Subsistent Lies

It was the morning after the ball and out of the three of us, Isabella was looking the most giddy about going to be presented at court. She had even had the courage to come wake me early in the morning knowing fair well I liked to sleep in till noon unless I had something of importance planned. It was apparent that she had been taken with one of the gentlemen at the ball and was hoping that they would become one of her suitors. “Aren’t you ready yet Gabby?” Izzy said sitting on my bed.

“Do you think it wise to wake me on the most horrid of days?” I said grumpily rolling to my side staring at the bundle that was on my table.

“What’s so horrid about it? We are to meet our suitors today, I for one am looking forward to it.”

“Well sorry to say I don’t meet your views. Now go and leave me!” I yelled throwing my pillow at her.

To my surprise she caught it and flung it back at me making me sit up from the shock of the hit. Laughing she said, “fine, but if you don’t ready yourself soon I don’t think you will like who wishes to call upon you before you depart. I advise the sooner you and Zaria ready yourselves the sooner we can go before anything unpleasant happens between you and one of your suitors.” She left headed towards Zaria’s chambers.

Her statement made me fully wake. I had totally forgot about what I had did to Colin. Surely by now he would of recovered and Calib would of told him about what happened during the tournament, he would be most furious with me. I got out of bed and began getting into my dress, but it was too late. As soon as I was dressed and ready Colin came storming into my room slamming the door in his wake. He was not happy to see me. “Good morning, Colin. Don’t you know it is bad luck to see the one you are to offer for before they are properly announced at court.” I said brightly trying to calm his sour mood.

“It is bad luck to see ones wife the day before you are to marry, not to see the one you offer for before it is properly announced.“ Colin said in an even tone. “But then again there’s no such thing as good or bad luck when it comes to you Gabby just bad.“

“I have no clue what you are talking about Colin.” I said fluttering my eyes.

“Don’t play dumb Gabby!“ He yelled. “You can’t wriggle out of this one. Not this time.” He said in a threatening voice.

I sighed knowing it useless to play dense. “So Calib told you.”

“Your damn right he told me! What did you expect him to tell me when I came to, that he had won the tournament by himself against the King’s best? Like I would believe that. My brother has many talents, but taking on the King’s best and winning when they despise our family name is not one of them.”

“Your telling me.” I muttered remembering what Calib had did during the jousting part of the tournament.

“What was that?”

“I said why are you so upset? The whole court is looking at the Gulliver’s in a new light.”

Colin gave me a cold look. “Gabby how stupid and naïve you are! Aye they are looking at the Gulliver’s in a new light! They are looking at us with even more contempt than before! Do you know what rumors are flying about!?” I only looked at him still stunned that he had called me stupid and naïve. “No! I guess not because you never know what consequences your actions lead to! Thanks to you drugging me and taking my place in the tournament, people think that we deliberately asked you to take one of our places so that we could win the tournament and take the glory for ourselves! Those who know that I am to offer for your hand think I only do so, so that the Gulliver’s can still be in the glory light and on King Arthur’s good side! Gabby you have made a mockery of the Gulliver name! I am starting to think father taking you, your mother, and sisters in was a mistake!”

Only one thing stuck to my mind out of his yelling. “You should be grateful for what I did! And how dare you blame me for your stupid decision to drink your self into unconsciousness! But I guess I shouldn’t expect much from you Colin! You are as pigheaded and arrogant as your brother is a coward!”

“How dare you!” Colin said raising his hand to me.

Without thinking I took his sword from his side and pointed it at him. “Do you really want to strike the greatest swordswoman in Anevia?” I said looking at him coldly.

He lowered his hand and stared at me with hatred. “I will never forgive you for this Gabby. You better hope the suitors that offer for you today aren’t women abusers because I will not be among the suitors who will be offering for you this day.”

“Good! I never wanted to marry you anyways! I only said I would because I wanted my family’s debt to be repaid to your father, but now I see no reason to be bound to what I had said in the stable.” I said going to the table, placing his sword on top of it, and grabbing the bundle.

“What is that?” Colin said eyeing me.

“A present from the King for my victorious win.” I said walking pass him. “I will see you later, or not.” I said walking out the room and heading towards Lord Gavin’s studies.

Having Colin accusing me of drugging him and taking his place on purpose was not something I wanted to face this day of all days, especially when I was trying to digest everything the King had told me during our dance. After I had explained to him that papi killed himself because he was in a lot of debt and couldn’t pay everyone he owed money to including him, he told me that if papi had wrote of this to him he would have helped. He also told me that he did not send any collectors to our house the day of taxes. He said that the men my sisters, mami, and me saw were not under his orders. After hearing this not even the money he gave me to pay our debt back to Lord Gavin and start a new life for us cheered me up. I thought about telling my sisters and mami, but I couldn’t bare to bother them with something like this to add to all the pain. What was done was done and after today we would be starting our new lives if this money was enough to fix everything. I knocked on Lord Gavin’s door and there was a gruff response. “Come in.” I entered and saw Gavin Gulliver fussing over papers on top of his desk. Seeing me he quickly shoved the papers in his desk. “Gabriella what brings you to my studies this morning? Shouldn’t you be out in the courtyard ready to go to court to be presented.” He said indicating a sit in front of his desk.

