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“This is the house,” he threw over his shoulder at them. To his surprise, two attendants stood at the door to pipe them across the threshold. “Welcome!” they cried. “All hail the bride and groom!”

Konrad ducked his head and walked inside. His bride, given little opportunity to tarry, accompanied him up the stairs to the main chamber where the benches and tables had been laid out for banqueting.

“We’re to sit at this table on my father’s right,” she said in a hurried undertone, gesturing toward the head of the table where her father was already engaged in conversation. “Ursula and Sir Renlow will sit to his left, and your sister and cousin can sit on the other side of us.”

Konrad gave a brisk nod and beckoned to Freda who was still stood flustered and uncertain in the doorway. “What a fine, large room!” he heard her exclaim nervously as she hurried forward. “And so prettily decorated!” His sister made no response, though she looked glad to be directed to a seat.

It was only once he had sat down that Konrad had the chance to take in his surroundings. He found he scarcely recognized the room from the previous occasion, so heavily was it swathed in festoons and hung about with garlands and wreathes. There were even flowers underfoot, he noticed.

A flood of people clattered up the stairs and spilled through the doorway, though it seemed to Konrad that only a small number of them would fit onto the two long tables that had been set out for the guests. As if deducing his thoughts, his bride leaned forward. “Father hired a lot of entertainers for our meal,” she explained with a smile.

He nodded as the attendants started to line up around the four walls of the chamber, and it seemed to Konrad that they would need to stand two-deep to fit them all in. Houses like this one did not include a gallery for the minstrels to set up in.

Seeing a tall figure amidst the rabble, Konrad was glad to recognize his fellow bridegroom, Renlow, who drifted in with an amiable smile. His bride’s smile looked rather strained as they joined them at the table.

“Father,” she said, as Gerold Ankatel greeted the newcomers with a kiss to their cheeks.

Konrad braced himself as the older man repeated the gesture to his own bride and then, perhaps seeing him tense, chose to clasp his shoulder instead. “Welcome, welcome!” their host enthused before raising his voice to encompass everyone else. “You are heartily welcome, all!” he assured the revelers. “If I might propose a toast to the married couples for their happy futures. Baron Kentigern and my Aimee,” he said looking first toward them. “Sir Renlow and my Ursula,” he continued, turning to the other couple. “I wish you all that is bright and happy.”

Aimee, thought Konrad. So that was her name. Only half of the table had been served with drinks, but Konrad reached for his goblet with his free hand, and his bride did likewise. They raised their cups aloft and echoed the toast. “Bright and happy!” A confused cheer went up from the half of the guests who had heard the toast. Ankatel clearly considered himself absolved of all hosting duties by this point, for he dropped back into his seat and gulped his drink as the room about them descended into chaos.

It was not so much the wedding guests that were causing the clamor as the musicians and players who capered around the table, getting in the way of the servers who were bringing out platters of breads and wine. Konrad heard a servant curse as something fell with a clatter behind them, though he did not look to see what it was. An acrobat overbalanced and went crashing down into the fragranced rushes.

Aimee cleared her throat. “It is very lively, is it not?” she commented to the table at large.

“Very,” Konrad heard himself concur heavily when no one else replied.

She flashed him a grateful smile, and mercifully at that moment, a trencher of roast meats was placed on the table so he could tear his gaze away. Platters of wild boar and venison were followed by dishes of salmon and pike and a huge golden pie the size of which made even him blink. Seeing the direction of his stare, his bride leaned toward him.

“It is filled with twelve chickens, twenty-four hard boiled eggs, and flavored with saffron and cloves,” she said not without pride and surveyed him expectantly for his reaction.

“That’s a lot of poultry,” he managed after a pause.

This seemingly pleased her, for she beamed at him again. “You must try some of everything here, for my father has hired the best cooks to be found in all of Caer Lyoness.”

He nodded and was pleased to see his new wife had a good appetite, for she partook freely of all the dishes, making noises of appreciation when she sampled something she found particularly good.

“These gilded sugar plums are truly delicious,” she confided in him. “You must try some.”

He shook his head. “I dislike sweet things.”

“Oh, but you enjoyed those cherry tarts so much at that supper last month!” she exclaimed. “I saw you eat several with my own eyes!” So surprised was he that she had been watching him that night that he could not think of any answer to make. “Why not try just one?” she coaxed and had already spooned it onto his plate before he could refuse outright. When he glared at it balefully, she looked crestfallen. “I had them made just for you, as I thought sweetened fruits must be your favorite.”

A cough to the left of him had him turning his head, for that was his blind side. He found his cousin regarding him with interest, though his sister still looked like a carved edifice.

“When you were a boy, you always liked candied fruits,” Freda observed, cocking her head to one side rather like a bird.

“I have been a man for many years now,” he pointed out.

“’Tis of no matter,” his bride hastened to assure him, and when she would have removed the plum from his plate, he stayed her hand.

“I’ll eat it, now you’ve put it there,” he said gruffly and proceeded to do so.

“How does it taste?” she asked anxiously.

“Sweet,” he winced.

Her face fell. “Oh. Well – er – mayhap this fish cooked in parsley and vinegar with powdered ginger will be more to your taste?” she suggested, gesturing to a dish that had just been placed down.