Chapter 6 Marketplace #2
“I haven’t been before either,” Luna announced, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice as she trailed behind Marion. “But my sister told me there will be food galore, plus the ceremony is something else to witness. And afterwards, they light lanterns and dance.”
With a glimmer in her eye, Marion replied, “If dancing is involved, you can count me in.”
When they emerged from between the stalls, the crowd was noticeably less dense. “To tell you the truth, I’ve never even danced before . . .”
Marion stumbled, cranking her head backwards to look at Luna. “Why not?”
Luna dropped her gaze to her feet, her cheeks heating up. “It’s not that I don’t want to. I just haven’t had the chance to do it.” Explaining that the king had forbidden her wasn’t something she really wanted to share. Better to just keep some details about her life to herself.
“Well, that’s just not right,” Marion stated with her upper lip raised slightly. “I’ll tell you what, after we go to Corey’s, I’ll take you to the tavern close by and we will dance.”
Luna’s smile was as wide as the sea. “I’d love that.” To think a day that started more than a little rocky—with the fall from the trees, the wall, and bumping into the unicorn—was taking this kind of turn. At this rate, she was going to have the best day of her life.
“Here it is,” Marion announced, her hand gesturing towards a plump lady standing behind a table.
Corey’s stall consisted of a 3-tiered shelf display of small boxes filled with many colourful bite-size macarons. With all the colours, the display almost looked like a rainbow.
“Back for more?” asked the plump lady with a voice like honey. Luna could only assume this was Corey. She sat on a stool, twirling one of her brown curls around her finger. “Who’s your friend?”
“This is Luna. I told her how amazing your treats are, and she had to come see for herself. She’s like us—broke—so do me a favour and treat her well,” Marion said with a wink.
Corey rolled her hazel eyes. “I always treat my customers well.” She looked Luna up and down with a broad smile. “Especially the ones that look as good as you, sweet cheeks. What would you like? It’s on the house.”
“That’s really kind of you,” Luna replied, bending down to read the small handwritten cards by each box.
The red ones were labelled red velvet, and the green were key lime.
The yellow, lemon drops. The purple, blackberry lavender.
The white ones claimed to be salted caramel, and surprisingly, the orange were mango.
As soon as Luna spotted the brown macarons, she knew exactly which one she wanted to try and pointed eagerly. Corey handed one to Luna with a smile.
Just as she was about to open her mouth to thank Corey, a well-dressed man collided with her.
She began to tumble backwards and would’ve fallen straight on her bottom had Marion not been there to catch her.
The force of the impact sent pain radiating from her shoulder all the way down her arm.
The man looked down his nose at her servant clothes.
“Watch where you’re going,” he spat out with a tone of superiority.
He then plucked the macaron right out from Luna’s hand, and with a laugh, plopped it into his mouth.
Before Luna could even register what had happened, the man pivoted on his heel and tried to disappear into the crowd.
Unfortunately for him, Corey didn’t need time to register what had happened.
She lunged forward, grabbing his lapel and punching him straight in the jaw.
He fell flat on his back from the sheer force.
Groaning, the man clutched his face and tried to sit up, but before he could recover, Corey had her foot pressing on his chest, keeping him where he was.
“I’ve crushed men beneath my boots for less,” she growled.
Her voice was low and threatening, with an edge of sweetness to it.
Luna pictured this woman could go on a killing spree and wear a smile while doing so.
“Now, I suggest you apologize to my customer.”
“I will not! Do you know who I am?” he said as he grabbed Corey’s foot with both of his hands and tried to move it off him. Corey moved as much as a mountain does in the wind.
She leaned down, pressing more of her weight into her leg. “I don’t care who you are. You’re going to apologize and you’re going to do it now.”
“Jerk isn’t worth the attention you give him, Corey,” Marion called over. “Let him go before he has to change his pants.”
“Fine.” Corey stepped back.
