"The Little Forest Sprite"
Six Years Later
"Oh, come on, Diego! You and the rest are falling behind!"
Diego, a young yet portly nobleman who seemed ill-suited for horse riding in the first place, grimaced a moment before reluctantly spurring his mount on again. The horse let out a bluster, as if it was growing tired of this same routine before it ran to catch up with the lone rider ahead on the scarcely-visible trail. The rest of the retinue quickly followed, all of them looking far more unhappy about this than the nobleman.
The lone rider ahead was an energetic-looking young man; almost looking thrilled to be out even if it was in the rather rough-looking and unnavigable forest. While he was only in his mid-20s and the thin mustache and beard on his face had hardly reached an age where it began to look thick, the way the rest of the retinue regarded him quickly indicated they were subordinate. And from the look of his own dress, now spotted with a touch of dirt and scrapes from pushing through low-hanging tree branches, as well as his splendid horse, made it clear that he too was a nobleman considerably higher than the others.
The riders who were armed quickly fell in around the man as they rode up while Diego quickly brought his own horse alongside his. However, the mount barely had a chance to stop when the other rider turned his horse and spurred him on again. Sighing, Diego quickly made his move again, and the horse gave another snort before obliging.
"Forgive my impudence, my lord, but maybe it's you who's leaving us behind."
The man closed his eyes and let out a groan. "Diego, if I've told you once I've told you a thousand times. It's Samuel. You didn't have trouble calling me that when I was younger."
"Well, when you were younger, you were only a prince. And I called you 'Master Samuel' quite a few times back then too."
He frowned at the notion. "Four years and I still can't get used to that. That was my father's title. It doesn't feel right."
"Maybe that's because you spend all your time out on servant's errands like this," Diego grimaced as he crouched low to the saddle to avoid another low hanging tree branch. It wasn't quite good enough and he had to reach out to push it away. "What on earth are we doing out here in this rocky stand of overgrown weeds, anyway?"
"King's business," Samuel answered with a wry smirk. "We just expanded the region of Beneserta a considerable acreage by purchase. It would do well to investigate what we gained, wouldn't it? I imagine it could be worth quite a profit considering the low price we paid."
He reached out to push one branch out of the way, but on getting by it snapped back too fast and nearly got Diego in the face. He frowned as he still tagged a leaf. "I'd say if you'd paid only a single coin you'd have cheated yourself. None of the trees here are good for wood, and the country is far too uneven for planting."
"Then it's just perfect for a borderland. Besides, it gives an excuse to get out of the castle. If I had spent any more of this summer in it I think my skin would turn the color of the mortar…"
His friend kept frowning, looking around himself a bit. He peered past the trees and into his surroundings and as he did his face grew a bit more uncomfortable.
"That's not all, my lord," he spoke more quietly. "They say this land is nothing but a den of thieves and robbers. And besides that…you know the stories."
Now Samuel really did roll his eyes. "Oh, not this again…"
"Tales of the things that live in these woods. Men that walk like animals. Bewitching maidens…"
"Diego, I have heard quite enough fairy tale nonsense from my mother meant to terrify me into never leaving the city of Beneserta as long as I live. I don't need you adding to them."
"Ah, there you are, my lord."
At the sound of the voice behind him, Samuel grimaced as if he had just swallowed something bitter. Diego himself closed his eyes and groaned. Coming in from behind them was an elderly rider on an even more elderly horse. Nevertheless, he pushed it onward until he slid in next to Samuel's other side. For a moment, the king had hoped the road would be too thin to allow the three of them to squeeze by. Unfortunately, the country was flattening out again and the path widening, and he had no such luck.
He kept staring forward until the man was at his side, then looked to him with a forced smile. "Lorenzo…thank goodness. We thought we had left you behind a furlong back."
He half-frowned. "Tried to leave me behind, you mean. Some days I wish you were a prince for a day longer so I could give you one last boxing of the ears. I heard something of what you two were talking about on riding up, and you should know neither your mother's fears nor Diego's aren't completely ill-founded." He grimaced as he glanced around the forest himself. "Talk of demon folk and witchcraft aside, the fact remains that this strip of land was a frequent of thieves for years before King Luca passed it on. I fear you may have inherited them along with the purchase."
