And here is the long awaited chapter. Man this thing was a nightmare to write! I knew what was going to happen and the order it was going to happen in but I had no idea how to put it in words. With some sections, I had to push myself to write. The consequence of that however is that the quality of writing goes down.
I'm going to be honest but when I first started writing this I had no idea how much recognition and such I would get for this. I'm breaking my own records here left, right and center. Of all my fictions, Until the End currently holds the record for most words, most followers, most favourites, and soon enough it'll break the record of most chapters, most views, and most reviews! I honestly cannot thank you guys enough!
Any questions you guys had in the AN are answered at the bottom.
The only heads up there is is that there is some alcohol involved in this but it's pretty brief.
Chapter #11: The Gathering Part 1
Merida's POV
"Maudie!" I yelled as I tried to close the back of my dress. Normally, I would've called Rapunzel but she had been given the night off for the gathering, " MAUDIE!" I yelled louder, grunting in frustration when the string wasn't cooperating with me. I continued to fiddle with it until I heard fast footsteps and the door opening. I turned and saw Maudie. I only had to motion to the string. She walked to me and took over. Before I could blink my eyes, Maudie finished tying the back. I turned around,
"Thank you, Maudie." I smiled and she gave me a small curtsy.
"Your welcome, princess." she smiled back and left the rook quietly, closing the door behind her. I almost ran to the mirror, excited to see the finished result.
I had chosen a blue dress to wear. The corset and the skirt were a light blue while the widened sleeves were a darker blue. The over skirt had the shape of an upside-down V and was the same shade of blue as the sleeves. I chose this dress because it was simple yet formal enough for such a gathering and I didn't want to outshine anybody; I wanted to look like I belonged with the common folk.
I looked at myself and smiled; I looked and felt the part of a common woman but then I looked at my hand. I stared at it for a while, having a mental battle with myself. With a sigh but no regret, I removed my engagement ring and placed it on a nearby table.
I looked at the woman in front of me; she looked pretty, very pretty.
It took all my self-control to not bounce up and down, that's how excited I was but not just because of what I would soon experience. I was excited because I could see Hendry again.
Yes, I had seen him everyday for the past 3 days but the time we spent were the best I could remember. Never in my life did I have such a friend, beside Rapunzel. But last time we had met, however, it felt different. I don't know how but it did.
I looked once more, gave one last approval and ran out towards the kitchen. On my way, I nearly ran into my brothers, who were, without a doubt, playing another prank on Maudie. They didn't stop me from running, not even when they asked where I was going. Before I knew it I had reached the kitchens, not that many of the servants noticed; I've walked around there very often. I looked at the open oak door and smiled. Like he promised, Hendry was waiting.
He was wearing a shirt that had green sleeves but there was a strip of dark reddish brown and then it went back to green. He was wearing black pants and brown boots. He looked at me and smiled, leaving his leaning position. He slowly walked towards me, his smile leaving his face,
"What?" I asked, feeling suddenly nervous under his gaze, nervous about my appearance. What is wrong with me?! I've never worried about what I looked like. Why should I suddenly now?
"You look beautiful." I felt my cheeks turn red and I let out a sheepish smile.
"Thanks." I muttered. He smiled and held out his hand to me,
"Shall we?" I looked at his hand for a moment before placing mine in it.
Rapunzel"s POV
"When is Mavis coming?" I asked as I handed a full pint to Onceler. He took the pint from me, shrugging his shoulder before taking a chug.
"Don't know but she said she'd be here." He took a smaller chug while I nodded. I turned my attention to the gathering. It was nothing too fancy, we had built a large bonfire and the rest of the area was clear for dancing. There were also a large cart with barrels filled with drink; I just hoped that it would last the night. As I looked around, I immediately saw that many of the people weren't even invited, even some castle guards were walking around.
As I looked at the people, I couldn't help but admire the clothing the people were wearing. Everybody had put on their best, even Onceler and Jack. Onceler was wearing a light blue shirt with a closed vest over it of a darker shade of the same blue. He also wore light greyish-brown pants, black boots, and a small gold necklace he had gotten in a trade.
Jack was wearing a blue tunic that reached to about mid-thigh, black pants and boots, and a sash decorated with red and white diagonal stripes. Underneath it all, however, he wore the all black clothing for the escape. He was currently playing a lively tune on his fiddle, some others playing along with him with instruments they brought themselves.
"Rapunzel! Onceler!" I looked and saw Mavis approaching with Melvin, the aging mule pulling a cart filled with barrels. As I approached her with a smile and Onceler following close behind, I noticed that she'd also had put on her best. She was wearing a deep red dress with puffed sleeves, a white neckline, and a silver necklace that Onceler had bought for her years ago. She stopped Melvin and motioned to the cart, "This should be enough to last the night, right?"
"This will be plenty." I smiled. Mavis returned the gesture and urged Melvin forward, Onceler now following her, taking hold of her hand. I turned around and saw two figures approaching from the direction of the castle. I immediately recognized Hendry and the red hair the one beside was too easy to recognize,
"Merida?" I started to walk towards them, my pace slowly speeding up to a jog. They looked at me and Merida waved, almost nervously from this distance. "What are you doing here?" I asked as I stopped jogging and they stopped walking,
"Hendry invited me." she said, motioning to him. I looked at him and saw his cheeks turn a shade of red.
"Merida?" I looked over my shoulder and saw Jack heading towards us, his fiddle in one hand and the bow in the other. He stopped right beside me, "Won't you get in trouble if you get caught here?" I knew that he was talking about William. In reply, Merida crossed her arms,
"What William doesn't know can't hurt me." She said nonchalantly. She walked to me, grabbed my hand and started to pull me to the gathering. I looked over my shoulder at Jack, who just shrugged.
