River Heart

Chapter Seventeen - Dinner

When Morgalin had insisted that she packed a better dress and shirt, Lyris hadn’t argued. The Enchantress had a way of preparing for eventualities that no one else would ever expect. Now, summoned to join Lord Redstone, his family and attendants for dinner, she was grateful to have good quality clothes to hide behind. It was a sleeveless dress of sky-blue that hung from her shoulders and was tapered by a silver belt at the waist. Beneath the dress, she wore a blouse of a sheer silver fabric that came together at her wrists in neat cuffs and were embroidered to match her woven belt; the repeated pattern of crashing waves. Kelanin’s daughter, Kel had helped the student to brush her hair till it shone and fell straight to the centre of her back. Then the woman had braided a crown from the long locks that circled her brow and pinned the rest up into a cascade.

‘Pretty as the moon rising over a still lake,’ the woman had smiled and patted Lyris’s cheeks to bring colour into them, ‘your prince would be a fool to look at anyone else.’

Her cheeks had burnt red without the rouge, ‘not my prince,’ Lyris protested and stood, eager to flee the caravan steps where she’d been sitting. This wasn’t why she was attending the dinner. The invitation had been extended to the entire traveling family, and after much deliberation as to who could attend, and who should remain with the wagons, it had been made clear that Lyris would attend, with Kelanin, Kit, Kieran and Daisy.

Having fled Kel, Lyris joined Daisy as she fussed over her own red skirts and brightly coloured tunic. Her blonde hair let loose in wild curls but decorated with flowers.

‘Do you think this is appropriate?’ The mother of three turned slowly, hands clenched in the patterned fabric of her skirt.

‘I think you look beautiful,’ Lyris replied, honest. The young woman had an effervescent

quality and the warmest smile of anyone she’d ever met before. Lyris was confident that Daisy could were a burlap sack and remain a startling beauty.

‘Shh,’ Keiran advanced and caught his wife’s face between gentle hands, bowing to kiss her nose then mouth, ‘she’ll realise that she’s far too good for me.’

Lyris laughed, but looked away from the display of affection, catching site of Kit as he advanced, looking pale and sour. He grimaced as Keiran kissed Daisy. Both men wore bright green breaches and a pale shirt. Keiran’s was embroidered with a griffin across the back but Kit’s remained bare, though his belt was studded with pewter animals.

‘Get a wagon,’ the young man pulled at the collar of his shirt, then fidgeted with the sleeves that were neatly clasped together.

‘They do,’ Lyris reminded him, smiling, ‘it’s filled with children.’

‘Ugh,’ Kit groaned, lifting a hand back to the clasp beneath his neck.

‘You look good Kit,’ the student smiled and was surprised by his blush.

‘Yeah, well I feel like an i***t,’ he lifted his feet uncertainly, inspecting the boots and Lyris wondered if she’d ever seen him wearing anything on his feet.

‘They’re staying on,’ Kelanin approached with Rafai at her side. The dark man folded his arms over his chest and surveyed the party. Lyris felt as though they were a party of explorers, about to embark towards something dangerous and unknown, ‘don’t you dare loose those shoes, Kiterin Rafaison.’ The mans’ tone was stern and Kit stopped his fidgeting.

Kelanin was wearing an elegant dress in hues of blue. Dark as the midnight sky at the top it lightened down the bodice until it was the colour of the great lake on a sunny day. It fit her shape well, dropping from her bust and sweeping to the floor.

‘You are going to celebrate,’ Rafai offered a smile, ‘not to be punished. Enjoy the food and don’t worry about the wagons.’

Kel appeared at his side, wrapping an arm around his waist with baby Fin balanced on her other hip, ‘think of us, and our boring dinner when you’re enjoying your finery,’ she grinned.

Kelanin studied the pair of them before she turned to dinner party, ‘well, seeing as we’re all dressed up,’ she clapped her hands and made a shooing motion towards the walls and gate. Lifting her skirts, she began the climb up the rise. One determined stride at a time. Daisy and Keiran followed at her side, hand in hand and left Kit and Lyris exchanging glances.

In the end, Kit shrugged and set off after his family and Lyris, determined not to be last, or alone, jogged to catch him up.

They dined in a larger hall then Lyris had ever been in. Down the two long sides of the room were tables laid out with benches on either side. It was towards the top of the tables the travelling family and Lyris were given their spaces to sit, a sign of honour to be closest to the Lord and his family. Further down and on the opposite benches were the retinue of Lord Redstone, soldiers from the barracks, servants who worked in the fort, merchant families and important tradesmen and woman from the settlement that grew within the golden walls. Lyris found herself sat beside Kit, with Kelanin opposite and a blacksmith to her right. At the base of a hall was a roaring fire that dispelled the mild chill of the summer night. At the head, was the Lords table, where Redstone sat with his wife on his right-hand side, and his oldest daughter, Meredith, to his left. Then came Arn followed by Redstones’ second daughter, Annabeth. Besides the Lady Redstone, was a cheerful captain of the guard and a quieter woman who seemed in the final stages of a pregnancy.

If it wasn’t for the quality of food, Lyris promised herself that she would have left. As it was, the dinner that was served was delicious and made a bold change to trail food cooked over a campfire. First was a pureed soup of spiced carrot and squash. The blacksmith introduced himself as Timmit and then fell quiet beside her. He was powerfully built but didn’t seem much older than herself. His dark hair was cropped close to his head, as seemed to be the style in Redstone. Arn, Kit and Kieran seemed to stand out with their longer locks, though in comparison to men of the hidden Island, the Prince and her companions were practically shorn. Men of the Myst seemed to prefer hair they could tie in a horses-tail, or perhaps it was their lovers who preferred it.

‘What is your profession here?’ Lyris had asked Timmit after they’d exchanged names.

He had stared at her for a minute before answering with one word, ‘smith.’

She should have known from the way the muscles of his arms and chest pressed against his neat black shirt; that and despite a careful wash before the dinner, he still had charcoal beneath his fingernails and carried the scent of coarse metal. She’d wanted to sink though her chair with embarrassment. The conversation had not improved and their interaction had dropped to simple requests for the butter or salt.

Despite her best intentions, her focus was trained on the Prince. He sat between Redstone’s noble daughters and paid them diligent attention. Bending to give an ear to one story, laughing as he studied Meredith’s features by candlelight. Like their father, Redstone’s daughters were fair and slightly red of hair. Though they’d inherited wan skin and thin frames from their mother. Annabeth’s face was dotted with adorable freckles and her green eyes were quick and mischievous. Meredith seemed the quieter of the two, yet when she spoke she seemed to capture the attention of the Prince.

‘You’ve gotta’ stop staring,’ Kit pushed a fresh bread roll onto her plate.

Lyris sliced it open and reached for the butter, ‘I wasn’t staring,’ she protested and Kit laughed.

‘Even Timmit knows your staring,’ the bold youth looked beyond her shoulder and grinned at the Smith who scowled in reply.