The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set

by Sharon Ricklin Jones

  “I’m having my first fencing lesson after breakfast, and then later I promised Kelsey to help with her unpacking. She’s moving into the suite right upstairs from ours.”

  Royal cleared his throat as Kelsey came back into the room with coffee and juice for everyone, and Kelsey sat to my right. Steven and Barbara Lee were on her right, and Royal was beside his sister. I noticed that he lingered longer than usual after his plate was clean; he sipped his juice slowly and even poured himself another full glass. A short time later Steven and Barbara Lee left two empty chairs between Kelsey and Royal, and I was more than shocked when he slid over and sat directly next to her. He cleared his throat again, and I had to look straight ahead to keep from gawking at him as he asked her, “What time would you like me to meet you?”

  “Excuse me?” Kelsey asked as she turned toward him.

  I peeked around her to watch their exchange and saw that he looked so embarrassed; he was about ready to take flight.

  “I said - what time would you like me to meet you?” His voice was clear enough the first time – anxious, but clear, and his eyes were huge with uncertainty.

  “No, I heard you, but I’m confused. Meet me where?” she asked.

  “You know, to help move your boxes and such. You do plan to move into your new place today, don’t you?” There was still a bit of shakiness in his voice, but he no longer looked like he was about to flee.

  “Oh, yes. I have a few boxes packed already. I stayed up late last night. I was too excited to sleep.” She twisted her head back to me and smiled. “I spent the evening with Lizzy.” When she turned back toward Royal, her slight movement sent her hair swinging, and I noticed for the first time that she wore a lovely perfume that smelled of roses and violets.

  “I know,” he said, gazing at her, entranced.

  “How would you know that?” I couldn’t see the look on her face but by the way she moved her head forward, I assumed she was puzzled.

  I smiled to myself, remembering her departure from my room.

  “I saw you pass the upper library. You looked…different.” He tilted his head to the side as though he was studying her, “You still look different. Is it your hair?”

  I covered my mouth then to keep from giggling out loud. He was seriously enchanted by her, but it seemed to have very little to do with her actual looks. I had seen a drastic difference with the clothing, hair and makeup, and all he knew was that there was something different. He seemed genuine about it too.

  “Yes, Lizzy helped me with my hair. I’m still not used to it flying all around so free, but I do think it looks better.” She shook her head back and forth causing her hair to swing about.

  “It looks very nice,” Royal said with as much confidence as I had heard thus far in his voice.

  “Why, thank you, Royal. I didn’t think anyone would take notice.” She looked down at her plate. It seemed she was a bit flustered by his attention.

  “I’ve been meaning to say something to you about that,” he said. “I have noticed you. And I’m really looking forward to helping you later on. I have something I’d like to discuss with you, once we get you moved. If that’s alright with you?”

  Kelsey looked dumbfounded as his words sank in and she held her fork midway between her plate and her mouth like a still picture, staring at it. She peeked back at me for a short moment, her eyes wide and incredulous, blinked twice, and turned her head back to Royal. “You’ve noticed me?” she whispered. “I’m...flattered, quite frankly. I guess we can talk later, if you like.”

  Royal stood, sending his chair flying backwards. “Good. Then I’ll meet you in your quarters in about an hour.” He left abruptly giving the appearance of someone who was afraid his plans would fizzle out if he said one more word about it.

  Kelsey turned to me and grinned. She touched my arm and said, “You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”

  I stuffed a bite of waffle into my mouth and nodded. “Mm-hm.”

  * * *

  I stood at our window watching the rain falling straight down in sheets. Every now and again the thunder would give a loud crack and boom, rattling the windowpane. “I guess this means we won’t be going outside for my lesson?” I asked rhetorically. I felt the dampness slipping in through the one-inch crack in the open window and I pulled it down tight. The wind had shifted and was now blowing the rain every which way, and Emrys went around the suite closing the rest of the windows.

  I heard a loud thud on the ceiling, and the sound of something being dragged along the floor. “I wonder how it’s going up there,” I called. “Do you think we should offer our help?”

