Dennis McKiernan - Once upon a Spring morn

Some four days later they crossed into the Springwood, and with her silver horn, Celeste summoned a Sprite and asked the wee winged being to relay the message to the manor that she and the others were on their way.

Three days after, they rode onto the grounds of Springwood Manor, and waiting for them was the full staff of the estate, and elements of those from the manors of the Winterwood and Autumnwood and Summerwood. And a great cheer rose up as the cavalcade emerged from the forest and fared onto the lush green lawn.

There, too, were waiting King Valeray and Queen Saissa, and their hearts swelled and tears came into their eyes at the sight of their offspring unharmed.

As well awaited two princesses and a princess-to-be: Liaze and Camille and Lady Michelle. And as the riders came to a stop, Luc leapt from his horse and swept Liaze up in his arms, and Alain sprang down and embraced his Camille, and Borel alighted and passionately kissed Michelle.

And in that moment, Alain gave a great whoop and lifted Camille up and whirled ’round, but then gently set her down. When the others looked at him in startlement he said, “My Camille is indeed with child.” During the ball that night, in between dances and among those who stood to the side and sipped wine, stories flew and tales were exchanged, their fragments overheard in passing:

“. . and when Laurent and I came to, we were standing in a courtyard dripping wet from the raging storm above. We had been fooled by a Gorgon, you see, and had been turned to stone, and-”

“Stone?”

“Oui, but apparently when Celeste slew the Gorgon, our enchantment ended and. .”

“. . and, oh, my, you should have seen Luc battle the Red Knight, a huge man, if man he was, because when Luc defeated him, the Red Knight vanished, but his helm. .”

“. . horses were jammed together in Vicomte Chevell’s Sea Eagle, and we had to keep them calm and from bit-ing one another, and when we reached Port Cient, they were frisky upon leaving the. .”

“. . heard the sounds of conflict, and then a battle cry, and Blaise and I ran to aid whoever was in hard combat with the Changelings, only to find Roel in melee and. .”

“. . the worst part? Oh, it was the swamp. Never have I been bitten by so many. .”

“. . I think he broke it when an arrow took his horse out from under him. . ”

“. . oh, yes, but he is quite handsome, isn’t he, now? I deem Lady Avelaine is quite fortunate to have. .”

“. . and it seems we galloped all the way from Port Cient to the land of the Changelings, and when we passed through the bound, we heard the Springwood battle cry; it was the princess. .”

“. . and so, Valeray, Avelar made me a vicomte, with lands starwise of Port Mizon, though much of my time is spent aboard the Sea Eagle , escorting merchants across perilous waters and. .”

“. .ah, oui, there will be weddings, for kings have been notified-King Avelar in the case of Vicomte Chevell and Lady Avelaine, and King Valeray in the case of Princess Celeste and Roel. . oh, and of course for Liaze and Luc and Borel and Michelle-and there are banns to post and weddings to plan and a Hierophant to be acquired, and. .”

Thus did the tales and gossip and conversations go.

And dances were danced, and food and drink consumed, and lovers slipped out into the cool spring eve and embraced in the silver light of the argent full moon and kissed. . and more.

At the midnight mark, King Valeray called a halt to the music, and he took stance upon the ballroom dais, and as servants passed among the gathering and doled out goblets of wine, Valeray called for quiet, for he would make a toast to the successful quest and to those who rode thereon, and he would toast the brides- and grooms-to-be, and of course he would toast the child to be born to Alain and Camille.

But the moment that all had a goblet in hand, including the servants, of a sudden there came the sound of shuttles and looms, and before the gathering stood three women: Maiden, Mother, and Crone; the Ladies Skuld, Verdandi, and Urd; the Fates Wyrd, Lot, and Doom-one slender, her robe limned in silver; one matronly, her robe limned in gold; and one seemingly bent with age, her robe limned in black.

A gasp went up from the gathering, yet Valeray and Borel and Alain, and Luc and Roel and Chevell, all bowed, the other men in the gathering following suit; and Saissa and Liaze and Celeste and Camille and Michelle and Avelaine curtseyed, the other gathered women doing likewise.

“Mesdames, ” murmured King Valeray upon straightening.

“Valeray,” said Verdandi.

“What would you have of us?” asked the king.

Verdandi looked at Urd, and she in turn peered at Celeste among the gathering and said, “The gray arrow?”

“It is in my quarters,” said Celeste. “Shall I fetch it?

It is broken.”

Urd cackled and said, “Broken? Nay.” And with a gesture, of a sudden the arrow appeared in her hand, and even as she held it, the shaft became whole and its leaden point keen. Then she looked at it and murmured,

“Even were I to let it stay broken, still it is too deadly to remain in mortal hands.”

“Why else have you come?” asked Borel, stepping forward.

Slowly Urd turned her head toward him and canted it to one side. “Just as when once I met you by a stream, ever bold, I see. Questioning the Fates, are we?” And then she cackled in glee.

Borel pushed out a hand in negation, and Michelle looked at him quizzically.

“I believe what my son means,” said Valeray, “is-”

“We know what he meant,” snapped Urd, and she turned to Skuld.

“Yes, we came to give warning,” said Lady Wyrd, “and it is this: for a while there will be peace, yet upon a dreadful time yet to come you will all be needed, as will others. Heed me, stand ready and relax not your guard, for there will be a- Ah, but I cannot directly reveal what I have seen, yet know that one among you will be the key.”

“The key?” asked Camille.

Skuld looked at her and smiled and said, “The key.”

“So peril yet comes,” said Valeray, his words a statement, not a question.

“It does,” said Skuld.

“Be ready,” said Verdandi.

“And on guard,” added Urd, and her gaze swept across the gathering to momentarily stop upon Luc, and then moved to Camille.

And the sound of looms swelled and then vanished, and the Sisters Three vanished as well.

The gathering stood stunned for a moment, but then Valeray lifted his glass and, with a rakish grin, said,

“Here’s to interesting times!”

To interesting times! cried they all.

Afterthoughts

And thus ends this part of the tale that began three moons and a day past, when, upon a spring morn, Princess Celeste of the Springwood sat in a tree pondering, and a gallant knight rode to her rescue.

Yet the whole of the tale is not quite over, for on the night when all celebrated the successful quest, the Fates themselves appeared and hinted of dire times to come.

Days passed, and the sense of unease slowly abated, though vigilance did not, and finally Laurent and Blaise and Avelaine and Chevell, along with Celeste and Roel, all rode to the mortal lands, where Sieur Emile and Lady Simone wept to see that their daughter had been rescued and that their three sons were hale. Chevell did ask for the hand of Avelaine and the blessing of their union, and it was freely given. And, of course, Roel had his parents meet the Princess of the Springwood, his own bride-to-be. Within a fortnight, a wedding was held, Avelaine so beautiful in her white gown, Celeste her maid of honor, with Roel the best man to Vicomte Chevell.