Categories > Original > Fantasy > Moonfire
Chapter Three
0 reviewsThe Moonfire gem gives its wearer great power and a long life of enternal slumber
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Bronwen stared at him in shock, but before she could say anything a beautiful blonde woman appeared in the great hall.
“I heard we had a guest,” she purred, staring at Bronwen with poorly disguised venom.
Richard dropped Bronwen’s hand and stood up, “Lady Julia, I didn’t know you were coming down.”
Julia glared at the knight on Richard’s other side, who got up quickly.
“When my maid came and told me that Wesley had brought home a guest, I came right down.” She said sweetly, “after all I am going to become the mistress of the manor and I should be here to welcome visitors.”
“Lady Julia is my betrothed,” Richard said almost uncomfortably.
“Yes,” Julia said, “Richard and I are going to be married very soon.” She gave Bronwen a hard glare that belied her sweet tone.
Then she turned to Richard, “I told my maid to prepare her a room where I thought she would be most comfortable.” She turned to the food that a servant set in front of her and began to eat daintily.
Richard gave Bronwen another glance, then slowly began to eat too.
The great hall fell into silence, everyone aware of the tension at the highboard.
After supper was over Julia’s maid showed Bronwen to her new room. Wesley followed behind, his eyes narrowing with anger and dismay when he saw where she was leading him.
“You’re putting her in the servants quarters Alice? He demanded angrily.
Alice looked at him with a haughty glance, “my lady told me this is where someone like her would be most comfortable,” she said in a lofty tone.
Wesley turned to Bronwen and grasped her hand, “I know that sir Richard wouldn’t want you here,” he said and pulled her away from the servants quarters and away from the glaring Alice.
They found Richard in the stable, checking on a horse that was about to foal.
“My lord,” Wesley called. “May I have a word with you please?”
Richard turned and wiped his hands, then walked over to where Wesley and Bronwen were standing.
“What’s the problem Wesley?” He asked when he saw the frown on Wesley’s face.
“The room that the lady Julia had her maid prepare is unsuitable,” Wesley said. “she put her in the servants living quarters.”
“There must have been a mistake,” Richard said, “I’m sure lady Julia meant well.”
“Yes I’m sure she did,” Wesley said in a dry tone, rolling his eyes.
“But we can both see that Bronwen is no servant,” Richard said.
“Go tell the mistress of the servants that I want her to prepare a suitable guest room for the lady Bronwen,” he said to his man, who turned quickly and ran back to the manor house.
Richard turned to Bronwen and smiled, “do you like horses?”
“Oh yes,” Bronwen exclaimed, “Arthur and I used to ride all the time,” she paused and her eyes filled with tears.
“My lady what’s the matter,” Richard asked in a concerned tone.
“Arthur was my love,” Bronwen said, “I just realized that he and everything else I knew are gone.”
Richard grasped her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently. “No more sadness allowed,” he said gallantly. “I’m going to take you riding.”
He ordered three horses to be saddled, and they rode off together.
Julia watched them go from the window in her room, then she left her room, walking quickly down the stairs. She left the manor house and went to a cottage on the far side of the village. She knocked on the door, then slipped quickly inside. A old woman stood at a table mixing something up in a bowl.
“Hello Goma,” Julia said.
Goma looked up and frowned, “what would your sir Richard say if he found out you had come to the witches cottage?” She said in a disproving voice.
Julia smiled wickedly, “probably the same thing he would say if he found out that you were my aunt.”
“Our plan is working?” Goma asked, he’s asked you to be his wife.
“Yes auntie, we’re to be married in three months, all is going well except for-.”
“Except for what?” Goma asked warily.
“That little brat Wesley brought a gutter rat home today, some woman by the name of Bronwen, who claims to have been in an enchanted sleep.”
Goma’s eyes widened, “it can’t be,” she said in horror. She ran to the bookcase and pulled out a worn old diary.
“What’s the matter,” Julia asked in a concerned tone.
