Audrey of Farmerton

by M. Gregg Roe

  Audrey was both startled and surprised when Siljan suddenly waved and said, “Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad! I’m back!”

  The woman stood up, smiled, and said, “Welcome home, Siljan. I want to hear all about your brother and his wife later. Welcome, everyone! We have rooms prepared for you all, and I’ve invited several of our friends to have dinner with us this evening.”

  The man stood up, and he and the woman walked straight to Audrey, making her very nervous. “You must be Saxloc’s fiancé Audrey,” she said. “I’m Sabrina and this is my husband Danj, the King of Rohoville.”

  Audrey felt all flustered. “It’s very nice to meet you. But I’m not—”

  “When are you two getting married?” asked Danj with a friendly and innocent smile.

  Audrey felt a moment of panic but then realized that this was actually an opportunity. “I can’t say,” she said loudly. “I no longer consider Saxloc to be my fiancé, and I am not his girlfriend. I’m certainly not going to hold him to the silly customs of my village.”

  Sabrina and Danj both looked surprised. Audrey quickly glanced around. Everyone looked surprised, especially Saxloc. She was relieved when Sabrina gave her a knowing smile and said, “I see.” She led Danj away, and the two of them went to speak with their daughter.

  Aliva caught Audrey’s eye and winked. Saxloc just kept staring at her with a confused expression, and it was making her uncomfortable. She was relieved when the steward returned and led them to where their rooms were located. Hankin tossed his backpack into his room and then promptly left, saying that he had some Novox business to attend to. Gabriel said that he was going to go visit someone named Milric, and Aliva was going to go see Adrian and Asria, who she apparently used to live with.

  The room was small and simply furnished, but the bed felt comfortable to her. She hung up her cloak and the clothes from her backpack and then used some water from a pitcher to wash her face. She went back into the hallway, saw that Saxloc’s door was open, and looked hesitantly inside. He was sitting on the bed frowning deeply in thought. He looked up at her but appeared at a loss for words. Finally, he asked, “Did you really just break our engagement?”

  “Yes, I did. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “Yes … but why?”

  “Why?” she asked, gesturing with both hands. “I already told you. I don’t want to marry you. I’m tired of the way you treat me most of the time. Just tell your parents to throw me out when we get back. You’ll finally be rid of me.”

  Saxloc just sat with his head down looking very confused. She noticed that he had laid out nice-looking clothing on his bed. “Do you always bring dress clothing when you go adventuring?” she asked.

  He looked up at her. “Not always, but we’re staying at the King’s castle and there’s usually a formal dinner. You should wear a dress tonight, Audrey.”

  She stared at him in disbelief. “Why would I bring a dress on a trip to Farmerton?” she demanded.

  “You didn’t bring one?”

  Audrey put her hands on her hips. “No. Why would I? I didn’t know that we would be going to a formal dinner. I didn’t even know that we were going to be staying the night here. I thought Royal Stone Thing was some kind of joke.”

  “Oh,” he said, looking disconcerted. “I guess I really should have mentioned it. I can explain the name.”

  “Aliva already did,” Audrey said forcefully. “She actually talked to me.”

  Now he looked ashamed, and Audrey was secretly happy. Saxloc stood up and his expression turned serious. “Audrey, I apologize. I should have told you. Maybe you can borrow a dress from Siljan.”

  Audrey rolled her eyes and shook her head. “We’re not the same size. I’m taller than Siljan, and I’ve got larger—”

  “All right! All right!” To her great amusement, he was waving his arms and turning red. This was turning out to be fun.

  Audrey chewed her lip as she thought. “Maybe I can buy a dress somewhere here. I would also like to see more of the city. Will you come with me, Saxloc?”

  He was clearly relieved by her suggestion. “Of course. That’s a good idea. Get your cloak and we’ll go.”

  Audrey went back to her room and couldn’t stop smiling. This wasn’t at all how she had expected things to go when she broke their engagement, but it was somehow working! Saxloc was paying attention to her instead of rejecting her, and she hadn’t even sprung her big surprise yet.

