The Second Life of Magnolia Mae

by Angela Schroeder

  “I expect great things from him now.” Her green eyes finally looked at him.

  “What do you expect of him now?”

  “You will see soon enough.”

  “What is going on over here?” Jaceson lumbered over to the two of them. He took up the glove that Magnolia had just finished. “The swords that you asked for should be done soon. Do you need help with anything else?”

  “Railynn says we need mistletoe to decorate. Other than that, I’ve found all that we need. It’s just having the time to make everything.”

  “I can get some mistletoe with the help of a few of the lads. We’ll wait until a few days before Christmas to gather it though.”

  She watched as Jaceson picked up the remnants that she had been trying to sew. His hands moved with a surety that she certainly did not feel. “Will there be dancing?”

  “That’s a good idea.”

  “It looks like it will snow soon. Then the mountains will be near impassable until spring. Are you ready to be in one place for such a long time without being able to pick up and leave?” Jaceson was still sewing together the purse that Magnolia had been trying so hard to make for Nonna.

  A soft, happy sigh escaped her, “Yes, a real home is something these people needed. That is why this Christmas needs to be special. It’s a new beginning, a new way of life. This winter will be hard. Nonna said that winters have always been spent in slightly warmer climates. Everyone was able to move on to the next place without worrying about too much snow. Living here is new. Exciting, but scary at the same time.” She glanced over at Alistair and smiled. “Thank you for all the help you have so freely given.”

  Alistair locked his blue eyes on her. “I would do anything to help you.” Then his serious expression vanished. “Though, I am thinking that Jaceson just solved your problem about Nonna’s gift. Ask him to help.”

  Jaceson held the newly sewn-together purse. He smiled at the two of them before tossing it onto her lap.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  ALISTAIR AND JACESON WERE standing in the barren library. “This room needs to be cleaned.”

  “The shipment should be here any day with the last of our supplies from Marcello. We will have it ready by Christmas,” Jaceson said confidently.

  Upon learning that reading was something that Daciana loved, Alistair had decided that he needed to fill the library with books for her. Someday they would be married, he hoped in the spring, if not sooner. He wanted to show her that he would do what he could to offer her the comforts that she was never able to have living on the road.

  A loud knock sounded at the door. When it opened, in walked two men, saddle-weary and appearing that they were about to drop. “We have returned with news of Gordon’s betrayal.”

  “Come sit by the fire and warm yourselves. I will have some food and baths ordered for you.”

  Alistair went in search of a servant. Finding Railynn down the corridor getting ready to go down the stairs, he asked for rooms to be readied with baths and food for the two men who had just returned. After she hurried off toward the kitchen, he walked back down the long corridor, his footfalls echoing.

  When he returned, the men were no longer shivering with cold, though it was evident that they were still chilled. “Now, tell us what you learned.”

  “It goes farther than even you can reach. I don’t know what you can do to stop this.” The young man with dirty-blond hair spoke. Dirt smudged his face.

  “Tell us what you discovered, and we’ll figure out what we can do.” Jaceson’s voice rang with authority.

  “It was not difficult to follow him back to Marcello. He behaved as if the hounds of hell were after him. But he did not travel as quickly as one would expect for a fleeing man. We stayed at a distance so as not to get discovered. When we reached Marcello, we discovered why he’d travelled so slowly. He’d stopped in to seek care from the court physician. My sister was there when he came in, and she said it looked as if he had been attacked by a wild animal.”

  “Dragoste,” Alistair whispered. “Go on, Duncan.”

  “He was still there when we left. A few of the wounds festered. We did learn of a visitor he had late one evening when the doctor was out. My sister was there, in the back room. Nobody knew she was working.” Duncan paused, pushing the hair out of his face. He took in a shaky breath as if he did not want to say any more.

  “Who was it?”

  “Your mother,” Duncan raised his eyes to look at Alistair.

  His eyes grew wide with disbelief. “What did she want with that villain?”

  “It was she who sent him after Princess Daciana.”

  “Why?”

  “Something about not allowing her only son to be married to a witch. When she asked if the deed was done, Gordon insisted that it was. We made certain to mention to the king that there was a great tragedy with Princess Daciana. That you remained here to help her people through this difficult time. We did not want to alert the queen to the fact that Daciana lives.”

  Alistair sat in a chair and gazed into the fire. He watched as the flames leaped and licked at the logs. Embers floating up the chimney on occasion.

  Jaceson spoke first, “Thank your for your service and discreetness. Hot baths and food will be waiting for you. Speak of this to no one.”

  The men left the room with heads drooping. The news that they had discovered and carried with them had obviously been a heavy burden. Their queen had tried to murder the princess who’d captured all their hearts. The princess who would soon marry their prince.

  “She has always been a little over the top. A little more final with her ways to solve her problems.” Alistair never looked away from the fire. “Father will certainly send her to the tower if not worse. After she tried to have you banished for fear that you would try to usurp me, Father warned her that she was not to meddle any more. There would be dire consequences.”

  “What will you do?” Jaceson’s voice was quiet.

