Lost Lighte

Chapter 1 (part 2)

Tilya had finished preparing the corn a few hours later. She had sent Reese to bed an hour after sunset. The glass jar containing the corn silks was nearly overflowing, and Tilya wondered if Althea would beam excitedly at the sight of it. Tilya herself smiled in anticipation.

With her father having retired to the bedroom with Reese, she made her way to the bench to rest for the night, ignoring how flat the makeshift padding had gotten over the last few weeks.

********

The next morning, Tilya rose early to bathe and don a clean dress from the communal closet. The lacey white sleeves traveled down to her hands, its scalloped edging brushing just above her thumbs. The rest of the dress was of matching white lace with a silky white fabric underneath. The bottom of the dress, too, had the same elegant scalloped edging, stopping just past her ankles. The neckline running straight across her chest was high enough to maintain her modesty.

It was one of the dresses she cherished from the age before her family’s downfall, and she had been careful all these years to keep it in good condition.

Tilya tied her inky black hair into a ponytail that swung gently against the top of her backside. She slipped on a pair of black slippers and a black leather satchel and went to stack the corn onto the wagon.

Walking down the wooded path toward the village center, Tilya was like a ghost among the trees. The white of her dress blended with her cool pale skin beautifully. The freckles on her chest and shoulders stood out like little brown stars. The black of her hair was a stark contrast against her paleness, shining purple and blue in the morning sunlight shafting through the trees.

Tilya heard the snap of a twig and turned her head in its direction.

Peeking out from behind a particularly thick tree was a head of golden brown hair. “Hadley, you know I can see you, right?” Tilya called. When she didn’t slow her pace, Hadley abandoned the tree to catch up to her.

Tilya glanced at him and noted how grimy his black trousers and white tunic were, the golden hair that stopped at his shoulders was damp. “Goodness, what in the world have you been doing?” she asked.

The man breathed a chuckle and took the handle of the wagon from her grasp, choosing to carry it for her. “Training with Gregory,” he said. “He told me if I improve within a week we’ll upgrade to iron swords.”

“Iron? Are you sure you’re ready for that?” Tilya gazed up at him with a surprised expression as they walked, studying the hazel of his eyes.

Those eyes moved to meet hers and there was endless determination in them, and some disappointment. “You haven’t been at the sparring field as of late, Tilly. I’m a lot more skilled than you remember.”

Tilya thought back to the time, months ago, when she would regularly visit the sparring field at the other end of the village to watch Hadley train in sword-fighting. He had always insisted he would become caption of the king's guard one day.

Gregory Whitehorn put him up to the challenge of learning the skill. Hadley had demanded they practice with steel, but Gregory was firm in his decision to begin with wood. At the time, Hadley had been an arrogant eighteen-year-old who was convinced he was more talented than was true, and he would’ve been wounded one-hundred times over if Gregory had let him have his way.

Compared to Gregory, Hadley had been like a toddler waving around a stick. It wasn’t much of a surprise considering Gregory's brother was a knight in the royal army. The village of Ashwood’s pride and joy. Gregory had the potential to become a knight as well, but he much preferred to teach the village children at Saint Urina’s Learning School.

“I’ll have to make time to stop by more often, then, and see how good you’ve really gotten.” Tilya teased. If Hadley’s toned physique was any proof of the effort he’d been putting into this training, she had no doubt he’d be wielding an iron sword in a week’s time.

Her friend gave her a wry smile and walked with her until they reached the marketplace. After helping Tilya set up the wagon of corn, he offered her a gentle hug, said goodbye, and disappeared among the crowd of shoppers.

For the next several hours, Tilya stood beside her wagon of corn and held the little wooden sign advertising her produce’s price. She enjoyed her days at the marketplace. Even if the business was slow, it gave her an excellent opportunity to overhear the village gossip and any relevant worldly news.

A pair of well-off young women in colorful gowns and matching hats approached a stall beside Tilya that was selling cabbage heads and beets, talking among themselves as they analyzed the goods.

“...being held under Lady Prida’s mansion.” Tilya heard the blonde finish. The brunette beside her raised her eyebrows. “How are they getting away with that?”

Tilya wore a flat expression but discreetly stepped a bit closer to them.

“According to my sources, Lady Prida holds a ball whenever they have an auction. While the festivities are being held within the mansion, anyone who wants to participate in the auction goes to the basement, and Lord Prida is the one that runs it.”

“Who, exactly, are your sources?” the brunette asked.

The blonde gave her a wicked smile and wavered her finger in the air. “A lady must never reveal her secrets, Missy.” A laugh as soft as wind chimes came from her mouth. “But the only reason I even know of this is because I was invited to the auction.”

The brunette absentmindedly rotated a beet in her hand. “How much does one of them cost?” she asked. Tilya was about to tune out of their boring conversation. But then the blonde replied.

"You pay a high price for one of the fae. I don’t know what the starting bid is, but I wouldn’t be surprised if one would spend one-million gold on one.”

Tilya’s head shot toward the women and she dropped the wooden sign she was holding. The girls jumped and glared at her, hurrying away together after the brunette put the beet down.

Flushed, Tilya picked up the sign again and returned to her post, pondering over everything she had just learned.