  On the way out, Saxloc asked one of the castle maids for directions to a dress shop. They walked outside and found that the weather had worsened. A bitterly cold wind was now swirling the still-falling snow. Audrey took Saxloc’s arm in hers, and he was briefly startled before shyly smiling at her.

  She was thoroughly chilled by the time they arrived at a row of shops, most of which were obviously closed. But the shop with the big sign that read “A-Dora-ble Dresses” was open. They went inside, but it didn’t look very impressive. A variety of dresses were strewn haphazardly on several mismatched tables. Audrey quickly examined one, finding the stitching and construction to be of excellent quality.

  A tall, thin figure pushed through black curtains that separated the back area of the shop and began to walk gracefully toward them. She was wearing a bright green dress with a V-neck. Her fine black hair hung down well past her shoulders, and large green eyes looked out of a long, angular face. She was grinning and showing her teeth. Audrey was startled to see that the woman was nearly as tall as she was, despite being a half-elf. She estimated her to be about thirty-years-old.

  “This is a nice surprise,” the woman said in a high-pitched voice. “I wasn’t expecting any more customers today with this weather. I’m Dora. How can I help you?”

  “I need a dress to wear to a formal dinner tonight,” answered Audrey.

  Dora tilted her head. “Tonight, so no time for any major alterations. Come on back so I can see what you actually look like.” She turned and walked away. Audrey nodded at Saxloc and followed Dora to the back and through the curtains. There was a changing area with a mirror to the left and a desk and chair to the right underneath stairs leading upward. The desk was strewn with papers.

  Audrey took off her cloak and hung it on a peg. “My name is Audrey. I like the name of your shop.”

  Dora grinned. “Thank you! My name is actually Radora, but I like Dora better. I know it’s kind of cold in here, but go ahead and strip down. Then I can figure out if I have anything that will fit you.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  Dora continued to ask questions as Audrey disrobed. “Is that your husband you’re with?”

  “No. He’s just a friend.”

  “Where are you going to dinner?”

  “At the castle.” Audrey couldn’t bring herself to say “Royal Stone Thing”.

  “Ooh. You must be important. Keep going. Everything.” Audrey had stopped after stripping to her underclothes, but she reluctantly complied.

  “I’m not important. Some of the people I’m traveling with are. One of them is the daughter of the King and Queen.”

  “Princess Siljan?” Dora was now circling her and examining her closely with a look of concentration.

  “Uh … yes. I guess she is. I’ve never heard anyone call her that.”

  “Wait here and I’ll go see what I can find,” Dora told her.

  As she waited for Dora to return, Audrey began to shiver, so she wrapped herself in her cloak. Through the curtains, she could hear Dora and Saxloc talking, but not well enough to understand them.

  Dora returned with two dresses—one light blue and one dark red. She had Audrey put on the blue one first, but it was too tight in places. The red one fit her remarkably well. It was lower cut in the front than the dresses she usually wore, but not nearly as much as her gold one.

  “That’s the one,” said Dora with a smile. “Take it off and I’ll wrap it up for you.”

  “Okay. It’s a very nice design. And warm too.”

  Dora showed her te
eth. “Thanks. I made it myself.”

  “Oh. Well, you’re very good. How much is it?”

  “Thirty silver. Is that a problem?”

  “It shouldn’t be, but just leave the dress back here for now and play along when we go back out there.”

  Dora gave her a curious look, commenting, “This should be interesting.”

  They walked back out into the front area where Saxloc was standing, looking bored.

  “I found a really nice dress,” Audrey told him sadly. “But it’s thirty silver and she won’t bargain.” She noted Dora now sporting a stern expression.

  “That’s not that much,” he said. “Don’t my parents give you money?”

  Audrey frowned at him. “Your mother pays me a little when I help her sell at the market, but that’s it. It would take me months to earn that much.”

  “Uh … I didn’t know that. I’ll pay for the dress, Audrey. It’s my fault for not telling you that you would need one here.”

