by P. A. Wilson
“Of course not, it will stay in place until first light.” Elise was not so kempt; her hair was flying out of the braids and there was a fine film of sweat on her face and chest.
“Why don’t I sweat?” Madeline asked, passing a towel to Elise.
“The oil will stop you from getting more than a glow. You will be very thirsty tomorrow but you will be beautiful tonight. You’ll need it too. I understand the men have decided you are fortunate. Each one will want to dance with you so they can get a bit of your good fortune by association.”
“Oh, it will be a fun night then.” Madeline grinned. “I love to dance. And, I think Simon and I will have a few new moves to teach them.”
“Let’s get you dressed. The sun has gone down and the party will start very soon.”
Elise picked up the white confection and stood on the stool to drop it over Madeline’s shoulders. When she finished adjusting the layers, Madeline stood in a cloud of white that fell from an empire waist to the floor, the black bra showing at the top of the very low neckline. “Is it supposed to show?”
“Yes, but it will look different when the green is covering it.” Elise held out the shiny green over-dress. It had short sleeves that covered the straps of the white dress and when it was fastened to hooks on the empire waistline, the bra only showed in a small vee in the center.
“Perfect.” Madeline was impressed with the way the bra was incorporated into the dress.
“Yes, that invention has brought a lot of possibilities to the seamstress. She sends her thanks in the form of this dress.”
Elise handed Madeline a pair of white and green striped slip on sandals. “She also used your shoes as a model for these. I like the height. I think they will be in fashion for all women next season.”
As she walked down the stairs, Madeline heard a buzz of conversation. The quiet music that flowed around the voices sounded more fitting than the earlier sounds. The bassoon and flute softened by the velvety sounds of talking, and the roll of laughter played a counter tempo to the drum. She drifted through the hall towards the crowd in the dining room, hungry for company and the food that was generating a delicious aroma.
“You look incredible,” Simon said a little too loudly as he walked towards her. “Have a glass of wine, it’s way nicer than the stuff we’ve been drinking up to now.”
She accepted the glass he held out admiring the pattern cut into the bowl and stem, stars, and balls. This must be the equivalent of the good china coming out. “Maybe you should slow down a bit. You know, pace yourself,” she said. “You don’t want to pass out before the party is over, do you?”
“Don’t fret.” He placed his hand under her elbow. “I know how to make a drink last. And, I aim to be one of the last out of here tonight.”
He led her to a table in the center of the room. The cloth was layered in sheets of silver, white, and blood red. The glasses and china were delicate and beautifully decorated. Madeline reached to touch a plate and felt the fine raised pattern of stars around the rim.
“This is our table. For the next hour, we’ll be mixing and meeting. If you want a drink hold up your glass and someone will fill it. If you are hungry there’s a buffet of appies in the corner.” He glowed with enjoyment and turned around to point out the small groups standing chatting in the corner. “Let me take you around the room until you find a group to talk to. I have to check on my band. We have a surprise or two for after dinner. Did you get your dancing lesson? Talk about line dancing, it took me nearly an hour to get the steps right.”
“Did you want to take a moment to breathe?”
“Hah, don’t be a wet blanket. Have fun tonight for tomorrow we may die, or something like that.”
“I understand that’s the idea.” She took his offered arm. “Just introduce me to that group of Eldmen and then you can leave me to my own devices.”
Simon introduced her to two of the Eldmen and then asked to be introduced to the others. He slipped away as soon as Madeline was involved in a conversation about wines. She watched him head towards the curtained room where the band sat.
“In your world, Lady Madeline,” the Eldman named Whill asked, “are there other intoxicating spirits?”
“Many,” she said. “We have distilled, brewed, and fermented just about everything that we could. Not all of it was a good idea though. Is wine your only drink?”
“Most of the peoples here have some type of wine that they produce, but as you say, not all of it is a good idea.” His companions laughed. “We enjoy wine on special occasions, but we also brew a concoction from grains and flavor it with honey. You might enjoy a sip with us one night on the road.”
Madeline recognized the face of a hustler when she saw it. There was going to be a drinking game involved here. Oh well, it couldn’t be any worse than tequila. “I would certainly enjoy that. We must arrange it. Please, I see someone trying to get my attention. Let’s talk later.”
“Most certainly, I will be standing in line to dance with you.” He made a slight bow and watched her leave.
Madeline worked her way around the room until she arrived at the musician’s alcove. Curiosity pulled her to the source of the music. She was dying to know how they amplified the sound so it carried across the room.
“When you sing it, you have to think about the words and how you would feel if they were true,” Simon was saying to Jode. “You are hurt and sad… Oh, hello Madeline.”
“I wondered where you were, Jode.” She also wondered what he was supposed to sing, but though it better not to ask. “Are you coming out soon?”
“Yes.” He slid a sheet of paper inside his white shirt. “I should not ignore my duty as a host. Please, allow me to walk with you around the room, or if it is too warm, perhaps we can find a place to sit on the terrace.”
“That sounds better.” She took his arm and steered him out of the room, pleased that he seemed to have relaxed.
