NOVEL NEXT 47. Celebrated
The doors to the dining hall were wide open, and both Kelly and I stopped there for a moment and just stared.
Rather than one lonely table and a couple chairs, the hall was full. The table on the left was set up as the head table, with about two dozen places set along the back side of the table so they'd be facing out across the rest of the hall where everyone else would be sitting. The remaining space was filled with three long tables that ran lengthwise along the hall. There were chairs and benches and more places set than I could count.
The room was already starting to fill up, with numerous soldiers and servants milling about. Maeve and Connor stood before the head table, both were dressed up in fancy outfits. I also spotted Siobhan standing near my fae-parents, in what I assumed was her military dress-uniform.
Kelly and me made our way over to my fae-folks, and Maeve greeted each of us with a brief hug. She was all smiles, and indeed it seemed like everyone here was in a festive mood. Connor didn't try and hug me, but he put a hand on my shoulder and greeted me in a warm, friendly tone. I think he was still sore from whatever Maeve said to him after he made such a mess of our first meeting.
When the time came, we all took our places at the head table. Maeve sat in the middle, with Connor to her left. I was at Maeve's right, and Kelly was beside me on my right. Siobhan sat on the other side of Kelly, then there was a seat left empty, then a few more officer-types took the remaining seats in that direction. On the other side of Connor were a few more soldiers, then seneschal Owen, and some other high-ranking servant types.
I looked around but didn't see Feichin among the crowd, which surprised me. I sort of expected he'd be here, if not at the head table. After all, he played an important role in saving Connor.
More soldiers and servants took their seats in the three tables before us, and finally a few dozen maids and other kitchen staff emerged carrying huge platters of food. There were at least four different kinds of roasted meat, bowls of vegetables and stews, baskets of bread, casseroles, meat pies, everything you could ask for. Jugs of wine and ale were already spread about the tables, including a jug of my favourite juice near me. Once all the food was distributed among the tables, even the kitchen staff took their seats on the benches at the far end of the long tables.
Nobody dug in yet, they were waiting and watching for Maeve to start the ceremony.
My fae-mom stood up and welcomed everyone to the feast. Even though me and Kelly had been here for what felt like months, she had the two of us stand so she could formally introduce us to the entire castle.
She did Kelly first, making it sound very formal and official as she called her "Miss Kelly Connolly, esteemed guest from Earth, and beloved friend and partner to my daughter." Then she introduced me, "And I present to you all my daughter, the Lady Tegan Vale of Clann Brádaigh, great-granddaughter of Taralynn, and first of the Vale sept within the Brádaigh clann."
There was some applause and cheering, and my face went beet-red. I realized what that all meant, Maeve had indeed just made my name and title official. I didn't know what a sept was, but I understood enough to know that the Vale name was now part of the clann.
After Kelly and me sat back down, Connor stood up and had a brief speech of his own. He thanked Kelly for finding me and looking after me on Earth, then thanked me for breaking his curse and saving his life. Then he indicated that empty seat next to Siobhan, and told everyone it was reserved for Ruadhan, the soldier who gave his life for mine. That caught me off guard with a bunch of mixed feelings again. I'm sure it was a big deal, for a 'lowly' young soldier to be given a place at the head table, but the fact that it was posthumous left me sad.
Fortunately the speech ended on a happy note, then Maeve stood once more and announced "Now let the celebrations begin!"
There was a cheer, and suddenly the dining hall was full of talking, noise, the sounds of merriment.
Unlike all the other meals here, this time we had to help ourselves. There were no servants to wait on us, it seemed as though everyone in the castle was here as guests for the banquet.
At one point Kelly asked Siobhan, "Does this mean there's no-one defending the castle?"
"No," the captain replied, then took a swig of ale. "There's some two-dozen soldiers who've volunteered to miss the feast and stand guard. In return, they'll receive twice their normal pay this month, and double-rations for a week. A few servants as well will have volunteered to skip the celebration in return for similar arrangements. There's always things that need attending."
That made sense, and I was glad to hear the people who were missing the party had volunteered to do so, and that they'd be rewarded in other ways. Then I asked the captain if the huntsman had been invited, and she replied "He was, Lady Tegan. However, he opted to take a shift on guard. Feichin isn't one for socializing, and he's not keen on crowds."
That also made sense, from what I'd seen of the man. It was hard to picture him partying it up here with the others.
I spoke with Maeve a few times of course as the celebration continued, and one of my first questions was to find out what a sept was.
"It's a subset within the Clann," she explained. "In simple terms, it means you are still and will always be a Brádaigh, but your official name is Tegan Vale. And when you become a mother yourself, your children may take the name Vale if they wish, or they may use the Brádaigh name."
That left me quiet as my head spun a little. Not the talk of names and clans, but the idea that someday I might be a mother. I was just barely used to the idea of being a girl, it was only about four months since that happened. The concept of motherhood literally hadn't even entered my head until that moment.
