by A. J. Bell
“Would you mind if I steal your daughter for a couple of songs?”
“I do… I don’t mind, Your Highness,” said Father, and he put my hand in the Prince’s. Father walked towards the table where Mother sat and asked her to dance. Who would’ve thought that my father, the blacksmith, was an excellent dancer?
Prince Victor and I danced for what seemed like an eternity, until the orchestra took a recess. During this lapse, Prince Victor gave a speech to welcome all the honored guests. I decided not to go back to my family’s table but to stand by the stairs to the main entrance of the Great Hall to avoid any situations that might get me in trouble with Sir Richard.
At the table next to me, there was only one knight with his young squire. As Prince Victor delivered his speech, he thanked everyone for coming to the Everlands and for participating in the upcoming tournament, but I lost track of his talk when I noticed that the lonely knight, seated next to where I stood, was staring at me. I met his gaze a few times. He completely ignored the Prince’s words and didn’t stop from eagerly gazing upon me with his penetrating blue eyes. I was annoyed by the way he was looking at me, but also curious as to whom he was. His face looked so familiar, yet I didn’t recall seeing it before. My inner defiant self, decided to give him back the same stare, daring him to blink. I held my gaze until Prince Victor finished his speech. “May the best squire ever born win this competition!”
Everyone clapped and shouted hooray at his words, including me. I looked back to continue with my staring contest, but the knight wasn’t at the table anymore. He was speaking to the orchestra director, with his back towards me, but I couldn’t stop staring at him, as if by so doing I would make him look again, and suddenly he did. He turn around and came my way with unwavering steps until he was in front of me. This handsome stranger bowed slightly in greeting, took my hand, and walked me to the dance floor.
Surprisingly, I didn’t hesitate on going with him, hypnotized by his once annoying blue gaze. He spoke not a word to me. Is he mute? It didn’t really matter. His smile was charming, which made the use of words unnecessary.
He put his hand around my waist firmly yet gently at the same time, and I lay mine on his shoulder. Not once did we break our gaze on each other.
The music started, softly at first, like a waltz, but a few seconds into it, the music stopped and a fiddle strumming filled the room. My mystery friend was staring at me, at my reaction.
“Rainy Day!” I mumbled in amazement. This is my favorite piece. How does he know? His smile grew and soon he gave me a quick spin that sent a shiver of pain through my back, but I was intrigued by him and did not care, I pushed the pain aside. He spun me around once more as the song’s tempo grew. We spun around at least a thousand times.
Only a few couples remained on the floor with us. Most of them had no idea how to dance to such a song, but he did, and so did I. Before we knew it, every other couple sat down and we were alone, moving gracefully on the dance floor to the rhythm of the fiddle. The spectators were clapping relentlessly for us; however, we just ignored them. The song ended up with a final spin on my part, and then he pulled me closer to him. His left hand rested on my upper back, pressing me gently towards his chest, but I felt no pain. Being so close to this stranger was exhilarating.
He raised his right hand and rested it on my face.
“I knew I didn’t imagine it, but I thought I’d never see you again,” he said. Sadness filled his voice as he caressed my cheek. The music had stopped, but I didn’t care. One of my hands was still on his waist while the other one clung to his neck, as if expecting something more than just a dance.
“Have we met?” I asked.
He looked startled by my question, but he couldn’t say anything else.
“Dorian!” Prince Victor yelled, standing by the throne. “Gather the knights to the council room where I will meet you shortly,” he said, without looking at me.
“Please excuse me,” said my dance partner, reluctantly letting go of me. All the knights present stood up and followed him, even Sir Richard.
“Please continue to enjoy this party; I shall return shortly.” Prince Victor excused himself. I followed him with my eyes slowly. Something was wrong; his face showed worry.
I sat down at Sir Dorian’s table to wait for them to return, to wait for him to come back and answer my question.
