Chapter 2. The Secret Pool.
What a warm caressing sun there was that morning. The young women, all of them important in King Mallus’ court, were walking to the valley to sit by the secret pool. They had called it that all their lives.
What a glorious group of six they were: Genia, Honeybee, Celeste, Eve, Diana and Lilliana. They had strolled down from the outer reaches of the castle and followed the valley road until they reached the old pony cart bridge. They descended towards the small river and found themselves on the towpath. It was a natural path where moss and grass grew happily side by side. The water was clear and fresh. It was so transparent that they could see right down to the bottom where pebbles, bubbles, minnows and thin trailing weeds glistened in the bright and sparkling sunlight.
“Oh this is lovely”, said Genia, throwing back her long, red hair. “I cannot believe that today is the last day that we shall all be together.” For tomorrow would be her wedding day.
They skipped along chattering excitedly about the preparations for the wedding. There was so much to tell, so much to decide, for example ‘Who would wear what?’, ‘How was one’s hair to be? Braided or curled? Decorated with flowers and garlands?’
“Here we are,” said Lilliana.
Before them the river curved gently, creating a pool large enough to dip into and swim a little. On one side of the bend were three drooping willow trees making leafy curtains where they usually hung their bathing clothes. Beside them was the softest bank of summer grass where they could lie and dream whilst looking up at the delicate cirrus clouds above them, clouds painted in featherlike swathes on the light blue sky. There was also a little sand harbour where they could sit and enter into the silky water of the river and a large, ancient slab of rock nearby that made their table.
They had been there so many times in their tender lives that they relaxed and settled in very quickly. Brown bullrushes grew at the edge of the pool and made a home for moorhens and their families. Coots balanced on twiggy platforms in the water. Ducks bobbed along through the glassy water with their offspring following their parents in wobbly lines. A striking blue flash of a kingfisher went by, very fast and very bright. Genia certainly thought that this was a good sign. Thank the stars that happy birds were a good omen. Next to the bank grew fresh cowslips and camomile in white and yellow. Down amongst the golden gorse perennial sweet peas of delicate purple straggled their heads in and around the shrubs. Opposite their little beach stood purple irises, tall and proud, below them fluttered delicate little ferns. It was as if nature itself was making its own preparations for Genia’s wedding. Everything that lived was at its best. Every sight and sound of nature was a joy to behold.
Genia lay on the bank in her long green dress with her red hair like a fiery pillow behind her. Her heart was so full of hope. She had known her dear fiancé all her life. He was a handsome man of twenty five, a trained warrior and known for his thoughtful care and attention to his father’s subjects. King Alchemela trusted him completely. The Prince tenderly cared for his animals and horses. He was a strong and clever knight who was also funny and clever.
“Oh Demetri!” she exclaimed.
“He’s so wonderful!” She sighed.
The others laughed because Genia must have said this over a thousand times!
Eve sat beside Genia. Princess Eve of Orion was a petite maiden who had power over the night sky and stars. She wore a soft gown of silk and cotton, it was covered with muslin and embroidered with many flowers and natural things representing the deities. They both sat up and Eve plaited Genia’s hair decorating it with many flowers. Genia brushed Eve’s deep, midnight blue hair and tied her locks with golden ribbons.
Diana, Princess of the Forests, had waded downstream to catch fish for their meal. Her father was a Woodland Keeper and her mother was a respected Glover at King Mallus’ court. Glovers looked after the birds of prey and taught their users to respect the elegant birds. Diana could speak the language of trees like her father. She, Celeste and Honeybee all communed with trees and thus they were able to whisper to the tiny Moonflower sprites who were very shy indeed.
