Chapter Four: Adalard Hale and the Toes He Trod On
The road loomed ahead of Isi and Geric, the trees more comforting than frightening to the young woman and her companion. The first day of travel proved easy; food was fresh, bones were not yet weary, and spirits had not yet become low. The next was only slightly more difficult, and for the beginning week of the long two-month journey it stayed as it was. Traveling with only one companion was dangerous, especially on a forest route, but they had no choice.
On the eighth day of travel, Geric awoke to a small crunching noise as footsteps would make approaching their campground. He leapt for his sword and immediately drew it from its lovely scabbard. To the figure in the forest, all he could see was a six foot tall man brandishing a sword, and yet he smiled to himself. This was what he had been waiting for…
Isi murmured in her sleep for a moment before peeling open her lids, fixing her eyes lazily on her love. Why was Geric holding his sword as though for battle? Golden morning light filtered through the towering trees, making a kaleidoscope of gold and green on the forest floor.
"Geric, dearest, why are you holding your sword? Is something wrong?" Isi queried, sitting up straight. Her back popped out in multiple places and she winced. This was even worse than the time she'd had getting to Bayern.
"There's someone by the campground, I heard their footsteps," he murmured back, still shooting suspicious glances at the shrubbery and trunks of trees about the clearing. Isi sat up even straighter, combing her fingers through her tangled locks and raising her large, almond-shaped eyes to Geric warily. Geric had always appreciated the lovely color of Isi's eyes; they were a hazel sort of color with cinnamon streaks running through them, surrounded by thick lashes. She truly was beautiful, and her innocent, open beauty was something he much preferred to Selia's feral, catlike sort.
"'Lo, there, o' imposing and somewhat threatening man with sword! My name is Adalard Hale, and I wish no harm, despite my obviously assumed intentions," called a young man with thick, blonde hair and twinkling azure eyes. He strode forward, offering a short bow before his eyes fixed on Isi. Geric suddenly felt protective; who was he to look at Isi like that?
"Adalard? Can it be?" Isi gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Before Adalard could blink again, Isi launched herself at him and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Geric's mouth thinned into a straight line, his jaw setting. He should have known the two of them knew each other; Kilendree was the only country in the area that had citizens with blonde hair.
"Princess Ani, always a pleasure. Forgive me if I startled you and your friend, but I thought I saw a native girl and you know how I am about my curiosity. Though, I really didn't mean to give either of you a fright," Adalard put his hands on her delicate shoulders and regarded her with concern.
"Yes, well, skulking about in the underbrush is generally a method of startling people so if you don't mean to, that might not be a habit to continue," Geric snapped icily, his eyes still on where Adalard touched Isi. He couldn't help but be a little jealous; after all, being a prince didn't mean that you were any less a man. And besides, Geric thought to himself, it is perfectly within my rights to be protective of her.
"Ah, Adalard, how rude of me! This is my companion Geric, Prince of Bayern. Geric, this is Adalard, my childhood friend. I was hoping the two of you would get to meet someday! But, I have to ask, what brings you here?" Isi was obviously confused, cocking her head to the side as she took Geric's hand. Automatically, he allowed his thumb to rub small circles on the back of her hand.
"I came to see the wedding, of course. I wasn't aware that it was going to be quite so… secluded," he explained, looking around himself inquiringly. Isi threw a glance at Geric, for they both realized that there was quite a bit of explaining to do. Geric, who was still fuzzy on some details of the story, gestured that she should be the one to tell it. Smiling and kissing him on the cheek, she squeezed his hand lightly and began:
"Much has happened since I departed from Kilendree, Adalard. For the first part of my trip here, all seemed to be well. As you know, much of the guard was with me as well as my lady in waiting, Selia. About a fourth of the way into the journey I suppose was when things began to become odd. Selia became cold to me and about half the guard would stop speaking when I came near them, and things only got worse. Ungolad and Selia seemed to be developing a close relationship, and I was glad for her. Oh, how stupid I was. Ishta acted inappropriately towards me, as no one had before. It was a frightening time for me, never knowing what was going on.
