The Dark Half, Part 1: Chapter 3

Chapter 3
The King had his breakfast brought to his niece's rooms, as he did most mornings. She sat on her bed wrapped in a blanket. She was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes. The maidservants had already set a small table and chair and set out plates of bread, cheese, corned beef and sauerkraut. "Good morning, Sabina, I brought your favorite." "It's not my favorite, it's what I can keep down," she snapped. Her uncle looked hurt, and she softened her voice. "I'm sorry Uncle Pepin, I'm just so tired…" "I understand." The King sat down and began to butter a slice of bread. He uncovered the meat and sauerkraut. The smell wafted into the crisp morning air, and Sabina covered her mouth and ran to the adjoining room. The king tried to ignore her and attempted to eat, but when she wobbled back into the room, he set his food down without taking a bite. "I hate feeling like this. I've never been so miserable. I'm missing everything." "I know my dear, I know." "It's like my punishment never ends." "You're not being punished any longer. You know that; we want you to be safe...especially now. There's nothing I wish I could celebrate more than having you back here safe." He sat down next to her and gingerly put his arm around her. "I just wish you'd tell us how it happened, so we can help you move past this. If you were forced…" Sabina shook her head 'no' and wiped away tears with the corner of the blanket. The same response as always. There was something she didn't want to tell. The King was terrified of what that was, as much as he wanted to help her. But he also did not want to upset her any further. "What on earth possessed you to disguise yourself and hide with thieves and scoundrels?" "They're not scoundrels. They're just simple people who want to live their own lives." "And you wanted to live your own life, too, is that it?" Silence. "That wasn't your choice to make, Sabina. You've put the fate of the Kingdom and our line in danger. I know it's hard, but it's something you need to learn." "How am I supposed to make decisions for a kingdom when I can't make decisions for myself?" The King changed the subject. "Do you need me to bring any more books, perhaps some sewing to do? Or a musical instrument to entertain yourself with?" "Do you have any more books about fencing?" "I'll see what I can find. Though you know Dame Barbara doesn't want you reading anything like that, especially not after you went and nearly got yourself killed...twice, if remember correctly. But…I'll see what I can do." A bell chimed in the chapel tower. "Oh! I should get going. I'm supposed to meet Sir Edelhart. He's interested some of the young Ladies who came to the festival this year." "Sir Edelhart is getting married? I knew he wanted to retire from crusading, but…" The king chuckled. "I'm sorry. I didn't make myself very clear, did I? It's not for him. I don't think he'll ever marry again. He never got over Lady Yvette's death, I'm afraid. No, we're going to discuss a suitable wife for Johan." Sabina felt her heart drop to her feet, and the rest of her uncle's words began to fade away as a horrible coldness filled her. No no no. After all the suffering she'd endured, to see him promised to someone else, while she… "Lady Maenad will need to be told, and I hope they won't be too upset, but you know as well as I do she's absolutely unsuitable as a wife. An upstanding young knight needs a proper young lady." The tears she'd fought back came pouring down her cheeks. "What's wrong?" the King asked, rushing to her as she shook with sobs. "I can't….he can't….I…no…" "Who can't? Sabina, what are you talking about?" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Please don't be angry," she began. "It looks like this is the best I can do given the limited amount of information you've given me, Johan," Said Homnibus, shaking a flask of herbs in an alcohol tincture. Johan and Peewit had left before dawn, so they could be back to the castle in time to see their friends off following the tournament, and so that Johan would not be late for his father's appointment. "Isn't there a spell or something you can do to try and spy on the princess and see what's really wrong with her? How about this?" Peewit asked, lifting an earthenware pot off a table. "Give me that, you! That's for scrying the direction of storms, it's not…" The pot fell to the ground with a crash. Homnibus would not be doing any more weather-scrying for a while. "You told me he knew fairy magic and could be helpful, but I'm not seeing him doing a lot of help!" "It was just an idea I had, a way we could repay you for making this medicine on short notice," Johan replied. "I'm still getting the hang of this stuff," whined Peewit. "Considering that a month ago I didn't even know what a Lutin was, much less that I was half one." "A Lutin? Good Lord, that explains everything." "It does?" the youths replied in unison. "You've never heard of Lutins? They're tricksters, every last one. They shapeshift, they make all kinds of mischief like shaving men's