As I walked back towards the castle, I was startled to hear the distant sounds of music and percussion. Who was throwing a party without me?
Curiosity led me to circle around the commotion, hiding behind houses and walls to avoid being spotted. I was covered in ash and grime from head to toe and I didn't fancy explaining why. But from where I was concealed, I could hear children singing and the sounds of festivities. Ladies came dancing down the streets fancifully shaking tambourines followed swiftly by stern royal guards.
Servants carried a kind of carriage that was held up by people, it had a tall domed roof of luxurious fabric and being suspended inside it was the eldest prince, Prince Arthur. He waved sheepishly at the crowds; his face drained of colour and his lips a sickly white. Across his face were three gnarly gashes, bumpy and raised—obviously graftweed could only do so much when it came to irreparable damage.
I squinted at him from where I stood, the lumpy gashes certainly looked authentic. Something had injured him, but it wasn't a 'dragon'. Maybe he had harmed himself?
Depending on your disposition, receiving praise like this could make doing such an awful thing to yourself worth it. People were treating him like a god, falling onto their knees and praising him for saving England. A haughty heart would be in its element.
I couldn't believe what I was witnessing, these people wanted Prince Arthur ostracised and to undergo an exorcism only a few days ago and now they were singing his praises and wanting him to kiss their babies. I shook my head, disgusted.
I knew for a certainty that whoever was behind all of this wanted Prince Arthur exonerated. And who would want that more than Prince Arthur himself? I knew the most pressing thing to find out was whether the individual I had seen from my window had been Prince Arthur.
In the meantime, I had to get back to my bedroom without being spotted. It was surprisingly easy; I didn't have to Indiana Jones-style scale walls or dodge boobytraps. The ruckus that was happening in the streets was enough to draw almost everyone's attention outside. I just had to slip back in, hide behind a few corners and voila, I was back at my bedroom.
It was only when I had closed the door and stepped inside chuffed with myself that I noticed the two sets of eyes staring at me. Jocelyn and Freya. I started, clutching at my heart.
"You scared me!" I yelled, "What are you doing in here?"
"We scared you? Joan, everyone's been panicking looking for you, you shouldn't rush off without your lady's maid." Jocelyn scolded me gently.
"What's happened to you, you look like you've been sparring with a dragon also." Freya added, picking at her fingernails.
"I wanted to see the dragon's remains." I told them.
"Urgh." Freya wretched.
I shrugged, "It wasn't that bad; the bones were fake. The dragon wasn't real; it was some kind of trick."
"How could you tell such a thing?" Freya looked more alert now, looking at me with wide eyes.
She was a drama hunter that was for sure.
I unwound my mantle and let the few bones I had taken spread across the floor. Freya flew back in alarm as the bits of soot threatened to dirty her dress.
"These, apparently, made up the dragon's wing bones." I said sarcastically.
Jocelyn bent down and looked at them with her wide doe-eyes. "They don't look very dragon-like. That one looks like a turkey leg!"
I looked closer, she was right, one of them did look like a turkey bone. I would have to find someone at some point who was confident enough to identify them for sure. I nodded, sitting down on the bed.
"Well, after the amount of meat we devoured at the banquet, I suppose a variety of bones would be easy to source, especially for a noble. And I want to find out which one did it, who faked a dragon and decimated an entire settlement." I asserted.
"Wouldn't that be Prince Arthur?" Jocelyn said.
"Maybe." I admitted, "But he doesn't seem like the kind of person that would have the confidence to pull of something this audacious and also, you couldn't see his face through the fog and the distance."
"Even if that's true, why do you want to go through the trouble?" Freya asked, crossing her arms.
"Just for fun." I admitted, "Don't you ever get bored and just want to do something just for the sake of it?"
Freya looked more contemplative than I had ever seen her as she sat down on the bed next to me.
"I do actually." She said, looking at me intensely.
"You can help if you want, both of you."
"Can we?" Jocelyn piped up, sitting at my other side.
"Yeah, I'm at bit of a disadvantage with my memory gone and all."
"What do you want help with?" Jocelyn said eagerly, her eyes shining.
"Well, I want to know for certain whether the person we saw was Prince Arthur, so we need evidence."
"Like footprints?" Jocelyn said.
"Yeah, I suppose footprints would be a good start and also testimonials from people who saw the incident from closer by." I added.
"I can do that!" Jocelyn exclaimed excitedly.
"That's great because there was something else, I wanted to look into." The girls looked at me eagerly and so I elaborated, "When I went to look at the bones, Master Hector was there and he was definitely searching for something. I want to know what it was."
