The Twelve Days of Christmas (Part Four)

The Twelve Days of Christmas

PART FOUR

Day Ten

A high, cheery voice broke Princess Avianna’s slumber.

“Merry Christmas!”

Curled into her sheets and blankets, she twisted away from the sound. 

Just a few more minutes…

“Come on, Princess. It’s Christmas. Time to rise.”

Avianna sighed. She didn’t want to do Christmas for a tenth time. She also didn’t want to start her day with an argument. 

Avianna folded her blankets back and rose from her bed. She dressed in her riding outfit and contemplated yesterday’s events.

We know the Bargainer is Johnwin the Clockmaker. We know he starts the day in an ice cave. We know that his magic is somehow connected to the clock tower itself.

We don’t know how to stop him, and we’re back to where we started.

As she and Mora walked to the stables, Avianna looked briefly to the sky.

Dear Lord, I don’t know what to do. I want to get married. I want to stop Johnwin from taking over the kingdom. Let my father be convinced, and let the magic be defeated. Help me and Lennon know what to do next.

It was a simple, inaudible prayer, but the words gave Avianna courage as she prepared to start the Lady’s Ride. 

She exchanged pleasantries with a few of the attending noblewomen, and before she knew it, Grandmum led the charge and the ride began.

Princess Avianna tried to enjoy the ride, but all the compounding worries of the last nine days swirled in her head and weighed her down. She kept towards the back of the pack and hoped with all her heart she could skip her daily talk with the Queen Mother.

Somehow, her wish came true.

As she started up the rise adjacent to where she had broken off the trail the day before, right where she knew the frozen lake sat out of sight, she saw a cluster of several ladies breaking formation, pulling on their reins, and moving about every which way.

Not wanting her horse to crash into any other, Avianna pulled up short of the crowd, and observed both screaming and laughter as each woman seemed to be fleeing from a different threat.

The only one not moving was the Queen Mother, who was still stationed at the front. She’d turned to face the women, and her features were rigid as ice.

By her eyes, Avianna knew her Grandmum was not amused.

Before she could analyze the situation, understanding crashed into her face in the form of an icy snowball, flying from off the trail between the trees.

Avianna screamed, and then laughed. She turned her horse just in time to dodge another one.

She moved to the other side of the path where no projectiles flew from, and she gathered snow perched on a low-hanging tree branch. After packing her snowball, Avianna scanned the opposite side of the road, and there, beyond the chaotic throng of panicky ladies and around the trees, she could see the men.

It took only a second more to find one man in particular, leading those men.

Lennon!

She threw her snowball and hit him directly in the ear.

The yelp he made caused a flurry of laughter from Avianna and the other ladies who saw.

A new barrage of snowballs cascaded on the women, and the horses were not enjoying the experience.

Avianna and others dismounted their horses, and the snowball fight intensified. She soon forgot about the Queen Mother’s watchful eyes, and she threw herself into the game with abandon. By the time the chaos calmed down, the Queen Mother had moved on down the trail by herself. Avianna winced. She knew she’d be reprimanded for this later.

Even so, joy filled the crisp Christmas air, and everyone laughed.

Avianna brought her horse near Lennon, who was breathing hard.

She said, “My love, what in the name of Christmas is going on?”

“Well my dear, this morning I pushed my ship captain to arrive as early as possible. I couldn’t be late for the Boar Hunt. I couldn’t be late, because I wanted to try out a new tradition.”

“A new tradition?”

“Yes, a new one. I figured the Boar Hunt itself goes better when there are fewer hunters, so why not take a group of hunters to hunt the ladies on their ride? I shared the idea, one thing led to another, and now we’re here.”

“I approve, Sir Prince. New traditions are close enough to bargains, I think. It’s bearing witness to something, as Father Gryffan would say. I don’t think my grandmother is on board, though.”

“We should probably avoid her the rest of the day,” said Lennon. 

“I can always remind the Queen Mother that we’re starting something new just like she did with the Lady’s Ride. It’s another way we’re adding to the Christmas magic, so I think you’re on to something.”

“I am. We need whatever edge we can get on the Bargainer, though I still can’t see how we’ll be able to defeat him.”

Avianna thought again about the night before. “He said he couldn’t be stopped, and nothing I said shook him. How could he say he had every right to do what he’s doing.”

Lennon shrugged. “Maybe he was lying?”

“Maybe you were too busy waving your sword around to pay attention.”

Lennon feigned outrage, but Avianna continued.

“The way he spoke, the way he carried himself…I think he’s overconfident, yes, but that confidence comes from somewhere. I think he has a secret edge on us, something we’re not seeing that’s tipping the scales in his direction.”

While they talked, the crowd of men and women had grouped up with their horses, and many continued the ride’s circuit together. Avianna and Lennon joined them but stayed near the back of the procession.

As they rode, Avianna said, “There’s also the problem of Johnwin’s protected status. As Clockmaker, he is seen as an honored employee of the king. I don’t know how we can move against him again when my dad refuses to be swayed.”

“We need proof of his deception.”

“And we need to find it before getting thrown into the dungeon. I don’t know if we can count on the singing working every time.”

“I bet we can find something in the clock tower. We just need to get in there while he’s occupied with something else. I don’t want to risk another confrontation yet.”

Avianna had an idea, and with a little more talking, they had a plan.

When they reentered the castle gates, Avianna was thankful to see no sign of the Queen Mother lingering. After leaving their horses with the grooms at the stables, she and Lennon went back to the merchant square.

Avianna quickly found the man she needed, the merchant Sumol. She set him on a quest: To find and follow Johnwin the Clockmaker, and to report to her at the end of the feast.

From there, they split up so Avianna could get ready for Christ Mass.

At Mass, she avoided her Grandmum and sat with Lennon. After Mass, they spoke with Father Gryffan.

He didn’t share anything new, and truthfully explaining everything to him everyday had grown tedious, but she still valued his counsel. He earnestly reminded them of the importance of Christmas magic, and how important it was for them to participate in the many traditions. He also listened to their plan and agreed to help them.

Avianna borrowed the hymnal again, and they went through the next several hours keeping an eye out for Johnwin.

She hoped that they’d catch sight of him before Sumol returned, but it looked like Johnwin was keeping his distance after last night’s confrontation.

If he even remembered last night! Or did he write himself out of the enchantment? She didn’t know, but the whole thing made her mind bend.

Avianna greeted the incoming guests and did her best to spread Christmas cheer. She got multiple groups of merry-makers to sing songs, and she wound up singing even more today than in all the other days. Though she didn’t consider her singing voice to be at the minstrels’ level, she enjoyed the music much more than the small talk.

Just as Lennon predicted, the Boar’s Hunt was successful, so the Boar’s Head Carol was sung multiple times leading up to the feast.

Lennon and Avianna ate the feast as usual, and Avianna tried to cherish the time. Even though she’d experienced it so many days in a row, she chose to believe that they would find a way to break the enchantment. She longed for the day when the feast would be annual again, and she let the songs of Christmas stir up hope within her that it would indeed be the case.

Towards the end of the feast, right before the Giving of Gifts, Sumol found Avianna. He reported that Johnwin had been in his tower all day. Sumol had been watching it, and he’d gotten others to help and to confirm, so he knew without a doubt: Johnwin had entered the castle sometime that morning, he went straight to the clock tower, and he hadn’t left.

After this report, King Caledon commenced the Giving of Gifts. He gave Avianna her gift, and she was relieved to find that all of the gift was there. Whatever animosity she’d stirred up in her father the day before, this day was indeed different. 

The Queen Mother sat in her usual spot on the dais, but she maintained her icy glare with impressive consistency. Every time she met her grandmum’s eyes, Avianna looked away, cold and ashamed. Though the whole thing was out of her control, she felt stomach-churning guilt for ruining the Queen Mother’s morning.

Avianna sat with her gift adjacent to the dais and waited for Lennon’s knock.

It came right on time, and the knocks’ echoes arrested the party’s bustle.

“Enter,” said the king.

Lennon and his servants filed in, and Lennon’s eyes were on fire.

He blinked, forced a smile, and bowed.

After bowing for a minute, he stood straight. “Dear King Caledon, I wish you a Merry Christmas. I’ve brought many gifts for you and your guests, but before the Giving of Gifts ends for this year, I have a public gift to offer.”

The king nodded. “This is the time to offer public gifts. You may do so.”

“Princess Avianna. This gift is for you, to be opened in the presence of the entire kingdom.”

She stood and smiled. 

“On this tenth day of Christmas…”

He winked, and magic rippled through the banquet hall.

