Prologue~Ch. 1~Ch. 2~Ch. 3~Ch. 4~Ch. 5~Ch. 6~Ch. 7~Ch. 8~Ch. 9~Ch. 10~
Ch. 11~Ch. 12~Ch. 13~Ch. 14~Ch. 15~Ch. 16~Ch. 17~Ch. 18~Ch. 19~Ch. 20
Alexander drafted Gareth into helping him teach Jessica some of the customs of the nobility of Ghren, reasoning the customs of the South were much different and Jessica didn’t wish to embarrass her host with her behavior. Gareth, already starting to develop a crush on Jessica, was more than happy to comply. The day passed quickly, and before Jessica knew it there was a page at the entrance to her tent announcing the eminent arrival of Prince Ewan. Gareth excused himself and made a hasty exit.
Jessica felt a faint stirring of panic. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this. I mean, having Ewan visit me while I’m confined to my bed recuperating is one thing, but this . . .”
“You’ll be fine,” Alexander assured her. “Let him do most of the talking, it shouldn’t be too hard,” he added with a grin.
“Thank you, Alexander,” she said, placing a hand on his arm.
The bell outside her tent tinkled merrily as the flap opened and Ewan entered. His eyes narrowed briefly as he took in how close Jessica and Alexander were standing.
“Were it anyone but you, Alexander . . .” he said, voice cold. “You are dismissed, catamite.”
While Jessica looked on in surprise, Alexander executed a perfect bow. “My lord, my lady.” He was gone before she could say a word.
“Ah, my lady Jessica. Thee art most resplendent. My colours suit thee well, as I knew they wouldst.”
“Your colours?” Jessica asked, still a little disturbed by his treatment of Alexander.
“Aye, silver for the purity of the royal line of Ghren, green for the fertile lands. But come, let me show to thee the encampment that thee might know the might of Ghren.”
Pushing her misgivings aside, Jessica allowed Ewan to lead her from her tent. It was late in the afternoon and overcast, which made it easier for her eyes to adjust to the natural light. The encampment was much larger than she’d expected. Her tent was situated on a rise in the land, allowing her to look down over the sea of plain white tents, cook fires, people, and animals that extended throughout the entire valley.
“Magnificent, is it not?”
Jessica nodded in agreement. Bemused, she turned in a circle, much like she’d done when she reached the top of the cliff at Death’s Head. Her tent was one of several on this particular rise, all sporting a flag that was green with a silver snake and lion on it. There were several guards in green and silver livery, just outside the largest tent that stood at attention and saluted as Ewan passed by. Ignoring them, he tucked Jessica’s hand in the crook of his arm and led her down into the encampment.
The tents closest to the hillside appeared to be living quarters for the officers and their families. Children dressed in homespun clothing darting in and out of the shadows, laughing and chasing each other. Several times they passed groups of woman seated under the broad branches of a large tree, doing needlework and gossiped. These groups inevitably fell silent when they caught sight of the prince.
Beyond this area was a make-shift market where vendors were hawking an astonishing variety of wares. They didn’t enter the market but paused so Jessica could have a look at it. She’d been to a Ren-Faire once but it had been nothing like this.
They passed by the smithies, where the hugest men Jessica had ever seen were pounding glowing metal into horseshoes, knifes, and swords. The heat in this area was incredible and she was glad that they didn’t linger.
There seemed to be a section for each craft – weavers and spinners, leatherworkers, basket weavers, potters, and, well away from the rest of the encampment, the tanners. Jessica’s favourite was the scribes, where for a price, young men in monks robes would read or write messages.
The light was growing dim by the time they returned, and Jessica was exhausted. Maybe she wasn’t as fully recovered as she thought, but there was no way she was going to admit it to Ewan. He’d probably sick his army of healers on her again.
“Now that thee hast been seen in mine company, ‘tis safe for thee to pass through the encampment at will.”
“It is?” Jessica asked.
“Aye, my lady. All now knowest thee as my guest, and one who is not to be trifled with, else ‘tis my wrath they will face.”
Jessica didn’t know what to say to this so she stayed quiet.
“And now, alas, ‘tis time I needs must return to my duties.” Ewan bent over her hand and kissed it. “I shall see thee at dinner.”
“I look forward to it,” Jessica said.
Giving her one more elegent, courtly bow, Ewan left.
“Dorothy, you’re definitely not in Kansas anymore,” she muttered under her breath, once she was safely inside her tent again. “For one thing, Kansas never smelled so bad.”
The stench had hung over the encampment like a mantle, growing worse in the areas where families had set up their shelters and worst of all in areas the soldiers seemed to hang out in the most. She didn’t know how they could stand it.
She hadn’t seen any laundry facilities or bathing areas, but one thing she had definitely noticed was that very few of the women were dressed in dresses as elaborate as hers. Some of them were even wearing trousers. Jessica took this to be a good omen.
2 comments:
*hmm* Somehow I'm feeling not really confident in commenting on your series. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE it, but it seems that I'm the only one. Plus, all my wishes aim for some more. All right, nevertheless I'll do it!
1. Map of Ghren
One of the '30 Writing Question' deal with maps. You know, I'm a very visual person, so I'm always very thankful for any kind of help. This far, we know, there are somewhere shores and a cliff ... but there also has to be a river, because of the tanners, they always need water. How are the tanners, the whole tent city incl. Jessica's and the prince's tent, the grounds for the soldiers, etc. located? E.g. from pure logic the tanners have to be down the river, because their work pollute the water.
2. Two colliding worlds
Ewan calls the encampment 'magnificent', but is Jessica the same opinion? I don't think so! At the end you wrote a little line of the God awful smell, but what else? I'm quite sure, that on the one hand the prince praises some advantages and how everything is being done and how his folk is skilled and hard working and efficient. Well, on the other hand, Jessica has a quite different point of view. Right? I'd like to read more from those two colliding worlds!
3. Misc
- Does the prince have a security guard accompanying him? Is it that safe there, are the watch guards enough, that he can wander around alone with Jessica? Assassins can wait everywhere!
- You wrote about the officer's tents: How are they different from the prince's and Jessica's? And from the ordinary people? Are there different colors, different fabrics, tapestries, carpets, emblems, animals (falcon vs. pigs) whatever?
- I try to imagine myself strolling around the encampment and the market ... I can only compare it with Harry Potter first time in Diagon Alley: Overwhelmed, not knowing where to put my eyes first and inhaling all the different smells, wanting to put my hands on fabrics and paper and metal ... I would love to read more of Jessica's impressions there!
LOL I knew I was going to be in trouble when you told me you knew a lot about Medieval times. :-)
To be honest, I wasn't completely happy with this chapter when I posted it, but I was running out of time. I think when I edit it I'll be spreading it over two chapters so I expand it properly.
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