Silya, who had been invited to repast, arrived with Soren and Lucia. She was going to spend the night with them before the three left for Trollsoe in the morning.
“Repast is ready!” Unni hollered from the kitchen. The long table had been pulled out and set in the main room between the hearth and the kitchen. The Late Summer Festival repast was the fanciest meal Ailia had seen all year. At the center of the table sat the roasted pig still intact with all its limbs and body parts. Brander had been roasting the beast outside for hours, and its aroma filled the entire room, flirting with their taste buds and hungry bellies. Bread, carrots and potatoes, which were considered luxury foods in these times of dearth, were all laid out on the table in plenty. Abundant amphorae filled with mead and even wine had been allotted for the day’s events and none in the house would leave without being a little cheerier.
“A toast to all guests and especially our beautiful women,” Brander said, raising his glass at the end of the table.
Everyone stood by their seats at the overly crowded table and rose their glasses. “My cheer, your cheer, all the pretty women’s cheer!” they all chimed in.
Unni sat at the other end with Ailia, Ivar, Sigrid, Silya and Nora on one side. Soren, Lucia, Bishop Peter and his deacon, Anders, sat at the other side.
Ailia noticed that Soren kept glancing at her several times throughout the meal. Was it because she looked nice in her dress? Or, maybe he was thinking about how he had walked in on her earlier when she was taking a bath? She hoped so.
Lucia looked perfectly happy sitting by his side at repast; she played her part well. Almost too well, Ailia thought. All through the evening, Lucia would brush her hand lightly over Soren’s and a couple of times it even looked like she was touching his knee under the table.
Before repast, Ailia had pulled Lucia aside and spoken to her about bringing Soren to the storytelling tent before the first reading.
“Make sure he does not drink too much mead,” Ailia had said and laughed.
“Of course,” Lucia had said and skipped off to be with him.
Ailia didn’t think Lucia was taking this seriously enough and didn’t know if she had even heard what Ailia had said. All throughout the meal, Ailia noticed that even though Soren seemed to return Lucia’s affection outwardly, he had the slightest expression of awkwardness in his eyes as they moved from place to place, never finding rest.
“More potatoes, Ailia?” Unni prodded. She handed her the potato bowl.
“No, thank you,” Ailia said, passing it on to Ivar. He looked remarkably well-groomed tonight, handsome even, for a man of his age.
“But, you’ve barely eaten anything,” Unni said.
“I’m just excited for the festivities, that’s all,” Ailia said, picking at her food with her eating knife.
“Maybe some carrots then?” Ivar pitched in.
“No, thank you,” Ailia said, refusing the bowl and gulping some more mead. “More mead?” she asked.
Unni was about to object.
“Here you go.” Brander was quickly by her side, winking at her. “One more won’t do any harm.”
It was not that Ailia was full, or that the food didn’t look absolutely mouthwatering, she just didn’t have room for anything other than the overzealous butterflies in her stomach. She kept rethinking her plan, even though she felt happy about it. She had decided that after she had met up with Soren and Lucia in the storyteller’s tent, she would take Soren to Bergendal Stave Church and open her heart to him, explaining who she really was. I hope I will say the right words, so he understands. As long as Lucia vouched for her, her plan should work. She finished off the rest of her mead and smiled over at Soren. Their eyes locked for a moment and the flurries in Ailia’s stomach returned. He looked so handsome in his fancy blue tunic. It really brought out his eyes and complemented his dark hair.
“Well, we best be off to the festivities,” Lucia said, rising to her feet.
“But, there’s still dessert,” Unni objected. “You must stay for dessert.”
“We will be back for it later.” She grabbed Soren’s hand and pulled him with her.
Soren followed her lead and thanked Unni and Brander for the wonderful meal. “We will see you all at the festival,” he said, glancing at Ailia again.
Lucia wrapped her arm around him and they left.
“I don’t like the way she’s flirting with him,” Unni muttered. “Not one bit.”
“We spoke just last night. I’m sure she is just playing her part really well,” Ailia hoped, but now she had started to doubt her sister’s loyalty.
“Well, you better keep an eye on that one,” Brander said. “She’s a little too flirtatious in my opinion.”
“Lucia is as honest and full of integrity as the day is long,” Nora said. “If she said she is going to do something, she will.”
“I sure hope so for her sake. If not, she’ll have to deal with Unni and my wrath,” Brander said gruffly. “And no one should ever have to be in that merciless position.”
Ailia braved a smile, though without as much confidence as she would have liked. “We have a plan and we are going to follow through. Besides, what could possibly happen?” A whole lot, the answer came to Ailia’s mind. A whole lot.
25
Treachery