The carriage plowed along through the Red Forest. As the entourage came to a clearing the Coachman halted and said, "Let's stop here for lunch. And stay close to the path, there are monsters in these woods."
The Red Forest was known as dangerous territory, full of monsters and criminals. It surrounded the Arquix castle and made up most of the Arquix dutchy. It wasn't a safe place to travel at night but during the day, if traveler's stayed on the road, it was deemed safe.
Tilda and Cosaria sat together on the grass as Tilda handed Cosaria a sandwich.
Tilda said, "Here you are Lady Cosaria."
"Thank you," Cosaria said. Then she started crying and Tilda moved closer.
Tilda said, "Oh dear, what's wrong?"
Cosaria said, "You were always so nice to me. But now you have to go with me to live under a tyrant. I just can't do anything right."
Tilda said, "Milady, that's not true. You are sweet and beautiful. And I chose to be here."
Cosaria met Tilda's eyes and said, "You did?"
"Yes, I wanted to go with you. I'll do my best to continue to protect you. Even against a tyrant."
Tilda's arms wrapped around Cosaria as she crumbled into sobs.
Cosaria cried, "But what if you get killed because of me!"
Everyone has such high faith in my ability to stay alive, Tilda thought dryly.
Tilda said, "Then don't blame yourself. My death will be just that. My own fault and that will be that.
Unless it's the tyrant's fault, Tilda thought. While she was willing to take responsibility for her own actions, she wasn't above blaming the Duke for being heartless.
Cosaria whimpered, "But... but..."
Cosaria blinked as Tilda wiped away the tears from her face.
Tilda said, "Now you've reddened your beautiful face. If only you weren't so cute, then maybe the Duke would reject you and you could run away and be happy."
Cosaria pushed Tilda's hand away from her face. She said, "If I wasn't so cute?"
Tilda brushed Cosaria's hair out of her eyes and said, "Yup."
A serious expression overshadowed Cosaria's face.
"How do I not be cute?" Cosaria asked.
"What?"
Cosaria said, "I'll make the Duke not like me."
Tilda said, "I don't think that's going to have the effect you want."
"Please?"
Tilda frowned as Cosaria's big eyes pleaded for help. She was like an adorable puppy dog, so innocent, so pure. How could Tilda say no to that face?
"Tell you what," Tilda said, "You can't control how the Duke will feel about you, but I can teach you a trick that will make you unattractive."
"You can?" Hope surged through Cosaria. Her eyes glittered like shining stars. She truly was the epitome of cuteness.
Tilda rephrased her statement, "Well, it can make you less attractive at the least. Works for me everytime."
Cosaria waited with bated breath.
"You hawk a loogie."
Cosaria repeated, "Hawk a loogie?"
"Watch."
Tilda breathed in, gathering all the gunk in her nose. Then she spat out a nasty, thick loogie on the ground.
Tilda said, "Like that."
Tilda held back a laugh as she read an expression of horror on Cosaria's face. Jaw dropped, eyes wide, Cosaria was disgusted.
"...okay," she said unsure.
Cosaria breathed in, gathering her gunk. Then she started coughing and wheezing. Tilda patted her back.
Tilda said, "Don't hurt yourself. See, it's just not for you."
Cosaria whimpered, "But..."
The Coachman called from the carriage, "Time to get going."
Tilda waved, "Right away sir."
Tilda stood and offered her hand to Cosaria who took it, still dejected from her earlier failure.
And the journey continued.
༻✧༺
It was just after midday when Cosaria's carriage passed under Arquix's main gate and into the castle courtyard. The castle was a stunning picture of historic stone masonry and imposing craftmanship. A castle wall stretched from the main building protecting the inner courtyards and garden. The wall kept intruders out but also kept the castle dwellers in.
Duke Delrik Alabaster Arquix stood erect with his stalwart knights lines up in perfect rows behind him.
Cosaria's curtains were closed, giving no clue to what the Duke's future bride would be like. Tilda, who sat next to the Coachman had a good view of the whole scene.
