Author's Notes: Sorry it took me so long to update; this chapter gave me a lot of trouble! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy. I swear I'm working on the very next one, only I've got a gazillion other projects also demanding my attention! Thanks to Kool Person, Joshua5, macgyver70, Chad-Pendragon (nice to hear from you again!) and all the repeat reviwers!
Chapter SevenGregor and Lepore rejoined Bevier and his family after they excused themselves from the royal presence. "I see things went well," the baron remarked.
"Things went marvelously," Arda said happily. "The King said he remembered me."
"Why would he not remember you, my Lady?" Lepore asked. "You are unforgettable."
"And you are very sweet, dear boy," she replied with a gay laugh.
Bevier appreciated his friend's gallantry but was also concerned that the apparently successful return to court would overexcite his mother. "Ah, Mother, perhaps you would like to sit down or have a little refreshment?"
"It is getting rather warm in here," Arda admitted, withdrawing a lacy handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbing delicately at her face.
Bevier stiffened and Menina reached for the dowager viscountess's arm, but Gregor was already at her side. "I can look after her," the baron told them. "You young people should enjoy your evening."
"I am feeling perfectly fine," Arda assured him, "just a tad over-warm."
"Are you certain?" Bevier asked. "We can return to our rooms now if you are not feeling well." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a bright red head bob in agreement. Menina clearly feared, as he did, that his mother would have one of her spells.
"Yes, I am certain. Gregor and I shall find a nice place to sit down and have a bit of a rest; you go and enjoy your first night back at court. In fact, Bevier, why don't you take Menina around and introduce her to your friends?"
"Oh, but—" Menina began to protest, but Lepore cut her off.
"A capital idea, my Lady!" he pronounced. "You and the baron are wonderful, of course, but Menina must meet some nice people closer to her in age."
"She must meet some eligible men, who may or may not be closer to her in age," the dowager viscountess corrected him with a mischievous smile, causing the redheaded young woman to blush to the roots of her hair.
This time, it was Lepore's turn to protest. "But, my Lady, Bevier and I were planning to introduce her only to women, married men and certified bachelors over the age of sixty!"
The look of horror that crossed Arda's face sent Bevier's elbow into the other knight's ribs. "Lepore is only joking, Mother," he assured her quickly. The last thing her heart needed was another unpleasant jolt such as that. "You know how he is."
"Humorous to a fault," the brown-haired Cyrinic said, massaging the sore spot. "My apologies, my Lady, I did not mean to distress you. Indeed, I was only joking. Now, are you ready, divinity?" Without bothering to wait for an answer, he took Menina's arm. Bevier noted that Lepore neither offered nor was asked to do so. "Let us go, then! Come along, Bevier!"
Bevier took leave of his mother and the baron. "You could have waited for me," he grumbled as he caught up with his ward-of-sorts and brother knight.
"I was only hastening to obey the Lady Arda's wishes," Lepore replied blithely, then confided, "actually, I had to get out of there after scaring your mother like that. I'm not an idiot, Bevier."
"You aren't?" he asked, feeling a small surge of triumph when Menina laughed. He supposed he had picked up more from traveling with the Church Knights than he thought.
The other knight flushed and gave him a sidelong glare. "I'm not. I know I tend to say stupid things at the worst times and it hurts people I care about, and I really do care about your mother."
"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but there is a rather large age difference between the two of you."
The witty remark was rewarded with another laugh from Menina and a glower from Lepore. "You know what I mean, Bevier," he said. "Your mother was always very nice to me."
"What a sweet thing to say, my Lord," Menina remarked.
Heartened by the small compliment, Lepore regained his customary good cheer. "And that was a sweet thing to say to me, divinity," he replied, patting her hand as he towed her along. "Come along. I shall introduce you to the most important people at court. Many of them are very close personal friends of mine."
As his brother knight boasted on about his many connections and their high standings at court, Bevier noticed that Menina was becoming increasingly nervous. She was apparently realizing that it was now time to apply all the lessons his mother had taught her over the past several weeks. Thankfully this nervousness had not hit her while she was meeting the King.
The black-haired Cyrinic touched the young woman's arm to get her attention. "Do not worry," he murmured to her. "I will help you."
She turned to him, her green eyes just slightly wild. "Do you promise?" Menina asked, sounding like a child afraid to sleep in the dark.
"You have my word on it," Bevier assured her. Lepore, still bragging, did not notice that his audience was no longer listening to him.
"I do not want to say or do anything that will embarrass the family."
He gave her a small smile. "As I said, I will help you."
Her own mouth curved slowly into an answering smile. "Thank you, Bevier."
