My Envied Lady: Chapter 12

Chapter 12
After a week of pleasant weather, the final morning of the Spring Joust was cold and rainy. Sabina took that time to discuss her suitors with her Uncle in private. He seemed to like Prince Andrew the most as well. He got along well enough with Queen Maud and King Randolf and shared the opinion that their kingdoms would make excellent allies. All the better that their children got along. Truth be told, the King had been dragging his feet when it came to Sabina's betrothal. Many noblewomen her age had already been betrothed, but Sabina was the only child of Pepin's sister and brother-in-law; he had inherited the responsibility for her well-being along with the Throne when they had both tragically died. Sabina was like the daughter he never had, and he wanted her marriage to be happy, not just politically convenient. Once the betrothal contract was signed and made official, Sabina and Andrew stood on a balcony together when the King Pepin made the official announcement to his people, with Queen Maud, King Randolf, Dame Barbara, and King Gerard with them. Maenad, Peewit and Johan stood with the crowd. Johan applauded politely, but he was one of the few people who was not smiling. The older prince in the jewel-embroidered clothing and the angular face that was partially covered by a graying brown goatee not hide his contempt well at all. That barely contained anger and fact that he would not stop staring at Maenad made her nervous. She of all the people there knew a predatory look when she saw one. What was he up to? Maenad spent the afternoon in the castle's garden talking with the Smurfs over a jug of wine before they departed. It was overcast, and they were completely alone. Everyone else was either watching the princess and her new fiancée make their supervised farwells, up or drying tents and gear and packing. Because no humans were around, Maenad poured a small libation on the ground and said a short chant before pouring herself a goblet full. Papa Smurf noticed a note of sadness to the offering, as if she were acting in a play that had a tragic end. "So you say there were many Smurf tribes where you came from?" he asked. "At least three, though they intermingled more with the spirits the local tribespeople knew in those days. Each village had a leader, and they formed a sort of tribunal together, as I recall. But it's been a very long time. And your kind have never been open to letting humans know their business. Not even to initiates like myself. But I was mostly familiar with the gods and spirits of my own people." "Were there any Smurfettes?" "Not that I remember seeing, but again, I was only allowed to know so much. There was tension between my people and the local people, whose priests were the Druids. The local spirits chose sides between the two, probably to their detriment when war started happening. Many of them retreated to hidden countries like yours." "Gosh, do you think any of those Smurfs are left there, Papa Smurf?" another Smurf asked with a shudder. "I don't know, Clumsy. I remember my old teacher Palladore telling me about these wars, and that is why our village never smurfs itself with any human politics." replied Papa Smurf. "I never smurf how much we've lost sometimes." "I stopped seeing your people after a while, after...the incident. Could have been fifty years, could have been a couple centuries, I don't remember. When my people were driven out and died off, I left. There was nothing left for me there anymore. The city was a decrepit ruin anyway, I let the wolf pack I ran with have it, and all the barbarians in it." "It would be something to see, though! Just think, other Smurf villages!" said Brainy. "That's so sad your people all smurfed out, Maenad," said the Smurfette. "Sadder still for your people, Smurfette," Maenad replied. "They were really peace loving creatures, in spite of the world we all lived in. And call me Drusillia. Humans and wolves call me the Maenad, but others of your kind knew me as Drusillia Quinctilia, if any are left who remember." "Was that your human name?" asked Clumsy. Maenad only smiled bitterly and took a long drink from her goblet. "I think we should get going, my little Smurfs," Said Papa. "But first I want to say good-bye and thank you to Johan and Peewit before we go. And of course give my congratulations to Sabina." "I'll come too," said Maenad. "I want to warn Johan about that Prince Lothar, and ask him to borrow a sword. Never thought I'd have the need for one, but there's something wrong about how he looks at me, and I'm helpless as long as the humans have me bound." "Uh, actually Drusillia…" started Clumsy, but they were interrupted by Johan and Peewit approaching. "Who is Drusillia?" Asked Johan. "A girl who died," replied Maenad. "We were just looking for you two." Maenad was wrong about being alone in the garden. Lothar was watching her from a window high in the tower. He was directing his servants to pack his things before they departed, nursing a wounded ego. But all was not lost, and he was composing a plan to save his last chance at not leaving Hauvon empty-handed. He just received word back from his steward that Fenris was indeed interested in the yellow-eyed girl, she was apparently one of his own who had slipped her leash, so to speak. Lothar thought that returning the girl to him might sweeten their business arrangement. This plan would be extremely dangerous, but he was infuriated that the King had chosen a limp-wristed child to be the