“…I give to thee, ten lords-a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three french hens, two turtledoves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”

The servants entered with the potted tree, the doves, the hens, the blackbirds, and the pillow with the five rings, the geese and swans on leashes, the maids, and the dancers. After the dancers, ten men filed in, each dressed in the colorful attire of a jester. 

The minstrels played an upbeat song, and the ladies danced a well-choreographed routine. While they did, the lords also did a routine involving running, jumping, and other gymnastics.

During the routine, each lord stared at Avianna.

The crowd clapped at the end of the routine, and Prince Lennon continued. “These lords represent the precision of my love for you. My love is strong, stable, daring, and high-flying.”

He smiled at her, and then he faced the king with a serious look. 

The unspoken question hung in the air for what felt like forever. 

 “Prince Lennon, I thank thee. But my answer this Christmas remains the same as the last. Your gift is not enough for the hand of my daughter. You are denied.”

The merry-makers erupted in confusion, opinion, and awe of the extravagance of the prince’s gifts.

Avianna ran to Lennon for the next phase of their plan.

They met Father Gryffan outside in the courtyard. After a brief talk, Avianna gave Father Gryffan the hymnal, and he went to find Sumol while Avianna and Lennon made their way to the castle wall thirty meters down from the clock tower.

They found the Guardsmen’s Fifth Stair, one of many towers along the wall’s joints. The small towers had a door built into the bottom of the wall, and inside was a simple stairway up to a trap door at the top of the wall. The guards used these doors to easily get to their posts along the castle wall at any given time.

Avianna already knew that this particular section of wall wouldn’t be patrolled for the rest of the night, since they had the guards spread further and thinner during Christmas. 

She and Lennon climbed the stairs and made their way silently along the top of the wall towards the clock tower.

When they drew near the clock tower, which was also built into the wall, they checked for any secret entrances, just in case. Not finding any, they fastened a rope to one of the stones along the wall’s edge. These stones had been hewn into squares jutting up from the wall. Lennon pulled on the rope, double-checking its stability. Then, he donned some leather gloves and repelled down to the ground, directly into the clock tower’s shadow. 

Avianna did the same, and they both waited where the clocktower’s rock met the straight wall they’d just climbed down.

They didn’t have to wait long before smelling smoke coming from somewhere in front of the tower. Then, they heard Sumol’s voice.

“Hey! Mister, there’s a fire!”

The smoke grew thicker, and Sumol yelled louder. Though they couldn’t see it, Avianna knew he’d wheeled a cart full of hay just to make this distraction work. She could see the hay aflame in her mind’s eye.

This better work…

Finally, after a few more minutes, they heard footsteps echoing from within the clock tower, and Johnwin’s voice yelling, “What’s going on out there?”

“There’s a fire!” Sumol yelled.

Suddenly, from across the courtyard, Avianna could hear the deep voice of her priest singing.

“Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright”

“No,” the Bargainer yelled, and his footsteps pattered back towards the tower door. 

Father Gryffan continued, “Round yon virgin, mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild.”

The sound of clattering.

“Not so fast!” came another voice, and Avianna smiled. On the opposite side of the tower, waiting where the tower meets the wall, had been other merchants Sumol had called with the promise of payment. They had rushed their merchant carts in front of the doorway and set them on fire as well.

“Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.”

As Father Gryffan finished the stanza, Avianna and Lennon emerged from the shadows to see if the plan worked.

They surveyed the scene and found Sumol’s cart of hay on fire that drew the Bargainer out, the other merchants’ carts on fire that kept the Bargainer from going back in, and all three merchants and the Bargainer asleep on the ground.

Father Gryffan stood a few meters off with a smile on his face and an open, glowing hymnal in his hands.

“Keep singing, Father!” Avianna said. “Keep him out for as long as you can.”

Avianna and Lennon approached the door and could see space for them to slide inside around the carts safely. She smiled, grateful both for the easy way in and for how effective the song had been. If the Bargainer could’ve stayed awake any longer, he would’ve been able to get inside rather easily.

They entered the clock tower and searched the bottom level for any clues.

After a few minutes, Prince Lennon said, “Let’s go upstairs. I think that’s likely where he spends most of his time anyway.”

They climbed the stairs and found the room looking just as it had the Christmas before, even with the same tools and supplies on the ground adjacent to the clock. Avianna noticed an extra minute hand also on the floor, and she winced at the memory of the Bargainer using it as a sword.

Avianna and Lennon looked all around the room, even in the fireplace, but Avianna wasn’t sure even what kind of clue to look for.

She said, “I don’t think we can look much longer. Father Gryffan will be getting tired soon.”

“We have to find something. Something here has to be able to prove who he really is.”

She walked over to the clock. She stood behind the clock, in front of the frosted glass and beside the gears. The entire castle might be able to see her silhouette in the firelight. 

“Unless he covered his tracks. He’s been planning this enchantment for a long time, my dear. He’s had plenty of time to plan, plenty of time to be meticulous.”

She looked closer at the gears.

Lennon stood beside her. “How long did you say he’s been here?”

“Months. He helped with the construction of the tower, and he’s been maintaining the clock since after it was built. My father said for large towers like this one, it’s important to keep someone on site to maintain it. I always assumed Johnwin would move on eventually, replaced by a lower-level maintenance man.”

“If he’s been here for months, he must have quarters here in the castle.”

“Yes, I believe he does.”

“Then why did he need a cave guarded by a bargain-bear?”

She looked at Lennon. “You mean, that could be his secret hideout? Where evidence of his bargains would be kept?”

“Precisely. We can go there tonight. I think we’ll find something.”

“Lennon, I really don’t want to face that bear again.”

“The bear is the least of my worries. I really don’t want to wait until tomorrow. Time’s running out! Day twelve is almost here.”

Avianna looked at the clock. “We only have just over an hour until midnight. We’ve spent a lot of time here. If we run to the stables, if our horses gallop as fast as they can, and if we beat the bear even more easily than last time, do you really think we can do all those things and still have adequate time to search the entire cave in the dark?”

“We can’t give up, Avianna. If we leave now, we have a chance.”

She put her hand on the clock. “I don’t think we do. I—”

“What?”

She looked over the gears again. “I have an idea. Remember what happened when I cranked the clock forward?”

“That was crazy. We didn’t really have a chance to talk about it, but my love, we lost time. You pushed time forward.”

“It was crazy. But do you think I can pull time back?”

Lennon’s eyes gaped. “I, um, well—”

“It would give us the time we need,” she said. “What do you think?”

“If we go back far at all, the Bargainer will be here waiting for us, and he will not let us escape easily this time.”

Avianna gasped. “What’s even better than going back in time?”

Lennon put his hands on his hips. “I don’t know.”

“Stopping time entirely.”

At the middle of the gears in the clock’s center, where the working hour hand and minute hand came together, each layer was connected with a straight, ridged rod. The rod was how the gears pushed the right hands the right direction and at the correct speeds for their timekeeping.

Connected to the end of the rod was the iron wrench Avianna had used the night before to push the clock forward. Now, she tested her new theory.

Instead of cranking the rod with the gears forward or back, she pulled.

At first it didn’t budge, but Lennon came close and helped pull, and after just a few more heaves, there was a snap, and the rod slid out of place. The momentum sprawled Avianna and Lennon on the floor with the rod, and the air all throughout the room rippled with magic. 

One tone from one of the connected chimes sounded.

Lennon and Avianna helped each other up, and Avianna looked at the damage they’d given the clock. The gears that were supposed to be moving the hands still ticked, mechanically unfazed, but without the connection of the rod, the hands were stuck in place.

Lennon asked, “Did it work?”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

They descended the stairs and quietly approached the open door. The cart in front of the door was black and mostly burned up, but little flames still covered most of the surface. 

Still, unmoving flames.

They carefully moved around the carts and examined the rest of the scene. It was largely how they left it, but the hay cart too was covered in frozen flames. The merchants and the Bargainer were still on the ground, but Father Gryffan still stood with the hymnal. The hymnal emanated a magical light, and the priest stood as a statue, mouth open.

“This is our chance!” said Lennon. 

They ran through the courtyard to the other side of the castle complex towards the main gate.

Lennon said, “Should we get horses?”

“They wouldn’t be able to move. The whole kingdom is frozen in time. We have to walk.”

They said a prayer of thanks when they approached the gate and saw guards standing with the entryway open. Avianna knew they didn’t usually close the gate fully until midnight, but she was just glad to not have another complication.

Avianna took a lit lantern from one of the guards who’d been holding it with a loose grip. Again, the flames were still, and Avianna was tempted to just stare.

