seed in your garden, Mother?”
Deirdre held her daughter’s hands and shared the story of Lugh—the legendary warrior from southern Galicia with the invincible spear of Gorias—and how he courted her through the autumn and winter months. She told Evelyn about the infamous night of the thunderstorm in early April that had changed everything and resulted in her pregnancy.
“And when he didn’t return prior to the May Day ceremony, I knew I would be forced to participate, so I came up with a plan to trick the male visitors into thinking they’d placed their seed inside my womb.” She gave only the briefest details about how she had fooled the men.
Evelyn giggled. “Mother!”
“It was the perfect ploy,” Deirdre said with a proud smile. “I didn’t want their foolish seed touching the precious gift already blossoming inside. I took precautions.”
“Is my father why you never coupled with any of the men in our hamlet?” Evelyn asked.
“Precisely. None of them could hold a candle to him. He was a god. No one could win my heart, for your father took it with him when he departed that night so many moons ago.”
The two talked until Evelyn’s eyes grew heavy with sleep. Deirdre pulled the blanket over her daughter’s body, kissing her forehead. “Goodnight, my love.”
“Mom,” Evelyn whispered as her mother exited the room.
“Yes, love?”
“Tomorrow he’s coming,” Evelyn murmured.
“I know.”
“Will you help me prepare?”
“Help you prepare to impress a man who will only break your heart, dear daughter?”
Evelyn sat up and frowned at her mother. “I want to know what it’s like to fall in love. The way you did with my father. This will be my last chance to make a strong impression on the prince. The next May Day ceremony is approaching and he will only pick one of us. If he doesn’t pick me, now that I’m of age you know that I will have to participate in the tradition. Is that what you want for me? To get impregnated by one of the men in our hamlet and die working the fields?”
Deirdre stood in the doorway, watching the moonlight beam across her daughter’s ivory cheeks and said, “You have nothing to fear, daughter. You will not participate in the ceremony. I will help you as I helped myself so many years ago. And while the prince may appear to be your only chance at freedom, I assure you he is not.”
Evelyn lay back down and turned in the other direction. Convincing her mother that she needed Prince Kieran would be next to impossible. The only way to make an impression on the prince would be figuring it out on her own. But she wasn’t worried. After all, she was the product of a clever-minded mother and a legendary warrior father. Nothing—not even that clique of snotty girls—would stop her from standing out the next day.
3
The next morning Evelyn awoke at dawn to get an early start on her chores, giving her the early afternoon to get ready for the prince’s visit. She stepped into the barn, pulling her scarf around her face to stifle the sour stench of cheese. The smell would often saturate her pores and stick to her skin unless she scrubbed herself raw afterward.
First, she started with the process of draining the curd from the cheese, then she molded it for salting later on. Once that was finished, she sat on her stool and went down the line milking the goats. She hummed a tune to pass the hours, remembering all the previous times the prince had visited Ocelum. Not once had he given her a second glance. Her peasant dresses and the lack of ribbons in her hair made her appear plain and boring.
“Not this time!” she said to her favorite goat, Petunia, as she squeezed the teats. “I’m going to stand out from the others. Prince Kieran won’t be able to see anyone else except me.”
She planned to use one of her mother’s dresses from long ago that she had discovered in a trunk. The dress was a pale yellow empire waistline with pearls lining the trim. It had been hidden away with a bunch of other items; gifts she now assumed were from her father that Deirdre had stored away. There was also a beautiful golden locket and a pair of slippers that matched the dress. She would pull her long orangish-brown hair high up her head
and let loose tendrils dangle around her ivory cheeks. And she’d use just a touch of plum dye for her lips. She could picture it all so perfectly: sauntering across the road in her womanly elegance as the May Day Five stood like a pack of foolish young girls vying for the prince’s attention.