"That is what I have thirty armed riders with swords and bows for, isn't it?" Samuel sighed as he gestured behind him.
"Ones that you continuously try to evade so that you might be the first to encounter danger," Lorenzo dully answered. "Both he and the queen are only looking out for your welfare."
Samuel kept his eyes forward, noticing the path turned up ahead to start running alongside a small river. Soon the riders were turning along it. "I am both a man as well as the king now. I can look after my own welfare."
"Perhaps you should take the fate of King Luca to heart and learn a lesson from it, my lord. His kingdom was once nearly the size of Beneserta. Prosperous and, aside from his lax stance on ridding the land of marauders, at peace. A sudden illness later, and now his property and people are merely parcels to be divvied out at a royal auction. Farther east, they're even to be warred over."
He sighed. "What are you getting at?"
"I'm pointing out that King Luca looked out for most things in his kingdom except the most important: his legacy."
Now Samuel really did feel like slumping out of his saddle. "So that's what this is about."
"You're not getting any younger, my lord. In fact, you're growing older than most…"
"I've told you time and again: I'm not ready. I haven't met a girl who's caught my eye."
The older man frowned. "At your age, some of the citizens…and nobles, for that matter…worry if it's more than that. A sign of wanting to relish your age. To waste on frivolity and wantonness…"
"That's not true and you know it!"
"The queen would throw him off of the parapet, king or no king, if he ever tried to bring a woman he didn't intend to marry into his bedroom," Diego chimed in with a bit of a grin.
"Rumors can, and often do, far more damage than the truth." Lorenzo shrugged. "My king, I only ask that you give it a little more thought. If nothing else, it would put the kingdom at ease. We would be less prone to these escorts if we knew the safety of Beneserta was guaranteed."
Samuel sighed again but kept his eyes forward. "The point is noted."
"And it would not hurt you to allow the other riders to go on forward."
"Lorenzo, we are making so much noise trampling down this old path that we can be heard from a mile away. I doubt we will encounter any…"
He trailed off, looking up a bit more.
Diego looked up as well. "What is it?"
"It seems we've found something."
Lorenzo and Diego both looked forward. The path ahead continued to follow the river before taking a sharp turn to the right. The country all around was rough, but there was a patch of irregular rock that nearly resembled stairs. They led up a short distance to an uneven hill. A very, very old one-room wooden cottage was there. It was partially slumped from time, and much of it was rotting away and covered with moss and lichen.
Diego simply shrugged at the sight. "An old abandoned hut. So what?"
"Not quite abandoned," Samuel answered. "Look at the rocks in front of it. The ones that almost seem to make a staircase. They don't have any dead leaf litter on them. And that smell in the air. There was something burning around here not long ago."
"I'm glad to see your wits are sharper than your priorities, my lord," Lorenzo answered. "Not quite abandoned…but not quite visible either. This path is overgrown and hasn't been used in years. It's likely it was once a woodcutter's hut, but as to what it is now there is no telling. You'd best call for your riders."
Samuel frowned again at the insinuation but, knowing that Lorenzo would never let it go, he sighed as he held up a hand and beckoned. At once, four riders were surrounding him. As it made the overgrown path a bit too much to bear, Lorenzo and Diego reluctantly fell back. He and the four riders took the point and kept on approaching.
They reached it before long. There was only one window and one door, but both were darkened. The ground around it was kept clean though, to keep any more plants from damaging it. Samuel pulled his mount to a halt there and dismounted. It was only when his boots touched the ground that he noticed everyone was looking at him. He nearly groaned. As Prince Samuel, he could have gotten away with seeing to it himself. However, as a king, he knew his retinue would never let him get away with it. Reluctantly, he motioned to the riders.
All four men dismounted. While two stayed behind with the king, two more went up to the small hut. One took the lead on the small natural stairs while the other guarded him from behind, and soon they reached the front door. He reached out and knocked on it first, but no response. After looking around a bit, he put his hand on it and tested it. Although it was on hinges, the latch had long since worn out. It simply swung open. He looked around at what was on the other side, then stepped in. His partner came up behind him and waited.
After about a minute, the first rider withdrew and he and his companion returned to the horses.
"Someone is definitely living there, my lord."
"A robber?"