“My great great-aunt Euphemia wrote in her diary about an enchantment she put on a young girl named Bronwen of Lardos.” Goma said, “the enchantment would hold until the day someone pure of heart removed it.”
She looked at Julia, “did you see the necklace?”
Julia shook her head.
“You must find it, if we don’t put her back in the enchanted sleep, she’ll lure Sir Richard away from you forever.”
Julia nodded, “I’ll bring the necklace to you.” She promised, before leaving the cottage.
Goma watched Julia go, then she grabbed a flat plate and poured some water into it. She gazed at the images the water produced, then frowned, shaking her head.
Richard helped Bronwen dismount and grasped her hand. He gently led her to a stream that was running down the middle of the meadow they were letting their horses graze in. Wesley ran off to find salamanders and toads, while Richard and Bronwen sat next to the stream, on some rocks.
“I’ll call a seamstress to come tomorrow,” Richard said, “we can’t have you with only one gown.”
Bronwen smiled at him, “you have been very kind to me,” she said softly.
Richard took her hand again, bringing it to his mouth.
“What is it about you Lady Bronwen that affects me so?” He asked softly.
“We better go back,” Bronwen said abruptly, and Richard nodded his head.
He stood up, holding out a hand to help Bronwen. As Bronwen stood, her heel caught onto something and she fell forward. Richard caught her and they looked into each other’s eyes. Slowly Richard dipped his head and kissed Bronwen softly, she moaned, twining her arms around his neck. He deepened the kiss, pulling her body so it pressed against his. Suddenly Wesley’s distant shouts as he played broke through and Bronwen pulled away from Richard.
“I think we need to go back to the manor house,” Richard said, then went to find Wesley.
They rode back to the manor house in silence, Bronwen and Richard each lost in their own thoughts.
After they arrived back at the stables, Richard helped Bronwen dismount, then said to Wesley. “Take Lady Bronwen and find the mistress of servants, I’m sure she’s tired and wants to rest.”
Wesley grabbed Bronwen’s hand and pulled her toward the house. Richard stood in the yard and watched them leave, before turning and going back into the stables.
“I heard we had a guest,” she purred, staring at Bronwen with poorly disguised venom.
Richard dropped Bronwen’s hand and stood up, “Lady Julia, I didn’t know you were coming down.”
Julia glared at the knight on Richard’s other side, who got up quickly.
“When my maid came and told me that Wesley had brought home a guest, I came right down.” She said sweetly, “after all I am going to become the mistress of the manor and I should be here to welcome visitors.”
“Lady Julia is my betrothed,” Richard said almost uncomfortably.
“Yes,” Julia said, “Richard and I are going to be married very soon.” She gave Bronwen a hard glare that belied her sweet tone.
Then she turned to Richard, “I told my maid to prepare her a room where I thought she would be most comfortable.” She turned to the food that a servant set in front of her and began to eat daintily.
Richard gave Bronwen another glance, then slowly began to eat too.
The great hall fell into silence, everyone aware of the tension at the highboard.
After supper was over Julia’s maid showed Bronwen to her new room. Wesley followed behind, his eyes narrowing with anger and dismay when he saw where she was leading him.
“You’re putting her in the servants quarters Alice? He demanded angrily.
Alice looked at him with a haughty glance, “my lady told me this is where someone like her would be most comfortable,” she said in a lofty tone.
Wesley turned to Bronwen and grasped her hand, “I know that sir Richard wouldn’t want you here,” he said and pulled her away from the servants quarters and away from the glaring Alice.
They found Richard in the stable, checking on a horse that was about to foal.
“My lord,” Wesley called. “May I have a word with you please?”
Richard turned and wiped his hands, then walked over to where Wesley and Bronwen were standing.
“What’s the problem Wesley?” He asked when he saw the frown on Wesley’s face.
“The room that the lady Julia had her maid prepare is unsuitable,” Wesley said. “she put her in the servants living quarters.”
