Friday, November 30, 2007

12

“I want you to know that your dowry is wholly your own, my daughter. I want no part of it and you may use it as you see fit. I wanted you to have enough of your own possessions so that you would feel totally independent and not beholden to me. While I will support you and you will live here, you may leave at anytime and do as you wish. I do not own you. I hope that you will be happy here and stay, but I will not make you do so, I have many plans for you if you choose to go along with them. I will not go into them today because the day has already been a long one and we are now holding up supper for the rest of the Halle. While they would gladly wait until we are completely done I do not wish to let them go hungry. Our people are very hard workers and deserve to be treated well.”

Mairyn grabbed Wulfgard’s hand and kissed it. “You are a very good man, my Father.” She began crying and he took her in his arms and held her. She began crying even harder as no one, besides Petre, had ever hugged her. Wulfgard held her tight until her sobs ceased. He took a cloth from his sleeve and wiped her face dry. He held the cloth to her nosed and squeezed it so that she would blow. They all laughed until their sides hurt.

“Enough of all of this soppy stuff for one day. Let us eat and drink and get a good night’s sleep.” With that declaration, Wulfgard banged his hand on the table and immediately the room filled with people, talking gaily and laughing. Bowls and platters of food are brought in and pitchers of milk and wine were passed around. Everyone is relaxed and having a good time. At this moment they all agreed that life was good.

Mairyn did not eat a lot of the food. She was tired and satisfied from her snack of bread and cheese earlier and from all that Wulfgard had told her and Petre. She was very tired now and wanted to be in her room to think. She laughed to herself. She had a room where she could go to think. She never would have believed it a week ago. It was less than seven days and her life had changed so much. Her body was beginning to ache.

“Father, while I do not wish to leave you yet, I am getting very tired. May I have some of the drugged wine, as my bruises still hurt and then go to my room?” Mairyn spoke quietly so that only Wulfgard could hear.

“Daughter, you certainly may have both of your wishes fulfilled but I wish for you to request the wine for yourself. You must begin somewhere. You can not always ask me for the simple things you may want. Speak up and don’t be shy. You will learn everyone’s name soon enough. Here, Jun, this is Mairyn, my daughter. Daughter this is Jun. Make your request to her. She will get what you need.”

Mairyn was very shy and had a hard time beginning her request. She just looked at Jun, acting like someone who had lost all of their senses.

Out of kindness, Jun spoke to Mairyn first although that was not the normal way thing s were done.

“Miss Mairyn, may I fetch something for you?”

“I wish to have a cup of the drugged wine that I had last night.” Mairyn barely spoke above a whisper.

Jun smiled at Mairyn. “As you wish, Miss. I will return shortly with a cup.”

“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Petre looked at Mairyn as she nodded her head.

“I’m surprised you came up for air to ask her that question.” Wulfgard smiled at Petre indulgently. “Are you almost done with your meal? You will be escorting Mairyn to her room and making sure her guards are posted. Until we find Gideon, she is not to be left unguarded.”

Mairyn shivered. She had forgotten, if only briefly, that Gideon was still missing after his attacks on her. Jun came back with her wine. Mairyn drank it quickly and left the cup on the table. Wulfgard kissed her on her forehead. She kissed him on his cheek. They both looked into each other’s eyes but did not speak. At this moment, they were beyond words. She left for her room with Petre, Smyth and Shepp following. Roban, who Mairyn had not seen since morning, appeared at her bedroom door. Petre took Mairyn’s hand and squeezed it.

“Sleep well,” he said.

“Pleasant dreams to you, Cousin,” she said and they burst out laughing at themselves. Mairyn punched Petre in the shoulder and ran in her room so he could not punch her back. Roban went in after Mairyn. As Roban was closing the door, Mairyn saw Petre positioning Shepp and Smyth in front of her door. Mairyn took off her dress and hung it on the hook on the back of the door. As she pulled her sleeping gown over her head she saw Roban adding logs to the fire. Mairyn climbed onto her side of the big bed. Roban did not come to bed right away but it didn’t matter to Mairyn as she was already sound asleep.