beards and tangling women's hair and horses' manes while they sleep. They turn into horses and trick unsuspecting riders into thinking they are gentle, and then whisk them away into the otherworld. I'm told some of them can become invisible." " Invisible? " Peewit's eyes lit up. "Oh! Why am I telling you this? Now do you see why I won't teach him?" "He's only half Lutin, he probably can't do all those things you said…he couldn't do anything magical until those marsh-spirits did something to him." Johan hoped he was right, an invisible shapeshifting Peewit was a disturbing notion indeed. "Hey! I did lots of magic before that. Remember when I broke the Raven Wizard's gem? Remember when I made a working Philosopher's Stone?" "Working in reverse is not the same as working, Peewit, and the King was not happy with you for making it." "You see? Nothing but mischief even when they don't know they're doing it," Homnibus replied, ringing the bell for his servant Oliver to come clean up the mess while he made notes in one of the many large books he had. "Peewit, stay here while I go on ahead. I have an appointment, and you should help clean up this mess." "But…" Peewit bit off the protest, hoping he could perhaps get some more information about this invisibility stuff before Homnibus kicked him out. "You're right Johan. A wise man once said, 'With great power comes great responsibility.' I should stay." Johan took the opportunity to lose himself in thought until Peewit was able to catch up. Honor bound him to be punctual, but in reality he was dreading this meeting. He knew that he would have to give up Sabina eventually. She had already been taken from him by the looks of things, and now it was time to find another. He remembered talking to some of the ladies at the tournament. While pleasant to talk to and lovely, none of them wanted to discuss anything remotely interesting, save for hunting and falconry, and then only as an opportunity to socialize and keep up appearances. He doubted any of them would dream of gleefully entering an archery competition or charging an enemy combatant, sword in hand, or sneaking off into a hayloft like Sabina did. Some of them were only interested in his looks, his reputation, and his station. Not exactly the type of person he wanted to start a family with. Mid-morning light streamed through the changing fall leaves, and birds chattered in the distance. A squirrel rustled through leaves to bury a chestnut. He sighed and patted Bayard on the neck. It was a beautiful morning; he felt guilty to spend it in such a bleak mood. But there was no helping it. Why of all the women on earth, did he have to love the one he could never have? Why couldn't love be simple, and work the way it was supposed to, like it did with Gerard and Francesca? He'd never been interested in any girls except for the princess; she had been the first, and now he couldn't bring himself to be interested in anyone else. She was his sole weakness, and he hated admitting to any weakness. He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of scampering and giggling and the smell of the salve the knights used to soothe minor injuries after practice. It was Peewit, hiding not-very-well in some bushes. Biquette was nearby. What on earth? "I can see you there, Peewit. What are you up to?" "You can? Aw! I was supposed to be invisible." "And how, pray tell, did you become invisible?" After I knocked a cabinet over trying to clean up the weather scrying bowl, Homnibus gave me a jar of this salve. He said it was invisibility salve, and he'd let me have it if I promised to quit helping and go home right away." Peewit produced a glass jar of orange cream as if it were a holy relic. "Are you sure it's for invisibility? It smells like bruise salve." "Why would Homnibus give me bruise salve? I put it on right away, and already I feel all tingly! Maybe it takes time to work." "I don't think…" Should he let Peewit go back to the castle thinking he was invisible? It would certainly be amusing…  The sound of hooves in the leaves alerted them to another rider approaching. Johan relaxed once he realized it was Count Tremaine. But why was he out in the woods and not helping to wrap up the festival?  He hailed the older man, who looked grim.  "Good afternoon, M'lord, off on a mission?"  Tremaine sighed. "You could say that. I've come for you, actually." "Is something wrong?"  "Yes, I have orders…to place you under arrest."  "What? Why?" Was this some kind of joke? "I'm not sure. His majesty said not to open the order until I found you." He produced a sealed scroll. Johan took it, broke the wax, and read the parchment. It was covered in a frantic scrawl in the King's own writing. He was wanted for treason. Johan could barely believe his eyes. There had to be a mistake. A nefarious plot…something. He handed the parchment back to Tremaine in a daze.  "Treason! You're the last person who would betray us; this doesn't make any sense!" "It has to be a misunderstanding. I'm sure I'll be able to sort this all out when we get back to the castle. Next chapter