Page 12 of Golden (Fairytales Retold)

THE COBBLER

T he next morning, Tabian was awoken by bright ribbons of sunlight dancing in through the window. He stirred, trying to clear away the remaining cobwebs of sleep. Hazy recollections drifted back like the comforting notes of a nearly forgotten song. He remembered the flutter of nimble, cool fingers against his skin as Katerina tended to his wounds. She’d been surprisingly gentle and tentative, far too comforting for a woman who’d proven herself to be wily and dangerous. He’d refused her help at first, but she insisted. He was coming to learn that Katerina was fiercely headstrong and didn’t like to back down. Their whispered argument had been punctuated by stormy glares and muttered retorts. She’d warned him to keep his voice down so that Bartholomew, asleep in the next room, wouldn’t wake up.

When Katerina insisted that he take her four-poster wooden bed and the mattress made of feathers, Tabian balked, arguing that he’d prefer to sleep on the floor. However, she wouldn’t have it. She spread a blanket on the floor for herself, where she lay down and sang soft lullabies into the stillness of the room until he drifted off to sleep.

He sifted through his brain to recall what Katerina had sung about. He’d told himself last night that the details were important to remember.

What was the song about? He reached into the corners of his mind, grasping until he finally got it. While he couldn’t remember the particular lyrics or tune, the essence of the lullaby came rushing back. A beautiful bird with soft yellow feathers would come and light on a Cobbler’s windowsill, where she would regale him with the most beautiful songs the human ear had ever heard. Day after day, the little bird would come and watch the Cobbler work.

Eventually, she fell in love with him. She went to an enchantress and begged the woman to make her human so she could be with the cobbler. The enchantress agreed—for a price. The little bird was bound to do the bidding of the enchantress for the rest of her life. She was so in love with the Cobbler that she agreed. However, the bird didn’t realize that the enchantress was evil. She wielded great power over the bird-turned-maiden and forced her into servitude.

The maiden and the cobbler eventually had a daughter. After her daughter was born, the maiden realized that she couldn’t be an example of goodness to her young daughter while remaining in bondage to the enchantress, where she was forced to do things that wavered on the edge of right and wrong. To protect her family, she eventually turned herself back into a bird and flew away.

An understanding settled heavily on his chest. Katerina hadn’t merely sung a song; she’d told him her story. He’d wondered which she truly was—a maiden or a bird. It would seem that she was both. A pang of sadness went through him. He and Katerina shared a similar history. Both of them knew the acute loss of growing up without their mothers. Was that why he felt such a strong connection to Katerina? Well, that and the other annoying aspect of him being so intensely attracted to her.

He sat up in the bed and looked around. He was alone, and there was no longer a blanket on the wooden floor. The space was tidy as if Katerina had never been there. His fingers found the stone hidden beneath his tunic. He was relieved to find it still there. While he appreciated Katerina taking care of him, he still didn’t fully trust her.

His mouth and eye were painfully sore, and his face felt like it was the size of a pumpkin. His stiff body ached in protest as he swung his legs over to the side of the bed and got up. The floor was cold beneath the soles of his bare feet. He glanced around and spotted his boots and stockings resting against the wall.

“Hello,” he called, “Katerina.”

No response.

Frowning, he padded into the main room. No one was there. A round of bread, an apple, and a pear sat on the wooden table. He went over to inspect the items and spotted a note on the table, written on parchment. When he read the words, he took in a sharp breath.

The food is for you.

For your own sake, please leave this place immediately and never look back.

--K

He crumpled the note in his hand. “Not going to happen,” he muttered. Not without her.

Briefly, he considered not eating the food. Then he decided that if Katerina had wanted to poison or drug him, then she could’ve done so last night when she gave him water to drink.

After eating, he slipped on his stockings and boots before going outside. The morning air was chilly, and a layer of dew covered the ground. He scanned the surroundings. His pulse bumped up a notch when he noticed that his horse was missing. His gaze snapped to the stable, its door partially open. He strode over to it and stepped inside, the pungent scent of hay and animals thick in the air.

His horse lifted his head from where he was tied up next to a trough. Water droplets clung to his whiskers. A bucket of oats was tipped on its side as if the horse had eaten his fill and then grown tired of it.

