by M. Gregg Roe
Cinda had come over to assist her with her sewing, but as usual wasn’t being of much help. Audrey had been fending off Almera’s inquiries about her date, but she had promised Cinda.
“It was better than my first time,” Audrey told her. “Much better.”
Cinda nodded. “Because your maidenhead had already been taken. Was there pain when that occurred in Farmerton?”
Maidenhead? She had never heard the term before, but the meaning was obvious. Cinda’s sudden interest in it was not a good sign.
Audrey narrowed her eyes as she asked, “Cinda, what aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing,” she replied, but she was looking off to the side. “I am simply curious.”
“Okay.” Audrey didn’t believe her. Cinda’s arranged marriage must be imminent. She wasn’t going to lie, though. “Yes, it was painful, and there was blood. I was sore afterward too.”
Cinda still wouldn’t look at her. “What of the copulation?” she asked. “Did that hurt as well?”
Copulation? “Yes,” replied Audrey honestly. “But there was pleasure too. I think it would have gone better if Saxloc had already had some experience.”
“Truly?” Cinda was finally looking at her.
“Yes. Please don’t worry, Cinda. I’m sure that you will do fine.”
She looked forlorn. “I shall try. I must not embarrass my family.” She displayed a slight smile. “Now please tell me about Erwin. Did he perform well? Wait! Start at the beginning. I would hear everything.”
Audrey smiled and shook her head. Explaining it all to Cinda was going to be embarrassing. To her great delight, Erwin had turned out to be fairly experienced. He had performed very well indeed, and she was eagerly looking forward to a repeat performance.
♦ ♦ ♦
On the tenth day of the month, Audrey was surprised when Saxloc didn’t show up for breakfast and Almera said that he had gone on a trip. But he hadn’t gone off on an adventure this time. Instead, he and Gabriel had traveled to Rohoville to work on their combat skills. They would be staying at Danj’s School of Fighting and working out with the students and instructors. Audrey was impressed; she knew that Danj was the King of Rohoville.
Erwin was also in Rohoville. He had been sent there to scout locations for a new shop and factory, ruining Audrey’s plans to get back together with him. And he didn’t know when he would be back.
Audrey took advantage of Saxloc’s absence to speak with Draymund and Almera during breakfast. “When you had servants here, where did they stay?” she asked them.
“We had a separate building toward the southeast corner,” replied Draymund. “But someone insisted that we tear it down after we decided that we didn’t need live-in servants.”
Almera stared at her husband. “We didn’t need it anymore,” she stated firmly.
Audrey found herself recalling that there was a large mound in that corner now. “Did you keep some of the wood and stuff from the building?”
“Yes,” replied Almera with a puzzled look. “Why do you ask?”
“Erwin’s family has guest cottages. If you had one here, then I could live there. Then maybe Saxloc wouldn’t be so mad.”
Draymund nodded thoughtfully. “That’s an interesting idea. We did keep everything from that building that was still usable, including the windows and furniture. There’s probably enough to build two or three cottages. Shall I look into it?”
“Yes! Please. I know it won’t have running water and toilets, but I can make do without them.”
Almera frowned her disapproval. “I will not have an outdoor privy here. I’m certain that something better can be arranged. Draymund can look into the matter, but I’m too busy planning my party. Why don’t we talk about it next month when things are calmer?”
“Okay.” That sounded reasonable. Audrey grinned and added, “I am, of course, going to insist on paying rent to live there.”
Draymund laughed. “Naturally. I would be very disappointed if you didn’t insist.”
“You wouldn’t be Audrey if you didn’t,” added Almera.
♦ ♦ ♦
Cinda failed to show up for class the next day. Two days later she was again absent, and she hadn’t been over to visit either. Audrey went over to her house that evening but was turned away. The servant who answered the door told her that Cinda was occupied with family matters, but she could see how unhappy he was. Audrey walked back home feeling sick to her stomach. The time for Cinda’s arranged marriage had finally come, and things would never be the same.
