Hi. Wow. It's been a hot minute. Happy 2021 everyone! May this year be better than the last. Sorry for taking so long with this. It really shouldn't have taken as long as it did. Luckily this story is almost done. Probably three to fourish more chapters?
"Christine!"
Christine looked up from her desk, a letter from Mama Valeriou's nurse in hand. Meg leaned against the doorway, clutching her ribs, gasping for breath. "What?"
"The merchants," Meg gasped. "they're coming."
Christine dropped the letter. "But they're not due till next month for the tournament. What are they doing here three weeks early?"
"I don't know. Guards spotted them coming, they estimate an hour before they are here."
Christine stood, folding the letter and placing it in a drawer. "Thank you for informing me." She crossed the room quickly to the hallway. "The cooks will need to know we will be feeding the merchants tonight, and the great hall and bedrooms will have to be prepared for their arrival."
Meg nodded. "His Grace will want to know."
"I expect the news will reach him soon enough. I will start organizing the servants, you warn the cooks." Meg ran off down the hallway again.
And thus the rush began.
The guest bedrooms for the richer merchants had already been aired out and cleaned recently. But they did have to move quite a bit around so there would be room for the merchants merchandise. The empty places in the stables had to be prepared for their steeds. And there had to be extra meals prepared.
Erik had been in a meeting with his chief of guards, they crossed paths as he was heading outside and she in. He grasped her arm.
"Are you prepared?"
Christine went up on her toes and kissed him on the chin. "We should be. But much will have to be refined after they are here."
His arms went around her waist and he squeezed it. His golden eyes focused on her, then her clothes. "Your wedding dress."
Christine looked down at the blue fabric and smiled sheepishly. "Yes. I didn't feel like anything fine today. I'll change before dinner, I simply don't have the time now." She gave a short laugh. "Funny how my wedding dress is the simplest thing I own now." Another kiss and she ran inside.
She was busy when Erik greeted the merchants that came through the gate, and thus was not by his side. She did, however, make her way in afterwards to help them settle in.
The merchants they greeted were a trio of middle class men who traveled about the country, selling and buying as they went. They were honest, and fairer in their prices than most, thus Erik always invited them to the upcoming autumn tournament. Which wasn't due for another few weeks.
She found one of the wives, directing the unloading of their trunks from a wagon and caught her by the arm. "Why are you here so early?" She asked.
The woman looked apologetically to Christine. "We meant to stop at a town south for several weeks, but it has a sickness going throughout it. We thought it best to keep going."
Sarah nodded in understanding. "We will give you the same room as last year, if you remember the way-"
The wife nodded, gesturing for her children and the manservants with the trunks to follow her. Christine turned to the rest of the group and began ordering them where they could put their things. She noted there were more people in their group than there had been the year before, and decided tents would have to be pitched to contain all of them.
She had just finished showing the horses and wagons to their places when she heard Meg's voice.
"Christine!"
She turned, Meg was walking across the courtyard to her. Beside her was a tall, broad blonde man. He carried himself with a confidence most of his peers didn't have, and wore light chainmail armor and a sword.
Christine was fairly sure she knew what Meg wanted, but decided to let her speak anyways.
"This young man, this is the Viscount Raoul. Raoul De Chagny." Christine gave a light head bow at this, but she looked at the man with new interest. Meg didn't notice, continuing on. "He wishes to become a knight in this household, and asks where he might speak to His Grace." She looked at Christine. "I thought you might know."
Christine looked over the fray. "Probably negotiating with the merchants, I know he wanted to purchase some books."
Meg nodded. "I'll go find him." And she bobbed to him and Christine before turning to go into the crowd.
Raoul watched Meg go, not bothering to follow her. He turned to Christine, his eyes bright with hope. "Might I ask, I knew a Christine in my youth-"
Christine nodded. "My father and I spend a summer at your father's castle, performing for your father. I do believe we played together, though I admit the memory is rather hazy."
Raoul laughed, and stepped closer, giving her an encouraging smile. "Understandable. You were seven, and I, twelve. I do believe I once rescued your scarf from a lake."