Selia soon began to hint at the fact that maybe there was something going on for her in Bayern, but as naïve as I was, I still considered her a friend and trusted her. After we saw the midway point, I found Selia playing with a dress of mine in my tent that evening. I confronted her, and she was so very cruel to me. She told me that she refused to be my lady in waiting any longer, as she has waited and waited. She told me that all she had ever wanted was what I had, and that she had concealed it from me. She told me that I was nothing, for that was what I had made myself. For once, I stood up for myself, and seemed to grow even colder. I had a terrible feeling about what was to become of our standings in the future, and I was right to be wary. The only guard that I knew to be trustworthy was Talone, and the only protection I had against her was that handkerchief from my mother.
I was by the stream one day and I heard the birds calling danger, and I held onto a branch just in time to not slip. I swore I saw Ungolad, but I had my doubts. Now I know, for something had struck my ankles as though to make me trip. A week later, Falada began to sense that something was not right as well. He warned me, but he could not place what it was either. I reinforced my trust in Talone, and that was something, for Selia and Ungolad seemed to be anticipating the arrival of civilization in the next two days. Adon began speaking suspicions of mutiny among Ungolad's friends, and I had to agree. Talone gave me instructions to grab a horse and ride to the nearest town at any sign of danger.
The next day, I lost my cup in the river. I was hiding behind the tree when I heard the altercation between Talone and Ungolad. That was when I heard most the guard yell for Princess Selia. I knew then that I had little to no time. She spoke of her plans to take my name and title, and my place by the side of the prince. I had lost my handkerchief along with the cup unwittingly, and I could not yet reach Falada. I was seen, so I grabbed another horse and rode. Soon, however, I was knocked off the saddle by a branch and the horse rode away without me.
I walked for many days by a stream until one night I succeeded in getting directions from an owl. That was when I saw the cottage and Gilsa, a kind woman who gave me water, and her son, Finn. I went to the market with Finn on the next marketday, and I perfected the Bayern accent. The only blonde girl among them, it was my sun hat that saved me. Finn told me that on marketday, people could go and talk to the king. However, Selia and her guard were already in the capital, which complicated plans a fair bit.
I used a spare bit of coal to darken my brows, hoping that someone searching for a Kilendrean girl would pass me over. When I arrived at the castle, Selia was there in my dress, being called by my name. I could only wish that she would not recognize my face with darkened brows and a hat over my hair. I knew that if she was there, she must have killed Talone and the rest of the loyal company. I was afraid, ready to be discovered. But she did not, and the king could only pin me as forest folk. Alas, he set me off to work with the goose boy by the name of Conrad, and that is how I became Isi, the goose girl.
The animal workers were peculiar people, and they lived an easy, playful sort of lifestyle that I was most certainly not used to. I became friends with them, and the only one who had their suspicions about me was Conrad. Having spoken with swans, it was easy to learn how to speak with the geese, though I did not appreciate them at first. However, the time came when even the geese were my friends. I went to see about Falada during this time, but Selia had driven him mad and he was killed at her command.
I began dying my brows regularly as well, and I had the perfect disguise. Also during the time that I was a goose girl, I met Geric by accident and that is how we ended up together. No one saw through my disguise until one day Conrad saw me take off my hat, but my friend Enna, whom I had told exclusively, made up a lie for me to buy me time. Much happened after that, and eventually the animal workers found out my identity and I was reunited with Talone. Oh, I'm no good at explaining things, but I must hurry up.
They accompanied me to the summer home to where the wedding was supposed to take place, and I pretended to be Napralina-Victery to speak to the king. I told him the truth but Selia was too good for me, and we just barely escaped Geric marrying her. Now we're here to get home before Selia can start a war with Kilendree to hide what she's done, and try to raise the truth before it's too late," Isi finished, taking a long, deep breath. Geric noticed that she had left out how he hadn't believed her either, and he was glad that she had faith in him yet. He smiled, taking her small, pale hand in his. Adalard glanced at the two of them, side by side, and grinned.
"You're insane, Isi, but all the same, I have to believe you."
"Why is that, if I'm insane?"
"Because, Selia's a fair bit more insane than you could ever hope to be," and with that, they packed up and set off. Isi knew it would take some time for Geric and Adalard to warm up to each other, yet she was contented all the same. With her love on one side and her best friend on the other, she set off down the trail with a smile on her face and happiness in her long heavy heart.