May 15th, 1273

The day bloomed bright and hot and beautiful. It was never a more beautiful May, nor in times to come would it ever be.  It seemed so traitorous to Adora. The most beautiful May, and so few to enjoy it. Everything felt traitorous to Adora these days. Being alive, felt traitorous to those who died of the plague. Being married at twelve years old felt traitorous to her father and mother…She did not even feel twelve years old. She felt like she had lived for 100 years and seen everything and yet nothing at all. She was twelve and she had seen death and fear. She wished she were a carefree, spoiled twelve year old girl with new dresses and jewelry. She did not want to be married so soon. Her cousins thought that he married her simply to gain her lands. She wondered if they were right.

Days like this were meant to be spent on High Street, listening to the fishwives shouting over the dull drones of the people, smelling the bakery scents wafting over the hot still air, and seeing the sheen of the luxurious fabrics gleaming in the sunlight. On this morn, absent of the downtown market, Adora had desired to spend her little spare time in the overgrown and untidy garden. Since the death of the Rahn servants and her mother, the herbs, flowers and vegetables had not been tended to. If Adora had to work, the garden would not be the worst place. Her husband—it was so awkward to think of Harald the Lank in those terms—trounced around the manor, pretending to work, mostly making more work for poor Ray and his family.  The arrival of her cousins Electra and Eirik, and their little daughter had squashed her small morning plans. Visitors were rare, and hospitality was required. Even if the guests were as tiresome as Electra often was.

Adora found herself in the sitting room, dressed far below her station–though, she didn’t care, or so she told herself, attending to Electra half-heartedly.  She found herself staring sadly into the empty fireplace while holding Electra’s daughter, Adaladie.

“Oh, Ray,” Electra giggled. “Did you forget to breathe again?”

Ray stood in the corner, staring at something only he saw. His mouth was slightly agape, and his expression rather blank. His posture was slack, and Adora sometimes feared he would drag his knuckles on the ground. When she was younger and crueler, she would tease Ray mercilessly over his apparent stupidity. Time proved, his loyalty. Her father was right–the loyalty of a Rahn was forever, once won.

Adora groaned inwardly and looked towards Electra. “You stop teasing him!” she cried.

Electra turned her sharp eyes from poor Ray, whose vacant eyes stared into the fire, to Adora’s small form. Electra’s cold, colorless gaze moved up and down Adora’s body, taking in her dress, her headrail, and her shoes. Adora shifted the baby on her hip, higher up, the better to hold her and lifted her chin defiantly. No one, not  even her husband, was allowed to criticize Ray. She stared into Electra’s sweet looking eyes, wishing she was the snake that she sounded like. If Electra was a true snake, she would cut the woman down. Adora carefully placed baby Ada on the floor as Electra stood.

“Why are you dressed like a lowly Rahn, cousin?” Electra turned her tongue from Ray unto Adora.

“Because my tailor is taking a leisurely trip to Joule,” Adora said sarcastically. Electra gasped in horror.

“Eirik! Eirik! Do you hear your cousin’s blasphemies? Give me my baby before your fill her head with nonsense!” Electra snapped. She yanked baby Ada, who, at 3 was no longer a baby, up from the floor.

“Joule!” Yelled out Ada in gleeful response. Her mother gasped.

“Filth in my baby’s mouth! Eirik!” Electra cried for her own husband.

The men looked up from the table, frowning at the women. Adora saw the books and papers upon the table. She scanned her husbands face for even a hint of what was upon the scrolls, but as ever, his face was carefully wiped of emotions. He stared back at her, unabashed. Eirik on the other hand wore his emotions upon his face. He was clearly annoyed at the chattering of the women. Electra stared outraged at her husband, clearly hoping he would chastise Adora.

“Eirik,” her husband said, glancing over at the irritated man, hoping to avoid a fight between Eirik and Adora. “Let us go into the hall.”

“Husband,” Adora said, nearly choking upon the word, her heart beginning to race a little. She licked her lips and began again. “Husband. There will be no need. I apologize to you and to cousin Eletctra.”

“Thank you…..wife,” her husband said, not missing her hesitation. He gestured to the books and the men turned back again. Adora was dying to know exactly what was upon the scrolls, but her husband would never tell her.

