Wee! Chapter's up! I just came back from a great regionalchampionship, and we won two of our three games, meaning we are going to Provincials! Yay! What does this mean for you? Why, nothing of course, because I have some overflow chapters already written! HOORAY!
livingdead2010: Yay!
panemonium: I couldn't just leave them apart, now could I? And I'm a huge fan of fantastic coincidences, so, viola. We will definately meet up with Tyrell and Warren, I haven't forgotten about them! Woot!
Entertainedbygrass: Thank you very much! I'm glad you love my story.
Tiger Lily21: Of course he's going to be suprised. It'll be fun, though.
fell4adeadguy: Definatelynot cool, which is why I'm working to rectify that situation.
Phillipa of the Phoenix: I'm sure that would solve a few problems to say the least. Just use the ol' cavegal technique. Yay for Annabelle! She can run that castle in her sleep.
Quarter to Eleven: Hee hee, thank you! But I assure you, I've been staying away from large bottomless chasms of late. :cD
Dragonblade Goddess: Pfft. As if. I'm going to stretch this out for a few chapters yet.
PrincessofRain: :'c(
little miss tiny shoes: Of course not! The Fates (ie: me) wouldn't stand for it! They're going to be seeing a lot of each other until they finally come to their senses and admit they love each other.
cinnamon: no problemmo!
Whoo! Now it's off to dinner, cause I'm so hungee.
Lulai
Chapter Sixteen: The Market
Fiona sat squished up next to Josephine, her knitting on her lap. Thomas had written back to Genevieve, saying that he would be delighted to have them. They had packed some of their best clothes and were travelling down a bumpy road, packed into a carriage, at the insistence of Fiona.
"What are you making now?" Josephine asked, putting her book down.
"Socks," Fiona replied, her needles clicking softly. "For Smithing's sons."
"I think we're there!" Nia said, pressing her hands against the window to cut the glare as she looked out.
Fiona put her needles down and looked out the window. They paused for a moment at the huge doors of the wall, presumably to explain their business in the city, and then the carriage started forward again with a lurch, almost throwing Josephine and Fiona into Nia and Genevieve's laps.
The setting sun bathed the entire city in a golden hue. Most of the shops had closed up for the night, leaving just colourful awnings and wooden counters in front of large wooden houses. And there, up on a large grassy hill in all its glory, was Castle Fer Drewery… and Jarrod.
Fiona tore her eyes away from the castle and concentrated on the houses they were passing. The closer they got to the castle, the grander the houses became. The carriage halted in front of the doors of a very large estate and their driver came around to open the doors for them.
The four women practically stumbled out of the carriage, working out kinks in their backs and legs. They walked up through the large wooden doors into an entrance that contained the grandest wooden staircase Fiona had ever seen. This mere house made Castle Fer Havara look like a shack.
"Announcing Lord Thomas Fer Turnbull," a man boomed, making Fiona jump.
"You really don't have to do that, Harding," a young man said to the butler standing by the archway.
"Thomas?" Genevieve asked.
"Genny!" Thomas replied, rushing forward to take her hand. "I've waited so long to meet you."
Genevieve turned to her sisters and indicated, "This is the man I've been telling you about, Lord Thomas Fer Turnbull. Thomas, these are my sisters, Fiona, Iphigenia, and Josephine."
Nia stepped forward. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, my lord."
Thomas waved his hand dismissively. "I'm a distant Lord on my mother's side. Please, call me Thomas."
"Then you must call me Nia," Nia said with a smile.
"I'd be delighted.
Josephine stepped forward with a curtsy. "We are very glad you could accommodate us on such short notice."
"It was no problem," Thomas assured them with shrug. "But where are my manners? You must all be starving," Thomas declared. "I'll have Cook whip something up."
"Thomas, we need to change first," Genevieve laughed. "This dress is wrinkled beyond repair."
"Very well," Thomas acquiesced. "I'll have dinner ready in half an hour. That should give you sufficient time for your toilette."
He bowed and left them with a maid to show them to their rooms.
"I didn't think that Thomas would be so young," Nia commented as she sat in front of a mirror and pulled the pins out of her hair.
"Neither did I," Genevieve admitted, pursing her lips as she considered which dress she was going to wear.
