Part 73

"You look familiar", Julien murmured as he led Isadora towards a low boulder with a deep indentation that appeared bench-like. They sat, and Isadora absorbed his comment, wondering how she should answer. She looked down at her hands and was surprised to see that Julien and her right hand were still locked. She withdrew quickly, causing Julien to cough and force an awkward smile onto his face.
"Sorry." He said offhand.
"No it's alright. I must thank you, though. For...wanting to help." Isadora hugged her knees to her chest and looked at Julien. He was very pale, so that the soft light that shone through the canopy of thick leaves made his face glow. And his bright blue eyes contrasted well. Altogether, he was extremely handsome in Isadora's opinion.
"Again" Julien began, "You look very familiar. Have I seen you before?"
Isadora guessed that the way she looked now was very good camouflage for her true identity. And she was glad of it for the first time since she had looked in that mirror in the Drinking Bear. For she did not yet know if this man could be trusted, for all she knew he would be very interested in her identity if she were to reveal it, as to receive the heavy reward the crown was offering.
She buried her face deeper into the borrowed clock and shook her head.

Rudolph and Isadora, Part 72

     Julien sat down next to Isadora on the grass, dewey from the early morning. He wrapped his velvet cloak around her shivering shoulders, and saw her draw the fabric closely around her. The rich cloak seemed to change her bearing. She drew her shoulders back, composed her face, and looked up at him for the first time.
     He smiled at her. His wavy golden hair shone in the sunlight, and his face was that of one who had never felt hardship. But his smile was what drew Isadora in. "Are you alright?" he asked.
     Isadora nodded. She couldn't speak. Her throat was tight with tears.
     Julien cocked an eyebrow.
     She shook her head. "No, I'm -- I'm not alright."
     "Would you like to tell me about it?" She shook her head again. "It's okay. I won't hurt you, I promise." He stood, brushed his damp hands off on his power-blue jacket, and offered a hand to her.
    She hesitated.
    "Honestly, I only want to help you," he said, lips twitching upward into his dazzling smile once more.
    "There is... something you can do for me," she said slowly. "I need to find a friend."
     She took his hand in hers.

Part 71

Quin stood with the silver hairbrush in his trembling hands as he was overcome by a sudden and forceful wave of emotion. He sank onto Alisen's bed and soon her quilt was studded with his tears. He did not understand why he had come into her room to talk to her, nor why he had suddenly gotten the peculiar urge to brush her hair. It was a habit of his around his sister, for she often ran around with her friends in the woods until his mother called her inside for supper. At home Quin did not have many chores under his mother, save helping to prepare and clean up the meals. And so, when Ros gave him the duty of tackling his sister's tangle of hair after each playful day out with her friends, he was happy to oblige. He would sit beside her on her bed and begin by patiently pulling all the crackling orange leaves from the fall seasons from her hair, or the tender green ones, as she babbled on about her day to him. He would nod and make small little noises of agreement at her words, as he reached for their mother's hand-made wooden brush and began to pull it through the windswept hair before him. He would work gingerly, using his fingers to ease out the most stubborn knots. It became almost a sort of therapy for him, those nights spent in his sister's room with the wooden hairbrush and the even stream of his sister's voice.
Quin sat on Alisen's bed now, face-down, remembering. He had reached for the brush on auto-pilot, his body trying to get him to relax, sensing the exhaustion of his mind.
Quin certainly felt exhausted. He shifted his head so that only his cheek was pressed to the wet quilt. His eyes focused on the blue walls of the bedroom, then unfocused. Closed. Sleep came easily.

