Page 2 of Songs and Spun Gold
“Soundly whipping me in archery,” he said ruefully. Katy laughed at the pitiful expression on his face. “I sometimes believe that girl spends every waking moment on the archery field just to make me look ridiculous.”
Laughing, Katy replied, “Oh, surely it isn’t that bad!”
“Oh, let me assure you, it is. I would prove it to you with an account of yesterday afternoon, but I don’t want to embarrass myself by admitting to it.” His face declared that this truth made him miserable, but his eyes told a different story.
“Maybe if my little sisters show me up someday, I’ll commiserate with you,” she said lightly. “But for now, I can’t possibly relate.”
He heaved a sigh. “Ah, to be so carefree once more.”
The squeaking of the front door’s hinges announced the arrival of a harried-looking, middle-aged man in chainmail. The teenager grimaced at Katy as the man’s eyes landed on him. She hid her laughter behind her hand.
“There you are,” the man growled. “I’ve been looking all over the village for you!”
“I told you where I was going,” her visitor sighed. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling before squeezing them closed and giving his guard a mournful look. “If you ever listened to me, you would have known I was at Josef’s mill.”
The guard stomped across the small room and positioned himself beside his charge. “You said you were delivering the supply orders. Not stopping for a friendly chat.”
“I don’t know why you’re surprised,” he replied. The corners of his lips were bent down, but as usual, his eyes sparkled. “You may like to avoid human contact, but I rather enjoy it, myself.”
“If I have to—” the man began warningly.
“Message received: time to stop playing.” Turning to Katy, the young man bent low over his right arm, sweeping the left out to the side in a grand gesture. “Farewell, fair Katrin. Until next we meet.”
Katy couldn’t help the giggles that bubbled over. “Goodbye. I’ll see you next month.”
“I shall count the days,” he replied earnestly, eyes still twinkling as he straightened. He merely grinned and headed for the door when his guard grunted and motioned in that direction.
“Must you behave like you belong on a stage?” the mangrumbled as he trudged after him.
As they crossed to the door, Katy trailed slowly behind them. She knew she shouldn’t indulge herself, but he was so… She smiled softly as she pulled the door open to watch him mount his horse. The rough stone dug into her shoulder as she leaned against the doorframe, but she didn’t mind. Her friends were right, she decided, one corner of her mouth pulling up farther; she might not be able to have him, but she could still look.
He glanced over his shoulder and caught her before she could slip out of sight. His face had been almost serious for once, his lips unusually straight and his eyes… If she didn’t know better, she would have called them sad. But then his lips twitched into a cocky smile, and he raised one hand in a cheeky farewell. Squeezing his horse’s flanks, he trotted off after his guardsman.
“One of his fans, are you?” a male voice asked from beside her.
Jumping to the other side of the doorway, Katy spun to face the tall stranger. He was standing just outside the mill, the sun reflecting off his short, red hair like a flame. Despite the heat, he was wrapped in a long, black cloak. A pair of black, leather boots poked out underneath. He looked about her father’s age.
“Something wrong?” he said, his tone slightly mocking.
Katy placed a hand on her still-racing heart. “No, you startled me, that’s all.” She stepped inside the mill, then stopped and looked back at him. “Can I help you with something?”
“No,” he replied. Scanning her with his piercing green eyes, he continued, “But maybe I can help you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I doubt that. You’re not from around here, and I have no money to waste on a peddler’s goods.”
“You fancy that young man.” He repeated his observation with a grin. “It’s written all over your face.”
“Every girl in all of Ralnor fancies him,” she said, brushing away his comment with a laugh. “It’s common knowledge. What girl wouldn’t?”
“Ah, but not every one of them has actually spoken with him.”
“Of course not,” Katy laughed again. Her eyes danced merrily. “That would be impossible. Can you imagine how long it would take to visit every town and village in the kingdom, let alonespeakto every young woman?”
The man smirked and crossed his arms, revealing a simple, white sleeve. “Yes, but how many does he greet by name? I assure you, it is a select club to which you belong.”
She mimicked his pose down to the smirk. “How would you know that?” she challenged. “Have you been following him around and spying on him?”
Ignoring her comment, he took a step closer. “I propose a deal. I will help you marry your entitled young man.”
