"Is this really all you do when you're out here?" Lena startled from her concentration and turned to see her cousin standing behind her.
Her cousin stood in stark contrast against the greenery of the forest. Her yellow lace dress looked pristine and freshly pressed her lace gloves were a dainty white. "You really do just spend your days dancing in the forest. It's positively primeval."
Lena turned up her chin, standing straighter. "I apologize for my cousin." Lena said to Iris. Iris merely nodded and smiled to her cousin in a friendly sort of way.
"Good afternoon, Lady Price." Iris gave Lacey a small bow and sent Lena a knowing smile.
Lacey did not acknowledge Iris or her greeting. "Grandfather would like you to stop your so-called dance lessons. You have been summoned to his office.
"Why?" Lena asked, her curiosity igniting. It was a rare thing that she was ever summoned for any reason, much less to see her grandfather, the eternally busy Lord Eldridge Price.
Lacey's face lit into a smile. It was obvious she had been anticipating that exact question.
"I have no idea." She said with pure glee. Though the opposite was true. It was obvious Lacey held a sort of superiority in knowing something Lena didn't.
"You may tell grandfather the message has been delivered, Lacey. I will be along soon."
Lacey shrugged and left the clearing.
"What do you suppose has pleased your odious cousin in such a manner?" Iris asked, looking after where Lacey had left.
Lena retrieved her shoes and her overskirt.
"I am not sure but its sure to be horrible. Nothing good has ever brought her joy."
Iris drew Lena's hair up into a hair pin while Lena laced up her boots.
"You had better go swiftly then." Iris said, "and be sure to come back and let me know what has happened or I will worry for you."
-/-
"Magdalena." Her Grandfather addressed her as she entered his study. He sat at his desk with his wife, Lady Josephine Price, standing behind him sternly.
"Good afternoon." She greeted with a shallow curtsey."
"You look a mess." Josephine commented. "No doubt you were wasting your afternoon in the Lenwood."
"Yes, grandmother."
"Peace, Josephine. We have news for her, not scoldings." Her grandfather prompted in a tired voice before her grandmother could start into the lecture they all knew was coming.
"Your grandfather has received an offer of marriage on your behalf."
Lena was taken aback only for a moment before she managed to compose herself.
"Am I to be married to Robert?" Lena asked. She had a handful of suitors in various stages of gradual romance. All of them eager at the promise of wealth. None of them were as attentive and at times obsessive as Robert Thawley. Lena balked at the premise of marrying him. He would often rhapsodize over his desire for wealth and connections. He often had a pompous air about him but he was younger than most of the Lords who had declared interest.
"You mean Lord Thawley?" Her grandmother's correction came with a thick semblance of disdain. "The son of a justicer?" She made the title sound like a grave insult.
"He stands to inherit a substantial amount of land and several ships. It is not a small amount." Lena spoke in defense of Robert only on account of being given the same speech by him several times.
"Regardless. It is not Lord Thawley. We have not considered anyone you have been in correspondence with. You are to be married at the end of the month to the crown Prince."
Lena's feeling slowly leaked away as her grandparents stood as stalwart as ever. Her whole being stilled. "What crown Prince?" Lena asked, but her question was drowned out by the door flinging open suddenly, revealing her cousin standing at the precipice, tears in her eyes.
"You are going to marry her to a Prince?!" Lacey demanded.
In all her shock and mild horror at her grandmother's revelation, Lena couldn't help but feel a sense of victory at her cousin's obvious jealousy.
"Have you been listening outside the door?" Josephine asked, incredulous.
"She can't marry a Prince. That's supposed to be me!"
"You're already engaged to Westly Overton! It's been decided, Darling." Rarely did Lena see her grandmother baffled. but she looked baffled now as a tear-filled Lacey threw herself into their grandmother's arms.
"I didn't decide it! I would have chosen the Prince."
"but you like Westly. You told me just this morning that-"
"No! I could only be happy to marry the Prince. You have to undo it!" She cried.
Lena barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She had seen the false tears and expression of utter woe before. Lacey had turned getting her way into an artform.
