Page 73 of Lord of Misrule

Chapter 19

Tolin awoke the next morning feeling cold, hungry, and achy, with King licking his face.

“Stop it, King,” he mumbled, turning over the other way on the floor of the great hall, not even having had the good luck of getting a spot close to the fire. By the time he’d returned from getting kicked out of his room, most everyone had already settled in for the night. The only spot he could find to sleep was the floor under the dais table.

“Lord Tolin, it’s time to get up,” he heard Parker say.

Tolin opened one sleepy eye and then the other. The boy was kneeling down looking under the table at him.

“What is it you want, Parker?” he asked.

“I want you to take me for a ride in the wagon. King and some of his dog friends want to go down to the lake.”

“You’ve got to be jesting. I don’t give rides to dogs. Nay. Go away and let me sleep.” He rolled over the other way.

“I thought you said as Lord of Misrule I could ask anyone to do anything and they’d have to do it. Did you change the rules of the game again?” asked the boy.

“Nay, I didn’t change anything,” he answered with a sigh. He sat up, bumping his head on the underside of the table. “Ow!” he groaned.

“My lord?” Jarvis hunkered down and looked under the table next. “The wagon is ready for you. I’ve had the kennel groom put a dozen of the dogs in the back of the wagon for the outing. You’d better hurry, though. I’m not sure how long they are going to stay put.”

“I’m not going,” said Tolin, rubbing his head.

“Oh, yes, you are.” Raven peeked under the table next. “If you don’t follow the command of the Bean King no one is going to respect you. Now hurry up, brother. You need to be back in time to lead Hunt the Slipper. The children are looking forward to that game. And the men are really looking forward to the Mould-My-Cockle-Bread that takes place tonight after the children go to sleep.

“Hunt the Slipper is fine, but cancel Mould-My-Cockle-Bread,” he told his squire running his hand through his long hair. The latter was a game where the women stood on tables and lifted their skirts and pretended to be kneading bread with their asses. He couldn’t watch that and not think of wanting to make love with Kit. Normally he loved that type of entertainment, but now it was the last thing he wanted to see.

“Lord Tolin, King is ready,” said the boy, holding the dog as it barked playfully, hurting Tolin’s ears.

“All right, all right,” he grumbled, crawling out from under the table getting a bath from King’s tongue once again. “Egads, your breath stinks,” he told the dog. “What have you been eating?”

“He had rabbit and eel and pork and deer yesterday,” the boy proudly announced.

“King got all that and I didn’t?” What was the world coming to? Tolin found himself jealous of a damned dog! “Let’s go,” he grumbled heading for the stables. “I can’t wait for Twelfth Night to be over.”

Kit waited in the back of the wagon with the dogs, trying to keep them from eating the food she had packed up in a basket. It was her way of making up with Tolin. After keeping him from eating yesterday and then taking his bed at night, she was sure the man was in a foul mood this morning. Then again, he had the right to be. He was lord of the castle but was being treated worse than a servant. It was funny at first, but she started to feel bad about it. It wasn’t right. No matter what the Lord of Misrule ordered him to do.

“We’re here, so let’s go on a dog ride.” Parker hopped into the back of the wagon and King followed. Kit got stepped on by a dozen excited dogs.

“I’ll put the board over the back of the wagon to keep the dogs from jumping out,” said Jarvis, securing it in place.

That’s when Tolin noticed Kit was in the wagon along with all the dogs.

“Kit? What are you doing here?” he asked. “Whispering more addled ideas into your son’s ear?”

He obviously knew she had been telling Parker what to command as the Lord of Misrule. “I’m going along on a ride to the lake today,” she said with a smile.

“To try to drown me?” he asked under his breath, climbing up onto the bench seat. Jarvis hopped up and took the reins.

They hadn’t gone far before Kit realized it was a mistake to sit in the back with the dogs. She crawled over to the front of the wagon with the basket of food over her arm. “Can I sit up there with you?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” said Tolin, staring off in the distance rather than to look at her. “Mayhap you’d better ask the Lord of Misrule, since my word means nothing anymore.”

“I’m sure Parker won’t mind.” She started to climb over the sidewall onto the seat. The wagon wheels hit a bump in the road and she fell, landing right in Tolin’s lap. Kit looked up only to find herself staring into Tolin’s beautiful blue eyes once again. “Sorry about that,” she said. “I’m a little clumsy it seems.” It felt good to be in his arms again, even if it was by accident.

He cleared his throat and looked the other way once again, but held on to her so she wouldn’t fall out. “It’s fine.”

“It’s a beautiful day for an outing.” She tried to make small talk, but he didn’t seem to be in the mood.