She was thinking this through as she perused the books which occupied the shelves. There was all manner of titles here, though most were made for adults. She picked a book of fables from the shelf and read over its contents; short stories, all in a steady hand. They had been written in the early days of Merceria, and were collectively known as the Mercerian Fables. The author had been a Holy Father of the church, and he had taken great pains to illustrate the tome with pictures. Satisfied with her choice, she settled down into a large chair to read through it. It proved to be the perfect bedtime choice for no sooner had she started reading it than her eyes began to droop just before she nodded off.
* * *
Felicia awoke with a sore neck, the book lying on the floor at her feet. Cursing her behaviour, she made her way out into the hall. The early morning sun peered through the windows, illuminating her way. Hearing the servants scurrying about below, she quickly made her way to her room, jumping into bed to cover her activity. No sooner had she pulled up the sheets than there was a rap at the door. She bid them enter, and in came a maid, carrying a tray with a bowl and water, along with a towel for a morning wash.
“I shall take my morning meal in the dining room," Felicia instructed. "Please have Hanson join me.” The young maid bowed respectfully and disappeared from view.
Making her way into the dining hall, Felicia sat at the table as the servants brought food and drink. The smell of fresh bread seemed to permeate the household, reminding her of own youth, so many years ago. She had lived a long life and yet, had so little to mark the passing of her years.
A servant came in with a plate of freshly sliced bread and honey, and she cast her eyes appreciatively over it. She was about to ask Lord Warren if he wanted some and then remembered… he had died. She dropped the bread back on the plate, her appetite forgotten. Honey had always been his favourite. She felt tears forming in her eyes as her loneliness increased.
“I must keep busy,” she said, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. “There must be a way to help Anna.”
There was a light tap on the door. Felicia composed herself and then beckoned the visitor to enter.
The door opened to reveal Alistair Hanson, “You called, my lady?”
“I did, Alistair. Come and sit down.”
Hanson knew better than to refuse and so he took a seat beside her.
“Have some bread, my dear old friend,” she bid.
“Are you not hungry, madam?”
“I was, but now I’ve changed my mind.”
Hanson took a tentative bite of the bread, swallowing it quickly before speaking, “Is there something, in particular, you wanted to talk to me about, madam?”
“Yes, Alistair. Our young ward is having nightmares.”
“Can you blame her?”
“No, but we must divert her attention, occupy her mind. I was thinking that I might start reading to her. You know her better than I, do you think she would like that?”
Hanson grimaced, “I’m afraid I can’t say, my lady. The king has left rather explicit instructions. We are not to coddle the child.”
“Hah!” exclaimed Lady Felicia. “I thought as much. Well, you can be sure I will ignore the pompous ass. I shall make it my job to coddle the child as much as I can. What does she do?”
“Do, madam?”
“Yes, Alistair. What does she do all day? Surely she must do something?”
“I’m afraid she doesn’t do much of anything, my lady. She spends most of the day in her room, especially since the attack.”
“Does she walked the grounds?”
“No,” the steward replied, “I’m afraid not.”
“Has the child been completely ignored?” she exclaimed.
“I must apologize again, my lady, but the king's orders-”
“Yes, I know. The king's orders are explicit. Frankly, I’m surprised he didn’t have her eliminated, he seems the type.”
Hanson paled at the remark. It wasn’t wise to talk about the king in such a manner, but Lady Felicia Warren was of an age and cared little for such things.
“Perhaps,” he suggested, “you might see fit to make these changes yourself, madam. Naturally, should these new rules be put in place, we would be expected to continue with them once you left.”
Felicia smiled, “Why Hanson, you old rogue, how clever of you!”
“When would you like to start, my lady?”
“I think I shall start this evening. I want to walk the grounds today, see for myself how they look. I shouldn’t like to take her out only to get caught in a bog. I’ll take a couple of servants with me, perhaps a coachman or two. Do you have a groundskeeper?”
“I’m afraid not. We haven’t had one in years, there’s been no need. The king hasn’t visited since Anna was brought here.”
“When was the last time my sister was here?”
“She comes once a year, usually to coincide with the young girl's birthday.”
“Usually?”
“I’m afraid she’s rather erratic in her schedule, my lady.”
“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. Elenor always was a little flighty.”
“What do you want us to do with her today?”
“Please keep an eye on her. I’ll be interested to know if she’s any different now that she’s in a new room. Just keep to her regular schedule for now.”
“Yes, my lady,” the steward replied, rising to his feet. “Will there be anything else, madam?”
“No, that’s all for now, Alistair.”
* * *
The grounds of the estate proved to be a bounty of flowers and plants. Lady Felicia wandered the fields taking in all the smells and sights she could. It had been years since she had been out in this manner and her body, used to the life of complacency to which she had become familiar, complained at the exertion. She returned to the Hall exhausted but pleased with her discoveries.
That evening she visited young Anna as the girl was tucked into bed, the faithful dog lying on the floor beside her. Felicia entered, pulling a chair over beside her niece.
“Hello, Anna,” she said. “I thought you might like a bedtime story. Do you know what that is?”
