“Lie down, now, sweetie.”
“He’s hurt,” Belle said.
“My name’s Garrett,” Garrett added.
“Well, I’m Dimitri, and we’re going to get you some help.” Dimitri bit his lip. “Can you stand up?”
“Maybe with a bit of help.”
“What can I do?” Belle asked.
“Run on ahead and tell Mother what’s happened,” Dimitri replied, helping Garrett struggle to his feet. He slipped under Garrett’s arm, supporting most of his weight.
Belle nodded and sprinted all the way back to the cottage. “Mother! Mother!” she cried, hurtling through the cottage door at such a force that it startled Jim and caused Anya to drop her spoon.
Juliana looked up, anxiously. “Belle, what is it?”
“There’s a boy on the beach!” Belle gabbled, panting a little. “He’s hurt! Dimitri’s bringing him here!”
“A boy?” Anya sprang to her feet.
“Oh my goodness!” Juliana exclaimed, hurrying out of the cottage. She spotted her son and the newcomer limping towards them. “Anya, clear the table. Belle, fetch me my medicine box.”
Both girls jumped to it at once. Dimitri, meanwhile, guided Garrett in the direction of the cottage. “This is my mother,” he said once they had reached her.
“Hello,” Garret groaned.
“Please come inside,” said Juliana, helping him to the table. Her voice was soothing and gentle now. “Lie down, now, sweetie.” Garrett obeyed ad told her exactly where it hurt. Juliana ran her hands along his ribs.
Belle held up the medicine box. “Is he going to be alright, Mother?”
“I think so.” Juliana looked at Garrett. “You’ve got a lot of bruising along your ribs but nothing’s broken. I can give you some medicine for the pain.”
“Thank you,” Garrett replied, politely.
“And I recommend plenty of bed rest,” Juliana added. “Take it easy for the next few days.”
“How did you get like this, anyway?” asked Anya, picking Jim up from his high chair and balancing him on her hip.
“I was fishing last night,” Garrett explained. “Then the storm hit and, well, my boat got capsized.”
“I’ve not seen you ‘round here before,” Dimitri commented. “Where do you live?”
“Oh, in Camelot. I work there, in the kitchens.”
“Oh!” Juliana smiled.
“Our father’s a knight of the Round Table,” Belle explained, feeling suddenly shy. She had thought at first that Garrett was about her age, but now she saw that he was closer to Anya’s age than hers.
“Oh,” replied Garrett, sounding genuinely interested. “Which one? I might know him.”
“Sir Lionel,” replied Dimitri, proudly.
“Oh, yes, I do know him.” Garrett smiled. “I hear King Arthur speaks very highly of him.”
If that was a genuine compliment, then it served to make them all feel very proud, and if it was just meant to make Dimitri even prouder of his father than usual, then it certainly did the trick. He puffed himself up to his full height. “I hope so! He’s the best knight who ever lived!”
“Alright, Dimitri, that’s enough,” smiled Juliana, pouring medicine into the bowl of a small spoon. “What have I always told you about boasting?”
Dimitri looked abashed. “Um...”
“Not to do it because people who boast never prosper and only look foolish!” Belle piped up, cheerfully.
Garrett chuckled. Anya laughed at the look on her brother’s face. Dimitri rolled his eyes and gave Belle a tiny shove. “Show off!”
“Here,” said Juliana, gently, to Garrett, offering him the spoon. He managed to find it and sipped, obediently. Juliana smiled, patiently and Belle realised that her mother had already worked out Garret was blind. That made her feel even prouder to have such a kind and caring mother.
“He can stay for a bit, can’t he, Mother?” she asked.
Juliana glanced at Garrett. “What about your family?”
“Oh, I don’t have one,” Garrett shrugged. “Well, not really. My parents died when I was a baby but I was brought up by some of the kitchen staff; Mrs Potts, Carlotta, Edgar, Dalben, Wiggins, oh and Fauna, Flora and Merryweather. They’re like my adopted family.”
“Well, they’ll probably be worried about you,” Juliana mused.
“I could ride after Father and tell him to let the kitchen staff know Garrett’s here,” Dimitri volunteered.
“Well...”Juliana began, wavering.
