“Now for the earrings, my lady,” said Zoe, “do you prefer the-”
“Zoe, it’s not as if I am trying to impress this fellow, you know.”
“Oh, aren’t you?” said Zoe, feigning innocence.
“In fact, I think this circlet is too ostentatious,” said Liaze, removing the golden ring.
“Oh, but my lady, you are a princess and must wear something denoting such. It’s your station, you know. Besides, it will draw his eyes to your face and hair and-”
Zoe took up another circlet, this one twined ’round with small yellow ivy leaves, with russet and yellow ribbons falling down the back.
“Zoe! That’s for the harvest dance.”
Zoe groaned in frustration, then said, “Well, what about a ribbon or two twined through your locks?”
Liaze sighed and glanced in the mirror and said, “Oh, very well.”
In moments Zoe had fixed pale yellow ribbons among Liaze’s auburn tresses in such a way as to not bind the hair but let it flow gracefully-the ribbons flowing gracefully as well-with every movement of the princess.
Liaze stood and turned before the mirror, the dress belling out from her slim waist and down over slender hips to hang in elegant folds. Her breasts were high, pushed up by the bodice, though not immodestly so.
Zoe stepped back and eyed the result. “Oh, my lady, you are beautiful beyond compare.”
Liaze smiled unto herself, for she, too, was pleased.
“Princess, a necklace would-”
Liaze shook her head. “No, no more jewelry, other than this.” She held up her right hand, her ring finger graced by a wide gold band, with a ruby carved in the shape of a maple leaf and inset in a heavy golden collet, tiny sculpted heads of grain circling ’round.
She glanced at herself once more in the mirror, then said, “Now to the blue room to hear what this knight has to say.”
Liaze stepped to the door and out, Zoe trailing after. “Am I to go with you, my lady?”
“Yes, but only to usher away any company that might be hanging about. I think the chevalier would feel more comfortable telling his tale to just Zacharie, Remy, and me, rather than among a giggling and sighing bevy of women.”
“Last I saw, my lady, only Tutrice Martine, Healer Margaux, and Aurelie were there, though several others had been with him earlier. But for Aurelie, Margaux shooed the gaggle out, yet Martine wouldn’t go.”
“If necessary, I’ll deal with Martine,” said Liaze.
Down one of the two staircases in the welcoming hall they stepped, and turned rightward at the bottom, for the blue room was in a wing opposite from the infirmary.
Past members of the staff they went, men bowing, women curtseying, all looking after Liaze as she swept by, for they were used to seeing her in leathers or work clothes, and only on special occasions did she dress as a princess should-or so many of them opined.
Whispers followed her along the corridor:
Oh, my.
Stunning.
Belle.
They came to the door of the blue room, and Liaze paused a moment and glanced at her reflection in the pane of an outer window. Then she stepped within.
Zacharie leapt to his feet, as did Remy. Margaux, Aurelie, and Tutrice Martine stood as well. In a chair facing the doorway sat the black-haired young man, and his deep-blue eyes flew wide at the sight of her and he blurted, “I thought you but a dream.”
6
Even as Liaze blushed, and behind her Zoe gave a joyful laugh, the knight got to his feet, somewhat gingerly and wincing a bit, and bowed along with Zacharie and Remy. Martine, Aurelie, and Margaux curtseyed, Aurelie and Margaux smiling broadly, Martine with a neutral look upon her matronly features.
Liaze acknowledged them all with a nod as she came into the room, a room with pale blue walls and heavily padded blue velvet chairs trimmed in white and arranged for conversation nigh a large fireplace. Against one wall stood a black oak sideboard. On another wall a black oak escritoire sat open, with quills and parchment and an inkwell at hand, as well as a few books on the shelf above, and an armless blue velvet chair waiting for someone to sit and take pen in hand and write.
As Liaze stepped in among the gathering, Zacharie said, “Princess Liaze, may I present Sieur Luc, knight-errant. Chevalier Luc, Princess Liaze of the Autumnwood.”
Dressed in black boots and a black silken shirt open at the neck and black trews held by a silver-buckled black belt, Luc stepped forward and again bowed, once more wincing a bit, stray locks of his shoulder-length ebon hair falling down ’round his face, though the bandage on his forehead and wrapped about held most of it back. Liaze extended her right hand, and Luc took it in his and kissed her fingers. When he straightened up-not quite a head taller than she-he looked down into her amber eyes with his of indigo blue, and a thrill shot through Liaze and she almost did not hear him say, “Princess, I truly did think you but a wishful dream, and I am so happy to find that you are quite real. But here I must correct an assumption: I am not a knight, though someday I hope to win my spurs.”
Both Remy and Zacharie seemed taken aback, but Liaze said, “Pfah! Given what you have done for my demesne, a knight you surely are.”
“But, my lady-”
“Remy, your sword,” said Liaze, holding out her hand.
Remy placed the rapier in Liaze’s hand.
“Kneel, Luc,” said Liaze.
Wincing and with Zacharie’s help, Luc managed to get down on one knee, and Liaze touched him on each shoulder with the tip of the blade, saying, “I, Princess Liaze of the Autumnwood, by my right of sovereignty declare you a chevalier. You may have knelt as a warrior, but now rise up, Sieur Luc, as a Knight of the Autumnwood.”
As Zacharie aided the man to his feet, “Please, Sir Luc, sit,” said Liaze, glancing at Margaux the healer and then again at the knight. “I would not have you stand any more on ceremony, as battered as you must be.”
As Luc stepped back to his chair, Liaze gave Remy back his rapier and then turned to the women and said, “If you will excuse us, mesdames. ”
Zoe faced the three and made an “after you” gesture toward the door, and Margaux and Aurelie bade their good-byes and stepped away. Tutrice Martine hesitated a moment, but then turned and with her nose somewhat elevated followed after. Zoe shot Liaze a grin and brought up the rear, and as she exited she closed the door after.
Liaze sat down as then did Luc, Remy following, but Zacharie remained standing and asked, “Tea, my lady?”
“With cheese and bread and scones and jellies,” said Liaze. She looked at Remy and then at Luc. “We were backtracking your trail all morning, Sir Luc, and I am quite famished. Remy?”
“Oui, my lady,” said the leather-clad armsmaster, and he turned to Zacharie. “I’d appreciate a bit of beef as well.”
“And you, Sir Luc?” asked the princess. “A tot of brandy or glass of wine to soothe your aches? I am told you took quite a battering.”
“Oui, my lady… that I did. I believe beef and bread and a bit of fruit and a hearty wine would go a long way toward easing my hurts as well as restoring my strength.”
Zacharie nodded and stepped to a bell cord. In but a moment a servant appeared, and Zacharie spoke to him.
When Zacharie took his seat, Luc turned to the princess and said, “You were backtracking my trail?”
“Oui,” said Liaze. “And it seems you slew a goodly number of Goblins along the way. I would ask, whence came you? And what brought you here to the Autumnwood? And what of the Goblins and the Troll?”
“As to whence I came,” said Luc. “ ’Twas from a small woodcutter’s cote, sunwise through three, no, four twilight walls. The woodcutter is my pere, or mayhap I should say my foster pere, for I know not who sired and birthed me.”