by M. Gregg Roe
“I plan to,” replied Audrey.
She still needed for Saxloc to become her friend, but Erwin was the one she wanted to become her boyfriend.
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey was sound asleep on a sofa in the parlor that evening when the bell next to the front door began to ring. She stood up carefully, walked to the front door, opened it, and then blinked in surprise. Cinda was standing outside wearing her black cloak, but Audrey was surprised to see that she was wearing black pants and a white shirt instead of an expensive dress. She also had on black leather boots instead of nice shoes.
Cinda seemed about to say something, but she hesitated, staring wide-eyed at Audrey’s right arm in its sling. Then she smirked and said, “I finally resume my Shorinken studies, only to be informed that my nemesis is not present.”
Audrey laughed. “Nemesis—I like that. Although I wouldn’t have even known what it meant when I first came here.” She felt embarrassed as she continued, “I have been very stupid, Cinda. I pushed myself too hard and didn’t ask for help when I should have. Grasapa was here this morning lecturing me about it.” She stepped back and gestured with her left arm. “Please come in. Would you like some tea?”
“That sounds lovely,” replied Cinda as she walked in. She took off her cloak and hung it on one of the pegs in the entryway. Audrey walked through the parlor, down the hallway, and then into the kitchen with Cinda following. Audrey began making the tea and Cinda asked, “Do you not have servants here?”
“Surprisingly no. Almera told me that they used to have some, but I don’t know where they lived. There isn’t any kind of servant quarters here now.”
Cinda nodded. “I would offer to assist, Mistress Audrey, but I have never before attempted such a thing.”
“That’s okay. I can manage. But you are going to have to carry the tray to the parlor when I’m done. And please stop calling me Mistress. Just call me Audrey. Or nemesis.”
“I shall try, but I have spent the last month receiving remedial training in behaving like a proper lady. I fear that I shall soon be betrothed,” she concluded dejectedly.
Audrey felt sorry for her. “Maybe you should marry Saxloc. He sure doesn’t want to marry me.”
“I do not understand. Is your marriage arranged as well?”
Audrey sighed. “No. Well, kind of. It’s … really complicated. And embarrassing. I’ll explain after we return to the parlor.”
Cinda nodded. “I am most intrigued. I would very much like to hear how you found your way to a mansion that shames the one in which I dwell.”
“Okay. I’ll give you a tour later so that you can fully appreciate just how ridiculous this place is.”
But they never did get around to the tour. Audrey found herself explaining her history to Cinda in great detail. Only later did she wonder why she had told so much to someone that she barely knew, and who she had actually hated until recently.
Cinda found her story utterly fascinating, listening attentively and asked many questions. When Audrey finally finished, Cinda smiled and said, “Mistress Audrey, I believe that you may be the most fortunate peasant girl that has ever existed.” Cinda looked guilty. “I should not have employed the word peasant. I apologize.”
Audrey smiled and waved her left hand. “It’s fine, Cinda. I don’t mind being described as a peasant. I only mind when it’s intended as an insult. Particularly by a spoiled rich girl.”
Cinda laughed primly. “That, I fear, is a most accurate description of myself.” They both laughed and then continued to chat about a variety of things. It felt completely natural, and Audrey realized that she was forming a real friendship with Cinda. It was hard to believe; Cinda wasn’t at all the kind of person that she would have imagined becoming friends with.
Draymund and Almera finally returned from whatever social event that they had attended. Audrey nearly laughed when Cinda promptly stood up and bowed to them, addressing them as “Lord Draymund” and “Lady Almera”. Draymund actually did laugh, and then he insisted that they address him that way at breakfast the following morning. Almera told Lord Draymund he could cook his own breakfast.
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey finally finished her book.