Rudolph and Isadora, Part 70

Morning found Alisen curled under a thin sheet, having tossed and turned until all other blankets had ended  strewn about the room. She awoke with tears gluing her eyes together. As she struggled to raise herself onto one arm, she recalled the events of the previous night. She collapsed again onto the floor, reluctant to get up and face the others. How awful she'd been! Everything was a mess now. She put her hands over her head, willing herself to block out all the thoughts swirling around her head and poking their way into her consciousness.
     "Having a little trouble?" Alisen jumped at the voice behind her. Quin.
     "How long have you been there?" she managed to croak out.
     "Not long. I thought I woke you, but apparently I was mistaken." He was sitting on Lilia's bed, fiddling with the lacy curtains that framed the small window. "Are you okay?"
     "Yeah. I'm fine," Alisen muttered. She pulled herself upright. "What did you want?"
     Quin moved off the bed and started pacing around the room. He picked up a silver hairbrush from Lilia's dresser, not seeming to know what to do with his hands. "I- I just wanted to let you know I talked things over with Rudolph. And I didn't want you to blame yourself for... anything. It was the right thing to tell us." He moved behind Alisen and started brushing her ebony hair with the brush.
     "Whose fault is it then?" Alisen demanded, snatching the brush. "That Isadora?"
     "No... not Isa. I–"
     "This is ridiculous. Sorry, Quin. Thanks for coming up to see me." She shoved the silver brush back into his hands and stormed out of the room to talk to Rudolph. She needed to find out what was going on. And she was going to get the truth this time.

Part 69

Isadora washed and scrambled down to the main salon of the inn. She was desperate to get out of the Drinking Bear and get back to the house where Quin was so that she could tell him the truth about her. The truth about everything, including her love for Rudolph. This last part she was the most hesitant about, and she bit her lip as she slipped out into the chill morning air before the innkeepers could detain her.
She felt like she had a choice at this point. She could go back to the house and tell Quin everything, so that the immense feeling of guilt that had been pressing down on her could finally be lifted, or she could get passage straight to the palace.
If I tell Quin, then he may not want me anymore. I mean, to confess my love for Rudolph would be to tell Quin I had no love for him. But this is not true. I love both very much. Although the more time goes by the more I feel that my love for Quin is becoming great and stronger than my love for Rudolph ever was. Does this mean I should omit the part of my loving Rudolph? I could tell him about me being royalty, but convince him of my love for him... and then... what? Stay in the house in the woods and never return to my mother and father?
I could go to them. Right now, I could go home and get cleaned up and be well-fed and then I would look so regal again, so pretty in my silken dresses riding my white horses. Horses. WHo would be the new stable-boy?
Crushed by the weight of her decision between her heart and her craving for comfort and familiarity, Isadora sat on a rock by the stream that ran from the inn all the way to a small pond near the house.
And that is where Julien found her, curled up and sobbing.

Rudolph and Isadora, Part 68

A middle-aged woman walked into the Drinking Bear and collapsed into a rickety wooden chair placed near a blazing fireplace, kept going through the night to keep late diners and weary travelers protected from the night's chill. She closed her eyes briefly, welcoming the rest to her eyes and the warmth of the fire behind her. Her face, once well-rounded and jolly, was thin and worn. Her hands, once only lightly callused from the everyday tasks of living outside a city with her children, were scratched and dirty. Her entire body sagged with weariness.
     This was Ros.
     "Is there anything you need, Madam? A warm meal, perhaps?" She jumped at the voice of George, the innkeeper.
     "No, thank you. I'm afraid I can't pay for it."
     "Get her something to drink, Georgie," a young man shouted from several tables away. "She looks like she could use something to warm her up."
    "And you're paying for it I expect, Julien?" George asked the man. As much as I'd like to, I can't be giving food and drink to every poor traveler who comes in a little short of coin. The missus is bad enough."
    "Ah, George. You know I will. What'll you have, madam?"
    "I -- tea, please," stuttered Ros.
    "Tea it is, then. Put it on my tab, George." Without a second glance, the young man went back to his conversation.
     "You can afford it, that's for sure," muttered George. "I'll have your tea in just a moment."
     "Who is that man?" asked Ros. "It's rare one meets a person so free with their generosity."
     "That's Julien. Everyone in town knows him. Nicest person for miles, I'd say. He's got an estate outside the city, but he likes to come in and mingle with us commoners. He's a nobleman, you see. Heir to a fortune. You're very lucky to have come in when he was here." George trailed off, then mumbled, "Off you get your tea, then," and shuffled away.
     Julien and his companion rose from their table, and made to leave. He dropped a handful of coins into George's hand as he walked to the door. Ros saw the glint of sliver before George quickly pocketed them.
     "Thank you, sir!" Ros shouted after them. And she added more quietly, "Thank you. I was desperate for that bit of kindness."

