Page 45 of Songs and Spun Gold
It had been a long day, and Katy’s head was spinning, overwhelmed by the unexpected announcements of the last quarter hour. Where did she even begin? “What if—what if I don’t want to marry your son?” she finally said in a somewhat dazed tone.
“Then the debt will still be owed.”
“And—if I fail to spin gold?” she asked hesitantly. Becausethat was impossible.
“Then you will not marry my son, and the debt will still be owed,” he said flatly.
She had to make sure. “There will be no additional punishment if I try and fail?”
“No.”
Katy folded her hands together and lowered her head while she tried to think clearly. The king had set her an impossible task, and despite her initial assessment, she believed he knew it. Which made it strange that he didn’t intend to inflict further penalties on her or her family if she tried and failed – why offer the deal at all?
Was there something she was missing?
“And if I choose not to try?” she asked carefully. She raised her head enough to see his face. “Will I be free to go home, or will I remain here as your prisoner?”
“Hmm…well, now that I’ve offered a way out…” The king smirked at her. From the corner of her eye, she saw the queen’s elbow propped up again, fingers rubbing. “If you refuse to attempt the deal, I’ll have to confiscate the deed to that mill of your father’s for his treasonous words.”
As Katy’s breathing quickened, he relaxed onto one arm, giving a careless wave with the other. “You are not a prisoner, Katrin of Flussendorf. You may leave whenever you wish, whether you wander the city or return home. But unless you spin gold tonight, tomorrow night, and the next, and agree to marry my son as your reward, my steward will arrive at your home with a squad of guards at the end of the week to collect the money your father owes me. And if you leave the city before you complete the deal – or before you fail trying – the deed is mine.”
At least nothing would change as long as she tried, she reasoned. But since she knew she would fail, she had to try onemore time to find a better solution.
“There is nothing else you will accept?” she asked. She pressed her hands together to keep them from quivering like her voice. “I cannot simply spin high quality yarn for you for as long as you desire? You could have as many of my years as you like, if you will only accept it as payment and leave my family be.”
“I am not interested in a slave, nor in having a private source of yarn,” he scoffed. “Your father attempted to incite a riot in your hometown, accused me of failing my people, and claimed riches from the gold you spin. This is about nothing more, and nothing less than proving his claim will save him from the due penalty of his actions.”
“I see.” Her voice was quiet, but it carried in the empty room. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Then where do I need to be tonight?”
~
Her guard led her to a large room on an upper level of the castle. Its only furniture was a small bed pushed against one wall. Nearby sat a spinning wheel; the rest of the space was filled with more wool than she could reasonably spin in one night. Since she wouldn’t be turning it into gold, she supposed the amount was unimportant.
Setting her candle on the floor next to the spinning wheel, she removed her borrowed cloak from her shoulders. She walked back to the door and held it out to the guard. “Thank you again for the loan.”
Instead of taking it, he glanced past her. “The king has ordered your door watched while you spin, and I cannot hold it while standing guard. Keep it for the night and give it to me in the morning.”
“Are you sure?”
He gave her a sharp nod before turning to face the hallway.
“Thank you, then. Good night.”
Closing the door, she turned to survey her temporary prison again.Look on the bright side, she thought wearily.I’m back in the capital.Not that she had any hope of meeting Gunther, let alone furthering a relationship. She was going to be penniless by the end of the week. Unless a miracle occurred, in which case she would be betrothed to a complete stranger.
Neither prospect made her feel very hopeful, but at least the latter would protect her family.
Wandering to the other side of the room, she traced the position on the wall where a window might be if it were an outer wall. She’d never slept in a windowless room before. It might not be the dungeon cell that she’d feared during the journey, but she still felt trapped, especially since there was a guard outside the door.
Wrapping her borrowed cloak around herself, she curled up on the bed and allowed herself a few minutes to fall apart. She’d been torn from her home without the chance to tell her parents or sisters goodbye; they must be worried sick wondering what had happened to her. Her sisters sometimes drove her crazy, but she desperately wished to have one of them with her now. In a few days, they would be homeless because of her father’s rash words and an unpredictable king.
And if she wanted to prevent it, she had to spin this wool into gold and marry a prince she didn’t want.
Finally, she wiped the tears from her eyes, sat up, and used the hem of her dress to blow her nose since she refused to dirty the borrowed cloak. Then she pushed herself off the bed, grabbed some wool, and settled herself at the spinning wheel. If she didn’t try, the king would take the deed to the mill, which would ensure they had nothing left after paying the debt. So even though she would be spinning normal yarn, she intendedto work her way through as much as she possibly could while maintaining quality.
It wouldn’t be gold, but the king would have to admit that she had tried.
CHAPTER 12