  I was still staring out the window watching the nasty weather when Emrys returned to the living room and said, “No, they have plenty of help. Barbara Lee and Steven are up there too. I overheard them offer earlier and Kelsey took them up on it.

  Besides, we need to get started. We will have to use the indoor fencing arena downstairs. Are you quite ready?”

  I was wearing my black yoga pants and a white tank top, and had pulled my hair back into a ponytail. When I turned to face Emrys, I saw he was dressed in an all-white and somewhat tight-fitting outfit, and in his hand he held a mesh facemask and a pair of gloves.

  “Sweet wife, do you not recall that we must dress properly? Your things are in the closet. Please get them on.” He seemed a little impatient with my absentmindedness, but he kept his voice low as he looked into my eyes with a glimmer of restraint.

  I dressed quickly and rejoined him in the kitchen area. He stood near the microwave just as it beeped. He pulled out a glass and handed it to me, saying, “Here, you shall need to drink this for added strength. I plan to work you hard! Fencing is not easy. It exercises both your mind and your body. You must develop strength, balance, coordination, dexterity, and fitness.” He paused, eyeing me closely. “How does your uniform fit you?”

  “It seems to be fine,” I said, bending at the knees, surprised at the way the pants felt. Everything was quite comfortable, and even though the outfit was lined with protective materials, they were lightweight and stretchable. The shoes looked exactly like very expensive tennis shoes, although I was told they had a forefoot armor to protect against épée attacks. Personally, I felt ridiculous, but didn’t say so out loud.

  “But you look quite sexy!” Emrys leered at me, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

  “Don’t go getting any crazy ideas, I just got changed!” I said with a grin.

  We gathered up our equipment and headed out to begin my first fencing lesson. After closing the door behind us, Emrys glanced at me and said, half-warning, “This is going to be hard work, but I hope to make it enjoyable for you too. I have not had the chance for quite some time now, but before I left for the States, Gavin and I met regularly for fencing duels. I may be a bit out of practice.”

  “To be honest with you, I wouldn’t know the difference,” I admitted.

  “Well, to begin with we will undertake the art of fencing using foils and sabres and then épées.” I was quite sure that my face hid nothing from him; I had no idea what he was saying.

  He smiled at me and tried to explain, “In foil and sabre, opponents are governed by rules which include target areas, ability to stab or slash, and right of way - basically taking turns. And épée is more like sword fighting, in that there is no target area and no right of way rules; however, épée is for stabbing only. In time, I would also like to teach you Kendo, which is Japanese sword fighting.”

  “Sword fighting?” I asked as we made our way down the hallway toward the stairs.

  “Of course,” Emrys stated. “Fencing will teach you the finer points in blade-work and footwork. In a real sword fight anything goes and the goal is to kill your opponent.”

  I couldn’t hide my shiver as my mind immediately traveled to the battle between Ambrose and Idris. I wondered if this is how Rohan would be taken care of and who would do it.

  Would there be an actual duel? Or would the
y simply sneak up on him when he least expected it?

  As we continued down the steps to the first floor, making our way along one of the many hallways, and finally into a long, narrow room, I continued to imagine horrible and bloody scenarios that would put an end to Rohan.

  “You must try harder to stop worrying about such things, Elizabeth,” Emrys mumbled wearily under his breath. He turned to me suddenly cheery, and said, “Come, and let us begin with some stretches, shall we?”

  I followed him to the mat and did everything that he asked of me, but the only way I could stop thinking those thoughts, was to sing songs over and over in my head. After stretching my muscles - some of which I didn’t know existed, we stepped over to the wooden floor. There, we did a lot of knee bending and jumping, and then on to weight shifting and releasing: full steps, half steps, side steps, and jumps. Eventually we switched to our arms: swinging them forward and back, bending, straightening and extending and finally, we got to the coordinating of arms and legs together. Of course, during each step of the way, Emrys explained the terminology of each movement; lunge, parry, en garde and prêt, and many other French words I was sure to mispronounce.