Princess's fiancée instead of him. He was determined not die in poverty and obscurity. It was time to take matters into his own hands again. Putting on an unadorned cloak belonging to one of his servants, he headed to the gatehouse. With so many strange people coming and going in and out of the castle, this would be his only chance. He edged past the guards and into the forest. In the days following the joust, Sabina could return to her old life to a certain extent despite the fact that the specter the of arranged marriage looming in her future was now one step closer to reality. The Maenad continued to teach her Latin, and to attempt to teach Peewit music, though she proclaimed that teaching him anything was like trying to carry water in a basket. Dame Barbara started watching their lessons, because she was amused by the proud Maened being brought low by the jester. Peewit loved the lessons though, he got all kinds of ideas from Maenad that he adapted to his own "unique" tastes. Johan had completely recovered and also resumed his old duties, and this involved teaching Maenad more swordplay, along with Sabina when she could sneak away. Maenad was only ever a mediocre fencer, but she had at least decided to take his training more seriously after getting spooked by Prince Lothar. Johan was made uneasy by the Prince as well. He'd noticed Lothar giving Sabina the same predatory look, but had written it off as letting his own jealous feelings about the princess get in the way of his judgment, and this clouded judgment bothered him greatly. Both the King and Count Tremaine had chided him for being easily distracted ever since the princes' reception. Knowing Maenad felt the same about Lothar made him feel a little better. She was acting less haughty as well; he thought might bring himself to forgive her for being a professional thief and for biting his arm as he parried another of her thrusts. It was a beautiful late morning when Sabina, Barbara, and Peewit went into the countryside so that Barbara could instruct Sabina on the most ladylike way to hunt with falcons. Both women had dainty kestrels on their wrists, and Peewit had an ancient hawk named Romulus he wanted to hunt with. Maenad was merely observing, and desperate to escape the castle walls. On her hip she had an old sword Johan had given her, one she seldom was seen without anymore. This raised eyebrows in the court, but Maenad was so strange already, she was allowed to wear it, providing she never drew it. Must be a custom from her own land, went the rumor. Barbara had her own ideas about what was going on. Maenad was spending a lot of time with Johan lately, and now he was giving her gifts. Could he have feelings for this strange woman? That would be most improper for a squire, but he was not the only squire pursuing her, and at least it finally kept him away from Sabina, now that she was spoken for. The boy was as much trouble as his father had been, and Peewit was ten times that. Barbara chose a spot she thought good to begin Sabina's instruction, shooing Peewit and his bird away. Maenad sat on a boulder and watched all three of them with interest, as she had never seen such an activity before. She wasn't quite sure of the point of training falcons to hunt for something that one could just as well catch one's self, but then, a lot of the "proper" things Sabina learned seemed to make no sense. No wonder she preferred to learn things from Johan. A screech of horror from across the field brought both Peewit and Maenad, sword in hand, to where the other two ladies were. A pair of rough-looking men were in the clearing. One held Barbara by the wrists, the other held Sabina, who was struggling fiercely. Maenad charged them, cursing the charm around her neck that flashed like lightning. She ran to the one who held Sabina and stabbed him in the side. Peewit ran headlong into the one holding Barbara with a shrill war-cry, hitting him in the side of the knees and bringing him to the ground with a yelp of pain. The two were just about to make a run for it with the unarmed women, when a figure stepped from the shadows. "Well, you seem to fit right in as the King's pet wolf, don't you Maenad? Why don't you shift when you fight, hmm?" she froze in terror at the sound of the gravelly voice. A burly bearded man covered in scars appeared. "Run!" she screamed. Peewit ran to her side, ready to fight. Fenris must have been trailing them this whole time, and she hadn't noticed him. Stupid, stupid, and now she had put her friends in grave danger. Maenad ran, grabbing Peewit's hand and dragging him behind her. Barbara and Sabina did the same, but Fenris caught Sabina and put his hand over her mouth. She looked like she was about to scream, then went limp. Maenad and Peewit turned to help her. "Unhand her, you!" Peewit screeched and grabbed Fenris's arm. He batted the youth aside as if he weighed no more than a cat. "Leave them be, it's me you want!" growled Maenad and charged him with her sword. He had left himself open to swat Peewit and from her training, Maenad knew this was her chance. Her sword cut into his side, and the werewolf howled in pain. "Silver! You little wench!" Faster than she could react, he grabbed her wrist and glared at her. Maenad felt herself fill with fear under the crushing weight of his grasp. She dropped the silver-gilt sword reflexively and tried to escape. Another hand covered her face. Inside the palm was a rag that reeked of something magical. She saw Barbara faint as sleep overtook her.