Spun Gold

Chapter Three

Liam sighed as he lounged in the parlor across from Damian, whose watchful hazel eyes seemed to be trying to bore a hole into him. "I don't see what you are so upset about. You gave the girl a task and she completed it, with enough to cover over half her father's debts. You should be thrilled." Liam said with a shrug, lifting his wineglass to his lips as his golden eyes studied the king over the rim of his glass.

"I know you had a hand in this." Damian fumed, picking up a scone from the serving tray next to him and tossing it at the silver-haired magician. "Her father had ties to the archduke. It isn't his debts I'm concerned with, it is his loyalty. Not that the royal treasury couldn't use the contribution." He replied, rapping his fingers against the arm of the chair.

"Does the earl have a male heir?" Liam questioned nonchalantly,clearly not as passionate about the subject as his companion.

"No, just the girl." Damian replied, running a hand through his red hair with a sigh. "Perhaps that's a small blessing."

"I would say that's a massive blessing, and a useful bargaining chip. Have the earl sign an agreement. His freedom, but in exchange his title and lands will pass to his daughter's husband; a man chosen by the crown for his loyalty. The issue resolves itself in a single generation." Liam suggested, pouring himself another glass of wine.

"Perhaps, though finding a suitable match for her will be a task in itself. I'm sure a good portion of the noble houses are aware of the earl's growing debts and dwindling income." Damian noted, his fingers steadily rapping against the arm of his chair as he searched for a solution.

"Surely there is at least one man you trust with wealth but no title; a knight, a merchant, one of your bloody advisors. A title, lands, and a pretty woman; what man would say no to that?" Liam asked rhetorically as he sipped at his wine glass. He froze with the glass halfway to his lips as he caught the look that crept onto the king's face.

"Funny you should say that. Isn't your brother set to inherit the title from your father?" Damian mused, a satisfied smile spreading across his features.

"No. I know what you're about to say, and the answer is no. I have no interest in a wife, or a title. I'm perfectly content as I am." Liam said firmly, setting his wine glass on the table beside him as his golden eyes held the king's gaze.

"All the more reason why it would be a perfect match. It would also improve your brother's marriage prospects. And your loyalty and lack of ambition are exactly what I need on the council right now." Damian argued, his mind clearly made up on the matter. Liam wasn't giving in though.

"You know good and well why I have no desire to marry. What I did to save your sister from the mirror's magic was unprecedented. We have no idea if it will pass through the bloodline. Could you imagine magic like this falling into the wrong hands? What it would mean for Aurine and Acacia?" He argued back, but the king merely shrugged.

"Have it your way. Perhaps I can have her display her talents publicly. It would certainly entice suitors." He suggested, earning a scowl from his friend.

"Of all the wrong sorts, indeed. Greedy men seeking a title and fortune, and how would you maintain control then?" Liam fumed, knowing good and well that it was meant to get under his skin, but he couldn't help but rise to the bait.

"Another display would pay off her father's tax debts, boosting the royal treasury. Even the Acacian nobility would line up to marry the girl who can turn straw into gold. It seems like a perfectly viable option. Unless of course, she was not the one who completed the task. That would complicate matters, wouldn't it?"

There it was. The hook. Damian had backed him into a corner without him even realizing it. Liam sighed in defeat. "Very well. Task the girl with a public display. Don't say I didn't warn you. It will be like throwing a mouse into a pit of vipers, and you will have the pleasure of sorting them out."

~*~

Elizabeth awoke to darkness outside the window of the tower, her eyes slowly adjusting to the dim light of the torches. She stretched and yawned, jumping with a start as the sound of the lock on the door caught her off guard. She smiled with relief as the magician stepped through the door, closing it quickly behind him. She was about to thank him, but the look on his face gave her pause.

"What is it?" She asked hesitantly, feeling the air around him crackle as he paced.

"The king intends to have you repeat the task. Publicly. The guards will fetch you and the spinning wheel at dawn." He said with a frown, his tone flat.

Elizabeth gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'll be found out. Publicly disgraced." Her hands set to shaking as she sank onto the stool, trying to control her breathing.

"Indeed. Or worse, you succeed and then you will be married off to the first snake that slithers into the king's good graces." He grumbled, shaking his head.

Elizabeth shook her head, pulling the necklace from around her neck and the rings from her fingers before crossing the room to him. "It's all I have. Please, you must help me. I don't care who the king marries me off to, anything is better than exile." She pleaded, placing the trinkets in Liam's hand.

He groaned, shaking his head. "You don't know what you are asking. These are not handsome princes from fairytales and stories. They are hardened men, loyal only to the crown. Or worse, ambitious men who see you only as a tool for their own selfish desires."

"Like my father?" It was more a statement than a question. She was more than aware of the type of men he was talking about. She had lived under the rule of one for her entire life. What difference did it make? At least her mother would be spared the humiliation and her family would not lose everything they had. At least she would not die a spinster on some forsaken plot of land far from home.

Liam sighed, holding up his hands in defeat. "Very well, just don't say you weren't warned." He said quietly, taking a seat at the spinning wheel. "Give me your finger." He ordered, earning a quizzical look as Elizabeth hesitated. "I need it for the enchantment. I'm not going to cut it off, it that's what you fear."

Elizabeth crossed to him and held out her hand hesitantly. She yelped as he pressed her finger to the sharp, pointed end of the spindle and drew a trickle of blood that dripped onto the spinning wheel. Pulling back her hand, she nursed the tiny pinprick as her blue eyes watched him curiously. Placing his palms on the wheel, he muttered something incoherent and the wheel sprang to life before settling back into stillness.

"The wheel is enchanted. It will only work for you, but be warned. It is attached to your own lifeblood. Abuse it, and you will meet a swift and rather unpleasant demise." He said firmly, getting to his feet.

He was taken aback as she flung her arms around him, tears of relief flooding down her face. "Thank you." Was all she could choke out, the magician's golden eyes staring down at her uncomfortably. Liam shifted uneasily, his hands going to her shoulders as he eased her away from him.

"Don't thank me just yet. You may very well regret ever meeting me by the time all is said and done." He said sadly, shaking his head. "I don't know which fate would have been worse." With a sigh, he stood back to look her over. Her long blonde curls were disheveled and stains covered her powder blue gown from the dust of the floor. Realizing this herself, she cast her gaze sheepishly to the floor.

"Am I to be presented to the court as I am?" She asked with a creeping sense of dread. Tongues would surely start wagging if the earl of Harcort's daughter was seen in such a pitiful state.

Liam grinned. "If it were up to the king, I'm sure you would. I'll see what I can do to convince him otherwise." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Though, a little pity from the nobility might go a long way in aiding your release." He suggested, but Elizabeth balked. Pity be damned, she would die of humiliation.

"I'd prefer a bath and a fresh dress to pity." She said at last, tilting her nose up slightly as she spoke.

Liam chuckled. "Very well. A servant should be coming soon to bring your meal. I'll speak with the king. Goodnight, Lady Bret-Dayton."