"I don't know, but someone who is very poor. Nothing in there but crude tools and garments made out of sticks, stones, bone, and plants. Maybe five things made out of leather and a single sheepskin. The chimney was roughly patched with loose stones. The bed, if you might call it that, was nothing but a mat made of bird down. Whoever lives there looks like they've been living on wild fruits and vegetables, grubs, honey, and nettle tea."
That last part made Samuel a bit confused. "Nettle tea?"
He nodded. "My grandmother used to make it. It must be all this person gets to eat most of the time, though. Nothing but piles of nettle leaves everywhere. Three huge heaps of it."
"There's a waste pile of dried ones just over there I spotted while I was waiting," the other rider spoke up. "So whoever lives there doesn't even boil them…just throws them away."
Samuel swished his mouth. He looked back to Lorenzo. "I don't think robbers would have much use for gathering nettles only to throw them away, and if they are robbers they clearly chose a poor spot. If not for the map you inherited with the property, we wouldn't know this old Roman path even went through here."
He nodded back and looked around the area a little more. "A pauper, perhaps? Or maybe a refugee. There's occasionally a good tree here, but not enough for a woodcutter to make a…"
He trailed off again. This time, his look focused much harder. He had been gazing up in the canopy, looking for those few good trees, when he saw something far in the distance flutter off the top of one. Specifically, off the middle portion, as if something had flung it aside.
He focused a moment more, but then began to walk out toward it.
"My lord!" Lorenzo called.
"What is it?" Diego asked. "Do you see something?"
Samuel didn't answer. He only kept walking, right until he reached the edge of the path. Heedless of it, he immediately stepped off and kept walking, now into the forest understory. The four riders immediately went after him. Four more quickly began to dismount as well. Diego, sighing again, began to dismount his own while Lorenzo frowned and only grudgingly went off of his own.
The king drew about 20 yards nearer when he saw it again. From this close, he could tell it was a small green bit of leaves, different from the larger ones of the tree it was coming from. As he got nearer and saw a few more, he realized they looked about the size of nettle leaves. A bit nearer still and he realized that someone was on that tree. An old and thick branch was extended away from him, and he could just make out a bit of color that stood out from the rest on the trunk. Soon, he saw it was moving periodically.
He continued to near, realizing he was growing quieter and beginning to creep up upon it. He stopped when he noticed, questioning why. This was his forest now and anyone within it was his tenant and subject. But even if it wasn't a robber, he still realized he didn't want to startle whoever was there. If it was just an old hermit or man afflicted with poverty, there was no need to unsettle them or force them from there. Yet something about this all aroused his curiosity. Until a little while ago he didn't even know making tea from nettles was possible, but he knew what stinging nettles were and was honestly dumbfounded as to who would be so crazy as to gather so many just to throw them away.
He made a bit more noise as he neared, not to startle whoever was up there but to let them know someone was coming. Sure enough, the motions stopped soon after, but whoever was up there didn't try to move. They had obviously gone into that tree for some measure of protection from whatever wild animals were in the forest, and now they were still to keep from alerting whoever was coming closer. Samuel went to one side and came around from a somewhat wider angle for a better view than directly below whoever it was, and finally came forward and rounded the trunk; at last able to look up to the branch.
The instant he did, he halted as if he had been rooted to the spot.
It was a young woman. She was clad in nothing but a dress made of dried, woven reeds and a crucifix made from old nails tied about her neck by thin vines. She had no shoes; only strips of wood tied to her feet. Her hair had grown very long, obviously having not been cut in years. It draped down so low it had to reach at least the back of her knees. She was a bit dirty, looking as if she had been going through the woods not long ago. Furthermore, she was a little on the thin side and her face was a bit wan as well, indicating she could have stood to be in a bit better health.
A pile of freshly picked stinging nettles were resting on her lap, and she appeared to have been plucking the flowers from them. One could see why nearby. Laying across the branches near her were a set of shirts woven out of the same petals…thousands upon thousands of them meticulously knit together in a task that had to have taken ages. There were five in all, and just the start of the neck line of a sixth one was on her lap on top of the nettles. Her hands were pink and tender from her task, having obviously been stung many times gathering them, but she seemed to ignore the pain. In fact, she ignored her task completely. Now that she had been spotted she was staring only at her visitors.