Menina was understandably shy at first, but relaxed when she grew more accustomed to the art of making acquaintances and had met a few friendly people. Lepore did seem to know everyone, introducing them to quite a few lords and ladies, and his wit and humor did much in putting everyone at ease. Meanwhile, Bevier diverted the conversation to ease the pressure on Menina, or else tried to steer it toward areas in which she was, to his knowledge, well versed or interested. He did that less and less as Menina grew more sure of herself, but he also found himself glowering forbiddingly at a young lord or two to make it clear that the young woman was under his protection and he would brook no improprieties from them.
It seemed like an eternity before Lepore finally got around to introducing Menina to Maraline. Bevier offered a silent prayer of thanks when they finally started off toward where the dark-haired woman stood with a small group of friends. He offered another when flirtatious smiles bloomed on the ladies' faces at their approach.
"My Ladies," Lepore greeted them with a bow. "I give you good evening."
"My Lords," Maraline replied, inclining her head gracefully. "How kind of you to come by and say hello."
"You do us the kindness, my Lady," Bevier said before his brother knight could speak, "for allowing us to bask in the radiance of your beauty and the warmth of your presence."
One of Maraline's friends giggled, her golden curls bouncing. "What a pretty thing to say!"
"But not at all surprising," Maraline remarked with a small smile. "Although he is a soldier of God, Lord Bevier has the soul of a poet."
After giving the black-haired Cyrinic a sidelong glare, silently ordering him to leave the ladies alone, Lepore donned his most charming smile and turned back to Maraline and her friends. "In addition to basking in your presence, my Ladies, my brother knight and I are here on a sort of errand. May I present Bevier's ward, Mistress Menina…?" He drew her forth with a flourish. "She is new to court and we seek to make her feel more comfortable by helping her make new friends. Menina, meet the Lady Maraline, Lady Sarpina, and Lady Ariyan."
Fresh from meeting a very friendly countess, Menina smiled warmly at the women and sank into a curtsy. "Good evening, my Ladies." She was tall enough such that, even with her knees bent and head lowered, she was just slightly shorter than the petite Maraline.
"Good evening…Mistress, is it?" the blonde Sarpina asked, looking her over keenly.
"Yes, my Lady," Menina confirmed as she straightened. "But please call me Menina."
"You have an accent," Maraline noted then. "You are not from these parts."
"Indeed I am not, my Lady," the redheaded young woman told her. "I come from Rendor."
"A Rendor!" the dark-haired woman exclaimed, exchanging looks with her friends.
The expressions on their faces did not seem very pleasant, but Menina said nothing. She had forgotten that there was still some prejudice against her kind, especially in Arcium. Perhaps, if these ladies gave her a chance, she would be able to disprove their negative preconceptions about Rendors.
But when the women spoke again, she knew that they were not going to give her that chance. "My, but you are a tall one!" observed the woman called Ariyan. "Are all Rendors as tall as you? Does your height not make you feel positively gawky?"
Menina scowled slightly, but gave a polite answer. "We come in all sizes, my Lady, but I believe I am a bit taller than most Rendorish women. And I am happy with the way I am built."
"I, too, am happy with the way you are built, Mistress," Lepore interjected, giving her an ostentatious once-over. He winked at her, ignoring the nudge from Bevier (the fourth one he had earned that evening), as the ladies erupted into blushing giggles. Menina replied with a grateful smile.
"Her height displays her gown to its greatest advantage, my dear Ariyan," Maraline told her friend. "And that is a very unique gown, Mistress," she remarked to Menina. "I believe there isn't another one quite like it in the room."
The dark-haired woman was subtler than was her friend, but her meaning was clear: Menina's gown was not at all what was fashionable. Instead of feeling hurt, however, the redheaded young woman smiled sweetly. "Thank you, my Lady. The Lady Arda and I were hoping I would be distinctive, instead of looking like…oh, the rest of the herd, so to speak."
Her rejoinder drew a snicker from Lepore, a disapproving scowl from Bevier and angry flushes from the ladies. "One must follow the fashions," Sarpina argued.
"Indeed?" Menina frowned thoughtfully and turned to the knight who had quite obviously allied himself with her. "My Lord, you are well-versed in both the law and the teachings of the Church. Do you recall ever seeing it written that one is required to follow the fashion?"
"Why, no, Mistress," Lepore responded, all wide-eyed innocence. He turned to the other knight, whose expression had remained tight. "Do you, Bevier?"
"I am appalled at your behavior toward Lady Maraline and her friends," Bevier admonished after the ladies had hastily excused themselves. "You were most uncivil, Menina."