“There must have been a mistake,” Richard said, “I’m sure lady Julia meant well.”
“Yes I’m sure she did,” Wesley said in a dry tone, rolling his eyes.
“But we can both see that Bronwen is no servant,” Richard said.
“Go tell the mistress of the servants that I want her to prepare a suitable guest room for the lady Bronwen,” he said to his man, who turned quickly and ran back to the manor house.
Richard turned to Bronwen and smiled, “do you like horses?”
“Oh yes,” Bronwen exclaimed, “Arthur and I used to ride all the time,” she paused and her eyes filled with tears.
“My lady what’s the matter,” Richard asked in a concerned tone.
“Arthur was my love,” Bronwen said, “I just realized that he and everything else I knew are gone.”
Richard grasped her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently. “No more sadness allowed,” he said gallantly. “I’m going to take you riding.”
He ordered three horses to be saddled, and they rode off together.
Julia watched them go from the window in her room, then she left her room, walking quickly down the stairs. She left the manor house and went to a cottage on the far side of the village. She knocked on the door, then slipped quickly inside. A old woman stood at a table mixing something up in a bowl.
“Hello Goma,” Julia said.
Goma looked up and frowned, “what would your sir Richard say if he found out you had come to the witches cottage?” She said in a disproving voice.
Julia smiled wickedly, “probably the same thing he would say if he found out that you were my aunt.”
“Our plan is working?” Goma asked, he’s asked you to be his wife.
“Yes auntie, we’re to be married in three months, all is going well except for-.”
“Except for what?” Goma asked warily.
“That little brat Wesley brought a gutter rat home today, some woman by the name of Bronwen, who claims to have been in an enchanted sleep.”
Goma’s eyes widened, “it can’t be,” she said in horror. She ran to the bookcase and pulled out a worn old diary.
“What’s the matter,” Julia asked in a concerned tone.
“My great great-aunt Euphemia wrote in her diary about an enchantment she put on a young girl named Bronwen of Lardos.” Goma said, “the enchantment would hold until the day someone pure of heart removed it.”
She looked at Julia, “did you see the necklace?”
Julia shook her head.
“You must find it, if we don’t put her back in the enchanted sleep, she’ll lure Sir Richard away from you forever.”
Julia nodded, “I’ll bring the necklace to you.” She promised, before leaving the cottage.
Goma watched Julia go, then she grabbed a flat plate and poured some water into it. She gazed at the images the water produced, then frowned, shaking her head.
Richard helped Bronwen dismount and grasped her hand. He gently led her to a stream that was running down the middle of the meadow they were letting their horses graze in. Wesley ran off to find salamanders and toads, while Richard and Bronwen sat next to the stream, on some rocks.
“I’ll call a seamstress to come tomorrow,” Richard said, “we can’t have you with only one gown.”
Bronwen smiled at him, “you have been very kind to me,” she said softly.
Richard took her hand again, bringing it to his mouth.
“What is it about you Lady Bronwen that affects me so?” He asked softly.
“We better go back,” Bronwen said abruptly, and Richard nodded his head.
He stood up, holding out a hand to help Bronwen. As Bronwen stood, her heel caught onto something and she fell forward. Richard caught her and they looked into each other’s eyes. Slowly Richard dipped his head and kissed Bronwen softly, she moaned, twining her arms around his neck. He deepened the kiss, pulling her body so it pressed against his. Suddenly Wesley’s distant shouts as he played broke through and Bronwen pulled away from Richard.
“I think we need to go back to the manor house,” Richard said, then went to find Wesley.
They rode back to the manor house in silence, Bronwen and Richard each lost in their own thoughts.
After they arrived back at the stables, Richard helped Bronwen dismount, then said to Wesley. “Take Lady Bronwen and find the mistress of servants, I’m sure she’s tired and wants to rest.”
Wesley grabbed Bronwen’s hand and pulled her toward the house. Richard stood in the yard and watched them leave, before turning and going back into the stables.
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