"It can't be undone, peach." Their grandmother said, consoling Lacey with a comforting embrace. You've given your word to Westly and we have given our word to the King."
"They won't like her!" Lacey cried out. "She'll bring shame and dishonor onto us all!"
Lena was too dumbstruck to mind her cousin's insults.
"Lacey! Watch your tongue! This is not how a lady behaves when dealt with a disappointment."
"but-but" The tears came harder until Lacey was hiccupping and gasping, burying herself into the folds of her grandmother's dress. She had worked herself up into an erratic mess and Lena just stood in silence, terrified of the new prospect that faced her.
"We leave for the castle in two weeks. You will be married soon after we arrive."
Lena could only nod, doubtful her voice would carry over Lacey's cries of despair.
"You may take your leave, Magdalena. I suggest you begin preparing yourself now."
Lena took her first full breath in minutes when she finally left her grandfather's study.
Her mind was on the Prince, a man she had never met and had no concept of. Lena knew there was a Prince, in fact, if she remembered right, they had a dozen. Even in Layton, the furthest land from the King's Seat, they had heard gossip of the doomed Princes.
Stories varied to wild extremes that were past belief. Stories of mysterious disappearances and deaths. They only seemed discussed under the net of tragedy and now, she was marrying one.
Even if she had not promised to swiftly return to Iris, Lena would have gone there first.
The air had caught a short chill or maybe it was her mood that latched onto the cold afternoon. Lena walked briskly because of it. There was always an air of mischief and mystery in the Lenwood. The air would swirl and spin in unexpected ways and the light seemed softer, gentler.
The path to Iris's cottage was well worn. Lena had been making the same journey since she was a young girl. Passing trees that would soon change colors of bright reds and oranges and passing flowers that would soon wilt into submission on winter's door.
Lena was not surprised to find Iris outside sitting at a chair and table set out in front of her beloved Arturo.
Arturo stood as intimidating as always. He was an intimidating oak tree with dozens of offshoot branches all thicker than five men standing side by side. The branches sprayed out in wild effect, but they kept towards the ground as if to gather Iris into an embrace. They were inseparable.
The love and devotion she had for the ancient oak would be madness anywhere but within the magical realm of the Lenwood.
"Lena!" Iris called out to Lena and the fear began to surface. With fear came frustrated tears.
"You are shaking like a leaf." Iris said as Lena drew near. Iris had tea set on the table, but it was forgotten. Iris stood, closed the gap between them, and pulled Lena into a comforting embrace.
"You may as well tell us now before Arturo grows more upset. You know he can't stand your tears little bird."
Lena laughed, withdrawing from the embrace and giving Arturo a comforting smile. She was familiar enough with Iris and her personification of the grand oak that she could indeed sense a tense feel to the twisted branches.
"I am engaged." She said, barely managing the words without a fresh wave of tears.
Iris smiled and drew her arm around Lena's back, drawing her towards the table set for tea. "That is no trouble. We all knew this day was coming. Has your grandfather at last succumbed to Lord Thawley's begging?"
Lena shook her head and Iris smiled. "Good. I never liked him much. Lord Thawley is a sour man of poor character. I would not have allowed you to marry him."
"It's the Prince." Lena said, the words spilling quickly out her mouth. "I don't know how this came to be, or why but-." Lena shook her head the full force of what she faced hit her on all sides. "I can't do it, Iris. I can't leave you, leave the Lenwood, leave Arturo. The King's seat is far." Tears came to her eyes as she spoke. "What are we going to do?"
Iris collected Lena against her and marched her towards the table. "We will take a deep breath for now and we will sit down." She said, indicating to the empty chair. She pulled a spare cup from her basket and then poured Lena some tea. "We knew this day was coming." She reminded after a long moment of silence.
"Not this. I thought I would be married to one of the nearby Lords. Then I could have visited. The palace? I can never come back." Lena wiped away constant tears with annoyance.
"Hush now. Everything is going to be alright. Perhaps this is destiny. Her hand is often steeped in trepidation and fear."
"It is my destiny to be alone?"