She hadn’t intended to find him, but when she saw Jode standing there she realized that she wanted to talk to someone familiar and not another group of strangers. They had their glasses refilled before stepping out to the mostly deserted terrace. In the corner, almost in the shadows, a bench and small table sat empty. They sat silently for a few moments, allowing Madeline to enjoy the cool and relative quiet.
“Is there something you wish to talk about?” Jode asked.
“Yes, I’ve been so tied up in trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do that I haven’t asked many questions about your people, your history, anything,” she said.
“There are hours of conversation in those topics. We can discuss them while we journey.”
“I suppose,” Madeline felt like she always did on a first date, she wanted to be brilliant but couldn’t think of anything to say. “Tell me instead about the future. What will happen when we have fulfilled the quest? It feels like we have all kinds of plans to get there but nothing afterwards.”
“That is true.” Jode stared off over the campground. “It will be up to Lady Arabela.”
“What do you mean? She will come back and rule her lands, won’t she? This can’t just be about revenge, she seems too invested in the people here for that.”
“It is what her people would like,” he sighed. “It is what her allies would like, too.”
“So, what about her? What does she want?”
“You should ask her that question.” He turned his gaze at her. “I can only tell you what she has told me.”
“And?”
“Lady Arabela has said that she wants to retire from public life, to live a life of study and contemplation. Of course, that will need to wait until the child has grown.”
“Is this the same Lady Arabela I know?” Madeline laughed. “Can you really see her shut away from people for more than five minutes?”
Jode smiled at Madeline’s words. “She is quite determined that she is not fit to rule. I am in agreement with you, though. I cannot believe she will have this child and allow someo
ne else to be regent.”
“Maybe she can’t see beyond the current crisis.” Madeline felt sympathy for that. “It is sometimes hard to understand that other people might know what’s best for you.”
“That sounds like a confession.” He raised an eyebrow.
“I wasn’t talking about me.” Madeline liked this less serious version of Jode, perhaps too much for her heart’s safety.
“Are you sure?” Jode frowned. “May I ask how you will decide what your future holds?”
“That’s a long way from now.” Madeline squirmed under his gaze.
“Has no one told you how long this will take?” He sat forward; she felt the heat from his body on her skin.
She shook her head trying to bring her senses back, realizing that she had very little knowledge of what she was about to undertake. “I assume a few months.”
“What makes you assume that?” He spoke quietly, intimately.
“Well.” She thought for a moment, trying to find those reasons for herself. “If Simon and I need training it will take time. I don’t know why.”
“Madeline, this quest will be complete within two weeks.”
She stood and stared at him. Two weeks? They were supposed to be trained to fight or something in two weeks?
“That’s not going to work! Simon and I can’t possibly be ready in such a short time.” Madeline could feel her heart racing with panic.
“Please.” Jode stood and reached for her arm. “Do not be alarmed. I am truly sorry no one told you, but the prophecy said we must complete our tasks within the moon and that is two weeks.”
“What’s the rush? Is this Goddard guy getting ready to attack?” She tried to ignore the feeling of his hand on her arm.
“Not that the Fay have seen with their magic.” He slid his fingers down her arm, stirring emotions in her that were far from comforting.
“Jode, I can’t… does Simon know…?” She found it difficult to complete a statement between the panic and the passion rising from her gut. “What has he said?”
“Sir Simon knows. He is not concerned about it. It may be because he is anxious to start working with the musicians here to bring new music to us. I confess I am interested.” Jode removed his hand from her skin and touched his shirt where the sheet of paper lay.
Madeline sat back down and reached for her wine glass. She swallowed the contents and looked around for someone to refill it. “I need another drink.” She looked at Jode. He nodded, took their glasses, and stepped inside the dining room. A minute later, he returned with two full glasses and a plate of pastries.
“Please, eat something. I don’t want you to miss the dancing or the rest of the party because I have upset you.” He picked a shiny puff pastry off the plate and handed it to her. She bit into it and smiled as the soft custardy center touched her tongue.
“Good.” Jode nodded. “The attendant tells me we will be called to dine in the next fifteen minutes but I know from experience it will be almost another half hour before you will find a plate of food in front of you. People like to make speeches before dinner so they can enjoy the party afterwards.”
She drank half the first glass of wine and swallowed another pastry before speaking again. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Why should you do anything?”
“I’m supposed to save your world and I have less than fourteen days to figure it out.” She finished the first glass and reached for the second as she spoke. Jode took it out of her reach. “Hey, why did you bring me two glasses if I can’t drink them?”
“You may, but not so quickly.” He held the glass away. “If you drink this glass the same way you drank that one you will not make it to the dinner table. Wine is made to sip not guzzle.”
“But –”
Jode placed the wine glass on the table behind him and sat next to her. He placed his arm on her shoulder and patted it, rekindling the tingly feeling where their flesh touched. “But nothing, Madeline, what can you do to solve it now? If you are meant to learn something within this quest you will find it in the right time.”
Madeline heard the wisdom in his voice, his lovely calm, rich voice. She breathed deeply to clear her head. “Okay, I’ll take your word for it. It’s not what I’m used to. I’m used to knowing everything and solving crises. I haven’t had to rely on luck since I was five years old.”