Electra smirked and patted baby Ada on the back. Adora flopped on the sofa, staring again into the empty fireplace.

The only sounds in the room were the sounds of Ray breathing heavily through his mouth, the scrolls sliding with ease over the table, the vicious thumping upon Ada’s back and hooves of a horse in the distance. Adora shot up, as  her husband and Eirik stood. Even Ray stood a little straighter and closed his mouth. Electra reached over to Adora, her light clear eyes round with luminous fear. Adora grasped the womans hand.

“Wait here. Do not follow. If we are not back in quarter of an hour, Ray, take them to the big castle,” her husband said and left the sitting room with Eirik in tow.

A lump formed in her throat, and she stepped forward. She strained to listen for the sounds of steel on steel, of men shouting oaths, of cursing. She heard nothing. Adora turned to look back at Electra, who was now occupying the  same corner as Ray, holding baby Ada as close to her heart as possible. She turned towards the door, waiting…As the minutes passed, her heart would thump out of her chest, or so she believed. Her husband was out there….Her husband…They had been married for merely 4 weeks. She had only had him for 4 weeks. It was an odd thing, being twelve years old and  having a husband already. It both excited her and filled her with dread. She was only just learning that he hated the feeling of seams on his toes, that he hated cold water in the morning and that he hated hard rancid cheese or that he loved to tickle her awake, that he loved honey cakes or that he loved to read a good book. Four weeks was hardly enough time. They were only beginning, she could not lose him now. She would not be a wife and widow at twelve.

Another few minutes passed before the door creaked open, causing Adora to jump back. A few moments passed before she realized she was staring into the face of her other cousin, John-Richard. She whooped with glee, all the fearful feelings floating away.

“Sir John-Richard!” She said formally while informally throwing her arms about his neck.

“Lady Adora!” He laughed back and swung her in his arms.

Her husband and Eirik followed Richard into the sitting room. Electra put baby Ada on the floor and came forth, a little shyly. Adora found her husbands eyes and she gave him a small smile, which was returned. The pounding of her heart began to subside. It was only Richard, nothing bad!

“Lady Electra!” Richard smiled and pulled Electra in for a quick kiss.

“How is Lady Isolde?” Electra asked with a small smile, guiding him towards the sofa. Adora narrowed her eyes, she was  hostess. It was her job, so she put herself on Richards other arm and guided him towards the other end of the sofa.

He smiled lightly and sat graciously in the middle. Baby Ada smiled and waved shyly up at him, looking extraordinarily like her mother. Richard smiled and waved back.

“I’m afraid she is quite unwell,” Richard said slowly, staring at the fireplace.

“Whatever is the matter with her?” Electra asked, seating herself at his side. Adora frowned and sat at his other side. Behind her, she heard the snort of her husband.

Richard turned to look at her slowly. He stared at Electra for a while before dropping his gaze.

“Richard,” Adora said. “You don’t have to share. It’s enough to know she’s sick.”

“She’s not just sick. I’m afraid she’s dying. She has a horrible cough, she cannot keep food in her belly, she has no strength, except to lay in bed all day. She was attacked by a wolf and that  drained what little strength she had. My wife…..” he trailed off and Adora grasped his wrist. She turned to her husband, who stood behind Richard, a hand clapped on his shoulder. His normally masked face was twisted in pain.

“Our servant woman, Bri, is rather adept with herbs. Perhaps she can help,” her husband said quietly, looking down at Richard with knowing eyes.

Of course….Her husbands first wife died of a wasting disease. Adora watched as he arranged his face into a blank expression again. She wished he would talk about her, but it wasn’t fitting, and she did not care to ask. She turned back to Richard.

“Thank you. I came to not only ask a favor of you, but to…” Richard lost his thought again and sighed into the fireplace. “I was hoping Adora would come keep Isolde company. And you too Electra. There is that and…We have been invited to the Royal castle.”

Adora turned to her husband.

“What does that mean?” Adora asked. Five pairs of eyes trained on him.

“It means,” he said grimly. “We’ve been summoned.”

A knowing look was exchanged by the men, while the women looked at each other in confusion. The room was silent except for Ray’s mouth breathing.