The Sleigh Maker

by Candace Sams

  The Queen leaned sideways on her throne, and tapped a finger against her cheek. “Hmmm. You think the sleigh maker might have been seduced into a sexual liaison?”

  “That’s what I’m here to find out. As I’m sure you’ve been told…he was injured last night. In a state of semi-consciousness he indicated there might have been some chicanery where your minions are concerned, Your Highness.”

  “Please, let’s dispense with protocol. Call me Excelsior and I’ll call you Prudence. The quicker we address this matter, the sooner I can rejoin my King,” the Queen stated.

  “Very well Your…Excelsior,” Pru corrected. “I’ll get straight to the point,” she took a deep breath before continuing. “I want to know if Aurora and Borealis used some kind of magic to seduce my fiancé. Is there such a power and can your subordinates use it?”

  The Queen arched one fine brow and stared down at the Elf. “Did the Sleigh Maker accuse them? Has he actually said this was the case, or that any such magic really exists beyond the enchantment of a lovely body and face?”

  “As I’ve stated, I’m here to find out. And no, Gavin never said as much. It’s just that…last night he made some references indicating that events of seven years ago might have been rather obscured,” Pru finished, trying to keep her temper under control. Clearly the Queen didn’t want to discuss any of this. The woman’s expression was kind, but a bit wooden.

  “I see,” the Queen softly uttered. “It’s taken you seven years to ask for facts. What use would any information do you now?”

  Pru lifted her chin boldly. “I don’t think I need to justify the length of time or why I’m here. Two of your minions were caught with my fiancé. Truth is truth!”

  “Well spoken, Prudence. But my understanding of the situation is that you wouldn’t let Gavin make his explanations at the time. I’m simply trying to ascertain why seven years makes you more willing to listen―”

  “Because Gavin almost died last night! And I’m more convinced than ever that you and he both are hiding something…Your Highness,” Pru accused as she slipped back into the formality of titles. “Mrs. Claus thinks something’s wrong as well or she wouldn’t have commanded me to see you.” The implication Pru wanted made was that the Queen would answer to Mrs. Claus and Santa if questions weren’t answered. It was abundantly clear that Excelsior didn’t want to comply, but her resistance made Pru dig her heels in deeper.

  Excelsior leaned forward. “Tell me girl…are the sleigh maker’s nonsensical, drug-laden ramblings reason enough to ruin lives now? Especially when the situation seemed to be over seven years ago?” the Queen asked solemnly. ”Oh yes, Clarinda told me that he was under the influence of pain medication and that what he’d rambled might have been misconstrued.”

  That did it. Pru knew something was up so she doggedly pursued the subject. “I loved the man with all my heart. He might have been drugged up last night, but he meant every syllable he uttered. There’s no reason his level of consciousness could cause him to lie,” she insisted. “Now…I’m gonna find out what’s going on if I have to stalk Aurora and Borealis and interrogate them until their wings fall off.” She put her hands on her hips in a determined fashion. “I want to know what’s going on,” Pru angrily told her.

  The Queen drew back, stared at Pru and finally clapped her hands twice.

  A moment later, a servant entered the room and bowed deeply.

  “Flotsam…summon Ladies Aurora and Borealis.” As the man bowed again and left to do her bidding, Excelsior addressed Pru once more. “After an initial consultation with Mrs. Claus, I had the two women you’re speaking about brought here early this morning. They’ve been waiting for your arrival. Ask your questions of them. I promise you they won’t lie. That was the same promise I made to Clarinda.”

  “That’s all I’m asking for.”

  “One more thing, Prudence.”

  “Yes?”

  “The two women with whom you’ll be speaking are very naïve in many ways. They are the daughters of old and dear friends. I will ask but one favor from you though I can’t command your compliance.”

  Pru drew in her breath; suspicion was eating her up but she managed to nod and say, “What’s the favor?”

