A/N: This has been a long time coming. There is nothing more stifling for creativity than looking for a job. But I have one now and am inspired again thanks to a new set of very kind reviews for my other story Little Sparrow. Please enjoy the chapter, and the next one will follow shortly. If you have the time, I would love for you to review, a simple happy face would do! Goodness knows we all can use a little encouragement now and again! But here I am rambling...So without further ado I present to you the beginning of Alys' new life!
C.V.
Chapter 7- Moor Village
Moor Village was a pleasant little town, and the closer we got to it, the more I began to feel like I could actually live there without worry. Yet as we approached the tiny hovel that was meant to be my home, I began to have my doubts. The whole structure couldn't have been any larger than one of my rooms in the palace. I wasn't foolish, and I knew that it was going to be a large adjustment to get used to a new lifestyle altogether, but I felt that all the freedom I felt while looking at the vast expanse of the ocean had disappeared as soon as I considered the home I'd be living in from now on. It was tighter than a prison cell in my father's dungeon.
Moryn unlatched the gate of a small fence that surrounded the shoddily built wooden hovel, and the closer I got, the more I realised that the whole home appeared to be slightly bent. Any strong gust of wind, and the whole thing would surely collapse.
"Home sweet home," I heard Moryn sigh contentedly behind me. He clearly didn't find anything wrong with the dilapidated shack, and since he had been so kind to me by the ocean I didn't want to say anything cruel about his home. It wasn't his fault he was born penniless anymore than it was my fault I'd been born as a Princess.
"It's…" I began, trying to come up with an appropriate adjective to describe the home. But before I could utter another word, he placed his hand on my shoulder. I flinched, still completely unused to physical contact, though he seemed to sense my unease and removed his hand quickly.
"It's not what you're used to I'm sure," he answered for me a little condescendingly.
"That's most definitely true, but this was my choice and I have every intention of seeing it through."
"I'm glad you're so set on this path Alys, but I hope you don't think it will be easy. You'll need to cook, clean and help make us a living, but as it stands now you don't know how to do any of that," he continued, ushering me through the small stone pathway to the door.
"Well I hope you don't mind burnt stew then," I retorted, narrowing my eyes. His dark eyes were sparkling with mirth, and I didn't appreciate the fact that he was treating my inexperience with household matters with such levity. Perhaps I'd take to burning his food on purpose from now on. He'd certainly deserve it.
"Funny you should mention stew, since I'm expecting some to be ready for us inside."
I grew frustrated with the fact that he was able to brush off my comments as he would the harping of one of the seagulls flying overhead. But just as I was about to inquire what he meant about the stew being prepared I heard a high pitched squealing sound coming from inside the shoddily built walls. Unable to conceal my fright I leapt in the air, nearly tumbling over Gelert who began to bark and circle around Moryn and I.
The dog didn't seem to be angered by the noise however, and instead, I watched as his tail wagged back and forth in excitement. Moryn laughed at my fright, which didn't abate until a woman dashed out of the rickety door, heading straight for him.
"You're back safe and sound!" She said, a smile lighting up her pretty face. She looked to be a little younger then me and was quite pretty- with tiny features, curly red hair and a dusting of freckles across her nose she reminded me of a fox.
"I trust you've been keeping the place tidy for me Grania?" He laughed, returning a tight embrace that she'd initiated. I had to admit that I was impressed with her. For although she was neatly kept, she didn't seem to be put off by my husband's appearance at all, which forced me to wonder if all peasants were accustomed to ignoring things like personal hygiene amongst themselves.
I watched as she let go after an instant, and kneeled down to pet Gelert while he licked her face. It took her a while to notice me though, and the look in her eyes as she stood up to face me was one of complete and utter surprise.
"Is this her?" She asked Moryn, her eyes wide as she took in the state of my clothing and shoes. I assumed that he must have mentioned me to her somehow, though I wasn't sure when he had the time.
"Yes, this is my wife Alys," he answered simply, as if it were the easiest thing in the world to say. I still thought it sounded incredibly farfetched.
Grania's grey eyes got as wide as saucers, but her mouth slowly followed in an enormous grin. She squealed again, the same way she had when we'd arrived, and jumped up and down as she bounded towards me, offering me the same tight hug she'd just given my husband.
