Daughters of the Dagger 04 - Amethyst (20 page)

Chapter 22

A sennight later, ’twas Christmas day, and also Amethyst’s birthday. Marcus had surprised his wife by sending missives and inviting all her sisters to the castle to join them for the celebration.

They’d arrived just this morning, but Marcus made certain to hide them from her, keeping her in bed the entire morning, not letting her even look out the window.
He’d also instructed the herald not to use the straight trumpet or announce their arrivals, so she would not hear them.

They walked into the hall together now, and she looked more beautiful than she ever had. She donned the purple gown she’d worn the first day that he’d met her. The soft velvet fell in folds to the ground and pooled around the soft slippers on her feet.

Her hair glowed with a black shine and she wore it loose with just a small metal circlet around her head with ribbons of pink and white trailing down her back. And on her neck she wore the amethyst necklace as well as a ring of the same on her finger that her father had brought with him as part of her dowry.

“I feel so pretty wearing my mother’s jewelry,” she said, reaching out and running her fingers over the stones at her neck.

“You are pretty without the jewelry,” he answered and then grinned. “Actually, I may want to see you in that jewelry without the gown later.”

“Marcus,” she said in a hushed whisper. “Not now, as all eyes are upon us.”

The minstrels started up a cheery tune from the gallery as they entered and Amethyst stopped in the doorway to the great hall and just stared. He delighted in seeing the shocked look upon her face.

“Ruby?” Amethyst felt the tears well in her eyes as she noticed her oldest sister’s angelic white hair from across the room. The girl turned and looked at Amethyst, rubbing the bump at her waist, as the baby within her had grown since she’d last seen her. Amethyst was so happy things were going well with this pregnancy, after Ruby’s last one had ended in birthing a stillborn. Her husband, Nyle walked up with their young son, Tibbar in his one arm, and put his other arm around his wife.

“Amethyst!” came a voice from the dais, and when her eyes scanned upward she saw her sister Sapphire sitting there holding her baby in her arms. Her husb
and, Roe was right next to her. That’s when she noticed the dais had grown and was set for far more people than usual.

“Is my twin sister, Amber
here too?” she asked, looking to her husband with tears in her eyes.

“I wouldn’t miss this celebration for anything,” came a
voice from behind her. She turned to see her newly wed sister. Amber wrapped her arms around Amethyst and hugged her, and neither of them were able to hold back their tears of joy. She’d always been the closest to Amber and had missed her the most. Her sister’s husband, Lucas reached out and clasped arms with Marcus in a greeting.

“I invited your entire family here for your birthday,” Marcus told her. “I wanted to surprise you with something special.”

“Well, this is a true surprise, and I love it!” She reached over and pecked her husband on the cheek. He pulled her under the mistletoe and kissed her twelve times as was custom at Christmas to do things in sets of twelve.

“Marcus, I want to introduce you to everyone in my family. And this is the best birthday present anyone could
ever have.”

“Except for your twin, who also has gotten a very nice present on her birthday as well,” said Lucas. His blond hair hung down as he leaned over and kissed his wife’s stomach.

“Amber, are you with child?” she asked, not able to keep from shouting with excitement.

“We are,” said Amber in her mild and collective manner. “I just found out recently, but yes, we are going to have a baby.”
Amethyst shot forward and they hugged.

“Well, then c
ongratulations are in order,” said Marcus, and Amethyst looked up to him anxiously. She had something she’d been waiting all morning to tell him, and she knew this was the perfect time.

“
I missed my last courses, husband, so congratulations may be in order for me as well.”

“Amethyst, what are you trying to say?” he asked, the look of surprise on his face making her smile.

“I’d been so busy lately as well as worried, that I hadn’t even realized it til this morning. But what I am saying is that Amber and I are twins and have always done things together. This will be no exception, as we will be birthing babies at the same time as well.”

“Really?” he asked, almost seeming cautious as if he were afraid to believe her.

“I am not jesting with you, Marcus, now tell me, or your happy or not?”

He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her, then gave a shout and twirled her in a circle before putting her back on her feet.

“I’d say that means yes,” said Amber, laughing. “And sister, I am so happy we are both going to be mothers.”

“Ruby, too,” Amethyst reminded her. “And Sapphire is already a mother, so that makes all of us, then.”
Amethyst put one arm around her sister and the other around Marcus, feeling happier than she ever had in her life. “Sister, this is going to be the best birthday as well as the best Christmas we ever had. And the best part, is that we are all back together, once again.”

*

Marcus, Amethyst, and her entire family had attended the Christmas mass together. Since there was yet a church to be built and the chapel was too small to hold everyone, the chaplain conducted the service right there in the great hall.

Now
Marcus sat next to his wife at the dais, feeling more relaxed than he had in a long time. He was not only married to the woman he loved, but he was going to be a father soon. His father was next to him, having fully recovered from his wound, and was talking to Amethyst’s father about the grandson they would both share soon. Marcus just shook his head, knowing the man would be so disappointed if they ended up having a daughter instead of a son. Earl Blackpool’s presence at the castle was a good thing, as he’d bonded with Marcus’s father, and things were different now.

Gilbert
was still a warlord and as ruthless as he had ever been, but when he found out about the escape of the prisoners and heard the story of the Scot who rescued them who was Amethyst’s brother, he’d decided not to go after them.

He’d even started to have a little more respect for women after talking with Earl Blackpool who had four daughters. And it was good to hear the man laugh ag
ain, as Marcus hadn’t heard his father laugh for many years now.

