The Lady and the Prince

Elizabeth pulled small- and medium-sized dead tree limbs out from under the long yellowed grass in a narrow strip of woodland and left them in a row in the adjacent fallow field. Gramp and Gilbert were working a half mile away in the tiny woodlot they still owned, cutting down a big tree that had been killed by lightning last spring. She could hear the steady chunk! of Jamie’s ax back at the house as he cut up what he was brought, and Charlie was there too, breaking up small branches for kindling and stacking wood neatly on the woodpile. There had been a light snow overnight, and they knew they had to get in as much wood as possible quickly.

Where she was working had once been part of the Stratton barony, but the field and woods had gone to the Crown for taxes some years back. Taking dead wood from it was legal as well as hunting small animals like squirrel, rabbit, fox, and birds. But it was too far from the neighbors for anyone else to bother with it, so their family still had limited use of it even though they no longer owned it. The field on the far side of the strip of woodland had gone for taxes in a previous generation, and lay unused as well.

She stopped for a moment to rest. She was sweating under her heavy brown cloak, hat, scarf, and gloves, but she knew if she took anything off she would be quickly chilled. A few birds flitted through the leafless trees, but only those that would winter over; the rest had flown south. She turned back to survey her line of branches, wondering if she should continue up the wood line or drag some more back to Jamie.

Elizabeth noticed movement on the road, two horsemen, but she couldn’t make out who they were at that distance. Were they looking her way? She gave a tentative wave; they were probably neighbors, even if she couldn’t identify them yet. They turned off the road and started trotting toward her over the field, still mostly white with a thin layer of snow, although a few patches had melted in the late morning sun.

Suddenly one called out to the other, and they spurred their horses and drew swords. Elizabeth realized she didn’t know them at all. Her heart pounding, she started running up the field away from them, but knew they would catch her easily there so she swerved into the wooded area. She screamed, “Help!” over and over, but she was sure she was too far away for anyone to hear. And what could anyone do against armed men?

She ran, dodging around bushes and sleeping saplings, leaping small deadfalls and praying she didn’t land badly and twist an ankle. Who were they? Why were they after her? One of the men had come into the woodlot trailing her, but wasn’t gaining on her much as he maneuvered his horse through the obstacles. The other had kept to the field and was easily pacing her.

Elizabeth was breathing hard, but not winded yet. All the physical work she had done over the years was standing her in good stead. But the strip of woods was too narrow here to get out of their sight. She had to get farther up where the wooded area widened and eventually ran unbroken across the end of the fields.

Her scarf caught on a branch. She tossed it off, aware she had already lost her hat. The bright blue and green set had been gifts from her friends last Year End, but she couldn’t think of that now. The wooded strip was wider here, and she veered toward the far field, luring the rider behind her toward it.

He took the bait and rode out into the field where it would be easier for his horse, and Elizabeth immediately swung back into the woods, running toward the middle where she would be out of sight for a few moments anyway. She realized that the only bright-colored clothing she had been wearing was the hat and scarf. Her brown cloak, gray dress, and tan leather gloves blended well with her surroundings.

The frightened young woman knew she would never outrun the men on horses. She needed to hide, but where? They would expect her to run further into the woods or hide where she was, so she ran back the way she had come, putting as many trees and bushes between her and her pursuers as she could.

There was an area she had run past with several large downed trees, and she headed for that. She spied the one she had remembered, its roots up in the air and a hollow where they had pulled free of the earth. Elizabeth jumped down into the hollow and looked back to make sure she couldn’t be seen and realized her footprints were plain in the unbroken snow in the shaded depression.

In the area she had run through, the trees, bushes, and lumps of grass had broken up the snow, and the sun was starting to melt it as well. But she had undoubtedly left the occasional footprint. She could only hope the men were city bred and wouldn’t think of tracking her. The young woman grabbed a broken branch with a few dead leaves on it and brushed the snow behind her in the hollow. It didn’t look natural, but her footsteps were obscured.

She could hear their voices; they were searching for her. Elizabeth crawled in under the roots and pushed herself as far back as she could, putting the broken branch between her and the opening. She huddled herself into a shapeless lump and hid her face.

One man swore and the other called, “She has to be here. I’m sure she didn’t get into the woods proper.” She heard the horses get close, crackling through branches and their heavy hooves thumping past. But not very far past, and they turned and came back, passing again the other way.