Samuel hardly noticed either the nettles or her odd craft. He was totally transfixed on her face. Even if she was a little dirty and in fair health at best, he couldn't look away from it. The young woman was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes upon. Not even in the picture books he looked at as a child had he ever seen anyone so lovely. As simple as she dressed and as marred were her looks, she was dazzling.
The young king had gone his entire teenage years never experiencing the infatuation that children coming into adulthood often do when first attracted to a woman. Now he felt it in force. He could do nothing but take in the figure of her face, the perfect shape of her nose, the lovely deepness of her eyes, and even the way her hair softly spread from her face and went back behind her ears. He didn't think any creature in God's kingdom could be so captivating.
The effect was not limited to him. As the riders came into view and laid eyes upon her, they too were struck. As Diego and Lorenzo brought up the rear, they both halted and gazed upon her. Diego was nearly in awe but even Lorenzo was taken by seeing such a girl out here in the forest by herself. Yet as the initial appearance of her faded among the others, Samuel only grew more infatuated. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her for an instant. She, in turn, silently stared back as he was the first to meet her gaze.
At long last, he was able to blink and he did so several times. Yet the lovely creature was still there when he was done. This wasn't a dream or fantasy. He stood there a little longer before enough of his wits came back for him to realize he had stood there silently gawking at her for almost half a minute without so much as a word. Further, she began to glance away from him and to the others. While she stayed calm enough, an air of unease began to permeate her features.
At last, he forced himself to call out.
"Good…good afternoon, milady."
She looked entirely back at him, a fact he was secretly grateful for, but said nothing.
"How are you this day?"
She didn't answer. She stared back silently without blinking.
Samuel began to feel a bit of unease of his own. He realized they had just surrounded this beautiful girl with men, many of whom were armed, and she could have been suspecting any number of things. He held his hands up. "Oh, please pardon me. We didn't mean to disrupt you. Don't worry; you need not fear us. I am King Samuel of Beneserta. This land you're dwelling in used to belong to King Luca, but I acquired it by purchase following his death."
At the mention of "dwelling", she tensed slightly. She looked at the riders, and the weapons they bore.
"Oh, oh…please, don't be scared. We're not here to evict you," Samuel reassured. "We're just passing through…investigating the land. Not here to unseat its tenants."
She looked back at him, but then again at the riders. She still seemed uncomfortable.
Immediately, the king turned and looked at them. He almost frowned. "Could you stand back a bit? Give the lady some room to put her at ease?"
The riders were hesitant. Doing so would leave Samuel alone closest to her. However, they had been commanded and after a moment stepped back.
Lorenzo, however, frowned at her. "This is your lord and master, woman. When the king addresses you, you are to show proper respect."
"Lorenzo!" he spat back sharply, before he quickly turned around and smiled at her again. "Please, don't mind him."
"My lord, this is insubord-"
"This is a special circumstance," he quickly cut off. "We can overlook it just this once. Please tell me, what's your name?"
The young woman stared silently back, her eyes on Samuel again now. After a moment, she winced a little. Her head bowed slightly.
He grew confused. "I'm sorry, did I say something to offend you?"
At last, he got a response. She shook her head once.
"Then…won't you tell me your name?"
She looked more uneasy at that.
While Lorenzo and some of the others might have found this rude, Samuel felt it uncomfortable to see this young woman in distress. It was enough for him to pause long enough to realize the truth.
"Are you…unable to speak?"
She gave a single nod.
"Oh…please, I pray you, forgive me," he quickly apologized. "I haven't offended you, have I?"
She looked up, shaking her head once.
A sense of relief came over him and he showed it as he smiled. "Oh, thank you. Thank you a thousand times. Well…"
He paused a moment, trying to think of more to say…any reason to stay longer.
"I certainly didn't mean to startle you. Are you up there because you were afraid of highwaymen or wild animals coming along?"
She nodded.
"Then…to make it up for scaring you, let us see you back to your…um, home."
She only lived a short distance away, but Samuel was desperate for anything. There was a chance he had been too desperate, though. Sounding like he would say anything to get her to come down to him. And for a moment, she did hesitate. She looked to the branches and her handiwork, then back to him. He stood there waiting all the while, patiently looking for her response.