Later, the other knights came back into the main hall, but Sir Dorian wasn’t there; neither were the Prince, Sir Daniel, or Sir Richard. I waited for another hour, but there was no sign of him. So I decided to go and find him myself.
As I came out to the hallway, I saw a group of men talking to each other. As I walked closer, I recognized their faces. When they recognized me, they fell silent. Sir Dorian wasn’t with them.
“My Lady.” Sir Daniel greeted me with a small bow. His behavior was odd, he was never this attentive. I looked at Prince Victor, who seemed angry, and asked him shyly about Sir Dorian’s whereabouts. Sir Richard joined them in their puzzled looks.
“He is on an errand for the King,” the Prince said.
“Right now? You mean he’s not coming back tonight!” He nodded. I didn’t know what came over me. “How long ago did he leave? Where is he going?” I asked as my eyes darted around, looking for my mysterious dance partner.
“Why do you need to know?” the Prince asked in return, still puzzled. I acted as if he asked nothing, turned around, and ran looking for Sir Dorian’s tent, lifting up my petticoats high above my knees. I knew he did not put his tent near us, so I decided to go towards the west wall where the remaining tents were set up.
“What am I doing?” I kept asking myself out loud as I ran through the corridors to my destination. I must be out of my mind. Somehow deep inside, I knew I needed to talk to him again. I needed to see him again. I wanted to see him again.
I wasn’t looking where I was going, and taking a sharp turn at full speed, I accidentally ran into the Queen. I didn’t let her speak to me and apologized while I continued to run. However, an apology wasn’t enough. She sent her guards after me, which gave me yet another reason to run faster.
It was pouring down rain outside, so as soon as I stepped out, I became a moving, soaking wet mess. The guards were still chasing me, and as we passed by other guards, they too would join the hunt.
“This is ridiculous,” I yelled to them as if that would help at all. “Don’t you men have anything else to do?” In a manner of minutes, I had become a fugitive in the palace. “Where’s the Prince when I need him?” I muttered. I had some advantage over the guards chasing me, so I stopped for a second and asked about the whereabouts of Sir Dorian to a bystander all the while keeping my eyes on the army chasing me.
“He left on his horse a few moments ago.” He pointed me towards the gates to the outer parts of the Royal City.
“Stop her!” yelled a soldier not too far behind me.
The gates were my only choice, so I picked up my skirts and started to run again through the puddles of water and mud. I reached the main gates as they were beginning to close. I saw him, mounted on his black stallion, just on the other side of the gates.
“My Lord!” I yelled. “Sir Dorian!” He brought his horse to a halt when he heard my call. At the same time, the guards caught up to me and seized my arms. I struggled to free myself from their grasp.
“Get your hands off her!” commanded Sir Dorian as he dismounted with his sword in hand, ready to launch himself at them if they did not obey him.
“My Lord, Her Majesty the Queen has ordered that this maiden be brought to her,” one of the guards said fearfully. I was surprised to see that at least twelve guards had been chasing me.
“I will bring her in,” Sir Dorian said.
He was turning me over to the Queen, a very disappointing decision. He used his cloak to cover me from the rain, although it was useless because every layer of my clothing was already soaked through. It was a nice gesture, though. I said nothing on our
way to the Queen’s chambers. Ironically, I had run for at least a half hour to have the chance to talk to him, and when I had the chance to do so, I couldn’t manage the words.
“What did you do to make the Queen angry at you?” he asked, breaking the silence.
“I breathe the same air as she does,” I said sarcastically. He gave a tiny chuckle. “This isn’t funny!” I said. “She will surely hang me this time.” I wanted to be annoyed, but the depth of his blue eyes made it impossible.
