any finer. I’d seen
glimpses of common people throughout the years and they didn’t
dress like Kandek’s noble friends.
I grabbed my wig off of my cot and adjusted
it over my own hair. My dark locks now tickled my ears. Many days I
wondered how long it would take to reach my shoulders but just as
often I was happy only to have it there.
I walked back into the main room as Johna
patted Mark on the shoulder.
“Take good care of her.” Johna looked over
at me and a smile spread across her leathery face. “And just how
did you know I was going to let you go?”
I shrugged with a smirk on my lips. Mark
reached out his hand to me.
“I’ve missed you,” he said. “I was afraid
you’d reject me again tonight. But I had to give it a try.”
“I’m sorry. I needed time. I think I’m
feeling better now.” I put my hand in his, savoring the gentle of
his touch of his hand combined with the roughness of his skin. “But
I wouldn’t have known that if you hadn’t pushed tonight. Thank
you.”
Mark nodded, a smile on his face, as we
headed out into the dark night. The town was softly lit by
candlelight streaming from open windows. Other cottages glowed from
the inside, their diffused light pushing through the shutters. I
took a deep breath, smelling the fresh night air, letting the
coolness of it fill my lungs. Mark’s fingers laced with mine as we
strolled down the dirt road towards the tavern.
“Did you blame me?” he asked. Mark did not
turn to me, instead he stared straight ahead. I glanced at his
profile.
“Partly.”
“And the other part?”
“I blamed myself.”
His hand dropped mine. His eyes no longer
stared ahead, but instead bore into mine as he grabbed my chin and
turned my face towards his.
“Yourself? Me? And what of Ivy? Do you blame
her?”
I didn’t struggle against his hand under my
chin, just as I didn’t struggle with my answer.
“She had feelings for you. I knew and I
ignored it.”
His hand dropped to his side but I didn’t
turn away.
“I knew I was beginning to have feelings for
you, Mark. I should have been more careful. Ivy liked you
first.”
“Ivy held no claim over me,” he said softly.
“You, on the other hand, you claimed me from the moment I first saw
you.”
Glad of the darkness that hid my blushing
cheeks, I grabbed Mark’s hand again.
“I don’t want to talk about Ivy tonight.
I’ve spent too much time thinking about her and what I could have
done differently. Tonight is mine to enjoy.”
“Yes,” Mark smiled. “Yes it is.”
He guided me in silence for a few more
minutes. Along the road we passed other travelers. Most nodded a
head in our direction, a few smiled knowingly at our entwined
hands. None of them could see the color of my eyes.
Even before I saw the sign for the tavern
swinging atop the doorway, I knew we had reached our destination.
The noise pulsed from inside and broke free every time a reveler
passed through the doorway. I couldn’t believe I was about to enter
my first tavern and sit among free people. I knew I would treasure
this night forever.
The smell of mead overwhelmed me as we
pushed through the wooden door. Mark pulled me over to an empty
table near the corner, away from the fire. I worried at first that
we might be cold, but the humid atmosphere leaking off the bodies
packed into the tavern kept us warmer than I’d imagined.
A juggler sat in the corner, tossing
everything from balls to pins. When the innkeeper’s wife wasn’t
looking, he grabbed three mugs and tossed them in the air. Much to
the delight of the onlookers he didn’t drop one. Yet when she
turned around and saw her precious property flipping about she
screamed, “You put those down gently now. Do that again and you’ll
have to find yourself another tavern!”
He winked at his audience as he set them
down, one by one, on the bar. Men hooted with laughter and women
stamped their feet on the floor in approval. I laughed, as I’d
never laughed before,
glimpses of common people throughout the years and they didn’t
dress like Kandek’s noble friends.
I grabbed my wig off of my cot and adjusted
it over my own hair. My dark locks now tickled my ears. Many days I
wondered how long it would take to reach my shoulders but just as
often I was happy only to have it there.
I walked back into the main room as Johna
patted Mark on the shoulder.
“Take good care of her.” Johna looked over
at me and a smile spread across her leathery face. “And just how
did you know I was going to let you go?”
I shrugged with a smirk on my lips. Mark
reached out his hand to me.
“I’ve missed you,” he said. “I was afraid
you’d reject me again tonight. But I had to give it a try.”
“I’m sorry. I needed time. I think I’m
feeling better now.” I put my hand in his, savoring the gentle of
his touch of his hand combined with the roughness of his skin. “But
I wouldn’t have known that if you hadn’t pushed tonight. Thank
you.”
Mark nodded, a smile on his face, as we
headed out into the dark night. The town was softly lit by
candlelight streaming from open windows. Other cottages glowed from
the inside, their diffused light pushing through the shutters. I
took a deep breath, smelling the fresh night air, letting the
coolness of it fill my lungs. Mark’s fingers laced with mine as we
strolled down the dirt road towards the tavern.
“Did you blame me?” he asked. Mark did not
turn to me, instead he stared straight ahead. I glanced at his
profile.
“Partly.”
“And the other part?”
“I blamed myself.”
His hand dropped mine. His eyes no longer
stared ahead, but instead bore into mine as he grabbed my chin and
turned my face towards his.
“Yourself? Me? And what of Ivy? Do you blame
her?”
I didn’t struggle against his hand under my
chin, just as I didn’t struggle with my answer.
“She had feelings for you. I knew and I
ignored it.”
His hand dropped to his side but I didn’t
turn away.
“I knew I was beginning to have feelings for
you, Mark. I should have been more careful. Ivy liked you
first.”
“Ivy held no claim over me,” he said softly.
“You, on the other hand, you claimed me from the moment I first saw
you.”
Glad of the darkness that hid my blushing
cheeks, I grabbed Mark’s hand again.
“I don’t want to talk about Ivy tonight.
I’ve spent too much time thinking about her and what I could have
done differently. Tonight is mine to enjoy.”
“Yes,” Mark smiled. “Yes it is.”
He guided me in silence for a few more
minutes. Along the road we passed other travelers. Most nodded a
head in our direction, a few smiled knowingly at our entwined
hands. None of them could see the color of my eyes.
Even before I saw the sign for the tavern
swinging atop the doorway, I knew we had reached our destination.
The noise pulsed from inside and broke free every time a reveler
passed through the doorway. I couldn’t believe I was about to enter
my first tavern and sit among free people. I knew I would treasure
this night forever.
The smell of mead overwhelmed me as we
pushed through the wooden door. Mark pulled me over to an empty
table near the corner, away from the fire. I worried at first that
we might be cold, but the humid atmosphere leaking off the bodies
packed into the tavern kept us warmer than I’d imagined.
A juggler sat in the corner, tossing
everything from balls to pins. When the innkeeper’s wife wasn’t
looking, he grabbed three mugs and tossed them in the air. Much to
the delight of the onlookers he didn’t drop one. Yet when she
turned around and saw her precious property flipping about she
screamed, “You put those down gently now. Do that again and you’ll
have to find yourself another tavern!”
He winked at his audience as he set them
down, one by one, on the bar. Men hooted with laughter and women
stamped their feet on the floor in approval. I laughed, as I’d
never laughed before,
Similar Books