Finally, she moved. With utmost care and gentleness, she produced an old flaxen sack, in which she very carefully placed the shirts. After that, she produced a second one to put the nettle petals and the unplucked ones. He saw her wince a bit as she moved the unplucked nettles, noticing her tender hands for the first time. She put a small clay container of something else in there along with a needle and spool of thread. Finally, she took up what looked like a tablet of wood and a knife of flint and put that away as well. With all things gathered, she rose on the branch and slung the sacks over her back.
At once, Samuel's tension rose. No sooner had she gotten up than she wavered as if dizzy. He thought again of how pale and thin she looked. Her diet had to have not been terribly nourishing, and out here wearing nothing but the remains of plants and living in a forest it would not be surprising if she had caught an illness. She evened out soon enough and placed herself against the bark of the tree. She slowly started to walk herself down, grasping the branch to lower herself, but she grew slower as she went. Her breathing began to grow heavier.
Instinctively, Samuel stepped closer in spite of the fear of scaring her. She continued to lower, inching her way onto the tree bark. She reached out and grasped it and began to lower herself inch by inch, but while she was still a good distance from the forest floor he saw her grow dizzy again, especially with her load and her constitution. She reached out for another bit of bark, but her tender hand hit something that made her recoil, and she suddenly lost her grip and began to slip…
The king moved like the crack of a whip. In an instant he was under her, his arms out stretched, and caught her just as she fell into them. The poor woman was so dizzy she didn't even realize she had been caught immediately, but after a moment looked up and into his eyes again. Samuel, on his part, had scarcely braced her light weight when he realized he was touching her and quickly began to feel warm. The girl, on her part, as soon as she met eyes with him in that close proximity loosened her mouth, and her cheeks turned pink for a moment…
Yet the moment passed soon. She began to straighten up again in order to extract herself, and seemed to be taking special care to keep from damaging the first sack. Yet scarcely had she straightened when she looked a little paler, and she slumped back into his arms again.
Samuel's own warm feelings gave way to growing concern. "Milady, are you alright?"
She didn't answer, not even to nod or shake her head. She tried to rise again, but she couldn't this time. She lay in his arms and breathed a bit heavily.
In spite of the compromising position, Samuel moved his hand out to feel her forehead. It wasn't burning up, but it was rather warm..
Yet that only gave him an idea. He almost smiled at the thought of it.
"Milady, you're rather unwell, and from the looks of things it seems as if you haven't been living in any place or conditions suitable for a pauper. Therefore, I think I have come up with the perfect way to make amends for startling you and to welcome you into my kingdom. I think a room at my castle is in order."
The girl looked up blinking in surprise, but her own surprise was nothing compared to that of his retinue. Diego's jaw dropped and even old man Lorenzo looked as if his eyes would fall out of his head.
"I can't possibly leave you behind if you're ill," Samuel went on. "I'm sure you would like a nice bath, a hot meal, and a warm, soft bed. Maybe even a few of those things, at least until you're feeling well and strong. In fact, I insist upon it."
"My lord…" Lorenzo began to speak up.
"What do you say?" Samuel cut off, focusing entirely on the beautiful young woman. "Would you like to stay in my castle for a few days?"
The girl seemed almost dumbfounded, clearly having not expected such an offer, but seeing that Samuel was sincere. She looked around for a moment, her face a mixture of confusion but also hesitancy. After a short time, she looked behind her toward the sacks on her back. She seemed to focus on them.
"You may bring anything you like, of course," he quickly threw in. "You seem to be fond of nettles. Well, there are many growing in the garden, as well as any other type of flower you might like. So…how about it?"
He smiled inwardly on seeing her reassured on hearing there were more nettles there, and that she could bring what she liked. She was still hesitant, but she looked back at him. She stared into his eyes for a while, seeing him only smiling back.
Finally, she gave a single nod. Samuel couldn't have felt happier if he had tried.
Knock-knock.
"Enter."
The queen's maidservant turned the handle to her ladyship's personal drawing room and opened the door. The main window was open and the curtains drawn back, letting in a large amount of sunlight and fresh air waft into the chamber. A loom was out, and a chair pulled up to it and angled in such a way so as to both take in the sunlight and the view from over the balcony outside as well as to focus on the work being done.
