Free Don't Forget to Dream by Kathryn Ling

replied, still unsettled.
    “ Ah, ” Lady Emelia sighed in realisation, “ have you been in the great hall yet? ”
    “ No my lady, ” Rhyla replied a little embarrassed.
    “ How silly of me, of course you haven ’ t. That is my fault for choosing to dine in the quiet of my rooms or the women ’ s ’ hall. The great hall gets so noisy with all those men in it. No wonder you are a little unsettled. It is certainly nothing to be concerned about. Really it is just a huge room with lots of tables and a space in the middle, for dancing on nights such as this, ” Lady Emelia said thinking she was comforting her young companion.
    “ Dancing, ” Rhyla nearly whispered. A dozen dreadful thoug hts fluttered across her mind. She could just imagine a ll the beautiful court ladies in their fine gowns gracefully dancing with their handsome partners while she made an absolute fool of herself in an old worn dress. Her simple dance steps would appear clumsy in comparison. Would she have any idea of how to dance those complicated steps? There was little chance of the Royal Court doing the Ploughman ’ s Peal or the Cart and Mare, favourites in Bendarin. It would be better to be the only girl left sitting in the corner than to make such a spectacle. Perhaps she could make her excuses and retire before the dancing began. That was the best plan.
    “ Feasts are always followed by dancing Rhyla, ” Lady Emelia continued as Rhyla ’ s fears fought to overturn the calm her sensible solution should be providing. “ I wonder who shall be the first to ask you to dance. There are obviously many eligible young men in the Palace, but I doubt you have had time to get to know many. Although I am sure they have been noticing you. ”
    Rhyla felt her cheeks flush and then begin to burn with every new sentence that left her mistresses lips . She held onto her escape plan. There would be no possibility of humiliating herself if she just avoided the entire situation. Lady Emelia mistook the glow in her cheeks as no more than a simple case of nerves and continued chatting away merrily, very enthusiastic regarding the upcoming celebrations.
    “ I shall have Mistress O ’ Mara seat you at her table so you are not too far from me if I have need of you. Not that I am expecting to call on you, but it would be better than leaving you at the far end of the hall near those young guards. They should be on their best behaviour but you never know when young men get too much ale into them. As you are not of noble birth I cannot have you placed any higher up the hall and it would be good for you to socialise with the other senior servitors of the household. I have been meaning to introduce you to Master Smythe, Liam ’ s scribe , who i s overseer of the royal library. I am sure you shall have much to talk about. He is getting on in years but any chance to talk about his books has him prattling away. ”
    Rhyl a thoughts remained in the past. S he remembered the few feasts she had been to in Bendarin. They were mostly the annual celebrations of t he summer and winter solstice, A ll Saints day and the occasional wedding that brought the town and local farmers together. She had never been shy about dancing there, but then she had known all the lads her entire life and generally she was the better dancer, but that would not be the case in the Palace. She was only half listening to Lady Emelia as her thoughts wandered into memories and away from the upcoming events.
    “ I think we should take a little break and walk down to the great hall, ” the Lady finally decided, effectively regaining Rhyla ’ s attention.
    “ What. Go down there now? ”
    “ It should be fairly quiet at this time of the day. It gets busier as the noon meal time approaches but I expect few to be there but a maid or two. ”
    Rhyla still felt uncomfortable at not helping with the domestic work, of which there was a significant amount to be done in such a large building with so many