  Finally, after hours of practice, I was not only physically exhausted, but mentally as well. By the end of our first day, I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to see another lesson or hear another French word.

  “It will get easier. You shall see.” Emrys hugged me. “You did very well for a beginner. Very well, indeed.” He gently tugged my ponytail, and, as exhausted as I was, my only response was a quick nod.

  * * *

  Refreshed from my shower and another small glass of sweet nectar, I insisted that we go upstairs to see how Kelsey was doing. After a bit of coaxing, Emrys finally agreed – but not until I promised we wouldn’t stay too long.

  Kelsey greeted us at the door with a happy yelp. “Lizzy, Master Emrys, come in, please! Look, Lizzy, we’ve got all my books unpacked. I absolutely love my new home! Come, sit down, and relax.”

  What a difference between this bubbly girl and the meek one I first met only days ago. It was a joy to see her blooming. As we stepped in I was pleasantly surprised to find that Royal was still with her, and he greeted us with a friendly “Hello” and told us that they had unpacked most of her boxes already.

  “How did your first fencing lesson go?” Kelsey asked.

  We sat across from Royal on a powder blue sofa; he in a similar but smaller one, forcing Kelsey to sit next to him. I couldn’t stop thinking about how cozy they looked together, but Emrys interrupted my thoughts with a gentle hand to my knee, giving it a firm squeeze.

  “Elizabeth did quite well. I do believe she will grasp the finer points of the duel in no time at all.” He sounded proud of me, but I got his personal hint to let my matchmaker ideas go, and I brushed his hand away softly.

  “My dear husband boasts without enough proof. I’m exhausted, to say the least. This fencing game is so intense. I’m a bit out of shape for all the lunging required, and all the muscles in my legs are sore and bruised!” I smiled ruefully at him, not wanting him to feel too rejected by my swift brush-off, but he knew I was being truthful about the bruising, and he knew he had squeezed a tad harder than necessary. Sometimes his ability to read my mind came in quite handy.

  He turned toward the young couple, ignoring my latest snarky thoughts and asked, “Do you have everything moved in now?”

  Royal gave a quick answer, “Yes, sir. We finished just before you arrived. Kelsey didn’t have that many boxes, and we did have some help; my sister and her intended gave us a hand.

  Kelsey looked embarrassed at the mention of her lack of material goods, but before she could say anything I chimed in, “Well, that’s something we’ll be taking care of soon. We’ll be going shopping tomorrow, won’t we Kelsey?” I glanced around the room, realizing the only thing she needed was probably more in the way of personal items. Just as in our quarters, nothing was lacking: comfortable furniture, tables, lamps, even beautiful artwork on the walls. I assumed the kitchen was stocked with necessary items as well.

  “I don’t require much,” Kelsey said shaking her head. “It seems this place comes equipped with more than enough.”

  “Well, regardless of what you require, there are things you want, aren’t there?” Royal beat me to it. I had been thinking the same thing.

  I tapped my knee to Emrys’ knee. I knew he felt my touch and my thought at the same time.

  See? He is concerned about her desires!

  I saw a look emerge upon Kelsey’s face very slowly; a look of awareness of something developing deep in her own mind, although I was sure the men took no notice of it. She shrugged her shoulders in silent answer.

  Emrys all but ignored me and my silent observations as he leaned forward and stated, “Well, then it is settled. We shall all take a day trip to London tomorrow for a real shopping spree. Royal, have the car ready by nine sharp. Kelsey, your job is to make a list of....whatever it is that you need.” Turning to me he added, “Elizabeth, I do believe you wanted to purchase a new bed covering set for our room as well.”

  “Yes, that would be great. Maybe we could stop for lunch at one of your favorite places, and you can introduce me to some savory new dishes!” More than anything else, I had been thinking about the possibility of skipping my fencing lesson. He was no fool though, and would have caught on to my ruse even if I had succeeded in blanking out my mind.