  “I have sworn to protect Daciana with my life. The day I gave her that ring, I gave her my heart, my soul, my loyalty. I am hers. I will have to deal with this in person as soon as possible.” His shoulders sagged a bit as he spoke.

  “It’s not something that you have to do alone though, brother.” Jaceson spoke from behind him. He crossed the room and opened the doors wide. “I am going to get started on all of this. The last of the supplies arrived with Duncan. I will send up a few servants to get this room straightened out so we can begin with the rest of it. I’ll tend to the supplies, go through and ensure that everything is there. Why don’t you go clear your head?” With that Alistair was left alone.

  His mother? How could his mother betray them all like this? It was not the first time she had taken extreme measures, but he never thought she would stoop to murder. What did she think she would achieve with killing Daciana?

  Magnolia was working hard on getting all the gloves finished, sewing the handkerchiefs for the women, and planning a feast for everyone. Sitting on the window seat in her room, adding a bit of lace to a handkerchief, she noticed the first large, white, fluffy snowflake falling softly to the ground. After putting aside her sewing, she grabbed her wool cloak and rushed out of the room. It was not long before she was down the stairs and to the main floor. Alistair was coming in when she ran into him.

  “Where are you headed off to in such a hurry?” he asked, amused.

  “It’s snowing!” Her voice was filled with excitement. “I want to see the snow come down. I want to feel it!”

  “Well, I’m sure that the children will be outside playing just as much as you, if you hurry,” he teased.

  She lightly hit him on the arm and darted out the doors. By the time she made it to the courtyard, there was snow covering the ground. Large flakes came down quickly. She was soon joined by children, and they all laughed as they tossed themselves onto the ground to make snow angels.

  Dragoste ran and jumped, appearing to be trying to catch the flakes in hi
s mouth. When she realized that the snow had started coming down heavier, she walked each of the children home, telling them to stay inside until the snowstorm stopped.

  Thankful that each home had a large stack of firewood close, she made her way to the stables to check on the animals. Men were already attending to them. The chickens had been moved into a little shed of their own so they would have some shelter from the elements. There was at least a foot of snow on the ground by the time she made it back into the castle. Her fingers were cold and stiff. After she shook out her cloak, she went to the fire in the great hall. She knew she should go change her clothes before she caught a chill, but she wanted to warm up just a bit first.

  “Daciana, my dear girl.” Nonna approached her with a large smile on her face. “I heard you were out playing in the snow.”

  “I love snow.” Magnolia stepped away from the fire, finally able to move her fingers enough that she felt she could maneuver the buttons and laces on her dress.

  Nonna walked with her to her room.

  “Do you think everything will be ready by Christmas?”

  Nonna nodded, her silver hair glinting in the candlelight as they ascended the stairs. “The dolls are nearly finished. I believe only two still need to be made. We have only to finish the handkerchiefs and gloves. With the snow coming down, I think that there’ll be plenty of time spent indoors to get it all done in time. Now, go change out of those wet clothes.”

  Magnolia nodded then went into her room. She closed then latched the door behind her. The wet dress and undergarments slipped to the floor, and she wrapped a robe about her before she crossed the room to stand in front of the fire. The coals sprang to life as she stoked them. There was a lot of knitting left to do, and she still had to finish Nonna’s gift. That meant she would be spending a lot of time in her room so Nonna would not see what she was working on. Wondering what to make Alistair, Jaceson, and Railynn, she grabbed some clothes then dressed quickly. With dry stockings on her feet, she walked across the stone floor to the window seat. Winter had certainly come to stake its claim on Avengar. Looking out, she could not see the sea, which she normally enjoyed from this window. A silent prayer was said for everyone to stay safe while the storm lasted.

  After turning back toward the fire, she gathered up her things then sat on the rug. She spread out her cloth and wooden slats. Having decided to make Nonna a folding fan had seemed like a simple enough of an idea, since Jaceson would not be able to help her use the silk to make the purse. After all, she had the basic concept of it. She’d owned many growing up, winning them often at the carnival in the summer. But when it came to making one, she had soon realized that she was going to need help. Alistair had made the spokes of it, so all she had to do was sew the lace trim to the silk that had been given her and then attach it all to the spokes. She had witnessed Jaceson do it the other night. Certain that she could obtain his help if she only asked, she decided to go in search of him.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  ALISTAIR WAS A LITTLE relieved when Jaceson had finally left him alone. The library was now spotless, not a cobweb in sight. The furniture had been polished until it shone. Along with the two high-backed upholstered chairs, a settee had arrived from what had once been his grandmother’s rooms. After it was cleaned up, it looked quite nice in the library.

  The room was now filled with crates. After opening one after the other, he began to place the books on the two walls of floor-to-ceiling shelves. He was certain there were enough books brought today to finish filling the library for his Daciana.

  While he worked, his mind turned to his mother. How could she betray him the way she had? All his life he’d known that she would do anything for him. The queen was determined to see her only son take his place as king someday. With this had also come the determination to eliminate anyone she thought was a threat to him. Not long ago, she’d accused Jaceson of treason against the crown, claiming that he sought to be legitimized. He’d nearly been banished. His brother would have been forced to leave and never return had Alistair not found the correspondence that his mother and her accomplices had written, detailing what was to be said and the payment that would be made for making such a claim.