Katerina had thought to feed and water his horse.

She was such an enigma. She was looking out for him, had nursed his wounds. She acted as though she truly cared. And yet, she’d written that note. Was her intent to protect or threaten him? It certainly seemed like she knew why he’d been attacked.

His thoughts went back to that night in the garden when he tried to press her for information. She claimed she couldn’t tell him anything because it was forbidden. By whom? The enchantress—Lilith? Was Katerina somehow involved with the same enchantress that had demanded servitude from her mother? Was it possible that she’d been forced to steal the apples?

His pulse quickened with the hope that perhaps Katerina was inherently good. He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt because ….

He jerked as a sudden realization rippled through him. He was starting to feel certain things for her. Things that were taking him completely by surprise. Then again, how could he not be smitten by a woman of such incredible beauty? Perhaps it was merely attraction. Nay, it was more than that, even though it was uncomfortable for him to admit it. She was kind. He’d felt tenderness and a surprising depth of emotion in her touch when she took care of him the night before. He enjoyed the sparks that pinged between them when they sparred—way too much.

Pushing a hand through his hair, he muttered a curse. This was getting way too complicated.

There was really no way for him to force Katerina to go back to Verdermere with him … unless he could somehow capture her in bird form and keep her contained that way. However, he had no idea how to accomplish such a task. Maybe the best way to go about this was to try and persuade her to go with him. If he could learn more about the enchantress, then he could determine if Katerina was being forced into a life of thievery. There was a chance he could help her escape the enchantress’s clutches.

This situation would be so much easier if he could just learn how to wield the power of the stone. His mother had asked Elda to give it to him for a reason, but he had no idea why. He was nothing special. Why was he the one picked to bring the golden bird back to the kingdom? Alistair and Lucien had proven their valor in the War of the Cliffs. Why didn’t their mother instruct Elda to give the necklace to one of them? Why was Elda supposed to wait until his eighteenth birthday to present it?

How could having the golden bird’s presence in the kingdom usher in a golden era? There had to be some connection between a golden bird and golden apples.

So many questions and no answers.

Not wanting to waste the day hanging around an empty cottage waiting for Katerina to return, Tabian rode his horse to the village. After tying the animal to the same post he’d used the evening before, he went straight to Bartholomew’s shop. Would he find Katerina there? His blood ran faster at the thought.

He entered the shop and found Bartholomew sitting behind the counter, polishing a shoe. When the older man looked up and saw Tabian, a veil of disapproval fell over his eyes. He put down the shoe, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening as Tabian stepped up to the counter.

“I hoped you would take Katerina’s note to heart and leave this place,” Bartholomew said gruffly.

Tabian’s stomach twisted. “So, you’re a part of this.” Bartholomew had seemed so upstanding … almost above reproach. It just went to show that Tabian wasn’t the greatest judge of character.

Bartholomew sighed, rubbing his temples. “My only wish is to keep my daughter safe.”

“She’s a thief,” Tabian ground out. “She must return to Verdermere with me and answer for her crimes. Otherwise, an innocent man will die. My father desires to have the golden bird in his kingdom. For that reason, Katerina would not be harmed.”

“My daughter is not some prize to be captured,” Bartholomew roared.

Tabian was taken aback by Bartholomew’s wrath. The older man possessed more strength than Tabian realized.

Bartholomew looked him in the eye, his voice hard as flint. “While I can appreciate that you’re worried about your friend, your primary concern at this point should be for yourself.” His gaze went to Tabian’s swollen eye and busted lip. “Katerina is worried about your safety. That’s why she wrote the note.”

“I need to know what is going on,” Tabian growled. “Was Katerina forced to steal the apples?”

His question was met with a stony silence as the muscles in Bartholomew’s jaw flicked.

“I know about her mother—how the bird fell in love with the cobbler and then begged an enchantress to turn her into a maiden so she could be with her true love.”

Shock blitzed through Bartholomew’s eyes. “How?” he uttered hoarsely.

Tabian waved a hand. “That doesn’t matter.” He spoke his next words slowly, deliberately. “I also know that your wife was obligated to do the enchantress’s dark bidding.”

