Stalks of Gold: Original Fourth Chapter
Stalks of Gold just passed 200 reviews on Amazon, so I’m happy to be sharing the original fourth chapter from the first draft! Remember this is from a rough draft, that I scrapped a lot from, so be kind and enjoy seeing just how different the story ending up being!
Had she really agreed to let Sandor teach her how to read? He’d gone through his entire shift somewhat dazed. Aurelia normally wanted nothing to do with him. He supposed maybe it was easier for her to see him impartially if she saw him outside of his collecting taxes. Or, she was really desperate to know what the letter said. Sandor liked the idea she was warming up to him better.
His long night shift in the dungeons flew by. He was too wrapped up in his thoughts to care how his feet ached standing on them for hours on end. He thought back to when he was taught how to read. Loraine had been extremely patient, letting him take all the time he needed. He certainly hadn’t been an easy student. Loraine was a saint, putting up with him.
From what he remembered, Loraine started very simply and worked up from there. He decided her should get her advice before going. The last thing he needed was to make Aurelia regret asking for his help because he’s a poor teacher. He had one shot, and he wasn’t going to waste it.
When his replacement arrived, he gave them a smile and a nod as he left. The other guard eyed him warily, but he said nothing about Sandor’s good mood.
Sandor blinked as he left the dungeons, letting his eyes adjust to the light. He wasted no time going to Loraine’s room.
What surprised him was that there was a guard stationed outside of her room. He ignored him as he stepped forward, going to knock on the door. The other man caught his hand and said, “The king has said you are not to disturb the princess.”
Sandor wrenched his arm out of his grip. He eyed the man. Sandor didn’t recognize him. “The king specifically ordered you to stop me, by name?”
He stepped in front of the door, blocking Sandor from it. “Yes, the king gave the order the other day.”
Sandor rolled his eyes. “Just step aside and let me speak to Loraine, please. The king will never know.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” The guard crossed his arms. “Those of our rank have no reason to be seeing the princess or speaking about her in such a familiar way.”
Sandor opened his mouth to respond when the door opened. Loraine stood in the doorway, annoyance pinching her face. “If the king has an issue with me seeing my brother, tell him to take it up with me. Or better yet, tell him I said to stuff it. Now, step aside.”
The guard paled and moved out of the way, muttering, “Of course, your highness.”
Loraine gestured to her room where her maids were straightening up. “Come in, Sandor.”
Sandor stepped inside, ignoring the guard’s glare. Loraine shooed her maids out the door, telling them to go fetch breakfast. She shut the door behind them and looked over her shoulder at Sandor. She said, “I would have thought you’d be in bed. Eadric makes you take the worst shifts. What brings you to my door?”
Sandor’s throat closed up. All of a sudden, he wasn’t quite sure how to explain it to his sister. He hadn’t told her about Aurelia yet. How did he explain what he was doing and why? How did he explain her?
Sandor cleared his throat, “Do you remember when you taught me how to read?”
Loraine sat down on the edge of her bed. She raised an eyebrow and said, “Yes, I do. What about it?”
“I just… I was wondering how to best approach teaching someone to read especially with someone who has no foundation, someone who’s lived their entire life not knowing or needing it.” Sandor stumbled through his words.
“Well, when I taught you, I approached it as more of a bonding experience. Yes, it was important you learned, but I cared more about getting to know my brother than whether you got the pronunciation right the first time. It’s important to be patient. Remember how frustrating it was at first for you? You threw a book at the first tutor father hired.” Loraine crossed her legs.
Sandor laughed, “I was a wild brat who didn’t want to be here in the first place.”
“Yes, and that’s why I stepped in.” Loraine nodded. She tapped her fingers on her knee. “But you’re not here to relive memories with your dear old sister, so, who are you trying to teach how to read?”
Sandor felt heat crawl up his neck. “You know how I go get the tax from the mill outside the south wall?”
“I recall you mentioning it when you started.” Loraine gestured for him to go on.
Sandor glanced at his feet for a moment. He rubbed his neck. “The miller, his daughter, she’s the one I offered to teach her how to read.”
Loraine clapped her hands together and laughed. “How sweet!”
Heat flooded his face at her teasing. He shook his head. “It’s not quite like that.”
Loraine paused, “What do you mean? She must like you if she’s letting you teach her how to read.”
“Not exactly.” Sandor winced. “She really hasn’t been shy in how much she doesn’t like me, but I’m the only one who would read her letter for free.”
“So, why doesn’t she like you? She doesn’t look down on you, does she? Because if she buys into the crap Eadric spouts, then she’s not worth your time,” Loraine said, rising to her feet quickly.
Sandor caught her shoulder, chuckling, “No, she doesn’t know, actually. It’s nice. She doesn’t dislike me because Eadric told her to. She doesn’t like me because I’m a guard. I at least have a shot. I just want to make sure I don’t blow it.”
“Then I suggest starting simply and being patient no matter how frustrated she gets. Show her you’re more than just a guard,” Loraine suggested.
