by P. A. Wilson
“Give me a break.” Madeline pushed herself up from the table. “This isn’t helping. Is there any reason I can’t go for a walk?”
“No, please take a guard with you if you leave the grounds. It is not safe outside our protection for someone not used to our ways.”
“Fine, see you later.” It was hard to stomp out when she was wearing the soft boots. Four-inch stilettos made much more of a statement.
Simon watched Jode’s gaze follow Madeline from the room.
“Simon, do you have any questions. It seems Madeline is always the one to speak.”
“I’ve learned it’s better that way, and she usually asks the right questions.” Simon winked at a serving girl as she cleared the dirty plates. “I do have a question, though. Why do you like Madeline? She’s a pain in the ass.”
“Please, don’t speak that way, she is spirited and passionate. And, the heart isn’t always the most sensible guide.” He smiled again. “Tell me how a man woos a woman in your world.”
“Why would you want to? You know she’s going home as soon as she can make someone send her?”
“It is not certain. I believe she will stay if she is given the right reasons.”
“Maybe.” Simon considered for a moment. “Okay, I guess you could take two approaches. Listen, and then do as she says, or you can fight back. She’s not always right, and it’s possible someone who doesn’t just follow orders will intrigue her. I recommend you try the second option.” Simon smiled. It would be the most entertaining, anyway.
“Thank you for that advice.” Jode stood. “I must meet Lady Arabela. Please enjoy the day. We will feast tonight if we can leave tomorrow.”
“Take care, Jode, and keep your fingers crossed that Madeline will make up her mind quickly.”
Madeline stalked around the inside of the wall surrounding the grounds, acknowledging the two sentries inside the gate with a nod and a grunt. As she rounded the building, she came across the temporary bivouac. The buzz of conversation flowed over her, distracting her from the annoyance that had ruled her mind since leaving Arabela.
“Madam, can I assist you in some way,” a small goblin spoke from her elbow. “Are you lost?”
“No, not lost, just wondering why you are all gathering here?” She waved her arm around to encompass the camp.
“We come to assist Lady Arabela in the defeat of the evil Scree, Sayer Goddard.” The gravelly sound seemed to come from the tips of the goblin’s toes. “I’m honored to serve her.”
“Does she pay you? Are you forced to fight for her?” Madeline needed to hear the story from someone other than Arabela, someone less emotionally invested.
“Not at all, she protected us, well her husband did. We were living in the caves by the great river Iris when Goddard’s tribe started to raid. He killed many of my friends and relatives. Then one day, the Lord of the Summer Lands rode to our assistance. Sayer left us alone after that.”
“Was there a battle?” Madeline had images of a great war, like in Lord of The Rings.
“No, the priests cast spells of invisibility and protection. Sayer’s mob could not find us.” The goblin grinned, a horrible, sharp-toothed grimace. “Most of his men couldn’t see the edge of the cliff, either, and they fell over it. Too bad Sayer wasn’t one of them.” He stopped suddenly, “Apologies, I did not introduce myself, Prince Jugg, at your service.”
“Madeline Higginbottom.” She acknowledged his bow with a quick curtsy. “A pleasure.”
“Prince Jugg, well met,” Arabela spoke from behind Madeline. “May I steal our guest for a private word?”
“Of course, my Lady, I must return to the camp in any case. I hope we will have a chance to meet on the road.” He turned and ran back to the closest ragged tent.
“We need to discuss your decision.” Arabela pointed to a rose covered bower. “Come; let us sit for a while.”
“Yes, I want to ask you about that,” Madeline said as she followed. “What would have happened if you hadn’t found me? I mean how are you planning to do this if I don’t agree?”
“I live in hope that you will not refuse. The prophecy said you would be the one who brings us success. I mean, you and Simon, will somehow bring us success on our quest.”
“So, without me and Simon you won’t be successful?”
“The prophecy does not say we will fail without you, only that you will make us successful.” She flicked her hands out in frustration, “I don’t know why you don’t understand this. These things we know as we know how to speak.”
“And you are willing to put all these people at risk if I don’t agree. You are still going to take them into a dangerous situation on the chance you will win.”
Arabela’s eyes sparkled with anger, or regret, Madeline couldn’t tell. “If we don’t go, Sayer will lead his tribe into the Summer Lands and destroy everything in his path. He will leave our fields burned to the ground, and salted to barrenness. Then he will move on to destroy our allies. These people are doomed because a child died generations ago. I must go on this quest. If you choose not to come, you are the one turning certainty to chance, not me.”
“Don’t try to make me feel bad about this.” Madeline felt guilt descend like a weight. “You kidnapped me and brought me here. I had no choice, no obligation, no clue this even existed.” She waved her arm around the field. “You had no right to bring me here, and no right to make me feel guilty for not wanting to jump blindly into some violent confrontation.”
Arabela stood and stamped her foot, tears of rage flowing down her cheeks. “I had every right to do what I had to do to save my people. I have to do this. How can you think I would close my eyes to the future?”
