tales of the latter kingdom 08 - moon dance (19 page)

“Like all masters, he wants to make sure that I have sufficient control of my gifts so that I no longer require his guidance. This is not like being apprentice to a woodworker, or an ironsmith. It is not merely a matter of serving my seven years and then going forth to make my own way in the world.”

“You certainly seem in control of your powers,” I protested. “I cannot see what else he thinks he has to teach you.”

Reynar’s lips brushed the top of my head, and, despite my current worry, I could not help sighing somewhat at the thrill his touch evoked. “I can go to him and ask to be released. But doing so will be at his discretion. And I must abide by his decision.”

Even though I tried to tell myself that I should be calm, that I did not want to cause an argument, I could not help saying, “I cannot understand why you would give him so much control over you.”

At those words, Reynar let go of me and stepped back a pace. “Am I not supposed to show gratitude toward the man who took me from the orphanage and gave me a home?”

“That’s not what I meant at all.” I took in a breath and resisted the urge to lay a hand on his arm. He looked stiff and angry, and even though we had kissed, I did not know him well enough to judge how he would interpret such a gesture. Voice softening, I went on, “Have you not shown your gratitude by doing his bidding for more than ten years? Have you ever
not
done as he asked?”

These questions did not seem to move Reynar overmuch. When he spoke, he only gave me a grudging, “No.”

“Well, then,” I said, telling myself not to be too discouraged. “If he is as wise and learned as you have hinted, then surely he must understand that there would come a time when you would wish to be free to pursue your own destiny.”

At first Reynar did not reply. He watched me closely, though, and I could almost see the emotions flickering behind his eyes — need, and worry, and an all-too-fragile hope. In barely a whisper, he asked, “And this destiny? Does it include you?”

I went to him and put my arms around his waist, and laid my head against his chest. “Oh, yes, Reynar. I want it to. All the gods only know how much I want that.”

He held me tight, and kissed the top of my head. “Then I will do whatever I must.”

And so, as simply as that, we sealed our fates together.

No matter what happened.

I would have liked to stay out all night with him, but he told me I should go back to the castle and sleep as best I could. “For it is your cousin’s wedding day tomorrow, and I doubt she would be happy to have a bridesmaid who was tired, or cross, or had great dark circles under her eyes.”

“I do not get circles,” I told him. “I never have.”

“Ah. Well, that is good to know. But I still think it best that you go back. I will hold the sleep-spell for the next hour. I think that will be a good incentive to make sure you get back before it fades.”

Since I knew he was only right, and because secretly I did not want to appear haggard or weary in front of all those exalted wedding guests, I did not argue, but kissed him again before I headed back toward the castle and my comfortable bed. It was something of a relief to know that I could enter the sleeping building and not have to worry about anyone catching me sneaking about. However, I did not dally, and was still careful after I had slipped through the kitchen door and was making my way back up the stairs. Only after I’d entered the room did I allow myself a quick breath of relief, right before I hung my shawl up in the wardrobe and then slid under the covers.

A hasty glance at Janessa told me that she still slept soundly. I murmured a silent thank-you to Reynar and this particularly handy spell of his, and closed my eyes and told myself I must sleep. Already it was long past midnight, and I knew Adalynn would have us up at dawn so that no possible detail would be overlooked in the hours before the ceremony, which was set for noon.

I did not know if it was my own will exerting itself on my body, or whether Reynar sent a small tendril of his spell to twine itself around me. I only knew that within the minute I was asleep, falling into a slumber that I hoped would be haunted with memories of his arms around me, and his lips on mine.

CHAPTER 11

“Get up, Iselda! I cannot believe you would lie abed, today of all days!”

I opened one eye and saw Janessa hovering over my bed, practically dancing in impatience. As I knew she would not go away until I responded, I pushed back the covers and managed to maneuver myself into a sitting position. “Pray, tell me why you are so excited,” I said. “For I was certain this was Adalynn’s wedding day, not yours.”

