When he had caught sight of Lizzie’s familiar profile and golden hair over the old woman’s shoulder, Freddy had been certain it was all in his imagination. Then she turned, and he caught sight of the blue eyes that had haunted his dreams for the last ten years, and he knew.
It was Lizzie.
“What do you mean, she’s your wife?” The older of the two poked him in the chest with a knitting needle. “Eliza left before she could be married.”
Freddy craned his neck to look between the guard dogs to where Lizzie sat, cool and collected with her hands folded on her lap. She was still wearing the dress he had seen her in that night almost three weeks ago, though it was looking much worse for wear now. Her cheeks were slightly gaunt, and there were dark circles under her eyes, evidence of the toll that her long journey had taken on her.
She’s never had to live on her own before. How did she find food? Where did she sleep?
A throat cleared loudly, and Freddy slowly forced his eyes away from Lizzie and back to the old woman. The one with the carding combs crossed her arms in front of her chest and tapped her foot impatiently.
“She was married by proxy. The king signed the marriage certificate on her behalf.” Freddy reached into his pocket andpulled out the precious piece of paper. “Because she’s his daughter, he had the legal right to do so.”
The oldest scoffed as she snatched the certificate out of his hands. “Being legal doesn’t make it ethical. As I always say, ‘A right can be wrong if not done the right way, and a wrong right ought to be left behind.’”
“That oneshouldgo on a pillow,” her compatriot muttered as she leaned over to read the document over her shoulder.
Freddy was still trying to puzzle the saying out when the carding comb wielder suddenly looked up at him sharply. “What did you say your name was?”
“Malakai, or Kai, for short.” He knew they were looking at his signature on the bottom of the certificate, and he prayed that they would go along with him until he had the chance to explain everything to Lizzie on his own.
An unspoken conversation took place between them. The oldest refolded the document carefully along the creases and handed it back. “Well, Kai, I suppose congratulations are in order. You can call me Mormor. This is Norva. Your bride is a special girl, you know.”
He met Mormor’s eyes, which looked much kinder when she wasn’t waving knitting needles in his face, and lowered his voice. “She’s not just special; she’s priceless.”
Freddy’s answer seemed to mollify Mormor, and Norva was so pleased that she beamed at him before tossing her carding combs to the side. “Oh, Eliza! This calls for a wedding feast.”
“Does it?” Mormor held her hand to her ear. “I don’t hear anything calling.”
“That’s because your hearing was the first thing to go. Kai, how do you feel about rhubarb?”
Freddy grinned in amusement. “I can’t say that I’ve ever tried it, ma’am.”
“Oh, what manners!” Norva patted his cheek affectionately. “Though you can just call me Norva; ma’am makes me feel old.”
Mormor was already stoking the fire in the stove, and she called over her shoulder, “You are old.”
“But still not as old as you.”
Freddy tuned out their good-natured argument and focused his attention on Lizzie. She was still rigidly glued in her position by the spinning wheel, and if her eyes hadn’t followed Norva across the room, he might have been convinced she was a very lifelike statue.
He swallowed, suddenly nervous, and approached her. “Would you join me outside for a moment?”
A flash of anger appeared in her eyes, so quickly that it was gone as soon as he registered it. “If I must.”
But anger is better than nothing, which is what I usually get. At this point, I’ll take any emotion that she’ll give me.
She stood gracefully and pushed past him, gathering a thin woolen coat from a spindly rack and escaping out the door before Freddy had a chance to open it for her.
“Don’t go too far,” Norva called.
He gave her a grin and saluted, which earned him a chuckle in response, and then charged after his wife. “Lizzie, wait!”
He found her already a few yards down the street, with her arms hugged around her waist as she walked. He cringed at the thought that he had already made her upset.
I lied when I said I’d take any emotion. I just want to make her happy.
“Lizzie, can we talk?”