“Your future, not mine.” Madeline stood and threw up her hands. “Your people not mine. How do I know that I won’t have to die to make your quest a success? How do you know I won’t have to kill? I have no skills in combat. I hate physical violence. I don’t know what you need me to do.”
“Ladies,” Jode’s voice cut beneath the heated shouts from the two women. Madeline had not noticed him approaching as she surrendered to her temper. “This is not going to solve anything. You are disturbing the camp and causing fear in your allies.”
Madeline looked around, her rage subsiding in the absence of confrontation. Every person in the field had stopped working. Goblin eyes were blinking at them. She could see Jugg start towards them, his face serious. The Eldmen were standing in a line holding their curved swords across their bodies, looking prepared for battle.
“It would be better for you to talk inside where Blu can keep the sound contained.”
“I have no intention of hiding away and letting someone bully me into something I don’t want to do,” Madeline said forcing her voice to stay below a shout.
“I would not force you to do anything. I would think your own conscience would make you agree to help. If not, then I will ask Blu to send you home,” Arabela spat the words, contempt obvious in her sneer.
“I’m done here.” Madeline turned and walked away carefully managing her steps, avoiding a childish stamp.
She heard Arabela’s voice behind her. “I will not be held up as wrong by that woman. I will be with Blu if she comes to her senses.”
7
Madeline tried to walk off her anger and, she had to admit, fear. It didn’t work. After walking back and forth for fifteen minutes, she realized that she would have to go outside the walls, or substitute curiosity for space as a remedy for anger. Rather than ask for an escort outside, Madeline decided to give in to curiosity and explore the house.
The inside was warm, and servants bustled back and forth, arms full of linens, dishes, and other items for the feast. She could hear musicians practicing somewhere in the back of the building.
Wandering upstairs, she felt like she was walking through a movie set. On the second floor, she turned left walking the length of the corridor and back for five minutes. She followed the layout, a capital H, the b
ottom portion one large room, and the sides, corridors lined with small rooms.
It wasn’t going to be easy to burn off this adrenaline, or whatever was driving her brain in circles and making her feel like jumping up and down. She decided to do one more lap and try to get into the large mystery room.
The door, on the far side of the building from her room, was unlocked and it led to a library. The walls were covered with shelves, bound books, scrolls, and stacks of paper with drawings and words filling the entire surface. Madeline felt peace start to descend on her mind. Reading may be the only way to cure this state she’d worked herself into. All she needed was a snack and drink, and then she’d sit in that blood-red wingback chair near the window.
She returned to the library with a tray of fruit and cheese, and a jug of wine, anticipating a lazy afternoon. Putting down the tray, she picked up one of the sheets of paper. Pictures of flowers were randomly drawn over the surface each had a few words marked down beside it, words that made no sense to her.
“No, oh, please no,” she whispered feeling tears of disappointment rise. “Okay, maybe that’s a scientific language. You can’t read much Latin beyond legal phrases, that’s probably this world’s version.”
She turned to the opposite wall and pulled down a book covered in a brown leathery material. She flipped it open to a random page. Words ran across from one side to another, apparently, they hadn’t invented margins here. The words were unreadable. “Damn it all to hell.” She placed the book back on the shelf.
“Madeline,” Jode’s voice came from the doorway. “The kitchen maids told me where you were. Are you all right?”
“No, I wanted some peace and quiet and a good read for an hour. Is that too much to ask? I can’t make life changing decisions on the turn of a moment.”
“I understand. I think that is a good idea. Stepping away from the details will help you choose the right path. But you were not happy when I came in.”
“Right, the translation spell doesn’t work for reading. I can’t make head or tail of any of the words.” She flopped down into the chair. “How am I supposed to get away from the problem if I can’t read any of these books?”
Jode chuckled and Madeline felt her pulse race, maybe with desire, but probably with annoyance. Her mood was delicately balanced between reasonable thought and mindless rage at the moment, and she felt it tipping onto the ‘you will regret this’ side of the equation. “Why is that funny, damn you.”
“Unless you are a scholar of ancient script you wouldn’t be able to read the contents of this library. In fact, I’m sure even Blu can’t read half of the books here.”
“Oh.” Relief cut through her rage. “How was I supposed to know that the only library I could get into is a collection of learned books? It figures. So, where can I find something I can read?”
“What would you like? I can get you fictional stories, history books, travel books. What would help you with settling your mind?”
“Fictional, no, history, no…” She shrugged, and then curled into the corner of the chair’s wing. “I don’t have a clue. Look, instead of reading, maybe we can talk and you could tell me what you think I should do. I promise to keep my temper. I need some advice. Then definitely a book, one I can read later to help me sleep.”
Jode pulled a second chair from the corner. “I cannot tell you what you should do. I am not unbiased in this situation. I can listen, perhaps that will help.”
“Answer some questions, then. I have so many questions running around my brain. It’s hard to focus on a decision when I’m so ignorant about the situation.”
“Of course, ask what you will and I will answer as truthfully as I know how.” He settled back in the chair and crossed his legs.
Madeline tried not to lick her lips as she looked at him but it was hard, very hard. This man made her feel uncomfortable and supremely comfortable all at the same time. She wasn’t ready to feel this way. She couldn’t leave her heart here when she went home. And she was going home, either now, or at the end of this quest, but she was definitely going home.
