Lord of Misrule (Below the Salt #8)

Chapter 18

T olin sat in front of the fire with a tankard of ale clutched in his hands. Parker played with the dog on the ground. No activities were happening right now because Tolin decided they would all wait for the new baby to arrive before celebrating another minute.

“I wonder what’s taking so long,” said Rook sitting next to him. “Rose went into that kitchen room hours ago to help out and hasn’t come out yet.”

“Sometimes it takes days for a baby to be born,” said Jonathon, Raven’s husband. “When Sparrow was born, it lasted two days, unless you’ve forgotten. It was the longest two days of my life. We just have to wait.”

“My lord, everyone is becoming impatient,” said Jarvis, coming to give Tolin a report. “Can’t you start a game or at least let them dance to some music? They are bored. And if I must remind you, this is Christmastide, a time for continuous celebrating.”

“Nay,” said Tolin, watching Oliver pace back and forth in front of the fire. The man was upset and anxious and rightly so. Tolin didn’t want to put less importance upon the biggest day of this man’s life. “However, you may ask the musicians to play some calming music, but there will be no celebrating or dancing or even eating until that baby arrives. We need to put our focus on what is really important in life.” Raven’s words, Rook’s words, and even Kit’s ran through his mind. Tolin wanted to prove that he could decipher what was important in life and this should prove it.

“My lord.” Emeric emerged from behind Jarvis. “The cook says the food will be ruined if we don’t have the main meal soon.”

“That’s right. We should at least eat,” agreed Rook. “There is no need to waste good food.”

“Is my wish falling on deaf ears?” asked Tolin in a raised voice. Everyone looked at each other but didn’t say a word. Finally the monk spoke up.

“Lord Tolin.” Brother Ruford got up from the table and walked over to him. “Your father has put you in charge in his absence. You need to carry out his wishes.”

“I am,” said Tolin. “But right now, we’re going to wait.”

“The girl is not even a noble,” protested Ruford. “She is just a commoner. Surely you shouldn’t require the nobles to go hungry for that.”

“He’s right,” agreed Daegel from the other side of the table. “I am so hungry right now that I could eat a horse. Please, brother, stop this nonsense and let us eat.”

Tolin was about to object again when Kit walked out to the great hall. She looked bedraggled and had blood on her apron. In her arms was a small bundle wrapped in a soft blanket.

“Oliver, come meet your new daughter,” Kit called out, smiling down at the newborn she held.

Oliver rushed over to see his new baby. Tolin jumped up and followed him across the room.

“How is Brenna?” asked Tolin before Oliver had a chance to do so.

“She’s fine. Thank you for asking.” Kit looked up and their eyes interlocked. She had a glow about her holding the baby. Tolin could tell it meant the world to her. She seemed so natural. And happy. Love showed in her eyes.

“You look good holding the baby,” he remarked, realizing that Kit truly was a good mother. She deserved so much more than the bad hand life had dealt her. Kit looked up at him but didn’t say a word.

“Can I hold her?” asked Oliver.

“Of course,” said Kit, giving Oliver the baby.

“Kit, thank you,” said Tolin.

She looked at him and blinked. “For what?”

“For being here.”

“Brenna is my sister. Of course, I’m going to be here to support her in any way I can.”

“Of course,” he said with a nod. “But I meant more than just that.”

“Just that?” she asked, making him feel as if he’d belittled the event, but he hadn’t meant to do so.

“You misunderstood. Yes, that is important, I agree. What I meant was...I want you to stay at Blake Castle.” He meant forever, but she must have thought he meant only until Twelfth Night.

“I can’t stay that long. However, I will stay until the morning only. I need to prepare a home for the baby to come to.”

“I told you, I’ll pay to have the bakery rebuilt. You don’t need to worry about it. Neither do you have to go back to town.” His heart ached. Now that Kit was back here, he didn’t want her to leave again.

“I have to and need to return. I told you before, I don’t want your pity, Lord Tolin. We will survive without your help, thank you very much.”

Tolin watched her walk away, feeling as if whatever they had between them was over. He longed for the right words to say to make her stay but his mind was blank. He wasn’t good at expressing his feelings, and Kit wasn’t making this easy for him.

“Can we eat, now that my cousin was born? Me and King are hungry.” Parker stood in front of Tolin, looking up at him with wide eyes.

“Yes, of course,” Tolin answered with a sigh, giving a nod to his steward to start the meal.

“Can King eat with me today?” asked the boy, dragging Tolin from his thoughts.

“Yes,” he answered, trying to think of some way to make this up to Kit. “Do whatever you want.”