Seated in the chamber, her back mostly to the door, was an elegantly dressed and poised woman. To say she carried a regal and noble air about her was a bit of an understatement. Even here, in her private chambers, she sat up straight and held her head with an air of dignity while simply stitching her embroidery. Her dress had been perfectly smoothed out, so that she would leave not so much as a wrinkle or a sleeve out of place. Her hair was done flawlessly and covered back. The image of a woman who was "a queen at all times", including when no one was looking.
While she had to be in her mid-40s by now, she was quite attractive, but rather than being something flaunted and exposed she held herself together with a look of stately dignity. A woman who had long since thrown away young fancy for an air of practicality and maturity. It made most of her lovely features rather hard to look at. One look at her made it clear she was a woman who was not to be trifled with or taken idly. She would have neither patience nor humor for either.
The servant immediately curtsied to her in spite of her back being to her.
"My lady, the king is returning."
The queen continued to stitch just long enough to finish her current one, but then stuck the needle to one side, signifying the completion of her work for now. "I will have to speak with the gatekeepers. I told them explicitly that I was to know whenever my son returned the moment he was in sight. Thank you for being more diligent in your own task. You are dismissed."
The servant curtsied again, and then withdrew, closing the door behind her as she did; in all ways acting like an individual who knew her mistress well and how to please her. The queen herself finished putting her things away before rising from her seat. After smoothing herself out, she reached into her outer dress and pulled out her crucifix. She clasped it tightly in her hands as she made the sign of the Cross and blessed the Lord for returning Samuel to her. Once done, she replaced it and turned toward the open window.
At that moment, the gatekeepers sounded the trumpet, causing her to frown a little at the long delay, but she came forward none the less and stepped onto the balcony. Looking over the parapet, she gazed on the courtyard below as the gates were drawn back. Although her servant had given word that he was returning, she hadn't mentioned whether or not he was well. While that was nearly a certainty, she always wanted to see for herself.
She soon reached the edge and looked below. Her timing was impeccable. She had hardly come to a stop when she saw his horse come in. While he was perfectly healthy and safe, she nevertheless frowned. Once again, he was riding ahead instead of staying with the retinue. He always did insist on being in front. One of these days it would get him an arrow lodged in his chest.
However, her focus soon left even that behind. Shortly after her son came into view on the back of his horse, she noticed that he wasn't riding alone. Another figure was spread "side-saddle" in front of him, being supported on the beast's back as he rode into the courtyard.
A young woman—unwashed and dressed in nothing but dried reeds.
The queen nearly gave a start at that. Out of all of the sights she had anticipated, both hopefully and fearfully, seeing a peasant girl being brought back from this survey of their newly acquired territory was the last thing on her mind. Yet what truly drew her attention was soon seeing how closely her son was holding her even with one arm. Taking extra care to make sure she was balanced, and looking more enthused than she had seen him in a long time.
Her lips, which had parted, closed again. Her steady gaze stared down silently until the horse had brought them too far inward to be seen. Only then did she turn away from the balcony and go inside.
Samuel had nearly been pacing in the hall waiting for the head servant to return from the guest room. By now, the sun had set and the castle staff was making the rounds lighting the lamps. Normally he would be getting ready for supper, and after today he had more of an appetite than usual, but on this evening he stood right in that spot, arms crossed, and eagerly awaiting word. Diego himself was nearby, reclining in one of the cushioned seats, but he had long since given up bidding Samuel to join him. He might not have been that old himself, but that look in the king's eyes… It might have taken years for it to hit him but he knew what it meant.
At long last, the head servant came down the hall. He approached the king straightaway, looking not only just a little tired but a tad befuddled. Nevertheless, he approached him and bowed to him.
Samuel dismissed it straightaway. "So? How is she?"
