The Count of Castle Rock

Chapter III- Celebration

Maribelle and her entourage walk up Temple Boulevard with the exaggerated gaits of courtiers of the royal court. Their practiced ease tells of countless hours mimicking those self-important men and women competing for the King's ear. The girls' suitors follow behind like puppies hoping their masters will show them the barest of affections. Leesa fits in with neither group and walks in between. Comfortable on the road or in a camp full of strangers, Leesa feels like an outsider with people she's known since childhood. She looks up at the streaming banners atop Castle Levian and wonders if life is as complicated for the lords and ladies Maribelle seemed so eager to emulate.

"Can I assume you have something for me?" Mary asks, startling Leesa out of her musings.

"How did you know?" Leesa produces the letter, but is suddenly reluctant to deliver it to its intended.

Mary scoffs. Leesa follows her gaze to Paul Whaler, watching from a distance and doing a poor job at being inconspicuous. Maribelle snatches the letter and slides it between the pages of her journal.

"You aren't going to read it?" Leesa asks.

"Maybe later. I get so many of these during ball season, it's hard to keep up." Mary laughs as do her friends.

"But Paul-"

"But Paul is the second son, Leesa. I couldn't possibly entertain his infatuations. I have a reputation to uphold."

Leesa suppresses a spark of hatred before it ignites her passion.

"Are you still reading A Lovely Castle of Iron," Lark Brown asks as she drops back to walk beside Leesa.

"I am. It's my favorite." Leesa nods. Among the girls, Lark is the only one who shares her voracious appetite for the written word.

"I find fairy tales a bit pedestrian these days." Lark points her nose skyward.

"I find them refreshing."

"I'm sure."

Leesa catches Lark's mischievous grin a moment too late. Lark snatches the book from Leesa's hands. One of the other girls keeps Leesa away as Lark opens to a middle page and reads aloud.

"And the young knight knelt wary knees in the blood-soaked sand. He'd defeated the evil baron, thus securing the release of the lost princess. Kneeling beside him she asked his name so that she might thank him properly.

'Sir Paul of Whale,' he answered."

The other girls laugh.

"That's not what it says," Leesa protests, cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Give that back!"

"The average looking princess offered the brave knight her hand, a grand gesture to one of his station.

'Thank you, Sir Paul, my brave champion. I am Leesa, heir to boyish clothes and a dusty library.'"

Lark and the others share a hardy laugh at Leesa's expense. None of them have read the book, none are aware of Lark's gross exaggerations. The brave knight doesn't even see the princess until much later in the tale. Leesa pushes past the girl in her way and grabs for the book, but Maribelle snatches it first. She deliberately removes Paul's letter from her journal and puts it beside Leesa's bookmark before handing it back to her sister.

"Keep it. I have a dozen more I've yet to open." Mary waves at Paul, who shadows their group from across the street, and the girls break into another cackling fit.

Jessica catches up to the group as they turn onto Artisan's Row.

"Can you at least remove that ridiculous orange sash?" Mary groans. "People will think all of us mindless heretics."