Following their defeat, the surviving witches became less open about showing their powers and more lenient in their rule. Many witches left the city, and spell-casters began to show their faces again. Eventually, no one alive could remember having seen a witch employ her powers. The position of High Witch became mostly figurative. The title continued to be passed on from mother to daughter, but the real power now lay in a group of advisors. Most people believed that the witches had lost their powers after Andoran’s attack.
The book ended there, but Audrey knew that the current High Witch was like the old ones. Ermizad possessed real power and was the true ruler of the city.
Cinda returned that evening, and she actually screamed when Audrey took her to Draymund’s trophy room. “You are most cruel, Audrey. I shall have nightmares for days!” When Audrey showed off her own room, Cinda was appalled by how few clothes she had in her wardrobe and promptly offered to take her shopping. Audrey politely declined.
The next evening, the two of them were again sitting in the parlor, drinking tea and eating the cake that Almera had made earlier before she and Draymund went out. They heard the front door open and then Saxloc walked in, looking so tired and dirty that Audrey felt concerned. But she was also incredibly relieved. Cinda reached over and squeezed her hand. Audrey had told her how worried she was about Saxloc being gone for so long.
Audrey stood and made a quick bow. “Master Saxloc. Welcome home. How fared thee and thy companions on your noble quest?”
Saxloc looked baffled and Cinda began to giggle. “It was strange,” he said. “Very strange. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. What’s wrong with your arm?” He looked at Cinda and frowned. “Do I know you?”
Cinda stood and bowed deeply. “We have chanced to meet before, Master Saxloc, but it was many years past. I am Cinda av Louisa.” She pointed at Audrey and smiled wickedly. “Yon foolish peasant harmed herself whilst trying to retrieve an item from a lofty shelf. A wise peasant would have thought to employ a step-stool.” Audrey had been the one to come up with that particular lie to explain her injury.
Audrey tried to look imperious as she said, “Thy father and mother hast … Oh! This is just too hard, Cinda. Your parents went to a party, Saxloc.” Cinda began giggling again and Audrey soon joined her.
Saxloc shook his head and sighed. “I am too tired to deal with this. I’ll see you in the morning, Audrey.”
As he exited the parlor, Cinda called out, “Sleep well, Master Saxloc. Thy betrothed has greatly missed thine presence.”
Audrey laughed so hard that she thought she would pass out.
♦ ♦ ♦
When Audrey went down for breakfast the next morning, she found Saxloc already eating and Almera still cooking. She felt guilty that she hadn’t been able to help out lately because of her shoulder.
Saxloc looked up as she seated herself. “Just how badly did you hurt your shoulder?” he asked.
Audrey sighed. “Pretty badly. I nearly fell too. I really should have used the step-stool. I didn’t think it was that bad, and by the time I asked your father for help my shoulder had become inflamed. Now I have to keep it immobilized and take this icky-tasting medicine that your mother bought for me.” She glanced over and saw Almera’s amused smile.
Saxloc shook his head. “That was foolish. I know you’re the tallest one here, but that doesn’t mean you can reach everything. And something like that shouldn’t injure you that badly. You need to start exercising more.”
It was all Audrey could do to keep from smiling. Instead, she adopted a demure expression. “You’re right. Maybe I should start working out with you and your father.”
“Now you’re just being silly. How did you and that rich girl end up as friends?”
“We met
at the market when I was helping your mother,” she explained. It was a lie, but with an element of truth. “We ended up hitting it off, and she actually lives not far from here.” That was actually true. “But it is an unlikely friendship.” That was certainly true.
After breakfast, Saxloc described his adventure to the three of them. Audrey didn’t understand some parts of it, but it was still fascinating. The four of them had actually ended up traveling to Fog Lake. A magical cube that was sitting on the bottom of the lake led them to a series of puzzles and traps. After surviving them all, they seemed to have been returned, but they soon realized that something was wrong. They were actually in a different version of Andoran’s Realm ruled by people known as the Dark Lord Birchbark and the Dark Lady Liandra. They ended up allied with people who would normally be enemies, fighting those who should be their friends.
