They ended their embrace and, as night was falling, walked to a small cave tucked in the depths of the forest that was their original meeting point before being discovered. Killian removed some brush from the opening for Katherine first, then led her inside. It wasn't an ideal campsite, but it was hidden and warm, which both were thankful for. Killian had battle wounds that needed tending do. Katherine also had a few scrapes and bruises that needed mending as well. Killian gathered up some loose sticks and twigs and added what kindling he had in his pack to it, starting a fire to warm the cave, while Katherine began preparing what was left of their supplies that were not lost in the mix of battle.
The pair ate silently, both staring into the fire, affected by the loss of Langley. There would be no jovial joking tonight, no sordid tales of loose women or victorious battles. Tonight they would mourn their fallen friend. Killian pulled out the remainder of his furs and wordlessly walked over to Katherine, indicating they should rest. He wrapped her in them, then wrapped his body around her completely, his actions a testament to his love. He was trying to keep her warm in the event the fire died out during the night.
The night grew progressively more quiet and hushed and the cave grew colder. Killian awoke with a start. He looked around but saw nothing, yet it was ice cold despite the fire still burning low. He knew something was off. Before he had the opportunity to wake Katherine, he rolled over to look where she was lying and instead discovered an empty space. Before he could blink, Stefan stood in front of him, holding his daughter by the wrists. “Well, I see your hero is awake now, Daughter. I'm glad he'll be awake for his beheading. It always adds some more drama.”
“Let her go!”
“You have no right to talk to me like that! She is my daughter, and you have no blessings on this marriage from me. If you want her, you fight for her like the man you should have been in the beginning, instead of stealing her from the castle in the night.”
Stefan kicked a sword over to Killian, who stared at it, then stood up. “What is wrong, hero? Are you too weak to pick up a sword now? Or are you just too stupid to know how?”
Unable to contain the anger in his eyes, he shot Stefan a steely glare, then picked up the broadsword. He was going to end this once and for all. He knew that Katherine would be hurt, but he hoped she would understand his plight and his reasoning for fighting her father. He didn't do it merely for their love. He needed to vanquish the threat Stefan posed to all of his fellow countrymen. Stefan flung Katherine to the side and took up his own weapon.
The sound of the swords clashing could be heard reverberating off of the cave walls, and both men were equally matched in their skills with the weaponry, yet Killian was obviously the younger and stronger of the two. Stefan, though, had experience in more battles than Killian, so he used every tactic he had learned to his advantage. He tripped Killian, then hit him in the head with the handle of the sword before flipping him to the ground and gaining the upper hand. His blade was inches away from Killian's throat and he was getting ready to slash. The terror in Killian's eyes began to take over. It appeared the aging king still had more fight in him than Killian had anticipated. He couldn't hold him off for any longer, and mentally prepared himself for the slice of the blade across his windpipe, when suddenly Stefan stopped.
His eyes caught a sheen of metal reflecting in the dim light and he involuntarily turned toward it. In that instant, Killian swept Stefan's knees out from underneath him, leaving him sprawled on the ground. Stefan also lost the grip on his sword and it went skittering across the ground. Unshaken by losing his weapon, he pulled a dagger from his boot, ready to continue combat with Killian. In a swift motion, he arched his arm upward and caught Killian's calf while trying to slice his artery. Killian responded defensively, cutting Stefan's throat. The King fell flat to the ground as his daughter rushed to his side. He looked at her with his eyes still kind toward her, and stilled completely.
Killian knelt beside Katherine as she sat by her father's body for a moment, completely silent. She then began to sob softly, and Killian rubbed her shoulders. “I'm sorry, Katherine. Ye know I didn't intend for him to die. I was merely--”
“Shh. Hush now, my love. I know. It's not his death I mourn. It's his loss of heart during his life. Here.”
She handed Killian Langley's amulet. which she had used to distract her father from his death, and he placed it again protectively around her neck. Killian helped Katherine to her feet and wrapped his arms around her for comfort and support. “Come on, my love. Let's go see the priest. I know where he is now. We still have a wedding to prepare for.” Together they hobbled toward the back of the cave. “So, where is he? “ Katherine asked dumbfounded.
“He is here. He's been here the entire time. We will continue to the back of the cave, then underneath the farthest boulder we will find his dwelling below the earth. I doubt you've e'er heard the expression 'as above so below.' He took that literally, knowing that few would look in plain sight.” They walked down the path to the back of the cave and looked under the farthest boulder to find exactly what Killian had predicted. Underneath it was a tiny opening to a well-lit hovel. Inside it was spacious and surprisingly warm. The high priest sat in the corner, patiently awaiting their arrival. He didn't need to be told about their appearance; the universe had already delivered news of their arrival to him months ago. He opened his eyes from his meditative state and motioned them closer.