“Yes, my lord, but before I go I think I should give you this.” I said extracting a bag of coins and placing it on his desk.

Gavin sat a little straighter in his chair. “Gabriella where in the world did you get that kind of money?”

“It was my reward for winning the part of the tournament I participated in.”

“Ah, yes I’ve heard of what you did yesterday and I must say….”

“Let me guess you do not approve of my actions neither. I assume you think I drugged Colin and took his place on purpose.” I said interrupting him.

“Nay, Gabriella I was going to say you are your father’s child.” Gavin continued a gleam in his eye.

I looked at him puzzled. “I’m afraid I do not understand, my lord papi never had a rebellious bone in him.”

“True, Jacques Fairvard didn’t, but your father did.” Again that gleam.

I was going to open my mouth to say something, but decided against it. Lord Gavin was growing old and it was a known fact that he wasn’t really right in the head to begin with. “Yes, um, if you don’t mind I will take a contract saying that I have paid my family’s debt in full to you and then be on my way.”

“Yes of course, but I’m afraid this isn’t enough to cover what your family owes me.” Gavin said taking a piece of paper out and dipping his pen in the ink.

“Really then how about this?” I said placing another bag on his desk. “Is this enough? Or is this enough?” I said placing a third. “There’s more where that came from if it is not, but I was under the impression that seeing how you and your sons took everything that was of value after the collector’s were through that only one bag of the King’s gold would suffice even two.”

Gavin looked at me and I thought I saw contempt written on his face. “Two bags will do fine Gabriella. Consider your families debt repaid.” He said gruffly handing me a piece of paper and pen.

Reading it thoroughly I signed, handed him back his pen, tuck the paper in my dress, took the third bag of gold and left the room ignoring Colin as he went into the room and began a shouting match with his father. Outside I knew I was late when mami was waiting with a scowl. “Really Gabby of all the days to be late you chose this one.”

“Sorry mami, but I had some business to handle.” I said getting into the carriage noticing Zaria’s far off look.

“And what business is that?” Mami asked getting in behind me and telling the driver to go. I took out the contract and handed it to her. “Gabby how did you manage to pay off our debt?” She asked looking at me with shock.

This statement made Zaria stop thinking to look at me and made Izzy stop her non-stop daydreaming to look at me too. “From the winnings the King gave me.”

“So that’s what you were hiding when you left the castle.” Zaria said.

I nodded not wanting to think about what else I was hiding in my head. “Gabby this can’t be. That one match couldn’t possibly have cost the amount of rubbles we owed Lord Gavin.”

“Actually mami it cost more.” I said pulling out three more bags of gold and handing one to mami, Zaria, and Izzy.

Mami, Zaria, and Isabella’s eyes opened wide. They each weighed them, and then looked at me again. “Gabby do you know how many rubbles this is? We can start a brand new life for ourselves.” Mami said taking the other two bags and putting them inside her dress.

“Exactly what I was hoping.” Mami looked at me almost suspecting what I was going to say next. “Maybe mami we can pick up the pieces of our lives before…” I let that part of my sentence drop seeing how everyone’s face dropped, even Izzy’s for the first time since encountering Lady Joan and finding her happiness again in reveling in her dance with Darius.

“Gabby I know you and your sisters do not wish to marry, but this money isn’t enough to take care of all three of you when I pass.” Mami explained ignoring our faces at the mention of death. “You must still marry and strike good matches with noble lords.”

“I don’t see what good that will do when Colin will not offer for me today.” I muttered.

“What? Why? Gabby what did you do this time?” Mami said giving me a stern look.

“Why is everything my fault? I didn’t do anything. Colin thinks I drugged him in order to take his place in the tournament.” Zaria turned her face to stare out the window.

“And did you?”

“Mami!?” I said in shock.

“Sorry Gabby, but that sounds like something you would do and look what became of it. You won, got in the King’s good favor, and got enough gold to pay off our debt and start a new life for us. So I ask again did you?”

“No mami, I didn’t. I told you I found him unconscious when I went to wish him luck. It was Zaria….” I eyed the back of Zaria’s head; she was immersed with the scenery outside. “It was Zaria who told me he drunk himself to unconsciousness. But I do know one thing if someone really did drug him I commend them for doing so. I wish I could of thought of it first.”

“Gabby!” Mami yelled.

“Well it’s the truth.” With that I folded my arms and stared out the window.

My efforts to get out of marriage failed and now Colin wasn’t going to be a suitor. I was headed to a much more uncertain doom than when I knew Colin would become my husband. At least with him I knew the worst I could expect from him was a little yelling match and if he were to get abusive I could defend myself. You better hope the suitors that offer for you today aren’t women abusers. I had one thing to look forward to if I did marry a woman abuser, the King wouldn’t fault me for killing him in self-defense. According to him he owed me and I planned to use that to my best advantage.

It wasn’t long before we were at court and walking into the grand throne room where all the eligible ladies would be announced along with the men who would offer for them. The King smiled at us from his perch on his throne and the Queen following his gaze did the same as we entered the massive throne room. The whole court had showed up from the commoners, the nobles, and even the princesses were allowed to be present. Mami, Zaria, Isabella, and I found a place amongst the crowd of people and awaited the announcing of the ladies and their suitors.