“I can’t do whatever I want,” complained Parker. “I’m not the Lord of Misrule, you are.”

“That’s right,” said Tolin, having an idea. He put his hand into his pouch bringing forth the bean that had made him Bean King to begin with. “Parker, I’m giving you the bean, so this means you will be the Lord of Misrule now until Twelfth Night.” He dropped the bean into Parker’s hand.

“I’m the Bean King? Really?” asked Parker, with wide eyes focused on his palm.

“Really,” Tolin answered with a chuckle.

“So whatever I say, people have to do?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Tolin looked up and announced to everyone that Parker was the new Lord of Misrule. There were comments and complaints from behind their hands but Tolin didn’t care. He could do whatever he wanted, even make an eight-year-old boy the new Bean King if he wanted. “Go ahead, Parker,” said Tolin. “Give your first command as the Lord of Misrule.”

“All right,” said the boy, his eyes gleaming. “I want to sit at the dais to eat with King at my feet the way you do.”

“You’ve got it,” said Tolin raising a hand to call to his steward. “Bring another chair up to the dais for the boy.”

“Nay, I want to sit in your seat,” said Parker with a big smile on his face. “The chair with the arms on it.”

“What?” That took Tolin by surprise. “Parker, that chair is for the lord of the castle,” he explained, thinking that the boy didn’t understand the game.

“You told me I could do whatever I wanted since I’m the Bean King, right?” Parker held up the bean to show him.

“That’s right, brother,” said Rook with a chuckle. “Since the boy will be in your chair, that means you will have to eat with the commoners below the salt.”

“Wait a minute,” said Tolin. “I don’t think that is what Parker really wants, is it?” He looked over at the boy, shaking his head.

“Nope,” said the boy with a mischievous grin.

“Good, good,” said Tolin, once more motioning to his steward. “We’ll need another chair at the dais, please.”

“You can eat with my mother in the kitchen instead,” said Parker. “Come on, King, I’m going to be the lord of the castle tonight.” The boy headed to the dais at a run with the dog right on his heels. Tolin’s jaw dropped and he found himself speechless.

“Well, you heard him, get going,” said Rook, laughing. Daegel was with him, laughing as well.

“Off to the kitchen with you,” said Daegel flicking his fingers. “The rest of the Christmas celebrations should prove to be very interesting now. I cannot wait to see what happens.”

“More interesting than you think,” said Rook, with a smile that Tolin wanted to slap right off his face. “I wonder what the Bean King will command next.”

Kit washed up and changed her apron, feeling relieved that the birth had gone so well. There were no complications at all. Both Brenna and the baby were alive and well and that couldn’t make her happier. She checked once more on her sleeping sister before heading to the kitchen to take Brenna’s place with the preparations for the night. She stepped out, tying on a new apron, stopping in her tracks when she found Tolin sitting at her work table in the kitchen.

“Tolin? What are you doing here?” she asked. He looked sad or disappointed.

“I was ordered to come here and eat with you, Kit.”

Hearing him say her name and ‘eat’ in the same sentence made her mind spin. All she could think about was his mouth on her in places a mouth didn’t truly belong. It made her feel naughty just thinking about it. She tried to push away the memory. Right now she needed to stay focused on her family and to find them a home.

“What do you mean?” She giggled softly.

“It was a command from the Bean King,” he explained.

“You’re the Bean King, Tolin,” she said, thinking he had gone mad. “If you wanted to join me for a meal, then just admit it.”

“You are right, I did want to join you for a meal,” he told her. “However, this was all initiated by your son.”

“I don’t understand. What does that mean and where is Parker? He needs to sit down and eat his meal.”

“Oh, he is, I assure you. Come and see.” He took her to the door that led to the great hall.

“Where is he?” Kit looked around the hall, but didn’t see her son at the tables with the commoners.

“He’s there. You are just looking in the wrong direction.” Tolin took her chin in his hand and slowly turned it toward the dais.

Her mouth dropped open. “Parker is in your seat? I’m sorry, I’ll remove him at once.” She took a step forward, but he grabbed her arm and spun her around.

“Nay, you don’t understand. I gave the bean to him. He is the Lord of Misrule now, and has ordered me to eat in the kitchen with you.”

“Really.” Her eyes went back to her son at the dais, looking so small sitting in the lord’s big chair. Parker looked up and waved to her, Tolin’s silver goblet in his hand. Then King’s head appeared above the table and the boy handed the dog a big piece of meat. “You are telling the truth, aren’t you?” she asked Tolin.

“I am. And I’m also looking forward to having a meal with you. I’m sorry I didn’t command myself to do this sooner, when I was the Lord of Misrule.”

