Chapter 1
It was the opening day of the Smallville Annual Renaissance Fair. It was an unusually pretty day, the sky a cheerful blue, the air balmy. Canopied galleries with chairs placed on ascending levels lined all four sides of an enormous tournament field that had been staged in a meadow situated just south of town. The galleries crowded with gorgeously costumed ladies and gentlemen—it seemed the entire town had turned out to watch the festivities. The Luthors were hosting the event this year and no expense was spared in making the event authentic.
In the distance the sun bathed the Luthor Mansion, its Gothic spires and graceful arches suffused with bright golden light, casting interesting shadows across the stately lawns and gardens, the mansions' stained glass windows beaming benignly upon the sleepy tableau in the meadow below.
Chloe and Lois were set up in a tent in the bazaar area. They had made headpieces to sell at the fair. Chloe thought this might be a good way to get Lois' mind off her recent break-up with Oliver. Chloe knew that the break-up had really affected Lois—she was being uncharacteristically quiet about it.
Clark and Jimmy approached their tent, each dressed in full regency regalia.
"Good Afternoon Lois, Chloe." Clark said and bestowed the ladies with a courtly bow.
Chloe laughed. "Clark, I think you're taking this Ren Fair thing a little too seriously. Don't you think so, Lo-?"
Before Chloe could finish her question, she turned to find Lois in a deep curtsey. The low-cut bodice of Lois' gown revealed her ample endowments and she was making sure that Clark noticed her assets.
"Good afternoon, milord".
"OK. What's goin' on? "Chloe asked, her bewilderment at the actions of her friend and cousin obvious.
"I know what this is about" Jimmy piped in. "Clark and Lois made a bet to see which one of them could stay in character for the duration of the entire Ren Fair." Jimmy beamed, enthusiastic that he, for once, had the inside scoop on information that Chloe did not have.
"Really? And what was the wager?"
"They are keeping the details of that quiet. But I'm on the case." Jimmy grinned.
"Lois, spill." Chloe commanded.
"Nay, dear cousin, I cannot divulge the terms of our arrangement, and Master Kent is sworn to the same secrecy."
"Secrecy --that shouldn't be a problem at all for Clark." Chloe muttered under her breath.
Clark heard her jibe, but ignored it. Instead he addressed Jimmy, "James, we need to go and put our names in the lists."
"Sure thing C.K. – I mean, Yes Sir Kent." Jimmy corrected. Clark bowed again to the ladies and bidding them good afternoon.
As the men were leaving the tent, Chloe stated, "I don't know what this is really about, but I think you just have a thing about wearing capes."
Clark rolled his eyes at her, and smirked. He then stooped low and exited the tent.
In a clearing not far from the castle, a mock jousting tournament was now in progress. And in that halcyon setting of laughter and relaxation, this travesty had begun. It was silly really. Lois had argued with Clark over her favor in the joust. Instead of her bestowing a favor on him, she wanted to be the rider. Clark would not hear of it, telling her it was dangerous and that if they were remaining in true character for the day that it just wasn't done in 'chivalrous society'—and then there was that crazy wager that he and Lois had agreed to—which of them could go longer without breaking character. He was determined not to lose to Lois. She argued that she was a better horsewoman. He chortled at her suggestion, causing her to race off in a fury.
Lois came to a clearing where children from the fair were playing. Drawn to their laughter she slid from her horse and joined them at their games. Lois enjoyed the light-hearted teasing of the children. In contrast to the laughter and seeming gaiety of the moment, the sky had suddenly darkened as a bank of heavy clouds rolled in, and the air was turning bitingly cold, whipping Lois' cloak about her, as if nature herself were brooding.
Lois was abruptly pulled from the merriment as a clap of thunder rent the sky and large drops of rain began to pelt the children, causing some of them to become frightened and begin to cry. Just then a woman clad in a somber gray gown, white wimple, and short gray veil, was headed toward her, sitting demurely sideways in the saddle. Her costume was in direct contrast to the gaiety of the fair—but a perfect mirror of the mood of the rider and the recent turn of the weather. Lois recognized the timid and weary smile of Lana Luthor.
"Lois, I've come to escort the children back to their waiting parents. We are closing the Fair and the Joust down for the day, due to the storm watch."
"Good idea, Lana. The weather has really turned ugly."
Sending the children ahead with "Lady" Luthor with strict orders they obey her, Lois scanned the area for her horse. Drawing her cloak about her, she shivered in the biting wind, when she heard a familiar and annoying voice bellow over the wind.
"LOIS"
It was Clark. She was in no mood to argue with Clark. Despite the fact that she truly wanted—needed, to stay outdoors and try to reassemble her thoughts, something in the air was shrouded in gloom and foreboding.
Clark dismounted from his horse and made short work of the distance between them. He reached out to take her arm just as she spied her horse. She dashed to the mare and straddled the magnificent animal—despite the mass of material that comprised her beautiful, but impractical gown. How did women manage to function in all of these clothes in the 15th Century? She had no time to ponder such notions if she was to gain the advantage and escape Clark. She bolted in the direction of the woods just past the slope of the hill overlooking the Luthor Estate. Clark's pleas for her to come back were swallowed by the howling wind.
By the time she had gained purchase on the steep incline, Lois had already grown impatient with her own self-pity, and she made a Herculean effort to shore up her flagging spirits. Why had she argued with Clark? What was it about him that made her delight in busting his chops? In truth, he seemed to enjoy their bantering. But his ribbing was always good-natured and sometimes she could be cruel. Had Lois not been so lost in these musings, she might have caught a glimpse of Clark through the woods that ran beside the road right behind her.
"Lois, please come out of the rain. You're soaked—you'll catch your death of cold. I'm sorry. Stay mad at me if you want, but please come back with me."
He wondered inwardly why he was apologizing to Lois. He'd done nothing wrong. He'd only agreed to participate in the games to appease Chloe and Lois, who thought this would be so much fun. Oh Yeah, chasing after Lois around in this terrible weather was fun, alright.
The sky was ominous and she knew she should heed his warning, but she couldn't resist needling him just a little more. The storm was coming hard and fast, and the splatter of rain had increased to a punishing tempo.
She dug her heels into the flank of the mare and sped off through the copse of trees, leaving Clark in her wake. Her wimple now discarded and forgotten, the rain whipped her hair and cloak around her. She looked behind her, calling out a challenge to Clark,
"If you want me, you'll have to catch me."
Just then a crack of thunder spooked her horse and the mare bolted in terror. Lois didn't see the tree bough that had been whipped about by the wind, nor did she hear Clark's warning before she was thrown from the horse. Her world catapulted as a grunt of pain escaped her lips. She pitched forward, trying to regain her footing before her elegantly slipper-clad foot caught under a thick tree root and sent her sprawling onto her face, smacking the side of her head against a rock when she landed. She felt something warm trickle down her face, matting her hair as the cold rain continued to pelt her, stinging her already chilled face. She barely heard Clark call her name as her world faded to black.