With both moonlight and lantern light to guide them, the prince and princess walked the whole way to the frozen lake. They knew it should be far past midnight by now, and Avianna wondered how long time could stay still like this. She imagined it stuck like this for ten days, and shuddered, knowing there were worse things than living the same Christmas over and over.

They carefully crossed the lake, hiked through the snow, and found the cave. They entered under the icicles, and Lennon held up the lantern to bathe the scene in orange illumination.

Avianna jumped back at the sight of the unmoving, giant brown bear. It stood tall as if waiting for something. She and Lennon walked around it and examined the cave.

The ground was mostly bare dirt, but Avianna noted patches of ice scattered throughout. The cave itself was vast, much larger than it’d looked on the outside. The walls extended back at least ten meters, and the ceiling inside grew to five meters at its highest point.

Towards the back, there was a wooden bed with a quilt. Avianna looked closer and felt its softness; it was every bit as good as what she had back in her quarters.

Along the walls were several rough wooden shelves, with one desk towards the mouth of the cave.

Prince Lennon said, “It looks like he lived here for multiple days. But who’d sleep out here if they already have a place to stay in the castle?”

“He set this whole thing up, right? I’m thinking he wanted to wake up here on Christmas morning so he could better control if and when he’s to reveal himself to you. He couldn’t risk being discovered too soon.”

They split up and looked over the shelves around the room, but their cursory search was fruitless. 

Prince Lennon said, “All I found were trinkets and tools.”

Avianna said, “Johnwin brought everything he need for a comfortable winter camping trip, but nothing I’ve seen can be used as any sort of evidence against him.”

“His bargains have to be written somewhere. That’s where we’re going to get him.”

They examined the room again, and both of them wound up at Johnwin’s bed. 

Avianna said, “I feel something over here. Magic of some kind, drawing me.” 

Looking over the bedspread again, Avianna pulled the quilt back, and they could see piles of papers filling the bed frame.

Lennon said, “He sleeps on his bargains?”

“What better way to keep them close and safe. Sleeping in such proximity is probably another form of bearing witness and strengthening the magic in the agreements.”

Lennon put the lantern at the foot of the bed. Both of them started searching through the papers for anything helpful.

Many of the bargains involved people Avianna knew nothing about. The majority of the bargains were “agreements” with nature, like what they’d seen on the bear. The cave itself was somehow carved as a result of Johnwin’s bargaining magic. 

As they searched and searched, both gasped at different papers.

Lennon said, “I think I found what we’re looking for. Look here.”

Before she could speak or show her the bargain she’d found, he held the paper to Avianna and pointed at the words near the bottom of the page:

This bargain agrees to the above terms and compensation and hereby grants Sir Johnwin of Sellendo the authority to operate within the Kingdom of Nestardon. He may enact any bargain with anyone he pleases, and his terms carry the royal authority to carry out whatever consequence he sees fit, magical or otherwise. His authority is recognized by the Crown and cannot be revoked, save by the crown.

Below those words were a signature Avianna recognized, and below the signature was a wax seal. The seal’s design was that of a rose blooming through a crown.

Her Grandmum's seal. Her Grandmum’s signature.

The Bargainer did have royal authority greater than Avianna’s. He had the blessing of the Queen Mother herself.

Avianna hadn’t realized she’d started crying until Lennon was hugging her. He held her until heard a distant echo…a clock chime?

A wind blew into the cave. Lennon said, “No, no, no! How—”

Avianna interrupted by putting the other bargain in his hand. After reading his, she’d already forgotten about the one she’d found. It was an agreement between the Bargainer and time, in case of emergency.

Another chime sounded as he read aloud.

“If any time occurs where the magical clock stops but the gears keep moving, after 10,000 seconds, the bargainer will be awakened by magic to fix the broken clock, even when time itself is frozen.”

“He’s awakened and started time again, and probably did what I did yesterday and pushed it forward to midnight. I think—”

A deep growl interrupted her, and both Lennon and Avianna turned to see the bear facing them. Avianna held the lantern up, and the now-moving firelight bathed the creature in an ominous glow.

Another chime.

The bear rushed at them, and Lennon pulled Avianna with him toward the cave mouth.

The bear barreled past them and crashed into the side of the cave. The whole cave shook, and the icicles at the mouth fell down. The bear ran after them again, but Lennon picked up two sharp icicles that were still intact. He charged the bear, stabbing it in both the gut and the ribs.

The bear roared in pain, then anger.

Lennon pushed the icicles in deeper, but the bear raked him off with his claws, and threw him. Crying in pain, Lennon landed outside in the snow, and he slid for a meter. The snow turned red where he slid. In the snow where he slid, the snow turned red.

“LENNON!”

She ran toward him, knowing the bear would charge at any moment.

She absently heard another chime, but Avianna had lost count.

She heard the breathing and bounding of the bear, spun, and swung the lantern at the bear’s face. The bear screamed again as fire singed its fur.

Avianna dashed over to Lennon to check his wounds, but before she could get to him, another chime sounded from afar, and she landed in her bed.

Christmas morning, for the eleventh time.

Day Eleven

A high, cheery voice broke Princess Avianna’s slumber.

“Merry Christmas!”

Curled into her sheets and blankets, she twisted away from the sound. 

Just a few more minutes…

“Come on, Princess. It’s Christmas. Time to rise.”

Avianna arose, and she obediently prepared for the Lady’s Ride. She kept conversation with Mora at a minimum this morning because she still had last night’s events running through her head.

Though the end of the night was sudden, her risk in tampering with the clock did prove fruitful. They now knew exactly where to obtain the evidence to incriminate the Bargainer.

Still, there was the matter of the proposal. Only today and tomorrow remained in the Bargainer’s terms, and her father was no closer to changing his mind.

She tried not to think about what would happen if they fail, but her mind kept swinging between a never-ending Christmas and her never-to-marry prince.

There has to be a way!

She mounted her horse at the stables, and she rode in the back of the procession while the Queen Mother commenced the ride.

She wanted to confront Grandmum here and now, but she knew it wouldn’t be wise without the evidence in hand.

Just as she began to wonder if the men would arrive with a snowball fight again, she saw the first snowball hit one woman on the back of her neck. In just seconds, a joyful melee broke out in full, just as it had the day before.

Instead of jumping into the fray, Avianna turned her horse off the road, dodged a couple snowballs, and found Lennon.

“My love!” he said.

They both dismounted their horses and embraced.

Avianna asked, “How are you?” She remembered the blood in the snow and shuddered.

“I’m perfectly fine, my dear. We need a plan, however.”

They talked for a few minutes and got five hunters to join them. Most of the group continued on the circuit of the Lady’s Ride, but the seven of them turned toward the lake and made their way to the cave, with Lennon at the head and Avianna at the rear.

Lennon explained to the men that they needed access to the cave, but it was likely being guarded by a giant bear with a specific weakness.

The bear growled as their mounts galloped into sight. It stood in front of the cave’s entrance, and bounded toward the men.

With the six men charging forward, they circled the bear and plucked his arrow, subduing him much more quickly than Avianna expected. None of the men were injured, either. The five stared at the corpse while it magically shrunk to the appropriate size.

Avianna and Lennon approached the cave and saw footprints leading away from it.

Avianna said, “Look, I think Johnwin left this morning.”

Lennon instructed the others to keep watch, and he and Avianna entered the cave and went straight to the documents under the bedspread. Lennon dug to where he knew the bargain to be.

“It’s not here,” he said.

“We just started looking,”

“I know where I saw it, and it’s not here anymore. He must’ve taken it or destroyed it.”

“He wouldn’t have destroyed it, my love. The writing of the bargains bear extra witness. I don’t think he’d destroy the evidence of his authority at the risk of losing it altogether.”

“Then where is it?”

Avianna kept searching through papers. “Let’s just look a little longer.”

They searched through every paper they could find, but none of them contained the Queen Mother’s seal. 

“We need to get back,” Avianna said. 

“Do you think he’s hidden it around the castle?” Lennon said. 

“I think he must think it’s safest on his person. We need to find him.”

They exited the cave together. Avianna smiled at the five hunters waiting for them.

“You men are brave. Thank you for helping us on our quest. Would you like another?”

They nodded affirmatively.

“Thoughout the day, I need all of you looking for Johnwin the Clockmaker. He is treacherous. The first to bring him to me subdued will get ten golden coins.”

The men nodded in agreement, and they started riding back to the castle. They returned much later than all the other riders, and Avianna realized Christ Mass would be finishing soon. She was sad that they’d missed Holy Communion, but she hoped the knowledge of the Bargainer’s deal with the Queen Mother would make up for it.

