Page 70 of Lord of Misrule

“I have to and need to return. I told you before, I don’t want your pity, Lord Tolin. We will survive without your help, thank you very much.”

Tolin watched her walk away, feeling as if whatever they had between them was over. He longed for the right words to say to make her stay but his mind was blank. He wasn’t good at expressing his feelings, and Kit wasn’t making this easy for him.

“Can we eat, now that my cousin was born? Me and King are hungry.” Parker stood in front of Tolin, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“Yes, of course,” Tolin answered with a sigh, giving a nod to his steward to start the meal.

“Can King eat with me today?” asked the boy, dragging Tolin from his thoughts.

“Yes,” he answered, trying to think of some way to make this up to Kit. “Do whatever you want.”

“I can’t do whatever I want,” complained Parker. “I’m not the Lord of Misrule, you are.”

“That’s right,” said Tolin, having an idea. He put his hand into his pouch bringing forth the bean that had made him Bean King to begin with. “Parker, I’m giving you the bean, so this means you will be the Lord of Misrule now until Twelfth Night.” He dropped the bean into Parker’s hand.

“I’m the Bean King? Really?” asked Parker, with wide eyes focused on his palm.

“Really,” Tolin answered with a chuckle.

“So whatever I say, people have to do?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Tolin looked up and announced to everyone that Parker was the new Lord of Misrule. There were comments and complaints from behind their hands but Tolin didn’t care. He could do whatever he wanted, even make an eight-year-old boy the new Bean King if he wanted. “Go ahead, Parker,” said Tolin. “Give your first command as the Lord of Misrule.”

“All right,” said the boy, his eyes gleaming. “I want to sit at the dais to eat with King at my feet the way you do.”

“You’ve got it,” said Tolin raising a hand to call to his steward. “Bring another chair up to the dais for the boy.”

“Nay, I want to sit in your seat,” said Parker with a big smile on his face. “The chair with the arms on it.”

“What?” That took Tolin by surprise. “Parker, that chair is for the lord of the castle,” he explained, thinking that the boy didn’t understand the game.

“You told me I could do whatever I wanted since I’m the Bean King, right?” Parker held up the bean to show him.

“That’s right, brother,” said Rook with a chuckle. “Since the boy will be in your chair, that means you will have to eat with the commoners below the salt.”

“Wait a minute,” said Tolin. “I don’t think that is what Parker really wants, is it?” He looked over at the boy, shaking his head.

“Nope,” said the boy with a mischievous grin.

“Good, good,” said Tolin, once more motioning to his steward. “We’ll need another chair at the dais, please.”

“You can eat with my mother in the kitchen instead,” said Parker. “Come on, King, I’m going to be the lord of the castle tonight.” The boy headed to the dais at a run with the dog right on his heels. Tolin’s jaw dropped and he found himself speechless.

“Well, you heard him, get going,” said Rook, laughing. Daegel was with him, laughing as well.

“Off to the kitchen with you,” said Daegel flicking his fingers. “The rest of the Christmas celebrations should prove to be very interesting now. I cannot wait to see what happens.”

“More interesting than you think,” said Rook, with a smile that Tolin wanted to slap right off his face. “I wonder what the Bean King will command next.”

Kit washed up and changed her apron, feeling relieved that the birth had gone so well. There were no complications at all. Both Brenna and the baby were alive and well and that couldn’t make her happier. She checked once more on her sleeping sister before heading to the kitchen to take Brenna’s place with the preparations for the night. She stepped out, tying on a new apron, stopping in her tracks when she found Tolin sitting at her work table in the kitchen.

“Tolin? What are you doing here?” she asked. He looked sad or disappointed.

“I was ordered to come here and eat with you, Kit.”

Hearing him say her name and ‘eat’ in the same sentence made her mind spin. All she could think about was his mouth on her in places a mouth didn’t truly belong. It made her feel naughty just thinking about it. She tried to push away the memory. Right now she needed to stay focused on her family and to find them a home.

“What do you mean?” She giggled softly.