Mairyn woke in the morning well rested and happy. She stretched under her quilts and snuggled further into her blankets, smiling to herself. Once again, Roban was already up and out of bed. Roban had stoked and re-fueled the fire. It blazed merrily and warmed the room. The red, orange and yellow fire lights danced around the walls of her room and she spent some moments in the luxury of lying abed and watching the show the lights performed. No one rushed her or came to fetch her to do anything. At first she wondered if she had been forgotten. She shook this thought from her mind, a remnant of her past life. She was now the daughter of the house, the daughter of a fine and prosperous house and therefore if she wished to sleep the day away, she could. But she did not want to spend the day in bed. She wanted to move and do something. She would find Petre and see how he spent his days. Maybe she could help him. She flung her blankets back and stepped out of bed onto the fur floor coverings. She found that a tub had been filled with fresh bath water for her. She trailed her hands in the water, which was still very warm. The scent of lavender and mint floated up to her. The soothing scent and warm water reminded her that her body still ached. She found her shoes, pulled her dress over her night dress and opened the door to her room. She found Shepp standing by the door, guarding it.

“Morning, Miss,” he said.

“I must…” Mairyn was embarrassed to tell Shepp she was relieving herself. He seemed to understand.

“You go about your business, Miss. No need to explain to me.” Shepp smiled at her. Mairyn went off to the guarder room and Shepp followed quietly and discretely behind her. She went quickly, thinking about the lovely bath waiting for her in her room. On the way back to her room, she noticed the halle being cleared of the morning meal. She had missed breaking her fast with the rest of the people. She decided to make sure someone woke her everyday in time for breakfast. She did not want to appear lazy or a lay-abed. She shyly called good morning to those people whose names she remembered. They replied happily to her. Mairyn rushed off to her bath. Shepp took up his post by her bedroom door. Roban had not returned to her room. Mairyn was actually quite happy to be alone. She took her time undressing and climbing into her bath. She soaked until the water became cold. She climbed out of the tub and wrapped herself in the bath cloth lying on the stool by the fire. It was warm and toasty. She sat on the stool with her back to the fire, drying her hair. While she sat there she looked around her room. This room was finer than any room she had ever seen. It was more luxurious than even Madame Gertrude or Lauryn’s rooms at the Lindwurm. Her bed was piled high with feather quilts and down pillows, topped with woven wool blankets and quilted furs. If the fire completely burned out, she would never be cold in that bed. She had spent all of her life sleeping on boards topped with a straw pallet and a few rags she had managed to collect over the years. She had always been cold and uncomfortable when she rested, never getting a good night’s sleep. She used to dream of sleeping in comfort when she was a small child. She and Lauryn sleeping in the same crib with a nanny close by singing nursery songs to them. It was one of her best dreams.

