Turn Back, O Time

Chapter Two: Prince Siwan

Now, the city was not like the village. No straw cottages or fields or low-lying shrubs or cows or gardens or goats bleating behind thatched fences greeted them. Instead, cobblestones lined the streets and richly-dressed folk in carriages or warriors on horseback hustled from here to there. A few country folk with wagons of meal, vegetables, or meat hurried about through the vast crowds, but unlike the farmers in Pumpkin's village, none smiled or sang as they worked. Instead, they had harried, tired faces or their faces were masked with cold frowns. Occasionally, a very tall man or a very short woman or a dark-eyed girl or a youth with slanted eyes would cast a glance in their direction but for the most part, they walked undisturbed. For it was the habit of city dwellers to ignore anything that did not bring them money, status, or power. Therefore, the citizens of this town paid little attention to the little girl and the green-haired fae who walked beside her.

Pumpkin's stomach rumbled for though she was not hungry because Wink had found fruit and berries for her and her brother along the way, she longed for rice and oats and porridge.

Wink pointed to a little shop that had a painting of a goat on its door. "You should eat," he said. "And the child as well. The journey to the edge of the world is far and near its borders is a vast wasteland where neither food nor water can be found."

Although she did not wish to turn from her path to eat, her heart broke for the little child on her back. "Yes," she said, "let us eat something. But what shall we do for payment?"

Wink smiled. "I'm a fae. Or have you forgotten? The inn-keeper will not demand payment of me. And if he does, he will not ask for mere copper coins."

So he left her in the road and she waited, holding the wounded child. He returned later with milk, cheese, grapes, and bread. He put several small grapes into the child's hand as they walked and spoke thusly, "The human king of our country -- as you may know-- has many wives, each of whom live in her own palace with her children. This is the second son's city and it is the time of day when the king's second-born son meets petitioners in his palace courtyard. The Firstborn, the son of the king's fifth wife and our nation's human Crown Prince, does not do that. But the second-born, Prince Siwan, the son of the king's third wife, is known to be kindly. He cares little for wealth and status. Indeed, instead of marrying one of the many foreign princesses who desired him or one of the many aristocratic ladies who litter our land, has chosen as his wife a pretty girl from the country, a farmer's daughter who lived very near your region."

"Indeed?" Pumpkin asked, not interested in what royals did or did not do. "Do faes always gossip as you do?"

"Only about human lives," he answered, plucking a grape from the bunch in her hand. "I should like to see this prince. Moreover, there is one in the palace whom you might want to see."

Pumpkin declared she had no wish to see men dressed in silk and who sat in king's palaces, but when the sun was high in the sky she was standing in the palace court yard.

Such wealth and glory she had never dreamed of seeing. The palace courtyard was lined with fragrant gardens, blossoming with rare and exotic follows. Around the courtyard, armed guards and warriors in brightly-colored garb, peered out at the gaily-dressed crowd (or as gaily-dressed as petitioners could be) crowd. The palace itself seemed carved from gold and silver, for it shone and reflected the sun's light as if it and the sun were lovers bent on reflecting each other's glory. All around her, the crowd waited the second born prince eagerly to walk onto the palace balcony and descend the stairs.

All except Pumpkin who continually and impatiently asked Wink whom she was supposed to see. At last, he said, "See! There!" and there descending the balcony stair was a boy about Pumpkin's age of royal mien, with his long black hair braided and entwined around long loose tresses. A golden sangtugwan crowned his topknot, golden earrings hung from his ears and the golden thread woven into his silken robe glittered and shone in the midday sun. Pumpkin had never seen a boy so beautiful. Not even her husband -- who had also been a beautiful boy.