Knowing Yourself - A Medieval Romance

Chapter 4

Chapter 4  

Kay pushed her hair back from her face, taking in a deep breath, looking out the window at the billowing clouds of a gathering thunderstorm. The time with Galeron, Alistair, and Jack had flown by in the blink of an eye. All her thoughts had been on Uther, and how this discussion would play out.

She had the greatest faith in her sister; Em could talk a cat into befriending a mouse if she chose to. Still, Kay remembered what it was like to have Uther forcing himself on top of her, insistent that he would get what he wanted. If it got to that …

Kay fingered the dagger at her hip, and glanced again at the door. A guard was right outside. Em would pull this off, and the first decision would be made.

The red candle clock flickered in motion, the wax sliding past the 10:30 mark. At the same moment a flourish of knocks rained on the door. Kay glanced at the black curtain. “Are you ready, sis?”

Em’s voice rang out in a cheerful tone. “Come on in, Uther!”

The door flung open, and Uther strode in, his emerald green outfit highlighted with small metal studs which flashed in the light of the many candles which were positioned around the room. He ignored Kay completely, instead smiling at the curtain, moving to sit before it. “Good morning, Keren-happuch!” he called out with delight. “And how are we this stormy morning?”

“I am doing well, thank you,” came Em’s voice smoothly from behind her black wall. There was a gentle rippling of the fabric, and then it fell still again. “You are looking quite dapper today, Uther.”

Uther beamed, and puffed out his chest. “I am indeed, if I say so myself,” he agreed. “I always try to look best for my current group of companions!”

“I am sure you must be quite the center of attention in the halls of London,” mused Em thoughtfully.

Uther’s smile faded slightly. “Ah yes, London,” he sighed, his voice tinged with regretful longing. “Now there is a city one could explore for years and never get enough of. If you knew who to ask you could sample rare lychee nuts from China and lush pomegranates from Persia. There were masked balls and summer soirees.” His voice grew hoarse. “And the women … oh, the women …”

Em’s voice was full of curiosity. “You seem the ideal man for London, and yet somehow you are out here, in the distant wilds of the hinterlands. How did you stray so far from your ideal haunts?”

Uther struggled to slide back into his courting personae. “Ah, but here I would be Lord of the Keep,” he stated with vigor, seemingly to convince himself as much as the women in the room. “I would be the top dog, with all at my beck and call.”

Em was rueful. “Ah, but you see how few staff we keep on hand,” she pointed out. “And in the wintertime I am afraid it gets even more dreary. We are not exactly a sought-out destination.”

Uther’s gaze dimmed slightly. “I admit when I heard about this opportunity that I had romantic notions of a bustling castle on the sea, of parties all day and song all night …” He glanced about him, his smile wilting.

“Clearly you are meant for so much more than this,” continued Em encouragingly. “If we are this quiet now, imagine what we will be like in the dead of winter!”

Uther visibly melted. “And that will be when the parties in London will be at their fullest, during the festivities of the Christmas season,” he groaned, his shoulders slumping.

“Uther,” stated Em with warm compassion, “You have done me a great honor by coming to court me and spend time with me. The entire castle has benefitted from meeting you, learning from you, and experiencing your style and elegance.” Uther revived slightly, the hint of a contented smile easing onto his face.