Redemption

Chapter 5

Amalie began to stir on the couch. Her dreams were filled with the dark, handsome face of the very pleasing Lord Marius Lupescu. Her imagination in those dreams was wonderful, as she was able to create her own fantasy, which involved many dances with the gorgeous lord, not to mention the secret glances and the near-kisses that made her sigh. But, as always happens with dreams, the tale of happily-ever-after wonderment floated away like a wisp as soon as her eyelids fluttered. And Amalie let out a very hearty sigh at the realization that she was still in the little hut she called home.
    Well, she thought, at least I was able to meet a handsome, mysterious man at least once in my life. She knew that she would most likely never see him again, and the thought did not make her feel any better about that fact. As the days droned on, she was determined to focus on her normal chores and shopping duties. At first it was difficult because of the circumstances surrounding her return. Her Aunt Olga had not had time to share the news with some of the people in the village and so at first some of the townsfolk thought she had returned as a ghost. It took quite a bit of convincing for Amalie and her aunt to finally make them understand that her recovery was nothing less than a miracle. Amalie thought about these episodes in her quiet time and would nearly laugh aloud that some poor women even fainted at their first sight of her! It was a great source of amusement for her for a few days.
    Olga, however, was a bit reticent. She knew she would have to tell Amalie the truth about her lineage, and she was dreading it. She worried that it would steal away her niece's happiness and would make her feel more awkward than she did before. Amalie had never really fit in with the townspeople; there had always been something different about her, but she was so beautiful and engaging that most people just brushed off those feelings. But there had been those in the past who had made it their goal in life to spread vicious gossip about them, and Olga had many times had to swallow her pride and continue her life in the village as if she knew nothing. Her hope had been that, in so doing, she would present herself as a respectable lady of the town and the gossip would eventually die down and people would forget the stories. Fortunately, this was how it happened, and she and her niece were able to live relatively free of any further rumors.
    Therefore, she was very cautious about mentioning anything about the letters to Amalie. And so she continued to wait for the opportune time in which to bring out the letters and share her memories. Yes, she would wait until the time was right, because for this story, the timing would be everything.
    And the weeks passed...
    One day there was a loud bang as the front door burst open and Amalie came running into the kitchen, her lovely face flushed and her dark hair tangled by the wind.
    "Auntie, you'll never guess!" she exclaimed as she gasped, trying to regain her breath.
    "Well, I'm sure you'll never give me the chance to guess, dear," Olga responded with a smile. "You look as if you've been chased by a demon." Her eyes took in the girl's appearance with a loving glance.
    "Yes, well, the fair is coming to town today! Oh, Auntie, can we please go?" She looked forlornly at her aunt who continued to move around the kitchen with a slowness that seemed to Amalie to resemble a sloth. "Please, please, puh-lease, Auntie Olga? I just have to go. It's been so long since we've had a fair in town."
    Olga continued with her task of preparing the meat for the week's dinner and made a point to move as slowly as possible. She grinned inwardly as she watch Amalie prance around the kitchen, babbling on and on about the fair and all of the certain "divine entertainment" that was sure to happen. But, secretly, she was just as excited as Amalie was about the fair. The girl was right — it had been a very long time since there had been a carnival in town, and Olga was certainly agreeable to going and enjoying the amusements that such an event would provide.
She turned and smiled at her niece. "Oh, alright, alright. I would hate for you to burst with disappoint so we will go."
Amalie threw her arms around Olga and squeezed tightly. "Thank you, thank you!" Then in a flash the girl was gone, rushing upstairs to prepare herself for the most wonderful night she'd experienced in a very long time.
And the evening had every indication of being exactly what Amalie was hoping. There were lights and music and the sounds of people in awe as the carnival people plied their wares and talents to anyone who would stop to watch and listen. Olga watched as Amalie took it all in, and the wonder in her bright eyes made her remember earlier times in her own life when her parents would take her and Alina to the fair. Everything was so dramatic and bold, and the colors of the clothes were brilliant and breathtaking. It was truly wonderful, being there, almost lost in the crowd of faces and yet feeling as if you belonged. She sighed and felt a tug on her arm.
"Auntie," Amalie was saying in her ear, her voice barely rising above the din of the crowd, "may I please explore on my own? It's just so fabulous..."
"Absolutely, you may; you are no longer a child, my sweet Amalie. But do try not to wander too far."
"I promise to stay close and not go away with any handsome strangers," the girl answered slyly as she drifted off into the sea of faces.
Amalie was enamored with the merriment of it all — the masks and costumes; the pranks and jokes; the witty rhymes; the carriage of fools; the lighting of the fires; the music and dancing and feasting — it was all just truly wonderful to her. She saw many people, even children, dressed in the costume of the Urzeln, complete with handmade masks with terrifying faces and leather whips. Some of them even carried cowbells as an added part of the costume. Amalie recognized them for what they were and, stepping toward them, revealed her knowledge of the story and, thereby, their identity. She was rewarded with a hot donut pulled from a wooden box hanging high over a fire. She retrieved the warm donut from the wooden clamp and sighed loudly as she took a bite of the pasty.
Now that, she thought with a grin, is absolute heaven on earth.
She watched with the others as the Urzeln continued their march, lashing their whips as they moved. They were honoring the legend of a girl named Ursula. It is said that when Turkish invaders laid siege to the village of Agnita, Ursula disguised herself in the scariest costume she could find and, taking a whip, went out of the burgh and made deafening noises with her whip, thus terrifying the Turks and ending the siege.
