It had been
a long time since Rina had attended a ball. She had almost forgotten why she
hated fancy dress balls. The restricting ball gown quickly reminded her. Balls
had been one of the few lady like things her stepmother had not allowed her to
participate in. She knew Rina would ruin them. The annual Goldgate Fall
Festival, in Rina’s hometown, was coming up and the band had a quest to escort
a young girl there.
“Why do I have to do this?” Rina complained while tugging at the green
dress.
Gold
smiled apologetically. “Sorry Rina, the fairy godmother hired us to help her
godchild out, since she has to attend the Godparent Continuing Education
Seminar this week. We’re getting paid well too, so grin and bear it.”
Rina
sighed resignedly. “I know. Okay, so the godchild’s name is Ellen, and she
wants to dance with her true love. Who is he anyways?”
Gold checked the notes. “Actually, the fairy godmother didn’t fill that
part out. Weird. Just ask Ellen. Once you figure it out, push the guy into
dancing with Ellen. True love should take care of the rest. And try not to look
uncomfortable in the dress.”
Rina
made a face but she knew he was right. The band’s sorcerer had made a decent
looking carriage out of an old pot and the band’s horses were hitched to it.
Rina envied Thomas, he got to do the driving, which she was sure was much more
interesting than sitting inside with Ellen. Ellen was pretty enough, but seemed
incapable of giving an accurate description, much less name, for her true love.
Rina eventually just looked out the window.
She had been surprised to get a quest in her hometown. As they pulled up
to Goldgate Manor, she sighed. Actually, the pervious baron had been her
father. But she had given up the barony to go adventuring. Her cousin Cedrick
was the baron now. For her, the worst part about this quest wasn’t the gown. It
was going inside Goldgate. To her heart it was still home, even though she had
willingly left it.
“Alright,”
Rina whispered as they entered the dazzlingly ballroom. “Who is your true love?”
But
Ellen appeared to be rendered senseless by all the wealth and lights in the
hall. The ballroom was very large with an exquisite mosaic of dancers on the
floor. Having grown up running around Goldgate Manor and sliding all over the
ballroom in her socks, Rina wasn’t quite as impressed. Suppressing another
sigh, Rina diligently tried to get Ellen to be able to communicate, until the
baron approached them. All ability to speak promptly left Ellen.
Baron Cedrick had recognized Rina. “May I have this dance?” he grinned at
her.
Rina
smiled back. Cedrick had been one of her favorite cousins. Figuring that the
best way to get Ellen to talk was to get the Baron away from her, Rina
accepted. And maybe Ellen needed some time to settle in first.
“What
are you doing here?” Cedrick asked as they danced.
“My band has a quest here. We have to help a girl meet her true love.”
Cedrick was a very good dancer, making it easy for Rina to follow him and
hopefully disguise the fact that dancing was not her strong point.
“A
noble quest,” agreed Cedrick. “Can I help?”
Rina
shook her head. “I think she’s afraid of you. Just stay out of her way. She’s
pretty overwhelmed as it is.”
So
she danced after that dance they parted ways and Rina went back to Ellen. Cedrick
diligently steered clear of them, but Ellen didn’t calm down. She was crying
and wouldn’t say anything until they returned to the band.
“You
danced with my true love!” sobbed Ellen as they stood in her kitchen garden.
“Cedrick?!”
exclaimed Rina indignantly. “How can he be your true love if he doesn’t even
know you exist?’
It
was not the right comment. Ellen sobbed harder and Gervas signaled for Thomas
to drag Rina away. Later Gervas warned Rina that if she tried to interfere with
the quest, the band would tie her up. Rina scowled. She couldn’t let her cousin
get married off to some goosey empty-headed girl.
The
next night Rina decided on a bold, direct approach to get Ellen with her true
love. Once they got into the ballroom, Rina didn’t waste any time trying to let
Ellen settle in or admire the room.
“Come
on Ellen,” said Rina. “You really need to meet your true love.” Grabbing her
hand, Rina plowed through the room. Nimble dancers gracefully leaped out of
their way, while clumsy ones stumbled and bumped their toes. They all gave Rina
dark glares. Rina didn’t pay any attention to them and headed straight to her
cousin.
Cedrick
raised his eyebrows, surprised that Rina was introducing him to the women she
had told him to avoid.
“Cousin, this is Ellen. You should marry her.”
Ellen
fainted from embarrassment. Baron Cedrick restrained himself from rolling his
eyes and called for a healer. He asked Rina to dance with him, but she sweetly
said she would only do so if he danced with Ellen first. Cedrick really did roll
his eyes and then spent the rest of the night avoiding Ellen. Which was
difficult because Rina kept dragging Ellen after him. Once again, Ellen left
the ball in tears.
The
next night, the band had the sorcerer put a spell on Rina to keep her at camp.
Then they managed to lock Baron Cedrick and Ellen in the library in hopes that
close contact would help them warm up to each other. But Rina’s work was
already done. Cedrick took the most boring book in the library, a collection of
Goldgate’s tax records, and read the entire thing to Ellen in a monotone. Ellen
decided that she needed a different true love.