Merida's POV
I laughed loudly at a joke from Onceler, trying but failing to take a drink from my tankard. As the laughter started to die down, I looked up at the sky, seeing the countless stars, asking God why I couldn't have been like Onceler and Hendry. Somebody common. With freedom, no rules, no responsibilities and no arranged or forced marriages. Why couldn't I be like Jack and Rapunzel? Why couldn't I marry for love?
I stopped gazing when I heard music nearby. I looked and saw Mavis playing her lute and singing songs. Placing my elbow on one of the logs that served as benches and leaning my hand against my head, I listened intently to the songs. She had a pretty voice, I was almost jealous. I could sing but if I was good was another question. She finished a song and everybody that had listened clapped,
"Play another song!" Onceler cheered. Mavis smiled but shook her head,
"I think Merida should play something." And she handed her lute to me. I looked at it. I knew how to play but very little. I hardly paid attention when my mother gave me music lessons.
"I-I'm sorry but I don't play." I tried to hand it back but Mavis shook her head,
"You must know something." She encouraged. Well, there was one song I knew but it was a lullaby and it was accompanied by a fiddle,
"Jack!" I called. He stopped playing and walked over to me,
"Yes?" I stood up and whispered the song into his ear,
"Do you know it?"
"Like the back of my hand." He said with a grin, placing his fiddle by his neck. I sat down on the log and pulled the string, playing a B. I looked up at Jack and he nodded. I started playing. The introduction was just the lute. It was then repeated with the fiddle and then the song started then the song is repeated once more and then it is finished.
The end of playing the introduction with the fiddle came too fast. I sang the song, with a large smile on my face,
A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth
Mise ri d' thaobh, O mhaighdean bhan
Ar righinn oig, fas as faic
Do thir, dileas fhein
A ghrian a's a ghealaich, stuir sinn
Gu uair ar cliu 's ar gloire
Naoidhean bhig, ar righinn og
Mhaighdean uashaill bhan
Repeat. I started and was surprised to hear Mavis singing with me, harmonizing the song,
A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth
Mise ri d' thaobh, O mhaighdean bhan
Ar righinn oig, fas as faic
Do thir, dileas fhein
A ghrian a's a ghealaich, stuir sinn
Gu uair ar cliu 's ar gloire
Naoidhean bhig, ar righinn og
Mhaighdean uashaill bhan
Then I heard cheering and clapping. I couldn't help but smile and gave an awkward bow with my head. I handed the lute back to Mavis,
"I didn't know you could sing." Hendry commented. I looked at him and I was certain I was blushing.
"My mom used to sing that to me almost every night." I explained as I sat down beside him, "And it was the only song I let her teach me to play."
"It was very beautiful." Now I knew for certain that I was blushing as my head felt warmer than it should. Jack yelled something inaudible and the whole crowd cheered.
"What's going on?" I asked Onceler as he stood up.
"We're going to dance." He replied with a grin and he held out his hand to me. I lifted mine hesitantly but I got no chance to pull back as Onceler took my hand, lifted me up to my feet, and joined the circle
"Onceler!" I looked at him, feeling the most nervous I've ever felt, "I-I don't know the steps."
"Don't worry. It's a really easy dance." And Onceler wasn't lying. It started with two steps to the left and then a kick with your left leg. Then two more steps to the left and kick left, right, left. Two steps to the left, two to the right, repeat and then the whole dance started again. At one point, someone broke the circle and started to lead the rest of us in random patterns. Before I could blink my eyes, Jack played the last note and everybody exploded in cheers and I was cheering with them just as loud. I couldn't express how happy I was. It was like a bubble had popped in me, I was suddenly releasing everything.
Jack yelled something and another cheer came through the crowd. Jack had announced another dance and everybody was grabbing a partner. Onceler looked at me but I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and saw Hendry with his hand held out,
"May I have this dance?" He asked shyly. I looked back at Onceler, who nodded. I smiled and took Hendry's hand. I took my place at Hendry's right and we joined the circle, taking the hand of the one to my right. This dance was a bit more complex than the last but still easy. It began with a double step to the left and a double to the right; this was repeated. Then you'd take six steps to the left. Then the ladies let go of their right hand and place her hands on her partner's shoulder, while her partner places their hands on her hips. The women jump and her partner moves her to the other side. Then the whole dance repeated.
This dance was longer than the last but much more fun. I couldn't stop smiling nor keep myself from letting out a squeak every time my partner lifted me. I took a quick look around the circle; I was one partner away from Hendry. My partner lifted me and I took Hendry's hand again. We took the steps. I placed my hands on his shoulders and jumped but when I did, the music stopped! Hendry did lift me but he didn't put me down. I looked down at him and my breath hitched. My heart started to pound loudly and I felt weird in my stomach. I drowned in those green orbs as he slowly put me down, keeping his hands on my hips and my hands on his shoulders. We stared at each other, never leaving the eyes contact. The first one to move was me. I slowly let go of his shoulder and backed away. I turned around and walked away but as soon as I did, I felt… empty.
All the dances that occurred in this chapter are actual Medieval dances. I've danced them too. What I find funny about Medieval dances is that it can sometimes be a bit painful to watch but doing them is so much fun. I don't remember what the first dance is called but the second dance is called "Toss the Wench". Fun fact: "wench" in the Medieval era did NOT mean prostitute, whore or something along those lines. In those times, "wench" referred to a young girl or woman who formerly worked a paid job, usually as a maid or on a farm. I'll try to have part 2 up soon. Really random question but how many of you want to see William? I noticed that he's hardly said anything and has only made a few appearances in the story so far.
Answers
Guest: He'll come very very very soon. I promise!
eeveetrainer96: I'm currently figuring out how to incorporate them a bit more.
Review, favourite, follow.