"Sleeping deeply. Considering where you said you found her and how she was dressed, sir, it was little surprise. She only had rags for undergarments, which the maidservants disposed of. We had spare ones in the house as well as a nightgown. She nearly nodded off just from putting that on…" He shook his head. "Anyway, she was some trouble settling into the room. She seemed appreciative enough, aside from that sullen look on her face and her silence, and she allowed herself to be undressed, but she was fiercely defensive of those weeds in her sack. She wouldn't let any of us so much as touch it to move it out of the way. It was only after she put it aside in a cupboard in the washroom that she could see that she allowed herself to be bathed, and after that she almost refused to get into bed in spite of the fact she was having trouble standing until we had all promised not to lay a finger on it. Now that she is in bed, however, I doubt she can be roused before morning."
He nodded. "Alright. None of the servants are to do anything to upset her, including touching that sack. However, treat her as a guest. You placed that bell by her bedside?"
"Yes, my lord."
"She's unable to speak, so if she rings during the night, tend to her needs."
"One question, my lord."
"State it."
His face twisted uncomfortably. "Are we truly to let her go about the castle tomorrow clad in that rubbish?"
"Oh," Samuel answered hesitantly. "No…no, of course not…but," He winced, the thought having not occurred to him before. "We can't very well have her walking about without clothes…"
Diego, seeing Samuel blustering and worried, took the moment to cough. "She looks like she's about the size of Lady Giulia. Don't you still have two or three dresses that the seamstresses made for her last visit?"
The king lit up at that. "Oh…yes, thank you." He looked to the servant. "Would that be possible?"
"They'll be just a tad large on her frame, my lord, but I think they should do. I'll have one laid out for her in the morning."
He nodded. "Thank you. You are dismissed."
The head servant bowed and turned to leave.
"Oh, one more thing," the king called, halting him. "Inform the kitchen staff to set a place for her tomorrow at my table. She'll be eating the morning meal with us."
The man hesitated. While it was not unusual for royal guests to stay in the nicest guest rooms or to eat meals with the royal family, it was highly unusual for a common peasant girl, especially one who had been living off the land in the forest, to be afforded such luxuries. Nevertheless, he didn't question it. He gave a shorter bow. "As you wish, milord."
He turned and walked away. Samuel inhaled deeply and exhaled, before he turned again to Diego. The man was smirking, shaking his head and looking to one side.
"What's with that look?"
"I'm just a little surprised, my lord. I always thought one day you would fall head over heels for someone, but I expected it to be a milkmaid from the city at worse."
Samuel frowned. "I'm certain I don't know what you're talking about."
Diego looked back at him with the same smirk. "Lies don't really become a king, my lord. From the moment you laid eyes on that…"
He trailed off. Samuel saw his eyes drift past him, and immediately he stiffened. At once, he rose from the chair to a standing position as if he had been spooked. Samuel immediately knew what had to be the cause. There was only one individual who elicited that response.
He turned around and, sure enough, coming out of the adjoining hall, hands folded calmly in front of her, and flanked behind at one side by Lorenzo, was Lady Eleonora. As always, she held herself high with a stately look on her face. Yet even then on seeing Samuel return safely from an outing she usually held a measure of happiness to see him. This time it didn't seem so evident.
Samuel smiled at her anyway and approached, spreading his arms wide. "Mother."
In a moment he was up to her, putting his arms around her and giving her a kiss on the cheek. The queen barely reacted. Normally she didn't show much of her emotions, but this time was especially cool. Enough to where Diego picked up on it and swallowed a little.
Samuel soon parted from her. "I'm sorry I didn't bid you a greeting right away. I had an unexpected guest that I needed to attend to."
"So I've heard," she answered quietly, just a hint of sharpness in her voice. "Lorenzo has told me all about it." She turned her head to him. "You may leave us now."
The old man quickly bowed his head and backed away before turning and leaving. As for the queen, she walked into the central chamber a few steps with Samuel following her.
"The survey went well. The land is a bit rough, but there could be some ores in the hills. Possibly precious ones. Even if there isn't, it seems whatever highwaymen would have been living there fled when I purchased the property. And the country is rough enough to where no one will wish to cross it in an armed conflict. It seems it was worth the price I paid after all at minimum. Perhaps more with time."
"Really," she mused. "It certainly seems as if some folk were living there. Wild women, for example. Ones that you apparently took such a liking to that you wished to bring one home with you."
Diego coughed at that moment, and quickly bowed. "If…you'll excuse me, milord, milady…I'll see how dinner is coming."
"You do that, Diego."