"Don't be coy," Josephine said, bouncing on the bed. "I saw your face when you first saw Thomas. You think he's handsome."
To Fiona's amazement, Genevieve blushed. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Genevieve blush. "Perhaps," she said, and tried to look absorbed in her clothes.
Josephine and Nia shared giggles, but Fiona did not join in. She sat in a large green chair beside the window and continued her knitting.
"Fiona, you'd better start getting ready for dinner," Josephine said, twirling around to make her skirt flare out.
"It's okay. I don't think I'll be going for dinner. I'm not really hungry."
All three sisters stopped what they were doing and looked at her as if she grew a second head.
"You're not hungry?" Genevieve asked.
"No," Fiona replied.
Nia placed the back of her hand against Fiona's head. Fiona brushed it away irritably.
"What?" she asked, glaring at her sisters.
"You just said that you weren't hungry," Josephine said. "That's not like you, Fiona."
"What am I?" Fiona asked, suddenly angry. "Just a bottomless pit of eating? Entertainment?" She stood up and began to pace. "I'm just not hungry, okay?"
The sisters looked at each other.
"Of course," Nia said finally. "It's just that we're worried about you. You haven't been the same since…"
"Since the King left," Genevieve finished.
Fiona collapsed back into the chair in a dejected looking position. "You're right," she said weakly. She put a hand across her smarting eyes. She didn't want to cry, not for him, not anymore.
"What happened?" Josephine asked softly.
"I really have no clue," Fiona said. She looked out the window. "One minute I was happy, then, he was… gone. And not just physically."
She shook her head. "It makes no sense, I know. I just want to know if it was something I said, or did, and let him know that I'm sorry if it is."
When lost in her own thoughts, she sometimes began to wonder if he thought that she was too… wanton. She hadn't really turned him away at any chance, and maybe he thought that she just kissed anyone who managed to catch her in the garden at night.
"Well," Genevieve said, clasping her hands around her knees, "you can ask him tomorrow, when we're going to have dinner with him."
That got Fiona's attention. "What?" She sat up straight.
Nia gave her a look. "You don't think we came here merely to see the sights, did you?"
"Oh, right," Fiona said.
"Come eat tonight," Josephine said, standing to give a kiss on Fiona's forehead. "We'll figure it all out tomorrow."
Fiona smiled. "Okay."
…
The four sisters stood on the edge of the market place, huddled together, in awe of the sights. They felt rather like simple country bumpkins when faced with the hustle and bustle of the buyers and sellers.
"Well," Genevieve said finally, "we aren't going to find anything standing around here all day. Let's go."
So the sisters linked arms (so they would not become separated) and forged their way into the crowd.
"Oh, look!" exclaimed Josephine, pointing. "There's a dress shop. Can we nip inside and see what's there?"
The sisters entered the shop, filled with fabrics of all different varieties and colours neatly arranged. Several dresses hung on the back wall behind a large oak table. Also seated behind the table was a heavyset woman.
"Aye?" she asked, looking up from a pink dress she was sewing.
"My sister here needs a new dress," Genevieve said, pushing Fiona forward. "One that will attract a young man that she has her eye on."
"Genevieve!" Fiona hissed furiously.
"Nothin' too scandalous, I gather?" the woman remarked, looking Fiona up and down.
"No, but nothing overly modest either," Genevieve said.
The woman thought for a moment. "I think I've just tha dress," she said, and disappeared into a back room.
"What do you think you're doing?" Fiona whirled on Genevieve.
"Getting you suited for man catching," Genevieve replied calmly. "You need something other than those frumpy gowns you have now."
Fiona was going to respond when the woman sailed back into the room, moving gracefully for one so large.
"Here," she said, holding out a flowing blue gown. "This is tha gown ye need if ye be wantin' somethin' eyecatchin' without appearin' vulgar. Tha lady who was goin' to buy this dress originally, lost her, ahem, source o' funds."
Although Fiona was rather country bumpkinish compared to these city folk, she wasn't overly naïve and could rather imagine what sort of profession the woman had.
"It should fit ye fairly well, perhaps a wee bit too long, an' I donna think yer bosom's as big. When do ye need it?"
"Tonight?" Genevieve asked.
The woman nodded. "Alright. Let me take yer measurements. This'll be twenty silvers."
