Page 55 of Lord of the Hollow Court
When the first cart halted before her, a pair of curly-coated black hounds sprung from around the side of the manor, barking excitedly. A spry sprig of an elderly fae man in a cap popped from the driver’s seat, hitting the cobbles with a little cloud of dust. The horses nickered but did not seem overly alarmed by the dogs; nor was the little man, who scratched their heads and then helped the woman—his wife, it must be—down from the cart.
Their eyes widened when they saw Katty standing between the front columns. As they approached, the man slid the cap from his head, approaching reverently with his wife. When they stood before her, they did not quite reach her waist.
He bowed, she curtsied. Katty was not sure what to do in return, and gave a replying shallow curtsy that Lula, Bibi and Rineke matched alongside her.
“We, the duly elected by the apple growers of our town of Weyland, offer our tithe.” The little fae’s mouth twitched. “Is this the new Lady of the Hollow Court?” the wife asked, cat eyes wide and white as saucers of milk.
Katty nodded, squeaking when she meant to talk. “I am.”
“And we are the first here?”
Again, Katty nodded.
The two looked at each other. Slowly, their faces split into grins.
“You mean our family is the first to bring in the tithe to the new Lady?” the man asked. He jumped up suddenly, clicking his heels. Katty involuntarily stepped back, a smile slow to follow.
The woman turned, bellowing to the next cart. Her double wings twitched at her back. “Ola! Jan! We’re the first to bring the tithe to the new Lady!” She turned back toward Katty. “This is our daughter and son by law.” She darted forward, grasping Katty’s hands. “Milady, you make a fine match for his lordship! We’re so glad to meet you on this fine day.”
“And before everyone else!” her husband echoed. He winked at Katty. “We’ve put two barrels of good cider in our cart. One is of the fermented variety, the other is not. We’ve kept them unlabeled for the joy of your ladyship’s discovery.”
Katty fumbled for words, then decided simplest was best. “Thank you.”
“You hear that, Ola? The new Lady thanks us for our tithe!”
“I hear her, mama!” Another small fae was suddenly before her, grasping Katty’s hands, her two sets of wings a whir at her back.
Though still reeling from it all, Katty found herself smiling. As the morning wore on, she found that each of these fae wished to touch her—whether her hem, her worn slippers or her hands. One four-winged fae flew up and placed a flower behind her ear.
When all was said and done, Katty’s feet were singing a brutal song, and she was left feeling unexpectedly exhausted. Lord Braam’s subjects brought in enough apples to feed the court for the next two years, with fae after fae reporting what a fine crop it was. She found it hard to disagree.
“Let’s get Misman to tap one of the cider casks,” Rineke suggested as she took Katty’s arm and helped her in.
Katty twisted her mouth. “What if it’s the fermented one?”
Bright mischief twinkled in Rineke’s eyes. “Then we’ll have a very fine afternoon indeed.”
“Followed by a very fine nap,” added Bibi.
“Layabouts, all of you,” Lula grumbled. “I’m off to see to the festivities in the gardens.”
Together, they walked the hall back to the kitchen, only to find Misman absent. No one seemed to know where he was.
“I suppose he’s a layabout, too?” Rineke teased.
But Lula shook her head. “Not him. Never him.” She raised her head, horns tipping back, and sniffed the air. “I smell trouble.”
Bibi hugged herself, plum wings fluttering. “Itisunlike his lordship to miss his duties.”
An unsettled feeling brushed Katty’s shoulders, causing them to droop. But it was gone just as quickly, replaced by exhaustion. “Should I appear at the festivities?”
“It isn’t necessary,” Lula said. “You’ve greeted them already. They’ll be less at ease with the Court’s Lady around, and the celebration’s meant to be for them to enjoy themselves.”
“Then I think I’ll have that nap now,” Katty replied.
Chapter Twenty-Six
A Well-Armed Valkyrie