Avianna knew that her missing Mass would lessen the day’s magic, and she didn’t want to jeopardize any edge they may have, so she convinced Lennon to go with her to the basilica so she could talk with Father Gryffan, get the hymnal, and pray for their success.

As they approached, the attendees were leaving. Avianna climbed the rounded stairs to the entrance and saw her father in the foyer, standing with the Queen Mother.

He made eye contact with her, and she could feel the displeasure radiating from his gaze.

“Avianna,” he said. “Come.”

She wanted nothing more than to run and hide, but she knew if she tried avoiding her father it would only make things worse, and making things worse would make it even less likely to allow her engagement.

She looked over her shoulder and did not see Lennon. He must’ve hid out of sight upon seeing what they were walking into. Good.

She approached, her steps echoing in the stone foyer. She kept her eyes on her father, away from her grandmum. 

“Merry Christmas, Father,” she said.

He scoffed. “Girl, I know you’ve had a merry little Christmas, breaking tradition and spurning your family.”

She wanted to say Don’t call me girl, but her almost twenty-one years alive had supplied her with some wisdom, and she knew it wouldn’t go over well.

“Father, I’m sorry you’re upset. I—”

“This isn’t about me, Avianna. Your grandmother was highly dishonored this morning at the Lady’s Ride, and now you don’t even come to Christ Mass.” He shook his head.

“I’m here now, in part to apologize to Father Gryffan. I didn’t mean to miss Mass, and I surely did not disrupt the Lady’s Ride. I threw not one snowball.”

The Queen Mother said, “I know your Prince Lennon was involved. The utter disrespect, on a Christmas! I never in all my years—”

“NO!” yelled Avianna. “Both of you listen to me. I’ve been living the same Christmas for eleven straight days now, and you know nothing about it because it’s magic, and the Bargainer makes you forget, but I’m stuck in the same day, and no matter what I do, good or bad, it’s never enough for you two. 

“When I’m kind, gentle, and submissive, the result is exactly the same as when I follow every reckless impulse, and you know what that result is? Neither of you even think for a second about accepting Prince Lennon as a serious suitor for me. Both of you hate him, and I’m sick of trying to figure out why!”

Avianna ran away into the Sanctuary, kneeled at the altar in the front, and wept. She didn’t even look to see if Father Gryffan was in the room. Some minutes later, she felt Prince Lennon’s arm wrap around her hunched shoulders, and he leaned down and kissed her head. A new wave of weeping came over her.

After loosing all the tears she could, Avianna finally gathered herself and Lennon helped her to her feet. She looked around and found Father Gryffan sitting in the front pew waiting.

“Your father is worried about you, Princess,” the priest said. “So am I. Please, will you tell me how you’re feeling?”

She explained everything to him, as she’d done for many days now.

Father Gryffan had no helpful advice he hadn’t already given in prior days. He told her that her outburst was unjustified and unhelpful, but she knew that already. The stress of this repeating Christmas continued to build in her, and the strain on her was evident. 

Avianna and Lennon left the basilica, ready to salvage what remained of the day. They’d planned a couple of checkins with the hunters helping them find Johnwin, but so far there was no sign of him, even in the clock tower.

When they should’ve been mingling and greeting guests, they went to the clock tower again, but when they entered, they found that not only was the Bargainer not there, but his tools were missing, including the wrench that she’d used to turn and remove the rod.

They returned to the festivities dejected, but Avianna forced herself to be merry and sing songs. She knew they needed all the magic they could get.

The Boar Hunt had indeed been successful, so the “Boar’s Head Carol” was sung multiple times leading up to and during the feast. Avianna tried to enjoy herself, but hopelessness threatened to overtake her.

Soon, it became time for Lennon to depart, meet with his servants, and prepare his next collection of gifts. Left alone, Avianna found her usual spot near the dais, but she refused to look at her father and grandmother. Both embarrassment and frustration from earlier clouded her thoughts, and she just wanted the day to be over with.

King Caledon commenced the Giving of Gifts. He announced that he would be giving his gift to his daughter at a time when she felt more well. Avianna could feel the eyes of the kingdom on her as he went on to say his daughter “is sick, and strange dreams have haunted her and convinced her of dreadful things.”

Though it wasn’t fun to hear, she was happy not to open his gift today.

At the same time as usual, knocking on the banquet hall’s large door interrupted the crowd’s merriment.

“Enter,” said the king.

Lennon and his servants filed in, and Lennon appeared calm and collected.

He smiled and bowed.

After bowing for a minute, he stood straight. “Dear King Caledon, I wish you a Merry Christmas. I’ve brought many gifts for you and your guests, but before the Giving of Gifts ends for this year, I have a public gift to offer.”

The king nodded. “This is the time to offer public gifts. You may do so.”

“Princess Avianna. This gift is for you, to be opened in the presence of the entire kingdom.”

She stood and smiled. 

“On this eleventh day of Christmas…”

He winked, and magic seemed to shake the castle.

“…I give to thee, eleven pipers piping, ten lords-a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three french hens, two turtledoves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”

The servants entered with the potted tree, the doves, the hens, the blackbirds, and the pillow with the five rings, the geese and swans on leashes, the maids, the dancers, and the lords. After that, eleven new people filed in, musicians dressed in dark purple. They each held ornate, handmade pipe flutes.  

The pipers played an upbeat tune, and the ladies danced a well-choreographed routine. While they did, the lords also did a routine involving running, jumping, and other gymnastics.

During the routine, each piper stared at Avianna.

The crowd clapped at the end of the routine, and Prince Lennon continued. “These pipers represent the music of our love. As they play with practiced precision, so our songs are smooth because we’ve rehearsed well in the waiting.”

He smiled at her, and then he faced the king with a serious look. 

The unspoken question hung in the air for what felt like forever. 

 “Prince Lennon, I thank thee. But my answer this Christmas remains the same as the last. Your gift is not enough for the hand of my daughter. You are denied.”

The predictable disbelief poured over the crowd as a wave. Avianna ran to Lennon, but before they could discuss what to do next, five cloaked men entered—one walking ahead, the other four carrying a man bound and gagged. She suddenly recognized the men as the hunters she and Lennon had sent to find Johnwin.

The leader of the group announced, “King Caledon, I have a public gift to offer. Princess Avianna, we found the traitor.”

They set him on his feet, but he stood unsteadily because of the ropes tied around his body. They removed the gag so all in attendance could see Johnwin’s face.

The Queen Mother stood and pointed. “Guards! Arrest those men. They’ve detained a distinguished guest.”

“No!” Avianna shouted. “Sir Johnwin the Clockmaker is a scoundrel.”

King Caledon stood. “Avianna, stand down. You are unwell.”

“He is the Bargainer! He uses magic in his agreements, and he’s placed the whole kingdom under an enchantment. I wasn’t lying earlier, Father. Johnwin tricked Lennon into a bargain, and he plunged our whole kingdom into a magical loop. Every day, Christmas has been repeating. He’s using the magic of Christmas to increase his power!”

Johnwin said, “You are quite mad, Princess. Perhaps some bedrest will do you well.”

“Shut up, fiend!” yelled Lennon, who slapped him across the cheek.

The Queen Mother yelped. “Take Prince Lennon to the dungeons! I’ve had enough of his insolence.”

Father Gryffan pushed his way through the crowd and yelled, “King Caledon, your daughter tells the truth! In the name of the Lord, hear your daughter out.”

The guards approached Lennon, but King Caledon raised his hand. “STOP. Nobody is going to the dungeons until I get some answers. Father, I was not expecting your intercession. How can there be truth to her words?”

Father Gryffan stood by Avianna and said, “Dear King, she knows things she shouldn’t. We talked at length today. I’m certain she speaks no lie.”

King Caledon said, “I’ve heard of enchantments and magical bargains, but I’ve never heard of such a bargain taking place under a king’s very nose. I have not granted any magician the right to disrupt my kingdom’s Christmas.”

Avianna said, “When we first confronted him, he claimed to have the authority, and my denouncements were ineffective. Prince Lennon and I did some digging and discovered why.”

Lennon said, “The authority to conjure such an enchantment within the Kingdom of Nestardon was granted by bargain, sealed on paper by none other than the Queen Mother.”

Grandmum gasped and fainted. Three guards rushed to her side to help.

King Caledon said, “That is a serious charge. Do you have the paper?”

“If I’m right,” said Lennon, “It will be hidden somewhere on his person.”

“I have nothing in my pockets,” Johnwin said.

King Caledon yelled, “Search him!”

