Chapter 3
It turned out that taking a second wife was not widely celebrated, as muggle customs only allowed for one wife to be taken.
We went to Malfoy's tent again where the table was set and food was steaming on the table. My stomach rumbled loudly and I prayed in my mind that I would be allowed to eat even a little of the food. I was surprised when Malfoy motioned me to the other end of the table to sit and went to the other end himself. Brynjar whispered something to Malfoy and Malfoy gave a small nod. Brynjar left after that. I stared at the food hungrily and would probably have started drooling on the table in no time, but luckily Malfoy opened his mouth just before.
“Eat.”
I started gobbling food so fast that I didn't even care how the gluttonous eating looked to my new husband. I ate feverishly just because I was afraid that Malfoy would say that he wanted to stop eating and go to bed, and my starving thought was that I would be able to fight back better on a full stomach.
The food was simple but delicious. Wine had been poured into a cup next to the plate, and I drank the bitter-tasting wine. I had never liked wine, but apparently medieval wine was particularly bad. I continued eating for a while before I remembered who I had gone to the table with.
I looked up and Malfoy gave me a look of disdain as if I was doing something particularly disgusting to him. He twirled his wand in his hands which made my hair stand up. I slowly chewed the food in my mouth and swallowed it with difficulty. Something was wrong. Malfoy hadn't even touched his food, apparently just watched my eating. I turned my eyes to my food and then to the wine cup and realized that something was wrong with the drink. I looked up in fear and saw a momentary look of surprise flash across Malfoy's face.
"You're more quick-witted than the other mudbloods let on," Malfoy stated with a smirk, confirming my fears. There had been something in the wine. Poison? I couldn't figure out why he would want to poison me when he could easily kill me with one curse.
"How did you know my name?"
I swallowed in confusion and thought frantically about what to answer.
“I… mistook you for someone else.”
“Hmmph, how curious, “he hummed thoughtfully,” and who is this other Draco Malfoy?”
My heart was pounding in fear and I looked at Malfoy tensely. He looked back at me amused as if he found the whole situation funny, but had stopped twirling the wand and now held it ready in his right hand.
"I… I might be remembering wrong and his name was something else," I lied. I couldn't really tell him the truth, could I?
We stared at each other for a moment before a strong wave of nausea and pain hit me. I threw myself on the floor and threw up on the ground and then coughed hard for a long time. I saw blood on the ground among the vomit.
"As you can see lying gets you sick," Malfoy said calmly. He was still sitting at the table, looking at me on the ground with interest. I got up in a panic and started to run to the entrance of the tent, but when I was almost outside, I felt as if I had run into an invisible wall, and I hit the ground painfully from its force.
"And you don't get to leave either, so I suggest you calm down and answer honestly," Malfoy spoke, but I felt anything but calm. I coughed up blood a few more times and gasped hysterically.
"Let's try again. Who is this other Draco Malfoy?”
I guessed that Malfoy would probably torture the answer out of me, so I answered through sobs.
"I went to the same school as him."
Since my body didn't have the same reaction as before I guessed that Malfoy’s truth poison was somewhat legit and not just straight up poison.
I didn't trust medieval Malfoy one bit and I didn't even want to know what he would do with the information if he realized I was from the future. As my time turner year in Hogwarts had taught me, I knew that history could not or should not be changed or the consequences would be catastrophic. I couldn't tell the Draco Malfoy I knew was his descendant a thousand years away.
Malfoy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "At Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
"I had heard that they even accept mudbloods," Malfoy laughed. I would have glared him if I wasn't so afraid that I couldn't even stop crying. I crouched as far away from Malfoy as I could in the tent.
"And is this Draco Malfoy in Valdis' ranks?"
That was easy to answer. "No."
“Where is this other Draco Malfoy?”
“He is not alive.” Not in another thousand years at least.
Malfoy looked a little disappointed. I guessed he had wanted to meet his namesake.
"Tell me everything you know about Valdis."
Now my heart jumped in fear, even though I knew the answer was easy.
"I don't really know anything about her. Only that she is the leader of the Muggle and Muggle-born rebellion." I didn't bother to mention that I had only heard that too after waking up in Renea's body.
Now Malfoy narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "The other mudbloods were sure that you were close to Valdis," he said accusingly.
I shrugged and sobbed miserably. "They must have confused me with someone else." Sort of true, and luckily the poison agreed, because the awful reaction didn't happen again. I cried more in relief, but cringed in fear when I saw Malfoy's expression of disbelief. If he didn't believe the poison would work, he might turn to torture or even kill if he didn't trust my word. After a while, however, he sighed quietly and seemed to lose interest in questioning me.