Then she heard a voice she recognized. From a distance Gramp called, “You there, what are you doing?” in his lord-of-the-manor voice. Elizabeth laid absolutely still, tears forming in her eyes at the thought of the men using their swords on him. Even if he had his ax with him, he would be no match for two mounted armed men.

But she heard a horse whinny and then the two sets of hoof beats heading off across the far field and fading from her hearing. She stayed where she was; they might still be in sight and just waiting for her to emerge so they could ride back and kill both of them.

She heard Gilbert’s voice too, and then Gramp from nearby called, “Elizabeth! You’re safe, honey. They’re gone. Come out, please!”

Disheveled and dirty, she crawled out from her hole and scrambled up out of the hollow and threw herself into her grandfather’s arms. He held her tight for a moment, but then released her while Gilbert hovered protectively.

“Who were those men, Elizabeth? Where did they come from?”

“I don’t know, Gramp. They were on the road, they saw me, and they drew their swords and chased me. I don’t know why they did it, I don’t know.”

“It’s all right, you’re safe now. Let’s go back to the house and get you warmed up.”

“Oh, my hat and scarf . . .” Elizabeth said in a small voice, looking back at the woods as they started for the house.

“I’ll find ’em,” Gilbert volunteered as he trudged back, following the trail of churned ground and snow left by the horses easily enough.

Back at the house, Gramp brought the boys in too. In the kitchen, Mildred made them tea and put a bit of honey in hers. The boys listened with big eyes as they all sat in the kitchen and the shaken young woman told again what had happened. Gilbert came in shortly with her hat and scarf. The hat was undamaged and just had a little dried grass stuck to it that was easily removed. The knit scarf had a hole in it, and Elizabeth tied off the broken strands so it wouldn’t unravel more, but there was no repairing the damage. She was sorry about it, but glad it was only the scarf with a hole in it and not her or Gramp.

When the tea was mostly drunk, Gramp said, “Everyone, listen. We all know my granddaughter is a candidate to marry Prince Henry, and I suspect that’s what caused this. The other girls have fathers, brothers, servants, and even guards to protect them, but she doesn’t, and someone knows that and decided to eliminate some of the competition.”

Jamie said loyally, “Elizabeth has brothers. We’ll protect her.”

To Elizabeth’s surprise, Gramp agreed. “Yes, we’ll all protect her. None of us is capable of fighting a man in his prime.” He silenced Jamie’s objection with a look. “But we can keep her close to the house and where she can’t be seen by passersby on the road. That means that the rest of us have to do her chores like bringing in the wood she pulled out and anything that would take her away from the shelter of the house.”

“We can go get the wood,” Charlie volunteered. Gramp didn’t like the idea of the boys being that far away by themselves either, but Gilbert said, “Oh, I’ll fetch it. You boys keep chopping.” He had been with the family for decades and could read the baron far better than any book.

The men went back to getting in the wood, and Elizabeth stayed inside and helped Mildred with dinner, although there wasn’t much to do. There were plenty of bread rolls left from breakfast, and Mildred had a potato and onion soup simmering. After dinner Elizabeth tried to give the boys an arithmetic lesson, but they were all tired and distracted, and the whole family turned in early. That night she woke up twice from bad dreams, but she knew those would fade in time. After all, those men hadn’t caught her.

Elizabeth didn’t care much for the restriction to the house and the immediate area, but she had cared a great deal less for being chased through the woods by armed men. She took over some of Jamie’s and Charlie’s house chores whenever they had to go out in her place, so the boys didn’t mind too much.

Every time Elizabeth looked at the diminishing larder, she wished very hard that she would be chosen. They had a good stock of flour, two sacks of potatoes and one of onions, two winter squash, and a few wizened apples left. Early mornings Gramp and the boys took their bows and hunted, and Gilbert set a few snares just in case a rabbit might happen by. She knew they would survive the winter, but if they had to use the money Gramp had saved for the taxes to buy food, she didn’t know what would happen.

The cold deepened and the snow was piled high by the time a horseman came up the drive, and everyone scrambled to the entry hall, banding together just in case. But it soon became apparent that the man wore Duke Aggradon’s livery, although it was mostly hidden beneath his heavy cloak.