Part 67

Rudolph remembered Isadora all night. He remembered the kiss, played it back in his mind so many times that he swore he could feel a faint pressure on his lips. He ached to hold her in his arms, and now he had made it a little too late. He knew though, that he could get her back.
I could find her, of course. But now that Quin and her...well. I owe it to her to find her, after leaving her for so long. I'll find her. Bring her back. And then...
Rudolph swore and bit his fist till he tasted blood. He was incredibly frustrated. Heartsick. Confused. Sad. Angry, too. Not at her. He could never be angry at Isadora. He didn't feel his anger stemmed from Quin either, for who could resist Isadora?
Then it had to be Alisen he was loathing. She who had brought this upon him.  She who had reminded him of his feelings for a girl he had been too long without.
The worst part is... I think I would have fallen for Alisen in another week or so. I think I already have fallen for me. I don't like her right now. She wasn't right in what she did. But all the same I feel sort of...happy when I think of her and how she likes me. I fell a sort of lightheadedness when she's near to me and I can feel her warmth...
Woah woah woah... Must concentrate on finding Isadora. Although...Quin can do that, I'm sure. I'm positive he is worried sick about her and wishes nothing more then to be reunited with her.
STOP! Stop being like this! I love Isadora! I have to remember this...
Oh, my head hurts, this is all so maddening.
Rudolph slept fitfully that night, becoming tangled in his sheets as his mind became more and more ensnared in his thoughts. The last one he had, one that rang out clear and sharp in his mind before he drifted off in a cocoon of weariness was:
If I have to remember to love someone...then do I truly love them...?

Map of the Capital, Draft 1

My backstory post for today is a little late, so I thought I'd post a map of the capital I sketched out for reference when working with the backstory posts. This is a quick sketch likely to change as more information comes up and the Politick and I work together on it. I colored in important places in Photoshop. The red/pink is the marketplace mentioned in Backstory part 2, and the blue is where Rudolph grew up. Also, to the right of the main road, the nobles live closer to the castle, and the wealthy non-nobles live farther away. On the other side of the main road, the farther left on the map, the less wealthy the people who live there. I tried to make the streets reflect that as well.

By the way, the Politick and I are planning on getting back to the main story soon. She'll post part 67 sometime this weekend or maybe Monday.  For a refresher, click here for Part 66.