"I remember you made voracious fun of my accent." Christine said dryly.
"You have since lost it." Raoul noted, he looked Christine up and down. "I hope to stay here some time-" He began, but Sarah held up a hand, displaying her marriage band.
He paused. "Ah. I see."
Christine smiled sweetly and clasped her hands together. "You may not find it so easy to become employed to His Grace. He fights each knight himself to test their abilities."
In some courts, knights came and went freely. No matter their skill or their experience. Not so in the Black lands. Erik fought and tested each knight against himself. If they impressed him, as well as showed an aptitude to his way of rule, he would take them on. If they did not, they were sent on to the next court.
Raoul straightened. "I am aware. I believe I can match him."
"Hmm." Christine looked out into the crowd, watching for Meg.
"In fact." Raoul added, pride entering into his voice. "I believe I can best him. I have dueled several men who all said-"
"You are not required to beat him." Christine interrupted, catching Meg's face in the crowd. Erik was following her. "Just impress him. And he will be judging you on other things. Your riding skills, your bowmanship. I hope you are sufficient in those areas as well." She had seen her husband challenge three men in the course of their marriage, only one had passed his judgement.
"I am." Raoul sounded affronted. "But my swordsmanship is by far the best of them all."
Meg and Erik burst from the crowd. Raoul stepped forward and bowed to Erik. "Your Grace." He said. "I wish to request the honor of becoming a knight in your charge."
Erik looked over Raoul, then looked to Christine. His eyes sparkled, she smiled at him. "I require all knights who wish to join mine charge to go through a series of tests." He said. "Do you know this?"
Raoul rose from the bow and nodded. "I am aware. I will be tested in my horsemanship, my ability with my sword, my bow, an ax, dagger and lance."
Erik nodded. "I do not have time to test you myself. But I shall tomorrow eve, when I train my knights. I bid you to rest well tonight and prepare yourself tomorrow." He then turned to Christine and held out his hand. "Come, I have been speaking with the merchants, I wish for your opinion on several items."
Christine took his hand, drawing up close to him. She gave him a quick kiss on his jaw. He stirred, normally she did not give such attentions in front of others.
Raoul stared. Christine watched his face go from shock, then to anger. She forced a smile on her face. "My husband and I must bid your leave. I hope you enjoy your stay here, however long it is." They both turned and entered the crowd again.
As they walked through the crowd, Christine tightened her hold on Erik's hand. "I should have you know, dearest, that he is, or was interested in me. We knew each other briefly as children, my father played in his court. We played together as children."
"Ah." Erik gave no indication of his feelings. "I was wondering why he made me come to him."
"Yes." Christine looked up at Erik earnestly. "I wish... I wish for you to understand I have no interest in him. I hold a fondness for our time together, but I hold a fondness for all my time as a child. My affections stop there."
"Do you think him so interested in you that you feel the need to tell me this?" Once again, she was unable to detect how he felt about the matter.
"I'm not sure, but I thought I would tell you all the same." Christine brought them to a stop before the entranceway to the great hall. "My heart is yours. No matter what blonde haired knight comes my way."
Erik moved to grasp her hands and brought them to his chest. "And mine is yours. No matter what the circumstance." He squeezed her hands. "Thank you for telling me. I thought I saw anger on his face when he found that you were my wife but-"
"I saw it too." Christine murmured. "I can't imagine why. It has been twenty years since we last saw each other. How he is able to think I should have waited by chance to meet him again so we might be married-" She stopped herself. "But I am assuming much. It is most likely nothing."
"Likely so."
Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuun. I thought about doing an affair scare. (That was completely false, Christine knows where her loyalties lie. Obviously.) But honestly that kinda undermines how far we've come in this story so I tossed the idea aside. Christine is going to be upfront about everything. She loves Erik. No doubts. No questions.
Any guesses for the next chapter?
Also, for anyone wondering about my delve in the Labyrinth Fanfiction, I have actually posted and finished a oneshot. I know I said I wouldn't be posting another fanfiction until this one is done... eeeh there are father explanations in that story. It features a lot of European mythology and The Wild Hunt if that interests you.
Reviews make authors happy. :)