  “Your silence. I…I asked silence of the sleigh maker seven years ago and he agreed. In his gallant and admirable desire to protect two young if irresponsible girls, he kept his word. He told me back then that his communication to you was made in such a way that he would take all the blame. When you failed to respond to his many queries, and your family all but drove him away with their rebukes concerning his betrayal…I’d hope the matter would be over.” She shook her head. ”As you say, the truth is the truth and it will always win out,” Excelsior agreed with a sad nod. “For all that’s happened to you…I’m truly sorry, Prudence. It was my hope that you and Gavin would make amends; that you’d believe the story he’d concocted and that you’d forgive and forget,” she offered earnestly.

  Pru felt as if something terrible was about to happen. But she now knew, in her heart, that Gavin had been badly maligned and by her more than anyone. She slowly turned as the throne room doors opened behind her and the two women she remembered from seven years ago entered the room.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Before she could make a single sound, the Queen took control.

  “Aurora, you’re the eldest. You will tell Lady Prudence about the incident concerning the sleigh maker and yourselves,” she commanded. ”You will leave nothing out. Do you understand?”

  The taller of the two Snow Fairies nodded and clasped her hands together to wring them.

  Pru didn’t miss the anxiety and fear on the women’s faces or the way Aurora’s knuckles gleamed almost white from the pressure of her hand-wrenching. They were both ethereally lovely; their features and clothing mimicked that of the Queen’s though their blue gowns weren’t quite as elaborately designed.

  Aurora walked forward and stood before Pru. ”I was informed of your coming. It…it was our hope that events of that night would have been forgotten.”

  “I can’t forget it,” Pru stated. “I saw a man I loved, nude with the both of you. It looked like…it looked like there was an orgy going on. What makes you think that I’d ever get that out of my mind?”

  Aurora bowed her head. “Yes. I understand. But what you saw was initiated by the stardust.”

  “The what?” Pru asked.

  “Stardust,” Aurora repeated. “It’s a substance that the women and men of our race can secrete from the palms of our hands. We…we’re only supposed to use it on our own kind and only when all parties are fully informed and agree. We aren’t even supposed to discuss its existence with anyone outside our race. Of course, this is an exception. The queen orders us to speak to you…so we will,” she lamely babbled.

  Pru glanced at the Queen. Excelsior’s face was averted so she stared at Aurora again. “Do you mean to tell me that you did use some kind of magical substance to seduce Gavin; that he never actually wanted to be with you?”

  “There’s more to it than that but I should start at the beginning. That’s the best place to start any story. Don’t you agree,” Aurora half-smiled, and then continued when Pru kept glaring at her. She cleared her throat and prattled on.

  “You see…we saw Gavin on the street that evening. He was going into the bakery and we followed him inside.” She shrugged, glanced at Borealis and kept going. “We spoke. Our conversation was quite innocent and congenial. H-He told us he was buying some bread to go with his meal. I asked about you and he said that you were working in the toy factory. He seemed distraught that you wouldn’t be with him that evening.”

  Pru put one hand to her forehead. She remembered that Gavin had called her earlier that day and had asked her to come over for dinner. She’d responded that she wouldn’t be able to make it. They’d quarreled the day before because she was always taking double shifts when others were willing to give her a break. But she’d insis
ted her presence at the toy factory and at the union meetings was necessary.

  Gavin had asked if they were ever going to have the time to plan a wedding; she’d told him that she’d ‘get to it when she could’. The very sound of her voice came back to haunt her. How could she have been so cold? That old ambition was leaving a very bitter taste in her mouth now.

  As if the Fates were ready to chastise her for the lack of care she showed in her relationship, Aurora’s next words confirmed her workaholic nature.

  “You were never with Gavin. Everyone believed the two of you would break up. He…he looked lonely that night. He tried to laugh off the fact that you were working again, but we could tell he wasn’t happy.”

  “No indeed,” Borealis agreed in a simpering voice. “He wasn’t happy at all.”

  Pru opened her mouth to deny the very facts that she’d just been contemplating. But she kept her silence and squashed any defense. There simply wasn’t any.

