The Horns of Kern
*
Out in the rose garden, Norman walked its paths slowly. She was angry with the prince and angry with herself. She had acted childishly. She would apologize to her parents and Elliot’s parents when she got back inside. The mid-winter sun warmed her and the snow beneath her feet sloshed. ‘Splat!’ “Ow!!!” Norman turned to see who her assailant was. Prince Elliot had stooped to pick up another snowball. Norman saw a small troll charge Elliot, but was so surprised that she could not react. ‘Thwack! Thwack!’ One hit landed squarely between the prince’s shoulders and the other landed on the top of his head. The prince was down on his knees. “Winifred, stop!”
Winifred put her broom down to her side. “Are you all right, Princess? I saw him attacking you with the ice balls.”
Prince Elliot got up from the ground and turned to see who had beaten him so harshly. He went to grab Winifred, however her broom caught him squarely in the nose. The Prince’s nose started bleeding and a round lump was growing on his forehead.
Norman ran over and stood between the two. “Winifred, Elliot, please stop! Winifred, I am all right. He did not hurt me. This is Prince Elliot. Elliot this is my friend, Winifred of Tinker Hollow.”
“What kind of a man would throw ice balls at a woman?! We teach our children better than that...” Winifred furrowed her brow and glared at the prince.
“I shall have you arrested for accosting me, frog troll! Look what you have done! Norman, are all of your friends like this filthy-looking creature?” Elliot withdrew a silk handkerchief to hold over his nose. Norman’s actions were swift and without regret. She grabbed Winifred’s broom and landed a blow to the back of Elliot’s head.
The prince staggered, his face contorted in rage. “How dare you treat me like this! You will regret what you did, Princess! Mark my words!” Prince Elliot stumbled up the path towards the castle.
“My friends are not filthy creatures! They have a far better heart than you!” Norman looked at Winifred then at the broom in her hands. “I am sorry about what the prince said. I know I will be in trouble with my parents now….” Then, with a smirk on her face, she handed the broom back to its owner. “You swing a wicked broom there, Lady Winifred.” Both of the ladies started to laugh. Norman hugged Winifred. “What brings you up to the garden on a winter’s day, Winifred?”
“I ran out of rose hips, and I needed them for our dinner tonight. I was over behind the hedge when I heard you holler.” Winifred pulled her kerchief she was wearing closer around her face. “I do believe a storm is coming. The wind has picked up. I am sorry if I got you into trouble, Princess. I should go now.”
“I am sure my parents will understand our actions when I explain things to them.” Norman hugged Winifred once again “Say ‘hi’ to Gertrude for me, please.” She turned and headed back to the castle. She was tired and really did not feel like facing her parents at this moment. Norman headed for the rear entrance at the lower level of the castle. She entered the lower hall and turned into the kitchen. There were at least thirty women inside doing various chores.
She looked for Harriet. After looking around the room, she spied her over in front of the stove, tending six huge pots. Norman hadn’t seen her at first because of all of the steam in the room. She walked through the kitchen and watched with fascination with all the preparations going on. She couldn’t remember a time when so much food was being made at once. The princess walked up to the cook. “Hello, Harriet. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Harriet thought it was someone else and did not turn around. “Yes. There is a pile of roots over in the corner that I need peeled and everyone is busy.” Norman looked at her and smiled. She turned and went over and sat on a small stool in her beautiful dress and started peeling the roots. Norman had been doing her job for about a half hour before anyone noticed her. One by one, all of the workers stopped their chores and started talking to each other. Harriet got a tap on the shoulder from another lady close by. She turned. The woman pointed over to Norman. Harriet nearly fainted, but caught hold of the corner on the table. She scurried over to Norman’s side. “My child, what are you doing? You are not supposed to be down here.”
“I asked you if there was anything I could do to help, so I am doing what you asked of me.” Norman smiled and threw one more root into the large bucket.
“Don’t you think you should go up and tell your parents about your misadventure in the garden with the prince and the swarm of sword-wielding frog trolls?” Harriet smiled. “I was up in the grand dining room with your mother and Queen Sophia, going over dinner arrangements. Oh, excuse me dear. Charlotte please tend the pots on the stove. Where was I? Oh yes, anyway, the prince came in all bloody and raving like a mad man of how you both had been accosted in the garden by a swarm of frog trolls. He lamented how he had tried to save you, but they had carried you away, and he was left for dead. Your father was sending Andre down for Gertrude.”
Norman stood up quickly. Her contempt for the prince was now the seed for her anger. The anger grew with every one of Harriet’s words. “That idiot! I am sorry that I cannot finish helping you with the roots right now, however, after I strangle the prince, father may be having me peel roots for the rest of my life! Thank you, Harriet.” Norman stormed out of the kitchen amid a loud applause.