By the time she tracked down Almera in the mansion’s library, Audrey was in tears. Almera looked at her with concern, and when Audrey finished telling her what had happened, her face went very hard. “I have been telling Ermizad for years that something needed to be done about this,” she said, sounding disgusted.
Almera stood up and took Audrey’s hands with her own. “Don’t worry, Audrey. We will find a way to fix this, even if means we have to kidnap Cinda and send her away. Tomorrow morning, I will go speak with Ermizad. I want you to come along as well. Can you burst into tears every time I mention Cinda or arranged marriage?”
That made Audrey smile. “I can certainly try. I can also grovel and beg if necessary.”
“That is all I ask. Thank you, Audrey.
♦ ♦ ♦
The next morning, Draymund walked into the kitchen where Audrey and Almera were cooking breakfast and asked, “Audrey, why is your friend Cinda sleeping in the parlor?”
“What!” exclaimed Audrey, nearly dropping the pan she was holding. “She’s in the parlor?”
“Yes,” he replied with a puzzled look. “Why don’t you invite her to have breakfast with us?”
“Okay!” she yelled as she put the pan down and raced out of the kitchen. She ran into the parlor and found Cinda sleeping on one of the sofas. She was wearing her red-and-black dress and partly covered by her black cloak. On the floor next to her was a bulky cloth sack.
Audrey bent over and gently shook her friend’s shoulder. “Cinda. It’s morning.”
Cinda yawned and opened her eyes. She grabbed Audrey and hugged her briefly before sitting up. “I fled my home in the early hours. I shall not return. Not ever. I have come seeking sanctuary, but I did not wish to disturb anyone.”
“Silly,” said Audrey. “Promise me that the next time you flee your home forever that you will wake me up.”
Cinda smiled and lowered her head. “I doth promise, Audrey.”
During breakfast, Cinda confirmed that her parents had indeed finally arranged a marriage for her. “I am to be married to a troll!” she said, striking the table with her hands for emphasis. “He is old and short and ugly. I swear that he is a troll!”
“Does this troll have a name?” asked Draymund.
“Lord Jesper.” She nearly spat when she said it.
“Jesper!” said Almera in surprise. “He’s nearly sixty! And you’re right, Cinda. He does look like a troll.” Almera sighed. “But he is also wealthy and has no heirs, although not for lack of trying. I believe that you would be his fourth wife. He can’t seem to figure out that he is the reason that none of them ever become pregnant.”
Almera paused in thought before smiling in a disquieting manner. “Draymund. When you finish, please go and inform the Guard that Cinda has left her home of her own free will. That should prevent any foolishness if her parents try to claim she has been abducted.”
He smiled and nodded. “Yes, dear. I believe I will have a word with Celebern as well.”
Almera nodded approvingly. “Audrey, please set up a guest room for Cinda. Cinda, you are welcome to stay here as long as you like, but first I need for you to clean up and make yourself presentable. The three of us are going to see Ermizad, and you are going to tell her your story in person.”
Cinda’s face lit up with hope. “Truly?” she asked.
“Yes. Truly.”
Cinda smiled, and her eyes were brimming with tears.
She bowed her head. “Lady Almera. Lord Draymund. Friend Audrey. You have my gratitude.”
“Lord Draymund is happy to help anyone who addresses him in that manner,” he informed them with a smirk.
“Of course he is,” sighed Almera.
Audrey was overjoyed. Cinda was going to be free no matter what happened, and she was finally going to meet High Witch Ermizad.
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey put Cinda in the guest room just past her own. Cinda’s sack contained shirts, pants, underclothes, shoes, and two of her uniforms, but no dresses. That indicated to Audrey that Cinda intended to resume her training. She had also brought all of her coins, but they totaled only 206 copper.
While Cinda freshened up, Audrey went back to her room. She realized that she needed to dress up, which meant wearing her gold dress again. After getting ready, she found Cinda waiting in the hallway looking hesitant. The two of them went downstairs to retrieve their cloaks from the entryway, finding Almera already there waiting for them.
