Again, I did not know what to say.
After a brief silence, he added, “There we go again, talking all doom and gloom. Tell me about your likes and dislikes and your friends.”
Relieved to change the subject, I said, “I enjoy caring for my family. As we have already established — that is my life. I do like to read. The only book I have ever read is the Bible, as other books are impossible to come by. I have read the Bible too many times to count. As for my dislikes, I don’t have many. I do not like an unkempt home, I suppose.”
“And what about your friends; who are they?”
“My closest friend since childhood is Teller. There was a time when we were always together.” I felt guilty for mentioning Teller. It made me feel that I was being unfaithful to Teller by talking to Elijah about him. That is ridiculous, I told myself and quickly went on, “Mari is also a wonderful friend. Now that we are older, we rely more and more on each other.”
“This Teller fellow, is he only a friend?” Elijah asked.
“Yes, of course.” My shoulders tensed. This was not entirely a lie, as he had not asked about my current feelings for Teller. He was indeed only a friend. “You know, it is getting late. I must head home to prepare dinner.” I was feeling uncomfortable all over again. I did not like where the conversation had gone.
With a knowing look, Elijah replied, “Yes, of course.”
We waited for our fathers to catch up to us.
“I’m truly sorry you were the one to find the baker.” Elijah’s expression was solemn.
I gave him a weak smile in return. “I appreciate your sincerity.”
The four of us walked home together, making occasional idle conversation. Elijah turned into the boy I had seen before, falling silent and letting his father do the talking. He had the arrogant air about him again. I was truly curious about this mysterious pair and the power Elijah’s father had over him.
Once inside, I collapsed into a chair. Things had gotten incredibly complicated. Why couldn’t Elijah be the pompous braggart most people assumed he was? That would have made things easier. Now how am I to reject him? On what grounds? Other than the fact that I want another, which would reflect poorly on me. Women were not to have eyes for men whom their fathers had not chosen for them.
“Father, did you know that Elijah found his mother after she was murdered?”
“I had no idea. That is awful. Lord Chastellain mentioned, in passing, that she had died some years back. My dear, you know I would have warned you of this if I had known.”
“Yes, Father, I know you would have. Elijah — I mean the young lord,” remembering my formalities, “thinks that perhaps it was an animal who killed those people.”
Father looked thoughtful for a moment. “It would be unusual, yet it could happen. I suppose such attacks are equally as rare as a murderer amongst us.”
“Will you discuss this matter with the other village leaders to see what they think?” I asked.
“I will do just that. But first, what did you think of the young lord?”
I sighed. “It is difficult to say. He is not what I expected. There is a kindness and intelligence about him and he is … sad. It is confusing. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Of course, my spring flower. Don’t fret. It will work itself out in the end.”
Father always knew how to comfort me. His words did just that, as there was always wisdom in them. Everything will be fine. Will it not?
Something was nagging at me. What was it Elijah had said? “It may have been an animal or something … not human.” If the killer is not human, then it would have to be an animal. There are no other options. Yet the way he said it suggested that “animal” and “not human” were two different things. If it is not a human and not an animal, then what was left? The devil, perhaps, or demons? A chill went through me.
Busying myself with work was the best thing to do. That way, I would not dwell on this last unsettling thought. After all, no one, not even Elijah, knew for sure what had happened to the victims.
Chapter 8 Ludus 1260 A.D
I wanted my friend’s opinions about the idea of animal attacks. After waiting for my chance at the tavern, I pulled Teller and Mari aside.
“It does make sense,” Teller stated, “although I have never heard of animals attacking so close to Ludus.”
“The thought of the killer being a predatory animal is better than the thought of a human killing people. Not to mention, an animal would be easier to hunt, would it not?” I asked.
“I suppose so,” Teller said. “We have many good hunters in the village. Perhaps we should set up hunting parties to eliminate any big game around the village. We could send out a few of our best trackers and best hunters to see what they can find.”
“Will you mention this to the village leaders?” I asked Teller. “It would be taken seriously coming from you, rather than from Mari or me.”
“Yes, I will suggest it to them.” Teller’s bright eyes beamed at me.
I smiled warmly in return. “Thank you. Father has already mentioned the idea of animal attacks to them.” I paused. “There is one more thing. What about the possibility of these murders being the work of something … I don’t know … evil?”
Mari had been looking between Teller and me as if studying us but now fear flashed in her eyes. “Like what?”
“I’m not sure. The devil, demons or … something evil.” After saying it out loud, I felt uncomfortable. I knew Teller would disapprove.
Teller laughed and Mari frowned.
“Your father is filling your head with scary children’s stories from that Bible of his,” Teller said.
It was not the Bible that had given me the idea — it was Elijah but I could not bring myself to say so to Teller. I tried to brush it off as well. “Aye, maybe.”
But Mari did not laugh. “I have heard many people talking about a curse on the village and demons amongst us.”
Teller smiled at her as if she were a small child. “Father says there is no such thing as magic. You two should not worry yourselves with such silly notions.”
Mari narrowed her eye’s at Teller, clearly not convinced.