He dismounted and carefully came up the front steps. Charlie swept them every time it snowed, so they were clear but a little icy. He was a middle-aged man and, though a servant, had an air of authority about him. Gilbert opened the door as he reached it and ushered the man in. He tapped the snow off his hat and stamped his feet outside before he entered.

He made a graceful bow to Gramp and said, “Baron Stratton, sir, his Grace the Duke has sent me to you with this message and package and wants me to wait for a reply.”

Gramp took the thin envelope and small box and said politely, “Would you wait in the kitchen? I’m sure Mildred can give you something to warm you up.”

The man nodded gratefully, and everyone went to the kitchen except Gramp and Elizabeth. He motioned for her to follow him to his office.

Gramp sat down at his small desk in the cramped room, and Elizabeth sat in the one chair in front of the desk. Gramp opened and read the letter, set it down where she couldn’t really see it, and opened the box. Inside the box was a heavy purse.

Gramp opened the purse and spilled gold pieces across his desk and started chuckling. “I guess we’re going to have a princess in the family.”

“Oh, Gramp, really? They picked me?”

“They did. The duke’s letter said the prince chose you himself from your sketch. One of the other candidates was the daughter of a member of the Council, so the final decision took some time, but eventually you won out. This pouch of a hundred gold pieces is the first month’s payment on your bride price.”

Elizabeth could hardly believe it, and she was so happy she just couldn’t smile wide enough to express herself. And the prince chose her himself? Maybe there was a chance for a love match after all. Perhaps all her dreams really would come true.

Gramp went on. “We are invited to Duke Aggradon’s castle in two weeks for dinner and the official signing of the marriage contract.”

“Oh, but I haven’t anything to wear,” Elizabeth wailed and then caught herself. They had a hundred gold pieces—one was more than most of the local people would earn in a year. She smiled again. “Gramp, I think we need to go shopping.”

He laughed. “We do indeed, and we’ll have to make a list first. We only have two weeks, and the boys need clothes too, and for that matter so do I. And we need food, and we’ll have to hire transportation, and we can start to pay Mildred and Gilbert their back wages, and—”

“Gramp, shouldn’t you be writing back to the duke accepting his invitation?”

Gramp nodded and reached for his pen, while Elizabeth went to the kitchen to give everyone the good news. They didn’t have much to celebrate with, but Mildred became generous with the last of the honey. Gramp came in shortly to claim his share and give the duke’s man a return letter. Once he had left, everyone began excitedly talking about what they should buy.

In the end, Gramp let Jamie ride Billy to Agatha Marham’s to give her family the news and ask for the loan of a conveyance big enough for the whole family that could make it through the snowy roads.

Her response was enthusiastic; she and Christine would both come with their carriages the following day and take them into Trentown for real shopping. The local village simply wouldn’t do for the quality of clothing they would need to visit a duke, and they could get everything there, unlike the local village that had little in the way of goods to offer in winter.

The two carriages that rolled up the next day were large, high, and pulled by four horses each. Gramp and the boys were relegated to one, while Agatha, Christine, and Elizabeth rode in the other so they could discuss dresses, underthings, shoes, and everything a lady of fashion should have.

The day was long and exhausting. After a slow drive through snowy and slippery roads, they arrived in the bustling town and headed for the stores. Tailors worked measuring and outfitting the males, while the women went through hat shops, dress shops, and accessory stores, with all of them meeting again to have their feet measured for sturdy leather boots, dress shoes for the men, and dress shoes for Elizabeth. Gramp and the boys just needed one pair each of the formal footwear, but she needed shoes to match each of the fabric swatches obtained from the dressmakers. And then they had to go back to the hat shops to ensure the hats and parasols would match as well.

They went to a jewelry store, but Elizabeth was very careful and selected just a few inexpensive items to go with her new outfits. She knew all the clothes she had ordered would be thirty gold at least, and the men’s clothing would be a few more too. And they had yet to buy food and other necessities.

They returned home with the carriages loaded with packages and more to be delivered. Boxes of food rode on the roofs, and oats and a new blanket for Billy were crammed on one seat next to the driver. They had hired two new servants as well—a man to assist Gilbert with the heavy work and a maid to take over most of Elizabeth’s duties. They would be arriving in a few days, along with the ordered shoes and clothing.

