The Red Witch

Chapter 17

It didn’t take long for the word to spread about Karin and once the physician had made his formal announcement on the matter, using the same process Betty had done, word spread faster than a fire storm. Within a few days, gifts began to arrive from people Karin had never heard of, in places she had never heard of. Caravans became a daily occurrence as people from every corner of Ferrydean’s circle sent their best wishes and gifts. Karin felt overwhelmed by most of it and couldn’t even begin to understand why a stranger would send her a silver bell or a silk lined bassinet with matching blankets. She had to draw the line when a caravan arrived hauling two entire trunks of knitted smocks and bonnets in the finest lamb’s wool. She didn’t send them back, that would be a huge insult to the gift bearers but she did have them put away so she didn’t have to climb over them all the time. Greyson boasted his pride, accepting the congratulations from all the tenants in the valley and spending his days grinning from one ear to the other. Ferrydean also boasted his pride, parading his son about like a prized stud while Karin could only sit back and sigh in defeat, drowning under the growing number of gifts and letters. She could only hope the novelty would wear off and they could go back to normal. No such luck.

Karin pulled her shawl up a little tighter as she sat at the table, answering yet more letters that had arrived to the family. Greyson had enough to do making sure all was ready for coming storms. Ferrydean threw more logs onto the fire to keep it hot but the chill just didn’t seem to let go. Usually, he was making ready to go South to the capitol and his second home but this year, he had decided to stay and already, he was paying the price. The cold was already playing havoc with his joints and he’d had a permanent sniffle for near a month. The evening bell rang just as another messenger arrived and Karin sighed as she took the thick stack from the boy and paid him a few coins. “Make sure to get a warm meal before you leave.” She told him with a smile.

“Thank you My Lady.” The boy said and quickly skipped away to the kitchens. With her hand aching from writing all day, she untied the stack and started looking through them.

“Yet more letters of congratulations?” Ferrydean asked as he sat in his chair. Faith toddled to him, getting steadier on her little feet by the hour, it seemed.

“And good tidings for the harvests.” She replied as she looked through them. “Tell me something Father.” She said. “Did your previous wives have to do all this? Answer all the letters and such.”

“God no!” He laughed as he bounced Faith on his knee a little and then gave her his empty cup to play with. “Elizabeth used to say the business of letters was a man’s chore and Gretta couldn’t read well enough to cope. The last, well, as you know, she made a point of avoiding anything she didn’t enjoy.”

Karin put the knife down and glared at her father-in-law. “So how is it that I’m left to do it now?” She asked with some sarcasm.

“When it comes to eloquence, my dear daughter.” He said with a snort of laughter, “Your husband has the capacity of a donkey. Haggling grain prices and checking lease papers is about as much as he desires to know.” He looked over at her and grinned, “And you have such a fine hand to write, he’d be stupid not to let you. Besides, it gives you something to do so I can spend time with my little fairy here.” He screwed up his face to make Faith laugh and then rubbed his nose with hers. “Doesn’t it, my darling, hmm?” She then screwed up her face in concentration and he sniffed up. “God almighty!” He coughed and quickly took her over to Karin.

“Oh no!” Karin said, laughing openly. “I have enough to do with my fine hand, remember?” She waved it at him with the quill and he grunted.

“Grace!”

From across the room near the door, Greyson entered looking dishevelled and dirty. He’d heard the commotion and laughed. “That’s my baby sister!” He cooed at her as Grace arrived quickly and took the girl away. “The face of an angel, the arse of the Devil himself.” Karin chuckled as she went back to her letters and Ferrydean went back to his chair, sniffing his hands just to make sure Faith hadn’t leaked on him. She hadn’t. Greyson came to the table and looked over Karin’s shoulder, kissing the top of her head in the process. “Anything new in the world?” He asked.

“Not really.” She replied, “Mostly people I’ve never heard of sending their best wishes to you for a healthy son.” Greyson laughed and sat down next to her. “And some early tidings for next harvest.” She passed those to him and he looked them over briefly. “Oh, and there was a parcel delivered but I haven’t opened it yet. It’s local.”

“Ahh yes.” Greyson said. “It’s for you. Some of the people at the castle wanted to give you something useful instead of trinkets and empty gestures.”

“Oh?”

“Let me show you.” He said. He left the table to collect the large parcel and sat it on the table, on top of the letters. He untied the string and let the cloth fall away to reveal a cradle.

“Good Lord!” Karin sighed, “It’s beautiful!” She got to her feet and leaned over the table some to run her hand along it. Along the rails and head and foot boards, someone had carved fine ivy branches filled with blossom and each spindle on the guard rails was unique. The wood was a mixture of light and dark and instead of it sitting flat, it sat on two gentle arches so it could rock side to side.

“Everyone had a say on what they wanted.” Greyson told her as he turned the cradle around and pulled out the padding. The stitching was obvious and somewhat erratic and Karin recognised the fabric immediately as one of her old slips. “And I made this bit.” He said with pride.

“I love it!” She said happily. “The bassinet House Filton sent was nice and all, but it reminds me of a coffin without a lid. I couldn’t put my baby in that.”

“Agreed.” Greyson said. He then hauled the cradle off the table and placed it carefully on the floor. Bane had a brief sniff at it and walked away. “He pees on that, he’s dead.” Karin laughed and shook her head, returning to her letters. “Hello?” He said quickly as he spotted an unfamiliar seal. Karin took it up and opened it, not recognising the crest at first.

“My dearest friend.” She read aloud, “It has been my desire for some time to tour the Northern counties of this great land and it has come to my attention that it has been many years since we last corresponded. I have been informed quite regularly of your success in what most would call a desolate and lonely place and news has recently reached the capitol that your son Greyson has taken your place as Lord of Castle Ferrydean. I pray this is not because you must soon leave us, old friend. It would give me great pleasure to visit with you during my tour and perhaps celebrate this bountiful year with you and your son. Rumours have spread far and wide and I am eager to see and believe them.” Karin gave her husband a pointed look and he shrugged back before nodding at her to continue. “And am I led to believe he has taken a witch for a wife?” Karin put the letter down and growled under her breath. “If I never have to hear that word again….” She fumed. Greyson took the letter then.

“Though I am sure this is not the case, I am certain her whispered beauty must be so. I shall be arriving promptly on the eve of the cross-over. Sincerely. Dane.” Greyson looked to his father with a raised brow as the older man almost fell off his chair, daughter and all. “Father, are you alright?”

“Dane?” Ferrydean gasped.

Karin picked up the letter and turned it over, examining the seal carefully and she suddenly dropped it. “Dane!” She yelped. “The Dane! King Dane! The King himself!”

“f**k me!” Greyson shouted, before letting his jaw hang open. Karin looked to her father-in-law carefully.

“I knew you had his favour once.” She said in shock, “Never did I imagine he considered you a friend!”

“Neither did I.” Ferrydean said, getting to his feet. He came over quickly and all but dropped Faith in Karin’s lap. He picked up the letter and read it for himself. He then dropped it on the table and stretched his hand over his mouth, pulling the corners down with his fingers. “We’re hosting the King for Christmas!”

“The eve of it says here.” Greyson said, turning the paper around. “That’s not long to prepare.”

“We have half a year.” Karin told him. “Less than half a year to make this castle fit for a king.” She looked around the hall before looking at Greyson again. “God help us!”