The hunters stepped back as the guards stepped forward. The Bargainer winced and screamed his offense, but under his sleeve near his armpit, they produced a folded piece of paper.

They handed it to the king, and for a long while, the king said nothing. 

No one in the entire banquet hall spoke or stirred.

Finally, King Caledon said, voice barely above a whisper, “Take the Queen Mother to the Dungeons. Take Sir Johnwin of Sellendo to the dungeons as well, but keep him and my mother in separate cells as far apart as can be managed. The rest of you guards come with me.”

He started to walk towards the door in the back that led to a side passage that would lead to the king’s quarters. He stopped and turned to Avianna. His eyes had tears collected in the corners.

“My dear Avianna, I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you.”

She bounded over to him and gave him a long hug. When they released each other’s embrace, he disappeared with his guards through the door, and Avianna returned to Lennon.

Talking and music resumed, so Avianna motioned to the door.

They stood out with the cows, which Avianna had forgotten about. 

“It worked, my love,” Lennon said.

“Then why do I feel horrible?”

“Probably because in a few hours Christmas will start over again. I don’t know how we can change your father’s mind.”

“My father will revoke the Bargainer’s authority, but it might be too late to disband the enchantment. If we live through Christmas for a twelfth time, nothing except for a miracle will help us.”

They hugged for a while and watched the stars.

Lennon said, “We have to make tomorrow the best Christmas ever. We’ll continue the new tradition of the hunters ambushing the Lady’s Ride, we’ll go to Mass, we will sing every song in that hymnal, we will eat the boar’s head, we will do everything we can…”

“We will.”

Lennon’s tone shifted to quiet and sad. “We will…but I don’t think it will work. We can’t force the king to do anything. We can’t try hard enough to win his favor.”

“But what we can do, we will do, with all our heart. Because we love each other, and we love what Christmas represents. Even though I’ve lived Christmas eleven days in a row, my prayer is to celebrate the twelfth day better than I have all the others.”

Lennon looked into Avianna’s eyes. “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, no more scheming, no more outbursts. I will celebrate Christmas because it’s worth celebrating, but I refuse to return to the Bargainer’s cave, and I refuse to argue with the king. The most offensive thing I’ll do is the snowball fight, but even that bears witness to new traditions.”

“Is that what this is about? Bearing witness?”

“It’s what Father Gryffan said. I want my life to bear witness to everything good and beautiful.”

“Me too, my dear.”

“I’v been thinking about this the last few days, Lennon. How do I bear witness to faith, hope, and love? I have faith that God writes my story and He can be trusted, I have hope that the future will make sense and we will one day be married, and I love through every moment in the meantime. Not just you or God or Christmas, but I love my kingdom. And I love my father and grandmother, even when it feels right not to.”

“It might not be enough, Avianna. We might not get to be together when this is over.”

“It doesn’t have to be enough. It’s me. I’m bearing witness to it anyway. In doing that, I’m doing what I’m made to do.”

They stayed outside a bit longer, and then they returned to sing and dance with the other attendees.

When midnight struck, Avianna took a deep breath.

Day Twelve.

As the magic whisked her away to her room, she remembered what Lennon had said a couple days ago, and she repeated it now as a prayer.

“The Lord knows, Christmas is the perfect time for miracles.”

Day Twelve

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.

King Caledon turned in bed and yawned.

Six knocks from his servants meant the clock had chimed the six o’clock hour.

He’d instructed his servants to knock the time because he rarely heard the clock tower’s tones in the morning. His ears remarkably tuned the clock out soon after its construction.

He felt uneasy thinking about the clock tower, but he couldn’t remember why.

King Caledon yawned again and rose, ready for a great Christmas. 

He looked forward to giving Avianna her present, but he was nervous whether that boy would dare show his face today. He hadn’t heard any news of Prince Lennon since he’d left the kingdom to seek his fortune, but as far as King Caldron was concerned, it was a good riddance. He just hoped Avianna would in time open herself up to someone more worthy of her.

He rubbed his head. Pressure at the base of his skull made him ache, but he knew how to ignore these things. Many ailments had to be ignored for the sake of the kingdom. 

He left his bedchambers and went to his private sitting room where steaming tea waited for him beside his favorite chair.

King Caledon hoped the tea would help his headache, but instead of fading, it grew more intense. He wondered if he slept fitfully. He never really got used to sleeping alone after his wife’s death, and she’d always been the one to tell him if his sleep was ever filled with unrest. 

These last ten years had been guesswork, as far as his sleep was concerned.

He tried to remember if he dreamed last night, along with the sharp pains he grasped with his mind images and phrases.

Avianna. Standing with Prince Lennon.

A menagerie of gifts?

He shook his head, wondering if it meant anything. Though he usually didn’t dream anything of significance, he always paid attention, just in case. His wife used to see the future in her dreams, and he knew of many sages who gained both wisdom and specific pieces of knowledge from their dreams.

God, what does any of this mean?

A servant knocked on his sitting room door.

“Enter, please.”

King Caledon’s lead servant, Chauzney, opened the door and bowed for a moment. Then, he did something rather unusual.

He sat in a chair across from the king.

King Caledon couldn’t remember ever seeing the man sit; he always did everything but sit.

King Caledon rubbed his head. “Merry Christmas, Chauzney. How may I help you.”

“Do you remember last night, oh King?”

The king brought his hand to his chin. “It was Christmas Eve. We did a lot of things. Is there something specific?”

“The last thing before you went to bed.”

“The last thing?” He had a hard time remembering, almost like last night were over a week ago. Finally, he remembered and answered, “I told you to give me six knocks at six o’clock.”

“What else?”

“What do you mean? I went straight to sleep.”

“Your Highness, a few minutes after midnight you were up again.”

“I was?”

“You bursted out of your room and yelled for paper and a quill. You scrawled a note like a madman.”

He tried to remember, but his headache grew more sharp. “That doesn’t sound like me, Chauzney.”

“Indeed. I wondered if maybe you were walking and talking in your sleep.”

Something inside King Caledon knew that wasn’t right, but he didn’t know why. “Have I ever been seen behaving in such ways before?”

“No.”

“After my midnight ravings, what happened?”

“You ordered some specific directives and went back to bed.”

“I have this nasty headache…but I remember none of it.”

Chauzney leaned forward. “Here’s the peculiar part. You said you’d forget. That’s why everything had to be done so urgently before you fell asleep.”

King Caledon said, “What did I write?”

“I’m afraid to show it to you, but I know I must. Here.”

Chauzney handed the king a piece of parchment. He recognized his own writing, but he didn’t recognize the note. It was dated on the top with the correct year.

King Caledon read the note three times. It read:

The kingdom is under an enchantment.

Johnwin the Clockmaker is a magician called the Bargainer.

Your mother gave him the authority to operate within these castle walls.

You’ve ordered her and him confined to the dungeons.

Do not free them.

“I wrote all this last night?”

Chauzney nodded. “Affirmative, good King.”

“I…ordered my mother arrested?”

“Yes. You called her a traitor.”

“And Johnwin of Sellendo?”

“Correct, but he has not been found yet.”

“Why can’t I remember?”

Chauzney sighed. “If there is any truth to this enchantment, it would explain much. The way you acted when you left your rooms is entirely different than how you acting going to your rooms, and not much time had passed.”

“I can remember a little…was it is dream? Avianna is involved, somehow.”

“Here.”

He handed the king more pieces of parchment.

“You created magical bargains,” he continued. “On one, you revoked Johnwin’s authority. On another, you made an agreement with yourself to remember enough to deliver justice to Johnwin and the Queen Mother. You claimed many of these agreements came from Father Gryffan’s advice, but you haven’t talked with Father Gryffan for days.”

King Caledon looked through the papers. “Did I say anything about this enchantment?”

“You said something about Christmas repeating.”

In his mind, an image of Avianna flashed, and he could hear her saying, “I’ve been living the same Christmas for eleven straight days now, and you know nothing about it because it’s magic…”

“Chauzney, I think I know what’s happening, but I’ll need to speak with Avianna as soon as possible.”

“She’s likely still asleep, but it won’t be long until she wakes to get ready for the Lady’s Ride.”

“Alright. Let’s meet her at the stables.”

He drank his tea and changed his clothes. He walked with two knights who served as his bodyguards, and they waited outside the stables for Avianna’s approach.

When she saw him, she ran to him and embraced him.

“Oh, Father, what are you doing here? You haven’t been here before, I mean, I mean—”

“My beautiful daughter, let’s start with a Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Twelfth Christmas, if I understand correct.”

She gasped. “Father, you remember?”