Gramp had also asked after a tutor, but decided to wait until after the Year End celebration to hire anyone. By then they would have more of the house open and furnished. They stopped late in the local village and ordered some simple furniture and rugs for the new servants’ rooms. Gramp said there was no point paying city prices, and the local woodworker was quite competent and had most of what they needed on hand.

When they got home, they were exhausted. The boys just dropped their packages in their rooms, ate their dinners, and went to bed. Gramp and Elizabeth helped unload and store the food and their own packages, but soon followed suit. For the first time since she had been chased, Elizabeth slept through the night with no bad dreams.

The following day there were visits from the neighbors; word got around quickly. Gramp hired a man who lived nearby and had four grown sons and a large woodlot to provide wood for the rest of the winter and the use of his wagon whenever they needed more supplies. He also hired Abigail, a young woman from the village with no family of her own, to begin cleaning the closed portions of the house starting with three small rooms for her and the other two new servants. Gramp turned down numerous offers, but noted names, skills, and offered services that could be needed in the future.

When the furniture was delivered, Gramp ordered another set, much to the local man’s delight; he had never had this much winter business before. Packages from Trentown arrived daily. The two new servants arrived, and the man, Danny, went out and started clearing the whole drive of snow, a job Gilbert simply couldn’t do at his age. Tessie unpacked and then did the laundry and gave Mildred a list of additional cleaning supplies she would need.

Mildred and Gilbert suddenly found themselves in charge of a staff. Gilbert wasn’t someone who cared to give anyone orders, but Danny was a man who saw something that needed doing and just did it. Mildred, on the other hand, organized her two girls into a whirlwind of cleaning and organization that left Elizabeth little to do.

It was enjoyable at first to just do a little mending and throw out anything too badly worn or damaged. She had time to read books, some of which she hadn’t looked at in ages, and time to try on all her new outfits. But soon she missed the physical activity and the sense of being needed. Elizabeth told herself she wasn’t going to be doing laundry or beating the rugs when she moved to the palace, so she had just better get used to it. The boys didn’t mind being released from most of their chores one bit.

The day they were to dine with the duke, they ate a light lunch and then carefully dressed in their new finery. The morning had been sunny, and the drive and front steps were clean and dry, so not even their shoes got very dirty before they climbed into the duke’s coach. The drive was bumpy but not jarring, and they arrived in good spirits.

If Duke Aggradon had been a different man, Elizabeth would have been nervous, even frightened of attending his dinner, but he had always been kind. She knew if she made a mistake in etiquette, he would be sure not to notice.

The duke and duchess and their three adult children welcomed the Strattons. Baron Stratton went off with the duke to take care of the business of the contract, while the rest chatted amiably.

At dinner, one of the duke’s daughters revealed a knack for telling silly stories and kept Jamie and Charlie relaxed and giggling through the lavish multicourse meal. Elizabeth found the complicated place settings a bit daunting, but she and the boys imitated Gramp, who kept an eye on the duke, and they got through it without any fuss.

It was late by the time the dinner was over. The duke gave Gramp a copy of the contract already signed by the king, and Elizabeth got her sleepy brothers into the carriage. On the ride home, Gramp summarized the terms for her.

“While you and the prince are engaged, we get one hundred gold pieces a month, and so do you, although you won’t receive yours until you reach the palace. We have also been given a three-year remission of taxes, and the Crown has returned twenty acres of land to the barony. Of course that’s only a tiny portion of the original grant, but I hope to buy back acreage as I can.”

“How long are we to be engaged before we marry?” Elizabeth asked.

“The wedding is planned for next winter. You’re young, there’s no rush is there?”

“No, there’s no rush, Gramp. I’m glad I’ll have time to get to know him first. I hope he’s nice.”

“Oh, he’s a prince. I expect he’ll be nice, especially to a beautiful girl like you. Now, when you marry, your allowance doubles to two hundred a month, there will be a payment of five thousand gold to the barony and the return of another one hundred acres. That should be enough to start the horse farm the following spring. We’ll have to upgrade the barn, of course, but the engagement payments will take care of that handily.”

“What about visits? Will I be able to come home for visits?”

“The contract doesn’t specify yes or no, so you should be able to do as you please. But don’t leave your prince alone, bring him along, all right? I’d like to meet a real prince, especially the one that’s going to be your husband.”

“All right, I will. And we could throw a ball so I can show him off to everyone, couldn’t we?” Let Miriam Radley be jealous for a change.

