Chapter 3
In addition to the novel this book has a coloring pages in the back for the ultimate cozy experiance. Find it on Amazon
Rain pitter-pattered on the silken canopies draped above the courtyard of the castle to protect the lines of partygoers that were snaking their way through the grounds and across the drawbridge.
You couldn’t just enter the party without first running the gambit of the receiving line. I spent a lot of time looking up at the brightly colored patterns of the silk while we waited. Fairies had never learned the concept of minimalism in décor, so there was always something interesting to look at.
As bright as the silks and patio were, the interior of the castle was a matching splendor of color. Bright tapestries hung on every wall, the statues were painted with brilliant colors, and everything was lit by a shimmering rainbow of lights that swirled about the room. The guests were similarly sparkling, dressed in every color of the rainbow and accented by jewels.
I was chatting with Emma as we approached the reception line, so engrossed in conversation that I was surprised to hear my mother say, “And this is my eldest daughter, Winifred. Winifred, this is our newest Knight Errant.”
I turned hurriedly, pushing a wayward stand of hair from my face. I could hardly believe we were already meeting the new Knight Errant.
“Larkin!” I said, feeling the blush flood up from my neck into my face. Flushing at moments like this made it far worse, and I’m sure I turned even redder. What I wouldn’t give to have a darker complexion.
Larkin had been in the same university hall as I had, and he’d been the captain of my dueling club. There had been a lot of flirting in that club- at least, he and I had done a lot of flirting in it.
“Lady Gaveston,” he said, giving a slight bow of the head with grating formality. I noticed the smile playing at his lips, belying his best efforts to look serious.
I popped out a hip and cocked my head, staring at him through slit eyes. “They must have needed to scrape to the bottom of the barrel for you to have become our Knight Errant,” I said, unsuccessfully attempting to keep a straight face as well.
My mom must not have gotten that we were sparring playfully, or perhaps she understood my sarcastic banter all too well, because she looked utterly scandalized. Bonus points.
Larkin and I both broke into wide grins and hugged each other. My mother looked even more shocked, as did most of the people around us. Extra super bonus points. I returned to a more formal stance a moment later, aware that nearly the whole hall was watching us now.
It wasn’t my fault their gossip circles hadn’t picked up on the fact that we would have been in the same building in school at the same time. Seriously, how could they have missed that? More to the point, how could he have come here and not have told me? Likely because he’d thought it would be funny, I realized. I’d have to find some way to punish him for that later.
“Mother, this is Larkin. Sir Larkin Pearson, now, I guess,” I said, grinning at him again.
“This is the one you snuck out of school with to capture the medusa, am I right?” my mother said. I could swear that pride was in my mother’s voice.
Apparently, my mother’s approval could still make me feel warm inside. Go figure!
I nodded as my mother curtseyed again before introducing my sister, father, and overly enthusiastic brother. He loved the story about my adventure with Larkin hunting the medusa and probably knew it by heart.
“Thank you for your efforts in teaching our Winifred how to duel,” my father said. “It’s too bad she didn’t apply herself more.”
“She did okay,” Larkin said carefully.
Truthfully, I’d ranked 11th out of 400 students, good enough to get serious employment-hunting dangerous criminals and creatures as a reeve or errant, but I hadn’t wanted one of those jobs. Thankfully, Larkin apparently remembered that I didn’t want my parents to know how well I’d performed. This was not the time for that piece of information to come out.
“Yes, but ‘okay’ is the song of the mediocre. At least she seems to do well enough with passion fruits and elderflowers,” Father said as he smiled at me. “At least she seems to be doing well enough following in our family’s footsteps.”
“She’s always been good at baking. Used to make the most delicious mess in the school kitchens at midnight. I think the maids would have wrung her neck if they’d ever caught her,” Larkin said.
My mother introduced Larkin to our familiars a bit late. Clearly, my little reunion had thrown her off her manners. Our family worked for the Pixies. Well, sort of- it was complicated. The familiars typically outranked their witches, even if they chose to play the wallflower most of the time.
“We should let you greet the other guests,” my mother said, starting to move forward.
“Wait one moment. If you don’t mind, I might need your family’s help showing me around and introducing me,” Larkin said.
“Of course,” my mother agreed. “Winifred will be happy to introduce you to our clients.” She looked happy at the thought of me acting as a type of hostess for the newest Knight Errant. “She can start now by helping you get to know everyone here.”
My face flushed even more as my family left me with Larkin.
Noreen climbed on my shoulder to prevent herself from being stepped on.
