Author's Note: After years of lurking, I finally decided to submit something of my own. Feedback is welcome and would be very much appreciated. Thank you for reading & I hope you enjoy!
*****
Evelyn sighed, looking at the inn's weather-beaten sign, which now hung lopsided from above the doorframe. The Honeybird Inn had survived in her family for generations, and yet within three years of her father's death, it had fallen into disrepair.
In Evelyn's defense, it was not her management of the inn that resulted in its demise. The village that had once drawn travelers to the small valley had become a ghost town after several seasons of drought. While the town was not entirely abandoned, it was no longer the attraction it had once been. Where a few years ago, the inn would have been filled with travelers and adventurers every night, now Evelyn was lucky if a farmer's son arrived in the evening to order an ale.
To cut costs, she had first let the maid go, and a few months later the cook, taking on both responsibilities without complaint. Despite her lack of patrons, Evelyn seemed always to be exhausted, filling every role required to attract the few customers she could. She had rationed her clothes and food to afford repairs for the old building, but her efforts were in vain.
Left was a young woman, thin and tired, hungry and desperate, uncertain as to how to move forward. She was still pretty, but her tired countenance and thinner frame did little to highlight the light honey of her hair or the deep brown of her eyes that might have otherwise been irresistible.
Evelyn walked back inside after reviewing the repairs needed to the exterior, already aware she couldn't afford them. She wiped down the tables and stools for a second time that day, convincing herself that if she could just get a few people inside the Honeybird, they would spread the word that it was indeed the best-kept inn in the valley. Of course, despite her best efforts, this tactic never seemed to work. In fact, the business seemed to have slowed even further in the past month, with Evelyn sometimes failing to see a single visitor for a week at a time.
Thus, when a woman who looked to be only a few years older than Evelyn walked through the door on an otherwise unremarkable day, the innkeeper was overjoyed. She stood up so quickly from her spot (re)polishing ale glasses she knocked her stool over. She rushed to pick it up before hurrying quickly to welcome her visitor, whose face was marked prettily with amusement.
"Welcome to the Honeybird!" Evelyn said a bit more enthusiastically than she meant to, forgetting herself in the excitement of having a guest.
The visitor greeted her with a shallow nod and polite smile, her eyes glancing across the room in mild interest. The woman was at least seven inches taller than Evelyn and just a bit fuller, though considering how little Evelyn had been allowing herself to eat, that wasn't in and of itself impressive. Her dark hair was tied up into a bun, flyaways framing a remarkably delicate face.
Evelyn noticed her guest's unmistakable beauty, but much more important to her at the moment was the fact that this woman looked like she could afford much nicer than the rundown Honeybird. Before Evelyn could think too much about the ethical implications of inflating the cost of a room, the woman spoke, her voice just as rich as her regal posture and well-kept clothing might suggest.
"Thank you for the warm welcome," she said with a twinkle of a laugh in her eye, looking pointedly at the stool that had been knocked over by Evelyn's excitement a moment ago.
"I'm Evelyn, the innkeeper. I don't often get a solitary female traveler come through; your presence is certainly a nice change. Can I get you an ale?" Evelyn was already bustling about to make her way back to the kitchen, having missed her guest's jesting tone.
"No, thank you." the visitor said smoothly. "And it would seem that you don't get many travelers at all stopping by, but still, I'm glad my presence is welcome."
Evelyn bit her lip in what she would later recognize as a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. She recovered quickly, however, telling the visitor how the limited patronage allowed her to be an even better host to those who did stop by. This explanation seemed to satisfy the woman, who nodded briefly.
"No ale for now, thank you. I'd just like a room for the night, if possible." she said after a moment, answering Evelyn's earlier question and saving her from stewing in her embarrassment for too long. "And I'm Catherine, by the way."
Evelyn nodded eagerly. Not only did she finally have a guest, but one who was willing to rent a room for the night. While sometimes Evelyn got nervous being alone in the inn with a traveler, Catherine's gender and disposition quelled any of Evelyn's fears of being taken advantage of.
"Why don't you take a moment to sit and rest here and I'll ready our nicest room for you!" Evelyn said before scurrying up the narrow stairs to ready a room with fresh linens.
Catherine sat down slowly and removed her cloak, watching the young innkeeper disappear onto the upper floor. The dark-haired witch thought Evelyn quite pretty, especially when flustered enough to let blush tinge her otherwise pale face. If not for her business in the north, Catherine thought she very well might have been tempted to find an excuse to stick around and play with the pretty blonde nymph.
When she had finished her preparations, Evelyn ushered Catherine upstairs to the largest room in the inn, one with a fresh coat of paint and a window facing into the fields behind the inn. It was perfectly satisfactory, but Catherine had already decided to enjoy her short stay as much as possible and unfortunately for Evelyn, this meant playing a few games.
"This is the Honeybird's nicest room?" Catherine asked slowly, watching Evelyn's face fall immediately.
"Um... yes?" Evelyn's face flushed. "But I can have it changed to your specifications, even just for the night!" she promised quickly, desperate to keep her customer.
Catherine waved her hand dismissively even as she grew excited by the girl's willingness to please and demanded to be shown the rest of the rooms. Evelyn reluctantly obliged, becoming more and more distraught as Catherine found something wrong with every single one.
"Well where do you sleep, little innkeeper? I'm sure being a permanent resident means you have outfitted your room properly, no?" The woman looked down at Eveyln with an unsettling smile.
Evelyn silently led Catherine to her room at the end of the hall. The room was the smallest in the inn, and while Evelyn had made it her own over the years with trinkets and pressed flowers, it was in no way remarkable.
But Catherine only grinned and clapped her hands as if she had won a grand prize. "This is perfect--an absolutely lovely room to rest for the night. You really are a dear."
Evelyn cleared her throat, finally working up the nerve to stand up for the small comforts she allowed herself. "I'm afraid this room isn't available to rent. But I swear I can do whatever you like to the others to make them acceptable for--"
"No, I'll take this one." Catherine said firmly, interrupting Evelyn's weak protest. "And I'll pay double the nightly rate for your trouble."
Evelyn, while still a bit cross at the woman's invasion of her personal space, could not in good conscience turn down the offer and nodded politely, swallowing down any further protests. She might as well take the opportunity to sleep in the much nicer room she had just prepared--perhaps the woman's odd demands could be to her benefit after all.
"Of course. Preparing it for you will just take a moment." Evelyn said agreeably.
Catherine shook her head. "No, no, don't trouble yourself. It's fine the way it is." She stepped into the small space and looked it over as if it held precious jewels. "Don't change a single thing."
Evelyn nodded and allowed Catherine to settle into her room before hurrying down to the kitchen to prepare her a hot meal, letting any lingering annoyance fade as she thought of fixing the Honeybird's sign with the extra money. That thought alone was enough to return her to good spirits, and she brought Catherine's meal up to her with a genuine smile.