The hour was noon by the time Evelyn had three full pails. Plenty of time to go back to the cottage and prepare, she thought to herself as she finished up with the last goat, Rory. He was the oldest and most stubborn of the goats and must’ve been especially irritated that day. As she scooted away, he lowered his head and shoved Evelyn. She lost her balance and tumbled off the stool with the pail of fresh goat milk, falling backward and landing smack dab in a mud puddle. The entire contents of the pail toppled over with her, drenching her face and hair. She pulled herself off the muddy ground with a loud slurp and stood up.
“Damn you to the bottom of the sea, you old goat!” She glared at Rory and picked up the now empty pail.
Outside, church bells chimed throughout the hamlet. Since it wasn’t a holy day, this was the signaling of a visitor. But it was too early for the prince. He typically arrived in the late afternoon so he could select a family to eat supper with. It was probably just someone dropping off a message, Evelyn assured herself. But when she heard the sound of a trumpet coming over the hill, she began to panic. The trumpet meant Prince Kieran would soon be entering the gates.
“No, not now …” she cried, rushing back and forth through the muddy barn.
She peered outside and saw the women bustling about with their daughters. They took their usual position on the main road by the main gate and waited. The sun poured down on the May Day Five, glorifying them like angelic statues welcoming the prince into Ocelum. Evelyn wrung her hands, considering the distance to the cottage and if she’d have enough time to get inside before anyone noticed her. Maybe she could quickly throw a bucket or two of water over her head and jump into her mother’s yellow dress. If she didn’t, she’d miss her one and only opportunity to be seen by the prince.
She took a deep breath and opened the door, rushing outside and making a mad dash toward her cottage. Halfway across the road, she stepped on a rock and tripped. Unable to catch herself, she rolled to the ground, falling face first into the mud. The May Day Five squealed with laughter, watching Evelyn attempt to stand up a couple times to no avail. Each time she got her footing, she’d slip and fall back down in the mud. It seemed that every inhabitant of the hamlet had come from their homes or shops to observe the pathetic display. Some clapped at each failed attempt, others mocked, while some actually cheered on Evelyn. Though the tears felt like hot wax in her eyes, she refused to let a single one fall. She held back any cries and clung to her dignity, ignoring the heckling from the growing crowd. The clomping of horses grew louder as the prince and his men rode down the hill and entered through the gates of Ocelum.
She glanced up as Prince Kieran strode past the May Day Five on his black stallion and continued toward where she crouched on her knees. Her dress and face were smeared with mud, her hair soaked with goat’s milk, and her fingernails crammed with cheese curd. Well, she definitely got her wish. There was no way she hadn’t made a strong impression on the prince. As for standing out among the other girls, well, she had accomplished that above and beyond the call of duty.
The prince stopped his horse before Evelyn and stared down at her. She peered up at him with her muddy face and began laughing uncontrollably. She laughed herself into a coughing fit and hadn’t noticed when Prince Kieran stepped down from his stallion and extended his hand.
He cleared his throat. “Excuse me, miss. Can I be of assistance?”
Evelyn’s laughter halted immediately, as did the cackling coming from the May Day Five. The entire hamlet grew silent as they stared on, watching the handsome prince gallantly help Evelyn up from the filthy ground. She stood before him a sullied wreck, but she couldn’t stop smiling.
“Thank you, Prince Kieran,” she said with a curtsey.
He quickly grabbed her by the shoulder. “Let’s just save that for now. Wouldn’t want you to slip again.”
She lowered her gaze to Prince Kieran’s mud-spattered black boots. He reached for her chin and lifted her face so their eyes met. His were a dark brown with flecks of yellowish gold, which matched the color of his dark, wavy hair. He had a stoic countenance and the most regal face Evelyn had ever seen.
“Why have I not met you before, my lady?” he asked.
“You have. Many times … my lord.”
He smiled with majestic poise. “Surely I’d remember such a fine specimen as yourself.”
Evelyn was grateful for the mud covering her rising blush. “Pardon me, my lord, but I’m quite a mess.”
“One man’s mess is another man’s treasure.”
She giggled demurely, lowering her chin again.
The prince gingerly tilted back her head and peered at her with sincere intent, as though searching for something. “Whatever is your name?”
