My Envied Lady: Chapter 8

Chapter 8
Two days before the Spring Joust, the King tasked Johan and Peewit to travel to Smurf Village to invite them to the festivities. The smurfs would want to stay hidden, but it was the least he could do to thank them for their help with the werewolves. It was the youths' first real mission since the ambush in the woods, and when Johan mentioned going on a "minor errand" in the countryside during fencing practice, not only did Sabina want to go, but Maenad did, too.

"I don't think either of you will be allowed to go, one of you is under house arrest, and the other has a governess who would never allow it when there's suitors to prepare for," said Johan. He hoped Sabina would come, but had not expected Maenad to show any interest. She did not know about the Smurfs, and he didn't want to show a stranger the "shortcut" to the Cursed Country, much less to Smurf Village.

"I've been confined to this place for weeks and have done nothing wrong since I was brought here. You've actually made me miss running through the woods and sleeping in a cave. Isn't it enough that you've bound me to being human again?"

"I could probably slip away for a few hours after I get fitted for my new gowns. I could ask my uncle for permission!"

"I doubt he'll say yes."

Sabina ran across the field to the keep where her uncle was surrounded by advisers and incoming guests. Not much time had passed before she came back, smiling and saying they could all go. What had happened was that she had cornered her uncle as he was in the middle of seven different things, and he'd said 'yes' to keep her out from underfoot without really thinking it over, as she had hoped he would.

So the four left in the late morning, each on his or her own mount, except for Maenad who rode double on Bayard, the only horse well trained enough to not throw her at first scent. Sabina had changed into a red tunic and dark green hose, Maenad into the tunic and hose she had been found in, now clean and mended.

The Cursed Country was a strange place inhabited mostly by rogue wizards, rare and magical creatures, and a curious history. It was a sort of no-man's-land, not actively claimed by any kingdom, for it was sparsely populated and difficult to reach. It was also so unique in its terrain that some thought it to be not completely part of this world. The youths and werewolf rode for hours, and then rested in a clearing. Maenad dismounted and started poking around as if re-acquainting herself with the forest, inspecting seemingly random trees and plants.

Johan moved in close to Sabina when Maenad was far enough away.

"How are we going to get to Smurf Village with her along?" he whispered. "We have to pass through the stone gate to get there, that's the only way unless we want to take the long way, which is out of the question!"

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that. We need to come up with something." They discussed some ideas, then called Peewit, who was rummaging in his pack for some food. One of Cursed Country's peculiarities was that it was possible to become lost for days looking for its secrets if one did not have the blessing of its inhabitants (those that were willing to grant it anyway.)

"It's time to go check on the king's herd of deer, Peewit! You know, the special ones he keeps deep in the woods away from poachers?"

"What? Deer? I thought we were going to get some real food from….Oh! I mean, yeah, deer!" Maenad looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"You'll need to catch up, and make sure Maenad doesn't spook them! We'll go on ahead" Sabina replied, mounting quickly.

"Catch up? Catch up? Not fair! I'm hungry!" But it was too late, Johan and Sabina were off, leaving Maenad and Peewit in the clearing.

"Liars. As if I've never seen two young people want to go sneak off for some private time." Maenad snorted with her hands on her hips.

"Oh! No, that's not what they're going to do!"

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">"Really? Then where are they going?"

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">"I…I can't say. It's something we don't let outsiders know."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">"Fair enough." Maenad had her secrets as well.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">"There's something about these woods. I want to look around. Is that all right with you, chaperone?" She didn't wait for a response from Peewit, and slid over an ancient, crumbling hedgerow.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">Peewit ran after her, leaving Biquette to munch on the scenery. Despite being human, Maenad was still nimble, and Peewit had to really work to keep up with her. He finally caught up with her in another clearing, one dominated by a huge oak tree. He was still starving, and now he was also exhausted. Johan would hear about this from him later!

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">Maenad knelt in front of the oak looking at something. Peewit ran up to her clutching his side.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">"Look at this!" she whispered, suddenly very excited. She held up a garland of tiny flowers. "Lares!"

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">"What?" Peewit recognized the garland as the smurfs' handiwork. They were very near their village.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">"This is a holy place. A very old one. Lares gather here. I haven't seen anything like this in seven hundred years!"

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">Peewit didn't answer. He was a little shocked that Maenad had blundered through the stone gate that was the shortcut to the Cursed Country, that she knew of smurfs (or something like them,) and that she was at least seven hundred years old.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">"What do these Lares look like, Maenad? Have you met one?" he gulped.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">"They are spirits who guard the forest. I was taught leave offerings for them since I was a child. I never thought I'd see one of their groves here, and so long after the barbarians took over." She looked up at him and smiled.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">"You know about them, too. That's your secret."

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">Prince Lothar arrived along with the other suitors at the King's castle and was given a warm reception. His duchy was far to the west, and years of debt had rendered it quite poor, up until a recent streak of good fortune. When he heard that King Pepin was finally going to look for suitors for his pretty young niece, he leapt at the opportunity. Though forty, he was still unmarried, preferring affairs with chambermaids and the bored wives of his vassals. He thought it might be good to finally settle down, but really, a young wife would simply be a fringe benefit to being a King. His mother was the twelfth child of the king of Valencia. He had royal blood in his veins, and he tried to act like it at every opportunity. His horses were from the finest bloodlines, and his robes were embellished with gold and silver threads and lined with the best furs. He was willing to win the Princess's hand by any means possible.

<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Verdana,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;">He was particularly ambitious to win the hand of Hauvon's princess since his previous business venture had come to an abrupt end. He needed a new source of income, badly. Perhaps it was for the best; Hauvon was unique in that no one else was in line to inherit the throne, he would be the unquestioned ruler once the old king was dead. It was a perfect plan.