Daughters of the Dagger 04 - Amethyst (21 page)

“What is that?” asked her sister Amber as two ornate dishes were laid upon the dais
following the boar’s head. Amethyst almost laughed when she saw the creations of two animals blended into one dish.

“That,” said Marcus, pointing to the dish where the front half was a suckling pig an
d the back was that of a capon, “is called Cockentrice,” he said proudly. “And the other is one of my personal favorites this time of year, Coqz Heaumez.”

Amethyst couldn’t help but laugh, looking at the pig hunched down on
the platter with the goose with legs spread, riding atop the pig’s back. The fowl’s beak was open and it wore a tunic and helmet and carried a wooden spear as well.

“Don’t laugh until you’ve tasted it,” Marcus warned her. “It is stuffed with gizzard
s and livers and bread and herbs. It is very tasty.”

“I’m sure it is.” Amethyst picked up the mulled wine
, made with honey and spices. She did enjoy the oddities as Marcus had said she would, but her favorite was the Trayne Roste, that is, the mock entrails held together on a string which were really batter fried fruits and nuts.

Dessert was always her favorite, as she love
d sweets. And the plum pudding complimented the mince meat pie. And after the currant and custard pies, she was so full, she could not eat another bite.

“There’s more,” said Marcus, as we are not yet done.”

Amethyst and her sister, Amber just groaned, as they didn’t want any more food.

“Bring in the special pie,” he said. The servants placed a pie in front of Marcus and handed him a dull knife. He tapped at the crust, and as it broke open, out flew several blackbirds.

Amethyst, as well as all her sisters screamed and then laughed at the surprise.

“You act as if yo
u’ve never seen this before,” Marcus said, looking at her with a grin spread across his face.

“I mus
t say that while my father loves a feast as well as any earl, we have never had the opportunity of seeing blackbirds baked into a pie before. I hope they weren’t harmed.”

“They’re only birds,” he told her. “We eat birds and fowl every day. But nay, they weren’t harmed, if it’ll set your mind at ease.”

Amethyst looked down the table at her other sisters and little Tibbar. The young boy was gnawing on a yule doll, a dessert baked into the shape of a person and made from gingerbread.

“
’Tis time for wassailing the milly,” Marcus called out. Singers and musicians circled the hall singing carols and carrying a box containing dolls to represent the Virgin and Child. Everyone placed small trinkets or a few coins within, and Amethyst knew the entire box would later be given to the poor as alms.

“
’Tis time to play Hoodman’s Bluff,” said Matilda, coming to pull both Amethyst as well as Amber from their chairs.

“Will you be joining us?” asked Amethyst to her husband.

“Nay,” he said, “as I have other things to attend to at the moment. But I promise you, I won’t be long.”

Marcus pushed up from his chair and met his squires in the doorway, as they had just returned from outside.

“Is everything set up just as I’ve asked?” he said to them.

“Aye,” said Peter. “The rose garden looks wonderful in the snow.”

“Yes, I thin
k Amethyst will be very surprised,” added Ben.

“Then go tell my father as well as hers
, the plan. Make sure they bring her entire family out into the garden to join us. Cover Amethyst with one of the cloaks from the hoodman’s game and don’t let her know where you’re bringing her.”

“Of course, my lord, we will do just that,” said Benjamin. “And I have brought your cloak as you’ve requested.” He took Marcus’s cloak from over his arm and helped him to don it.

“Where are you going?” asked Peter. “Don’t you want to bring your wife out there yourself?”

“I need to do something first,” he said. “Just give me a few minutes alone in the garden and then bring everyone out.”

Marcus made his way to the garden as the light, fluffy snow fell lazily through the sky, landing atop him. He ducked through the arches that now held only withered roses, only wishing for live roses to make this whole experience perfect.

He made his way through the labyrinth, marveling at the wonderful job his squires had done to prepare this so quickly.

Torches were burning brightly atop poles, lighting the way, and pine bows were laid along the path giving a wonderful aroma of fresh evergreens all around him. He stopped at the center of the labyrinth and smiled when he saw the ribbons of gold and red hanging down from the small roof of the shrine he’d built for his mother. Mistletoe and holly were hung in bunches strung around the perimeter of the shrine as well. And dozens of candles set inside colored glass holders were flickering from around the grounds making the whole thing seem very magical.

There was a full moon lighting the black velvet sky, and in the moonlight the snowflakes floated downward, dancing and spir
aling in the sky. He walked into the center of the shrine and pulled the ring from his pouch. He kneeled down in the snow atop his mother’s grave.

“Mother, I wish you could be here with me right now,” he said aloud. “I am going to give your ring to Amethyst
again, and this time I know she won’t give it back. I wanted to do it here near you, so I could feel as if you were still with me. I love her, mother. And I know you would like her very much as well.”

“Your mother will always be with you in spirit,” came a voice from behind him.

Marcus jumped to his feet and turned around to see an old woman in a cape standing there in the moonlight.

“Who are you?” he asked. “And what are you doing in my garden?”

“You really love Amethyst, don’t you?”

“With all my heart and soul,” he answered.

“Do you think you are her true love?” she asked.

Marcus looked up sharply, wondering how this woman knew about Amethyst’s story of finding true love.
“Aye, I believe she loves me as well. And I think I could be her true love.”

“Many years ago, Amethyst’s mother came to me, looking to b
uy daggers in order to conceive.” The old woman moved toward him slowly as she spoke.

“What?” asked Marcus, n
ot sure he’d heard her correctly. “So, are you asking me to believe you are that same woman, all these years later?”

