Hi everyone, just a quick note about the upcoming fan-fiction. "Magician's Bride" takes place as a second sequel to "Mairelon the Magician" and the "Magician's Ward" written by Patricia C. Wrede. The main characters from both these books are the former street thief, Kim, and the gentleman, Richard Merrill (a.k.a. Mairelon). By now they have gone through two adventures together and fallen in love. The end of "Magician's Ward" trails off just after their engagement... and leaves an opening for the events that interrupt their wedding. Enjoy.
Chapter One
Kim awoke to the clear soft light of early dawn. Everything was better now that Mairelon had his magic back, and there was hope for the other rookery wizards that Mannering had ensorcelled. So far Kim's first social Season had been rife with unexpected things; coming out in Society, Mairelon loosing his magic, being proposed to by a Marquis and rejecting said proposal, falling in love with Mairelon, and finally learning he was in love with her too. The announcement of their engagement had appeared in The Gazette two days ago and already Mairelon's mother, Lady Wendall, had started the wedding preparations.
Kim groaned and rolled over on the bed. She'd forgotten that she was being dragged off to Madame Chandelaine's dress shop to be fitted for her wedding clothes. It's unfair. Mairelon has this wedding stuff easy. Maybe we should've eloped to Gretna Green. But Lady Wendall had thought it best to have a grand wedding in London, just to continue to establish Kim's Social reputation. And here she thought that'd be over with, being engaged. I must be dicked in the nob, she thought with a sigh. "Touched in the head, that's what I was," she murmured to herself.
Kim continued to lie in bed, starring up at the ceiling and reminiscing about the past. Life was sure to be less eventful now, although the proposed idea of working for Lord Shoreham, chief of the magic police, did sound better than boring teas and social outings. And she'd be with Mairelon. That sold her. She jumped out of bed and grabbed her dressing gown, struggling into it.
Kim knew better than to call for her personal abigail, Wilson. All that waiting while the servants ran back and forth was silly. Kim didn't like the idea of a personal maid that followed her around, but it was one of those rules of society, so she dealt with it. Mostly, Kim was hoping Mairelon was awake and in the library so she could talk to him about Lord Shoreham's offer.
Richard Merrill, whom Kim could still only think of as Mairelon, was a gentleman-born who had his own ideas about the ways of Society. He had no false snobbery, and could blend himself into any social level with ease. Of course, such things were frowned upon by the stiff-necked biddies of the upper class, as was Kim's background.
Kim had met her husband-to-be in a rather unusual way. At the time, she had been living on the street, pretending to be a boy in order to stay out of the whore houses. She had been paid to break into the wagon of a market performer – one Mairelon the Magician – and got caught. Any normal person would've turned her over to the constables; luckily, Richard Merrill wasn't like other people. He convinced her to join him in his mysterious dealings and her curiosity led her on her first grand adventure.
Mairelon had been framed for the theft of the Saltash Set, a collection of peculiar magical objects that formed the greatest Truth spell ever established, from the Royal College of Wizards. Unfortunately for the ruffians trying to frame him, Mairelon had spent the entire evening in the presence of Lord Shoreham. Still, the evidence was such that it gave Mairelon the perfect excuse to flee the country in order to spy on the French during the war. When the war ended and the real culprits had still not been caught, nor the set recovered, Richard was allowed to be the one to try. With Kim's help they were successful. They captured the real criminals and cleared Richard's name. It was then that they also discovered Kim's magical abilities. She was made Richard's ward to learn to be a debutant and a wizard. Becoming a wizard was, by far, the easier of the two.
During her musings, Kim had descended the flight of stairs quietly out of habit. She knew the servants were awake and probably preparing breakfast, so the noise would not be noticed, but still her old habits took over. She reached the library door and noticed it was ajar. Knocking quietly, she carefully pushed the door open further into the room. The light coming in through the partially curtained windows made the room seem gray. Mairelon was not there.
Kim turned back to face the hallway, leaving the library door open. She had half a thought of perhaps going and knocking on Mairelon's bedroom door, but pushed that thought out of her mind. It was undoubtedly something she wasn't supposed to do. On the other hand, no one had ever told her not to. With that resolve she turned and quietly headed back up the stairs, pausing at the top and the sight of her abagail, Wilson.
"Morning, Miss Merrill," Wilson said quietly.
"Kim," Kim corrected automatically while heading back into her room. With a smile she realized soon everyone would be calling her "Mrs. Merrill", instead of "Miss Merrill". She would no longer be borrowing Mairelon's name as his ward, but owning it, as his wife. The thought caused mixed feelings in Kim and she wondered how she would ever get used to it. She barely heard Wilson asking what she would wear today.
"Oh, um, whatever you think," Kim responded lamely. Clothes had never been prominent in her thoughts.
"The green walking dress then, Miss Merrill," Wilson asked as she pulled it out of the closet.
Kim nodded absently while Wilson helped her dress and attempted to do her hair. Kim fidgeted with the skirt promising herself to talk to Mairelon about getting some pants tailored for her. Skirts were just too hampering for anything more than walking and sitting, which was all Society expected of a lady. Kim shook her head experimentally testing her hair and decided she had better ask Mairelon about a hat, too.
Kim accepted the matching reticule from Wilson and then exited her room once more. The opened doors of Lady Wendall's and Mrs. Lowe's rooms showed that they were up, but Mairelon's door was still closed. Kim frowned in puzzlement and then continued back down the stairs, passed the library and into the dinning room, noting that Mairelon was still absent.
Kim went to the sideboard and helped herself to a bowl of oatmeal and a piece of toast, before joining the other ladies at the table. Wilson, Kim saw, had disappeared, probably into the servants' kitchen, to wait.
"Good morning, Kim," Lady Wendall said with a cheery smile.
"Good morning, Lady Wendall, Mrs. Lowe," Kim replied with a smile to each of them.
"You may call me Elizabeth from now on, when we're in private. By marrying my son we are forming a much more intimate relation, than if you had ended up marrying someone else."
Kim didn't know what to say to a comment like that. Belatedly, she said, "Thank you, Lady Wen – um, Elizabeth."
"Really Elizabeth, you shouldn't confuse the girl," Mrs. Agatha Lowe reproached.
"Oh, I'm sure Kim will know when it's appropriate. Have a little more faith in her, Agatha." Lady Wendall turned back to Kim who had taken a seat near the opposite end of the table. "Are you excited about our shopping trip today?"
Kim finished chewing the bite of oatmeal she had just eaten before responding. "I don't think 'excited' is quite the right word," she said. I think I'd almost rather be living on the street again. "Will Madamoiselle D'Auber be meeting us there?"
"Yes, of course. She insisted she be a part of the proceedings, which reminds me of something else. Who do you want as your Maid of Honor?" Lady Wendall looked at Kim discerningly. "I'm afraid to say that most of your former friends would not be acceptable. Is there any one else you already had in mind?"
Kim shook her head and then asked, "What's a may dove on who?"
Lady Wendall chuckled and Mrs. Lowe pursed her lips. It was Mrs. Lowe who answered. "In a wedding ceremony, there are more people participating than just you and Richard. Your Maid of Honor should be a woman you trust and admire and preferably a close member of the family. Elizabeth is suggesting you ask Renee D'Auber."
"Ask Renee about what," came a new voice from the hall outside the dinning room.