"Master Hector got sent back to his residence a short while before you returned." Freya told me, a smirk along her thin lips.
"He did?"
"I heard servants muttering around the castle about how he had ran through the streets horrendously filthy and without any decorum, apparently even the commonfolk were laughing at him. When he returned, Sir Malcom was so furious he sent Master Hector back to their main residence instantly without even giving him the chance to clean himself." Freya informed me happily.
She enjoyed telling that story way too much. I leaned forward, processing what she had told me.
"If he's not at the castle anymore, how will I find out what he was looking for? Is his residence far?"
Freya put a hand to her chin, thinking deeply.
"The residence is about two hours on horseback. Blackworth has beautiful meadows and lakes to swim in, we could use that as an excuse to get close to the residence. But you won't be able to visit Master Hector formally unless you want to cause a mighty scandal."
From the way Freya's eyes glinted when she said the word 'scandal' I knew that was exactly what she was hoping for.
I made to grab my things quickly, "Sounds like a plan, when can we go?"
"We can leave first thing in the morning, I'll talk to the servants and see that they arrange some horses for us."
"Ah-" I cried out as Freya stood up off the bed, "There's one, slightly major problem with this plan."
Freya, turned to look at me sassily, one hand on her hip.
"I can't remember how to ride a horse."
🌿🌿🌿
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" I screamed as my horse increased its speed to a gentle trot.
Freya looked over at me, her face deadpan.
"You're not going fast at all." She sighed, impatient.
A hearty laugh sounded from next to me and I looked over to see my new handmaiden losing her mind.
"The Duchess warned me you were a strange one and she wasn't wrong." The woman said in a light Scottish accent.
After the events of yesterday my mother had assigned me a new handmaiden that was especially instructed not to let me get into mischief. She was a young, curvy woman with mousy brown hair and dark sultry eyes.
"Yeah well..." I trailed off, a bit miffed that I was being watched like a hawk today, "Helga, do you have to follow me around all the time?"
"Ah!" She tapped on the side of her nose and gave me a playful wink, "You want to get up to some frolicking! I won't stop you but in return I'd like some... rewards."
"Helga!" I exclaimed in mock outrage, "You're speaking my language!"
I looked at both of my hands and pulled off a chunky gold ring with a red gemstone. I threw it over to her and she caught it happily with one hand.
"At your service, your ladyship." She smiled, bowing at me from atop her horse.
"Today, when we reach Blackworth, there's someone I'd like to find privately." I told her.
"Oooh!" She swooned, fanning her face, "You don't have to tell me twice." She said admiring the gold ring.
"It's not like that!" I protested, waving my hands frantically at Freya who also was looking at me with an untoward expression. I gave up arguing, at the end of the day I was just pleased my new handmaiden was a right sucker for money and would let me do as I pleased.
After some time riding, I was annoyed to see that Freya and Helga were storming off into the distance. "Excuse me!" I called out, "Not all of us are comfortable riding that fast you know!"
As if the universe were taking the micky, at that moment two horses darted past on either side of me. They rocketed forwards so fast that my hair blew out of its updo and into my face. I scrambled around trying to grab the reigns, intermittently screaming as I was blinded by my frizzy, ginger locks. Curly hair was something else!
"I have never seen a lady of nobility ride quite as awfully as you do." A voice jeered from in front of me.
I pulled back my hair angrily, glaring at my harasser. He was tall young man with a rugged appearance; his dark brown hair was pulled back behind his neck and across his face was a dark shadow of stubble. He looked too rough and ready to be of noble class, but his attitude showed he was probably someone of significance. Strapped to his hip was a very large sword, and as he swayed on his horse, I caught sight of a pendant around his neck woven from some kind of vine-like plant.
"Well," I breathed, yanking my horse to a stop and pulling the hair from my face, "I might not be so good at riding a horse but put us both behind the wheel of a sportscar and we'll see who will be laughing then. "
He looked at me intensely for a few seconds and I found myself lost for breath until he smiled slyly, his eyes knowing.
"Don't be so sure." He said with a wink.
"You know what I'm talking about?" I gawked, sure that I had seen understanding in his expression.
He shrugged, "Not really."
I fumbled over about eighty different syllables as I tried to process this strange exchange.
"Who are you?" I asked, still so sure that he had understood me in some way.
"The name's Josiah Gleave, I'm a private guard for hire." He told me tipping his head.
