This story is meant to be short and purposefully lacking in all that excruciating detail. I wanted it to be a fun thing to write and quick to the point. Thank you for reading and please review!
I do not claim ownership over any characters or places other than my OC.
...
Sir Guy of Gisborne was having a bad day. Not altogether unsurprising, what with the sheriff hissing in his ear and his men outdoing themselves with stupidity. The sheriff's fiftieth birthday was less than a week away and he'd pulled out all the stops at a glorious party. Guy had been rushing around for over a month now to ready the preparations. A woman's job. And everytime he bent over backwards for some trivial thing, the sheriff changed his mind about it.
He stormed through the castle ticking off items mentally. He'd changed the flowers from lilies to roses. And then again back to lilies. He'd counted and recounted the barrels of wine in the cellars and checked the kitchens for the third time that day. The entertainers were auditioning today and hellfire there were a lot of them. He wasn't looking forward to sitting through such ridiculousness.
Special guests from out of town had been arriving for the past few days. The castle servants were in a flurry cleaning out all the rooms available, washing the linens, and chopping the fire wood.
The sheriff strode out of his office with a flourish of furs. "Ah, Gisborne. There you are. What say we put Findley next to Abernathy, eh? They detest each other. Should make for interesting dinner entertainment, eh? Ha ha!"
Guy frowned. He had far too much on his mind to deal with place settings.
"Ooh, but what about Kensington's wife? Such a pretty little bird. I think she should sit near me. I've heard she's a bit flirtations, hm hm!" The sheriff continued to mumble to himself. As usual Guy tuned him out and followed obediently like a dark, leather clad shadow.
Several ladies in silks walked by giggling, and his thoughts turned to his own bedchambers. Perhaps he should have them cleaned out. Normally he kept to himself and forbade any servants from entering, but perhaps he could make an exception. So many women surely the sheriff would be busy and leave him to his own doings.
"Ehrm, whoo hoo! Gisborne! Snap out of it!" The sheriff smacked Guy playfully with his gloves. Guy scowled.
"What is it you require my lord?"
"Lilies are so last year. I think I want...ah yes, roses. Make it happen Gisborne."
...
"Lord Duchy of Surrey!"
Guy stood stiffly behind the sheriff as he greeted his honored guests. How boring. How droll.
"Lord and Lady Kennsington of Cravenshire!"
"Ah ha ha ha, there Gisborne, see? Quite the little vixen!" The sheriff inhaled sharply through his teeth. Guy glanced up lazily.
Lady Kensington was a skinny little thing with more revealing bosom than ten ladies. She had fire red hair and blazing blue eyes. She bowed graciously to the sheriff but as she passed she eyed Guy up and down approvingly. He turned away. Too easy.
Guy sighed loudly. "My lord I have things to do. If you'll excuse me."
He spun and walked away just as another name was being called.
"Representing her father, Lady Faelyn of Amberly!"
...
"Put it there please, soldier." Fae directed her chest of jewelry to a lovely little desk.
"That's it my lady." The soldier bowed and left her.
"Augh, finally!" Fae ripped her hair from its restrictive net. "Cherry, where are you?"
"Right here m'lady!"
Cherry was a sweet young woman, Faelyn's favorite lady-in-waiting, and her only companion during this journey. She hurried forward and plucked at Faelyn's corset strings. Her lady hated feeling constricted. A fear she'd had since the two had been children together.
Faelyn and Cherry grew up together as best friends. They were quite mischievous in their youth, the 'scourge of the manor' her father called them. Always throwing chicken's eggs and jumping out of dark corners suddenly. She knew all her lady's hopes, her dreams, and her darkest fears.
There was a lovely rolling hill situated just above the manor. Fae and Cherry would lay there on there backs in sweet green grass and watch the clouds float by. They spoke of the future, of brave knights and pretty dresses. But one day Fae did not appear. Nor did she appear for dinner. Cherry searched and searched for hours. Every able body and dog were set out to find her.
In the morning a rider was dispatched carrying terms of ransom, but even after it was paid Faelyn still did not return. Cherry followed after the rider, all alone at age seven, and found in the woods several miles away a group of bandits. They counted their money greedily with filthy fingers and cruel laughs.
"What of the girl?" She heard one say. "Leave her to rot."
They moved on a hour or so later, and so Cherry was free to search the area for her dear friend. The sun was nearly set when she finally uncovered a shovel deep in the underbrush next to a freshly moved pile of soil.
She toiled, her little child body shaking in exertion, for many agonizing hours. And then finally her shovel struck wood. Faelyn had been bound head to toe with rope, a gag tied tightly around her mouth, and buried alive in a wooden box. She never fully recovered.
Today she hated wearing corsets, hated having her hair up, and rarely wore tight jewelry. And in her boot she always carried a sharp little dagger. She also had a distinct fear of small spaces and the dark. She never traveled through the woods if she could help it, and never let Cherry leave her side for long. Not that the handmaiden would even if ordered.
"Which dress for the welcome feast tonight m'lady?"
Fae hated when Cherry called her that. She more than owed her her life. She saw Cherry as her equal and wished she could make her so in the eyes of the king.
"Oh, the green one I suppose. I dunno why my father made me come to this ridiculous birthday party anyway."
"To show support for King Richard and Prince John m'lady. To make yourself known to your fellow nobles."
Fae sighed. "I know. But this place is so...so dreary."
Cherry chuckled. "It's as good as any m'lady. At least here you will meet many people from all over. What a collection! Would you like your bath now?" She folded the corset and placed it gently in the washing basket.
Fae nodded distractedly. "My father wishes me to marry. And while I'm not opposed to the idea, I do regret that my youth is soon to be over. I will have to mind my husband and do boring things like knit and grow old."
Cherry laughed and laughed. "Oh m'lady, you are silly! I thought you wanted a a strong man to marry. Have little babes of your own, your own home to run?"
Faelyn giggled and sunk into the prepared bath with a happy sigh. "I do Cherry, I do. But I've had such fun with you. The two of us make quite the pair."
Cherry dug around in Fae's trunks until she found the emerald green crushed velvet gown. It had a lovely square neckline and was edged in elaborate gold stitching. She didn't respond right away, but instead washed her mistress' hair and began braiding the sides. She wrapped the braids around to the back and tied them off, then entwined a lovely gold circlet into the front. She held a mirror up to Fae for her approval and finally said, "Then let's make this our last great adventure!"