“You are sure you will trust me?” He removed his hand. She fought the urge to pull it back. “You will enjoy tonight? You will dance and stay to the end?”
“Yes.” She reached out for the glass of wine. Jode passed it to her. “I guess I should ask how late the end is likely to be.”
He laughed. “Hah, you have learned something already. The official end will be well before sunrise, to give those who must prepare for tomorrow time to do so. The actual end is usually just as the sun rises.”
“Now, that’s a party.” She sipped her wine and held up the glass in salute. “I promise to try to stay to the official end. Anything past that is up to luck.”
The music suddenly ended with a crash of drums and then the flute gave three piping notes.
“We are called to dine.” Jode stood and offered his elbow to escort her to the table.
As the last of the pre-dinner speeches finally ran out, Madeline turned to Simon who sat on her left. “That was merciful. I’d been warned people might talk all night.”
“I have a feeling people are itching to get to the food. You know it’s going to be twenty courses, right?”
“You only need to taste them,” Jode said, handing her a platter covered with pieces of thinly sliced green vegetables in a dark red sauce. “Here is the first. Take care it is highly spiced.”
After an hour and a half and twelve dishes of meat, fish, vegetables, and other things Madeline didn’t recognize, she saw Simon take the last of the honey covered sliced fruit from the plate. The servants cleared the tables and a few plaintive notes drifted out of the back of the room.
“It is time for the first dance.” Arabela stood and beckoned the three of them towards the center of the room. “I will partner Sir Simon. Jode, you take Madeline,”
She survived the first dance. Jode had reminded her of the steps as they approached their assigned circle on the terrace. During the dance, the servants cleared the dining room of the leftover food, removed the large tables, and replaced them with small ones. This left half the room available as a dance floor. The glasses were kept full and plates of dessert pastries were constantly replenished as everyone enjoyed the freedom of the dancing.
Madeline was exhausted after demonstrating the waltz with Simon and then being swept into a lively reel by the Eldman Whill. She watched as the others swayed to a slightly twisted version of The Tennessee Waltz.
She sat alone at one of the small corner tables, taking a break to get her breath back after the dance, when Arabela floated into the chair next to her.
“Here.” She placed a glass of clear liquid in front of Madeline who sniffed it suspiciously. “It is water. You will need to drink water as well as wine if you don’t want to feel ill tomorrow.” She laughed.
“Thank you.” Madeline raised her glass. “This is a great party.”
“Yes. It bodes well for our journey.” Arabela sipped her own glass of water. “We believe that a successful feast will lead to a successful journey.”
“So, what is the plan?” Madeline leaned towards Arabela. “I don’t know what to expect, especially since it will take so little time to complete the quest.”
“Sir Jode mentioned that you didn’t know it would only take two weeks.” Arabela looked away. “He was quite angry that I hadn’t told you. He cares for you a great deal.”
“Yes, we’ve been down that path. Let’s put that behind us. What’s the plan?” She swallowed the last of the water and leaned back in her chair waiting for an answer.
“We will travel towards the Scree keep as though we were embarking on a royal tour. Sayer Goddard w
ill not be on guard and we should be able to approach without causing him any suspicion.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to get there as fast as possible? Be in and out before he can figure it out?”
“We cannot get to him fast enough for that. If he suspects we are coming, we will face an army.”
“Why wouldn’t he just ask for his own prophecy?” Madeline had suddenly envisioned Sayer Goddard as a tall scrawny being in a grey robe bending over a stone bowl. “He could know our plans already.”
“He could, but he would not ask what we are doing. It is not in his nature to imagine a woman would exact revenge. When you raise prophecy, you must ask a specific question. Unless he asked if I was planning to attack him he would not know.”
Madeline shrugged. It made sense in a weird way. “What exactly did you ask for your prophecy?”
“It does not matter.” Arabela looked out over the dancers. “The prophecy said we must act quickly and with surprise. We must complete the task before the next moon. That is in two weeks.”
A tall servant standing in the doorway to the house caught Arabela’s attention and he gave one deep nod. “Ah, the next song signals the official end of the party.” Arabela said. “If you wish you may stay but I will be leaving. I need my rest for tomorrow. We will depart three hours after sunrise.” She stood and said goodnight.
Madeline decided it was also time to go up to her room. She was tired and worried that she would not be able to stay on the horse tomorrow. Standing, she tucked her chair under the table in preparation for leaving.
“Wait,” Simon’s words came from across the table. “You can’t leave yet. I’m making my singing debut.”
“What?”
“The last dance is coming up in ten minutes, can’t you stay that long?”
“You’re singing?” Madeline wasn’t sure she was hearing correctly. “What are you singing?”
“Aw, come on, stay,” he said. “I want your opinion. The rest of these guys won’t know if it’s good. You know what it’s supposed to sound like.”
She couldn’t think of an argument that would sound reasonable. Simon had been willing to listen to her complain, and he’d said he would go back with her if needed. The least she could do was stay awake for his big singing debut. “Fine, I’ll stay. Don’t make a fool of yourself. God, please tell me you aren’t doing an Elvis.”