I stand when I see her, and my heart skips a beat. I hold on to the back of the chair to steady myself. “Hello. I am John… John de la Roche. It is an honor to meet you.”
She is the most beautiful girl I have seen in some time. Red hair drapes straight down her back to her knees, with dark blue eyes and dimples with her smile. She wears a dark green dress with embroidery around her neck and shoulders and is about the same age as the boy I leapt into. She is so familiar, and I can’t stop staring.
“Hello, John de la Roche, I am Lady Amy MacCarthy,” she says in perfect English and raises her hand towards me.
I step forward and gently clasp her hand, raising it to my lips and kissing it as I look deep into her eyes—spellbound, some may call it. I lose myself in her eyes until the king interrupts.
“Well, Amy, please come and join us.”
Amy takes a seat on the opposite side of the table, facing me. The servant brings a plate of clams and a glass of wine and sets them before her.
“Lately, it has only been Amy and me who enjoy meals together. Today, we are blessed with your company.”
“The honor is mine to be in such presence.” I completely forgot that I was kidnapped. My heart has been stolen if I didn’t know any better.
I watch as Amy scoops out a clam, dips it in a butter sauce, and swallows it whole without chewing. Interesting. She swallows three clams before taking a sip of wine. Seeing that she is eating without grimacing, I try another one, dipping it in the sauce and swallowing it whole, with no clammy aftertaste.
“How do you like living here?” I ask.
Amy sets her clam down and looks at me with a warm smile. “I love it here. This place is magical.”
“Have you seen its magic?”
“I am friends with the lady in the lake.”
“I noticed the lake as I rode up to the castle,” I say, thinking that was an odd response. “Who is this lady?”
“She lives below the water in another place and visits us,” she says, picking up her clam and swallowing.
“How are you friends?” I ask, finding her intriguing.
Amy glances at her father, who is pretending not to be listening to the conversation, then looks back at me. “I have met her and visited her home.”
“So you have been to her home below the lake?” I ask in disbelief.
“I have,” she says.
“It sounds truly magical,” I say, taking another sip of mead, regretting that she may have some mental issues.
“That it is. There is magic all around the lake. That is why you are here.”
“Now, Amy, that isn’t true,” the king says. “You have not told me this.”
I am surprised that the king has taken her seriously. “Did you know I would be coming?”
“Yes,” she says. “Lady Nim said so. And she told me more.” Amy’s eyes light up as she talks.
The king’s eyes widen with a serious expression. “Let’s change the subject. Tell us, John, about where you live.”
I am still trying to understand what she has just said and how the king put more weight on it. I can see he doesn’t feel comfortable talking about it, so I oblige.
“Well, I live in a walled city surrounded by a river. We live in a grand house, sort of like this, but not as big. The city is full of people and merchants. There are markets where people sell goods and bring wagons of wool to sell. Ships also come down the center of town, trading with the merchants. I like to ride in the country with my friend, but it doesn’t match the beauty around here.”
Amy finishes her last clam. “I would like to see your place. Do you think that is possible?”
“I don’t see why not,” I say.
The servant brings out the roasted goose on a platter, with the skin charcoaled around the edges. He lays it down on the table between the king and me and takes out a carving knife, slicing the goose down the center, carving off the legs and wings. He carves away the breast and lays it in front of the king.
“What piece do you like?” the king asks.
“I like the wing,” I say, seeing its crispiness.
The king points to the wing, and the servant pierces it with his fork and places it on my plate. Then he passes a leg over to Amy. Another servant brings out a round loaf of bread that he slices and butters, offering it to us as he goes around the table.
“I hope you like burnt goose,” the king says.
“I actually prefer it cooked this way. I love the crunchy taste.”
“You will get along with this family just fine,” Amy says. “My father also likes burnt food.”
The king laughs. “How true. That’s the true measure of a man.”
I laugh and cut off a slice of the goose and put it in my mouth. It is like heaven. The crunchy skin and the spices of pepper and butter seasoning were better than anything I had eaten in a long time. I didn’t know food could taste this good in medieval Ireland.
After devouring the goose, I take another swallow of mead. I finally relax in this company. We finish the meal, and the servant tops off my mug, filling it to the brim. I don’t remember how many mugs I had, but I feel a little light-headed and slow down.
“Maybe we can visit after we create an alliance,” the king says. “Where is your father?”
“He is away on business to speak with the English king.”
Donal frowns, lowering his eyes in thought. “There can be no good coming from this. Anytime someone speaks to the English king, they come back with an army.”
“I haven’t heard of him asking for an army.”
“It doesn’t matter. There is too much at stake. But I have a proposal that may save us all.”
“What type of proposal?” I ask.
“It is too soon to tell.” Then he looks at Amy and says, “Why don’t you show Lord John the grounds?”
Amy’s eyes open wide, looking directly at her father. “Are you sure?”
“Maybe she would be more comfortable with a chaperone?” I ask.
“I am certain,” the king says, giving me a long stare and nodding. “Stay close to the castle.”
“I promise to look after her,” I say.
The king gives me a knowing smile. “Please do, Lord John.”