At that I looked over to the man on the other horse. Golden hair swishing seductively in the wind, long eyelashes fluttering melodramatically, lips pulled into a smouldering pout; I would recognise that ridiculous peacocking anywhere. It was Prince Charm- no, Prince Damian, it was Prince Damian.
At the prince's sudden and unexpected appearance, Freya looked like she was about to burst from excitement. Her cheeks were all rosy and she pranced over delicately like a crushing schoolgirl.
Prince Damian, smiled flirtatiously before swishing his hair and sliding off his horse like he was posing for some saucy magazine. He landed with a not so sexy squelch into the dirt. I gawked at his footprints in the soil, feeling blessed that new evidence had just fallen into my lap.
"What brings you here?" I asked casually, positioning myself to dismount also.
"I wanted to have a ride out in the open, it makes me feel free!" He exclaimed dramatically, spreading out his arms into the wind.
I decided I would dig a little, "You got tired of celebrating the slaying of the dragon?"
"Not at all, but all the drinking and dancing left me, let us say, worse for wear this morning. Fresh air is what the royal physician ordered."
Now that he mentioned it, I could see a sickly green hue to his skin and bags under his eyes. I snickered; he was hung over. Well, clearly, he didn't feel too bitter to party over the endless praise his brother was receiving.
I lost my balance as our conversation diminished my concentration. I slid forwards, my hands struggling to find grip on the horse's body. But to my surprise I didn't go plummeting into the mud. Instead, a sturdy pair of hands caught me at the waist, and I found myself staring into the dark eyes of Josiah Gleave.
I felt bad for internally mocking Freya's maidenly bashfulness because I'm sure that in that moment, sprawled out in a random strangers' arms, my face was redder than the lakes of fire in hell. It certainly felt as hot.
"I. Uhh. Ha ha ha. Thank you Mr. Gleave. Sir." I fumbled.
This was what I deserved for constantly judging people in my mind, complete and utter humiliation. I jumped away from the handsome man as if he were made of electricity and tried, vainly, to compose myself.
I turned my attention back to Prince Damian, trying my hardest not to look at Josiah's face and remain impassive to what just had happened.
"Looks like Prince Arthur will be the Prince of Wales after all." I said casually stroking my horses' flanks. I could see from the corner of my vision Freya's head whip towards me angrily. I ignored her, you couldn't get anywhere without being bold.
Prince Damian didn't seem bothered though, "It seems that way." He agreed, sucking in the fresh air through his nose.
"You're not disappointed?" I asked, surprised by his nonchalance.
Prince Damian and Josiah both burst out laughing, tears streaming from their eyes as they doubled over trying to catch their breath.
I looked between them, bemused. "What's so funny?"
"Just the thought of Prince Damian being King." Josiah shrugged, wiping the tears from his eyes.
"You know I could have you flogged for mocking me!" Prince Damian laughed, jesting with his guard.
My lips slowly lifted into a smile, enjoying the sarcasm between the two friends. "Why, would England fall into ruin?"
"Oh, there would be nothing left of it." Josiah bantered light-heartedly.
Freya looked positively livid at the jesting on the young Prince's behalf, she bit her bottom lip angrily as if holding back a torrent of rageful words.
"I admit!" Prince Damian smiled, "I prefer a life of women and partying over stuffy court matters."
I shook my head in mock disgust although I couldn't say I was really surprised about where his priorities were. I bent down, snickering to myself as I made out, I was adjusting my shoes and skirts. Instead, with a few sharp tugs I surreptitiously slipped a ribbon out of my hair and measured one of Prince's Damian's footprints and marked it with some wet mud on the ribbon.
Excitement bubbled up inside me, if Prince Damian's matched those at the scene, then he would be a likely culprit as it seemed from this conversation, he had a motive for wanting Prince Arthur to be the future king.
I tucked the ribbon into my sleeve and stood up casually as the two friends continued bickering in front me.
"We should continue our ride now, shouldn't we Freya?"
Disappointment glistened in Freya's eyes as she glanced longing at Prince Damian.
He's such a flirt! I screamed internally, trying desperately not spew the contents of my stomach. Yeah, we definitely had to get going.
I grabbed clumsily at the saddle of my horse, trying desperately to get back on. A couple of sturdy hands cupped my foot, giving me more purchase. I looked down pensively into the weatherworn face of Josiah Gleave.
There was something off about him, something I couldn't put my finger on. But I was desperate, so I gleefully accepted his help, nodding my head in thanks at him.
With that we said our goodbyes, some of us tearfully, and continued on our way to Blackworth. I smiled broadly, happy about the piece of string that sat safely in my sleeve and curious if it would bring forth any sinister findings.