Iris smiled and reached out for Lena's hand. "Oh, love. You won't be alone."
"I won't have you." A new feeling of fear spilled through her.
"You will always have me, Magdalena. No matter where you are. Love is stronger than physicality. Just look at my Arturo." She smiled up at the grand oak. "He has been gone from me for years and yet, at night I can still feel his embrace. In the same way, I will be with you always."
Lena regarded Arturo as the wind ruffled his branches sending a shudder through the world around them. Iris and Arturo had a story steeped in tragedy and difficulty. Iris would often tell it on freezing winter nights that begged a shared moment of misery but above the tragedy, theirs was a story of love.
"You ran away with Arturo to avoid a marriage without love," Lena said, pointedly.
"I loved Arturo long before I was ever engaged to be married. Are you so unduly attached to Lord Thawley?" Iris asked, knowing the answer.
Lena had not hidden her disregard where Lord Thawley was concerned.
"Of course not, but I cannot imagine the Prince will accept me with any degree of adoration."
"No one could truly know you and not love you."
Lena's laughed, unbelieving. She knew of Iris's kind nature and blindness towards Lena's every flaw.
"There is a grave disparity between us. In station as well, no doubt, in character." Lena knew she would look like a country fool next to a Prince. She felt a country fool at the mere idea of the marriage.
"There perhaps is a great disparity between you, but if it is so great as to be impossible then I will simply help you escape the marriage."
Lena paused at that. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that I will do my own investigation into the matter and if your cynicism is proved correct, I swear to you that you will not be forced marry him."
"And how is this investigation going to be run?"
Iris smiled, "How do you think little bird?"
The subject of magic has been a long dance between Iris and Lena, both artfully skirting around the words.
"I think you are going to cause some mischief that would cause Arturo to worry over you."
Iris was forever going on about Arturo's dislike of her plots and antics. Iris smiled and turned to the tree.
"Arturo will support my endeavor if it ensures your happiness. Isn't that right?" Iris asked.
Lena couldn't help but laugh as the branches shook and creaked as if to respond to the question.
"There we are! It is agreed!"
"I truly hope the Prince's heart is black and heavy, forcing you to help me escape this ridiculous engagement." Lena said. She then turned to Arturo, "She's bound to go find herself trouble."
Iris laughed, "Do not give him any reason to regret giving me his permission."
"He loves you too much to stop you from anything you truly want to do." The relationship between Iris and Arturo could only be witnessed to be believed. Lena had known them too long to doubt the bond between the two, the forest fairy and the oak.
"Well, I truly want to do this for you and if I am going to return soon enough to give you an answer, I must go quickly. Leave the Lenwood and return in four days. By then I will have an answer for you." Iris stood and Lena followed her action.
With one last firm embrace, Iris urged Lena away. "Don't fall into despair, little bird. You have great happiness ahead of you no matter where you go."
Lena nodded, "Be safe, Iris."
Lena left and Iris watched her go with a heavy heart. Watching Lena grow into a beautiful woman gave Iris an endless sense of pride. Every moment watching Lena grow and experience life was treasure. When Lena begged Iris to teach her to dance, Iris loved her all the more for her strength, sacrifice, and dedication. But now Lena needed the courage to discover what waited for her outside the Lenwood.
"What do you think about that?" She asked Arturo, caressing the tree reverently. His branches shook and she was filled with a very distinct feeling of uneasiness.
"I don't want her to go either, but there we both must be strong. She'll never live if we smother her."
There was a softer rustle then and Iris breathed deeply. She had so far tested every young man who threatened to take Lena away from her. She went to them in disguises to discern their true personalities and each of them failed. She would go now and test this Prince. Lena needed to experience love but Iris would not part with her unless it was a man worthy of her.
"I need to leave now if I am going to have my answer by the time Lena returns."
She nodded and caressed a long twisty branch, "I will be back love."
There was a sudden twisting and creaking deep within the tree.
"I will be careful, I promise."
With a final deep feeling of farewell and sorrow from her Arturo, Iris left to give the Prince her test.