Of Destiny and Sisters

Fashion and Madness

Pat

"Well, first," I urged, "let's not let the anxiety get the best of us." I swallowed, attempting to follow my own advice and calm my stomach. Kat had tried to warn me, but I hadn't listened. Maybe she won't say—

"I told you so! I told you we might get stuck!" She was breathing just a little too fast.

Damnit. I touched her arm. "Okay, don't get mad when I tell you to calm down," I softened my voice and tried to be encouraging, "but try to calm down. Take deep breaths. We'll be okay."

She nodded but mumbled to herself. "Go into a magic mirror, she said. It'll be fun, she said." She took several deep breaths.

I was still worried. "Better?"

"Not really, no," she assured me. "But this isn't the place for a freakout, so I'll pull it together."

"I'm sorry, Kat. I—"

She waved me off. "It's okay, Pat. I'd rather the two of us be stuck here together than you by yourself."

"Thank you. I love you, too." I smiled and tried to keep the world from going watery.

Marianne swept into the room, startling us. "Good! You're ready!" she proclaimed, though we had been ready before she left.

By an unspoken agreement, neither Kat nor I mentioned our discovery of our fate. I didn't think that the Queen Mother would care anyway. She'd made it clear that we were there to help, come 'Hell or high water,' as our mother had sometimes said. The thought about mom hurt just a little.

Marianne motioned us toward the door. "Come on, then. Let's go meet the King and the Trollop."

"The trollop? Don't like her much?" Kat asked while attempting to hide a shadow of a grin.

The woman tsked. "You'll see," she wagged a finger, "then you won't laugh. She's a shrew, and I'm afraid my son is rather browbeaten. It's scandalous, truly."

"You're still reasonably happy to go to dinner," I observed as we entered the hall.

"My son is a delight. Truly. Except when he's not, of course."

"Naturally," Kat agreed.

I followed behind them, observing our surroundings as the two of them chatted about clothing and something called 'Sumptuary Laws.'

I had to know. "You have laws about clothing?" The thought seemed preposterous.

"Oh yes! How else is the Trollop going to feel like royalty? At least Uther has the good sense not to marry the woman. So, he makes it so that no one else can dress like her."

My brows furrowed. I searched my memory of Arthurian legend. I'd recently read Mists of Avalon and hoped it was somewhat accurate. Of course, curiosity opened my mouth and spoke for me. "I thought Uther was married to Igraine?"

Kat shot me a glance; I was giving away too much. If we wanted to have any semblance of advantage, I needed to play it safe and keep what I knew quiet.

The Queen Mother didn't seem to notice that I'd asked something that should have been common knowledge. "Igraine's been in the convent for so long most assume she is dead. She went in shortly after Arthur was born when Uther sent him to be fostered." Marianne lowered her voice to a whisper. "Personally, I think she and the Reverend Mother have a thing going, but you absolutely did not hear that from me."

"Hear what?" Kat whispered back, smiling.

Marianne grinned and hooked her arm into Kat's. "I think I like you."