The south western tip of Greiglands, a large continent, was duly divided into smaller parts. One day in the future Genia would be Queen after her father King Mallus. This was to be a great responsibility. Genia was an intelligent, beautiful and alert woman. She possessed all of the qualities that would make her a good Queen. A secret power was at Genia’s disposal, it was a great secret…. that she could travel through time itself. The difficulty was that she could not choose when she could come back. It had taken her most of her short life to understand that this was a blessing and a gift from the deities, but Lady Sage, her teacher and Honeybee’s grandmother, had said that time travel was a powerful force and one day it would save Genia’s life. This idea floated into Genia’s mind and out of the other side because her life was so perfect that she couldn't imagine a time when she would need to save it! Her experience today was of delight and innocent daydreaming beside the shining blue river.
Celeste, Princess of the Rivers and Streams, was foraging for wild garlic and watercress for their salad. Celeste had power over both water and weed and could make potions of her own choosing. She had done very well in her summer studies and could command many natural things from nature. As she foraged she saved some special herbs to show to Lady Jasmine the master potter. Lady Jasmine was crafting a special pestle and mortar for Celeste’s herbs and seeds. Jasmine would fire the herbs into the very clay that made her mortar. The potter was going to make a small, glazed pestle and mortar so that Celeste could carry it lightly in her forest bag and prepare potions at a moment’s notice while she travelled.
As time passed Eve sat beside Genia in the sun and began to read to them all from her treasured book of love poetry. Honeybee had sparked a fire in a small pit from the end of her gleaming gilt sword. She had the gift of power over fire which also made her a fearsome warrior. She could shift-shape and change height at will, so it was no trouble to reach high into the wild apple trees and pluck a basket full of sweet apples for them.
Lilliana rested against the weeping willows and she could almost disappear amongst them. She could hear the willows whisper to her and she could talk to them by touch or voice. Fish and fowl that inhabited the woods could tell the trees if their world was harmonious and therefore Lilliana could hear how nature fared directly from the trees. Just then, strangely, she heard a tree whisper to her from afar, the tree was roughly three hundred miles away and it said,
“Ivy grown and Ivy twisted, tightly held and unresisted.”
It made no sense to her at all but the feeling it gave her was dark and cold. She shuddered and moved with her long, languorous limbs back into the sun with her beloved friends. Petals fell from her hair and her body appeared to be made of half woman and half sapling.
What a wonderful day it was. They ate, sang and drank up the beauty of Eve’s romantic verses. They were full of love and care and they barely wanted to go home. However, they were all anxious to know when Prince Demetri’s family would arrive. It was a long journey for them from their home in The Ryne Lands. King Alchemela, Queen Papava and Prince Demetri had made camp a day's ride away from King Mallus’ castle. Alchemela was in high spirits at the thought of seeing his old friend Mallus.
By the time the women had returned to the expansive and beautiful castle the visiting caravan had already settled in, their horses fed and rubbed down. Splendid refreshments had been offered to all and even the myriad of servants, squires, grooms, and cooks had settled in their comfortable quarters. The entire castle and grounds were alive with happy noise. Pennant flags and banners fluttered on bright, round tents in the fields of the outer enclosure. Music sprang up as small fires were coming to life amongst the throng. A minstrel here, a shepherdess there, an old salty sea-dog with his penny whistle. Behind the castle the fields and barns were groaning with grain, sheep and cattle, milking-cows and goats. Dairy maids blushing and all in a flutter in the presence of the visiting shepherds, cheeky young squires and other pretty young maids with approachable summer skin. Every turn around another stone corner was a new feast for the senses. Sounds and smells drifted from the flower and herb gardens, delicious smelling spiced foods came from the kitchens and camp fires, woodsmoke and hickory was everywhere. Scents were carried on the breeze from the great hall where the powerful musk, rose and lemon geranium oils were burning in soft lamps. Flowers were dripping from every window making the air heady with honeysuckle, true orange blossom and jasmine.