“Not quite, dear. Just bits and pieces. Before bed I made some bargains of my own, and that magic seems to have brought me here. I know Johnwin is guilty, though of what I’m still unclear on. I know your Grandmum is in the center of it. Last night, after midnight, my memory held on long enough to order her detainment, but when I woke up I remembered very little. What I do recall are small morsels, barely a dream.”

“Oh Father, this is wonderful news!”

Their conversation continued with a whirlwind of information, and King Caledon could barely keep the details straight. 

He learned that the enchantment indeed repeated Christmas Day over and over again, with only Avianna’s memory intact. He learned that the enchantment was cast by his mother’s written and sealed permission, but the actual enchantment was an agreement between the Bargainer and the foolish Prince Lennon.

He learned that Lennon has proposed eleven times this year, and he will do so again tonight.

“Avianna my dear, thank you for trusting me and telling me everything. You need to get to the Lady’s Ride now. I’m afraid you’ll have to lead it today, as the Queen Mother is already confined to the dungeons.”

They embraced once more before she departed, and King Caledon next made his way to the basilica. He told Father Gyffan of all he’d experienced that morning, and how the priest has ostensibly helped him the night before.

“Thank you, Father.”

“It’s an odd thing, to be thanked for something in which I have no memory of, but I do accept your gratitude. It seems this magic is strong, and Avianna and Prince Lennon have fought it well.”

King Caledon scoffed.

“What’s this, my King?”

“It seems to me, Prince Lennon got us into this enchantment. The enchantment is still in effect even though I’ve revoked Johnwin’s authority and locked him up. If it is truly too late to dissolve their bargain, I hold Prince Lennon responsible.”

Father Gryffan laughed. “With all due respect, Your Highness, that seems rather petty. Anyone can be tricked by someone as crafty as the Bargainer. By all accounts, all of us, including you, were duped from the moment he arrived to build the clock tower.”

King Caledon bristled. “Still, I don’t trust the man. I want someone better for my daughter.”

They talked for a while longer, and then the king lingered in his special chair in the Sanctuary. As a king, he didn’t get enough alone time, so he relished some time for silence as he waited for Christ Mass to begin.

He looked around at the different tapestries, and he tried to remember more from the missing days of Christmas. He hadn’t achieved much more than making his headache worse when people started trickling in for Mass.

He looked at the empty seat to his right. It pained him to think about his mother’s duplicity. He couldn’t remember ever being in Mass without her. He wondered when Avianna would join him, but right as Mass began to start, he saw her file into the back pew with him.

A fire raged in his gut at the sight of Prince Lennon.

Leave my daughter alone.

He wanted to scream it, but he knew it would be perhaps the least dignified thing one could do at the beginning of any Christ Mass.

How did this prince-in-title-only really expect him to believe he genuinely cares for his daughter? Did he really expect the king to be so naïve to think this whole courtship hasn’t been about weaseling his way to the throne for power? Did he really think he could bring honor to his disgraced house?

He watched them as much as he could during Mass. He was surprised at the man’s face. He was a gentleman, and he did seem to enjoy Avianna’s company, but King Caledon was far too wise to be fooled by this snake who’d endangered the entire kingdom.

After Mass, he returned to his quarters for a while to rest. Avianna and others would be greeting the incoming guests, and he would soon stand on his balcony to wave at the guests, and maybe he’d invite some to his sitting room, all to pass time until the feast.

King Caledon yawned. It had been a long morning, and his headache had been throbbing in varying intensities. He really wanted to nap, but he didn’t actually want to be late for any of the planned festivities.

He summoned his favorite group of minstrels and asked them to put on a private show while he relaxed. The band included a singer, a lutist, and a drummer. As they started to play, King Caledon watched the drummer most of all.

The drum this drummer used was from a faraway land. It was hourglass shaped with skin stretched on both sides. This drum always mesmerized the king, and it made him think about his heritage.

Not many apart from Father Gryffan knew this, but King Caledon’s family line could be traced all the way back to the first Christmas and beyond. He’d once shown Father Gryffan all the documents he had regarding his family, and he also told him the stories passed down from generation to generation.

Before they’d become kings five generations ago, before they’d ever settled in the Nestardon Valley, his family was actually nomadic. They moved from oasis to oasis seeking grass for their flocks and food and water for their family. They were a musical people, and they always shared their history through songs.

At one time, more than a thousand years ago, they had migrated to the wastelands outside of the city of New Salem. One young boy during their travels got separated from his family and accidentally found his way to another world.

He was stranded there with nothing but his clothes, his wits, and his drum.

He navigated a valley of monsters, joined a group of shepherds, and followed instructions from a song sung by angels above.

He remembered that song’s rhythm, and that’s the beat he played in worship for the Newborn King—a baby they found lying in a manger within a cave outside Bethlehem.

King Caledon always connected with this part of his family history, and every time the minstrels played any sort of drum, he imagined himself as the boy.

Would I have the courage to survive on my own, away from family?

Would I have the skills to learn the song of the angels?

Would I have the heart to offer a song of worship to the Newborn King?

At the end of their fourth song, the drummer asked King Caledon if he’d like to play.

King Caledon blushed. I must’ve been staring. “Actually, yes, that would be grand.”

He’d played drums before, but not much since his wife had died. He’d buried himself in running the kingdom, and he hadn’t slowed down much in recent years. He was sure he had a drum in the storerooms, but he knew it could take all day for the servants to unearth it. If he wanted to play, this was his only chance for today.

King Caledon played a simple rhythm. He knew it likely wasn’t the same rhythm from the angels’ song, but it was what he remembered from his grandfather’s telling of the story.

Rum. Rum. Rum. Pa-rum pum-pum, pum. 

Rum. Rum. Rum. Pa-rum pum-pum, pum.

For the first time, he felt his heart engage with the Christmas story. At Christ Mass, he’d been paying attention, but his mind and heart had been distracted.

Here, in the small company of unassuming musicians and a few scattered servants, he felt his heart come alive to the magic of Christmas.

He gave the drum back to the minstrel. Now I’m ready to face the crowds.

He made sure his gift for Avianna was packed and ready, and he left it with a servant. Then, he made his first public appearance since the arrival of guests. He stepped up to his balcony overlooking the courtyard and waved. He greeted everyone he saw and addressed all whose names he could remember.

He stayed up for a long while, and he even invited some friendly nobles to join him, and while they talked and drank wine, he couldn’t help but notice Avianna and Lennon mingling below. 

They were singing.

He’d never really known Avianna to be a confident singer, though she had a pretty voice. He was surprised to see her fully enjoying and making the most of her Christmas.

But this is her twelfth one!

He was in awe of his daughter, but that awe was distracted by another. The news spread fast that the kitchens were actually preparing the boar’s head. The Boar Hunt was actually successful! And it was successful in the midst of Avianna and Lennon attempting new traditions.

He still didn’t like Lennon, but he couldn’t help but be impressed.

He saw how happy Avianna was and felt a pang of guilt. I’m going to break her heart again.

He prayed, Dear Lord, help me to have the courage to choose rightly at tonight’s proposal. No matter how it might make her feel in the short term, help me to make the best choice for my daughter.

He decided it might be best not to look at her when he denies her engagement for a second time.

Next was the feast, and he ate to his heart’s content.

Towards the end of the feast, groups of minstrels played more music, and people danced and sang while others ate and drank. What a merry time!

Again, he noticed his daughter, singing and reminding others of the true meaning of Christmas.

He mingled quietly and wasn’t sure she’d seen him walk by, but every time he did, he felt great pride for his daughter.

Finally, the time came for him to commence the Giving of Gifts.

He gave a quick speech and inaugurated this special time of night by giving his gift to Avianna. She smiled and gave him the biggest hug he could remember from her.

How is she this grateful if she’s already received this gift so many times?

As the Giving of Gifts continued, he started to feel a sense of dread. Soon, very soon, he’d have to break his daughter’s heart again.

Lord, help me do what’s right and best for my daughter.

Knock, knock, knock.

It echoed throughout the banquet hall.

King Caledon stood at his spot on the dais and called out, “Enter.”

Lennon and his servants filed in, and Lennon appeared calm and collected. He was dressed in a suit of gold and white, and a bright red cape trailed behind. His shirt had detailed lacework around the collar, and the whole outfit appeared to be made from the finest silk.

He smiled and bowed.

After bowing for a minute, he stood straight. “Dear King Caledon, I wish you a Merry Christmas. I’ve brought many gifts for you and your guests, but before the Giving of Gifts ends for this year, I have a public gift to offer.”

The king nodded. “This is the time to offer public gifts. You may do so.”