"You can finish your food now if you want. The truth potion was in the wine. I can ask for another wine for you.”
I didn't even make a move in the direction of the table, instead I fell into a crying and self-pity while lying down on the ground in a small ball. Malfoy sighed again and after a moment I heard him get up and leave the tent.
I did understand why Malfoy had wanted to question me. After all, Renea had apparently been his enemy. But I couldn't understand the cruelty of this world and how the same hate and suffering had always been there without people ever learning to be more accepting. I had had enough of fear, pain and anger already during the war in modern times, and I didn't understand why I was here to experience the same things again.
I continued to cry for a long time, waiting in terror to see what Malfoy would come up with next, but I finally fell asleep on the floor before he returned.
****
I was calm when I woke up. Malfoy was nowhere to be seen, but someone had been in the tent while I was sleeping, as the blood and vomit had been cleaned up. Food and water had been placed on the ground next to me, but I didn't touch them despite my grumbling stomach. I stiffened when Malfoy entered the tent.
"Time to go." Malfoy's gaze lingered on my face, swollen from crying, and on the untouched food next to it.
I stood stiffly from sleeping on the cold ground. I remembered Malfoy saying he wanted to get rid of me by the time of the battle of Hastings, so I figured he'd take me under the watchful eye of his first wife, Raina. I didn't object to it, because I also wanted to get rid of him.
Malfoy had apparently removed the spells that trapped me in the tent during the night, because I was able to go after Malfoy. I squinted in the bright morning sun and saw Brynjar standing in the yard holding two winged horses. I guessed they were Granians from their coloring. Malfoy walked up to one of them and motioned me to follow him. I stopped next to him, looking at the horse worriedly.
Malfoy helped me onto the horse, though I flinched at his touch. I stiffened even more when Malfoy mounted the horse behind me.
I had never liked flying, but having a hostile Malfoy on the same ride didn't particularly raise the comfort level of the ride. I kept my eyes closed most of the way, hoping for a short trip.
When we finally reached the ground, I almost dropped to the ground to hug it, but I could barely contain myself. We had arrived at the yard of the wooden mansion. A few people were walking around the yard, but they didn't seem surprised by our arrival.
Malfoy and Brynjar marched towards the house so I followed them. A young boy, probably around thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in neat, but the simple clothes, came to meet us.
"Welcome, my lord," the boy said solemnly.
Malfoy just nodded, but Brynjar grinned widely at the boy. "How do you look more puny every time I see you?"
The boy glared at Brynjar, displeased. “Still as uncivilized as always, Brynjar.” Then the boy looked appraisingly at me. "Is she your new wife?"
“Yes,” Malfoy said reluctantly and then hesitated for a moment, “Dexter, this is Renea Maga. Renea, Dexter is my main household servant.”
I don't know which surprised me more, the fact that Malfoy introduced me to someone or the fact that Malfoy's head servant was a little boy.
"Could you tell Raina to come see me?"
Dexter nodded and quickly walked away.
"I bet either Raina will refuse to come to see you or that she will come only to complain?" I heard Brynjar’s giggle and glanced at them with interest. Apparently Malfoy didn't mind the joking about his wife, but looked amused himself.
"She will come alright. The last time she refused, I threatened to sell off the jewelry made of goblin gold, so I guess the fear of the threat still smolders in her,” Malfoy chuckled and the men exchanged amused glances.
After a while, the door slammed open so hard that I almost jumped out of my skin. In sailed Malfoy's first wife, Raina. Raina was dressed in an extravagant deep green velvet dress with gorgeous silver embroidery. Raina was not beautiful, but not ugly either, but she seemed to have the self-confidence of a goddess. Her golden hair was braided with complex braids and her jewelry was magnificent. She looked ridiculously overdressed considering she was just with the servants in a small country manor and not at any ball. Raina slowly walked towards us with a faux smile on her face.
"My lord, what a pleasant surprise that you have arrived," Raina said and blinked her eyes as if she was really surprised.
"I already sent a letter yesterday that we were coming today," Malfoy reminded.
"Ahh, yes, but your arrival is still as big a surprise to me," Raina sighed dramatically and
her face contorted miserably, "this war is giving me a constant headache, so I feel very unwell, and that's why I couldn't read your letter."
Malfoy rolled his eyes.
"I have a new wife," Malfoy said bored and pointed a finger in my direction. I was still jumpy by the events of the past few days, so I flinched farther as if he had tried to hit me. Malfoy's expression soured and he looked like he wanted to roll his eyes at me too.