“Well, yes, it is, but you left so early that you did not see how Lord Gwyllim flirted with me all last evening, and that he asked me to dance the opening promenade at the ball with him tonight.”

“Oh, well,” I responded. “That is definitely a good reason to want to get out of bed. Anyway, see? I am awake, and the sky outside is just barely turning light.”

So it was. The first flush of dawn had begun to spread over the countryside, turning everything pink and gold. A few clouds dotted the sky, but they were certainly not enough to evoke any kind of worry about rain.

All in all, it seemed that Adalynn would have a perfect day…which she probably thought was no more than her due. But no, that was an uncharitable notion. She could be high-handed and occasionally downright thoughtless, but she was not a cruel person, exactly, more that she had always gotten her way because she was the eldest and so very beautiful. I might as well put the blame on my aunt and uncle for spoiling her the way they had.

Her betrothed seemed like a very kind, generous man, and so I had no reason to think that Adalynn would not improve once she was his wife and constantly in his company. Some of that graciousness would have to wear off on her.

Or so I hoped.

I did not have much opportunity for further ruminations, because Tarly arrived shortly after that, looking far more harried than usual. Today she had brought up our tea and a tray as well, for we girls were to be sequestered until the time of the ceremony, when the guests would finally be able to see us in all our glory.

That arrangement suited me very well, for it meant that I would not have to see Mayson until afterward, by which time I hoped I would have more or less composed myself. Some part of me worried that he would be able to tell I had kissed another, although I tried to tell myself that was ridiculous. He certainly was no mage, to be able to look into the minds of others.

So Janessa and I ate a hurried breakfast, and then the footmen arrived with the bath. I told Janessa she could go first, and sat and stared out the window while she washed her hair and Tarly bustled about, laying out our new gowns and all the items that went along with them — chemises of linen so fine you could nearly see through it, and silk stockings and slippers of delicate kid, and jewelry to match our gowns, rose quartz and pearls for Janessa’s pink gown, a few shades lighter than Adalynn’s glory of deep rose, and moonstones and tiny blue river pearls for my gown of silver and blue brocade.

Not that I cared for any of that right then. I gazed out at Daleskeld Forest, and thought of Reynar, and the feel of his strong hands, the gentle caress of his mouth. A curious warmth spread through me as I awakened those memories, and I wished more than ever that he was free to come and go like any other young man, that he could come to the ball tonight and lead me in the promenade, just as Lord Gwyllim had promised Janessa.

That dream, I knew, would never come to pass, for by necessity Reynar must hide himself away. True, he had the ability to mask his appearance, to make himself look quite unexceptionable, but I wondered how long he could maintain such a spell. For hours and hours?

Possibly, since he could certainly make the sleep-spell last for goodly length of time. How much of a strain was it to maintain such a thing, though?

So many questions, and all of them were merely a thought exercise, for it would not be enough for Reynar to merely assume a different appearance. He would also have to come up with a way to get into the wedding itself, since my aunt personally knew everyone who had been invited and would be sure to question any interlopers, or at least would summon the steward to investigate further. Perhaps that was no very great matter for one with Reynar’s powers. I still did not have a very clear idea of what he could or could not do. It seemed very likely to me that he would not take the risk of attending a wedding when he had not been invited.

No, I would not be able to dance with him. Far more likely that I would be Mayson’s partner, whether I liked it or not.

Usually a bath soothed me, but as I settled myself into the water and began to wash my hair, I only wished for all the preparations to be over, for the wedding to be done, the guests gone home, and those of us who remained to return to our ordinary lives. But I could not expect that to happen, could I? For I had promised Mayson that we would discuss matters further after the wedding.

Damn.

I rinsed my hair, then took a towel from the chair next to the tub and climbed out. Once I was dry, I put on the robe Tarly had left hanging for me and emerged into the main part of the bedroom, to find our maid lacing Janessa into her gown. I gathered up my chemise and other undergarments, and hung the towel once more on the hook on the screen.