Rudolph and Isadora Backstory, Part 2

At fourteen, Isadora decided she wanted to have an adventure. It was summer, and she was tired of being cooped up in the castle while the fields outside seemed so inviting and the Capital seemed like so much fun. She had been to the Capital before, many times, but it had always been on specially panned visits, and she had never been able to explore, and she had always been accompanied. She knew no one would ever let her out by herself, so she decided that her adventure would be to sneak into town for a day and see what it was like to live as an ordinary person.
     So she borrowed a plain dress from her lady-in-waiting, Cara, and began making plans to slip out of the palace. A few days later, after dinner, she excused herself from the company of her cousin Lotti, retired to her room, and slipped on Cara's brown dress. It was a little bit long, which surprised Isadora, as her clothes were always tailored exactly to her size, but she wore it nevertheless. Cara had also provided a cloth the tie her hair back in the style of a palace servant and a pair of boots she'd borrowed from a palace hand. Isadora tied back her hair, put on the boots, and quickly left her rooms holding a handful of coins left over from her last trip to the Capital, when she'd wheedled them out of her tutor for an embroidered scarlet ribbon she'd seen at one of the stalls along the street.
     Knowing she'd never get past the guards in front of the palace, she made her way to the back. She stopped outside one of the palace's many parlors, near the back of the palace on the first floor. Putting her ear to the thick door, she made sure there was no one inside the parlor, and quickly entered, shutting the door behind her. She heard a noise behind her and whipped around, but relaxed when she realized it was only the crackling of the fire. She opened one of the parlor's large windows overlooking a garden and a gravel path, and climbed out.
     She made her way along the path toward the stables, breathing quickly with excitement and keeping an eye out for anyone else who could catch sight of her. She kept reminding herself that she was in a servant's garb, that no one would be able to tell she was the princess in the half-light of the evening. Finally reaching the stables, Isadora crouched behind a bale of hay as the stablehands left for the night. The moon rose slowly, and when she was satisfied that everyone had left, Isadora rose as well. She brushed herself off, and then cautiously left the stable and headed out to the village.
     From the stables to the outskirts of the village was a little less than a mile. Isadora had ridden up to the boundary on her horse many times, but never crossed it. She was determined to cross it now. She made plans in her head as she walked. She'd use a few of her coins to buy a room for the night, and spend all of tomorrow exploring the Capital. She'd seen  the parts closest to the castle grounds, and she'd been in the wealthier parts of the Capital many times, visiting various nobles and whatnot, but as this was her adventure, she planned on seeing the rest of the Capital, the part her tutors and chaperones tried to keep her from.
     Finally, she reached the outskirts of town. It had always seemed much closer when she was riding, but she had reached it nevertheless. Most of her coins bought her a room in an small inn just outside the wealthier part of town. The owner had obviously tried to create a place where people who came to visit the nobles but didn't want to pay for the high prices of lodging closer to the castle could stay. Although Isadora was full of energy, excited at the prospect of her adventure, she tried to sleep, wanting to be fully awake the next day.
     In the morning, she set off. She had a quick breakfast and began to wander the town. As she walked, the houses became less grand and the people were less wealthy. She eventually found herself in a marketplace, and gasped with delight. This is what she'd come looking for.
     The square was bustling with people rushing around buying goods. The air was thick with shouts from vendors and buyers both. Women chatted with their friends as they walked. Children ran in all directions. She strolled slowly through the square, taking in as much as she could.
     "Looking for something?" A boy stood in front of her. He looked to be about her age, with long, wavy black hair, and a smile that stretched across his face.
     "Oh. Um.... no. I'm just looking around." She smiled back at him. "I'm Isadora."
     "Josen. I haven't seen you around before. You here to see someone?"
     "No. I'm just visiting." She was a little flustered, but Josen didn't seem to notice.
     "Would you like to meet the rest of us? Your parents wouldn't mind you sneaking off for a few minutes, right?"
     Isadora laughed. "My parents would be furious. But they don't even know I'm here.
     "Ha! Now, that's the way to do it. I'd watch out for them when I got back though. Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone else." He took her hand in his own and pulled her through the crowd. At the outskirts of the market stood a group of others.
     "Who's that, Josen?" asked a girl with short brown braids, leaning against a tree.
     "This here's Isadora. She's just visiting town," Josen said, cracking a grin. "Isadora, this is Eva."
     "Nice to meet you," Isadora said to Eva. She was about to say more, but Josen continued.
     "And this is Rudolph," he said, gesturing to a sandy-haired boy. The boy smiled shyly, and Isadora couldn't help but grin back. She nearly curtsied, but stopped herself just in time, reminding herself that court manners had no place there. She pulled the cloth from her hair and turned back to Josen, waiting for the next introduction, but Eva interrupted before Josen had a chance to continue.
     "I know that ribbon!" she exclaimed, pointing at the scarlet cloth in Isadora's golden curls. "I made it myself. I remember it because Ana - my older sister - said she sold it to..." Her eyes widened. "You're–"
     "Princess Isadora!" Isadora spun to see a royal guard on horseback making his way through to market toward her. The others who she'd been talking to scattered.
     "Princess, you have no place here. You must come with me." The guard swept her up onto the horse and turned to leave the market. She looked back as she was leaving to see the sandy-haired boy – Rudolph – looking at her from behind a tree. His eyes were wide with disbelief.
     I'll never be the same as them, she thought. She turned away, eyes blurring, and let the guard take her home.