Blanching a bit at the queen's comment, he immediately turned and excused himself. Samuel's own smile faded and he exhaled. "Mother…"
"And here I thought you were done bringing untamed animals inside once you turned ten years old, Samuel."
"Mother, it's not like that," he insisted. "She was living in squalor and poverty. She had no decent food, clothing, or shelter and she was coming down with a fever. Leaving her there could have been a death sentence."
"That is what alms are for, Samuel. And Beneserta is home to a very generous and compassionate monastery that would have been more than happy to house her and feed her until she was well again. Why did you feel the need to bring her here?"
He fumbled for a moment for the words. "I…I just…"
"Well?"
"I wanted to be hospitable, and before I could think of that I said it. I couldn't just withdraw such an invitation. It was the godly thing to do."
"Really now." The queen turned away and walked toward the entrance to the hall leading to the guest room. "You suddenly took on a generous streak, Samuel? Very generous. You certainly didn't want her to fall when you rode in, as tightly as you were holding her."
Samuel grimaced a little at that, realizing he had been spotted.
She sighed and turned to him. "Samuel, out of all of the silly things…"
"Mother…"
"What do you know of this girl? Lorenzo told me she had been gathering piles of stinging nettles. So many that her hands were swollen when you found her. Does that sound like the sort of thing a sane woman might do? And you just picked up a madwoman from the middle of the forest and brought her here?"
"Mother."
"Or what if she was a robber? Did you consider that?" Her voice was rising. "Or a criminal taking refuge?"
"Mother!"
The shout made her pause, although she continued to stare hard at Samuel. He himself looked more than a little browbeat from her tirade, but he set his jaw and stood tall.
"I do admit that what I did might have been more than unconventional, but I invited her here and now that she's my guest I am not going to turn her out. At the end of the day, it is my responsibility…but it is also my wish. And as lord of this castle and of Beneserta, I am free to do as I wish in my realm."
She exhaled and took a step toward him. "Samuel…"
"That includes inviting whatever guests I like to dwell in my castle."
She frowned again. She was still the queen mother, and, as she had during the days in which her husband was still alive, she was used to having her say both within the castle as well as within her family. And while she had continued to have more dominion than she should have after her son's ascension, the truth was he willingly gave it to her most of the time. Yet there were times, and progressively more of them as the years went by, when he would simply exert his own authority over her. She was his mother, but she was also his subject. Now, she realized was one of those times.
And on seeing that he had made his mind up, she kept her frown but said no more.
Samuel's look turned reassuring. "Don't worry. It will just be for a few days. She was so light when I found her she hardly has the strength to overpower anyone, but even if she did she's not going to be able to sneak around or take anything. You won't even notice that she's here."
"That will be somewhat difficult considering she'll be eating the morning meal with us tomorrow."
Samuel grimaced again, realizing she had overheard what he told the head servant. Nevertheless, she finally eased. "I know full well that I can't tell you what to do anymore, Samuel, but you're my only child. You have to understand that I worry about you. I probably will until the day I pass on. My own brothers died young from being far too reckless. And your father…God rest his soul…he didn't realize he was getting older until age caught up with him at the wrong time. I'm always afraid of losing you like I lost the other men I loved in this life."
He walked up to her at that and placed his hands comfortingly on her shoulders. "And I am grateful for that, as I always have been. However, I am king now. And I have to ask you to trust my authority. If I don't have your trust, then how can I have any confidence in having the trust of everyone else?"
She eased a bit more at that, although she still looked uncomfortable.
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry so much. It's only a single unconventional act of charity."
She exhaled. "Just please make sure it only remains that, my lord." She finally reverted to calling him by his title. Pulling back and out from under his hands, she gave him a curtsy of her own. "I'll see you at supper."
He nodded back, and she turned and went down the same hall after Diego. Samuel watched her depart for a few moments, staring at her back and showing nothing. Yet as she turned a corner and went out of view, his own previously calm look turned somewhat more uncomfortable, before he turned and looked back down the hall where the young woman was sleeping.
He stared down it a long time, still seeing her angelic face so close to his from the long ride back to the castle, before he was finally able to turn and head for the dining hall.
To be continued...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: None of the locations in this chapter or future ones are real. I just took two names from true Italian cities and spliced them together.