She stiffened, stung by his remark. "Well, I thank you for paying close attention to what I was saying, my Lord. But I, too, am appalled because you did not show those ladies the same courtesy."
His heavy brows drew together in a frown that she had not seen directed at her in a long time. "And just what did you mean by that?" he asked.
"Why don't you think about it, old man?" Lepore retorted, and turned from Bevier to hail a passing duke. "Elias! I've been looking all over for you, old boy! Come here. Bevier and I wish to introduce you and your lady to someone."
"Oh, please, no more introductions," Menina pleaded with him as a dark-haired couple walked, hand in hand, over to where she stood with Bevier and Lepore. "Not after those women."
"I am not about to let you end your first night at court with a meeting like that," the brown-haired knight told her, patting her hand reassuringly. "Do not worry, divinity. The duke and duchess are vastly different from those women. And I promise, after this, I shall return you to Lady Arda straightaway."
"What about Bevier?"
"Who cares about him? Ouch!" Lepore exclaimed when the other knight prodded him in the back.
He was unable to retaliate, however, because by then, the Duke Elias and his wife had reached them. "Something the matter, Lepore?" the duke asked. "You look rather pained."
"'Tis just his rheumatism," Bevier replied with a perfectly straight face. If Menina had not been so put out with him, she would have laughed.
Elias smiled at him then. "Bevier!" he exclaimed. "Why, it's been ages since we last saw each other! But then you have been busy having all sorts of adventures abroad, have you not?"
"They were not really adventures," was the modest reply. "Just Church business."
"Be that as it may, you have come a long way from our time as students at university."
"So have you, Elias."
"Oh! That reminds me — I do not think you have had the chance to meet my wife." The duke smiled at her as he drew her forward. "Galema, you already know Lepore—"
"I do not mind being reintroduced," Lepore joked.
Elias laughed appreciatively and carried on with his introductions. "This is Bevier, a friend of mine from university and the champion of the Cyrinic Order. Bevier, my wife Galema. We were wed three years ago."
Galema smiled and spread her skirts in a curtsy. "My Lord."
"My Lady," Bevier replied, bending over her hand briefly. "I am honored to make your acquaintance. Please accept my extremely belated congratulations."
After Lepore cleared his throat meaningfully, it was Menina's turn to be brought forward. "Now," Bevier said, "please allow me to introduce to you my ward, Mistress Menina. She was my cousin Lilear's stepdaughter, now come to live with us in Catalum. Menina, this is the Duke Elias and his duchess, the Lady Galema."
"Your Grace," Menina greeted the duke, self-consciously sinking into a low curtsy.
"Pleased to meet you, Mistress," Elias replied.
Heartened by the cordial reply, Menina extended a similar greeting to the duchess, who curtsied back and took her hand companionably. "You have such beautiful hair, Mistress," Galema complimented her.
"Thank you, my Lady." She studied the other woman warily. Like Maraline and her friends, the duchess was dressed at the height of fashion in a gown of sapphire blue, but unlike the other women, she was slightly taller and more slender. Her expression was also much more open and friendly. "And please, call me Menina."
"Then you must call me Galema! You are not from around here, are you?"
Further, unlike Maraline and her friends, the duchess had someone who tried to keep her in line. "Ah, please excuse my wife, Mistress," Elias said, flushing when he noticed that Menina had stiffened. "She is blessed with a curious nature."
"That is quite all right, my Lord," Menina replied, then turned to the duchess to answer her question. The sooner they found out she was a Rendor, the sooner the introduction would end and she could return to the dowager viscountess. "No, my Lady, I am not from around here. I am from Rendor."
Galema gasped, but not in horror. "How exciting! I went to Jiroch once, but did not see much of that city. Do you hail from Jiroch?"
"No, my Lady—"
"Galema," the duchess corrected her.
"Galema," Menina repeated dutifully, blushing as she did so. It was the first time someone had asked her to call them by their given name all evening. "I…I do not come from any one place, really. My, ah, family moves around often."
"Then you must have seen the entire kingdom! I traveled often with my father and then with Elias before we had the children, but in all that time I have never visited Rendor except for that brief stay in Jiroch. You must tell me what it is like! Is it as hot and dry and — I must admit — dirty as Jiroch? Did you ever spend time in the desert? Are there really piles of skulls there like the books say?" Galema broke off and blushed. "Am I talking too much?"
Menina found herself laughing, all her previous tension gone. "I do not mind it."
"You must forgive me, I am just very excited to meet someone new and I am fascinated with other lands."
"And I am pleased to meet someone who wishes to know more about my country," the redheaded young woman answered warmly. "I would be pleased to answer all your questions if I can."