“Sit in the sun, lady, and let your hair dry,” Tarly instructed me, so I did as I was told, taking up my previous position at the window. Then I retrieved the wide-toothed wooden comb she had left on the windowsill and began to carefully work through the knots in my hair. This took some effort, for even though I had braided it the night before, my sojourn in the woods had helped to tangle it more than it should have.

Or perhaps those snarls had only come from Reynar running his hands over it.

I willed the image of his face from my mind. If I was too preoccupied today, someone was bound to comment on my abstraction. Also, if I allowed my mind to wander, there was a far greater chance that I might do or say something to arouse suspicion. I did not dare let anyone know of how I had slipped away from the castle, and even less did I care to have anyone find out about my assignations with Reynar. His was the far greater risk, since he had taken such care to keep himself hidden, but I would be ruined, all chance of making any kind of a respectable match gone forever, if word should get out that I had indulged in such wanton behavior. After all, I had very little to recommend me, other than my virtue.

At length Tarly was done with Janessa, who looked resplendent, her cheeks glowing with color, her dark hair glossy and gleaming. I thought that glow had come not only from the fine gown and the extra care our maid had spent on her hair, but also from the prospect of seeing Lord Gwyllim again, of realizing that she, too was worthy of attention and admiration, even if she was not a daughter of this household.

I went to sit in the chair she had just vacated, and resigned myself to spending the better part of an hour there as Tarly laboriously twisted my hair into long spiral curls. Most days she would take less time with this task, but of course everything had to be perfect for Adalynn’s wedding. Midway through this procedure, my aunt knocked on the door and poked her head in, wishing to check on our progress. She seemed glad that Janessa was ready, less pleased that my hair was taking so long.

“We must all be down in the great hall no later than eleven-thirty,” she admonished me.

I did not answer as tartly as I might have under other circumstances, for I knew she must be feeling ragged already, and had a very long day ahead of her. “That is two hours from now,” I said gently, “and Tarly has already finished half my head. It will not take me so very long to get dressed. Really, Aunt Lyselle, you have nothing to fear. Janessa and I will be down there with plenty of time to spare.”

My aunt flashed me a relieved smile. “Of course you will. It is only that Lord Alstron broke out in hives after something he ate did not agree with him, and Lady Penelly complained that her bath was too cold, and — ”

“I am sorry about all that. Do what you must, but you need not worry about the two of us.”

“No, of course not,” Janessa chimed in, all good humor because she had an assignation to look forward to. “And of course I would be happy to help you with anything you might need, Lady Lyselle.”

That offer was met with an emphatic shake of the head — although not so emphatic as to shake the diadem she wore loose from her elaborate coiffure of braids and curls. I hated to think how early my aunt must have been up to have achieved such a hairstyle at such an hour. “I thank you for the offer, Janessa, but you know that none of you girls can be seen until the ceremony. I am sure that between us, Alister and I will be able to manage. I shall see you downstairs in a few hours.”

With that, she shut the door, and Tarly went back to toiling away on my hair. If I had been in Janessa’s position, I would have taken advantage of the idle time to pick up a book and read, allowing myself some peace and quiet before the certain hubbub of the wedding descended, but Janessa was not at all bookish. Instead, she sat on her bed and watched as our maid created one perfect spiral curl after another in my waist-length locks.

“How many are riding in today, do you think?” Janessa asked, even though she knew the answer to that question as well as I did.

“Some thirty, I believe,” I said, since to not reply at all would be churlish. “Of course Lord Elwyn, and Sir Locksen, and the Dalensons of Vandar’s Well.”

“Lord Elwyn is quite handsome, don’t you think? You can see where Lord Mayson inherited his looks.”

Although I was rather surprised that Janessa would have taken note of Lord Elwyn’s appearance, since he was so much older than we, I could only nod. To say that his lordship was unattractive would have been a complete falsehood. “Yes, he is quite a fine figure of a man,” I said cautiously.

“One must wonder why he did not remarry after Lord Mayson’s mother passed away. I should think there must have been many ladies who would have been glad to take her place.”