Free Merlin’s Song by Samantha Winston Page A

it was very plain. He stood as far in the shadows as
possible and nursed his wine.
    He’d tried, of course, to see Kyla. But the servants told
him no one was allowed to enter the main house, that the party would soon
start, and would he like some more wine?
    Not used to drinking, he tried to keep his intake down, but
with nothing to do but stroll around the gardens and try to peer into the
windows, he got bored. He accepted another glass and then stared at it. How
many did this make? He wondered if he should eat something. Servants were
putting lavish trays full of good things to eat on long tables. He saw bowls of
candied fruit and rich pastries, but the sight of such abundance made him feel
queasy. The tables were covered with long white cloths and gold candelabras.
Everywhere he looked were signs of wealth. Now the servants were lighting
candles in colored lamps hanging in trees and tucked into flowerbeds. The whole
garden looked more and more like a fairy palace. And that’s another thing that
struck him.
    Lord Fontaine was a fairy—and so were all the servants. Kyla
was among her own kind here. She must be happy. Why would she want him to
rescue her from this paradise? He drained his glass and set it down on a table.
He must be getting drunk and his thoughts had started to whirl. How could she
be happy? He missed her! He shook his head sharply to clear it. What could he
be thinking? And to top things off, he started to feel guilty about making love
to the queen.
    What was he thinking? He snagged another glass of wine from
a passing waiter and drained it. There had never been the slightest amount of
guilt before when he’d shared with his brother. So why did he suddenly hope
Kyla didn’t mind? Why should she mind? She was happily ensconced here in a
fairy castle and obviously everyone loved her.
    He swallowed the last drop of wine in his cup and decided to
make his way back to the castle. No one wanted him here. He’d better disappear
before Kyla saw him.
    * * * * *
    Kyla had been looking forward to the party. She’d been
spoiled all day by everyone. Every little whim had been granted. She’d asked
for fancy dresses, shoes, jewelry and a white horse with a silver mane and
tail. Everything had been procured. Then she’d asked for her favorite food, and
again, everything was brought to her with hardly a delay. Everyone wanted to
meet her, to hear about Hivernia and to talk about the parties at the court and
about the clothes everyone wore and what the latest songs were. She completely
forgot about the war and talked as if Hivernia still sparkled with social
events. When she realized that, she felt awful. Then she felt angry about
feeling awful. After all, it wasn’t her fault there were no more parties. And
to keep her mind off the war and the dangers her friends and family faced, she’d
thrown herself into the preparations for this party with a vengeance.
    She started to get bored with everyone treating her like a
porcelain doll though. She had the horse, but could not ride it. She had a
pool, but could only swim for a few minutes.
    “Lady Kyla!” someone would say sternly. “You mustn’t do
anything that could jeopardize your ability to bear a child. It’s time to rest.
Stop doing so much work!” It was the first time someone had ever scolded her
for working, and for some reason it irked. What was wrong with her? Just a few
weeks ago she’d been moaning and complaining because she had so much work to
do. Now she was upset because people were telling her to sit down and eat
sweets? She tried to understand her feelings, but she wasn’t one for
introspection. With a sigh, she’d looked at her wardrobe again, but it didn’t
lift her spirits.
    Perhaps the party would be fun. She’d looked forward to
dancing, and so she’d spent some time planning what to wear. That had kept her
busy until evening. Then Lord Fontaine came in and told her it was time to be
presented.
    She’d thought Lord Fontaine was an