The Vampire & Her Witch-Chapter 1334: A Knight Returns To His Lady
The sun had finally slipped behind the towering mountains in the west, and stars were just beginning to fill the sky when a luxurious carriage clattered down the cobblestone road leading to the Broken Blade Tavern.
In the driver’s seat, a young squire handled the reins with nervous caution as he guided the carriage from the ferry dock to the place where he would soon encounter a Great Witch, who Sir Ollie promised had been waiting for them in Maeril for several hours already.
Cadeyrn had been disappointed when he wasn’t allowed to ride in the carriage with his sister and Sir Ollie, but his father had given him an opportunity to be one of the first members of the Dunn Court to meet with Lady Ashlynn, though he had to promise to remember his station as a squire.
He was driving the carriage because he had proven that he could be trusted with the secret of who they were meeting with, rather than risking that a coachman might overhear something that they shouldn’t, but that didn’t mean that he should speak up unless Lord Liam gave him leave to do so.
Thankfully, the ride from the ferry to the tavern was short, and the nervousness that left Cadeyrn’s palms slick with sweat even on the cold winter night faded as he reigned in the horses outside of a tall building bearing the sign of two halves of a broken sword formed into an ’X’ shape. That nervousness returned two-fold, however, when a hooded figure leaning against the doorframe spoke.
"The tavern’s closed," the cloaked figure said, looking even more ominous as a cloud of mist formed around his head when his hot breath met the cold air. "I don’t want trouble, but the owner’s paid me well to keep it away," the man said, pulling his cloak back just enough to reveal a well-worn flail hanging from his belt.
"No, um, I’m sure this is the right place," Cadeyrn stammered, only to be cut off by the opening of the carriage door and Lord Liam’s familiar voice.
"Sir Carwyn!" Liam greeted the cloaked figure warmly as he emerged from the carriage. "I thought you’d be at home with your family in Raek. What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you," the young knight at the door said, pulling his hood back to reveal a handsome, youthful face with a wide smile and a nose that had turned ever so slightly red in the cold. "Took your time about crossing the river, didn’t you? I’ve been out here waiting long enough for my boots to grow moss. Where’s Sir Ollie?" Carwyn asked.
"Here," Ollie said as he eased himself out of the carriage. He moved slowly and stiffly after several hours in the carriage, and his complexion was pale enough that he could almost be mistaken for one of the vampires of the Vale of Mists, but he stood up straight and tall as soon as his boots reached the cobbles of the street.
"Let me give you a hand," Liam said, quickly stepping up next to Ollie to offer the young witch a shoulder to lean on. "Sir Carwyn, we have a few guests with us," the young lord said, gesturing to the carriage where Cadeyrn had descended from the driver’s seat in order to help his sister, Morwen, and Lady Eira out of the carriage.
"They know who’s waiting for us, and Lady Morwen has been caring for Sir Ollie on the ride," Liam explained briefly. "We can send them back if need be, but they’d both rest easier if they were able to see Sir Ollie safely settled, and if her Dominion needs help watching over him tonight, or with anything else..." he said, leaving the rest unsaid when he saw the other knight’s brow furrow.
"It might not be the best time to meet with..." Carwyn started, only to be interrupted by a soft, feminine voice from within the tavern.
"Let them in, Sir Carwyn," Ashlynn said. "Stop making Ollie wait in the cold."
"Well," Carwyn said a touch awkwardly. "Go on in, I’ll get your carriage tucked away," he said, pausing a moment as he stepped next to Ollie. "She’s been fretting over you all day," he whispered to the younger knight. "I don’t know what happened, but remember, there are only two things a woman wants to hear when she’s that aggrieved," the older knight said.
"The first thing you need to say is ’I’m sorry’," Carwyn advised. "And the second one is ’It’s all my fault.’ After that, take what’s coming to you like a knight, and you won’t find yourself thrown back out in the cold," he said, giving Ollie a solid clap on the shoulder before moving on to lead the horses toward the carriage house behind the tavern.
Inside the tavern, the first thing that struck the group of young people was the warmth of the common room. Roaring fires burned in the hearths at each end of the common room, providing not only relief from the biting winter chill but a soft golden light that threw dancing shadows across the walls.
The second thing they noticed was the fragrant aroma of half a dozen different dishes that covered the tavern’s bar like a buffet. Everything from spiced, roasted nuts to salads of winter greens, loaves of bread that looked freshly baked, along with savory and sweet hand pies and steaming bowls of hearty soup, had been laid out as if they’d arrived at a feast.
But once they got over the immediate rush of warm air and the scent of a hearty meal, their eyes were drawn to the woman who stood up from her seat at the bar as they entered.
She was dressed simply, wearing loose skirts and a poet-sleeved blouse that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a tavern maid or a village housewife, but there was no mistaking the regal bearing with which she moved or the sense of power that radiated from her emerald eyes as she crossed the stained tavern floor.
"My lady," Ollie said formally as he stepped away from Liam to lower himself to one knee, using his right hand to place the tips of his fingers over his heart as he bowed his head low. "I’m sorry for worrying you," he said, and the words weren’t an empty platitude but a sincere statement of guilt that came from the depths of his heart.
"It’s all my fault," he added, meaning those words just as much, before a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "But it was worth it," he added, looking up to meet Ashlynn’s tear-filled gaze at last. "The Dunns have agreed to join with us!"
