The Bridal Dance is a story from Ranger's Apprentice: The Lost Stories.
Summary[]
The Bridal Dance is about Horace and Cassandra's wedding.
There had been a series of 'accidents' that had happened in the castle recently and Will is tasked with discovering the identity of the culprit. He finds the person and talks to him, resulting in a confession. The next day, he is poisoned.
Will tries to find out about the man and found a scrap of paper with two names on it. They looked like Toscano names and there was also a plan of the seating arrangement of the wedding on it with a mark next to the word "dance".
The trail leads him to an inn where they had stayed. There was a smell of beeswax in the room, which is what archers use on their bow strings. It is also used on crossbows. He quickly pieces together the mystery and realises he is dealing with the Genovesan Assassins again. The day comes where everyone arrives, Erak, Selethen, and the Emperor of Nihon Ja just to name a few.
Will realises that there probably won't be anything wrong with the wedding but keeps ready. The Emperor is given the role of Patron-Sponsor (a role made up by Lady Pauline at her and Halt's wedding in Erak's Ransom) and presents Horace and Cassandra with a castle in Nihon-Ja.
When it is Will turn to give a speech he is forced to give it from his heart as his draft was burnt in the story Purple Prose. When the dance's come he quickly understands the mark next to the word "Dance" on the paper he had found. He gets Nils Ropehander to help him and equips him with a cane stolen from a guard. They run up the stairs and quickly take out the two Genosovans waiting to shoot the victims.
They later find out that the arrow was aimed at Cassandra as she was the one who had foiled the enemy back in Erak's Ransom with a sling. Yusal's brother Iqbal had ordered the attack on her. Iqbal had quite recently escaped out of jail. They planned to use Arridi crossbows to cause distrust between the two countries.
Alyss is unhappy as this is the second wedding where their dance has been interrupted. At Halt's, he and Will had to go racing off to Arridi and at this one he nearly didn't make it. But Alyss leaves him with one final message "You'd better be there at ours."
Characters[]
- Alyss
- Baron Arald
- Cassandra
- Crowley
- King Duncan
- Ebony
- Erak
- Halt
- Horace
- Nils Ropehander
- Pauline
- Lady Sandra
- Selethen
- Iqbal (Mentioned only)
- Yusal (Mentioned only)
- Shigeru
- Svengal
- Tug
- Will