said that ice is better than leeches.” Jehane paused, then added in a thoughtful tone, “Perhaps, if poor Sofia’s pain is truly so very severe, for her we could do both cures.”
Both?
“Leeches and ice?”
“Aye. Freeze her and bleed her at the same time.”
Aye, and then the two old heartless cats can draw and quarter me.
“Hmmmm.” Mavis was thinking.
This is not good.
“I shall fetch the barber immediately,” Jehane said. “We wouldn’t want the poor child to suffer any longer than necessary.”
Sofia could hear Jehane’s clipped footsteps heading for the doorway. She shot upright. The towels and ice scattered everywhere. “ ’Tis a miracle!” Sofia shouted before Jehane could get very far. “You are truly the best, Lady Mavis. My headache is gone.”
Jehane poked her head around the corner of the open door, then exchanged a triumphant look with Mavis that annoyed Sofia, but even she would not have leeches put all over her skin just to continue such a charade. She hated leeches, hated them more than worrying about what was going to happen to her or what these two sly and demanding women would do to her. She also knew that Jehane was not making an idle threat. The stern and dire Lady Jehane would not hesitate to use leeches all over her.
Jehane’s shoulders went back and her stance grew so rigid it looked as if she had a lance for a spine. “Well, then, girl! Do not just sit there! We have work to do!” She grabbed Sofia’s arm in a steely grip and dragged her across the room.
“But wait—”
“No waiting. There is no time. Lift your arms. Higher!” Jehane grabbed Sofia’s icy hands, lifted them out to her sides, then in less time than it took to blink, had stripped her to her bare skin.
She had no chance for protest, just a gasp here and there and a few whines. She was shoved into a steaming tub that was far too hot and made her yelp, particularly after the icing her skin had taken. She was washed, scrubbed, dunked and dried, perfumed and oiled. Her lips and cheeks were pinched so much that at one point she asked Mavis if she were related to Dickon Warwick.
She was dressed, tied, laced, turned, braided and decorated, then shoved out the door and down the steps toward the Great Hall in spite of her protests, questions, and muttered curses.
With both the Poleaxes on either side of her, she was all but hauled through the halls and archways. She did try to slip her arms free repeatedly but those two women were so strong a dancing bear would not be able to move if they had him in their clutches.
Before Sofia knew it, she was pulled through a small side door and she found herself standing in the front portion of the Great Hall, near the high table, where Edward was already seated.
Eleanor suddenly appeared at her side. “Come, child.” She took Sofia’s arm. “This is your betrothal feast.”
“Betrothal?” Sofia looked at the Queen, who said nothing but guided her through the crowd.
Chatter from the tables and music filled the room, where a high and blazing fire was burning in the huge fireplace at the north end. Musicians nearby played the lute and pipes while a jongleur sang a lyrical song about love and favors and greensleeves.
Alas my love you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long,
Delighting in your company.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves?
The Queen would not speak, so Sofia walked to those lyrics, feeling like nothing but a ghostly thing in the crowded room. The King was talking quietly to one of his men, then he waved him away, and his gaze lit on her as they wove through the throng.
Sofia cast him a look of complete indifference, and she gave him her most honeyed smile. She would not let him see she was worried and she would not look away from him defeated.
He rubbed one finger pensively over his lip as he returned her stare,
Both?
“Leeches and ice?”
“Aye. Freeze her and bleed her at the same time.”
Aye, and then the two old heartless cats can draw and quarter me.
“Hmmmm.” Mavis was thinking.
This is not good.
“I shall fetch the barber immediately,” Jehane said. “We wouldn’t want the poor child to suffer any longer than necessary.”
Sofia could hear Jehane’s clipped footsteps heading for the doorway. She shot upright. The towels and ice scattered everywhere. “ ’Tis a miracle!” Sofia shouted before Jehane could get very far. “You are truly the best, Lady Mavis. My headache is gone.”
Jehane poked her head around the corner of the open door, then exchanged a triumphant look with Mavis that annoyed Sofia, but even she would not have leeches put all over her skin just to continue such a charade. She hated leeches, hated them more than worrying about what was going to happen to her or what these two sly and demanding women would do to her. She also knew that Jehane was not making an idle threat. The stern and dire Lady Jehane would not hesitate to use leeches all over her.
Jehane’s shoulders went back and her stance grew so rigid it looked as if she had a lance for a spine. “Well, then, girl! Do not just sit there! We have work to do!” She grabbed Sofia’s arm in a steely grip and dragged her across the room.
“But wait—”
“No waiting. There is no time. Lift your arms. Higher!” Jehane grabbed Sofia’s icy hands, lifted them out to her sides, then in less time than it took to blink, had stripped her to her bare skin.
She had no chance for protest, just a gasp here and there and a few whines. She was shoved into a steaming tub that was far too hot and made her yelp, particularly after the icing her skin had taken. She was washed, scrubbed, dunked and dried, perfumed and oiled. Her lips and cheeks were pinched so much that at one point she asked Mavis if she were related to Dickon Warwick.
She was dressed, tied, laced, turned, braided and decorated, then shoved out the door and down the steps toward the Great Hall in spite of her protests, questions, and muttered curses.
With both the Poleaxes on either side of her, she was all but hauled through the halls and archways. She did try to slip her arms free repeatedly but those two women were so strong a dancing bear would not be able to move if they had him in their clutches.
Before Sofia knew it, she was pulled through a small side door and she found herself standing in the front portion of the Great Hall, near the high table, where Edward was already seated.
Eleanor suddenly appeared at her side. “Come, child.” She took Sofia’s arm. “This is your betrothal feast.”
“Betrothal?” Sofia looked at the Queen, who said nothing but guided her through the crowd.
Chatter from the tables and music filled the room, where a high and blazing fire was burning in the huge fireplace at the north end. Musicians nearby played the lute and pipes while a jongleur sang a lyrical song about love and favors and greensleeves.
Alas my love you do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
For I have loved you well and long,
Delighting in your company.
Greensleeves was all my joy,
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,
And who but my Lady Greensleeves?
The Queen would not speak, so Sofia walked to those lyrics, feeling like nothing but a ghostly thing in the crowded room. The King was talking quietly to one of his men, then he waved him away, and his gaze lit on her as they wove through the throng.
Sofia cast him a look of complete indifference, and she gave him her most honeyed smile. She would not let him see she was worried and she would not look away from him defeated.
He rubbed one finger pensively over his lip as he returned her stare,
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