  With a sly wink he said, “Of course, my darling wife. That is a grand idea, and that will still give us plenty of time for a late afternoon lesson; I know you would not want to miss it!” The sarcasm oozed out of him like sap from a tree.

  “Lovely,” I said in a monotone voice while placing my hand on his knee. I squeezed as hard as I could. He never even flinched.

  Kelsey sat up straight. “A list?” She looked excited and intimidated all at once.

  “I can help you figure things out…that is… if you wish.” Royal spoke haltingly, nerves still on edge.

  “Sure, I could use some help, I guess.” She smiled and nodded agreeably.

  He responded with a grin and then turned toward Emrys suddenly and asked, “Sir, may I have a word with you?”

  I felt a tiny quake in my chest; he was finally going to ask permission! They went into the outer hallway, latching the door behind them with a clack. Kelsey looked at me and a deep crease appeared between her eyebrows. “What is that all about?” she whispered breathlessly.

  I shrugged in false ignorance and hoped my face didn’t betray me. “Who knows? Maybe he’s worried about his new driving job.”

  We chatted for a while about what new clothes and things we could shop for the next day and which restaurants we could stop at for lunch. I was surprised to hear that Kelsey rarely went to London; her usual place to shop was in Folkestone, a much smaller town.

  Finally, we heard the door open and were joined by the men. Royal had a look of determination on his face, one I had not seen before. I knew without a doubt, tonight was the night he would ask Kelsey to turn him. I also knew by the look of subdued but definitive authority on Emrys’ face that he had reminded Royal of the rules, and it was clear the rest of the young man’s intentions would have to be put on hold, at least for now. I silently reminded Emrys of how I felt about the rules, and I put in another request for him to call a meeting to get some of the antiquated ones changed.

  Emrys sat beside me on the sofa and took my hand, bent closer, brushing my cheek with his lips, and whispered into my ear, “All in good time, my love. All in good time.” His breath sent electrical shivers down my neck which conjured up much more intimate images in my mind that had nothing whatsoever to do with rules and regulations.

  Suddenly he looked at his watch, stood, drew me to my feet, and said, “And now, we shall leave you two, as we have another engagement to attend to this afternoon.”

  I saw his subtle look change quickly from one only I would recognize - to one that was more busin
esslike.

  I didn’t even have to pretend to know what he was talking about. I knew exactly what engagement he had in mind.

  * * *

  We slept through dinner - more or less, and decided to have soup and salad for our evening meal in the privacy of our room. Emrys offered to go down to the kitchen and retrieve a few items, but I wasn’t quite sure exactly what I was hungry for, so I accompanied him. It had been my original intention to make my husband a meal on my own, but our small refrigerator seemed to lack some of the necessary ingredients.

  As we rummaged through the gigantic walk-in fridge off of the kitchen, picking out fresh vegetables and tomatoes for our salads, my eyesight suddenly went black and my personal screen turned on. I saw a small stone cottage on a hillside and the vast dark ocean heaving restlessly in the background. The sky hung gray, dull and filled with dark clouds. The ground around the cottage was dusted with snow, and far in the distance came the hoot of an owl. Through the cottage window, I saw the silhouette of a dark-haired woman bent over the fireplace. Glancing up, I noticed smoke and sparks rising out of the chimney. Burnt embers floated freely and fluttered about like lucent butterflies, finally landing in the snow, tainting the milky whiteness with black smudges. I shivered from the chill, both in the vision and in real life, and then a warm hand rested on my arm.

  “Elizabeth?”

  I blinked several times before my husband’s face came into clear view. “Yes?”

  “Another vision?” he asked, staring into my eyes, warming me immediately. “Ah, that was Sibelle’s cottage in the Hebrides. I had not mentioned it to you yet, but I plan on taking you there - this winter.”

  “I gathered that by the snow. Why in the winter though? Wouldn’t it be nicer to take a trip before the snow flies?” I picked up a tomato and placed it in the bowl already filled with cucumbers and green peppers. I was thankful that Priscilla was so efficient; most of the ingredients we needed were already washed and cut into pieces.