So now, with this Carnival, the Urzeln would run the streets in costume and lash their whips and shake their cowbells in order to drive out any evil spirits from the village. Passers-by who recognized them were rewarded with a warm donut.
Amalie was just finishing the last bite of her prize when she heard a low voice coming from behind her.
"Good evening, my lady Amalie."
Amalie nearly choked on her pastry. She turned slowly and again came face to chest with the most gorgeous man in the world...or at least he was in her world.
"My lord, Marius," she mumbled through a mouth full of doughy goodness.
She curtsied a little too quickly and nearly fell, but a warm hand at her elbow held her upright, his merest touch making her blood run just a bit warmer. She quickly swallowed the remainder of her reward and peered up at him through thick lashes.
"Thank you," she said, brushing her ebony locks from her eyes. "I'm afraid I must have left my grace on the bedside table before coming to Carnival tonight." She grimaced outwardly, knowing how ridiculous that just sounded to her, and thinking he must surely be thinking her a gross incompetent at this point.
But Marius smiled down at her, his dark eyes glinting with humor.
"Well, then," he said with a courtly bow, "it seems that I must, out of concern for your welfare, escort you through the rigorous remaining events tonight to ensure that you do not stumble to your death in the streets." His head lifted and his face was ever so close to hers as he said seductively, "That is, if you have no objections?"
Was he insane? Amalie wanted to laugh out loud. What woman in her right mind would ever object to being escorted all night by this exquisite piece of man-flesh? She knew her thoughts were not very lady-like, but something about this man awakened every primal, womanly instinct within her. She knew she should feel ashamed at her thoughts, but...but...what a man! she sighed inwardly.
"Oh, no, I have no objections," she replied with a bright smile. "I only hope I will not be a burden for you."
Marius tucked her arm in his and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "If all my burdens were as lovely as you, they would not be burdens at all."
Amalie blushed; she knew her face had to be a million shades of red. She was glad for the darkness that hid the elation that must surely be reflecting in her face.
"Why, Marius, if I remember correctly the last time we met, I thought you were truly eager to be rid of me."
He laughed, a sultry sound that wafted on the cool air around them.
"Nonsense, Amalie, and I am sorry if it appeared that way." He maneuvered her out of the way of the carriage of fools that was trundling down the street, for she was surely not paying attention to anything but him at the time. "I had just found you alone, sick with who-knew-what ailment, and very weak. I was more concerned for your health and welfare at the time, and I didn't know if your family knew where you were, or if you even had a family."
He looked down at her, searching her face as he spoke. "To be entirely frank with you, I haven't been to this village since my family died. It does not hold pleasant memories for me. So when you were able to tell me where you lived, I honestly didn't know if I would be welcome back. You may have heard the story about my family."
Amalie shook her head at this, but he continued.
"The people seemed to be wary of me during my visit to bring you home, but I kept thinking of you these past weeks and months. And when I heard this fair was coming to your village, I just had to come to see if I could find you once again."
He pulled her closer to him, and she became vaguely aware that they were no longer in the center of the town square but somewhat away from the festival, though they were still not so alone as to be inappropriate. He turned to face her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Her hands had instinctively come to rest on his broad chest and she could feel his heart beating a steady rhythm under his lavishly embroidered shirt. He gazed upon her face soulfully, his eyes taking in every feature as if to remember her in this moment forever.
"As soon as I stepped from my carriage this night I saw you with your aunt. I witnessed your girlish excitement and savored the way the firelight played on your features." His hands cupped her face. "You are beautiful, Amalie Grigorcea, and I would cherish the opportunity to try and win your heart and make you my own."
Amalie heard everything but she couldn't comprehend it. She thought she must surely be dreaming with her eyes open because she could still smell the food and the fire, and she still heard the sounds of merriment going on around her. And yet, here was this man, this perfectly created specimen of manhood, holding her and telling her that he was taken with her and wished to court her.
She could hardly believe it. So much so that she said, out loud, "Please don't pinch me."
She watched as the passion in his eyes turned into quizzical humor. "What?" he asked, a touch of amusement threading its way through his lilting voice.
Amalie blinked then, realizing what she had done. She secretly wished she could regain the momentum of that moment, but she knew there was no going back. At least not right now...or so she thought.
"I am so sorry," she said in a gasping breath. "I...I'm...I'm just so overwhelmed." She smiled shyly as she continued, "I never would have thought that you would even think of me again. I have never been in this situation before, or anything even close to this, to tell the truth. No one has ever said those things to me, and so I thought I surely must be dreaming. I didn't want to be wakened because, if this is a dream, I didn't want it to end."
She lowered her eyes. "I'm so sorry. Sometimes my mouth blurts out my thoughts." She looked at him with a grimace . "Usually there is no one else around to question those."
Marius' dark eyes sparkled as he again pulled her close. "And that, my dear, sweet Amalie, is why I cannot put you out of my mind. The innocence you have of the world is one thing that draws me to you. Honestly, I cannot explain it entirely, but the moment Apollo found you that night, I knew there was something very special about you."
And with that the passion, that had left so suddenly earlier, had returned, and it left Amalie breathless.
Marius leaned closer and,with his lips only a scant breath from hers, he asked in a gentlemanly tone, "May I?"
Amalie was afraid to speak, so she merely nodded. And what happened next was the turning point in her whole world.