“Oh, Marcus, I forgot to tell you,” said his father turning to face him. “Benjamin’s father has heard of his son’s expertise with a bow and arrow th
anks to your training. When he heard you risked your own life to save his son, as well as the boy saving your life, he sent more money than I’d expected to help finish funding the inside of the castle. He is very pleased with the guidance you’ve given his son.”

“Well, that is good news,” said Marcus. “And by the looks of it, we’ll be a fully functioning castle by spring
when the king graces us with his presence.”

“There is … something else I wanted to say to you, son. I feel I’ve been very harsh with you over the years and I’d like to try to settle any differences between us.”

“What brought on your sudden change of heart?” he asked curiously.

“I’ve been talking with Earl Blackpool and
he told me the story of his son who he thought was dead but who really isn’t dead after all. It has made me start to think. You are my only surviving child and I need to stop comparing you to your deceased brothers. And I also promise never to call you a milksop again. You have proven to me that you are one of the finest warlords, as well as one of the most respected earls to ever grace the lands. And I know you will make a wonderful father as well.”

“Thank you, Father,” he said. “That means a lot to me.”

“And there’s something I want you to have.” He dug into the pouch at his side and pulled out the gold ring that used to be his mother’s. “I know your mother would have wanted you to have this for Amethyst. ’Tis yours now, son.”

Marcus took the ring and just enclosed it in his han
d. It felt good to have it back, and he knew Amethyst was going to be so happy to have it as well.

“Father, if we are going to be making amends between us, then I think there’s something that I need to tell you.”

“If it’s about stealing your mother’s ashes and burying them in that damned rose garden of yours, I already know.”

“Who told you?”

“Your cousin has a wagging tongue. She’s always told me every move you’ve made ever since she was a child.”

He looked down the table to where Matilda was sitting and talking to Ruby as well as playing with little Tibbar.
Matilda just looked up to him and smiled.

“So you forgive me then?”
asked Marcus.

“I think your mother would have wanted to stay close to you, as well as be buried in a garden of roses, so that’s the perfect spot for her.”

“I agree,” said Marcus looking down to the ring and then over to Amethyst whose head was turned as she eagerly visited with her sister Amber, talking excitedly about babies. He knew what he had to do. He slipped the ring into his pouch and got up from the dais.

“Marcus?” asked Amethyst, looking up at him. “Is something wrong?”

“Nay, sweetheart. I just need to find Peter and Benjamin, as I have a special surprise I’m planning for you as soon as the meal is finished.”

*

Amethyst could not be happier. Her whole family was with her celebrating not only her birthday, but also Christmas. Not to mention the fact they were celebrating all the new babies that would be born soon. She watched Marcus converse with his squires, and then rejoin her at the dais. She was very curious as to what he was planning for her.

The great hall was
warm and cozy even though the weather was cold and snowy outside. The Christmas yule log had been laid upon the hearth, and as was custom at this holiday, ’twas large enough that it would burn for twelve days straight.

Marcus had money again,
and he was back to making everything the best it could be. The hall had been decorated with boughs of fresh evergreens and also twelve sprigs of holly in bunches tied up with gold and red ribbons and placed at the tables as well as hung from the elaborate iron candle holders overhead that were burning expensive beeswax candles.

“Let’s eat already,” said Gilbert
, but Marcus stood and held up his hand to gain the attention of the entire room. He had given the workers the day off for Christmas, and invited everyone, including the families of the workers, the servants, and serfs, to join in the monstrous feast.

“The feast cannot begin until the luckybird steps o
ver the Christmas Threshold.” Marcus pointed to a green line drawn on the floor. Just then, the dark-haired jester who was acting as the luckybird, jumped out from behind a crowd of people. They cheered and he bowed. He wore green clothing with bells tied upon him. The bells jingled as he leaped across the threshold and danced around. He then hurried to the dais and tipped his hat, holding it out to collect coins from the nobles. Marcus threw a coin in his hat, then sent him on his way.

“Now, l
et the feast begin,” Marcus shouted. And with that, cheers went up from the crowd and the musicians started playing a lively tune on their flutes, lutes, and nakers.

Marcus seated himself again, and Amethyst was in awe as the serving wenches first brought out a large wax yu
le log candle that was carved in intricate, delicate designs and decorated with holly, mistletoe and ivy. They placed it on the high table, and the servants followed, bringing out the first course - frumenty - a soup made of wheat and milk and cooked in broth. It was served with a variety of several soft and hard cheeses as well as individual loaves of white bread shaped into wreaths. There were a few that looked like bones, and when Marcus snatched them up, she knew exactly what he was going to do.

He reached down under the table and presented his hounds with the loaves. The dogs eagerly took them into their mouths and hurried away to eat them where they knew they would be safe and undisturbed.
The frumenty was followed by vegetable dishes of pickled cabbage and onions as well as peas cooked with bacon.

There would be twelve courses served today, followi
ng the tradition of everything of the season revolving around the number twelve. There were twelve seats at the dais, being filled by Amethyst, Marcus, Gilbert, her father, Matilda, Uncle Clement, her three sisters and their husbands. Tibbar sat on Ruby’s lap, and her sister Sapphire also held her baby, Mirabelle, in her arms as she ate.

Since it had been
advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas had been meat and dairy free. Amethyst knew there would be no fish served today, and she was correct.

The Christmas feast would not be comple
te without the boar’s head that arrived next, roasted til the skin was crisp, its mouth stuffed with an apple and the bottom of the platter surrounded by sweet meats, or candied fruit.