“Interesting,” she said. “Your mother seems to have decided that your old friend is a good match for you.”
I snorted and was about to retort, but Noreen had been my confidant since I was 5. She knew my past as well as I did. When Larkin had graduated two years ahead of me, he’d been assigned a post in Scotland. When I graduated, I returned home to apprentice in the family business. Our responsibilities had kept us apart, and now here he was. The thought of spending my days with him made my heart race.
But now, a new problem would replace the old. It would potentially be his job to try and arrest my mother’s more interesting moonraker half of the family. I sighed inwardly. Why couldn’t things just be simple?
“Winifred!”
I felt a tug on my robes and looked down to see one of the younger pixie princes, an earth red hedgehog in dark black, without much adornment.
Mugdel had never really felt the need to show off. He was the thirtieth child, so his actual social rank wasn’t much more than mine, if not possibly less.
I tapped Larkin on the arm and introduced him.
“Mugdel, this is Knight Errant Larkin. Sir Knight, may I introduce Prince Mugdel.” They inclined their heads, as it was a polite gesture.
“Winifred, are you still making those black sesame truffles?” Mugdel asked, his voice hopeful.
“I am. Would you like me to deliver some to you tomorrow?” I asked.
“A hundred,” he said. “I’m having a few friends over, and I was also thinking…” Mugdel’s voice trailed off as his brother stepped in between us.
Prince Therot, the future king of the pixies, loomed over me. He had enough power to remain in any form he wished. He preferred to lord it over people as a seven-foot-tall man preparing to lead his kingdom into a nightmare realm of incompetence.
“Prince Therot,” I curtsied, ready to introduce him to Larkin.
“I’d like red wine,” he said coolly, clearly mistaking me for one of the servants. He was clearly assuming that he could cut in line, despite the fact that his brother had just asked me for something.
If I were a servant, I’d like to think I would have taken his brother’s order first rather than letting him cut in.
“None of that French crap either. I don’t want something a lutin would have pissed on in the fields. Bring me something from farther east, where wine was invented.”
French fairies took pride in the farms of their land. There was no way they would foul the grapes. Not only was he an idiot, but a bigot, as well.
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying my best not to grit my teeth. He might be an ass, but he was a princely one.
“I’m Lady Gaveston,” I said, giving him a polite smile that cost me my good humor. Luckily, I was good at hiding my distaste.
Therot squinted at me as if trying to recall how to do complicated calculus.
“Ah yes,” he remarked. Without another word, he turned and left before even acknowledging the new Knight.
“Sorry about that,” Mugdel said. “He’s been…”
The little prince looked around for a second, then *pop!* grew into his human form. A sandy blond boy emerged, with a much rounder face than his skinny frame should have. He looked around conspiratorially, as if we weren’t surrounded by a crowd of onlookers who could all see exactly what we were doing. He leaned in to whisper into my ear.
“He’s been going to the goblin market and the mundane’s city to get drunk nearly every night now. I’m worried.” He paused and looked around. “We’re worried he might be doing something far worse. He disappeared for a few nights two weeks ago, and– ”
Mugdel paused midsentence, clearly not wanting to spill all his family secrets.
Great. Just what we needed, the future ruler of the kingdom to be high as a kite in the spring and hanging out in the Goblin Market. My family and Noreen’s nobility was attached to his kingdom, for crying out loud!
“I don’t know what to say, Mugdel. That’s not good.” I put my hand on his arm. “What can I do?”
“Bring me a hundred black sesame truffles and a lovely chocolate cake. That, at least, will take my mind off what is sure to be a disaster,” he said with his lovely, warm smile. “You can do that for me, can’t you?”
I assured him I could, and he went away with his spirits a bit brighter.
We stood in the receiving line for another hour while I whispered amusing facts about people in Larkin’s ear as he shook hands and exchanged polite greetings. It was dull, but I liked it better than I would have mingling on my own with the masses, or, more likely, hiding in the library.
Finally, the line dwindled to nothing, and I turned to Larkin.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” I asked him fiercely.
“I only got the appointment two days ago,” he said. “It was easier just to surprise you. If it hadn’t been for the formal introductions, I might have snuck up behind you to play guess-who.”
“So you were hoping to get clobbered,” I said, smiling sweetly. I was only too aware that there were people still watching us.
He smiled back. “It would be nice to spar with you again.”
I grinned and looked at him through my lashes. “I don’t think it would be a good idea for me to smush the new Knight so publicly.”
