Page 81 of Bewitched

Medea blew a worried breath from her mouth and ran over to open the door for her handmaid.

“The door was locked, my lady.” Henriette looked confused.

“I just didn’t want any of the guards entering when I was in the bath last night. I must have fallen asleep forgetting to unlock it,” she told the woman.

“Oh, I see.” Henriette held a blue gown in her arms, entering the room and laying it on the bed. “I brought you another gown to wear since your wedding dress was ruined in the moat.” Medea glanced at the soggy, dirty dress laying on the floor next to the tub. Then the woman spread out the blue gown, touching it reverently, as if it meant something to her.

“Thank you, but I don’t need the gown, Henriette.”

“You can’t wear that soiled one to your wedding,” said Henriette, her eyes becoming wide.

“Nay, I don’t suppose I can,” said Medea with a giggle. “However, I’m sure you know by now that I can just materialize a gown for myself whenever I want to. Why did you bring this one to me?”

“I’m sorry. I guess you don’t need it,” she answered, sounding very disappointed. “I just hoped you would wear this one. It is a special gown to me.” Henriette ran her fingers over the soft velvet, seeming to get lost in her thoughts.

“Special? How so?” asked Medea, wanting to know what the woman was thinking.

“I made this gown myself. It was years ago. I constructed it for my daughter, Rose to wear at her wedding.”

“You have a daughter? I didn’t know that. And she’s married? How nice.”

“Nay, I don’t have a daughter anymore. And Rose never had the chance to marry. She died the morning of her wedding.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” said Medea, her heart going out to the woman. “That must have been so awful. How did she die?”

“King Osric killed her.”

“What?” gasped Medea. “Why would he do such a thing?”

“He didn’t want Rose marrying one of his knights. That is who she fell in love with. He wanted my daughter all for himself.”

“Your daughter was a noble?”

“Nay. Far from it. At the time, King Osric’s wife was still alive. He wanted Rose as one of his strumpets. When he realized she was going to run away with the knight... he killed them both, right here in the courtyard.”

“That’s terrible,” said Medea, putting her hand on the woman’s arm to try to comfort her. “I can’t even imagine how it feels to lose a child. If I lost my daughter, I think I’d go crazy.”

“I felt that way for a long time. I also felt a lot of anger for the King.”

“Why did you stay here still working for the King afterwards, Henriette? Why didn’t you just leave?”

“This is the only job I knew. I was a widow, and Kasculbough was my home.” Tears dripped down the woman’s cheeks. “I was all alone, my lady. I had no one, and nowhere else to go afterwards. I had to stay. Please, Medea. You remind me a lot of my daughter. Won’t you at least wear her gown today when you marry the King?”

“I-I can’t,” she said, feeling awkward about this entire situation.

“I understand.” The woman’s face turned solemn and she started to scoop up the gown.

“Nay.” Medea’s hand shot out and she stopped her. “You don’t understand. I will wear the gown for my wedding, but I won’t be marrying the King.”

“What?” she looked up in horror. “You have to marry King Osric. He is in the courtyard now making the preparations.”

“I don’t love him, Henriette. He is an evil man. You, out of everyone, knows that is true. No one should ever be required to marry such a bad man as King Osric.”

Henriette’s gaze dropped to the bed. “Excuse me for speaking so freely, my lady, but I’ve heard tongues wagging that you are evil as well.”

That hit Medea hard. She realized that what the woman said was absolutely true. “I am sorry that I wasn’t able to control the darkness in me,” she apologized. “But Henriette, I have someone who loves me for who I am. He accepts me even with the darkness that covers my soul. No one has ever done that before.”

“Is it the father of your baby of whom you speak?”