  “Continue with your story,” Excelsior prompted when Aurora stopped.

  Aurora glanced at Borealis once more and then went on with her tale. “Borealis and I walked out of the bakery. We…” she stopped and began to wring her hands harder.

  “Tell it all,” Excelsior encouraged.

  “Borealis and I decided to use some stardust on Gavin,” Aurora flatly stated. “It’s just that…well; he’s so handsome and looked so forlorn.”

  “And we thought Prudence had no use for him anyway,” Borealis chimed in. “Like Aurora said, everyone thought Pru and Gavin were about done.”

  The Queen took that moment to add in her perspective. “That did not give either of you the right to follow him home, conjure an aphrodisiac, and blow it into his face. The result was that he was incapable of resisting your sexual offerings.”

  “Such a thing really exists?” Pru whispered. “You Snow Fairies can really seduce someone against their will?”

  Excelsior shook her head in denial. “That stardust exists and can enhance sex does not give any of us the right to use it on an unwitting victim. As Aurora has told you, its use is restricted to the adults of our race and only when all parties involved agree to its application,” she stated. ”The effects wear off in an hour or two, depending on the constitution of the users. But Gavin proved to be different.”

  Before Pru could question that last comment, Aurora broke in with more of the story.

  “We did follow Gavin home,” Aurora blathered. “I hailed him before he went into his apartment and when he turned…well, I just…I just―”

  “You conjured that stuff and just let him have it,” Pru angrily finished.

  Aurora momentarily bowed her head before continuing. “Yes. We instructed him to go into his apartment with us. He did it readily enough. And…and well…we told him to take his clothes off while we did the same.”

  “But something happened that we couldn’t explain,” Borealis added as she moved to stand before Pru. “Gavin sort of put his hands to his face, shook his head, and suddenly told us to get out. He kept calling your name and saying he couldn’t betray you.”

  Excelsior leaned forward and added to what the younger girls were trying to say. “The dust didn’t work on Gavin. He was able to fight it and ordered the girls to leave his residence. I believe he was still fighting its effects when you unexpectedly showed up.”

  “But you just said that the dust would render him incapable of resistance,” Pru reminded her.

  Excelsior nodded. “Gavin Frost apparently has a will of steel when it comes to what he really cares about. Indeed, I believe that the man was so deeply involved with you, Prudence Berry, that he was quite able to defy the effects of the stardust. The effort to have done such a thing was no less than…monumental. Gavin must have some very deeply imbedded moral standards that kept the dust from working. Or he was so in love with you that no one else had a chance with or without the application of magic.”

  Aurora chewed on her lip before saying, “Oh, it worked on him long enough to get him inside his apartment and to get him out of his clothes. But then he got furious and told us to get out even before you found us together. Unfortunately, we were in the process of putting our clothes back on when you came in. And when you found us, you yelled like an Irish Banshee, threw your ring at the poor man, and stalked out.” Aurora paused in recollection. “I’d never seen a man so angry…or hurt…in all my life. While we were getting dressed, he kept muttering things like, ’how am I going to explain this to her’ and he kept asking us what he’d ever done to us to have deserved such a prank. It made me feel like dirt. I knew then what we’d done was very wrong,” she somberly recollected.

  “Me too,” Borealis agreed and hung her head in shame.

  “Both girls knew they’d be punished unmercifully for it,” Excelsior announced as she stood and walked down the throne steps toward the three women. “You see…to use the stardust in violation of the rules is to forever be banned from the Pole region. Aurora and Borealis thought that Gavin and you were history, Prudence. As I’ve pointed out, that didn’t give them the right to seduce an innocent man. And though he fought off the seductive powers of the stardust and there was never any intercourse between him and the girls, the law was already broken.”

  Excelsior glanced at both Aurora and Borealis. “I told them that I’d have their wings cut off, and that they’d be taken to a place where they could walk to the nearest city and live the rest of their lives as normal human beings. They would forever be banned from the Pole and would never see their families again. Our people, for all intents and purposes, would consider them dead.”

