Chapter Five
"What do you mean?" I gasped.
"When there is more at stake, the price goes up. Now that you know your freedom is at stake, you will naturally give more."
"My freedom was at stake last night too," I argued.
"You were not sure of it."
I opened my mouth to argue this claim but, really, I couldn't. He was right. Last night, I had still harbored some hopes that the king might be reasonable and let me go home without receiving any gold.
"Now you are sure, so you will give more," said the little man.
"That doesn't make sense."
"I'm magic. I have a different kind of sense."
I almost continued to argue but then, realized that he was actually enjoying my protests. It was all a game to him. Fine. I'd give him whatever he wanted. "What do you want? My shoes?"
He said nothing.
"My clothes?" I wondered if I could make myself some kind of replacement gown out of gold.
The little man pulled out the flagon and drank from it. He smacked his lips. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He put the flagon into his vest pocket.
"No, I don't need clothes and shoes," he said. "What I want from you is…your firstborn child."
I looked into his little smiling eyes. He wasn't joking.
For the first time, I saw the little man for what he really was. An evil creature that had spun a web and neatly caught me in it.
"You're crazy."
The little man chuckled. "Certainly, certainly. But the fact is…I have magic. And you do not. Now will it be yes? Or no?"
The little man's grinning face suddenly blurred. I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. "What if I agree and then never have a child? What will you demand then?"
The little man smiled and opened his hands. "Then, you're free from any debt."
So he didn't know everything.
I thought for a moment. Then I said, "All right. I agree."
The little man smiled and the room was covered with gold.
"I will see you again someday, my lady."
When he was gone, the room suddenly seemed very cold. I wrapped my arms around myself. I was sickened at the agreement I had made. It brought back so many memories… I picked up the quill and described everything that happened to Rianne. I finished by writing:
Do you remember the time that awful village doctor examined me and I learned the truth about my body and I came home and cried? Since then what I wished for most of all was a miracle.
Now I can't wish for it anymore.
It's like giving up an old pain for a new one.
Chapter Six
Instead of the king coming to see me in the morning, like last time, a servant came and told me to go to the throne room.
"Doesn't he wish to see the gold?" I asked.
The servant said nothing. I followed.
The king was waiting impatiently.
"The gold is ready, your majesty."
"Never mind the gold. I'm sure it is fine."
Never mind the gold?
"I have something of more importance to discuss with you. Take a seat."
I sat, wary.
"This morning, my son came to see me," said the king. "He told me that he had lunch with you yesterday and enjoyed your company very much."
I was not sure where this was leading. "I enjoyed his company too."
"In fact, he enjoyed it so much that he would like you to stay in the palace for a long, long time."
I frowned. "He…he wants me to stay and be his playmate?"
"No, not exactly."
"Well, I haven't the education I would need to be his tutor," I said positively. And, I thought, even if I did have that sort of education, I would not want the responsibility of educating the ruler of the country. Not to mention that having a pupil who can send you to prison at his whim is not pleasant.
"No, not his teacher," said the king. "He told me that he wants you to be his…future bride."
I stared.
The king was considering marrying his son to me, in this way putting me in charge of the country in case of his death.
He hardly knew me! Or was gold all that mattered to royalty?
"It is another kind of magic you've worked here," said the king. "Yesterday morning, my son was going wild, refusing to even consider the idea of becoming engaged to anyone, but now he is quite willing to accept it as long as you are the one."
Goodness. I was just being kind to the boy. I hadn't meant to do anything else.
I stood. "Your majesty…"
"Sit back down and listen. You may say no. I won't force you. I am not a tyrant."
Oh, really? I was careful to keep my face neutral.
"I will inform Olin that you have refused him and that he must choose another lady or I will choose for him."
I felt troubled. Did I dare try to persuade the king to wait a little before placing such a burden as marriage on the little boy's shoulders? "Why must you force him into this, your majesty?"
"I do not know if you could understand," he said loftily.
"I will try."
"Because. Because I have seen enough prime ministers and royal assistants to know that I cannot trust them to care for my son in case…in case anything should happen to me." The king sighed. "But a woman would. A good clever woman with power who cared about my son would protect him. From what I've seen of you, I conclude that you are that sort of woman."
"But I can only gain this power by agreeing to marry him," I said.
"You do understand," the king said approvingly.
I was stunned. Could the king, the horrid awful king, be guided by such simple, even well-intentioned motivations? Perhaps, there was some good in him, after all.
My next words surprised even me. "Your majesty, I think your son needs…a good friend. I am willing to stay in the palace for a while and be that to him. But nothing more."
The king considered this. "With time, you may change your mind."
I said nothing.
"Well, I'll order the servants to prepare a room for you as befitting a 'good friend' of the prince."
When I came to Olin's room, he was setting up golden chess pieces on a board. When he looked up and saw me, his face lit up. I didn't remember the last time, someone had been so happy to see me.
"I knew you were coming," Olin said. "The servants told me. Let's play chess! I'm very good at chess."
"Olin, before we play, can we talk?"
"But I want to play now!" Olin said.
I decided to be firm. "I think we should talk first."
Olin crossed his arms for a moment and sulked. I waited. Then, he said, "Oh, all right! Well?"
I knew I had to choose my words carefully. It wouldn't do to hurt him. "You've come up with a really interesting idea, Olin. To choose me for your bride…"
"Yes, isn't it a good idea? See, you were the only grown-up lady I could think of that I actually liked."
I smothered a laugh. I grew serious. "Olin, did it occur to you to ask me?"
Olin looked at me, wide-eyed.
I spoke gently. "I understand you were excited, so you ran straight to your father with your idea. But when you want a girl to agree to marry you, you ask her. Agreed?"
Olin nodded.
"And you also respect her choice, if she says no."
I saw his enthusiasm begin to ebb away. "Are you saying no?"
"Well, I couldn't possibly make such a serious choice right away," I said. "Surely, when you have a serious choice to make you think long and hard before committing yourself?"
Olin nodded again.
"I will stay in the palace for now."
Olin grinned.
"Mind you, that's all I am saying yes to. You must promise that you won't force me into anything, even if you are a prince."
"I promise," Olin said solemnly. There was a pause. "Can we play chess now?"
I smiled back. "All right. But I've never played chess before."
"Then I get to teach you? I never got to teach anybody anything before!"
So Olin taught me chess and we played.
I did enjoy spending time with him and I was glad to bring some good into his life. But of course, I had not agreed to stay merely for those reasons. I had other considerations too. Suppose I went home. Then what? An endless search for work in order to support myself and father was all I had to look forward to. But if I stayed in the palace…perhaps, I might find work there and could make myself useful. Eventually, a servant had leave and when she did, I could take her place. I did not plan to live on the king's charity for long.