“Shall we repair to the garden and find out if you could?” he asked, offering me his arm.
“Perhaps later. We should settle for a dance for now,” I said, taking his arm. There was an actual rule that one couldn’t refuse a dance offer at a social gathering, a holdover from the Elizabethan Era. The trick was to ask people you wanted to dance with as quickly as possible, and then stick with them, or else you could end up being stuck dancing all night with ingrates like the Prince. Larkin was by far my best option.
“I still haven’t mastered dancing at balls,” he said, as I took his arm and led me onto the dance floor. “I swear I somehow manage to step on my feet and theirs at the same time.”
“More suave talk like that, and my heart might just melt,” I told him. My heart was racing as we walked out onto the dance floor, arm in arm, tingles running up and down my spine. Larkin always had that effect on me, and I wondered if he was one of the wizards that had a special relationship with electricity. It was probably just me.
Larkin hadn’t attended many balls, only a few at university. Yet, he had a skill at following rhythm that had come from years of battling with wands and swords and a raw passion that wasn’t normally appropriate at these types of settings.
However, Knights got a pass because of their background, most being commoners. Many of the dancers stopped to watch him. I had no illusions that they were paying any attention to me. My skills on the dance floor were matched by most of the women here.
“You made Knight Errant much sooner than most,” I said.
“I helped track and slay a nine-headed troll. That put me on the fast track,” he said with a grin.
“A troll?” I raised my eyebrows. If it had been anyone but Larkin, I would have said they were lying.
“It’s classified. Let’s just say the Fee aren’t the only creatures trying to make inroads into England.” He executed a perfect figure eight and smiled.
Trolls were returning? That was worrisome.
He spun me around, my outer dress floating up like tissue, yet my inner dress clattered a little around my legs, weighed down by potions, food, and knives.
I noticed that Noreen had vanished, likely to find some dark corner of the library, or perhaps she’d braved the garden despite the threatening rain.
Dances at balls like this could continue for more than 30 minutes, allowing people plenty of time to conspire, for such conspiracies were often part and parcel for those attending such events. Nearly everyone was whispering into each other’s ears. There were a lot of knowing smiles and dangerous glances.
We were a little more than halfway through the dance when I noticed a conspirator I hadn’t been expecting. It was my Grandfather Elric. He was chatting in the corner with a pixie, a Fareesee, and a Margot. They all laughed, but their eyes were scanning the room at the same time. The latter part wasn’t unusual per se, but they were far less playful and more casual with their glances than usual. I craned my neck to watch him, worried something terrible would happen.
“Who are they?” Larkin asked, an eyebrow raised.
I sighed, knowing I should have been more casual with my glances.
“My Grandfather Elric.”
“The moonraker?” Larkin asked. His tone was casual, but I could hear the purpose behind the words, as if he’d clearly been briefed. I wonder what he thought of me and my family now that he knew.
Was his asking for our help just an attempt to spy on us?
This was going to end horribly, I just knew it. My stomach clenched, and I squeezed Larkin's shoulder tighter.
Just then, my grandfather waved and made the whole situation even worse. Should I just ignore him? Could I?
He was smiling at me, and I took a deep breath for resolve. There was no way around it. Larkin was going to meet my grandfather at some point, and it was better that his first introduction was not at a raid.
“I suppose I should introduce you to him as well,” I said to Larkin, unhappy at the prospect.
“Grandfather,” I said, leading Larkin from the dance floor. From my grandfather’s quick downward glance, I realized that I was still holding Larkin’s hand and released it quickly. The fairies he was with went quiet at my approach and eyed Larkin in his Knight Errant cloak nervously. My grandfather, however, never appeared flustered and simply smiled at us.
“I’m Elric,” he said, greeting Larkin with a hearty handshake. “You’re the new Knight Errant?”
“Knight Errant,” Larkin nodded before introducing himself.
I wracked my brain trying to think of the best way to ask how my grandfather had managed to get an invitation to this event, but each option seemed overly rude and risky.
After all, there was even a representative of the law here. However, I was curious, so I flat-out asked anyway.
“One of the Fareesee dukes got me an invite to this event,” he said. “We had some business to conduct, and you know, most of the buyers and investors with any real pull are here.”
I held my breath, wondering how Larkin would respond to my grandfather discussing what he did as “simple business,” or the fact that it was being conducted here in the first place. Even I wondered what he was up to.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Knight,” Grandfather said, “after hearing Winifred gush about you for so many years.”
“Grandfather!” I shook my head at him, my cheeks blazing.