“I’m not asking you to believe anything. I am only here to give you this, as I have been watching you and your actions
, and I do believe that you are the girl’s true love.” She pulled out a dagger from under her cape and handed it to him hilt first. The moonbeams shone down atop the amethyst stone, making it almost glow in the dark.

“That looks like the dagger Amethyst spoke of.” He took it in his hands carefully to inspect it. “She s
aid her father discarded of it years ago after the death of her brother. So how did you get it?”

“The daggers all
came back to me one night as I sat begging outside the earl of Blackpool’s gate. ’Tis funny how things come full circle, don’t you think?”

He felt choked up, thinking that this could be true. “But Amethyst said the woman with the daggers was blind. You obviously are not, since you are standing in the midst of a labyrinth by yourself in the dark.”

“Sometimes we don’t need our eyes to see what is obvious.” She pulled the hood from her head and Marcus could see the cloudy white of her eyes, realizing she truly was blind.

“Amethyst swears she’s seen her brother who was said to have died. The one with one orange eye and one black. Is she mistaken or is it true?”

“Things are not always as they seem,” she said. “And all I can say is that there are relationships that yet need mending, as you are not the only one who will have had dealings with your own father. The boy with the two different colored eyes does indeed exist. But whether or not he is going to acknowledge his sisters and his father is yet to be seen. You see, there are some things in life – like discarding one’s own child – that can never be forgiven.”

“Marcus? Marcus where are you and where are they taking me?” he heard Amethyst call out from the labyrinth.

Marcus took two steps forward, going to meet her, then looked at the dagger in his hand. He still couldn’t believe any of this was true. He turned back to the old woman, but she was gone. And instead, right in the spot where she had stood, directly next to his mother’s grave, was a rose sticking out of the snow. An amethyst colored rose in full bloom as if it were not winter but instead the middle of summer.

He felt the tears staining his cheek
s and quickly wiped them away. He knew it was a sign from his mother, and now he felt he had not only her approval, but her blessing as well.

“Thank you, Mother,” he whispered, then rushed forward to greet his wife. He picked her up in his arms and twirled her around and around. She screamed in delight and the hood that was covering her face fell, exposing to her
, his surprise.

“Marcus,” she said, as he put her back on her feet. “This is beautiful!” She looked around the grounds at the décor and the candles and just smiled. “This is the best birthday surprise
ever.”

“Nay, there is more,” he said, waving everyone into the
small center of the labyrinth.

“Everyone, please step inside the circle and join us.”

“What is this all about?” asked Marcus’s father, coming forward.

“This is a surprise Lord Marcus has prepared for his wife,” answered Peter,
walking over to Marcus’s side.

“Well, actually, Peter
and Ben have prepared it for me,” Marcus told them.

“This is so romantic,” said Matilda, looking around with stars in her eyes.
“Cousin, I can’t believe you actually thought of this all on your own.”

“I am changing,” he told her. “And I hope this will prove it.”

“This is so special,” said Ruby, coming forward with her sisters and their husbands, as well as the two children.

“I am glad I am going to be here for not only the wedding, but now a surprise,” said Clement.

“Aye,” said Earl Blackpool. “And we have missed your presence lately, Clement. After all, Mirabelle always said you were special to her and she would have liked to have you around more.”

“I miss
mother,” said Amethyst, laying her hand on Marcus’s arm.

“We all do,” agreed Amber.

“Amy,” said Marcus, “I have something to give you and something to say. And I wanted to do it here, because this is where my mother, Enid’s spirit resides, as I miss my departed mother too.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked. “After all, we are already married
, so what more is there?”

“
I have something for you.” He held out the dagger and watched as her eyes opened wide in surprise.

“My dagger!
” she exclaimed. “Where did you get it?”

“Let me guess,” said her sister Amber’s husband, Lucas. “An old woman gave it to him and then mysteriously disappeared.”

“That’s exactly right,” said Marcus. “But how did you know?”

“Believe me,” said Sapphire’s husband Roe with a smile, “we all know because we’ve experienced the same thing.”

“This means you’re really my true love,” said Amethyst, slipping the dagger into the belt at her waist.

“We didn’t need a dagger for that,” said Marcus. “Amethyst, hold out your hand.”

When she did, he slipped his mother’s ring onto her finger.

“Your mother’s ring!
” Amethyst held out her hand and admired it with a big smile. “But I thought your father had it.”

“It’s your ring now,” said Marcus.

“That’s right, said his father. “I know my late wife would have wanted you to have it.”

“Will
you marry me?” asked Marcus, getting down on one knee and holding her hands in his.

“Yes,” she said with a laugh. “Although we are already married.”

“My mother has sent us a gift as well,” he said. He got to his feet, and walked over and used his dagger to cut the amethyst rose from the stalk. He then handed it to his wife.

“A rose?” she asked in confusion
, taking it carefully from him, watching for thorns. “How could this be blooming in the middle of winter?”

“Well,” said Marcus, “just like an old woman recently told me, that things are not always as they seem.”

“Marcus, welcome to the family,” said Earl Blackpool, stepping forward and clasping arms with him quickly.

Then Marcus pulled Amethy
st into his embrace and kissed her in front of everyone. “I love your daughter, Earl Blackpool,” he told him. “And I am proud, as well as very happy to have married one of the
Daughters of the Dagger – Amethyst
.
”

From the author:

Thank you for joining me on the journey of Amethyst and Marcus.
I have always been fascinated by castles, and wanted to include the process of building one in this novel. Of course, since I always empower my female characters, I just had to put Amethyst in the position where she was calling the shots more or less.