The gossiping died down then and I decided now was a good time to wash my hair and drown out the talking. I’d met her once, Queen Amelia—well, met was a lie, but I’d seen her from a distance during my trip to Jade City. The king had already gone inside by the time I’d climbed on top of the flower shop roof and laid eyes on our new queen. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. Her long hair was inky black and fell in thick curls to her waist. She wore a dress with so much jade on it, it must have weighed as much as a cougarin. It was said that King Valdren and Queen Amelia were chosen as the perfect couple to usher in a new dynasty of magical heirs. How cruel life could be sometimes.
First the king loses his father just after getting married, then his children don’t make it to term, and then he loses his wife and stillborn child? It was almost too much loss to bear. So I didn’t dwell on it. I genuinely hoped he found a new wife and had a healthy child.
Grabbing the soap stone, I rubbed my body and hair vigorously until my skin was raw and I smelled like an apothecary shop. My hair was now the color of pale corn silk, and other than some bruises and dirt under my nails that would never come clean, I looked decent. Standing, I poured a final clean bucket of water over myself and then heaved out of the bathtub. After brushing my teeth at the small sink Naomie had against the far wall of my private room, I wrapped myself in some linen and pulled the drain plug. Watching the brown and blood-tinged water swirl down the drain, I quickly towel-dried my hair and braided it over one shoulder before slipping into my clean blue cotton tunic and white trousers.
From the commotion outside, I knew that news had traveled fast and the entire village would be buzzing with this gossip for weeks, long after the sniffers came and left.
For the king’s men to come to our village on May Day was a big deal.
“Arwen!” My mother’s voice came from behind the thatched partition.
I pulled it back and waved her over, but my hand froze midair when I saw the color drained from her face. She rushed forward, grasping me by the upper arms, and leaned in to whisper in my ear.
“You need to leave now. Run,” she whispered.
I chuckled, wondering what she was playing at, but when she pulled back her face was as serious as I’d ever seen it.
“What’s wrong?” I said.
She looked over her shoulder as if saying we couldn’t speak here, and I nodded. My body was still with shock; my mom never acted like this. She was calm and very rarely showed fear. Something was up.
Following her out of the bathing tent, I gave Naomie a smile and wave and scurried in the direction of our hut. As we were rounding the corner to our street, I saw the white May Day kissing tent was now set up in the middle of the village. Strands of pink and purple garland hung from the opening. It was picturesque, romantic. The young women of the village were already going inside.
I stopped. “Mother, can this wait? I missed last year and… I was kind of looking forward to…” To my first kiss. I didn’t want to say that, but my mother caught on.
She glanced at the kissing tent and surprise flickered over her face. “Right. May Day and you missed last year because of the sickness…”
I nodded, looking eagerly at the tent opening as I saw Nathanial slip inside.
“Mom, please.”
My mother walked over to some wildflowers growing in front of Mrs. Patties’ house and plucked a purple posey, tucking it into my braid. “Go and have your May Day kiss and then rush right back home. I’ll pack your things.” She nodded.
I frowned at that. Pack my things? I’d just gotten back from a week-long hunt. There was no way I’d be going out again without some proper rest. But she’d consented to the kissing tent so I wasn’t going to argue. Scurrying off across the yard, I ran first to Miss Graseen’s herbal garden and snatched a sprig of mint. She poked her head out of her kitchen window and grinned.
“Kissing tent?” she asked.
I blushed and shoved the two mint leaves into my mouth, chewing on them vigorously to freshen my breath. Even though I had just brushed my teeth, I wasn’t taking any chances with my first kiss. Miss Graseen let us take a sprig here and there, and in turn we all pulled her weeds and mended her fence when predators broke in.
I doubled back, ready to enter the white silk tent, when I craned my neck to the main gate, hearing a commotion.
A large procession of the king’s Royal Guard were coming through and headed right this way. I froze, in awe of the horses and their armor. The sunlight glinted across the golden dragon crests on their chests, and I momentarily forgot about the kissing tent. I’d wanted to be in the Royal Guard since I could hold a sword. That of course was not very ladylike and so my mother had discouraged it, but I’d never lost that dream. To my knowledge, there was only one woman in the guard.