She shook her head. “No,” she whispered.
“I’m going to read you a story. It’s from a book of fables. Fables are made up stories that teach lessons. Are you ready?”
Anna pulled the blankets up close to her face, and Felicia could see a look of fear.
“Why don’t we have Tempus jump up here with you?” she asked.
The young girl nodded her head. Felicia pat her hand on the bed, and the great beast leaped up. It was a strange sight, for the mastiff was many times larger than the young girl. The dog wiggled his way up beside her, shaking the bed as he did so, until Anna’s hand rested comfortably on his head.
“There,” said Felicia. “Tempus is all ready for the story to begin. Are you?
The child solemnly nodded her head.
“This story is called ‘The Mermaid of Colbridge.’ It takes place in the great city which bears that name, on a river that leads to the Great Sea of Storms…”
* * *
It was late at night by the time Felicia made her way back to her own room. The child had fretted, and she wondered if, perhaps, the story had been too much for her, but she finally fell asleep. She had crept out of the room to the sounds of a snoring dog and a little girl who murmured in her sleep.
* * *
Lady Felicia woke early the next day, but her body was not up to the task at hand. It was almost noon by the time she felt ready to take Anna on a walk, and she feared she might not have the energy to return once they were done. She fortified herself with a glass of wine and made her way to Anna’s room. Her niece stood by the window, staring out toward the front of the estate. As Felicia entered, the child turned along with Tempus, who wagged his tail as he did so.
“Good morning,” bid Felicia. “I trust you’ve slept well?”
&nbs
p; Anna nodded.
“Good. And how has Tempus been? Is he well?”
Again a nod.
She knelt down by her niece, to look at her at her own level. “Now come, my child. When I ask you a question, you must answer with your words. Let’s try again, shall we? Did you sleep well?”
“Yes,” the little girl responded.
“Excellent! Now I don’t know about you, but I suspect our friend Tempus here would like a nice walk outside. What do you think? Shall we let take him?”
There was that fearful look on Anna’s face again, and so Felicia switched tactics, “I bet if we had Tempus run down the hall he’d scare the servants. Shall we give it a try?” There it was, the briefest of smiles. Progress!
“Come along then,” said Felicia, attempting to rise. Her knees were sore, and she struggled, using the window sill to steady herself. “These old bones aren’t what they used to be.”
Anna reached out, grasping the older woman's hand. “Me too?” she asked.
“Why, of course, dear. We shall all go for a walk, but let’s give your friend the run of the hallway first, shall we?”
They entered the hallway, and Felicia stood, gazing down the long corridor. They were on the upper floor, populated by children's bedrooms, though only one was in use. It was the perfect place for Tempus to run back and forth, but she had no stick to toss to coax the dog into action. She cast her eyes about, finally settling on her young niece. The faithful beast was sitting to her side, her hand resting gently on the creature's back.
“I have an idea, Anna,” she said, making her decision. “But first you must learn to call him. Can you say ‘Tempus’?”
“Tempus,” the girl replied.
“Excellent. Now try again, this time a little louder,” she prompted.
“Tempus!” Anna yelled, to be greeted by a bark. There was the briefest moment of silence from the girl, as the sound echoed throughout the mansion, and then her niece giggled.
“Now you wait here, young Anna, while I make my way to the other end of the hall.” She walked down with slow, deliberate steps, then paused a moment before turning to face the others. “Come, Tempus!” she commanded. “Come here, boy.”
Tempus barked again, shaking the very walls with his exuberance, and then pounded down the hallway, screeching to a halt in front of the old lady. Felicia smiled, patting him on the head, “Now it’s your turn, Anna. Call him!”
“Tempus!” yelled Anna, only to be rewarded with the great beast wheeling about and thundering down the hall once more. He came to a halt just in front of the girl, and she buried her face in his chest, throwing her arms around him as she laughed.
“That’s it,” exclaimed Felicia. “Now send him back again. Come along Tempus, come to Aunt Felicia!”
Back and forth ran the giant dog, each time threatening to shake the foundation loose.
There was a commotion from downstairs, and soon they heard footsteps coming up the stairs in the great hall. Felicia walked back to Anna, Tempus following at a more sedate pace. A moment later she saw Hanson appear around the corner, along with a footman.
“Is there something wrong, Alistair?” she asked.
“There was a loud noise, my lady. We feared something might be amiss.”
Felicia looked at her niece, “I didn’t hear anything, did you, Anna?”
Anna shook her head.
“There, you see, Alistair? You must be imagining things.”
Alistair knew something was up, but he kept silent, relaxing into a less agitated pose. “Might I enquire as to your plans for the day, madam?” he asked.
“I think we shall go outdoors; the dog needs a bit of exercise. Come along, Anna, it’s time we let this dog of yours stretch his legs.” She held out her hand, waiting for the child to grasp it, and then proceeded toward the great hall and the grand staircase.
Anna tried to stop her. “Other stairs,” she said.
Felicia stopped walking and knelt to look at the young girl from her own height once again, “You are a princess, Anna. You use the grand staircase here. This is your home, you’re not a servant. Besides, Tempus here is too large, we don’t want him getting stuck on the stairs, do we?”