He took my hand and held it tight when we arrived at the Queen’s chambers. He was about to open the door, but I pulled him back until he was facing me, so close, I could feel his breath on my cold skin. “I need to know now. When we were on the dance floor… what did you mean?” He was confused. “When you said that you thought you’d never see me again, why did you say it? I… I do not recall meeting you before. How did you know about Rainy Day? Nobody else knows–”
He put his hand on my lips to silence me. “You taught me the steps; you told me it was your favorite piece. Do you not remember me?” he asked, rubbing my lips with his thumb, I closed my eyes and gave into the sensation, if only for a short moment before meeting his gaze again. My mind didn’t remember him, but my skin craved his gentle touch. As crazy as it sounded, I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted so badly to know him.
He leaned forward, as if he had read my thoughts. His lips were so close to me, I could almost taste them. I closed my eyes again, this time in anticipation to his kiss, but the wait didn’t end, since Prince Victor was standing a few feet from us.
“What happened?” he asked Sir Dorian.
“I ran across the Queen,” I said.
“I didn’t ask you!” he said angrily. “Dorian, your orders were clear!”
“She needed my help, Cousin, so I came back. The Queen had sent the Royal Guards chasing after her,” said Sir Dorian humbly.
I was staring at Victor, and the look in his eyes scared me. He was jealous. His anger was moved by jealousy – the worst kind of anger.
“Let’s get this over with,” Victor said. He ordered the guards to open the doors.
Inside, the Queen was sitting on a chair close to the window. She looked at me in disgust. I was a mess. As soon as I had stepped out into the rain, my hair and everything that made me look like a lady was gone, and all that was left was the “me” the Queen hated.
“Victor, dear, to what do I owe this honor?” she said with a very high pitched voice that annoyed me to the core.
“I believe you know well the answer to that question,” Prince Victor said. “Let me make this clear. She,” he pointed at me, “is welcome in the palace as if it was already hers. Make no mistake, Umah,” he said sarcastically, “I will make her my wife, regardless of your approval. If you or any hand you command harms her in any way, I will have your crown as payment for such offense. Are we clear?”
The Queen stood up, enraged. “How dare you!” she said, looking straight at me. “How dare you try to turn him against me!”
The Prince took her by the arm. “Even though you think I’m not capable of making my own choices, I want you to be aware that she had no idea of my plans until now. At least, you can be happy to have ruined my marriage proposal. Now, if you excuse us, we have a wedding to plan,” he said to the Queen. He then took my hand and escorted me out of her chambers.
Sir Dorian walked rapidly down the hallway towards the exit again. Prince Victor tried to stop me from following him, but I couldn’t listen to His Highness. “I have to say goodbye to him, please!” I said. He released my hand and I started hurrying after Sir Dorian.
“My Lord!” I called after Sir Dorian, but I didn’t catch up until he was on the outside steps of the main gates of the castle. He stopped and turned around to see me, his face full of gloom. I came down the steps to meet him, but again I didn’t know what to say. What Prince Victor had said surprised me as much as it did him. Rain was still pouring down on us. Reluctantly, Sir Dorian took my head in his hands. His words were filled with sadness.
“It seems that, for the second time, I have come too late into your life. I wish you and my cousin nothing but happiness and peace.”
“Where are you going? When will I see you again?” I asked, hoping to hear he would be staying close by.
“I’m going to the Gardenhills border, where my presence is needed now. I cannot delay, My Lady. Goodbye.” He kissed my hand and walked away, but I followed him like a lost puppy follows a stranger.
“My Lord, your cloak!” I took it off my shoulders and offered it back to him.
“Keep it,” he said, “so that you remember me this time.” He soon faded into the darkness.
“This time, I won’t forget you,” I said, but I doubt he heard me at all. I held the cloak tight across my chest as if I had just let go of a piece of my very soul.
Chapter 10
“You need to get changed. I don’t want you to get sick,” said the Prince. “I’ll wait for you and then we’ll talk.”
Mother helped me to clean up. She treated my wounds, which I had completely forgotten about, and tried to make small talk, but I shared nothing with her because I wasn’t sure what to tell her.
