Rina vs. The Band

for The Honeybee

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.

For more of Rina's adventures, see the Green Crescent Heroes.