Weird that he's greeting her in person. It's too polite for someone like a tyrant, she thought.
As the carriage drew to a halt Tilda hopped down and opened the carriage door. She extended her hand.
An audible gasp was heard throughout the throng of people as Cosaria stepped out of the carriage. Such beauty was unknown to the dutchie; not even in paintings. Cosaria's light countenance, yet drastic innocence, played a symphony proclaiming that she was an angel.
Tilda put her hand over her mouth to cover a smirk when she noticed how Delrik's breath caught in his throat when he looked at Cosaria. Then she noticed that man next to Delrik, the Knight Commander. He was staring at her, expressionless. She quickly looked away in panic.
Had he seen me smirking? Tilda wondered.
She refocused her attention on Cosaria. Cosaria glided towards Delrik like an apparition. She stopped just in front of him. He was completely entranced by her spell.
Then she began to gather the gunk in her nose. It was a terrible snorting-like sound that shocked everyone.
Tilda thought, Please tell me she is not!!!
It was hard to believe it was real when Cosaria spat and a tiny trickle came out of her mouth. It glittered in the light and landed softly on the ground.
At this moment, everyone in attendance was thinking the same thing:
Did she just spit?!?!?
Cosaria curtsied.
"Lord Arquix," she said.
Delrik, who was in as much confusion as the rest of the party, had many choices on how to react. He simply opted out of all of them.
Delrik took Cosaria's hand and kissed it.
Delrik said, "Lady Baxarte."
So what? Tilda thought, We're just going to ignore the fact that she just SPAT in front of the DUKE???
Apparently so, because Delrik immediately turned and began walking away. The Knight Commander took a step forward.
He said, "I'm Felux Lothar. Its good ta meet you."
Tilda's interest was peaked.
He's got a foreign accent and he's handsome. I wonder if he's single, she thought before chiding herself on wasting time on such useless thoughts.
༻✧༺
After leading the Lady and her personal maid through the winding castle, Felux opened a door to a grand room. It was five times the size of Cosaria's shack-like living space. The bed itself was huge with curtains adorning the bedposts. The room had its own fire hearth, a lounge chair, a dresser, a couch and a few small tables around the room decorated with flowers in vases.
Felux said, "This'll be yer personal quarters," as Cosaria entered the room.
Cosaria said, "It's so big."
Felux replied, "Lord Delrik wanted the best fer you."
"Oh," Cosaria exclaimed. She had never considered that she would be considered worthy of having 'the best'.
Tilda was also awestruck by the room when Felux turned to her and asked, "Shall I escort you to the servant's quarters?"
She quickly recovered her bearings.
Tilda said, "In just a moment. I need to speak with the Lady for a moment. Can you wait outside for just... a moment?"
Tilda expected some kind of rebuke for making a request to one of such higher station than herself but Felux just nodded simply. Appreciative, Tilda went back into the room, not noticing how she left the door slightly open.
Outside in the hallway Felux was waiting when he heard voices from inside the room. If they had wanted a private conversation, talking loudly was not the way to do it.
Tilda said, "My Lady, you SPAT in front of the DUKE! What were you thinking?!"
Felux had to cover his mouth to keep a laugh from escaping.
Cosaria said, "I thought it would make me less attractive. It seemed to work when you did it."
Felux walked away, it seemed a horrible laug-... cough had taken over his body and he didn't want to seem rude. Or to have the guests know he heard them.
In the room, Tilda paced. She said, "Don't. Don't ever do that again. He's not the type to mess with. You have to be careful around people like him."
Tilda had seen among the knights experienced warriors and Delrik could have easily commanded any one of them to put Cosaria to death right then and there for her insolence.
Cosaria asked, "Is he dangerous?"
Tilda said, "Extremely."
Cosaria put her hand up to her head and swayed. Tilda caught her and brought her over to sit on the couch.
Cosaria said, "Oh, why do I have to marry someone like that?"
Tilda said, "Whining isn't going to help milady."
Outside the door Felux finally recovered enough to return to his post.
