Of Lords and Commoners: Book 1 (Lords and Commoners Series) Read online

  “Elijah, it’s you — you scared me!” My heart fell even farther when I saw that he had Hollis in tow. Oh no, I thought.

  “My apologies. I came to give you a ride home.”

  “That won’t be necessary! I will do very well on my own.”

  “You cannot know for sure if you like horses or not if you have never ridden one.”

  “Honestly, I can’t! I must be home well before dark.”

  “Never fear, I will have you home in no time and no one will know you were with me.” With that, he surprised me by grabbing my waist with both hands. With impossible ease he lifted me onto the horse. Before I could protest, he swung himself up behind me in one swift motion and we were off at a gallop. My heart was pounding. It was terrifying to be up so high, moving so quickly. We sped through the woods behind the tavern.

  Elijah placed his hands on my wrists and said, “Let go. You are pulling his mane.”

  “Oh, sorry,” I said to the horse. Without realizing it, I had wrapped my fingers in Hollis’s mane and was holding on for dear life. I eased my grip.

  “Don’t worry; I won’t let you fall,” Elijah whispered in my ear. I believed him; he knew what he was doing. I became acutely aware of his body against mine and his arms around me. This made me immensely uncomfortable, yet at the same time I did not want him to let go for fear of falling.

  When we came to the meadow just outside of town, Elijah kicked Hollis’s sides and the horse took off at a full run. I let out a scream and Elijah laughed. I lowered my torso to the horse’s neck and tried to wrap my arms around him. Elijah put his hands on my waist again and raised me back to an upright position. He continued to run his hands along my arms, raising them out. He held my arms up as if we were spreading our wings.

  “It’s like soaring through the sky,” he whispered in my ear.

  The wind in my face, the ground moving quickly by — we were flying!

  It was not long before we came galloping up in the woods behind my home. “That was marvelous!” I managed to say.

  He wrapped one arm tightly around my waist and swiftly lowered me off the horse. “As promised, you are home in time to make curfew. Did I not say that horses could be enjoyable?” His smile was contagious.

  “Thank you for the ride.”

  He nodded and was gone. With weak knees, I headed for the back door. I would have to pretend that the past exhilarating moments had not occurred. Father would be waiting for my safe return from the tavern. If I was not to be seen with Teller alone anymore, then I certainly should not be with Elijah unchaperoned, as Elijah was openly courting me. I would say nothing to anyone about the wonderful ride home this evening.

  Chapter 11 Ludus 1260 A.D

  As the summer tournament approached, Lord Chastellain announced that he would hold a gala as the opening ceremonies for the entire town. Usually the night before the tournament began, the villagers would gather for a dance at Uncle Ezekiel’s tavern and local musicians would play late into the night. This year it appeared that Ludus Mures — so called because the village of Ludus was located on the Mures River — would have a proper dance.

  “Father, is it appropriate to have an extravagant festival and the tournaments this year, with all that is going on?” I asked.

  “You have a big heart, my dear. Your mother would be proud of the lady you are becoming. You are right to think of others and their losses. There are families in Ludus who will not have their dance partners this year.” His expression was solemn, then it lightened. “On the other hand, life does go on. If we were to let this killer stop us from living, then he would win. We must carry on and find what joy we can. Otherwise, what is the point? We might as well all be dead.”

  How did Father always do that? He could make everything seem well — eliminating guilt with his wise words and effortlessly spreading comfort and reassurance. If only I could be as wise.

  A knock came at the door. I smiled and shrugged at Father as he went to see who it was.

  Two men stood at the door. One was carrying an enormous package. The other handed Father a note. “We are here on behalf of Lord Chastellain.”

  The man awkwardly placed the package on our table and quickly retreated.

  Josiah came down from his room to see what was going on. “What on this good earth is that?” he asked, staring at the package that was as big as the table.

  Another unknowing shrug was my only response to his question.

  “The young lord is asking you to attend the gala with him,” Father stated after reading the note.

  This was not unexpected. When it had been announced that the Chastellains were to hold a celebration for the town, I had suspected it was Elijah and his father’s plan to have me at their side.

  “Open it!” Josiah said. We proceeded to unfold the linen wrapped package. It was most likely some type of gown. Though I could not imagine how to begin to put it on. It was brightly colored — of course. The fabric was of a texture I had never seen before. I did not have the words to describe it.

  “What is it made of?” I asked.

  “Never mind that — what is it?” Josiah questioned.

  “It is a formal gown made from the finest silk,” father answered with his usual patience. He ran his hand gently over the shiny smooth fabric as he examined it. “The entire garment is intricately embroidered, unlike the dyed linens we wear.”

  “Are you supposed to wear this?” Josiah looked baffled. He held up two of the five different pieces of clothing.

  “That can’t be, not all at once?” I must have looked confused as well because Father laughed at us. Soon all three of us were laughing heartily at the ridiculous thing strewn across our table. The only piece of clothing that was familiar was the white tunic that would be worn under the gown. I did not know how the other pieces of clothing would fit together.