"Well, come on then! We shall find a nice place where we may sit and become better acquainted, and the men shall get us something nice to drink — won't you, Elias?"
"As my lady commands," her husband replied with a bow.
"I love it when he says that," Galema confided.
As the duchess towed her away in search of a nice place to sit, Menina smiled at Lepore and Bevier. This was the way she would end her first night at court — by making a new friend.
* * *
Maraline and her friends lost no time in spreading the word about Menina's Rendorish origins. This caused some of the people who had been friendly that first night to now avoid her, but most remained sociable when they saw that she was very close friends with the Duchess Galema, one of the Queen's most trusted ladies-in-waiting.
Menina was glad that the entire court now knew that she was a Rendor. It enabled her to find out who truly wanted to get to know her. She hoped that, once they did, they would like her for whom she was and become her friend. Still, she could not help feeling the tiniest bit hurt when she saw or heard someone whispering about or laughing at her.
Even Afreet laughed at her, but for an entirely different reason.
"Have you not tired of laughing at my riding costume?" Menina asked him irritably one morning.
The black stallion bared his teeth in an equine grin.
"How many times must I tell you? This is what is fashionable here in Arcium."
He snorted.
She sighed. "I suppose I do look rather ridiculous," she grumbled, flicking impatiently at the longest of the russet-brown feathers in her cap. It was tickling her ear. "Perhaps I should not ride at all."
Afreet nuzzled her gloved hand in a conciliatory fashion.
"You are willing to carry me even though I am dressed like this?"
He bobbed his head, as if nodding, and pawed at the ground. The black stallion clearly no longer wanted to play games with her and was eager for exercise.
"You are bound by your word, then," Menina laughed.
She led him out of his stall in the palace stables, waving off a hovering groom's offer of help, swung up onto her horse's bare back, and took off.
Afreet galloped out of the stables. He did not fear running into other riders on his way to the riding park. Most courtiers tended to retire in the wee hours and sleep until noon, and those that did not knew better than to get in the big black stallion's way.
Menina, however, yanked at the reins moments after they bounded out into the park. Afreet whinnied in protest. "Afreet!" she commanded. "Behave yourself!"
The black horse obeyed grudgingly and stood still, sulking, as the only other rider in the park galloped toward them. "Good morning, Your Highness," Menina greeted the rider, curtsying as best she could while wearing a split riding skirt and sitting atop a horse.
Prince Aventor reined his bay stallion alongside Afreet, concern written all over his handsome face. "Mistress Menina, are you all right?"
Her eyes widened in surprise. "I am perfectly fine, Your Highness," she replied. "Why do you ask?"
"You seemed to be having some trouble with your horse earlier."
"Oh." She smiled and reached down to stroke her horse's inky mane. Afreet twitched his ears in dismissal of the caress. "I am all right, Your Highness. Afreet is just, er, rather frisky this morning."
He then turned an interested gaze at the black stallion. "He is your horse?"
"Yes, Your Highness, he is mine."
"He has caught my eye in the stables a few times and I have been wondering who was fortunate enough to own such a fine animal. I suppose I should have known it was you — I have heard you are of the Maranatoi."
At that, Menina stiffened. While she found no shame and indeed took pride in her Rendorish origins, she was now painfully aware that certain others, many of whom came from Arcium's older families, viewed her background differently. Was that a sneer she heard in the prince's voice?
Aventor's eyes, which were blue like his mother's, widened at the guarded expression that came over her face and he quickly raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Now, Mistress, while many Elenes are prejudiced against Rendors, I assure you I am not one of those poor misguided souls."
"That is good to know," she said, her expression still guarded.
"In fact," he went on earnestly, "when I assume my father's throne, I intend to pursue greater trade and political relations with Rendor. I wish to teach my people to be more tolerant of other cultures."
"I think the best way to teach them, Your Highness, is to set an example as early as now."
"You make a very good point," Aventor conceded. "If I begin now, while I am still a prince, it will show everyone that I am sincere in my efforts — which I assure you I am," he added. He then assumed his customary jaunty grin. "So, in the interest of promoting Arcian-Rendor relations, Mistress Menina, will you ride with me?"
There was a loud whinny and she laughed. "Afreet thought you would never ask, Your Highness."
More Author's Notes: I would especially appreciate feedback on the content of this chapter and pacing of the story. Was the chapter too short? Does it leave you sort of hanging? I thought I would limit the coverage to Menina's first experience at court and encounter with anti-Rendor prejudice, and then tackle her rise in popularity/notoriety in the next chapter. If you think this is too short, what other things should happen before I end? Suggestions are welcome. I might revise this chapter later. Thank you very much!