"Oh it's ever so nice to meet you Alys! I'm Grania! But I guess you've figured that out already! I live in the house just down the path there. My husband's Brin, the blacksmith in the village. I'm sorry if I startled you, it's just I was just getting the house ready for Moryn's return, I wasn't stealing anything! I can see how you might get the wrong idea, but I promise that it's something I do often! And I'm rambling aren't I? My mom always told me I talked too much…"
I was completely overwhelmed by the girl. She was the most energetic person I'd ever met, and was so upfront with her mannerisms and the way she spoke that I wasn't sure what to think, let alone how to reply to her.
"That's…that's alright…" I mumbled into the rough wool of her dress since she still hadn't released me.
"It's so nice to have another girl my age in the village! The only other girl our age is Efa, and she's just had twins so she's too busy to spend time with me anymore! But sky's above Alys, you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen! It's a shame that your clothes are ruined. You haven't been taking very good care of your new wife Moryn." She chastised, placing the palms of her hands against my cheeks.
"And you're cold too! Let's go inside and I'll fix you some of the dinner I've med. I also have fresh baked bread and cheese here that you can have."
Moryn chuckled deeply. "You're an angel Grania. Alys and I are very grateful."
"It's no trouble Moryn. You helped Brin out of that bind last winter, so we're happy to help you in any way we can! Make yourselves comfortable and I'll take care of everything." Without another word to us, Grania rushed inside the house as quickly as she'd left, and I was left standing awkwardly in her wake.
"Her enthusiasm takes a little getting used to, but her and her husband are good people. If you ever need anything you can be sure that they will help you."
"Where will you be?" I wondered, a slight feeling of nervousness rushing over me.
"I'm a travelling musician Princess. I cannot always be here should you require help. You'll need to become self-sufficient. Learning from Grania will be good for you, and for me too since I'll be wanting a freshly cooked meal when I get home in the evenings, and not burnt stew" he laughed. It was a pity the joke was on him, because if he thought that I was capable of cooking him anything he was sorely mistaken. But I didn't have a chance to tell him so, since both he and Gelert had already crossed the threshold into their home. Grania must have lit candles and the fireplace, since a faint glow was emanating from the crooked windows, and despite its ragged appearance, the home actually looked charming.
The door creaked as I opened it behind him, but as soon as I caught a glimpse inside the home I was pleasantly surprised by how warm it seemed. Although nothing was as fine as what I had in the palace, the few bits of décor that the fiddler owned were lovingly crafted, and bathed in orange, flickering firelight.
The fireplace dominated the home, as the hearth was large enough to cook on, but in the opposite corner was a small bed and a bearskin rug, and closer to the door, a rustic table that Grania was already setting with bread she produced from the small oven built into the hearth. Smelling the bread made me instantly ravenous, and my stomach growled.
"Help yourself to a slice Alys, you've had a long trip!" The girl insisted, handing me a knife that appeared to have been recently sharpened. I looked at it for a moment. Since I'd never cut bread before I hoped I didn't ruin it, but I was so hungry I wouldn't have minded swallowing the loaf whole. Positioning the knife on the top of the loaf I began to slice through it, only to hear Moryn utter a curse word and stop me.
"You'll cut yourself like that Alys! You mustn't hold the bread there or you'll slice your fingers clean off!" He ordered, demonstrating how it was to be done. I could feel color rushing to my cheeks.
"Well excuse me for not knowing how to cut bread properly" I retorted, refusing to look at him. I didn't like being ordered around, especially when I could hardly be blamed for my lack of knowledge. I wish he didn't feel the need to be so infuriating!
"Don't pout like that. These are just the things you'll need to learn. Grania will help you around the house for the next while, until she thinks you've become confident enough to take care of things on your own," he said. Although I knew that I should have been pleased that my husband had taken upon himself to ensure that I was looked after, part of me felt incredibly insulted,- since even though I understood his point I didn't like to be told that I couldn't take care of myself.
"Don't be ashamed Alys," Grania said with a smile. "Moryn tells me you come from a very sheltered life, and that you only just learned of your arranged marriage. You'll be running the home in no time with me as your guide!"
I rolled my eyes at the pitiful excuse he'd given her. Grania had no idea how sheltered I had been, otherwise she probably wouldn't have been so eager to assist me. I knew Moryn had to create some sort of excuse for me, since I doubted he'd tell the whole village that I was actually the Princess of Lustre. Besides, nobody would believe him if he did.