  That night at dinner, Father asked Josiah if he had someone to accompany him to the dance.

  “Why do I have to ask someone to go with me?” Josiah wondered.

  “This is not the normal impromptu Ludus gathering. This is a formal occasion,” Father answered.

  “Well, I prefer the old gathering.” Yet Josiah looked thoughtful.

  “At least you have a choice,” I said to my brother.

  “You always have a choice, my spring flower,” Father said.

  That night in bed, I thought about Father’s words. How did I have a choice? There was no choice. I was starting to think of Elijah as a friend. How can I refuse him? He has been gracious and kind. It was not as if I could go to the gala with Teller, even if he had asked me. Yet perhaps I could simply not go to the dance at all. Besides, being the only girl in a pretentious gown was not an appealing thought.

  That is it! I do have a choice! I can choose not to go at all! This put my mind at ease and made the following days more bearable. That was, until Elijah himself made a rare and unexpected visit to the tavern. He marched right up to me, not even trying to be discreet.

  “It is not polite to keep a gentleman waiting for a response to an invitation,” he said with no proper greeting.

  “I do apologize; how rude of me. It is simply that I have decided … well, I did not know how to tell you.” My heart was racing. It was unclear as to why I felt nervous. I must have been afraid of his reaction.

  “What is it? Do you not like the gown?”

  “Oh, the gown is … one of a kind. I do not even know how to put it on.”

  “That is not a problem. I will send servants to collect you before the festivities. They will see to it that you are ready.”

  “It is not the clothes. It is that I have decided not to attend the gala.” This last part came out as quickly as possible. There, I said it. Relief. It was over.

  Elijah stood even straighter than usual and narrowed his eyes. For the first time, I could see his father in him. More than a chill passed through me. For a moment I was actually afraid of him.

  Elijah changed his expression by forc
ing a smile. “If you are concerned about being overdressed, don’t be. We have invited foreign dignitaries and nobles, old friends of ours. They are visiting to see our refurbished place here and to celebrate. In the gown I gave you, you will fit right in. I will have you collected before the dance. See you then,” he ended pointedly, spun gracefully on his heel and was gone.

  This was good, as I had lost my nerve to deny him anyway. My thoughts were swirling. What would foreign nobles have to celebrate in Ludus? They would not care about our local tournament. There was a sinking feeling in my stomach. Elijah and his father are up to something. Mari — I needed Mari. As soon as the work for my uncle was done, I ran to Mari’s house.

  “How are you faring?” I asked Mari.

  “Still trying to get back to normal after finding Emil’s body. And you?”

  “Even more confused and worried than usual,” I answered.

  She gave me a knowing smile and a chuckle.

  “I need your help and it may be a good distraction for you.”

  “What is it now?” She looked skeptical.

  “Elijah refuses to accept that I do not want to attend the celebration. Please come with me,” I begged. “Wait until you see this preposterous thing he wants me to wear.”

  “I don’t know. I do not have anything to wear to such an affair.”

  “Please! His father is intimidating, scary even but now I am concerned about Elijah as well.”

  “Why? What do you think they will do? And what can I do to help?”

  “I’m not sure. The Chastellains are planning something. If you are there, then they will have to be on their best behavior. Your presence may … deter them. I need to have someone there I can trust.”

  She must have sensed my concern because she took my hands in hers. “Of course I will go with you.”

  Chapter 12 Ludus 1260 A.D

  “Calm yourself. Everything is going to be fine. In fact, this will be exciting. Imagine, our very first proper gala!” Mari’s large brown eyes were dancing.

  I was so anxious about the gala that if it had not been for Mari, it would have been impossible for me to get into the lord’s carriage. “Thank you for coming,” I said.

  A servant opened the carriage door and helped us out. I had to laugh at Mari’s reaction when she saw the castle. Surely this was how Father and I had looked when we had seen this grand palace for the first time.

  “Wait until you see the inside and the library,” I said.

  “They have their own library!” In the winter months, Father and I had been teaching Mari to read.

  Elijah gave us a brief tour. We looked at the paintings for what seemed like a long while. Such artwork was our only way to glimpse what the outside world might be like.

  “Come, ladies, you must go if you are to be ready for the festivities in time,” Elijah said. “We have found a suitable gown for you as well, Mari. One of our guests from Adrianople offered its use.”

  Mari scarcely took notice of Elijah. “Do people honestly dress like that?” she asked in wonder as she stared at a painting of a group of noblewomen.

  “Come, Mari, let us get ready. Then you will see that people do indeed dress in such nonsense,” I replied. Though I was not sure why Elijah seemed to be in a hurry for us to get ready. It was only midday; the celebration would not start until this evening. Surely it would not take that long to put on a gown, even all five pieces of it. Elijah and I each had to take an arm of Mari’s and drag her from the foreign artwork.

  We followed Elijah to a large room full of maidservants, he quickly retreated. The room had a large four-poster bed with silky drapes cascading down around it. Before I could admire the rest of the room, the maidservants hurried us into a smaller room off the main bedchamber. There were two large tubs full of steaming water awaiting us.