Audrey found it fascinating, and she really wished that she could have gone along with them. “Was there another version of me there?” she asked him.
“I didn’t meet one, but there might have been. Over there, the four of us and our parents had all been dead for a long time, so you wouldn’t have had a Saxloc to seduce.”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.” Audrey thought for a moment. “I guess that Audrey just had to marry some stupid farm boy.”
18
‡ Decisions ‡
Audrey was startled by a loud thud and looked up to see Almera standing nearby smiling. A large and thick book bound with red leather was now sitting on the other end of the table that Audrey was sitting at in the library. She had been so engrossed in a book about the gods that she hadn’t even noticed Almera come in.
Almera gestured toward the book. “This is your next reading assignment. It is a history of Andoran, and of Andoran’s Realm. There are others that are shorter, but I again chose the one that is considered to be the most accurate.”
“Okay. How many years do I have to finish it?”
Almera laughed. “It won’t take you that long. It is very wordy, but the language is much simpler than the first book I gave you. And when you are done, I will tell you about what happened to Andoran later on, and how he died.”
Audrey was delighted. “That sounds great. I’ll start reading it today.”
“Good. How is your shoulder? I noticed that you’re not wearing your sling.”
“Yes. It’s really improved because of that medicine you got me. Draymund looked at it this morning and he said I could stop using the sling and stop taking the medicine. Now I need to start exercising my shoulder and restore my flexibility. It will still be several days before I try to resume my training.”
“Good. And make sure that you start out slow.”
“I will. I can also start helping you with cooking and gardening again.”
Almera clasped her hands together with an eager look. “In that case, let’s pack up and head over to the market.”
“Okay!”
She helped Almera to pack up her wares, and the two of them soon set out. The day was overcast, cold, and blustery, but Audrey didn’t mind. The medicine had made her so drowsy that she hadn’t been out of the mansion since she started taking it. Not even to take a walk around the grounds.
Business was surprisingly good despite the weather, and Almera told her it was because few people could grow plants year round like she could. One of their customers was Grasapa, again buying some rosemary. Audrey told her that she would be restarting her lessons in a few days.
After helping Almera at the market, Audrey went to Witch’s City Clothing and bought several items of warmer clothing. She didn’t buy a warmer dress because she had decided to make one herself. They sold a deep blue worsted wool at a shop she had found, and that was what she was planning to use. The large storage closet in her room was virtually empty, and she intended to make it her sewing room. All it needed was a table, a chair, and some glow-cubes, and she could easily find what she needed in the mansion.
Audrey realized that she could also make something for Draymund and Almera. She had been wanting to give them a gift, but buying something at a shop and giving it to them seemed pointless. They could afford to buy anything they wanted at any time. But something she made herself would be unique and personal.
She could easily buy some nice fabric and use it to make a shirt for Draymund, but Almera was another matter. She either wore expensive dresses or her gardening clothing; there was nothing in between. Almera didn’t own any cheap dresses or even a skirt. Audrey couldn’t hope to make a dress anywhere as nice as the ones that Almera preferred. Then Audrey had an idea: She would make them robes. Matching robes. The only robes that she had ever seen them or Saxloc wearing were identical to the one in her wardrobe. She decided that she would make a robe for Saxloc as well. She didn’t want him to feel left out and was curious how he would react to receiving a gift from her.
Cinda no longer came over every evening, and Audrey had explained to her that she was busy during the day with her studying and helping Almera. Audrey had actually gone over to Cinda’s family’s mansion the night before. It was certainly a nice place, but there wasn’t much land, and the main house was actually smaller than the guest wing that Audrey had all to herself. It also didn’t have running water. There were indoor toilets, but they stank. It did have a separate building for the servants, and it was nice to just be able to ask for more tea or snacks and have someone instantly take care of it.