Almera gestured and said, “We are exiting through the kitchen, and then taking the back way out of the grounds.”
“There’s a back way?” asked Audrey in disbelief. No one had ever mentioned it. If she had known, she would have been using it to sneak in and out when she went to Grasapa’s school.
“Yes,” replied Almera with an amused look. “But it’s not one that you can use. It requires magic to open it.”
“Oh,” Audrey sighed. She had no magical ability, so it was useless to her.
The three of them walked along the paths, eventually ending up at the back wall near the southwest corner. It was cold and overcast but without much wind. Audrey had worn the sandals that went with her dress and was soon regretting it. She would have worn her new dress had it been complete because it was both warmer and had a longer skirt.
Almera walked into the gap between two wide and tall bushes and made a complicated gesture with her right hand. She then pushed against the wall with her left hand and a section of the stone wall about a yard wide and two yards high pivoted smoothly out and to the right. Almera walked through and gestured for the two of them to follow. When they were all outside in the narrow alley that ran there, she closed the door and it seamlessly rejoined the wall. Cinda looked surprised, and Audrey felt that way herself. She wondered if there were other secret magical doors like that. Knowing Draymund and Almera, there probably were.
Almera set off a rapid pace to the east, looking very determined, and they hurried to keep up with her. Audrey wasn’t familiar with some of the smaller streets and alleys that Almera led them down, but they arrived at the Witch’s Castle within ten minutes. The doors at the front were still closed, but a guard promptly opened one for them. They walked into the foyer, removed their cloaks, and hung them up. Audrey was just happy to be somewhere warm. Her feet felt frozen.
Almera motioned impatiently to them and said, “This way.”
They followed her down a wide passage to the left. Audrey knew that Daragrim’s room was off to the right and that Gabriel’s family’s quarters were too. They soon turned right, and then came to a wide door with two guards standing in front. Audrey was surprised to see that they were both female.
“I need to see Ermizad,” Almera stated firmly. The guard on the left promptly nodded and went through the door, closing it behind her.
Audrey felt a tap on her shoulder and looked over to see Cinda with a shocked expression. She suspected the reason why, so she whispered, “Almera is a close friend of Ermizad. That’s why she’s being so informal.”
“I had not known that,” she whispered back, still looking shocked. “Nor that Lady Almera was a spell-caster.”
Audrey heard the door open as the guard returned. She was accompanied by another woman. One look at her, and Audrey instinctively moved into a Shorinken defensive stance, and she noted Cinda doing the same. The woman was sturdily built, with short brown hair, gray eyes, and a rather plain oval face that showed no expression. She was wearing dark brown pants, a light brown shirt, and leather shoes. Her very stance radiated both readiness and menace, and Audrey had no doubt that she had been given martial arts training.
Almera turned and gestured to the two of them. “Wilawin, this is Audrey and that is Cinda. They are both students of Grasapa’s. Wilawin is Ermizad’s personal guard.”
Showing just a trace of a smile, Wilawin bowed in exactly the same fashion that they always bowed to each other at school. Audrey smiled and returned her bow, as did Cinda.
“Lady Ermizad will meet with you in the council room,” stated Wilawin in a flat voice. “Follow me.”
The three of them followed her through the doorway. Wilawin promptly turned right down a narrow passage that ended in a door. She opened it for them, revealing a small room containing only a thick, square, stone table and four heavy wood chairs with black leather seats and backs. There was another door opposite the one that they had entered through. Wilawin left without saying a word, and Almera promptly sat down in the chair to their right.
“This is where the Witch’s City Council meets,” she explained. “You two remain standing. When Ermizad arrives, introduce yourselves. Politely.”
“Okay,” replied Audrey. Cinda looked calm, but the thought of meeting the woman who ruled the Witch’s City was making Audrey very nervous. She began doing one of her breathing exercises to calm herself.
The door that they had entered through opened and a woman walked through. The door then quietly closed and Audrey stared in shock because the woman’s arms had been hanging loosely by her side the entire time. This had to be Ermizad, Audrey realized, and she had used her witch power to open and close the door.