“Oops,” he said, smiling at me. “Was that supposed to be a secret? But here’s a thought for you to mull over. A hero like Larkin, who managed to take down the biggest troll to come to England in a thousand years. As classified as that event was, he could have gone anywhere he wanted, but he chose this place. It makes me wonder why?”
My grandfather ended the conversation with a roguish wink.
It was Larkin’s turn to look flustered. At this point, we both looked pretty flustered. Grandfather had a knack for turning around any situation to his advantage. Here he was, possibly conducting illegal business in plain sight, and he had the law back on its heels.
“Where did you hear that? It’s supposed to be classified,” Larkin said.
“Secrets are only as good as the people keeping them,” Grandfather said. “Of course, some things are just private, like why you showed up in the very country Winifred lives in. But that doesn’t keep us from speculating, does it?” he said, grinning at us.
I wish I could have plugged Grandfather’s mouth at that moment, but I doubted that even an army of trolls backed by a dragon could pull that off. All I could do was blush even deeper.
Damn it. Grandfather was implying that Larkin had come here for me. There’s no way, right? I mean, yeah, we’d dated a little, but our responsibilities had sent us our separate ways two years ago. It wasn’t as if we’d been writing constantly since then, sending secret messages. Why would he have come here for me if we hadn’t kept in touch consistently?
Lord Wymond appeared at Grandfather’s shoulder, which made him flinch. I took great satisfaction from this. It was the first time I’d been happy to see the Ettin, although I wondered what exactly had happened in their past that would cause my grandfather to flinch at the sight of him.
“Pardon me, I was hoping to speak with the new Knight,” Lord Wymond said.
I nodded at the Ettin and drew Grandfather away so that Lord Wymand and Larkin could speak in private. The music shifted from the dance my grandfather had interrupted – a country line dance – to a more modern waltz. Thankfully, no one was likely to ask me to dance while I was in my grandfather’s presence. His reputation frightened many of the upper crust, and only his cronies and the very rich (probably his clients) dared approach him. Oh, and Lord Wymond.
Now that we were alone, I turned on him. “Seriously, Grandfather, what are you trying to do? Humiliate me?” I asked.
“Just keeping you sharp, little girl,” he said, with his eyes twinkling. “I saw the way he looked at you while you were dancing, and you flush so prettily when he talks to you. There’s something there, and you need to be aware of it. These opportunities don’t come along every day.”
“What do you mean, ‘opportunities?’ What scheme is developing in that devious mind of yours?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “And whatever it is, leave me out of it.”
“How opportune would it be for my granddaughter to have a Knight wrapped around her finger?” he grinned wickedly at me. “What might he be willing to overlook for a quiet life?”
“The Knight Errant tracks the wilderness and goes after the most dangerous enemies. They don’t investigate moonrakers, so having one wouldn’t be that big of a deal,” I said. “It’s Humphry you need to corral, not Larkin. Besides, he won’t have time for you, especially not with all the giants and dragons to keep an eye out for,” I said, folding my arms and raising an eyebrow for added effect. “So don’t go getting your hopes up.”
“Trust me, I’m the most dangerous thing in the woods,” Grandfather said, grinning again. “Besides, I know what I see, and I like it. Even my daughter, your own mother, would approve of this match. A young Knight Errant with a reputation for bravery would bring prestige to the family, and people would be afraid to cross your mother. She could work on more committees and have real power. She’d love that.”
“And how likely am I to pair with someone to make my family more prestigious? Not at all, so you can stop dreaming,” I said.
“Ah, but I can tell you like him. You lit up like a sunrise when you saw him. And you wouldn’t let a little thing like bringing your mother some power keep you from a man you loved, would you?” he asked.
I looked away. I couldn’t answer that one truthfully without giving myself away. Besides, when it came right down to it, I was probably just infatuated. The feelings would fade with familiarity, wouldn’t they?
But the thought that Larkin may have come here on purpose to be with me gave me a warm glow that no amount of logical thinking could displace. And of course, Grandfather could see it, especially as an observant old moonraker. It was time to change the subject.
“How’s business been, Grandfather?” I asked.
“Bustling,” he said. “The markets to the south are so full, you have to wheedle to get a stall. And Somerset, why there isn’t an item you’d want in all the world that can’t be found at Somerset Market.”
“You’ll have to take me some time,” I said. “I could find new delights to put in my chocolates.”
“You’re always working when I head out to the markets,” he said. “You’d lose business spending days shopping. But tell me what you want, and I’ll find it for you.”