He overheard a muffled Tilda say, "We'll figure something out. You'll be okay."
Felux grimaced at the sad attempt for comfort. Not even he could say for certain whether or not the new bride would be 'okay'. Not when she was under Lord Delrik's custody.
Cosaria said, "How do you know that? You can't guarantee it."
Tilda took a deep breath in and firmly held Cosaria's hands.
Tilda said, "You're right. I can't guarantee that, but I will do everything I can to make it true." Then she brushed away the strands of Cosaria's forehead and placed a kiss there.
Cosaria nodded. She had full faith in Tilda's words.
Tilda left the room and closed the door behind her. She jumped a bit when she saw Felux still standing beside the door. She had completely forgotten about him. She was trying to come up with some excuse when her mind went blank by the expression of admiration on his face. It was weird.
"What?" Tilda asked. Maybe she was reading him wrong.
"Who're you?" Felux asked, more to himself than to the maid. In all his time serving in the Ragdor Kingdom, he hadn't known a person to give of themselves so freely as Tilda had just declared she would. And she didn't demand anything in return. It was unusual.
"I'm Tilda Attaway. I'm Lady Cosaria's personal maid. You were escorting me to the servant's quarters?" Tilda had thought the information was obvious.
Felux nodded and began leading Tilda away.
༻✧༺
Duke Delrik stood staring out the window in his office. He did this task often when something pressing weighed on his mind.
His office was large with bookshelves, desks and chairs placed in precise designations. It was the embodiment of his mind with an atmosphere of strict regulation and demanding professionalism. While papers may have been aloofly scattered around, the real secrets were hidden away where the weapons were sharpest.
"Is there some custom or something I am unaware of?" Delrik said, half to himself, half to his companion who was lazily lounging in a chair skimming over a document.
Felux looked up and said, "I dinna know. You'd know more on that than I, sir."
Delrik furrowed his brow and said, "Did she really spit, or was that my imagination?"
Felux nodded, "Aye, she really did spit."
Delrik paced the floor, which had already begun to show signs of wear from previous pacing. He said, "What was the purpose do you think?"
Felux sat upright and said, "From what I'd gather, the Lady's not keen to marry you." Especially not after what he overheard from her conversation with Tilda.
Delrik fisted his hands and leaned against the window.
"I see. Very well." He concluded.
If she didn't want to marry him, she wouldn't have to. He had no intention of marriage anyway, regardless of what the King had decreed.
That was until he saw her.
Strange how everything could change in an instance. But such wild imaginations were for children. He was a monster and it was better for everyone if they stayed away.
༻✧༺
Tilda was styling Cosaria's hair. There was a big mirror within Cosaria's room and Tilda was excited to have a chance to use it. Fancy mirrors like these were the things of legend back in Tilda's hometown.
Tilda began the conversation as she brushed strands of Cosaria's hair into braids. She said, "Maybe you should give him a chance."
Cosaria's eyes widened. "You think so?" she asked.
"Sure, maybe he's not as bad as everyone says. This marriage might actually be the perfect way for you to escape your terrible family."
"But if he's dangerous, shouldn't I avoid him?"
Tilda coiled Cosaria's hair into four different types of buns, testing which looked the best. She said, "Not all dangerous things are bad. Sometimes the best things are extremely dangerous.
Like a storm that brings rain, or fire that brings light, she thought. She remembered farmers near her hometown that would dance and rejoice at the slightest chance of rain.
"Like panthers!" Cosaria said.
Tilda let Cosaria's hair fall down. She said, "Um... I was thinking something different, but sure, yah, panthers can be good." She began curling Cosaria's hair in ways that framed her face.
Cosaria smiled having been invigorated with a purpose. She said, "Then I'll get him to like me and I'll be happy."
Tilda pursed her lips. She said, "That might not work how you think it will." she knew for a fact you can't force someone to like you.
Cosaria jumped to her feet, her hair cascading around her. She hugged Tilda.
"Thank you Tilda!"
Tilda sighed. She thought, Poor baby. She's had such a hard life. She deserves some happiness.