A little later as the party wore on, Maeve and Kelly and I found a quiet moment to talk.
"I don't mean to spoil the mood," I said softly, "But now that the threat is over and things have wrapped up, Kelly and I need to start thinking about returning to Earth."
My fae-mom sighed but nodded, "Of course Tegan. I knew this would be coming. I'll be sad to see you go, and I do hope you will return to us for regular visits." She added to my girlfriend, "And you too of course, Kelly. You will always be welcome here."
"Thank you ma'am," Kelly replied.
Maeve looked back to me and said "If you wish, I'll make preparations so you can go tomorrow morning. We'll escort you to the meadow in the south forest where passage is easiest, and see you off at dawn."
Even with all the noise and merriment going on around us, I could hear the sadness in her voice. She could have suggested we stay another few days, or a week, or whatever. I was impressed she was prepared to let me go as early as tomorrow.
I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you Maeve. I will stay in touch, and I promise I'll return to visit before too long."
She seemed surprised at the hug, but I could tell she was grateful for it. She put her arms around me and held me for a minute or so, before we finally pulled away from each other.
After that, the party took on a slightly bittersweet tone for both me and Maeve. I think Kelly felt it too, though she and I were both still eager to get back to Earth, to our families there.
While the festivities looked set to continue late into the night, Kelly and I wound up retiring before it got too late. If we were going home tomorrow we'd have to be up early, to catch the sunrise.
We made our way up to our room, then undressed together. We slipped into bed and cuddled.
"I can't wait to get home," she whispered. "But I think I'm also gonna miss this place. Maeve, Siobhan, and a few other folks here have been nice to us."
I nodded and whispered back, "Yeah. I'm sure it'll be an adjustment too, getting used to Earth life after all this. Though I have to admit, I'm looking forward to having coffee in the mornings again."
Kelly giggled softly, and the two of us soon drifted off to sleep together.
Servants woke Kelly and me up about an hour and a half before sunrise. Our travel-clothes had been thoroughly cleaned and were waiting for us, and the two of us dressed for another expedition. We'd be going on a much shorter, yet also infinitely longer voyage this time.
Along with the clothes, a light breakfast was brought and the two of us ate quickly as we dressed.
Down in the courtyard we found Maeve, Connor, Siobhan, and a half dozen other soldiers waiting. The soldiers were dressed for the ride. My fae-parents and Siobhan were in somewhat more formal attire, wearing their light blue and purple uniforms.
Maeve had some parting gifts for us, servants handed heavy packs to both Kelly and I. "I haven't forgotten your love of our books, so I've loaded up these packs for you Tegan. Perhaps once you've read them all, you'll return to exchange them for new ones. You'll also find some money in there. I don't know what our coins are worth on Earth, but I hope it's enough that you and Kelly will be comfortable."
I took the offered backpack and immediately groaned slightly at the weight of it. It felt like it was around thirty pounds. I opened it and had a look inside, and my eyes almost bulged out of my head. Underneath a dozen or so books was a literal fortune in gold coins.
"Uh... Wow. Thank you!"
Kelly and I struggled to get the backpacks on, then I struggled to get up onto my horse. The others mounted up as well. Maeve and Connor, Siobhan, and the group of soldiers would all be accompanying us.
One of them was carrying our family pennant, and she led us out as the gates were opened. The soldier next to her held a torch in his hand to light our way. Maeve and I followed the two of them, then Siobhan and Kelly, then Connor and the other soldiers, with one of the men at the back carrying another torch.
The sky was still dark as our group set out, riding south towards the forest there. We soon passed into the woods, following a trail.
It was only about a forty-five minute ride before we arrived in a large clearing. There was an abandoned building that had been overtaken by trees and weeds, which I realized had been Maeve's garrison. This is where her soldiers had been left to await Liam's return.
We all dismounted and Siobhan, Maeve, and Connor gathered around Kelly and me. From this point it was all up to me, nobody else here could help Kelly and I get home. I knew the spell of course, I'd re-read it countless times during our stay here. Needless to say, this would be my first time actually using it.
The others all watched as I opened my magical awareness and let my senses out, searching for the point where the veil that separated this world from others was thinnest. There was pre-dawn light in the sky above us now, and I knew it was nearly time.
I walked around slowly, till I finally found the spot. I stopped and looked to Kelly, "It's here. Hold on tight, I have no idea what this'll be like."
Before I worked the spell, Maeve and Connor moved in close. Maeve and I hugged again, then we all bid each other farewell. Siobhan and the soldiers bowed, and the captain wished us a safe voyage.
Kelly was by my side now, and we wrapped our arms around each other. I looked back at my fae-mom again and promised, "I'll be in touch. And I'll visit again before long."
Then I concentrated, and just as the sun peeked above the horizon I cast the spell. I felt the veil part and I pushed out between our worlds, and pulled Kelly through with me.