The stone floors of her room were covered wall to wall with fur pelts and the stone walls were draped in thick wool tapestries. She marveled again at how the room had been carved into the base of the mountain, forming a secure and sturdy room. She wondered where the chimney exited on the mountain. She would go in search of it later, just to satisfy her curiosity. While looking at the ceiling of her room she noticed two shafts of light on either side of the fire place. She had never noticed them before. These must be air shafts, which was why the room always smelled fresh. They kept the arm moving slowly across the top of the room, pulling out the stale air and brining in the fresh. They also brought in some light and she would be able to use them to tell the time of day. She had this thought as she noticed the tapestries on either side of the fire place. They seemed to have markings on them similar to sun dials. Wulfgard’s forebears were so clever. By now her hair had dried and she was tired of sitting in one spot. Wrapped in her drying cloth, she walked around the room. She found that her personal items from her new dowry had been placed in her room. She found her three new dresses laid across the chest, along with her new chemise and outdoor shoes. Her wooden shoes were here too. She was glad that no one had removed them. She would always want to remember her old life. And the shoes were practical for running through the gravel near the lake beach by the fields to the east of the town. She found her new comb lying on the table. She wrapped the towel around her, under her arms. She began combing out her hair. She was actually quite please with her hair. It had never been so clean and untangled. The blonde tresses glowed with golds and fine reds in the low light of the fire. She was lost in the luxury of combing her hair when Roban returned with a covered bowl and a steaming mug. Roban smiled at her. She placed her burden on the table and took the comb from Mairyn’s hand. Roban finished combing out Mairyn’s hair and then braided it in one long plait down her back. Roban wove some red and blue ribbons in Mairyn’s braid. While Roban straightened the blankets and quilts on the bed, Mairyn pulled a smooth soft light wool chemise over her head. She chose one of the three over dresses that had been embroidered by Lauryn in red and blue geometric designs. While the stitching was uneven and out of line in many areas, it was the best work she had ever done. Mairyn could imagine the pain it had caused Lauryn to make these dresses for Mairyn. Usually it was the other way around. When Mairyn was not doing some sort of cleaning or mucking for Madame Gertrude, Lauryn had Mairyn’s hands and fingers occupied with fine stitchery for Lauryn. Mairyn had a special talent for fine stitch work. She enjoyed the quiet of embroidery and it was a world she could create herself and control and since Madame Gertrude had always given Lauryn fine threads and fabric, Mairyn could create beautiful clothing for Lauryn. Mairyn would value these clothes always since they were they only thing Lauryn had ever given her of her own handiwork, even if she was forced to do it. She would not pull out the stitches and fix them. She would keep them just as they were as a reminder of her sister and what could have been. Mairyn neatly folded the other two dresses, her other two new chemise and the beautiful sleeping gown and put them away in the chest. While in the chest she found a simple woven belt which she tied around her waist, along with a knife sheath in which she placed her personal knife that Wulfgard had given her. She put on her new outdoor shoes, which had thick yet flexible leather soles. Thus attired for the day, she went to Roban and pulled her to sit at the small table with Mairyn and help her break her fast. Mairyn found thick slabs of a dark bread covered in sweet butter and honey under the cloth on the platter Roban had brought her. The cup contained a light apple cider tea, sweetened with honey. Mairyn shared her cup with Roban and between the two of them they finished all of the food and drink. When they were done eating, Roban showed Mairyn over to a large bowl that had some small willow sticks next to it. Each of the sticks had frayed brushy ends. There was also a flat bottomed jug filled with plain water and a small bowl filled with ground salt with bits of mint and an empty cup. Mairyn looked at these objects and then at Roban. Mairyn had no idea what these were for. Roban picked up one of the sticks, filled the cup with water then dipped frayed end of the stick in the cup of water. She then dipped the end of the stick in the salt bowl. Roban used the coated stick to rub on her teeth. Mairyn was astounded. She had never seen such a thing before. Roban handed Mairyn a stick and indicated that Mairyn should do the same thing. Mairyn followed what Roban had done and then brushed her own teeth. After brushing her teeth all over and Mairyn doing the same, Roban sipped the water, swooshed it around her closed mouth and spit out into the bowl. Mairyn did the same. Then Roban took a couple of sprigs of fresh mint that were in another bowl and chewed on them. Again she rinsed her mouth out and spit and Mairyn followed her. Then Roban ran her tongue along her teeth and nodded for Mairyn to the same. When Mairyn did, she was amazed at the feel of her teeth and her mouth felt fresh and tingly. Mairyn liked this feeling. She would like these simple things of her new life best of all. Being clean and wearing clean clothes were the greatest of all luxuries. Mairyn insisted on helping Roban clean up and straighten the room. She had always cleaned for other people. It was a joy to clean for herself and she did not want Roban to do all of the work. She was perfectly capable of looking after herself. They threw their used tooth cleaning sticks in the fire. They gathered up the dishes and wash bowl and Mairyn followed Roban to the kitchens. Shepp followed behind them. Roban showed Mairyn the sluice drains and the basins where they left the dirty dishes. Cook would not allow Mairyn to wash the dishes no matter how much Mairyn tried to insist. At this point, Cook told Mairyn she must be off to find something to occupy herself as Roban had her own chores to do. When she tried to offer her help to Roban, her help was flatly refused. While everyone seemed touched that she wished to help, Cook told her in no uncertain terms that it would not be right for the daughter of the house to help with the daily tasks the rest of them had to do. Cook pulled her aside and told her that everyone knew how hard Mairyn must have had it at Madame Gertrude’s Lindwurm and while no one could do anything before to help her, even though many wanted to, they would make up for it now by taking good care of her. Mairyn was embarrassed that they might know something of her previous life and she was touched by their sympathy. Cook saw Mairyn’s embarrassment and covered up the situation by gruffly showing Mairyn from the kitchens. Mairyn accepted that she would not be doing any cleaning from now on but she needed something to do each day. She would start by finding Petre and asking his advice as to what she could do to contribute to the household. She was determined to be of some use and value to pay everyone back for their kindness, especially Wulfgard. She wanted him to be proud of her as if he were her real Father.

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