“Please,” she said, feeling her face blush. “You would never purposely eat in the kitchen with a servant.”

“I would if she were you.” He reached out and took her hand and she let him take it. “Let’s go back to the kitchen and have some food. If I stand here any longer the boy might have me washing dishes next. I assure you that is a job I would not like in the least.”

Kit smiled, feeling happy about this new turn of events. “Let me show you where the servants eat.” She led him to the table and they both sat.

“I can’t wait for some lamb. And I’ve been salivating all night smelling the aroma of that freshly baked herb bread.”

“I hate to disappoint you, but the white bread is for the nobles only. Also, there wasn’t an abundance of lamb so we’ll probably end up with pottage and boiled cabbage instead. Most of the best food goes to the dais. We get the rest. Here, have a piece of rye bread.” She picked up a loaf of the brown bread, ripping off a piece and handing it to him.

“Oh, thank you,” he said, accepting the bread, staring at it looking like he’d lost his best friend. “What about the braised pork or the stewed rabbit?” His head turned as his eyes followed a serving wench with a tray full of the Christmas food. “Or the venison in a savory herb gravy? That is one of my favorite meals during the holidays.”

“Don’t get your hopes up. The kitchen servants eat last out of everyone, and that crowd is hungry from waiting so long. If we’re lucky we might get some eel or sausage and bacon with beans. However, my guess is we’ll most likely have to settle for umble pie,” she told him, talking about the pie made from the entrails of animals that were leftover on the butcher’s block. “Have you ever had it before? I can’t say it is really tasty, but it fills an empty belly.”

Tolin sighed. “Nay, I can’t say that I have.”

“Oh, I just remembered something.” Kit snapped her fingers. “I believe today is the day when the peasants come to your gate to get their umble pies for their families.”

“I suppose it is.”

“Well, I am sure they’ve been waiting for hours since the meal has started so late.”

“I didn’t let anyone eat until Brenna had her baby.” Tolin popped the whole piece of rye bread into his mouth at once and chewed.

“Why not?” she asked him.

“I did it for you, Kit. To show you that I care.” He swallowed forcefully, grabbing a tankard of ale off a server’s tray and taking a big swig to wash down the coarse bread.

“Then you’ll want to show how much you care about the peasants as well, won’t you?”

“What do you mean?” His eyes fastened to a tray of sweetmeats that went out the door next with a server heading for the dais. He looked so hungry that Kit almost felt bad about it. Almost, but not quite. Parker being the Lord of Misrule was going to work out in her favor and that is something that pleased her immensely.

“Come with me,” she told him. “Be sure to bring your cloak.”

“My cloak? Why?” he asked, following her. “We are going to eat now, aren’t we?”

“Nay. Not until we hand out all the umble pies to the peasants who have been waiting at your gate in the cold for hours now. Grab a tray, my lord. We have a lot of work to do. We will be lucky to get any food to eat at all tonight, since this will be a lengthy task. There are many beggars and peasants waiting, and we don’t want to disappoint them or let them go home hungry.”

By the time Tolin had finished handing out umble pies to the peasants and returned to the castle, the meal was over and all the trestle tables had been cleared of plates and food.

“Tolin, where were you?” Rook walked up with Daegel. Daegel had a piece of honeyed seed cake in his hand and was about to take a bite.

“I was handing out umble pies to the peasants and it took too long,” said Tolin. “I am cold and starving. Mayhap I’ll go to the kitchen to find something to eat.”

“No time for that,” said Rook. “Tonight is the big card tournament that you’ve planned as entertainment. You have even promised to teach everyone how to play your silly game, Tolinoffel. I’ve instructed the servants to bring out cards so everyone can play a card game of some kind. However, you need to give instructions for your game first so they’ll know the rules.”

“I don’t feel like playing cards. I just want to eat and go to bed. I’m exhausted.” Tolin’s eyes were focused on the cake in Daegel’s hand. The sweet yet spicy aroma drifted over to him in the air. “Is there any of that left?” Tolin licked his lips, already able to taste the sugar on his tongue. His mouth watered and his stomach made growling noises.

“Nay. This was the last piece,” said Daegel, inspecting what was left. “I sweet-talked the kitchen maid to get it.” He shoved the rest into his mouth, causing a pain to go through Tolin’s heart. “However, I do think there is some white bread left in the kitchen that the servants are not allowed to eat. Mayhap you can get some of that.”

“I’d eat trenchers right now and not care,” mumbled Tolin, feeling his stomach twisting.

“My lord, everyone awaits you and the crowd is getting restless,” said Brother Ruford, approaching with a worried look on his brow.

