Dragon Bride

Chapter 12 Midsummer Fair

Karliene was gently shaking Unni to wake her, "Let me sleep," Unni moaned, "today is fair day and I want to sleep in. I worked hard yesterday at the market."

"Uncle Eric said us girls can have the sauna first if we use it early and he has readied it," Karliene said.

"I'm up!" they grabbed their towels and still dressed in their shifts, which they usually slept in, they made their way to the sauna. They slipped into the little wooden enclosure. They removed their shifts and took a seat on the hot bench sitting on their folded towels as they joined the other female family members.

"I didn't expect you to be up in time," Gretchen teased.

"I thought I was going to have to drag Unni out of bed and roll her here," Karliene said as she poured more water onto the hot surface of the rocks. Steam filled the little room of the sauna. The room was lit by several oil filled clay lamps. They sat together quietly allowing the heat and steam to cleanse them.

"What are we having for morning meal?" Unni asked.

"Bread and cheese," Gretchen said, "there is still some potage in the pot and that is warming now."

"I'm starving!" Unni added.

"There will be plenty of vendors selling things to eat," Gretchen relied.

"And I have plenty of copper coin," Karliene added. She was meticulously plucking hair from her legs and elsewhere as she spoke.

"Why do you do that?" Unni asked as she watched. Karliene shrugged her shoulders in response.

"I like feeling smooth," she said thoughtfully, "and I feel prettier. I'll help you if you want."

After they finish with the steam they each took a quick dip in the cold pool that Eric had filled the night before and after drying and dressing in their shifts returned to their rooms.

"Where did you get the coins?" Unni asked.

"Working at the mead hall."

They assisted each other to rub and comb scented pomade onto their hair and braided each others hair intertwining a colorful ribbon in the long plaits. The plaits extended several inches below their waist.They washed their faces with soap and water. Then they applied facial cream they had made from an old recipe handed down through the family. Then they used their hands to rub their cheeks with rose water and a red pigment to add a faint blush of color. They dabbed their lips with a mixture of honey to soften them and byrony to add red coloring. Then they dressed in a clean shift and then a linen underdress. The underdress was unbleached linen and a grayish taupe color. The necklines of the dresses were deeply scooped and the sleeves extended to just below the elbow. Then they added a light wool pinafore. Karliene's was a dark green with wide stripe of dark blue at the hem and Unni's a dark blue with a dark green stripe. Belts followed as they wrapped their belts twice around their waist and added a belt knife and purse. They had finished making their necklaces with the pieces of green gold Loki had given them. The necklace was constructed like a bib. The larger rectangular metal pieces were in the center with smaller square ones on the edges. They had used the coins and these were suspended from the rectangular pieces spaced to produce the bib shape. The necklace covered the skin exposed by the scooped neckline of the dress and the bodice of their dresses. They worked together to make their shared bed.Then adding their glit circlet and several rings on their fingers and toes they left their room for breakfast.

Bjorn was sitting at the table waiting for his turn to use the sauna when the sisters entered the room. He rose from his seat and smiling motioned for them to sit next to him. They approached and Karliene kissed his cheek and sat next to him taking his hand in hers and Unni sat next to her.