  Dora nodded and then went to get the dress.

  Saxloc looked at her and asked, “You never asked my parents for money?”

  “No,” she lied, remembering having to ask for money to pay her tuition. “Why would I? And I need to save what little I have. I’m no longer your fiancé. Now I’m just an uninvited guest. I’m going to have to move out when we get back, and it’s expensive to live in the Witch’s City.”

  Saxloc just stood staring at her, looking so baffled that she felt a little guilty. Dora returned and handed the bundled dress to her. Saxloc quickly counted out the money and gave it to Dora.

  “Thank you for your business!” Dora called out as they exited the shop.

  Audrey took Saxloc’s arm and they walked back to the castle in silence through the swirling snow.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Audrey laid down for a while to rest after their shopping trip. When she got up, she spent considerable time brushing out and styling her hair before donning her new dress. She put on the leather shoes that she had brought with her. They didn’t look great, but they were better than wearing her boots.

  There was a knock on her door, and she opened it to see Saxloc and Gabriel standing in the hallway. Saxloc was wearing his fancy clothing, but Gabriel’s white shirt and brown pants looked somewhat old and worn. Gabriel’s face promptly began turning red and Saxloc smiled. Audrey held out her left arm and Saxloc smoothly took it with his right. Gabriel looked surprised, but then smiled at both of them and led the way to the dining hall downstairs. Once there, he excused himself and went to talk with King Danj.

  There were already a number of people in the large hall. Red and blue banners were draped from the high wood-beamed ceiling. The walls displayed several large paintings, each depicting what looked like a dwarf warrior fighting dragons and other fearsome creatures. Audrey remembered that the town was actually named for a dwarf, which meant that the paintings must all depict Roho.

  Siljan was wearing a form-fitting, long black dress, and Audrey thought she looked good in it. But Siljan promptly hiked up her skirt and ran over to them in a decidedly unladylike manner. She eyed the two of them, looked Audrey up and down, and then narrowed her eyes. “You have got to be kidding!” she exclaimed. “Now you two are a couple?”

  Saxloc looked embarrassed, and Siljan kept staring at them. Audrey was starting to feel nervous, but she smiled and said, “Saxloc is just being polite and showing me around. We are not a couple.”

  Saxloc reacted with surprise, which secretly thrilled her. “Beat it, Saxloc,” ordered Siljan. “I want to talk with Audrey.” Saxloc frowned, but he let go of her arm and walked off.

  “Nice dress, Audrey,” Siljan taunted. “Did Draymund and Almera buy it for you?”

  Audrey narrowed her eyes and stared. “No. Saxloc did earlier today. He had to because I couldn’t afford it.”

  “What are you talking about?” she scoffed. “You live with an incredibly wealthy family. Saxloc says you have his parents completely fooled.”

  Audrey was getting angry. “Then Saxloc lied. Almera is my friend, and she and her husband have both been good to me. But I don’t go around asking them to buy me things. That’s not who I am.”

  Siljan didn’t look like she believed her, so Audrey continued. “We went out to buy a dress because Saxloc hadn’t told me I would need a dress for this trip. He didn’t tell me that we would be staying here in Rohoville. He doesn’t tell me anything. He rarely talks to me. I had no idea that your parents were the rulers of Rohoville.”

  “Really?” she asked, clearly startled.

  “Yes.” Audrey folded her arms and continued staring.

  Siljan sighed and pursed her lips. “Now I’m not sure what to believe. I need to talk with Gabriel about this. But let me make something clear: Saxloc is my friend. You hurt him before. If you hurt him again, then I’ll make sure you spend the rest of your life in that sad little village you come from.”

  “Siljan, if I hurt him like that again, I’ll gladly let you. I broke the engagement to set Saxloc free. To set both of us free. What he chooses to do now is up to him. But I have not given up.”

  Audrey wondered to herself if she really meant that. Things were definitely not going according to plan, and she was now ad-libbing.

  To her great relief, Siljan smiled and said, “Well okay then, that’s clear enough,” before turning and walking away.