“Some exotic flavors. Something to add a spark or a zing to chocolate, or as a filling for pastries. Like a bit of Mexican chocolate to put in croissants.”
It wouldn’t be nearly as fun to receive a package as it would be to go, but he had a point. I didn’t have time to visit markets.
“What about the Goblin Market, Grandpa? What kind of things do you find there, besides fruit from faraway places to add to my scones?” I looked at him with all the innocence I could muster. While not entirely illegal, the Goblin Market wasn’t exactly reputable and usually remained hidden. I had no idea how to get there.
“Now, girl,” he said, shaking his head. “What would I be doing at a Goblin Market? Nothing but trouble for a codger like me, and hardly anything there would be legal to buy.”
“You’re not afraid of anything. You wouldn’t be afraid of the Goblin Market,” I said, using flattery to see if I could extract more information from him.
“Afraid? No. But I like my head well enough to want it attached to my shoulders. You won’t catch me in the Goblin Market unless there is an item I can’t get anywhere else. You stay out of there, do you hear me?” he said, shaking his finger at me.
“So, you know where it is,” I said, my voice triumphant. “I knew it! Tell me what you can buy at a Goblin Market that you can’t get anywhere else.”
“You must think I’m senile, little girl, or I’ve had too much wine. You won’t be getting any information about banned substances from me. Your mother would flay me alive. Now, there’s the clock chiming 11, so I must go. I have people to meet,” he said, bending down and kissing me on the forehead. “Keep yourself safe, youngling.”
Of course, the minute my grandfather left, a clammy-handed witch asked me to dance. His damp hand didn’t bother me as much as the way he just stared at me without speaking. I wondered if it would be better or worse if he said something? The dance dragged on until I was exhausted by the lack of conversation.
I dreaded who I might be stuck with next, but was pleased to learn that Larkin had claimed the next dance. He staved off the butcher’s son by asserting that he needed my help. I kept a straight face as Larkin thanked the boy for his understanding. He was nice enough, certainly more interesting to talk to than damp hands, but young and a touch too silly to be that interesting to talk to.
“What did Lord Wymond want?” I asked. We were dancing the Dover Pier, another line dance, and we could really only talk during the two-hand turns, so I had to wait until it came back around to get an answer to my question.
“He wanted to make sure I knew that he administered his lands, not the King of the Northern Pixies. Seemed pretty smug that even though his land was technically pixie, he didn’t have to pay taxes or ask their permission for anything.” He paused for a moment and stopped dancing. “Then, there was a repeat of the tripe I heard from Sir Humphry. The two of them seem to be very chummy.”
He scowled, but started dancing again.
“No frowning during a dance,” I said, and then added, “obnoxiously chummy,” before dancing away, around the set.
“What do you think of Sir Humphry these days?” Larkin asked when we came together again. “I remember you once saying that Wiltshire was lucky to have someone like Humphry looking out for it.”
“I can’t believe I ever said that,” I said, slightly shocked that he would remember anything I said back in school. Of course, I had said something similar today, but admitting something to the familiar who had lived with me since I was five was much different than a public confession.
“Oh, you did, I remember distinctly,” he said, grinning as we danced another two-handed turn.
“I must have had some sort hex on me. Or maybe that was when I started experimenting with potions and ended up just getting something similar to alcohol poisoning.”
I frowned and added, “I would have happily hexed Humphry a time or two. Just a little one. Perhaps make him hear a dripping sound every time he tried to go to sleep.”
That would be hilarious, but I was terrified to even try. Humphry hadn’t survived for a thousand years by being possible to hex. I danced away again.
I was claimed by another wizard for the next dance and had a decent time talking spells with him, while flirting shamelessly with Larkin whenever he was in sight. He seemed to enjoy flirting back, and I felt just like I had as an undergrad, enjoying being a girl.
The rest of the evening was pleasant, and this was one of the few parties where I didn’t end up hiding in the library. Granted, I had to dance with a vast cavalcade of would-be suitors and those attempting to find a political position, but it was nice to show off to Larkin that I was considered far more than just a moonracker’s granddaughter.
I was a valued member of society and was sought after! Plus, some of them were rather good dancers.
On my mother’s insistence, I said goodbye to Larkin in the wee hours of the morning. He accepted an invitation to tea as soon as he was free and agreed to meet me mid-morning for my deliveries. Anyone I knew in Wiltshire were undoubtedly ones he would know too.
In addition to the novel this book has a coloring pages in the back for the ultimate cozy experiance. Find it on Amazon
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