Raina turned to look at me with genuine astonishment on her face and then a mocking smile spread across her face. "I can see she is as much in love with you as I am, my love."
Malfoy grimaced annoyed and turned in Dexter's direction. "Will you show my new wife her room?"
"Of course, my lord," Dexter said, gesturing for me to follow. I started walking after Dexter, relieved to be out of the company of Malfoy and Raina.
I glanced in their direction as I left and saw them talking quietly to each other and both had the same disgusted look on their faces while Brynjar grinned amused at them.
Dexter took me to a small room next to the kitchen and left me there without saying anything. I sat down on the bed, sorting out my confused thoughts.
I was already feeling better, so the poison Malfoy gave me last night probably hadn't done any permanent damage to my system. I was no longer sickly vomiting or coughing. I just felt weak, but I guessed it was more from the hunger and torture than the poison.
Raina wasn't what I'd imagined, but from what I'd seen briefly, she seemed unstable and strange. I was sure that watching over a muggleborn concubine couldn't be a pleasant task for her even if she didn’t like her husband. I decided that I wouldn't take any chances with her and would stay out of her sight until I could steal a wand for myself. I also decided that there was no point in wasting time, so I would try to steal the wand the very next night. Since Raina wasn't involved in the war, I guessed that she wouldn't be as skilled or careful around me as Malfoy might have been.
My scheming was interrupted when there was a soft knock on the door. The old woman opened the door and peeked inside. "Lord Malfoy said before he left that you might be hungry."
I didn't have time to answer when the woman already entered with the tray. She placed the tray on the small table and left immediately.
I ate the food and drank carefully this time, but I didn't taste anything strange. I took off my cloak and went to lie down on the bed. My thoughts were running wild about the events of the last couple of days and I cried a little stress cry before I fell asleep.
I woke up when it was already dark. The tray was still on the table, so I assumed no one had been in my room. I decided to go in the dark of the night to explore the house. I took the tray with me so that if someone asked why I wasn't in my own room, I could say that I got lost while returning the tray. It would be a pretty see through lie, because I had seen the kitchen right next to my room, but it was better than nothing. I didn't know if I was allowed to move outside my own room. At least I wasn't locked into the room, because I was able to open the door without any problems.
The corridor was dark, so I moved forward, feeling the wall. When I got to the staircase that Raina had come down from during the day, I guessed that the most important person in the house must be sleeping upstairs. The stairs were lit by candles, so progress was easier. I carefully crept forward.
There were only two rooms upstairs, so I tried the door to the room on the left first. The door was locked. I swallowed my disappointment and tried another door. It was also locked, and surely by magic, because when I touched the door handle I could feel magic emanating from it.
"What is the mudblood doing here?"
I jumped so startled that the cup flew off the tray and clattered loudly on the floor. Dexter stood in the hallway with a small fire in his palm that lit up the hallway. He was a wizard, I realized. He looked angry and glared waiting for my answer.
"Ermm I… I was taking the tray away."
"And was it supposed to be returned to Lady Raina's room?"
I blushed furiously and stared at Dexter in horror. I hadn't realized he was also a wizard. Even though he was a child, he could wreak a lot of havoc if he knew how to use wandless magic as well as creating fire in his palm.
"You listen to me, you mud—" but he didn't have time to say anything else, because just as he took a step forward, his foot hit the floorboard and sent him flying to the ground. I gasped, startled and ducked away from him.
I stared startled at Dexter's body on the ground. He didn't get up.
“Ermm, mr. Dexter?”
The boy didn't react. I crouched down next to him, put the tray on the ground and gave him a tentative shake by the shoulder. Dexter just mumbled something nonsensically and then a muffled snore started. At least he wasn't dead.
I concluded from the strong smell of alcohol coming from Dexter that he had passed out. I sighed with relief and collected the cup on the tray and hurried down the stairs before someone came to see what the fuss was about upstairs.
There was no one in the kitchen, so I left the tray on the table. I would have washed it, but the kitchen was almost pitch black. I crept quietly to my own room and sat on the bed staring at the door with my heart beating frantically. I almost expected Malfoy to appear in my room, throwing a tantrum and threatening to kill me after an obvious snooping attempt, but nothing happened.
I prayed that Dexter wouldn't choke on any vomit because I was sure they would blame me. And he was only a child after all. I felt so madly guilty about leaving the child alone that I jumped out of bed and ran up the stairs again.
However, Dexter had disappeared from the floor, so I went back down just as quickly.
I went to bed but couldn't sleep again for the rest of the night.