“Princess Avianna. This gift is for you, to be opened in the presence of the entire kingdom.”

King Caledon looked to his daughter, who sat at a table off the dais to his right. She stood and smiled. 

“On this twelfth day of Christmas…”

Prince Lennon winked, and magic exploded from around him in waves of energy. King Caledon didn’t fall, but he did have to steady himself on his throne.

“…I give to thee, twelve drummers drumming, eleven pipers piping, ten lords-a-leaping, nine ladies dancing, eight maids-a-milking, seven swans-a-swimming, six geese-a-laying, five golden rings, four calling birds, three french hens, two turtledoves, and a partridge in a pear tree.”

The servants entered with a potted tree with a partridge perched in a branch. More servants also brought in the doves, the hens, the blackbirds, the pillow with the five rings, the geese and swans on leashes, the maids, the dancers, the lords, and the pipers. The king could hear cows mooing from outside. After that, twelve new people filed in, dressed in red and white uniforms.

Each had a drum strapped to their shoulders. The drums were hourglass shaped like the one the king played earlier, but they were larger, and skin only stretched on the top side while the bottom of the drum was bare.

The drummers held two sticks each, and without any noticeable signal, they started playing in unison.

Rum. Rum. Rum. Pa-rum pum-pum, pum.

Magic radiated from their reverberating drums, and immediately King Caledon’s spirit perked. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest, if only to join the drummers.

Rum. Rum. Rum. Pa-rum pum-pum, pum.

Rum. Rum. Rum. Pa-rum pum-pum, pum.

They kept their beat strong and consistent, and after a few more measures, the pipers joined in with the melody, and as they did Avianna’s songbook glowed and levitated above her head.

King Caledon recognized the song immediately, and his spirit was transported back to when he was a boy and his grandfather first shared the story and the song.

He could see the ten lords and nine ladies join with their respective choreographies, but in his mind and spirit he could also see his ancestor, a little drummer boy, prepare to approach the Newborn King with a song of worship.

The song looped to the beginning verse, and King Caledon heard a voice singing his grandfather’s song. He realized it was his voice singing the song, loud and deep.

As he sang, he thought about what it would be like to bring a gift to the King of Kings.

As he sang, he thought about how Christmas is the time for giving, and he thought about his gift to Avianna, and all the birdseed at the bottom of the box.

Then, his eyes wandered to Prince Lennon’s lavish display.

He had to admit, the birdseed he gave wouldn’t be enough to feed all these birds.

Still singing, he looked at each gift in turn, and with each gift, memories were restored to him, unveiling what he didn’t remember from the past days of this year’s Christmas.

He looked at the partridge in the pear tree, and his mind remembered Lennon say, “The partridge is a symbol of my ever-growing love. The tree represents the shelter and steadiness I will provide you in marriage. The pears should remind you that I will satisfy all your needs. If you join me in marriage, you will never want again.”

His eyes moved to the two turtledoves, and he remembered Lennon saying, “Doves mate for life. One will never abandon the other. Just so, I will not abandon you.”

He looked at the three french hens. “Let these hens remind you, my love, that as a hen drops an egg each day, you can depend on my love as steady as any routine. With three, you can expect to always have something to eat—breakfast, luncheon, and supper. You will never be hungry as my wife.”

The four calling birds. “Let these calling birds remind you, my love, that you can always call on me. I will always be there for you, day and night.”

The five golden rings. “These rings represent forever, like the circle’s endless turning. One for each finger because I want your hand. Every finger is special, golden to me, and I will hold them all my days.”

The six geese-a-laying. “The geese you see lay a new egg each day. They will bring prosperity to our home, and they represent the profitability to all the business we will do together with our estate as a couple. Our estate will see economic stability, and so will you as my wife.”

The seven swans-a-swimming. “The graceful beauty of swimming swans resembles the graceful beauty of our love’s dance. Like a swan, you are graceful and strong. May the completion of our life together be like that of the song of the seventh swan—final, precious, well-lived, and well-loved.”

The eight maids-a-milking. “These maids and their cows represent my commitment to keeping our household cared for and fed. The milk will nourish our family and all who work in our estate. All the prosperity we produce together will be used for the betterment of everyone all around, and not a drop will be wasted, not a drop will fall fallow.”

The nine ladies dancing. “These dancers represent the dance by which we live our lives. Princess, I will dance with you through all the highs and lows that life brings.”

The ten lords-a-leaping. “These lords represent the precision of my love for you. My love is strong, stable, daring, and high-flying.”

The eleven pipers piping. “These pipers represent the music of our love. As they play with practiced precision, so our songs are smooth because we’ve rehearsed well in the waiting.”

The forgotten memories hit King Caledon one after another, each as fresh as if it were only just spoken.

Though he didn’t understand why, as he experienced these memories, King Caledon started to cry.

The song ended—the ladies, lords, pipers, and drummers bowing—and the crowd applauded and cheered.

When the applause died down, Prince Lennon said, “Avianna, my true love, these twelve drummers represent the rhythm of life. In every day through every season, and with every tradition and routine, I give you the gift of an endless beat. As a minstrel drummer doesn’t stop until a song’s end, or as an army drummer keeps the knights marching in step to battle, our hearts will beat as one, never stopping until the Lord Himself says the song’s over and the battle is won. As your ancestor played for the Newborn King on the very first Christmas, today I commit these drummers to always play for the honor of the one who set the time and gave life the gift of rhythm in the first place.

“With this gift and all the others, Avianna, I ask for your hand in marriage. Let this Christmas bounty be my dowry for an eternal marriage that will house the well-tended fire of our endless love. King Caledon, this Christmas, would you bless me with the permission of your daughter’s hand?”

He faced the king with a serious look. 

The question hung in the air.

 He opened his mouth to deny the prince as he’d been planning to do, but he hesitated. This prince isn’t acting like a royal vying for a throne or a jouster contending for a prize. This man cares for my daughter. He’s pursued her heart more than her position. I prayed for the Lord to help me choose what’s best for my daughter, but could it be the best was right in front of me all along?

King Caledon thought about the twelve drummers. He hadn’t asked God for a sign, but what sign could be more obvious? He remembered his daughter prancing around all day with her prince, singing sacred songs. She carries the heart of the little drummer boy, singing worship to the Newborn King, and the prince encourages that quality, that heritage.

King Caledon laughed. He knew the answer, but this morning he never would’ve believed it.

 “Prince Lennon, I thank thee. But my answer this Christmas is different from the last. Your gifts are not enough for the hand of my daughter, but your heart is. I accept your dowry, and your engagement has my blessing.”

Celebration filled the room like thunder. Cheers, claps, and laughs competed as Prince Lennon pulled Avianna into a tight embrace.

Just when King Caledon thought nothing would stop mirth’s outburst, a man in a hooded cloak stood at the entrance to the hall. He laughed discordantly and clapped a loud, odd rhythm.

All eyes turned to him as he pulled back his hood.

Johnwin.

“You fiend!” called King Caledon. “How dare you show your face in here. You should be in the dungeon.”

He cackled. “I made a bargain with the dungeon!”

Prince Lennon said, “You’re here just in time, Bargainer. I fulfilled my end. You lose.”

“No, no, Prince. Remember when your lovely little Princess played with my clock? Those extra few hours threw our day a little out of sync. Even though it’s still Christmas to you, the magic of Epiphany is here. Imagine the power at my fingertips. The magic of Epiphany magnified by the convergence of thirteen Christmases! The bargain doesn’t matter anymore. I can’t be stopped.”

“No!” Avianna yelled. “We completed your bargain.”

“But not fairly. Say what you want, Princess. Tomorrow will be Christmas again, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

King Caledon said, “Bargainer, your treachery knows no bounds. I think you should be executed, here and now.”

“Ha! If you do, I’ll rise in the morning, safe in my cave. After I wake, I’ll enact more bargains, ones you know nothing about. Ones you can’t stop. Kill me now, I dare you! That throne will be mine by the end of tomorrow.”

“Okay,” King Caledon said. “Knights of Nestardon, all who hear my voice: You are hereby commanded to take this criminal and throw him off the castle wall. He’ll be a gift to the wolves.”

A mob of men filtered through the crowd and carried the Bargainer away. 

Avianna broke down sobbing. King Caledon, Prince Lennon, and Father Gryffan approached to comfort her. 

Lennon rubbed her back.

King Caledon said, “It’s okay, my dear. The cruel man is gone.”

“No, Father,” she said. “He’s right. I did mess with the clock. It’ll be Christmas again tomorrow, and it’s all my fault!”

Lennon said, “We’re so close! Right on the edge. I’m sure we’ve accumulated enough Christmas magic to do something about it. We followed the bargain!”