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Before dinner, Audrey met several people who she had only heard about previously. Asria was a brassy and full-figured woman who was the head priestess of the Temple of Dukane in Rohoville. Her husband Adrian was tall and thin, with a graying pointed beard and a mischievous smile. He taught magic for a living, and the two of them told her that they had a daughter named Alinda.

  Branwyn was a thin, nervous-looking half-elf with long blond hair, and she was the head priestess of the Temple of Arwon. Her husband Milric—a serious and quiet man—was Captain of the Rohoville City Guard. They were both friendly and chatted with her for a while, telling her about their daughter Valwyn. Audrey was surprised to find out that they were both former adventuring companions of Almera and Draymund.

  She found herself seated between Danj and Saxloc at a long table. Asria was sitting directly across from her, next to her husband. Hankin had sent word that he couldn’t make dinner, and Aliva had gone to visit some friends. The food was all excellent, and Audrey was surprised when Sabrina said that she had supervised the cooks herself.

  When the meal was over, Saxloc immediately left the table and Danj began to talk to her. He talked about his very first adventure, in which he had killed a lion single-handedly. He was a terrible storyteller, and many of the names he mentioned meant nothing to her. But she was surprised to learn that Grasapa had been one of his companions. They must have known one another for a long time.

  Audrey began to desperately look around; Danj just wouldn’t stop talking! Saxloc was off speaking with Gabriel. Adrian and Asria could see her plight, but they just seemed to think it was funny. Sabrina finally interrupted her husband, allowing Audrey to excuse herself and bolt from the table.

  Siljan had now joined Gabriel and Saxloc. Audrey walked up to them and Saxloc said, “Congratulations, Audrey! You survived Danj’s storytelling. Now you’re one of us.”

  Siljan scowled. “Ha! This is only the beginning. He’s only got a few stories, but he keeps telling them over and over. You have no idea how many times I’ve heard them all.”

  Siljan took her by the arm and said, “I need to talk with Audrey.” As the two of them walked away to a far corner, she noticed Gabriel and Saxloc leaving the dining hall.

  Audrey yanked her arm away and asked, “What now, Siljan?”

  “I’ve been talking to people,” Siljan said, her expression surprisingly serious. “Saxloc has been saying all kinds of bad things about you. To everyone. But I focused on Gabriel. He said that he initially believed Saxloc, but then he changed his mind. Then he kept just going along with w
hatever Saxloc said. I grilled him about it, but he wouldn’t tell me why. Well?”

  Audrey hesitated. “Uh … I guess it doesn’t matter now. Almera was the one that changed Gabriel’s mind. I was there. She told him not to tell Saxloc, and later she talked to Medea.”

  Siljan scrunched up her face. “Hmm … I guess that would explain it. Gabriel might disobey Almera, but not his mother. I wish I could talk with Almera and ask her what the hell she was thinking.”

  “I didn’t really understand it either. That was only a few days after I had arrived.”

  Siljan pointed a finger and said, “I still don’t trust you. You’re up to something.” Then she turned and walked away.

  Audrey waited a while before returning to her room. She was indeed up to something, but Siljan would never guess what it was. None of them would.

  26

  ‡ Attack ‡

  Sabrina had a hearty breakfast prepared for the six of them the following morning. Siljan showed up irritable and looking half-asleep. Apparently, her mother had to forcibly drag her out of bed. Aliva looked exactly the same as the previous day, and Audrey wondered how long it took to apply her deceptive makeup. She had also noticed other people giving Aliva strange looks, including Sabrina.

  Gabriel and Hankin were friendlier, but Saxloc was more distant and still seemed confused. She resolved to be patient. It was still an improvement over how he had treated her for most of the time that she had lived in the mansion.

  After breakfast, everyone donned their travel gear and they walked to the ferry landing under an overcast sky. Audrey remembered the man who worked at the ferry, and she watched as he hesitantly approached Aliva and said, “I don’t know if you remember me, but I used to have a huge crush on you and I’m afraid I made rather a fool of myself.”