Before Evelyn had a chance to reply, her mother came rushing from behind one of the cottages and made a quick approach toward the couple. When she reached her daughter, she took her hand and pulled her close. “My daughter’s name is Evelyn, my lord.”
Evelyn caught a sour note in her mother’s tone and edged away from her a bit, but Deirdre kept her tight against her side.
A flash of recognition passed over the prince’s face. “Hello, my lady. It’s been quite a while since I last partook of your company. I didn’t know you had a daughter.”
Deirdre didn’t have a chance to answer because one of the overbearing and haughty mothers of the May Day Five rushed over and curtsied before the prince.
“My lord,” she said. “Welcome back to Ocelum. Surely you do not mean to waste your time with these farmhands when there are other more suitable May Day ladies awaiting you by the gates.”
Prince Kieran studied Evelyn more carefully. “You mean to tell me I’m in the company of a May Day lady?”
Evelyn grinned and curtsied, outstretching her filthy dress. “Indeed you are, my lord.”
The prince chuckled at the gesture.
The woman said, “Your majesty, the more suitable ones graciously anticipate your selection for this evening’s supper. Down by the gates …”
Prince Kieran didn’t so much as glance at the woman, keeping his eyes locked in on Evelyn. “I’ve already made my choice. I will sup with Deirdre and her daughter.”
The woman huffed and stomped off toward the gaggle of girls waiting at the gates.
The prince gestured for Deirdre to lead the way. As they walked to their cottage, Evelyn caught a hint of satisfaction in her mother’s smile—not that Deirdre gave a pat of butter about the prince, but she must’ve enjoyed seeing the glaring disappointment among the May Day Five and their overbearing mothers.
They approached the humble abode and Deirdre stopped Evelyn in her tracks. “You cannot come into the house like this. I’ll tend to our guest while you clean yourself up. There’s a tub of hot water around back waiting for you.”
“But—”
“And a clean dress. The yellow one with matching shoes,” Deirdre said with a knowing smile.
Unable to contain her excitement, Evelyn kissed her mother’s cheek, smearing mud across her pale skin.
“Thank you, Mother!”
“Hurry off. We don’t have all day.”
Prince Kieran took Evelyn’s dirty hand and kissed her fingers. “Do make haste. I intend to learn everything about you.”
Deirdre moved the prince into the cottage as Evelyn darted around back to the washing area. There her mother had hung the lovely yellow dress with the pearl trim and set out the matching shoes and gold locket. She even had a pile of yellow ribbons for her hair. Evelyn was so pleased she cried tears of joy as she striped out of her mud-ridden dress and jumped into the wooden tub of steaming water. She used a brush and suds to scrub away the dirt and made sure to wet her hair to
get out the scent of goat milk. The cool air chilled her skin as she splashed herself clean, then dried off with a big wool blanket.
Her mother had set up a reflecting glass against the wall. Evelyn kept the blanket wrapped around her as she fixed up her hair first. She pulled it back away from her face and twisted it into a high knot on her head, then fashioned ribbons around the circumference. This was quite different than the style of the other girls and gave her a more mature and elegant appearance. Then she pulled on the dress and buttoned it up. It was a perfect fit and framed her bosom delicately. She put the necklace on so the locket sat right above her chest. There was no need for any plum dye or other enhancements, she thought. Her natural beauty would either appeal to the prince or not.
When Evelyn stepped into the cottage, Prince Kieran rose from the kitchen table with his eyes wide and glistening and his lips parted as if stuck on a word.
Deirdre greeted her daughter with a kiss on each cheek. “You look enchanting, my love.”
The prince snapped out of his daze and walked up to Evelyn, taking her hand into his and bringing it to his lips. He dropped to one knee. “You must be mine, Evelyn. I implore you to return to Verubri Castle with me. You will be my most glorified lady-in-waiting and hopefully become my wife.”
She politely pulled back her hand and assisted the prince back up. “But you don’t even know me, my lord.”