Sandor nodded and glanced over his shoulder. “Thank you, I should probably get going. She’ll be expecting me soon.”
“Good luck,” Loraine said, giving him a quick hug before he opened the door.
Sandor had only made it through the door when Loraine’s voice followed him, “Oh, and Sandor, don’t keep your identity a secret for too long. It won’t matter why you kept it a secret, trust me.”
“Understood,” Sandor nodded and left. He swallowed thickly. How could he ever tell Aurelia that he was the king’s bastard brother?
* * *
When Sandor arrived on their doorstep, Meldon paled and started stammering about flour and tax. Sandor quickly assured him it was personal call. When he said he was there to see Aurelia, Meldon lit up and started telling him how happy he was to see him. He showed him into the main room of the house and disappeared back into the mill. Sandor stood in the doorway, holding his bag of materials.
His mouth went dry, and he had no idea what to say.
Aurelia sat, spinning yarn at her wheel. Her head was down, and her golden hair spilled over her back. A pale blue scrap of fabric held it back from her face. Her hands moved quickly, pulling and releasing the wool. Her foot pumped the treadle. Her shoulders were hunched over, and she wasn’t paying attention to anything other than her spinning.
It was her face that stopped him in his tracks. She wasn’t smiling, but she wasn’t frowning either. Her eyes were soft and relaxed. They flickered lazily between her hands and the wheel with practiced ease. She was wrapped up in work, but her face was kinder and more peaceful than he’d ever seen it.
He didn’t want to interrupt. He was content to watch her quietly, but knew he had to say something sooner or later.
He cleared his throat. “Aurelia.”
Her head snapped up, and her eyes narrowed at him. Her foot lifted from the treadle, and the wheel stopped spinning. She stood up and brushed her skirt off. “Sandor, I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I’m pretty light on my feet,” Sandor said with a smile.
“You don’t look it,” Aurelia eyed him. She gestured toward the chairs near the empty fireplace. “Go ahead take a seat.”
“Are you ready to start?” He asked. She nodded, pinching her lips. He’d hoped for a warmer reaction, but he could make do. He set his bag down as he took a seat. She moved the other chair next to his and took a seat. He pulled out a piece of paper and leaned over in the chair, handing her the paper.
“What is this?” She asked.
He pointed at the first letter. “The alphabet. Essentially, these are the building blocks of words, so when we read we know what the word is supposed to sound like.”
Aurelia took a deep breath and started tracing the letters with her finger. “I’m all ears.”
Sandor gave her a shaky smile as he leaned into her shoulder, pointing to the first letter. He hoped Loraine’s advice would work. He wasn’t going to waste a moment he got.
* * *
Sandor believed those two weeks were the best two weeks of his life. Aurelia was a quick student and even though she wasn’t overly expressive, she was eager and willing to learn. She was more willing to learn than he had been. Not to say she hadn’t gotten frustrated, Sandor recalled how she’d snapped more than once when she couldn’t quite get it. It didn’t bother him. She’d actually apologized. Sandor had been so shocked he hadn’t managed a reply before she had gone back to work.
Even when their lessons were an uphill battle, it was so much better than being around the castle. It seemed like ever since he’d ignored Eadric’s command the king had gone out of his to make his life miserable. The other guards had been pretty much ordered to spit on him or else lose their position. He piled more and more work on Loraine’s shoulders, so she didn’t have a second to breathe. Loraine was too busy preparing for the diplomat’s arrival within the next few days; Sandor barely saw her. He’d never been more miserable there than when he’d first arrived at the castle.
Aurelia was a more than welcome escape. He treasured every second of their lesson, even if she never would.
But, as she laughed with a book open on lap, he was hopeful.
He smiled at her. “It’s true, I swear! I had no idea what I was doing, and thank goodness, I only ended up with a few bruises and nothing worse.”
Aurelia shook her head. “You were a nightmare for your parents, I’m sure.”
Sandor scoffed, “Like you were always a saint.”
Aurelia’s face dropped, and Sandor panicked, terrified he crossed a line. She said softly, “From the way my dad would tell it, I was.”
Sandor frowned. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
Aurelia swallowed and ducked her head back to the book. “Never mind, it’s not important.”
Sandor watched her eyes flicker across the page. He waited a minute before asking, “Have you read that letter?”
She looked up and nodded. “Yes, it wasn’t much, just a thank you for letting her stay. We had nothing to worry about. She didn’t murder us in the middle of the night.”
Sandor rolled his eyes. “Did she ever give you a name?”
Aurelia pulled the letter out of her belt. She passed it to him. “Yes, it’s at the bottom, but I’m not sure how to pronounce it. Maybe you’ve seen it before?”
Sandor quickly skimmed the letter, and it was as it appeared. It was just a simple thank you from an old woman. There was a fond teasing remark at the end before it was signed. He frowned. He’d never seen it before either, but neither of them would know if he was wrong. He cleared his throat. “Gothel. Dame Gothel.”