I was ready for bed when Prince Victor came in and sat next to me. I felt sad, but I didn’t realize I was actually crying.
“Are you in pain?” he asked. I shook my head. “I didn’t think so, not after the way you were dancing with Dorian tonight,” said the Prince reproachfully. “How do you know my cousin?” he asked. I didn’t answer because I didn’t know. “Is marrying me such a terrible fate that it has brought you to tears?” He wiped a few tears from my cheeks. “I am sorry about the way I spoke to you; seeing you that close to Dorian made me feel jealous. For a moment, I thought he would kiss you in front of me. I shouldn’t have talked to you the way I did, nor could I blame him for finding you as irresistible as I do. But, in that moment, I was blinded by my feelings. I am terribly sorry. Please forgive me.”
“What about Sir Dorian? I was the one chasing after him. When will you apologize to him? When is he coming back?”
“He will come back when the mission he has been entrusted with is fulfilled. Not sure how long that will take. Is that answer good enough for you to forgive me?”
I pretended to yawn. “I have had a very difficult day. Can we talk tomorrow?” I asked.
“Elle, you still haven’t given me an answer. Will you marry me?” he asked down on one knee.
“Why do you want to marry a commoner?”
“You are far less common than you think, Elle, and that’s why I have fallen in love with you. Although, after what I saw tonight, I’m not entirely sure you feel the same way. I mean, I was sure until I saw you and Dorian together–”
“He said he knew me from some time ago,” I said, lost in thought.
“Well, you have traveled all around the Everlands with Richard. That’s the answer to that,” he concluded.
“He didn’t say he knew John; he said he knew me.” Prince Victor remained silent. “How could he have known about the dance steps for Rainy Day when I made those up?” The Prince seemed confused with my statement. “I love that melody so, that I named my favorite recipe after it in Fieldstream: Allydraitto or Aligretto, as my mother calls it. I’ve never told anybody about the melody, or the dance, or why I named the spread Aligretto. How did he know?” I continued. “I have so much to ask him.” Victor was looking at me, concerned. “It doesn’t matter anymore. He’s not coming back after hearing that you want to marry me. Now, I will never get an answer to those questions,” I said, disappointed.
“Tell me that you do not feel anything for me, and I will back away,” he offered.
I leaned my head on his shoulder and took his hand. He was right. I didn’t feel the same way as I did with Dorian a few moments back, but he was still warm and welcoming, except when he didn’t get his way and got angry – in those times, I was scared to deny him anything.
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��I just need some time to sort out my thoughts,” I said.
“That’s good enough for me,” he said. He planted a soft kiss on my lips – one I didn’t return – and then went to his chambers.
The next morning was full of excitement. Everyone was running everywhere, trying to get ready for the tournament. Flags were on display, hanging from the nearest buildings to the jousting arena. A lot of people had already lined the streets to wait for the parade of all the knights and the participating squires.
Sir Richard stopped by at dawn to discuss our techniques. So did Prince Victor, who came to wish me luck after first begging me a thousand times to sit out. The next few days would be full of tasks to test me in every way. Around noon, a small ceremony took place in which each squire and his respective knight were introduced to the public by His Majesty Prince Victor as they entered the jousting arena in pairs following the parade from the palace. After the opening ceremony, the fun began.
“Ladies and Gentlemen,” said the announcer, yelling loud enough for everyone present to hear. “The first task of this tournament will now take place. The squires must pick up saddles from the far end of the arena, run back to the start, and saddle their masters’ horses; afterwards, they must mount the horses, go around the obstacles located in the center of the arena, rescue their damsels-in-distress waiting for them at the stables, and bring them back safely after going around the same obstacles. The squire that arrives at the finish line first with his maiden will be the winner of this task.”
The trumpet sounded, and we all started racing towards the saddles. I remembered running away from the Gypsies the night when I met Valdo for the first time, and I thought how easy it was to outrun the other squires. I was the first one bringing the saddle back.