“I must be going.” Teller turned to leave.
Once he was out of sight, Mari said, “I hope your last assumption is wrong. How would we ever fight against demons?”
“Yes, let us hope Teller is correct. All we can do is keep our amulets close and pray.” I was feeling even more ill at ease. It was not surprising that folks were talking of the devil at play here. Ivan and Teller were the exception in their pragmatic view of the world. Of course, people would be talking of supernatural forces being behind such attacks.
When I returned home, Father informed me that we had been invited to take refreshments with the lord and his son at their estate. “Must we go, Father?”
“Well, it would be inconsiderate to refuse. What if I try to keep it a social affair and not a courting between you two youngsters?”
“That sounds better. Thank you, Father.”
Chapter 9 Ludus 1260 A.D
I had never ridden in a carriage before. We lived close to town and had no need for horses, nor could we have afforded them. The ride was bouncy, yet comfortable enough. It seemed to take forever to reach the Chastellain estate. Once we arrived, I was sure my eyes deceived me. It was a castle, with expansive manicured grounds and gardens surrounding it. Servants opened doors for us and led us into a massive foyer to await our hosts. Father was smiling at the astonished look on my face.
“This cannot be real,” I said. “How can one family have so much?”
“You may change your mind about this boy yet,” Father teased.
I gathered my composure by closing my mouth and straightening my back. “Of course not, Father.”
Our hosts greeted us warmly. After wine, cakes and customary niceties, Lord Chastellain offered for Elijah to show me around the fortress. Father, true to his word, suggested that we all g
o, as he would like to see the place as well.
The palace was cool and damp with endless wide halls that led to immense rooms with high ceilings. The walls were an impenetrable thick gray stone. It was difficult to imagine how such a place had ever been built. I was quickly lost in the maze. We passed several dining areas that contained tables that would not have fit in our entire home. Long tapestries hung from the walls.
The Great Hall had enough thick fabric curtains to clothe all the people in Ludus. They were the most beautiful red color with gold trim and fine gold ropes elegantly holding them open. An extremely intricate wrought iron chandelier hung from the center of the room. It was larger than a horse. The paintings were even more fascinating. They depicted scenes of people and places so foreign that I did not think they could possibly be fashioned after real people and places. The features of the people and the clothes they wore were entirely strange. Some of the paintings displayed images of enormous outlandish architecture. Father stopped to admire one such painting and Lord Chastellain explained that it depicted the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
“These buildings and people are real?” I asked, as Father and I stared at the painting of the large domed building with its golden roof. We had only heard of the grandeur of the Hagia Sophia, the heart of the Orthodox Church in the beloved Queen of Cities.
“Yes, of course, my dear. We acquired that masterpiece on one of our trips to Constantinople awhile back. Isn’t that right, son?”
Elijah nodded slightly in reply and kept walking.
Multiple trips to Constantinople! That was uncanny but it seemed like nothing out of the ordinary to Elijah. The lord continued to carry on about how many of the paintings and furniture had been imported from far-off places, most of which I had never heard of.
Father was as overwhelmed as I was. He forgot his manners at this point and asked how the lord had made his fortune and how they had acquired such rare things from all over the world.
Chastellain was not offended in the least. In fact, he seemed to relish the chance to tell his story. “My grandfather was a self-made man. He accumulated his fortunes trading in France. He eventually reached his peak as a local merchant and decided to move his family east, in order to be closer to the heart of the trading industry. He became even more successful in Venice, where I was born. My father and grandfather would often travel to Constantinople for work. On one such trip they decided to take some time to explore the mountains of this region. My grandfather fell in love with this beautiful piece of land we now stand on. Being surrounded almost entirely by mountains, it was the ideal place for a summer home. Of course, we have continued to make improvements over the years, such as the installation of glass windows.”
The lord was clearly proud of this rare luxury. He might as well have said, Look how wealthy I am. I can afford the best. I gave him an irritated scowl — to his back anyway.
“We maintain our lands in Venice as well as Denmark,” the lord continued. “I still run some of the major trade routes from the Orient. This is where most of our fortunes were obtained and these treasures are things that have come across my family’s path over the years.”
“We saved the best room for last.” Elijah took my arm in his. He whispered, “I knew all that would not impress you but …” He opened two tall wooden doors to reveal an endless number of books. The walls were lined from the floor to the high ceiling with nothing but tightly packed shelves. So many books that a ladder was required to reach many of them. Overstuffed furniture surrounded a large fireplace, while tall glass windows on the far wall let in plenty of light for reading. Each book was a scarce and priceless hand-scribed treasure — well, priceless to me anyway. I did not know that there were this many books in the entire world, let alone in one room!
I’m sure my mouth was hanging open in awe, yet again. “If I had a room like this, I would never leave it,” I exclaimed.
“Stay as long as you like,” the lord replied.
Father and I read some of the titles on the book’s spines. “Where does one start?” Father said.
Elijah chuckled.
We perused the books for a long time. Finally, the lord said, “Borrow whichever books you like and after you have read them, simply exchange them for some more.”
