Royal Feud

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

"Milady! Milady!"

The sweet, childish voice grabbed Delvin's attention as he and Hermione spoke with the village leaders. He turned to find Sadie dashing toward Hermione, her mother running behind, clearly trying to catch her. Hermione scooped Sadie up into her arms, hugging her and twirling her around.

"Milady." Betsy panted. "I am sorry. Sadie, come here." Betsy reached out to Sadie from Hermione's arms. "Ye shouldn't bother her ladyship."

take

"Betsy, 'tis fine." Hermione smiled, changing her hold on the little girl to brace Sadie against her hip. "Sadie is not disturbing me. Mayhap I can steal her from you for a little while."

"If ye're sure, milady?" Betsy asked, looking at Delvin and the other men who had

stopped talking to watch the women.

off.

"Aye," Hermione said. "I will bring her back to you." Betsy nodded, then curtsied toward Delvin and the village leaders before hurrying Hermione turned back toward the men. "Milord, gentlemen, would you please excuse

me?"

"Aye, milady," Delvin said with a grin. He watched as Hermione carried the little girl

toward the donjon, listening to her excited chatter, before looking back at the other

men.

"Her ladyship will make a good mother, if I may be so bold to say so," said Talbot. "Aye, right you are, Phillip," Delvin agreed. "I take that as a high recommendation, seeing as how you are somewhat of an expert on the subject. Just how many do you have now?" Talbot rocked back on his feet. "Well, Margery, David's wife, was just delivered of a

girl, so that makes a round forty." "Congratulations!" Delvin said.

He spoke a little longer with the men before excusing himself and going in search of Belwick. He finally located his castellan coming through the inner curtain gate and walked over to intercept him. "Any trouble?" Delvin asked.

"Nay," Hugh replied. "Entry to the castle grounds was a little slow this morning since we only used the postern gate and had to search each face, but no strangers have entered."

"Good. And the guards?"

"Double guards have been posted on the crenellations, as you ordered."

"Hopefully, the Easter celebration will continue without any problems." "Aye." Belwick nodded. "We will make sure of it." Delvin spent a few more moments with the castellan discussing the castle defenses

then ambled back toward the table laden with venison, ham, pigeon pies, cheeses, cakes, and wafers, Picking up a pie, he took a bite and started to walk away from the table when a lad barreled into him. "Sorry, milord," Nicholas said. "I didn't mean to hit you."

"No harm done, lad. But you should slow down, so you do not harm any of the

children or women. "Tis the obligation of a knight to watch out for others."

"Aye, milord. I'll do that."

Nicholas bowed and walked sedately for a few steps before breaking into a run. Shaking his head, Delvin turned to see Bernard advancing toward him. The knight's triangular face was creased in a frown.

"I am sorry, milord," Bernard stated when he reached Delvin. "I despair of ever teaching that boy some manners."

"Do not worry about it. I remember being ten."

"I think that Nicholas needs to start his training soon. Twill concentrate his energies in a more useful direction."

"Anytime you want to start his training is fine with me, Bernard. But I think tis not me you need to convince, but your wife."

"Aye. Clare tends to pamper Nicholas, treating him like a child rather than a man." "Well, he is her youngest. Clare is a sensible woman. I am sure you will be able to

convince her."

""Twould be easier on her if Nicholas received his training here, rather than at another demesne. Would that be possible, milord?"

"Aye. I see no problem with that. However, it might be good for the lad to get away from here. It might help him to grow up."

"You may be right, milord."

"Discuss it with Clare and let me know what you want to do."

"Aye, milord. I will."

After her exuberant greeting, Sadie had been silent in the presence of her mother and the other grownups, but she made up for it when she had Hermione's ear to herself. Hermione smiled as Sadie regaled her about her new kitten, which she had finally been able to take home.

"I names her Blackie, 'cause she's all black." Sadie explained. "Blackie drinks lots of milk, but Mummy won't let me bring Blackie to the dairy when she's working 'cause she thinks Blackie will drink up all the milk for the cheese. Blackie eats fish. I likes to wrap her up in a blankie and pretend she's my baby, but she don't like that too much." Sadie scrunched up her nose in disappointment. "Well, Blackie is not a baby anymore," Hermione sympathized. "You would not want

to be treated like a baby, now, would you?" Sadie looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head. "Nay."

"Well, neither does Blackie. But I am sure there are lots of games you can play with Blackie that she would like."

"Like what?"

Hermione had reached the great hall and sat on one of the benches with Sadie on her lap. She was not accustomed to carrying a child and had found that Sadie's weight, although very dear, had become quite heavy.

"Oh, I am sure she would like to play ball with you. And usually kittens love to be

stroked behind their ears, like this." Hermione tickled Sadie behind her ear, causing her to

shriek and giggle. "Or you can pet her stomach, like this."

Sadie squirmed and laughed as Hermione demonstrated, causing her to laugh at the child's joyous abandon. She cuddled Sadie as the animated child gradually calmed.. "I have a present for you," Hermione announced.

"What is it? Let me see! Let me see!" Sadie bounced up and down in Hermione's lap in

her excitement. Hermione put Sadie down and took her hand to lead her to the herbarium in the corner of the hall. She unlocked the door and ushered the little girl inside. "Now, my present is very fragile, so you will need to be very careful,"

"I be careful." Sadie vowed. "What's fragile?"

