Witchdame by Kathleen Sky

Author:Kathleen Sky [Sky, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780425074497
Google: o8pkAAAACAAJ
Publisher: Berkley Books
Published: 1985-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

“In case you have forgotten, poppet, I am human, and I have wanted you for many a long and lonely night.” Jackie gathered the weeping princess in his arms, and with a gentleness that was born of both love and pity, he kissed away the tears. First the ones on her cheeks, then on her neck. He even chased the one or two errant drops that had managed to fall on her soft white bosom.

The morning sun found its way through chinks in the shutters of the dormer room of the inn at Aberystwyth. The sun striped its way across the bedcovers and the sleeping mound that was the Princess Elizabeth. Menadel opened the door to the princess’s room and stood waiting by the bed, uncertain whether to awaken his lady or not. The sun was well up, though it was still before noon. But Menadel had done well in the horse trading and his six chosen mountain ponies were all eager and anxious for the journey.

He reached out and gently shook the sleeping woman by the shoulder. Elizabeth stretched and turned over, reaching out with one arm toward the empty side of the bed. Her eyes opened, she yawned and turned over, smiling into Menadel’s face. The pleased expression on her face changed to one of startled surprise.

“Where’s Jackie?” she asked, sitting up in bed.

Menadel frowned. He now understood why the jester had not come to the men’s dormer that past night, and young Guenhwyvar had insisted on sleeping in the maid’s dorter. “The fool is out saddling our horses. I thought it wise to be on our way north. It’s a long way to Berewic and I fear with so many people in the city your identity might be known.”

“All right. It’s probably a good idea to get on the way, although I should have liked an hour or two more sleep.” Yawning, Elizabeth slid from the bed and walked across the room to open the window. She leaned on the rough wooden sill and looked down into the inn courtyard where she could see Jackie and Guenhwyvar readying the horses. She waved to them, completely oblivious of the fact that she was clad only in a sheer linen nightshift. But on her left hand she wore Jackie’s little ring.

“My lady! Come away from there until you’re dressed. Did not the Lady Jane teach you it was an improper thing to be hanging out of windows with half your body exposed?” said Menadel, shocked to the core. “I cannot understand how your mother could have come to raise such a hoyden.” There was a tone to Menadel’s voice that Elizabeth had never heard before, a biting asperity.

She turned and faced the wizard. “Shall I dress in front of you, Uncle? Or do you want to wait beyond the door? You are not yourself this day. Are you angry with me, or did last night’s dinner disagree with you?”

“As to the latter, I ate well; and the former, yes, I am angry with you.

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