"Twenty-" Fiona began to protest, but Genevieve pulled out her purse and paid the woman.
"Thanks fer yer buisness," the woman said, collecting her coins and putting them in a purse under her counter. She came back up with a quill, a piece of paper, and a rope with knots tied in regular intervals. She pulled up Fiona's arms and wrapped the rope around her bust. She marked something down and repeated the action around her waist, hips, then measured how tall she was from her underarm down. The entire process took about thirty seconds.
"It'll be ready by noon." The woman took the rope, the sheet of paper with the numbers, the dress, and the bag with money into the back room.
"What do you think you're doing?" Fiona whispered to Genevieve as they went to collect Nia and Josephine who were busy examining fabrics in the far corner.
"I'm buying you a new dress," Genevieve said, motioning to her sisters to follow. "One that's sure to knock Jarrod off his feet."
"And if it doesn't?"
"Then you can at least take solace in the fact that you have a new dress," Genevieve replied with a grin.
"But where did you get the money?" Fiona persisted as they pushed the door and walked back into the crowded street.
"I had a little bit of savings stashed away," Genevieve shrugged. She stopped Fiona and turned her so that she was looking her straight in the face.
"You do so much for this family," she said firmly. "It's time you start thinking about your own happiness. If he's going to make you happy, then I will do everything in my power to help you."
Tears sprang up in Fiona's eyes. "Thank you," she whispered, and hugged her sister close.
"Aw," Nia said as she and Josephine walked up behind them. "Group hug."
Fiona laughed as all four sisters squeezed together right in the middle of the busy square.
"What are we waiting for?" Josephine cried, throwing an arm into the air. "Let's see the city!"
The sisters started off eagerly. The examined the tables and shops with great interest, from fish to jewellery. Josephine ended up buying a pair of ear bobbles, and Nia bought a small intricate hand axe from a very confused looking seller.
"What did you buy that for?" Fiona asked her.
Nia shrugged. "I know I won't have to use it, but isn't it pretty? And it actually has some good weight." She spun the axe in her hand.
Genevieve rolled her eyes. "I'm just hoping that trees will be your only target with that."
"Of course," Nia said. "Unless I meet up with our dearest Uncle." She gave a slightly malicious grin and spun the axe again.
Fiona opened her mouth to say something when it was covered with a disgusting hand and she was dragged into a back alley. She struggled wildly, and managed to pull the hand away from her mouth. Then she did what any well-bred lady in that particular situation would do. She let out a bloodcurdling scream. It frightened the man enough to drop her, and she scrambled to her feet, but not before he grabbed her arm and began pulling her along behind him.
"Fiona!" Josephine called, seeing her sister being dragged out of sight. "Excuse me," she said, grabbing a tall round pole from holding up an awning.
The sisters ran in the direction they saw Fiona disappear to.
"Let go of me, you filthy scumbag!" Fiona cried to the man pulling her arm out of its socket in an effort to make her walk faster.
"Are ye sure this is tha gel he wanted?" the man asked his accomplice.
"Aye, but she'd better be worth it," the other man answered.
"Let go of our sister!" Nia cried brandishing her axe. The men began to run. Josephine ran after them and managed to corner the one without Fiona. She hit him over the head with her staff and he dropped like a stone.
The other man began to run back into the crowd, but Fiona managed to get her foot under his and he tripped and fell. The sisters were on him in a second.
"Why did you try to abduct our sister?" Genevieve asked him as Josephine held him pinned with her staff.
The man glared at her, his lips tightly shut.
Genevieve pulled a very long, very sharp dagger out of her boot. "If you don't tell us what we want to know, I'll make sure you sing soprano for the rest of your life," she threatened. By now, a small crowd had gathered around them.
Apparently, the man didn't think his silence was worth that. He told them everything. He and his buddy were hired to snatch a highborn lady. No, not just any lady; Fiona had been described to them perfectly. He didn't know who his employer was; they were contacted through an intermediate.
By that time the guards had shown up. Genevieve sheathed her weapon and explained the situation. Some of the townspeople spoke up in support of seeing her being snatched from behind. The guard nodded and lead the conscious man away while sending some of his men into the alley to carry out the other man.
"So," Nia said, turning to her sisters, "do you think it's noon yet?"