Ermizad was Audrey’s height and looked to be in her mid-thirties. She had fine red hair that fell freely halfway down her back. Her eyes were a brilliant green, and her pale face was striking, with prominent cheekbones and a long, narrow nose. She was wearing a deep green dress with a narrow waist and a V-neck that exposed nearly as much cleavage as the dress Audrey was wearing. She was beautiful and poised, but her expression showed a degree of arrogance.
Cinda swept her arms and bowed deeply. “If it please you, my lady. I am Cinda av Louisa, and I seek your aid.”
Audrey bowed, trying to imitate Cinda. “I am Audrey av Marilee. I … I really like your city.”
Ermizad began to laugh and so did Almera. Audrey felt embarrassed and knew she was turning red. Cinda was amused, smiling primly with her mouth closed.
“I like it too, Audrey,” said Ermizad in a resonant voice. “I rule it, but it does not really belong to me. All I have are some rooms in this old castle. And far too many responsibilities. Almera has told me about you, and it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance .”
Audrey was still trying to compose herself. “It is an honor to meet you, Lady Ermizad,” she finally managed to say.
Ermizad nodded and then turned to look at Almera. “What is this about?” she asked, sounding impatient.
“Cinda is about to be married off to Jesper against her will. I brought her here to tell her story in person. She ran away last night and is now staying with us. I will not stand for this, even if I have to send the girl off somewhere.”
Audrey thought that the determined look on Ermizad’s face now was almost frightening. “Very well. We will discuss this. What does Audrey have to do with this?”
“She came along to support her friend,” explained Almera.
“That was good of her, but I prefer to speak to as few people as possible.”
Ermizad turned her head to look directly at her. The door began to open by itself, and Audrey saw Wilawin standing outside staring into the room. Ermizad gestured and said, “Wilawin, please take Audrey to the sitting room.”
Wilawin turned and walked off, and Audrey flashed Cinda a quick smile before following. She heard the door close behind her, bringing an abrupt end to her first encounter with High Witch Ermizad.
21
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The plush sitting room that Audrey was taken to measured about eight yards square. There was a door on the left wall, and two on the back. Three glow-cubes provided light, and the furniture consisted of two sofas, four overstuffed chairs, and four small tables. There were built-in bookshelves on all four walls holding a variety of books, scrolls, and small objects. A young girl was lying on her back on one of the sofas reading a book by the light of a glow-cube. Audrey gasped and stared in shock. The book and cube were both floating above the girl, and as she watched a page of the book turned by itself.
“Mistress Ermiana,” said Wilawin in her flat voice. “This is Lady Audrey. She will be waiting here while her companions speak with your mother.”
The girl hopped down and walked over to Audrey while the book and cube remained floating. She was wearing a pale yellow shirt and black pants but was barefoot. She was skinny, with large gray-green eyes and straight, shoulder-length, raven black hair. The girl stared directly up at her with a piercing gaze that made her feel uncomfortable.
Ermiana mimed a curtsy and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Lady Audrey.” Then she smiled, making her look absolutely adorable in Audrey’s opinion.
Audrey made a small bow and smiled. “It is an honor to meet you, Mistress Ermiana.”
Wilawin suddenly said, “Ermiana, where are your shoes? Put them on immediately.”
Ermiana rolled her eyes. She smiled impishly and winked at Audrey as she snapped the fingers of her left hand. Audrey stepped back startled as a pair of small leather shoes flew out from under the sofa the girl had been lying on. They moved in perfect unison as they circled three times above Ermiana and then landed directly in front of her feet. She stepped carefully into them and then bent down to straighten the heels. When she was finished, she winked again while smiling in a silly fashion.
Audrey found herself thinking back to her conversation with Draymund all those months ago. This girl wasn’t a spell-caster—she was a witch. She had been born with her powers, not acquired them through study and practice. Audrey looked over at the sofa and saw that the book and cube were now slowly descending toward the sofa.