Once upon a time there was a beautiful queen who ruled over the small empire of Edessa. Although she was surrounded by the castle staff, everyone from her lady's maid to the royal falconer, she was lonely.
There was no king in Edessa. The queen's parents had died before they had chosen a husband for her. Which was just as well as anyone they chose would have been for a beneficial alliance rather than love.
The queen looked out over the misty hills of Edessa and sighed, wondering if she was to forever maintain her solitary life. She stamped her velvet-encased foot and swore.
"De rΓ©ir gach a bhfuil sΓoraΓ!" she said. That's Gaelic, which is a much better language to swear in, by the way. "I'll meet someone today or be damned!"
But how? She could throw a ball. But that would mean having to invite the nobility from the surrounding kingdoms. She had met all those men. Some were married, some were egotistical jerks, and some were ugly. Some, like the king of Razohain, were all three. The queen shuddered. No, there would be no ball.
The queen walked back into her room and closed the shutters just as the clock chimed 10:30. That gave her an idea. Soon, the entire castle staff would be having their elevenses. If she timed everything just right, she could slip out and go searching for, well, not for a mate. But she could go searching for some fun.
There was a floorboard in her closet that she had pried up last year when Yulis had had to leave. Yulis had been her favorite lady's maid, but she was caught removing her knickers rather than removing the raspberry stain from the queen's eyelet camisole. Lucky Yulis and the footman she had been caught with. What fun. Yulis had been forced out by the housekeeper. Even though the queen had insisted Yulis stay on, that old prune of a housekeeper had said it would never do. What kind of example did that set for the rest of the staff? Yulis had had to leave immediately and had left behind her spare afternoon-off dress.
The queen pulled up the floorboard, changed into Yulis's old dress, and looked at herself in the mirror with a critical eye. Her hair was all wrong. She took some of it down, enough so that she could squash a straw hat onto her head and opened the door to the passageway. The coast was clear.
At the top of the servants' staircase, she strained to listen, No one was about. Excellent. She ran quickly and quietly down the stairs to the back door. Glancing right and left, she tore off to the stables, hoping the stableboys would be enjoying their tea or whatever it was they had for elevenses.
No one was in the stables. The queen had two horses, Copper Elegance and Rainblossom. Poor Copper was too old for a quick getaway. Besides, he had never had anything but a sidesaddle on his back. That would never do if she were to successfully pull this off. Would Rainblossom let her put a saddle on? Not that she had any idea how to do that. Sometimes being the queen seemed to have more disadvantages than advantages.
There was a rustling in the far stall. There was no time to lose. The queen ducked down and then slowly peered up over the rail of Rainblossom's stall. What horse was that? Wingstar? She was all saddled up and ready to go. Perfect! Without a second thought she opened the gate, put her foot into the stirrup, swung her leg over the sorrel, and gave Wingstar a gentle kick.
They were off like a shot! The queen's bonnet was bobbing on her back but there was no way she was going to let go of the reins. She had never had such a wild ride before. It was nothing like the sedate sidesaddle rides she took every Thursday.
Wingstar seemed to know where she was going. She flew to the east toward Loch Eala. Loch Eala was known for its beautiful lakes and ponds where swans swam each summer, for that's what Loch Eala means: Swan Lake.
Wingstar ran out of steam as they entered Loch Eala, which gave the queen the opportunity to think. Where does one go to meet a man? The men working in shops and pubs and inns would all be busy this time of day. Farms were a possibility. But how did one wander onto a farm? What excuse could one make?
The queen pondered as Wingstar walked. Suddenly, Wingstar stopped. The queen looked up to see the village smithy glistening in the fire of his forge.