Journey
I watched out of the carriage window as we passed over rolling countryside, not noticing my hands fiddling with the painted fan sitting in my lap. The hot, stale air of the carriage was giving me a throbbing headache, and the constant swaying motion had rendered me unable to eat all day. My mother had told me I could ride my horse, as I preferred, but my Grandmother Daimen interfered as usual, saying that it was not ladylike to ride on such a long journey.
After saying goodbye to me, she had gone to lie down inside the manor, and I noticed one of the stable hands attaching my horse to our small wagon and carriage train. "All of those Court ladies have their own horses, it wouldn't be seemly if my own daughter didn't have hers." My father had said, winking at me before enveloping me in one of the huge bear hugs that I had grown up loving.
I looked out of the window and gave an audible sigh. So much had changed since I received that letter a year ago. It was an invitation to court from one of the queen's ladies in waiting. I had been mislead when I thought it was from herself, but I soon learned in the many lessons that were to come that it was the ladies in waiting that handled the invitations to Court.
As soon as I had shown the letter to my family, my Grandmother insisted on increasing my lessons so that I would be fully prepared for life at the palace. I had always been a bit shy, and the thought of moving away from my family to go to Court terrified me. I had begged my mother and father not to make me go, and they had been close to relenting, when, as always, my Grandmother Daimen informed them that it was a terrible slight to Their Highnesses if the eldest daughter was not sent to Court. And as usual, Grandmother got her old-fashioned way.
A year later it was not only my Name Day, but also my Flower Day. My family made a great deal of fuss over the celebration, seeing as how I was finally of the age to marry. Carine teased me endlessly about whom I might begin twoing with at Court, but I ignored her. I was more than a little sad to give up the children's dances the same year I gave up my childhood home. I knew I would never live at Laurel Lake again.
And before I thought I was ready, it was time to leave. I had learned every possible rule of manner that existed, every separate curtsey for people above my rank or below it, even the special fan language that many Courtiers use. In addition, a massive wardrobe had been made for me that would take five trunks and their own wagon to transport to Remalna-city, to the Palace Athanarel where the Court was located.
"If you are bored, my lady, perhaps you would like to take up your sewing?" My new maid said in her blunt manner, never looking up from her own needlework. Her name was Shella, and she seemed to be a year or two older than I was. She had turned up at Laurel Lake four months before I was due to leave, looking for work. She seemed quite experienced, and so was hired to become my personal maid. I had hoped to become friends with her, but she didn't show much interest in the conversations I had tried to start.
I sighed, and pulled out the basket that held my supplies. I was squinting in the dim light of the glow globe to thread my needle when all of a sudden there was a loud crunch and the front left of the carriage fell to the ground. Shella, who was sitting in the front left of the carriage, gave a scream of surprise. We couldn't quite see the face of the member of my father's Guard who opened the carriage door for us because it was growing rather dark outside.
"I'm dreadfully sorry, ladies. The wheel broke and you'll have to get out for a bit." I could have recognized that voice anywhere as a hand reached out and helped me out of the crooked carriage first, and then Shella.
"Kegan!" I exclaimed when I was safely on the ground. "I haven't seen you in months! Why didn't you tell me you would be part of my escort?" Kegan had come to our family when he was twelve. For many years he worked as a stable boy, and I, being the lover of horses that I am, quickly befriended him. He was like a brother to me, and although my Grandmother Daimen frowned on the friendship, my mother put her foot down and allowed me to spend hours in the stables tending horses and talking with him.
When father chose him to become one of his Guard, we didn't get to see each other often. All of his time was spent practicing and training, and the only times I had a chance to speak to my only friend were when he was off duty for holidays.
"I was at your Flower Day celebration, but you were just too busy dancing to notice." He said, pretending to sound indignant as I glimpsed his playful smile in the semidarkness.
"I saw you," I said, growing more serious, "but if Grandmother Daimen had seen me speaking with you I'm almost positive she would have gone into fits."
"That woman never did like me." He laughed at Shella's sharp intake of breath. "Pardon me, my lady. My tongue has the habit of preceding my mind." He said to her, and she looked even more mortified as I laughed and embraced him.
"Oh! Where are my manners!" I said in the court drawl that my Grandmother had insisted I use. "Shella, may I present our noble protector, Kegan, son of Dranew Nalf. Kegan, may I present my maid, Shella Rustair." Kegan gave a formal bow, and Shella, after looking around to see that no one was watching, gave a reluctant curtsy.
Kegan and I were laughing as another guard walked up to us. "My lady," he nodded, and I recognized Garel, a man who had been with my father since the days of the rebellion. Things had become so strange ever since I began my lessons for Court. Before, everyone, even the servants, had just called me Laina. It was a pet name Carine had given to me when we were small children, short for Adalaine.
I missed the name that connected me with home, but said as cheerily as possible, "Hello Garel. How is the wheel coming?"
"I'm afraid that the servants forgot to pack an extra wheel. It will take at least an hour for my men to make one, and by then it will be time to stop for the night. The next town is about two hours ride from here. If you wish, I can send five of the men to escort you and your maid on horseback. Our only other choice is to set up camp here for the night. It is your decision."
"I don't mind spending the night out here, but are we safe enough from bandits with only ten guards?" I asked, happy to get to spend a night under the stars.
"There's no need to worry, my lady. This is one of the safer roads, and I'll have my men keep watch."
"That will do. Thank you, Garel." He winked and called all of the guards to him, organizing who would build the fire, who would cook, and who would see to the unpacking of bedrolls.
I noticed that I was cold only when Shella handed me my cloak. Summer was fast approaching, but the nights were still frosty. I sat down by the crackling fire and one of the guards handed me a mug of stew. As I sipped, several of the men pulled out instruments and began to sing the old folk songs. I happily joined in, and when I finally lay down on the bedroll Shella laid out for me, I could hear bells tolling the candle change to second white in the distance.