  “But I bathed this morning,” I protested.

  “Not like this,” one of the maids declared.

  Mari ran over to one of the tubs and inhaled. “You must smell the perfumed oils. I have only heard tales of such luxuries.”

  “Quickly, ladies. The water should be the perfect temperature and we have much to do.”

  Mari began to undress straightaway. She shared her one-room house with her entire family. She was used to changing in front of people but I was petrified. Father had added the upper level to our home, which allowed us privacy. No one had seen me undressed since I was a very small child. A maid started to lift up my dress to pull it over my head.

  I shooed her away. “I can do it myself.” Once my tunic was off I covered my chest with one arm and slowly slipped into the hot, smelly water. I supposed it smelled nice enough but it was too strong.

  “Don’t be prudish, Val. You are made no differently than anyone else in this room,” Mari chastised. She was already at ease in the hot water, fully enjoying herself.

  Soon I became used to the smell and my muscles began to loosen. I felt like a ragdoll helplessly floating in the water, unable to move. Finally, when the water cooled, we were told we must be getting out for the next phase. I still did not want to move. As soon as I stepped out of the tub a maid wrapped a cloth around me and started to dry my skin. I took the cloth. “I can manage, thank you.”

  I quickly dried myself and reached eagerly for my tunic. A maid quickly snatched it away. “You will not be putting that old thing back on and you cannot dress until you have been properly oiled.”

  I looked to Mari, who was being rubbed down by three maids with more smelly oil. Soon there were slick hands all over me and I fought the urge to run from the room.

  Mari laughed at the expression on my face.

  Next, we were wrapped in unadorned silk robes and led back into the main bedchamber.

  “I feel invigorated!” Mari exclaimed.

  “I feel violated,” I said. Even the maids laughed at this but I was not meaning to be funny.

  Mari let the maids dress her but I chose to dress myself — well, mostly. It was a relief to put the new, white silk tunic on. It was longer and much softer than mine. Next came the main part of the gown. It was predominantly a blue brocade with a thick gold hem around the bottom. The upper arm was tightly fitted with armbands in a diamond-shaped pattern of green and blue. The sleeves opened up wide at the lower arm and hung below my knees. This was as far as I could get dressing myself. I had no idea what to do with the other pieces so the maids happily took over.

  First they placed a long thin piece of fabric over my head. This resulted in a white strip running down my front and back. It had gold threads twisting elegantly, creating a spiral design down the front. The next piece was a loose belt that held up a portion of blue and green checkered silk. This hung diagonally across my legs. Finally, a large gold collar was placed over my shoulders. It had gold chains that held large teardrop shaped diamonds and emeralds; these hung down my chest.

  “Lovely. Now for the hair,” a maid announced.

  Mari’s gown was equally extravagant. It was mostly red with yellow, with the same diamond patterned straps around the upper arm and running diagonally across her front legs. Mari and I were seated before one of two large dressing tables. There were full-length looking glasses, heavy oak wardrobes and chairs furnishing the room. Servants went straight to work on our hair and makeup. They were working feverishly and made comments to one another such as, “There is too much to do to get them ready.” “Is it possible to have them looking suitable before the gala?” Mari and I chuckled to each other.

  “Whose room is this?” I asked.

  “For many years this was the Lady Chastellain’s chambers,” one of the maids answered.

  “You said this ‘was’ her room. What happened to her?” I played ignorant — trying to get information. The servants exchanged concerned and knowing looks amongst one another.

  “She died some years back. No one knows for sure what happened and besides, this is not the time for discussing the depressing past. You two young ladies should be focused on the
upcoming festivities.”

  I decided to drop the subject, as it was doubtful that any more information would be divulged. Although … this did not make sense. How could this have been Elijah’s mother’s room? She had died, or rather had been murdered, when he was ten. That had to be at least eight years ago. The Chastellains had only recently renovated this place. They moved to the area within the past three or four months. As far as we knew, Elijah and his father were new to the area. I had never heard of them living here for any length of time before.

  I suppose this could have been Elijah’s mother’s room on brief summer visits during which the Chastellains sent servants to the market, while they themselves remained isolated from the villagers. This was possible. Yet the maidservant stated that it had been Lady Chastellain’s room for many years. How could that have been, when no one in Ludus seemed to have known her? I certainly had never heard of the Chastellains until this spring and everyone in Ludus knows one another. Something was amiss.

  Chapter 13 Ludus 1260 A.D

  It seemed to take forever before we were finally ready. The finishing touches were the headdress and the shoes. My hair had been parted down the middle and curled around my face. It loosely came together at the back of my neck. Strands of pearls were braided into my hair as it fell down my back to my waist. A headband with a row of diamonds and emeralds partially crowned my head. The shoes were made of a gold fabric and had been embroidered with matching diamonds and emeralds. This was completely unnecessary, as one could not see them under the long brocade.

  After five hours with six maids working frantically we were declared ready. Mari and I stood in front of one of the full-length mirrors.