“Of course, I’ll make sure the ballroom is ready whenever you are. Now, there is a provision about children. They will be separate from the rest of the family. They cannot inherit from us, and we cannot inherit from them. Sensible, since one of them might end up being king. Also, every child produced by the marriage will bring to the barony a payment of five hundred gold, one thousand gold for the first boy. But don’t feel obligated to have a huge family. We’ll have plenty of money just from the wedding.”

“So I needn’t have them by the dozens?”

Gramp laughed. “Oh, no, six or eight should be enough.”

Elizabeth became serious again. “When do I have to go? If the wedding isn’t for a year, I shouldn’t have to leave right away.”

“Spring, when the roads are better. Three months, more or less, a messenger will bring word. Which reminds me, we had better buy some trunks so you can carry all those new dresses.”

When they arrived home, both boys were fast asleep. She and Gramp carried them to their room and put them to bed.

“I’m going to miss them, the little imps. And you too, Gramp.” Elizabeth hugged her grandfather, who hugged her back and said, “We’ll miss you too, but you’re doing more for this family by going than anyone has for a very long time. It’s a sacrifice on both sides because we’ll lose you just like you’ll lose us, but it’s worth it. Just remember that—it’s worth it.”

The time dragged by for Elizabeth, who took up decorative stitching and had Gramp tutor her in the little Franckish he knew. After all, she hadn’t been asked if she could speak the language for nothing. But there was no one else in the village who could speak the language at all, and her friends really didn’t understand why she would want to learn something that seemed useless to them. But they did decorative stitching too, so Elizabeth spent some happy afternoons sewing with her friends. Other girls that had ignored her before invited her to parties and outings, but now she ignored them.

When the messenger finally came, it seemed as if the few months since Year End had flown by. Elizabeth didn’t feel at all ready as she packed her trunks. She wasn’t sure she could actually make herself go when the huge ornate black carriage came up the muddy drive accompanied by two mounted soldiers in front and four behind.

Baron Greenway stepped down out of the carriage and assisted a middle-aged woman severely dressed in black to descend. They came up the front steps, and Gilbert let them into the foyer. He’d taken on helping more in the house, being a poorly trained but enthusiastic butler.

Baron Greenway introduced her as Lady Chatsworth, a widow who would accompany Elizabeth on her journey to the capital to ensure there was no hint of impropriety. The sour-faced woman said, “It’s an honor to meet you, my dear. Just let me guide you through this time in your life. All will be well if you follow my instructions to the letter.”

Elizabeth smiled weakly, not liking the implication that she should just do as she was told as if she had no mind of her own or ability to make good decisions. Well, it was only for the journey.

The soldiers had dismounted and were resting their mounts as the footmen from the carriage loaded her luggage. One of the guards, an officer from the amount of gold braid on his shoulders, came up to her and bowed.

“Lady Elizabeth, I am Captain Stone. I and my men will see that you arrive safely at the palace. If there is anything you need, simply let us know.”

“Thank you very much, Captain,” was all Elizabeth had time to say before he bowed and returned to his horse. He and his men mounted, and she realized her luggage was all loaded. Baron Greenway and Lady Chatsworth were waiting for her to get into the carriage.

Elizabeth turned to her family and hugged her brothers. Charlie snuffled unashamedly, while Jamie blinked rapidly and unobtrusively wiped a sleeve across his damp eyes. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth, that I can’t do division better,” he mumbled as she hugged him again.

“It doesn’t matter a bit. I love you whether or not you ever get a division problem right. But I know you will, Jamie, you’re a bright boy. Take care of Charlie and Gramp, all right?”

“I will,” he managed to choke out.

Elizabeth turned to Gramp. He gave her his imperious baron look. “Make me proud, girl—no, Lady Elizabeth. Be the great lady you were always meant to be.”

“I’ll do my best.” Their eyes met for a moment, and she took strength from the proud, demanding look in his eyes. He expected her to be every inch a princess, and she was determined she would be no matter what.

She extended her hand to him, and Baron Stratton bowed over it. He let her hand go, and she swept out the door and let Baron Greenway hand her up into the carriage. Her chaperone followed and then the baron.

The carriage rumbled down the drive with a great clatter and jingle of horses and guards. Elizabeth looked back at the house once when the carriage turned on to the road, but by then the front door was closed.