Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 120974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120974 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 605(@200wpm)___ 484(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
“What—you mean him saying you said you’re a witch?” Maud asks, raising her eyebrows.
“Well, no—I mean, I did say that, but only to make him leave me alone!” I say quickly. “He was attacking me and Valen made him stop.”
Her look of suspicion becomes one of anger.
“Are you saying my husband was attacking you?” she demands.
Her husband? Oh, no…
But though she might not want to hear it, there’s no other way to put it.
“He had his hand on my wrist, and he was dragging me away.”
I pull back my cloak and show her my wrist, which still bears angry red finger marks from where her husband grabbed me.
“He admitted he’s done this to the barmaids,” I say. “You must see I’m telling the truth—this is where he grabbed me!” I shoved my wrist closer to her face.
Maud’s face gets even darker.
“Well maybe he was trying to throw you out seeing as how you’re a witch!” she exclaims.
Clearly she doesn’t want to know the truth about her husband. I’ve made a grave error. I look at Valen for support, but now that I’m no longer in imminent danger of being raped, he’s just standing there with his arms crossed over his bare chest, watching me with what appears to be mild interest.
Looks like it’s up to me to get myself out of this.
“Look, I’m not really a witch—” I begin.
“Then why did you say so?” the man with the red beard still sitting at the table interjects. “Said she was going to see the Lady of Thornmere, so she did!” he exclaims, and the rest of the room murmurs in agreement.
Great, now I’ve been branded as a witch, and it seems that no one around here likes that. In fact, the looks I’m getting are positively hostile.
“Come with me,” Maud says, giving me the most dire glare I’ve seen yet. “Fine lady or not, I think it’s time you left my establishment.”
“But…but you told us we could stay as long as we liked,” I protest, as Valen and I follow her back to the “Deluxe Suite.”
“That was before I knew you was a witch—and before you accused my husband,” she snaps. “So I’ll take my payment now, and the two of you can get out of my inn!”
“Payment?” I’m covered in confusion. I know I should have expected this, but somehow I didn’t. When she first found us lying on the grass, Maud was so eager to bring us inside and so kind to us. I guess I thought she was doing a good deed, taking us in from the cold so to speak.
“Yes, payment!” she snaps. “A fine lady like you, dressed like that, can certainly afford to pay. So that will be ten gold and out you go.”
“Ten gold?” I’m aghast.
I haven’t had to deal with money much—being a princess has both its perks and its drawbacks—but I do know how much it costs to stay the night somewhere and have a meal. Even the nicest Inn with the most expensive restaurant back in my kingdom wouldn’t be more than two gold—three at the very most.
And though The Slaughtered Lamb is warm and has running water and good food, there’s no way the accommodations here are worth ten gold.
“Yes, ten gold and not a centine less.” Maud narrows her eyes at me.
“But this room and the food you gave us isn’t worth ten gold, even if I had it—which I don’t!” I exclaim, angry at her attempt to overcharge me.
“Are you saying you can’t pay? Because we may be a small town, but we have a debtor’s prison, right enough,” she snaps. “And the Head Constable is sitting in my common room eating my beef and mushroom pie—which happens to be his favorite. He’ll be happy to haul the two of you off for non-payment if I ask him to.”
“Surely you can’t be serious!” I protest. “You’re asking too much!”
She narrows her eyes to slits.
“I’m asking a fair rate, and you’d better pay it now. If you don’t have any gold on you, you can give me your hairpins and dress.”
“What?” I take a step back from her, shocked at the absurdity of her request. “My mother gave me these hairpins for my sixteenth birthday. And this dress was specially made for me by a very famous tailor!”
“And now you’ll give them to me to pay your bill!” Maud insists. “Or it’s off to debtor’s prison with the both of you!”
I’m about to argue more but at that point, Valen steps in.
“All right—enough of this,” he growls. “We’re grateful for your hospitality and the room and food you gave us, but you know it’s not worth ten gold. I could rent a room in a castle for that.” He gives me a meaningful look as he speaks.
Maud gets a mulish expression on her face.