Rudolph and Isadora Backstory, Part 1

Well, summer break is nearly over and everyone is back from various vacations and summer programs, so The Bookbird and the Wordgirl will be starting back up again. The Politick just got into town today, so I wanted to give her a couple of days rest if she wishes before we dive back into Rudolph and Isadora (I'd say up to about week). Until that time, I thought I'd share some backstory posts that have been swirling around my brain. And who knows? Maybe they'll make into the main storyline someday.

At eight years old, Rudolph saw his first horse. He had seen other horses at a distance, but this was the first he had come close to. It was old, gray, and slow, but it enchanted Rudolph nevertheless. It had come to town as part of a traveling fair in town for several days that held many more attractions, but Rudolph never strayed far from the ring where a small man with a large voice offered rides around the ring for a silver coin apiece*. Jared had begged him out of half his meager pocket money in order to treat some girl to the fair's attractions earlier that morning, so Rudolph did not have enough money to ride, but he sat on the fence and watched the man lead the horse for the people riding it. Rather, the people holding on for dear life as the horse plodded around the small ring twice. These weren't the upper class children riding, as they had their own horses in private stables in the capital, but they seemed to be far wealthier than Rudolph and his friends.
     Through ride after ride, Rudolph did not move from the fence, but one can only watch so much of a horse walking slowly in circles before one's attention begins to wander. The sun beat down onto the fair, and dust rose lazily into the air, carried by a soft breeze that played with the hems of ladies' dresses. Slowly it came to his attention that Zandra, a friend of his and Jared's since childhood, was making her way toward him at a leisurely pace, taking in the sights around her. He caught her eye and smiled. She smiled back and moved to join him on the fence.
     "Amazing, isn't it?" Rudolph asked, gesturing toward the horse.
     "Nice, I suppose. I wouldn't call it amazing, but it would be fun to take a ride, don't you think?"
     Rudolph sighed. "I suppose."
     "Josen and Eva and I were going to get some candy and go down to the creek. Want to come?"
     "I..." Rudolph hesitated, looking back at the horse. Zandra hopped down from the fence and playfully tugged at his arm.
     "Come on, Rudolph. The horse will be here tomorrow."
     "Fine, then. Let's go." Rudolph let Zandra pull him off the fence, eliciting a giggle from her as she turned and half-ran through the crowd toward the booth selling hard candies. He and Zandra each bought a handful, and mulled around for a minute looking for Josen and Eva. When the four finally found each other, they left the fair together and walked down the the creek.
     The creek was a lovely place to sit and chat, candies in hand, and full of adventures from the morning at the fair to laugh over, but Rudolph couldn't enjoy it has much as he liked. His mind kept going back to that old gray horse at the fair. After two hours or so, when the candies were long gone and the day was beginning to cool, all four friends dusted themselves off and headed back home. Rudolph, however, told the others to go ahead without him on the excuse that he'd promised to buy something for his little sister, and doubled back to the fair. With his last bit of pocket money, he bought a ribbon for his younger sister so that he had something to show his friends when he returned, as they were sure to ask, and headed toward the ring offering rides on the gray horse.
     The small man was still there, and the horse was tied up at the far end of the ring. Both looked worn out, and Rudolph could see that the man was in no mood to deal with an eight-year-old, but he couldn't back out now.
     "Excuse me, sir," Rudolph ventured.
     "The fair's closed, boy. You'll have to come back tomorrow." The man turned away.
     "Excuse me, sir," Rudolph repeated. "I - I'm not here for a ride." Nervously, he continued, speaking the first thing that came into his head. "I can see you're tired, sir. I was wondering if you'd like a hand preparing that wonderful horse for the evening. I'm strong for my age and I learn fast. Please, sir?"
     The man eyed Rudolph suspiciously. "I can't pay you for it," he said finally.
     "If I do it, may I have a ride tomorrow, sir?"
     "Yes, I suppose that would be fair. Alright, boy. Come with me. You help me tonight, and you'll get your ride tomorrow."
     "Thank you, sir! Thank you so much!"
     Several hours later, Rudolph walked home. He was hungry, tired and hot, but he hadn't been as happy in weeks.



*Politick, can we come up with a currency system? I'm pretty sure we haven't specified anything yet. Or if we have, we can always go back and change it. Thanks.