Audrey briefly met Cinda’s parents, but she got the impression that they really didn’t like her. She suspected that they resented her common origin. Cinda had two older siblings, but they had both already been forced into arranged marriages and moved out. Her brother was apparently happy with his arrangement, but her older sister was another matter. Cinda had become very evasive when Audrey tried to question her about it. That concerned her, and she mentioned it to Almera when she returned home.
♦ ♦ ♦
Over the next two days, Audrey put together her sewing room and purchased the fabric and other sewing supplies that she would need. She finished her dress design, borrowing ideas from some of Almera’s dresses, as well as others that she had seen in shops or being worn. The robe design was much easier, and she had purchased some dark green flannel to make them from, and some tan-colored flannel for the belts and accents.
Cinda still couldn’t seem to believe that Audrey was actually going to sew items of clothing herself. Cinda simply had no need for such skills. She had servants now, and she would still have them after she married. She had been extensively trained in proper etiquette and all of the other skills that the wife of a wealthy man was expected to have. Audrey really only valued practical skills, and she saw no point in most of what Cinda had been taught.
Audrey showed her designs to Cinda when she next came over to visit. Cinda liked her robe design, and she suggested added embroidered names to the robes to personalize them. Audrey thought it was an excellent suggestion even though she had no idea how to go about it. She hoped that she could find someone to do it for a reasonable price.
When Audrey showed Cinda her dress design, she looked at her in disbelief and said, “This looks designed for an old woman. It covers far too much. It even covers most of the neck. What are you thinking? You have a lovely figure, Audrey. You must display at least a portion of it. How else attract Saxloc’s or any man’s attentions?”
Audrey had spent a great deal of time on her design, and she wasn’t happy to hear her friend criticizing it so severely. She thought the design was lovely, but it was a dowdy, conservative dress similar to the ones she had left behind in Farmerton. The only time that Saxloc had really noticed what she was wearing was when he had seen her wearing her gold dress, and it displayed a great deal of skin. She had joked with Almera about wearing it all the time, but she hadn’t actually worn it since.
“You’re right,” Audrey finally admitted. “I have designed a dress for a peasant woman. It’s the kind of thing that I’ve always
worn. I’ll just have to start over.”
Cinda shook her head. “No. There is no need. Many elements of your design are quite pleasing. But the waist must be narrowed, the collar removed, and it must display décolletage. I believe that a portion of your back should be visible as well. Let us go to my home. I have a number of long dresses that you may examine.”
“Décolletage?” asked Audrey with a puzzled look.
Cinda smiled devilishly. “I believe common folk term it cleavage.”
“That is indeed how we common folk refer to it,” she said, trying to mimic Cinda’s formal speech. “Very well. Let us go hence, Mistress Cinda.”
It proved to be an eye-opening and educational experience for her. Cinda actually had more dresses than Almera, and not one of them had been purchased in a shop. Cinda’s family had their own private dressmaker! Audrey hadn’t seen very many of her friend’s dresses because Cinda had now taken to wearing what she smilingly referred to as “peasant clothing”, although no peasant could have afforded what she actually wore.
Cinda’s dresses were quite varied. Some were nearly as conservative as the design that she had criticized, but most were far more daring. It had never occurred to Audrey to cut slits in the skirt of a dress to provide glimpses of the wearer’s legs. And some of Cinda’s dresses actually had large holes cut in them to expose other areas—embarrassing areas in Audrey’s opinion. She began to blush just looking at them, but it did give her some ideas of how she could salvage her design.
♦ ♦ ♦
Five days after she had stopped wearing her sling, Audrey decided to resume her Shorinken training. She had performed stretching and strengthening exercises every day, and also practiced the relaxation exercises that Grasapa had taught her. Cinda had learned the same exercises, and the two of them sometimes practiced together.
It was a cold and rainy day when Audrey finally walked to Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy, but even that couldn’t diminish her enthusiasm. She was eager to resume her special training to become an adventurer, even more so after hearing Saxloc’s description of his last adventure.