  Now, she had crossed the line. Attempting to kill Daciana simply so he would not marry her was beyond anything he could imagine. Should he confront her himself? What would his father do if he knew of this treachery? He let out an exhausted sigh and sank into the settee. He could not think of this now. There was time between now and spring. He would enjoy the winter in his new home. Come springtime, he would be married to Daciana, and they would start their life together here.

  All the tension melted away from him as he thought of her. He only wished that she could remember everything. There were still pieces she seemed to forget at times. For this, he would make Gordon pay, that is if he lived through the infections he had now festering inside his body, thanks to Dragoste being there to try to protect Daciana.

  Snow fell for the next few days. With the help of Jaceson, Magnolia finished the hand fan for Nonna. Several sets of gloves had also been completed.

  The third day the snow finally stopped. The world was covered in white, sparkling and shining like a million untouched diamonds. The sea was like a mirror, reflecting the snowcapped mountains. Magnolia had never seen anything like it. This land was untouched by the modern things that she had once known. There was no black slush from cars, and no litter on the ground ruining it all. Not a single power line or utility pole in existence, only pure, untouched, beautiful nature — trees, houses, mountains, and sea. She tore her gaze from the window so she could go about her business.

  It was time to head down to the great hall. She needed to check on the families, to see how everyone had faired through their first snowstorm. There had been no news of anything going wrong, but the past few days had been silent except for those who’d stayed within the castle walls.

  The night before she had sat down with Alistair, Jaceson, and Nonna to figure out what would need to be done as soon as the storm let up. The guys had said that as soon as it blew over they would ensure that the firewood was replenished. Outside the castle, boys were already replenishing the wood piles near the houses while men went out to cut more wood to restock the storage buildings. Alistair and Jaceson had said they’d arranged a group of men to go out for a hunt.

  Magnolia was thankful that everyone had made it safely through the storm. She’d read about harsh winters where people lost their lives; she remembered reading about people who’d left a car that had broken down and then frozen to death. How much harsher it must be here, in the seventeenth century.

  Having gone outside to see the progress that was being made with replenishing the houses with firewood and to check on families, she breathed in the cold air. Seeing the children look around in wonder at the cold, wet snow around them, Magnolia decided it was time to build a snowman. With the help of the little ones, not only did she build one snowman but a snowman family. The afternoon was spent running around outside enjoying the snow.

  That evening after dinner, Magnolia and several of the women who worked in the castle were gathered in the hall, sipping warm cider and working on Christmas gifts. After enlisting the help of Railynn, she’d decided that the thing for the men in her life was something as simple as new quivers. Since she had never made one before, Railynn helped her with the first one. Seeing the men enter the hall, she stashed away the quivers before they could see what she was working on.

  “Daciana, are you up for a game?” Alistair asked as he sat next to the chess set.

  She joined him at the table with her cup of hot cider in her hand.

  Jaceson pulled up a chair to watch the two of them. “I saw you out in the snow today. You seemed to be enjoying yourself.”

  “I did. Do you really believe that talking to me while we play will distract me enough that you will win?” A crooked smile lit up her face.

  “It was certainly worth the attempt.
Why do you think Jaceson no longer jumps at every chance to play with you? He says there is no point when you always beat him, that you must have had plenty of practice as a child.”

  For a brief moment, sadness filled her. She blinked her eyes and looked away in hopes that they would not notice. It seemed like a lifetime ago when her brother had said something similar about playing chess with her. With a bit of effort, she forced a smile to her face and turned back to the game. Magnolia longed for her brother, for her home. Dragoste rubbed against her leg as if sensing her distress. Absentmindedly, she kept one hand on him for comfort. He was the only thing that connected her to both of her worlds — to the life she’d left behind and the life she lived now.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHRISTMAS EVE WAS A busy evening. Women rushed about the kitchen. The place smelled of fresh bread, plum pudding, and pumpkin pie. The main menu for the next day consisted of roast pig and goose. Magnolia had already decided that hot chocolate would be served at dinner. It was a rare treat for the people of Avengar; some of the children had never had it. She discovered that Railynn had never tasted it either. That had made up her mind; it would become tradition here, that on Christmas, hot chocolate would be served. It seemed the least she could do for them, to give them a treat that she had always taken for granted.

  In the great hall, Jaceson had hung some mistletoe. It seemed that the young ladies were looking forward to the dancing that would come after dinner. Railynn blushed severely at the mention of the mistletoe while she was helping Magnolia with the pies, maybe because Jaceson had been mentioned in the same sentence as mistletoe. Magnolia thought it was sweet and wondered if Jaceson was oblivious to Railynn’s affection, or if he chose to ignore it because he had known her for so long. Because of him, she had a job and a place to live after her family had died. The more she looked at Jaceson, the more she saw reminders of her brother, and she desperately wanted him to be happy.