15th Century Girl

Chapter Eighteen: Potion

We laid like that for hours, soaking up the sunshine and listening to the sweet songs of excited robins in the trees. Then,  a cloud covered the sun and a shadow passed over us, I opened my eyes to see that the entire sky turned a led color. All of a sudden, I felt a warm droplet of water hit my arm, I looked down and I felt another on my leg, then another, and another. Without warning, rain began to pour down upon the earth, Carter and I quickly stood, Carter shielding his drawing book from the rain and me pushing my wet hair out of my eyes. We laughed as we ran inside, and when we walked into the threshold we looked at one another and giggled.

We walked to the kitchen, for, it wasn't a very far walk from the Gardens. There we sat in front of the large fireplace, drying ourselves as the rain continued to come down and the sound of thunder began. Celest brought over a platter of snacks to us. Carter took out his drawing journal and sighed in relief when he found that it hadn't gotten wet "I didn't know you liked to draw" said I, rocking back and forth in a wooden rocking chair, in my wet dress. Carter smiled.

"I never capitalized on it" Said he, placing the journal on his lap, there was a short pause and Carter closed his eyes "and no, you may not see the drawings" he finished, I crossed my arms and pretended to pout. He opened one eye and smiled, then he closed it again and sighed, interlocking his fingers behind his head and stretching out his long legs. For a while we sat before the fireplace and I snacked on an apple and some cheese whilst Carter rested his eyes and let the fire warm him. We remained seated long after the fire dried us and the platter of snacks was gone, the rain slowed to a drizzle and stopped completely, but the sky remained a Moorish grey. I heard Celest sigh and pull up a wooden stool beside me.

"It's my turn to sit" Said she to me, she wore a white apron that was stained with flour and what smelt like vinegar. She sighed and looked a bit worn, but she never complained. "I'm lucky to have this job" said she when I questioned her "I come from a very poor family, Percyla, dirt poor. Luckily, my mother taut me how to cook and I was cooking at a pub one day when a knight came in, tried my food, paid and left. Then, a few days later more knights came, and so on and so forth until one day, the Prince and King themselves came in and hired me on the spot! Percyla, I have tasted true happiness, for I wept in joy that night when I told my parents of the miracle." Celest paused, turned to me, and smiled. 

"That is why I never complain. Why would you complain about a miracle?" Asked she, and I felt my heart almost break. "This is a faint dream to someone of my stature, Percyla" I now sensed Carter's eyes open and him sit up straighter in his rocking chair "never in my life would I have thought that this would happen to me...this is a chef's dream!" I smiled and hugged her, she sighed and someone called for her "well, looks like my break's over! I will speak with you later, Percyla, good day" said she, walking back to the bustling kitchen and beginning to work again.

I turned to Carter and my brows furrowed "I thought you had to train" said I, Carter sighed and looked to the fire.

"Arthur, said I need not train to-day...or anytime very soon" Said Carter, he turned back to me "I'm still a knight, Percyla, just...not in training." Now, I became angry, Arthur was doing this because Carter was being nice to me, helping me, (hopefully) loving me. I balled my hands into fists and gritted my teeth.

"He and I are going to have a talk, a long talk." I hissed, looking from the fire to Carter. Carter shook his head.

"No, Percyla, don't get into this, it's....too political. Stay neutral" Said he, turning to me, I smiled and chuckled dryly.

"If I didn't get into this you two would kill each other, example one: two nights ago, at the feast, you looked like you aimed to kill Arthur by the way you wrapped your hands around his throat." Said I with a smile, Carter sighed and stared blankly out of the window, out at the grey day. There was a long silence until I broke it. "Carter what....what did he say about me? He won't tell me."