“Then go say a prayer or something while I get some bread.” Tolin was hungry and irritated. He turned to make his way to the kitchen when he heard Parker call out to the crowd.

“Since I’m the Bean King, I want all the leftover white bread in the kitchen to be given to the dogs in the kennel.”

“What?” Tolin spun around to see the boy standing on his chair. Tolin’s dog was looking up at Parker, panting or smiling, he wasn’t sure which. That was the same look his dog used to give him. Kit stood behind the boy grinning. Most likely giving the lad the lame idea.

“I also want King to have an entire loaf of bread to himself,” said Parker, petting the dog on the head.

“Naaaaay,” moaned Tolin, seeing his last hope going to the dogs.

“My lord,” said Jarvis, hurrying over. “The games are late in starting and your presence is needed. You are in charge of the festivities and they can’t begin without you.”

“Aye,” he said, turning slowly and shuffling over to the tables where the card games would take place. Perhaps giving the bean to the boy to show goodwill toward Kit and her family was not the best idea after all.

The night was extremely long, and finally Tolin was happy when it was over. Even if he’d had to stand in the cold handing out pies to peasants and was so hungry he could retch, at least now he’d have a good sleep in his warm bed.

“Good night, everyone.” Tolin was so hungry and tired that he did not even care that Rook and Daegel had both beat him tonight at a card game that he’d invented. In his defense, he couldn’t think straight, but it still made him a loser instead of a winner. It wasn’t a good feeling at all.

Tolin yawned as he opened the door to his solar, hoping Jarvis had a fire burning on the hearth. He stopped in his tracks. Yes, there was a fire to warm the room, but there was something else inside his room that he hadn’t expected to be there.

“Tolin! What are you doing here?” Kit sat up in his bed, clutching the blankets in front of her. Parker lay on the bed with her, sleeping. Even King was on the bed, sprawled out at the foot, looking up at him with half-closed eyes.

“This is my room. I’m going to bed. My bed, which you are in,” he ground out.

“Shhhh,” said Kit with a finger to her lips. “You’ll wake Parker.”

“I hope I do,” he told her, storming into the room. “Then he can take himself and you back to your room off the kitchen where you belong.” He was so furious that he was about to rip the covers off of her.

“The Lord of Misrule wants to sleep in your bed tonight, so you’ll have to sleep in the great hall on the floor I guess,” Kit told him, watching Tolin’s mood turn from bad to worse.

“I’m sure you put that idea in his head, didn’t you?” The corner of his mouth quivered when he spoke.

“Now, Tolin, please. My sister is using our room and has just birthed a baby. The infant cries a lot and Parker needed his rest. Plus, Oliver is using the extra pallet, staying with Brenna to assist her. There is no room for us in there, so this works out better.”

“Works out better for you but not me!”

“Shhhh,” she told him again.

“Don’t shush me in my own chamber! And what the hell is Oliver doing sleeping in that room? I said he needed to stay in the stables or the great hall.”

“Well, the Bean King said he could stay with his wife.” She smiled at him smugly.

“Kit, you are behind all this, I know it. I don’t like it in the least.”

“Me?” She slapped her hand against her chest. “You were the one who decided to give Parker the bean, so don’t blame me. Besides, I can hardly think that giving white bread to the dogs would upset you since that is exactly what you did when I first arrived.”

“I told you I was sorry for what I said about you to my brothers. You are obviously still angry with me or you wouldn’t be advising your son to do everything and anything to spite me.”

“Now, what kind of a thing is that to say? My son has a mind of his own and you know it.”

“I also know that you are enjoying a little too much the fact that he is Lord of Misrule now.” He stomped over and yanked the pillow out from behind her.

“Oomph,” she spat, her body falling back against the headboard. “What are you doing?”

“I am getting a pillow because the damned floor in the great hall is hard and cold.” He tried to pull a blanket off the bed too, but the dog’s big body was atop it and King refused to move. Tolin gave up and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

“Mother? What’s that noise?” asked Parker, opening one sleepy eye.

“It’s nothing, sweetheart, go back to sleep.” Kit had been enjoying herself telling her son what to do, because she knew it would upset Tolin. But mayhap her games had gone too far. Tolin was a man who liked games, but it was obviously only when he was winning. He had told her he was sorry and had even given Parker the bean in good faith. Mayhap tomorrow she would have to tell Parker to give the man back his bed.

She lay back and pulled the covers up to her chin smelling the scent of Tolin upon them. Every time she closed her eyes, she kept picturing herself and Tolin atop this bed, making love and crying out each other’s names in elation.

Kit missed his touch. She missed his kisses. And most of all, she was going to regret having to leave here soon and never see him again.