“Let’s start with Lady Arabela’s husband. What was his name and what kind of man was he?”
“His given name was Alric. He was strong in both body and will. Arabela married him to join the two lands, Summer Lands and Spring Valley. They loved each other deeply and this love flowed over the cup of their lives into the lives of their people. When Alric was killed, the people wanted to leave immediately to punish Sayer Goddard. Arabela cautioned them to patience; to wait until a plan could be made, a plan that would have a more auspicious fate than a simple attack.”
“And Simon and I are the auspicious fate,” Madeline said. “How can that be? We don’t know anything about your world. Neither of us are warriors. We’re better at words than fists.”
“Perhaps words are what is needed?”
“Oh, yeah, we’ll shout this Sayer Goddard to death. Great plan.”
“Perhaps you will cut him to death with your sharp wit?” Jode smiled to soften the words.
Madeline giggled again. “Won’t be the first time for me. Anyway, what do you really think we can do? The prophecy can’t just be that we will make the difference, there must be something else.”
“That is a question I have no answer for, Madeline. I was with Lady Arabela during the ritual, but all I heard was Blu say two people from another world would bring about a successful end to the feud.”
“How did you know it was us?”
“I didn’t.” He sat forward in the chair, suddenly intent. “The spell found you. I was the tool of the spell. When I came to your world, Blu sent a disruption spell through with me. I think that’s why you were on the stairs when I found you.”
“Hang on.” Madeline frowned. “You mean you didn’t come to get me and Simon? I thought we rose in the mists of the prophesy or something.”
“No, I reached out my hand, or rather the spell did, at the right moment, and I held Simon’s hand.”
“This gets weirder the more you tell me.” She pulled herself upright and drew her legs into the lotus position, hoping it would draw her mind into a clearer state. “I am afraid I will do more damage than help. What if I can’t do what is needed?”
“You will.”
“What do you think might be needed?”
“That is one of the questions I cannot answer. I don’t know what you will bring to the quest that cannot already be there.” He touched her knee and pulled back his hand quickly. Fire burned where his fingers had touched. “You have already made a difference in many small ways.”
“So, maybe my role is to come here, learn what the problem is, and then go back and find the right person to help you.”
“I doubt it. Lady Arabela’s blood found you. The spell found the right person, or people. Remember, Simon has a role.”
“Maybe I was brought here to support Simon? He tells me he wants to stay here in your world.” Madeline felt the pain of frustration rise from her chest. “I don’t know what to do. I want to do the right thing.” Tears slid down her cheeks. “I don’t like not knowing. What should I do?”
“I can’t tell you what to decide.” He passed her a linen handkerchief. “I can advise you to listen to your feelings. Something is causing these tears. Is it fear? Are you afraid to fail, or afraid to commit to something you don’t fully understand?”
She wiped her cheeks and her nose. Damn she wasn’t a pretty crier. “Yes, and I don’t know. It’s fear, I can feel my stomach tense every time I try to commit to a decision. I don’t know what it is I’m afraid of.”
Jode reached up and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “You need time. I advise you to talk to Blu, or Lady Arabela. That is, if you can stop yourself from shouting.”
“I’m not sure I can stop fighting her until I decide. I look at her confidence, and feel weak. I see the disappointment and hurt in her eyes when she thinks I will refuse.”
“You see the truth in her th
en.” Jode shrugged and changed the subject. “Perhaps you need some fresh air. Would it help to walk in a less busy environment? I will happily walk with you by the lake, or through parts of the woods.”
She shook her head, “No, I feel quiet here. I need to think for a while. Thank you for talking to me. I’m sorry about the tears.”
“Never apologize for your passion.” He bowed. “Please, talk to Lady Arabela. Tell her how frightened you are. She isn’t as blind on revenge as you think. She may be able to help you.”
“Maybe,” Madeline sighed. “I will try. I promise.”
“I would like to ask something of you.” Jode looked down at his hands.
“Ask away, I can hardly refuse to listen since you were kind enough to tell me so much.”
“I do not wish to add to your confusion, but I must tell you that I have come to admire you.”
“Wait.” Madeline put her hands out to stop Jode.
“Please.” He held her hands in his own. “I would like to court you. I know that you have many difficult things to worry over. This is not to add to your worries, but to help alleviate them.”
“How can this not add to the pressure?”
“You are not obligated to anything. If you agree to be courted, I will be able to help you with your decisions. I will at least be an ally. You need someone to talk to.”
Madeline felt her emotions run through the full range from anger to relief. She felt angry that Jode would ask, and relieved that someone wanted to be an ally. It was not that anyone was acting like an enemy exactly, but she did feel like she was pushing against everyone’s expectations. “It would not be fair to you.” Her voice was low.
“When I first saw you, I felt my world change. I am already half in love with you. It would only be fair to allow me to explore the other half.” Jode pulled her hands closer.
“No,” Madeline felt something harden in her chest. “I will not make any commitments until I have decided what I need to do.”