  Pru was beginning to understand everything. “And a promise of silence is what Gavin gave you?”

  “Indeed. And he did more,” Excelsior readily admitted. “It was actually Gavin’s idea to take the blame for everything that happened that night. It was my understanding, from listening to him shortly after the incident, that he did blame himself.”

  Pru shook her head as his words echoed in her head. “He said that he should have been able to fight the effects. I didn’t understand what the hell he was talking about but that dust was what he meant!”

  “As you’ve mentioned,” Excelsior continued, “Clarinda suspected something was very wrong. She and Santa are aware of stardust though there are few others outside our race who know. And Gavin agreed to keep our secret, not just for the girls’ sakes, but because revealing it would cause other denizens of the Pole to avoid us or suspect our sincere attempts at becoming emotionally involved.”

  “Yes…I guess it’d put a real crimp in your long-term relationships if everyone thought that Snow Fairies were floating around seducing folks without their knowledge,” Pru angrily agreed. “So to save two silly flakes from being banished, Gavin let me think he’d been with them of his own free will.” Pru shook her head in amazement. “Gavin’s been letting people accuse him of all kinds of womanizing. By doing so, it made the events of that night seem plausible. Nobody would question him for having been with two Snow Fairies if they believed he’d always been cheating on me!” Excelsior’s next words explained just about the rest of the story where Gavin was concerned.

  “Gavin has been judged unfairly. Even after what they’d done, he couldn’t find it in his heart to hate Aurora and Borealis. He couldn’t see them so harshly punished. As long as no one found out about their indiscretion and the girls learned their lesson, we all agreed to let the matter go.”

  “Except that I still believed the worst,” Pru bitterly announced. “And nobody told me.”

  “Gavin did try to apologize,” Excelsior reminded her. “But you hardened your heart and nothing he could say would soften it. It’s my opinion that even if he’d told you the entire truth, you might not have believed him.”

  Pru stared at the Queen. “Why wouldn’t I? Do you think I’m some kind of unforgiving, insensitive rock who’d never let it go?” she asked as she spread her hands in supplication.

  “You h
aven’t forgiven and you haven’t let it go, Prudence,” the Queen reprimanded. ”To this day, you’ve kept your distance from Gavin. Given your actions, what should anyone believe but that you have a cold and unforgiving nature? Even though Gavin is accused of all kinds of lechery, many believed him to have been abandoned by you long before the incident with Aurora and Borealis. And if you truly value your work more than someone who loves you, then perhaps you’d do well to keep to your toy-shop. Your occupation seems to be the only thing you truly love.”

  Prudence was momentarily stunned by those words. She could only stand there and stare at the other women, at least until Aurora asked a very pertinent question.

  “Will you tell anyone that we used the stardust on Gavin?” she softly asked. ”If the other Snow Fairies find out, we’ll have to be punished. The law says so and they’ll insist on it.” She swallowed hard. “It-it was just a stupid mistake, Prudence. We’ve never done anything like that since. We’re both so very sorry.”

  Again, Borealis nodded in agreement with her friend.

  What could Pru say? Two women stood before her with a pleading, anxious-ridden look in their eyes. She was hurt for Gavin, angry at the circumstances that caused this confrontation, and chastised into reevaluating her entire personality. In her mind, she shared the blame.

  But one thing was very certain. She had no more anger in her; only remorse for seven lost years and regret for her own stupidity in not trusting Gavin. She should have loved him enough to hear his side. He’d have listened to her if the situation had been reversed.

  “No. I won’t tell a soul,” she finally answered. “All this ends right here, right now.” Tears filled her eyes because she’d missed so much that she and Gavin might have had together.

  “It-It’s Christmas,” Pru softly announced, swallowed hard, and tried not to stumble over her next words. “Today…billions of people celebrate the birth of a man who asked us all to forgive.” She paused and then added, “I should take the hint.”