Down the corridor she stomped, her hair flowing behind her. With every stride, her anger mounted. She picked up the front of her dress as she climbed the stairway up to the dining hall. She slammed the huge door and drew everyone’s attention. “Where is that sniveling little weasel? Where is he? If he thinks a bunch of frog trolls hurt him wait ‘til I get my hands around his neck and watch his face turn purple!!”
Queen Emmaline and Queen Sophia gasped. Emmaline ran over to her daughter to try and calm her down. “Norman! Norman! What in the world is wrong? Are you all right? Did the frog trolls hurt you?”
“Mother! The only frog troll out in the garden was Lady Winifred. She struck him three times with her broom - two when she thought that he was attacking me and once when he went to attack her. The last time, I hit him with the broom because he insulted me and Lady Winifred by calling her a ‘filthy frog troll’. Where is he?!”
“Calm yourself, child. Sophia, would you please excuse us for a moment while I speak to my daughter alone?” Emmaline guided Norman over to a little alcove where there was a small couch. “Sit here with me, please...” She motioned for Norman to join her. Emmaline did not see Queen Sophia rush out of the dining hall. “Now please sit here and tell me what happened on your walk. Excuse me, dear. Page, please bring us some tea. Thank you. Now, my dear, please tell me what happened.” Emmaline listened intently as Norman revealed the happenings in the garden. She stopped Norman only once when the tea was served. The princess explained to her mother that she had been so angry that she had gone to see Harriet, and that it was Harriet that had relayed the story from the prince.
There was a commotion out in the great hall, and it was headed into the dining room. Gertrude entered the room with Winifred and Octavius on either side of him. Then King Justinian and Queen Sophia entered the room with their son. All of them congregated around the alcove where Norman and Emmaline were seated.
Queen Emmaline broke the cold silence. “My daughter has told me her story and I have heard your son’s side of the story. There is only one story left to tell and that is from Lady Winifred.”
“She is no lady! She attacked me!” Prince Elliot had a wrap around his face, but it could not hide the discoloration around his eyes or the huge purple lump on his forehead.
“Quiet son! I want to hear the frog troll’s version of her attack.” Justinian looked towards Winifred with an icy stare.
Winifred met Justinian with a stare of her own, and relayed the whole story of how she had been picking rose hips when she heard the princess holler “OW!”. She saw the prince ready to throw an ice ball at the princess. “I merely went up to him and gave him a piece of my broom...”
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“Broom, you say?!” Justinian turned to his son who was standing closer to his mother, Sophia. “You told us that she had hit you with a large wooden club, not a broom. Would you please finish your list of events tr…um…Lady Winifred?”
“Your son turned and tried to attack me, so I gave him another piece of my broom and hit him in the face. Norman then came over and stood between us and asked us to stop. The prince then opened his mouth and called me a ‘filthy-looking creature’. It was at that moment that Norman grabbed my broom and took it to the prince. He then left in a rage, saying that we would regret what we had done.” Winifred looked at Norman. “My child, do you regret what you did?”
Norman saw Winifred wink. “The only regret I have is that we let him get away...”
“Norman, really!” Queen Emmaline turned towards Sophia and Justinian.” I am sorry for my daughter’s last remark. She forgets the seriousness of the situation.”
Justinian turned towards his son. “Elliot, are these ladies telling the truth or are you?” The prince backed away from his father. His actions spoke volumes. “You apologize to both of these ladies now!”
“Husband, surely you don’t suggest that you trust the word of these ladies over your own son’s word?” Sophia interrupted, insulted by the thought.
Winifred was not going to let it be said that she was a liar. “Excuse me, Your Majesty, but I do not lie. The honor of my family would be tarnished and I would humiliate my ancestors.”
King Justinian was purple with rage. “Elliot, apologize now!!”
Winifred could not keep quiet. “With all due respect, King Justinian, a forced apology is as good as no apology at all. If an apology is not from the heart, it rings hollow in the ears of those it is intended for.”
Justinian looked at Winifred. “You are a wise lady.” Justinian walked over to Winifred, bowed, and took her hand. “Please accept my humble apologies for my son’s and my wife’s words and behavior.” He then walked over to Norman. He bowed. “You deserve someone far better than what the House of Wells can offer you…”
Norman thought that she could see the hint of a tear in Justinian’s eyes. “Your apology is accepted, Your Highness.”
Justinian turned to Octavius. “We wish to thank you for your hospitality, however I think at this point it would be far better if we were to leave and go home.”
Octavius nodded his head in understanding. “We are sorry that you feel the need to leave, but we shall honor your decision.”
Queen Sophia was outraged by her husband’s decision. “After all of my preparations for the ball, you are going to turn around and head home?!”
King Justinian walked up to his wife and grasped her wrist firmly. He whispered something in her ear, and she turned as pale as a ghost. Her tone of voice changed. “Yes, Justinian, anything you say.” and spoke not another word.
Justinian turned once again to Octavius. “Thank you, again. We shall be leaving within the hour.” He grabbed his son Elliot just over his left elbow and left with his wife and son, with a firm grasp on both of them.