Genia and the ladies were sorry that they had not been there to welcome the visitors. They rushed to their chambers, washed and prepared themselves for the evening's entertainment. They smoothed on their silky, fragrant perfumes.. Genia wore a more grand, floating emerald green dress and her golden hair poured down below her waist. She and her dear friends walked into the great hall as slowly as they could manage without looking too excited. Candles blazoned throughout, the light playing on the mirrors that lined the walls from floor to ceiling and lighted torches were held by the many young male wood nymphs keen to show off their young muscular bodies. These young men had thick unruly brown hair which they wore tied back. They each had a tattoo representing the families from which they came. The Wood Nymphs, male or female are a very proud and beautiful race. They are strong and graceful and are almost too beautiful to look at for too long a period of time. They remain very quiet most of the time but we know that this is because they always have one ear listening to the talking trees across the land.
Genia held her head up proudly, for she was a tall and beautiful. She had good reason to be proud of herself. Just like her friends she had finished some of her training in astronomy, farming and woodland wisdom, languages, the arts and war craft. Walking along the great hall all eyes were on the beauty of Princess Genia, she was glowing with love, youth and pride.
Then she saw Demetri standing up beside his throne. He wore burgundy finery and was the envy of all the young men in the hall. He stepped down onto the floor of the great hall, his eyes fixed on Genia. He felt his heart beat in his throat, his eyes piercing into hers, they said,
“I love you, I adore you, be mine or I shall die of pain and heartache.”
He was tall with square shoulders, slender yet strong legs, large strong hands, and a very wide smile. She thought he looked slightly nervous, and he was. She was terrified, as if an explosion had gone off in her breast. She took her father’s hand and King Mallus walked her the length of the hall to Prince Demetri. They could not help but have very wide smiles for each other, their eyes alight with love. As Genia took Demetri’s arm she felt as if all the power of a summer storm passed right through her body across her tender breast and down through her fingers like fire. All of the onlookers in the hall were overjoyed to see such bright, pure love and the hall was abounding with clapping and cheering and then the musicians struck up a glorious tune.
This was no ordinary feast. King Alchemela and Queen Papava had brought their court many hundreds of miles to the great castle of King Mallus and Queen Rosemary. Everyone was tired in a happy summer’s evening kind of way. All the weariness of travelling and settling in for the wedding was left behind with the joy of the beautiful celebrations on the morrow.
The lyre, lute, mandolin, drums and the pipes were accompanied by the joyful notes of the madrigal singers. Folk danced. Young and old and all were a little more relaxed from drinking the cherry brandy and the soft beer. As the evening wore on small groups gathered in corners and around tables laughing and cackling with delight. The five maidens were being courted and charmed at their table by the young Knights from the camp of King Alchemela. Their blushes, fresh smiles and wide sparkly eyes only led to encouraging the young men. Each knight would show off about his great prowess as a fighter, a gardener, a builder, an astronomer, a chef or an athlete. They all seemed to be experts in everything, this amused the ladies greatly. But most of all the young knights liked to be funny and cheeky and make the maidens giggle. They teased and complemented and with a little encouragement they found themselves with their arm around a maiden’s waist and were close enough to breathe in the smells of the oils of musk and rose. They danced until they were giddy and none of them wanted the evening to end, but eventually King Mallus and Queen Rosemary stood to withdraw to their bedchamber. All of the company stood in respect and after they had retired so did everyone else.
Prince Demetri said good night to his parents and in hushed whispers arranged to visit Genia in her bed chamber later so that they could talk privately.
In the dim moonlight Genia lay upon her soft bed, Demetri had removed his formal clothes and lay there in his white cotton shirt. They stared out of the long window up at the sky which was studded with stars. Soft muslin curtains moved gently in the evening breeze.
After they had talked quietly to each other, and as she tired, Genia lay back on her pillows. Demetri rose up and propped himself up above her sweet face. She felt him slip his arm under her neck and he bent over and tenderly, oh so tenderly, kiss her. Never before had she experienced such pleasure and she wanted nothing more than to be with him. They felt so safe, so reassured that tomorrow they would be wed. As the chapel bell rang at midnight he bade her good night and returned to his bedchamber. Both of the young lovers had never been so happy, this was the beginning of the rest of their life.
