Catalyst - 2021

ch 4 - mornings and street markets

Calico woke to the fifth stroke of the clock just as she always did. Tired and groggy she wondered if Hycein really was going to come tomorrow.

Why had she even asked them to come back anyway, they couldn't be well employed by their master of they kept sneaking off to sleep away the afternoon. Slipping the brown dress over her head she noted neither could she. Taking a long time in the afternoon may not be noticeable right now but it will become noticeable soon.

Then what? Get caught in the garden with them? This place has been her home for a decade and she could throw it away right now if she wasn't careful. The cold water steeled her, she would clean herself of them after tomorrow's meeting. Surely once more wouldn't hurt but more than that would endanger herself. 

Calico sat down next to Kel like always. She leaned into Kel, but decided against asking her opinion. The less who knew the better in the end and she had already made up her mind. Tomorrow would be the last time she saw them. 

"What's got you actually awake today?" Kel spoke between mouthfuls of oatmeal. 

"I just..." Calico needed something believable, "am concerned about the market this morning." That was believable. The market was sometimes a hard sell at the prices Lady Josiea wanted. The people were poor and most that used to buy their bouquets from her at the market had now transitioned into doing orders directly. 

"That's understandable," Kel turned back to her oatmeal, "If she wants you to sell at a higher price to the people, why not make fancier bouquets to make them want to purchase it at that price?" 

"I would but then when she overlooks the day's market stock and lets me know the prices she would just set them even higher." The thought of his conundrum made even the sweet honey flavor taste bitter in her oatmeal. 

Kel suddenly dropped her spoon and turned to Calico, "Better idea. Make the fancier bouquets, get the higher price point to sell at, but then at market split them into smaller bunches to sell at more reasonable rates."

"Then the three or four smaller bunches sell for the total of the large one and everyone is happy!" Calico hugged Kel fiercely, "Thank you so much, I need to go prep the market stock!"

                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hycein straightened their tunic. The crisp blue lines on the black tunic had to be straight otherwise the prince would be angry. They ran their fingers to coax the black tuff of hair back down. Their undercut at least made them not have to focus on all their hair being a mess, just the top part. 

"Come now!" The Crown Prince Ordell stormed into the corridor, entourage in tow. "The market awaits us Knight Odollam!" His hand roughly patted their shoulder. "It's once again time to make sure they all fall into line." Icy blue eyes met brown and Hycein's throat tightened. Ordell was out for blood and was ready to make some poor unfortunate soul an example. 

The horses were ready, Hycein felt it was unjust to only give them access to black baroque horses even when out for a simple ride. Those warhorses didn't need to be out on parade, however, this gelding that had been brought out was a favorite of theirs. Hycein had named them Molasses and always had a sugar cube or apple in their pockets for the horses. 

"Be steady and kind, just like you always do," they whispered as they offered a couple of sugar cubes. "Ordell is going to make us do horrible things, so try to not do more than what is asked of us, okay boy?" 

Molasses looked on with soft eyes and waited patiently for Hycien to mount and the miniature caravan to move out. Hycein hoped that whoever would be selected as the sacrificial lamb today was deserving of the treatment. 

People gathered to watch as they walked by. Ordell waved with his beautiful smile. Crown glimmering in his nearly golden hair. Hycein could see the younger townspeople swoon for his blue eyes. They wondered if they saw the same manipulation in them that they saw. 

The first market square was the high market, known for the goods produced by the noble houses. Lots of fabrics, embroidery, and pottery were sold at this market; nicer goods that are luxury items and so it was the nobles and their households that now gathered around the prince. 

The bodyguards saw the man first. His large wagon load of flowers had become unstable and had started to tip. "Your Highness," they shouted and reached for Ordell but it was too late. Hycein sighed, the lamb had been brought to slaughter. 

"You dare spoil my boots and my horse with dirt and water!" The jovial laughter and light-hearted tone he had just shared with his entourage and the local nobles had vanished to the sharpness of a dagger. 

"Your highness, it's just cut flowers in vases..." The man was on his knees with his eyes down. "the cart wheel, it broke... I had no control." 

"And I have no control but to punish those who do me harm." Hycein knew the smile those eyes were hiding. "Knight Odollam, you know the punishment of those that harm the image of the Crown Prince of Listavel." 

The world went quiet. Molasses stood still as they dismounted and moved towards the begging man. He was moving his mouth, probably crying out to the Gods and Goddesses for mercy, but Hycein couldn't hear them. The man didn't run as the last one did, just sat with tears streaming down. 

Slowly they pulled off their right glove and turned to seek final approval as they always did. Odell nodded and Hycein wondered when they had lost count at how many times they had done this. Last year? The year before that? They couldn't remember anymore. Slowly they put their inky black fingers and palms onto the man's head. His face turned to one of fear as he slumped to the side. 

They pulled gloves back on and remounted Molasses. Odell was already in his rant to his fearful subjects. Hycein was done for the day so long as no one stepped out of line. Hycein prayed they wouldn't so they wouldn't have to kill again. 

"Hycein?"

A voice broke through their clouded mind. Soft under the rant of the prince, later Hycein would wonder how they heard it at all. Their brown eyes rose to scan the crowd. 

Brown eyes locked with blue-green and Hycein felt like vomiting. Not from what they had done, but from who had seen.