Bartholomew’s glasses fogged up. He removed them and used his tunic to clean the lenses. “How do you know these things?” He put his glasses back on with a shaky hand and searched Tabian’s face. “How?” he demanded.

“Katerina told me.”

He blinked several times. “She must care more about you than I realized,” he uttered.

The words were immensely pleasing. Tabian continued, “Is this enchantress Lilith?”

Fear edged into Bartholomew’s eyes as his tone grew urgent. “For the sake of all that is good, you must get away from here. You don’t understand what’s at stake.”

Tabian slammed his fist onto the counter. “Then tell me, I want to help.”

Bartholomew began shaking his head back and forth. “You can’t help, no one can.”

The door of the shop opened. Tabian turned to see Lady Ravenshire glide in with her head held erect, commanding the room. “Good morning,” she began in a cheerful tone.

“Morning,” Bartholomew responded, offering her a polite smile.

The strain in his voice must’ve been apparent to Lady Ravenshire because she frowned. “Bartholomew, is everything okay?” She looked to Tabian for an explanation and gasped. “What happened to your face?”

Instinctively, Tabian touched his eye and winced at the dart of pain that even a light touch evoked. “I was attacked last night just outside of the village.”

Outrage burned in her eyes. She straightened her shoulders as if ready to go on a rampage. “By whom?”

He shrugged in a casual gesture. “I’m not sure.” He wondered if he should mention that the men were sent by Lilith, the enchantress, to kill him. Nay, if he did so, then he would have to disclose the part about Katerina turning into a golden bird and stealing the golden apples. He didn’t think it wise to involve the members of the village in his personal matters. If Lady Ravenshire realized that Katerina could turn into a golden bird, then she might feel the need to offer Katerina special protection, especially from the man who’d come here to capture her and take her away to a distant kingdom.

“What did they want? To rob you?”

“That’s my assumption,” Tabian answered.

Concern tightened her pretty face. “Well, did they rob you?”

“Nay, something must’ve scared them off. They fled into the forest” —he offered a grim smile— “after doing a fair amount of damage.” He pointed to his face.

“This will not stand,” she fumed, steel threading her voice. “Can you identify the men?”

“‘Twas dark,” Tabian lamented. “The man who beat me was tall and burly. The other one was shorter and thinner.”

Lady Ravenshire let out a long breath and homed in on Bartholomew as she breathed out orders. “Talk to the Village Headman. We’ll need to get the council together first thing tomorrow morning. These thieves must be caught.”

“Yes, mi’ lady,” Bartholomew said with a deferential nod.

Disgust twisted her face. “This type of behavior will not be tolerated.” She turned to Tabian. “I’m so sorry.” Her voice was smooth and conciliatory. “Please know that I will do everything in my power to apprehend your attackers.”

“Thank you,” Tabian nodded.

She took in another breath and turned her attention to Bartholomew. “I trust that you and Katerina are still planning on dining with me this evening?”

“We are,” Bartholomew acknowledged.

She looked at Tabian. “And you also?”

He offered an appreciative smile. “Aye, mi’ lady. I’ll be there.” It might be the only chance he had of ever seeing Katerina again.

“Very good.” After a slight pause, her tone grew brisk. “Bartholomew, I need to speak to you about some village affairs, but I don’t want to interrupt.” She looked from Bartholomew to Tabian. “If the two of you were still in a discussion, I can wait.”

“Nay,” Bartholomew said quickly. “Tabian ordered a pair of slippers for his fiancée. We had just concluded our business when you came in.”

A coy smile spread over Lady Ravenshire’s mouth. “That’s right.” Her eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief as she directed her comments to Tabian. “She must be one lucky girl.”

“Aye, she is.” He caught eyes with Bartholomew, trying to silently convey that this matter wasn’t over. “See you and Katerina this evening.” His voice rang with a note of promise.

Bartholomew nodded.

Tabian’s princely manners took hold as he reached for Lady Ravenshire’s hand and brought it to his lips in a noble gesture. “Thank you once again for your hospitality,” he said with a magnanimous smile. “I look forward to seeing you tonight.”

She gave him a regal nod as he released her hand. “See you tonight,” she affirmed.

With that, Tabian turned on his heel and left the shop, his mind teeming with all that he and Bartholomew had discussed.