This was too good to be true and Father and I graciously upheld the offer. When we each had a handful of these exquisite books, a servant informed us that the midday meal was ready. I was so excited to start reading that I did not have much of an appetite.
Chapter 10 Ludus 1260 A.D
Servants brought in a considerable spread of food — enough to feed the entire village. I had thought we were here for light refreshment. A servant came rushing in and spoke to the lord pointedly. They appeared to be talking in a normal tone but it was too quiet for me to make out what they said.
Lord Chastellain rested his elbow on the table and put his hand to his face, rubbing his forehead. Whatever urgent news had been brought to the lord, it worried or perhaps frustrated him. He stood and announced, “It appears I am needed back in Denmark. I must leave immediately. You will excuse me. My son will stay and tend to you.” He turned to Elijah and said something so quietly I could not hear him.
Father and I exchanged a quick curious look as Elijah nodded in agreement to his father. With that, the lord swiftly exited the room with his servant.
“It is difficult for him to stay here for long, as there are often urgent matters to attend to in Copenhagen.”
“That is a great deal of traveling. Will you eventually move back there?” Father asked.
“Yes, most likely when our business here is settled.” Elijah smiled at me.
Is that what I am — business? It was all I could do not to glare at him.
“We find the weather much to our liking in Denmark,” Elijah continued.
This was an odd reason to want to live in the north. I had heard the winters there were many times worse than ours. If people had the luxury to choose, they tended to prefer the warmer weather in southern regions.
After our repast, Elijah announced, “Before you go, allow me to show you some of the grounds and my personal favorite — the horse stables.”
Just the mention of horses seemed to make his usually sad grey eyes brighten to a vibrant blue. Who could resist that? I thought. “It sounds as if we simply have to see the horses,” I said.
As he led us out the back of the castle, he took my arm in his again. “Do you ride?”
I had to chuckle. “No, never! Horses are large and intimidating. Besides, why would I ever need to ride?”
He laughed. “It is not a matter of necessity. Don’t you ever do something simply for the enjoyment of it?”
I thought about it a moment. “No, that would be a waste of time. There is usually too much work to be done.” As we spoke, the work was piling up back at the tavern. Elijah and I clearly lived different lives.
“Well, My Lady, I will have to take you for a ride.” Elijah gave me that handsome crooked smile of his.
I shook my head at him. There was no way he would get me on one of those beasts.
“I would like to stay here in this lovely rose garden.” Father gave us a smile, one I knew well. It meant that he was up to something. “You two go ahead. I will keep an eye on you from here, Vallachia.”
With uneasiness I nodded to Father; he was trying to give us some time “alone.” Why? I did not know.
The horse stable — if one could call it that — was a colossal barn with many stalls and high ceilings. The Chastellains’ horses lived better than we did in the village. They always had plenty of food and servants to clean up after them.
Elijah stopped at one of the stalls. “This is Hollis, named so because he was born in a grove of holly trees.” The horse neighed a greeting to him and lumbered forward, placing his large head over the stall door for Elijah to rub. He spoke softly to the horse. I could not make out what he said. The horse jerked his head up and down once as if n
odding in agreement.
“You see, they are not intimidating; they are graceful, powerful and simple. Horses are innocent, harmless creatures. They need only grass to survive.” Elijah seemed to be envious of the beautiful beast. He ran his hand down Hollis’s neck. Hollis closed his eyes as if enjoying the affection.
It was clear that Elijah would gladly trade places with the horse — if he could. This was curious. What about Elijah’s life could possibly be so terrible that he would be envious of a horse?
“Go on; give him a pat,” Elijah said.
“No!” I tried to soften my tone. “Thank you though. In fact, I should be getting back. My uncle will be needing me at the tavern.” Besides, if I stayed much longer, Elijah would try to get me to ride that thing.
Father and I thanked Elijah for everything and on the way home, we had our noses buried in books, occasionally exchanging tidbits of information about what we were reading. The trip home flew by.
When we were almost home, Father stopped reading and looked out the window of the carriage. He was lost in thought.
“What is it, Father?”
“It appears that Lord Chastellain is a very important man.” He held up the book he was reading and added, “And it seems they may know how to win us over yet.” He smiled wearily.
It did appear that way. A hint of doubt entered into my mind. Perhaps I could have wealth and happiness in this life. I quickly pushed the thought out of my head. It would take more than books to make me happy. In order to be truly content, I had no doubt that I needed Teller.
It was my turn to peer out the window. “It is not fair how some can have so much.”
“The Chastellains have worked hard for their wealth and even harder to maintain it.”
“And we do not work hard?” I questioned.
Father sighed. “That, we do.”
As soon as we returned, I hurried to Uncle’s tavern. Just as predicted, there was plenty to do. Yet I longed to be reading. The work was not quite caught up when I had to stop in order to make curfew. As soon as I left the tavern, I heard someone call out behind me. I started. Spinning around I found Elijah stepping out of the late-evening shadows.
Of Lords and Commoners: Book 1 (Lords and Commoners Series) Page 4