Her niece shook her head.
“Use your words, Anna,” she encouraged.
“No,” Anna replied.
Felicia rose again, her knees once more complaining from the strain. They made their way to the grand staircase. The second floor of the great hall was in the centre of the building. It was a large, two-storey affair, but the builders had constructed a balcony that ran around the perimeter, allowing those present to gaze down to the great room below. To one side was the wide staircase, built of sturdy oak and said to be of Dwarven construction. Felicia rolled her eyes at the thought. Whenever something was well built, it was always attributed to Dwarves, as if Humans were incapable of such things. She halted them at the top of the stairs. “Go to the bottom of the stairs, Anna,” she commanded, “and then we’ll have Tempus run down them. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Anna replied. She rushed down the stairs in a hurry, and for a moment Felicia was worried she might stumble and fall, but in a thrice, her niece was at the bottom, facing upward.
“Back up a little, Anna,” said Felicia. “He’s a large dog, he’ll need room to slow down.”
The young girl did as she was bid, and then looked up, expectantly.
“Call him now, Anna,” yelled Felicia.
“Tempus,” yelled Anna, her small voice echoing through the large room. The great beast rushed down the stairs, drawing to a halt before his young mistress, his tail wagging and his tongue hanging out.
“Come back, Tempus,” called Felicia, and the great dog turned to rush back up the stairs, his feet tapping away at the steps like a drumbeat as he made his ascent.
Anna called again, and her aunt saw the smile as she watched. Tempus rushed back, eager in his new mode of play. Back and forth he ran as Felicia and Anna each took their turn calling him. Soon, servants appeared, lurking in the doorways to observe this strange behaviour. Finally, the great dog made one last run down to Anna, and Felicia took pity on him. The poor creature was winded, and though his tail was still wagging, he was moving slower, tired from his exertions.
Felicia made her way down the stairs to pet Tempus, who now lay on his back, his legs curled above him. Anna was rubbing his belly, and the dog's tongue seemed to fall out of his mouth.
“We must get him some water, I think,” mused Felicia. “There’s a trough out the side of the house, let’s take him there.”
She led them out through the front foyer, into the warmth of the noonday sun. Anna followed obediently, drawn by the excitement of playing with her dog. They rounded the side of the house and Tempus made a beeline for the trough, lapping up water in huge gulps. His thirst quenched, he trotted back to young Anna.
“Now,” pondered Felicia, “we shall need a stick of some sort. Big enough to throw for Tempus, he’s a large dog and needs his exercise.”
“Exercise?” said Anna.
“Why, yes. He needs to stretch his legs, it helps him stay healthy. Come along, we’ll see what’s nearby.”
She led her niece into the field which lay to the north of the Hall. Many years ago it had been the estate grounds, neatly trimmed and decorated with trees and bushes, but now it was a riot of brush, weeds and long, wild grass.
“Like this?” yelled Anna, hefting a small branch.
“Perfect,” called out Felicia. “Now wave it at Tempus to get his attention, and then throw it.”
Anna did as she was bid, only to be rewarded with a bark. Tempus disappeared into the long grass, reappearing moments later, the branch held firmly in his mouth.
Felicia enjoyed seeing the wonderment on her niece's face. Anna took hold of the stick with one hand and pulled in an effort to remove it from his mouth. Tempus simply let go of it and Anna, expecting more resistance, fell to the ground, landing on her bottom
. There was a loud laugh as she jumped to her feet, to repeat the toss.
Felicia found a fallen branch to sit on while she watched with fascination. Always one to enjoy hounds, it made her think of her own youth, so many years ago. She had wanted children, and watching her niece brought her pangs of joy mixed with sadness. This is all the family I have now, she thought. Elenor was never the same after marrying the king. She spent her days in seclusion, refusing to see the rest of her family. Felicia fought back bitter tears. The king had forbidden her to visit her other niece, Margaret, and the two princes as well. Perhaps he feared her power, for her husband had been an influential man at court in the days before Andred took the throne.
She was shaken back to reality when Anna ran up to her.
“I’m hungry,” the young girl complained.
“Well, I imagine I would be too if I’d been running back and forth like you. Come along, it’s time we eat.” She led her back into the Hall, leaving her reminiscences behind.
* * *
That evening she read Anna another fable and tucked her in for the night. She pat Tempus on the head and quietly left the room, intent on visiting the library again, but then remembered falling asleep on the chair and decided that morning might be a better time for such things. She made her way downstairs to fortify herself with a drink before bed, only to run into Hanson.
“Can I get you anything, my lady?” he asked.
“I think a drink is in order, Alistair,” she said. “I’m aching all over.”
“I trust the day went well, madam?”
“It did, indeed. We shall try making more progress tomorrow.”
“Shall I bring you a drink in the trophy room?”
“Yes, a wonderful idea. Once I’m done, I want to peer in on Anna and see how she’s sleeping.”
“Do you want me to escort you?” he asked.
“To the trophy room? Don’t be absurd. I know my way around, you just fetch that drink.”
Mercerian Tales Page 19