Father Gryffan said, “What the Bargainer did was risky, but I have heard of this before. One can use the magic collected during a bargain, and the magic can overtake the original agreement. It is a disordered magic, but he could make it work.”

“How do we stop a disordered magic?” asked Avianna.

King Caledon gasped. An idea came to him, one he certainly wouldn’t have expected in his most scandalous of dreams. “Father Gryffan, correct me if I’m wrong. I think one can reorder disordered magic if the disordered magic is overwhelmed by more ordered magic.”

“Correct.”

“So, to reorder the bargain, we make a bigger, more ordered bargain.”

Prince Lennon said, “What are you saying? Surely there isn’t a bargain more powerful than the enchantment Johnwin created? A bargain more powerful than a Christmas reprisal?”

“I can think of one,” said the king.

Father Gryffan’s eyes lit up. “King, are you sure?”

“I’m sure. It’s the only way.”

Avianna said, “Can either of you share what it is you’re talking about?”

Father Gryffan smiled. “One thinks of a bargain like a trade or a deal, but more than that it’s an agreement. A contract. One could also call it a covenant. In spiritual terms, a covenant is the strongest type of bargain. It bears witness most deeply. The formation of our very religion is based on covenants.”

Lennon said, “Old Testament and New Testament, right? God’s agreements with mankind?” Father Gryffan continued, “Right. And there’s one specific type of covenant that carries a special type of magic. To be carried out on the twelfth Christmas, in the presence of friends, family, and God above…This covenant would certainly be powerful enough to reorder the magic of Christmas and all the bargains hinging on it. This bargain would save the kingdom!”

“What are you saying?” asked Avianna. 

King Caledon could see hope rising in her eyes. He smiled and said, “Avianna, my beloved daughter, the covenant of which we speak is marriage. How would you and Prince Lennon like to be married tonight? I suppose it’s only fair to have a short engagement, after I made you wait a whole year after the first propo—”

Avianna jumped on her father with a tight embrace. “Yes, yes, yes! Father, you mean it?”

“Yes, my dear. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.” King Caledon looked at Lennon. “What do you think? Are you ready to marry my daughter?”

Lennon bowed and shook the king’s hand.

King Caledon said, “Everybody come to the King’s Chapel! It’s time for a wedding!”

Epiphany

A high, cheery voice broke Princess Avianna’s slumber.

“Happy Epiphany!”

Avianna sat up. “What did you say?”

Mora laughed. “You heard me, Princess. Twelve Christmases is enough, don’t you think?”

Avianna leaped from bed and hugged Mora, both of them screaming. Avianna looked around the room. Not her quarters. She and Lennon had stayed in a special suite in the castle that had been reserved for visiting dignitaries. It just so happened to be vacant this year.

“Where’s Lennon?”

Mora smiled. “Your husband awakened early. He said he needed some clothes and other supplies left on his ship. I offered to send servants, but he said he wanted to walk. He seemed positively energetic.”

Avianna smiled. “My husband.”

“He asked for tea to be made. I also have some kings cakes. Isn’t it odd, celebrating Epiphany after missing both the Feast of Stephen and the Twelfth Night Feast?”

“Odd perhaps, but yesterday was the best twelfth night I could’ve ever dreamed of.”

Mora chuckled. “As it should be.”

“Mora, please tell me, what do you remember from the past twelve days?”

“Most everything, at least about as much as one normally remembers from the past twelve days. I remember not remembering.”

“Fascinating.”

Mora helped Avianna figure out what to wear for Epiphany. Thankfully, she’d sent servants to fetch serval outfits for her to choose from. She chose to wear the blue dress from her father.

After dressing, she ate her kings cakes and drank her tea.

Lennon joined her before the tea was gone, and they sat together for some time.

Neither of them could stop smiling.

From there, they attended Epiphany Mass, which celebrated the coming of the magi. 

Avianna didn’t think about it.

After that, they went for a walk around the courtyard, hand in hand. 

Prince Lennon said, “My love, I’m sorry I have no gifts to give you.”

Avianna remembered, there would be another time of exchanging gifts, per Epiphany tradition. Gifts on Epiphany in Nestardon were usually smaller gifts compared to those given on Christmas, but often they were more thoughtful.

She laughed. “My dear husband, you’ve gave me plenty of gifts this Christmas.”

“True. Speaking of which, I made a discovery today.”

“What is it?”

“Follow me.”

Prince Lennon led his wife to the royal storerooms deep into the castle. He found the one reserved for gifts. The room was sometimes used throughout the year during royal birthdays or if visiting monarchs brought tribute, but usually it was empty until Christmastime. 

He held the door handle and said, “Your gifts, my dear.”

Lennon pulled open the door, and Avianna gasped.

Hens, geese, blackbirds, swans, doves, cows—far more than what Lennon had given her. 

“What’s the meaning of all this? You gave me three hens, not three hundred!”

“It’s not three hundred hens, but it is thirty.”

“Why are there thirty hens?”

“I think it’s the magic of me giving you a new set of gifts each day. When the days were remembered by the kingdom, the older gifts must’ve been dropped here.”

“But why are there so many cows?”

“One for each of the forty maids your father now employs. It looks like I really gave you twelve partridges, twenty-two turtledoves, thirty french hens, thirty-six calling birds, forty golden rings, forty-two geese, forty-two swans, forty maids with cows, thirty-six dancers, thirty lords, twenty-two pipers, and twelve drummers.”

“My father is going to faint when he sees this.”

They laughed and turned to leave. 

Avianna said, “Let’s take those rings with us.”

“Why?”

“One for each of us, for obvious marital reasons.”

“Right, right.”

“And one for each person that helped us these past twelve days. Sumol, the other merchants, the hunters who brought in the Bargainer, even the kids who threw snowballs at the soldiers. Not to mention Father Gryffan.”

“Should we really be taking anything without permission? As a dowry, the gifts technically also belong to your father, perhaps even more to him than you.”

“I’m sure he won’t mind. Besides, I’m leaving him all the birds. He loves birds, remember.”

The happy married couple delivered all the rings they could to each generous soul that helped them along the way. There had never been an Epiphany with more generosity.

After they gave out rings to as many people as they could think of, they made one last stop.

Avianna and Lennon entered the dungeons and approached the Queen Mother, who sat shackled behind bars.

“Happy Epiphany, Grandmum.”

“I’d be happier dead, girl.”

Lennon said, “Like the Bargainer? His body was gone this morning, but I don’t think he escaped his fate.”

Grandmum’s eyes went dark. “Came here to gloat? To flaunt your insolence? You already took my dignity. I suppose the prince wants my crown too.”

“Please, don’t call me Prince. I’m your grandson now!”

“Oh, I heard. I never thought my son would be stupid enough to allow this. I made my deal with Johnwin to prevent this!”

“Grandmum, you’re so confused,” said Avianna. “Lennon is good for me. He loves me, and I love him.”

“In time, all he’ll care about is the throne.”

Lennon said, “No, Queen Mother. We’re not here to gloat, either.”

“Here,” Avianna said, handing her Grandmum a golden ring. “Happy Epiphany.”

Tears gathered at the edge of her eyes. “W-why would you give this to me, child?”

“Because I love you. I know you did your best for me after Mother passed.”

Grandmum groaned at the chains. “My best wasn’t good enough.”

“Strangely enough,” Avianna said, “your efforts to keep us apart actually brought us together. Without your help, I don’t think Father would’ve ever changed his mind.”

The Queen Mother wept and refused to say anything more.

They left her alone and walked along the castle wall.

“What do you want to do, my wife? The Feast of Epiphany isn’t for hours yet.”

“We could go ice-skating, but I don’t think your parents gave you your present yet.”

“Maybe tonight, then.”

“I want to get my father a gift. One he doesn’t already have.”

Lennon stopped and looked at his new wife, twinkle in his eyes. “What did you have in mind?”

“How many golden rings would it take to buy one of your drummers’ drums?”

“I’m not sure. At least one of them has to have an extra. We could see what was left on my ship.”

“Perfect.”

They continued walking towards the harbor, hands interlocked.

Princess Avianna sighed. “I love you, Lennon.”

He cupped her face and kissed her lips. She somehow felt warm in spite of the chilly wind and the snow on the ground.

“I love you too,” he whispered.

“Today is perfect, my love. I don’t think I want it to end.”

They laughed all the way to Prince Lennon’s ship.

Eventually, the day did end, as did the day after that.

Now that Christmas was finally over, the real adventure of life together finally began, and it was better than either could have bargained for.

THE END