Aurelia pursed her lips. “Goth-Gothel, alright. I wonder why she didn’t tell us when we first took her in.”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Sandor shrugged. He looked at the letter, rereading the last sentence. He tapped it and asked, “What does she mean by this ‘and be careful, dear, not to go showing off such a magical ability, you never know who might take advantage of you’?”
Aurelia snatched the letter from him. “She means nothing. My father, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, has a tendency to overexaggerate my qualities.”
“He’s just proud of you,” Sandor insisted.
Aurelia leaned back, crossing her legs. “Disappointed more like. He says I can do all these crazy things, like I can spin yarn into diamonds or something ridiculous, like I’m meant for something greater. To hear him talk about me, I’m just not what he wants me to be.”
Sandor reached out, putting his hand over hers before he could think better of it. “Anyone who hears him can see just how much he loves you. He probably just wants a better life for you than what he thinks he can provide, all parents want that. I’m sure he doesn’t mean to make you feel bad, but just wants everyone to know how proud he is of your skill.”
“Let’s just hope no one ever tries to take him up on any of his boasts.” Aurelia shifted, but didn’t pull her hand away. She looked at their hands for a moment, and Sandor was afraid he’d overstepped. She looked up at him. “Have I thanked you?”
“For what?” Sandor asked.
“For being my friend even when I wasn’t exactly kind to you. You still offered to help me even though I gave you grief at every turn.” Aurelia bowed her head. “Thank you, I’m glad we’re friends.”
“I’m glad we are too.” Sandor squeezed her hand reassuringly. “I just wish it hadn’t taken so long.”
Aurelia chuckled, “I was worried that because you were a guard you were just trying to get close to me to take advantage of me and my father.”
Sandor shifted closer, reaching for her shoulder. Her eyes flickered to his. He paused and stared into her steel blue eyes. He rubbed her shoulder. “I promise I would never betray you like that.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” Aurelia carefully held his arms. He held her gaze, hoping she understood how serious he was. He cared, and it scared him a little, how much he cared after only two weeks. He couldn’t help it though. He’d seen her every day, and she was kinder than he thought. She was determined; she’d set her mind to something and she didn’t give it up no matter how hard it was for her. He admired that. She trusted him, and his heart warmed at the thought.
Aurelia’s eyes flashed as though something occurred to her. She pulled his hands off her carefully and let go. He dropped his hands to his lap. Aurelia looked at the ground. “You should go, if you’re going to get any rest before your shift.”
She quickly stood up, brushing her skirt off. Sandor rose behind her; hand raised, but unsure if he should push when she closed off so suddenly. He let his hand fall to his side. Aurelia shared when she was ready to share. She said they were friends. He would trust her.
“I’ve got to get back to my spinning anyway. Tax day is tomorrow, and I have to finish spinning enough yarn to sell.” Aurelia didn’t face him, gesturing haphazardly towards the door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sandor said softly, moving to the door.
* * *
Sandor had to stifle a yawn as he made it back to the castle. Aurelia was right about that. The shifts Eadric had him on were exhausting. He was headed right to his room when a servant stepped into his path.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, sir, but the king has demanded your presence as soon as you returned. Princess Loraine is waiting for him at his room.”
With a groan, Sandor nodded that he got the message, and he turned around.
What did his brother want this time?
He walked there in a daze. Loraine was leaning against the wall when he arrived. She shook her head at him. “I don’t know what this is about anymore than you do. I was told to come here as soon as I got the dignitaries settled in and resting from their travels. I was told by one of the servants they heard another voice, so he was meeting with someone.”
Sandor huffed. “I don’t understand what I would have to do with it. “
Loraine shrugged. “I don’t either. I’m more useful trying to find a way out of our massive debt, but instead I’m stood out here, waiting for him.”
Sandor crept towards the door, pressing his ear against the wood. He heard a high-pitched giggle, but it disappeared so suddenly, he thought he might have imagined it. He heard Eadric’s deep, booming laugh as well. Footsteps sounded, and Sandor scrambled back from the door.
The door was flung open as the king walked out, radiating confidence. He grabbed Loraine and pulled her into a rough, jostling hug. “Our problems are over dear sister!”
“What do you mean?” Loraine asked, stepping away. King Eadric started strutting down the hall. Sandor and Loraine fell into pace behind him. Loraine asked, “Who were you meeting with?”
Sandor glanced behind them, but no one else emerged from the room. Had anyone been in there at all?
Eadric laughed, “You’ll see soon!”
Sandor opened his mouth, but he stopped as Eadric looked back at him. Eadric’s face darkened. “You, tomorrow, when I hold court, you are to be nowhere near it. If you so much as think about trying to attend court, you with no standing, I’ll have you locked up. I don’t want to see you. You’re to be invisible if you wish to continue taking advantage of my generosity. Am I clear?”
Sandor stopped. He glared at him, but bowed. “Perfectly clear, your majesty.”
Sandor had no interest being near court. That was more Loraine’s area of expertise. Sandor intended on not even being in the castle. He would much rather spend the day with Aurelia than listening to Eadric bluff and bluster for hours.