The man stood up, straightened his attire and brushed off the footprint Corey left on his shirt. “You girls are lucky I’m busy, or else—”
“No, buddy! You’re lucky I’m in a good mood and willing to listen to my friend here. Now run off before you make me change my mind.” Corey glared at him, her utter calm more fearful than if she were to scream at him. “You. Have. Seconds.”
The man huffed but took her advice and walked off.
Marion turned to Luna and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Her shoulder ached a little, and she wondered if the universe was determined to cover her in bruises from head to toe.
Between falling out of the tree when she escaped the palace, and now this, she might not be able to move tomorrow.
“I’m more disappointed that he ate my macaron than anything. ”
“Luckily, we can fix that for you, sweet cheeks,” Corey said, her voice back to its original honey tone.
She grabbed another chocolate macaron and passed it to Luna, along with a lavender blackberry for Marion.
She then flicked her hair over her shoulder.
“Honestly. The men in this city have the worst manners I have seen yet.”
“Worse than back home?” Marion asked.
Corey shrugged. “It’s a coin toss.”
Curious, Luna asked, “Where’s back home?”
“Originally, I am from Felsway, but with all the chaos going on with the Darkened One, I had to leave. Nowadays, I float from town to town selling these,” Corey said, gesturing to the macarons.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Luna said. Though she hadn’t heard of Felsway before, she was happy Corey got out of the village in time. No one survived an attack from the Darkened One. A fact that made Luna all the more thankful that Grythorn was under Nina’s protection.
“I’m not,” Corey said with another shrug. “No child should be forced to grow up in Felsway. I’m glad it got burnt off the map, saving future generations from the misfortune. It’s how I came to know Marion. She found me afterwards and helped me make a new life.”
“That nightmare is almost behind us. That’s what matters,” Marion added as she swallowed her macaron in a single bite.
“Agreed,” Corey stated, turning to Luna. “But to answer your question, sweet cheeks, when I’m not travelling, I stay at a village just over the mountains.”
Luna tilted her head to the side. “I didn’t think there were any villages past the mountains, except for Kalt Ravine.”
“Oh, there most certainly are,” Corey replied, smiling at Marion in a way that looked like they were sharing a secret. “Many others actually.”
“I didn’t know,” Luna said. She only knew what her tutor Demetrio had taught her about geography, and apparently, he had left some things out.
The chocolate macaron was slowly melting in her hand, so Luna quickly took a bite.
Her taste buds exploded, as if she had died and gone to heaven.
She savoured the dessert on her tongue until it dissolved into nothing and then gulped down the remaining portion.
Corey watched Luna with an amused smile lighting up her face, clearly enjoying how much her customer liked her baked goods.
Luna explained through a mouthful, “This is honestly the best thing I have ever tasted.” Quite the compliment, since Luna was used to either her mom’s or the palace’s cooking.
“Told you. Corey is the best baker I’ve ever—” Marion stopped speaking and cocked her head to the side, looking down at Luna’s chest. “What’s that?”
Luna followed her gaze. Her necklace was no longer tucked underneath the servant’s clothes; it must have shifted after the collision with the man, or maybe after falling off the wall.
“A family heirloom. Something to remind me that just because we aren’t blood, doesn’t mean we aren’t family.” Sheepishly, she tucked it back underneath her shirt.
“How nice,” Corey said, but her tone made it seem like she didn’t think it was nice at all. Was she jealous?
Luna’s brows furrowed. “You’ve got a problem with that?”
“No, she doesn’t,” Marion interjected with a glare at Corey, who only shrugged.
Marion turned back to Luna. “It’s unique, that’s all.
It’s unusual to see something like that being worn.
” She paused then added, “I believe I promised you a dance lesson. The tavern is just around the corner. You still up for it?”
“Of course, I am.” Ultimately, it didn’t matter what Corey’s opinion was; she loved it, and that was all that mattered. Luna looked at Corey, choosing to be cordial. “Thank you for the treat. It was very kind of you.”
“Don’t mention it, sweet cheeks,” Corey said, giving them both a little wave. “Have fun at the tavern.”