Still, I wasn't sure why the girl wasn't more suspicious of me. I had, for all intents and purposes, just appeared out of nowhere married to a friend of hers. Yet she treated me as if we were old and dear acquaintances. It was a strange phenomenon for me, since I'd never had a friend before, unless you counted Deirdre, who was paid for her service and loyalty. But Grania went out of her way to make sure I was comfortable without being ordered. In fact, she acted as if to do so was a pleasure, and I couldn't help but smile at her infectious personality. She was certainly a force of nature.
After we had gotten settled in, and Grania was certain we had everything we needed, she bade us good night and took her leave. The house seemed suddenly silent without her, since she hadn't stopped speaking once since we'd arrived.
After finishing the meal in front of him, Moryn yawned, and stretched his arms over his head.
"It's been a long day, so let's get your bed set up. You'll have to make sure it's put away every morning, since the last thing we need is strange rumours about us circulating through the village. It's very difficult to keep anything a secret in a place like this, as I'm sure you'll soon learn," he said, and then left the house for a few moments, only to return with a heaping mound of hay, which he then spread out next to the bed. There were several knitted blankets sitting on the only shelf in the home, and he grabbed them so he could fashion a simple sleeping arrangement before finally pulling a pillow from the bed and holding it out for me to take.
"You should be comfortable on the floor now. Tomorrow Grania will see about getting you proper clothing, and a night dress as well. But for now you'll have to make due."
"Wait? You're making me sleep on the floor again?" I demanded, outraged.
"Of course! It's my home, so I will be sleeping on the bed. You've more than enough blankets so you'll be warm. Besides, you must have noticed that I have a bad back by now. So unless you would like to share the bed with me-"
"Oh never mind!" I snapped, ripping the flimsy pillow from his hands and tossing it on the floor. With a groan I knew that it was going to be another long, sleepless night, and after what felt like hours listening to the ocean waves crash in the distance, I decided that I needed to get up and stretch my legs. After so long a time walking, all the time spent in idleness was making them feel stiff and uncomfortable.
I could hear Moryn's heavy breathing from above my position on the floor, and figuring that he was fast asleep I crept silently towards the door, opening it as slowly as possible to reducing the sound of the creaking noise. It didn't help that even the floorboards seemed to want to hinder my progress, since they groaned with every step I took. When I finally made it out of doors, I was startled to notice that Gelert, who had been sleeping at the foot of his master's bed, had followed me out. I had been so focused on my own movements that I'd completely missed any of his.
Without a sound, I ignored the dog's presence and walked towards the sound of the ocean. It was very dark, but the moon hung bright in the sky, and was reflected on the water's surface like it was a distorted mirror allowing me to find my way.
Moryn's home was built on a small cliff that hung over the ocean, and so when I reached the drop off point I slumped down on the side, letting me feet drape from the ledge. Gelert took a seat beside me, his long pink tongue hanging from his mouth while he regarded me with curiosity.
"I think I'm jealous of you boy," I muttered to him while I reached to stroke his fur tentatively.
"Moryn lets you sleep on the bed, but his own wife sleeps on a haystack. It hardly seems fair does it."
The dog whined a little, and it almost made me think that he understood what I was saying to him. Though I'd never had a pet before I was beginning to see the appeal.
"I wish I knew where I stood with him. I hoped that after the mess with my blisters he would have at least let me sleep on the bed like a gentleman should. But perhaps I ask too much of a mere fiddler. It just doesn't seem like he wished to be married anymore than I did," I sighed, looking up at the stars. Gelert nuzzled my side, and for I moment I tried to let fatigue drift over me while I stared at the vast immense of the ocean and the sky, stretching on forever in blackness.
"You'll fall to your death if you stay like that Alys. You should get some rest," I heard Moryn utter from behind me. He was probably right. If I did manage to nod off I faced the very real possibility of tumbling off the cliff to my death, since I certainly didn't know how to swim.
"Afraid I'd gone and run off?" I asked without turning to look at him.
"Where else would you go?" I thought for a moment. It was a fair question after all. Where would I go?
I may have been free of my gilded cage, but without him I would be alone in the world, and I didn't think I was quite ready for that just yet. And who knew, perhaps the life of a peasant would suit me better than that of a princess.
