Marmalade's Love Potion

Ch 2 - Grimwood Village - Pt 1

With a month until the Dark Moon, and much work to finish in the cottage before all three women could embark on the journey to Grimwood Village, it was several days before they were ready to leave.

Starwood Palace had reclaimed their carriage and fast mares many years ago. The Sisters had been left to barter at Clear Lake market for a small mare and cart so they could continue trading homemade wares.

Cynthia, their apricot mare with a cream-coloured mane and spots on her flank, was getting on in years. Though, the wild clovers which grew on the cottage grounds seemed to keep her spry.

Pretty and even tempered, she was quite the favourite with the children of market goers, whom Cynthia seemed content to trot around the market grounds for the younglings' amusement.

Sister Rosin was harnessing Cynthia as the mare stood patiently, stretching her neck to nibble at a nearby branch of plumbee berries.

Sister Heely had run off on a final check of their hen coop, and Penelope was focused on a checklist of errands they needed to run in Grimwood Village.

Pacing by the small cart to keep herself warm, Penelope muttered aloud, "Fabric, thread, fastenings, and lace for three dresses... we should make do with the under dresses we already have... we might need some new gloves... what about face powders?"

Doing a rough mental count, Penelope figured there should be some money for face creams and shading powders. Though, with a love of dressing up, Sister Heely often indulged in crafting their own cosmetics at home when Sister Rosin could barter for quality ingredients at Clear Lake.

Penelope stopped pacing as a thought occurred to her. With a larger than average commission for Mary Walburton's dress, there might even be enough for some alchemical enchantments.

Though she wouldn't admit it to the Sisters, Penelope had longed to try the enchanting—and prohibitively expensive—beauty charms she sometimes saw adorning the wealthier patrons of Clear Lake market.

Penelope had always envied the glimmering golden or pastel shades of hair which emitted mesmerising illusions of butterflies or birds with each delicate step. Or the glamours which turned freckles into glittering specks of diamond. Or the charms which rendered skin into a cosmic display of constellations as ribbons of green and purple light rippled through perfectly curled hair.

Would she still have been invited to the royal soirees if she could have afforded to match the artisan aesthetics of the other princesses? Would a prince have asked for her hand instead of another if she could only afford the same magics? Maybe she could have found her true love by now, if only she'd had the power to capture their attention in the first place. Perhaps there would be money to spare for her to find the perfect enchantment at Grimwood Village...

Penelope shook her head and locked away that hope deep within her, returning her focus to the jars of salve and embroidered scarves they were taking with them to sell or trade. Just in case.

Travelling at dawn, they should reach Grimwood Village before the start of trading hours, giving them the whole day to buy everything they needed, and perhaps even take tea at The Crescent Cup.

Sister Heely returned as Sister Rosin was checking Cynthia's fastenings. Before long they were ready to go.

Sister Heely and Penelope sat in the back of the cart as Sister Rosin encouraged Cynthia into a trot along the packed pebble path towards the outer Faewood Ring Road. The fine, white quartz gravel crunched underneath the lacquered wood of the cart's wheels, and the enchanted iron of Cynthia's shoes tinkled like bells on the narrow, winding path.

Penelope hadn't been to the Clear Lake market since early last season when the trees were turning gold with the coming winter. It had been much, much longer since she had visited Grimwood Village, which was further east and traded in luxuries beyond the resources they had to craft from their small cottage.