"That means it will break easily."

"Oh. I be careful," the four-year old repeated.

"Good, I knew you would be."

Hermione went to her worktable and picked up a small basket. The basket had a pink bow tied on the handle and was lined with straw. She knelt in front of Sadie and held out the basket to her.

The little girl leaned over the basket, careful not to touch it, and peered inside. "Ohhh," she sighed in pleasure. "They're so pretty."

Sadie reached her small hand into the basket and delicately touched one of the eggs. Three eggs, decorated in colors to please a small girl-purple with blue flowers, green with yellow dots, and orange with red stripes-lay inside the container.

"Are they real?" Sadie asked in awe. "Aye. They are hard-boiled eggs, so you can break the shells and eat them."

"Nay." Sadie shook her head. "Not eat. Too pretty." "Well, I am glad you like them, sweetheart. But the eggs will not keep for very

long." Seeing the frown start to form on the little girl's face, Hermione said, "Shall we go find your mother and show her the eggs?" "Aye." Sadie's countenance cleared and a smile spread.

"Would you like to carry the basket?" Sadie nodded enthusiastically and carefully took the handle from Hermione. Hermione followed the young girl through the busy hall, watching in fond amusement the exaggerated care with which the child walked. Once they located her mother and father in the noisy bailey, she rushed toward them swinging the basket wildly. Hermione grimaced in alarm but was relieved that the eggs survived their journey intact. She lef Sadie with her parents and wandered in the bailey, searching for Delvin. She spotted him talking with Sir Hugh and walked over to join them.

"Happy Easter, Sir Hugh," Hermione greeted the castellan.

"Happy Easter to you, milady." Belwick bowed. "Let me congratulate you on a splendid celebration. It rivals any that Lady Lucy officiated over." "Thank you, Sir Hugh." Hermione said with a pleased smile. "That is great praise

indeed."

"Aye, Hermione." Delvin looked down into her eyes. "You have done a fine job." "Thank you, milord. Most people seem to have finished the meal. I was is time for the skits." thinking it

"Whatever you would like to do is fine." "I will go make arrangements for the mummers to perform, then. Please excuse

me."

Hermione smiled at the men before walking away to find Renwold. She finally located him directing servants in the great hall and spoke with him about having the mummers perform. Renwold had made all the arrangements with the men from the village who would perform the skit. It was considered bad luck for anyone besides the players to know their identities, so the mummers wore elaborate masks to depict their characters and to disguise themselves.

Hermione stood with Delvin to watch the play. Saint George killed the Slasher, with much hilarity and gore. A doctor was summoned to resurrect the Slasher, but before he did so, he offered up a hilarious boast, claiming to be able to cure the pains of old age and broken bones, not to mention wives who make their husbands miserable:

"If any man has got a wife

That makes him weary of this life, Scolding and bawling about the house The same as if the Devil was turn'd loose, Let him bring her here to me, And I will cure her instantly, For with one pill I'll make her civil, Or I'll send her headlong to the Devil."

After the doctor revived the Slasher, the play was over. The mummers accepted the applause of their audience as well as coins from Delvin. The feasting lasted long into the afternoon, with more skits, dancing, and merriment. By the time dusk fell, many of the men were too drunk to walk home and were allowed to sleep off their overindulgence in the hall. Families with young children were the first to leave the castle grounds for the trek home. Hermione found she was quite fatigued by the time she accompanied Delvin upstairs.

"That was fun." Hermione said as she walked into their chamber before Delvin.

"Aye." Delvin agreed. "Thank you for all your hard work, organizing the feast." "You are welcome," Hermione replied with a smile. "I enjoyed it."

She went to her clothes chest and retrieved the basket she had decorated for Delvin. The basket was trimmed with blue and silver ribbon. Inside, lying on a bed of straw, were the five eggs that she had decorated especially for him. This was the first present she had ever given him, and she was unsure how he would react. After all, Easter eggs were not exactly manly.

"Delvin?"

"Hmm?" he muttered as he hung his cloak on a peg.

"I have made something for you." She extended the basket to him as he turned to face her. "Happy Easter."

Delvin took the basket with a bemused smile. She waited anxiously as he picked up an egg dyed green with yellow stars. Silence stretched as he carefully replaced the green egg and picked up the blue one with white stripes. He looked up at her with a delighted, boyish smile.

"These are amazing. I have never seen such beautifully decorated eggs before. They are very intricate. However did you make them?"

"First, I made a pin prick in the shell and drained out the egg so it would last

longer. Then I melted some beeswax and applied it to the shell before dipping the eggs

into dye. When the dye had dried I melted the wax off the egg."

"Hermione, thank you so much." "I am glad you like them."

Delvin set the basket down on a table. "May I give you a thank-you kiss?"

"Aye," she whispered.

Delvin gently took her into his arms and lowered his head to kiss her. She leaned eagerly into him, sliding her hands around his waist as he kissed her. Much too soon for her, he reluctantly drew back and cleared his throat.

"I have something for you," Delvin said, releasing her.