“Can I come too?” begged Anya, setting a restless Jim down on the floor with his toy boat.
“Alright, then, but hurry and come straight back.”
“Come on,” said Dimitri to Anya and they both hurried out of the cottage.
“Any pain now?” Juliana asked Garrett.
“No.” Garrett sat up, looking a little better. “Thank you, that medicine really worked.”
“My mother’s the best at looking after people,” Belle smiled, proudly.
Juliana smiled. “Belle, can you put this back for me, please?”
Belle quickly returned the medicine box to its usual place. Juliana picked up Jim. “So, you work in the castle kitchens?”
“Yes. Mainly serving, but I’m learning how to cook.”
“No desire to be a knight, then?”
“Oh, I’d like to. But a knight has to be of proper birth, and since I’m an orphan, well, no one knows who my ancestors were.”
“That’s not fair,” Belle said.
“That’s life, sweetheart,” Juliana reminded her.
“But I thought King Arthur wanted Camelot to be a place of equality?” Belle persisted. “How can it be if someone who wants to be a knight isn’t allowed because they’re an orphan?”
Garrett looked over at her and chuckled. “You’ve got very strong opinions, haven’t you, Belle?”
Belle blushed, like a teenager making a fool of themselves in front of their crush. “Well...”
“I’m the mother of two equally feisty girls, Garrett,” Juliana put in. “And one very determined boy who wants to be a knight.”
“And Jim, Mother,” Belle reminded her.
“My born sailor,” Juliana agreed, as Jim pretended to sail his toy ship up and down her arm.
“He’s the youngest,” Belle explained to Garrett. “Then it’s me, then Anya, and then Dimitri. Have you got brothers and sisters?”
Garrett shook his head. “No, it’s just me.”
“That must be so peaceful,” smiled Juliana.
“Actually it can be kind of lonely,” Garrett confessed. “I mean, I love my friends but it’s nice to have someone roughly my own age to talk to.”
Jim began to fuss. Juliana smiled. “Alright, I think someone’s ready for a nap.”
She walked out of the room, leaving Garrett and Belle alone in the kitchen together. Garrett hopped off the table. “Do you want to come into the living room?” Belle asked. “You can sit down on a chair in there. I’ll be your eyes.”
Garrett smiled as she took his hand in both of hers. “Alright.”
Belle guided him into the living room. “This is my father’s best chair but you can sit in it.”
Garrett laughed. “Thank you; that’s very kind.”
The kitchen door opened and then a few second later, Dimitri walked into the living room. “Where’s Mother?”
“She’s putting Jim to bed,” Belle replied, looking over at Anya. “Did you catch up with Father?”
“Yes,” Anya replied, “and he said he’d let the kitchen staff know that Garrett’s alright and that you,” she turned to address Garrett directly, “can stay with us for as long as it takes for you to feel better.”
“I am actually beginning to feel better already,” Garrett admitted. “That medicine of your mother’s worked like magic.”
Dimitri grinned. “She can do anything, just.”
“Well, you’re lucky,” Garrett replied, smiling.
That made them all feel proud.
When Lionel returned that afternoon, he found Dimitri and Garrett playfully jousting with sticks on top of their favourite hill, with Belle watching. Dimitri for his part was glad to have someone his age to play with for once, and another boy at that, but Belle felt there was something special about Garrett, something she really liked.
“Hey, look!” exclaimed Dimitri suddenly, pointing upwards. “A falcon!”
Belle looked up to see a screeching falcon circling them. She squinted at it. “Hey, it has silver wings!”
“Aiden!” exclaimed Garrett, joyfully, as the falcon fluttered down to land on his arm. It nuzzled up to him at once. “He’s my pet!”
“You’re so lucky having a pet falcon,” Dimitri said, awed.
Garrett smiled. “He’s more than a pet; he’s my best friend and guide.”
“Can I stroke him?” Belle asked.
“Of course.” Garrett held out his arm and Belle and Dimitri stroked the beautiful bird, who played up to them at once.
Watching the scene, Lionel smiled. Seeing his children so happy almost made him forget that Lord Ruber was now conspiring with the wicked witch Odette...
“You’re so lucky having a pet falcon.”