7.
He removed the cowl from his head and the pair faced him eye to eye. He was quiet, yet intimidating at the same time, and both somehow knew to approach him with reverence. Killian came forward and knelt before him as Katherine did the same. He motioned for both of them to stand and nodded at them. He was in apparent approval of their presence. He lifted a small wooden cup full of blessed water and took a small sip, then handed it to each of them. “Drink.”
The pair did as commanded, sharing equally until the cup was dry. The priest then nodded his approval and motioned them to his altar. He took an athane off of it and gently pulled Katherine to him, where he lifted a lock of her hair and cut it. He repeated the same action with Killian.
He then took the strands and looped them together in a braid, forming a piece of rope. After he did this he spoke once more. “Together you two have formed this knot, made to be strong from the dead parts of both of you. They shall be dead no more. Once bound to one another you are eternally bound to give each other life by drinking from the same cup and nourishing each other when necessary. There is no force on heaven or on earth, or even down below, that is powerful enough to break these bonds. Do both of you understand these implications?”
They both responded by nodding their heads and vocalizing yeses. The priest then continued, “I am merely an instrument of the Gods and their will. I represent their wrath or their peace. They are overjoyed at your decision and your partnership together. You both have lost much on this journey to find each other, so your commitment is honorable and noteworthy. They give their many harmonious congratulations. Now give me your hands.”
Taking each of their wrists he looped the braid around them, forming a knot, binding their hands together. He turned them toward one another so they could gaze into each other's eyes and hearts while he completed the ceremony. “Two souls on separate journeys have now become one soul on a singular quest. Let them not take their quest lightly. Let them lift each other up and praise their differences as they become strengths. Let their separate shortcomings become one lesson. Let each other's dark become one another's light. From this point on and into eternity you are wed.”
Katherine and Killian gazed at each other longingly and smiled, excited and joyful. “The Gods now demand a display of affection to seal your fate. Do you choose to finalize the ceremony?”
Before the words had barely come out of the priest's mouth Killian found Katherine's lips with his own and they passionately kissed one another, breathing in each other's essence. Neither could remember a time when
they were happier, despite the tragedies of the day. The priest smiled his congratulations and shook Killian's hand, then he walked back into his corner, placing his cowl back on his head and closing his eyes to meditate once more.
After the ceremony the pair walked to the nearest town to find lodging and additional clothing and supplies. They had no further threat of war to worry about, so they took their time discussing their living arrangements. Katherine still had some distant relatives who lived on the border, not opposed to the idea of her being with a Scot, and Killian was the last of his clan, so he had no preference of location. He only knew that wherever she chose is where he would settle and he would do so happily. Later that evening, in their room at the inn in the nearby village, they stood with their wrists still bound, ordering drinks to celebrate the occasion. The villagers celebrated with the happy newlyweds and later that night the pair consummated their affair.
Killian rolled over in bed and pulled Katherine to him. He gently cut the cord where they were bound and placed it in a box by the nightstand as he kissed Katherine. Running his fingers though her long locks, he smiled at her beauty and traced her lips, her cheek, the side of her neck with his tongue. He sucked and kissed along the way leaving Katherine moaning and asking him for more pleasure. He followed her wishes by taking her breasts in his lips as well, sucking her nipples until they were hard. As she moaned in pleasure he swiftly entered her with his member claiming her for his own, thrusting his hips against her until they both swelled and moaned with the highest of pleasures. Now they were one in body as well as one in spirit. They lay beside one another then in their marriage bed, spent and exhausted, while Killian caressed her cheek and she ran her fingers through his hair, slightly rubbing his forehead while he drifted off to sleep. He looked so peaceful in his slumber. There were no signs of worry, no wounds from being a warrior. Here he was merely Killian, her dashing Scotsman who saved her with his light. He opened his mouth then, and answered her unasked question. “‘Tis ye, lass. I dream of ye. I always have, Katherine, and now I always will.”
“I've dreamed of you since I was a child, my love. I always knew in my heart that a brave, sensitive, strong, vastly different man would come to take me home with him forever. Looking into your heart, I know now that where it beats is my home, Killian. Whether it be this bedchamber, countries away, or even in the Summerlands, I will be with you now and always. So sleep well, my love, and I will be here in your arms when you wake.”
“That's all I could ever hope for, my darling.”
THE END
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Idle Hands
“I would like to have a dress made, please.”
The shop girl looked Miriam up and down. She was familiar with the strange customs of the Amish from nearby Lancaster County, but she had never seen one venture into a shop in the city, and certainly never dreamed of one wanting to have a dress made. “Of course. I have to tell you, miss, we do not carry the fabrics you are looking for.”
Miriam turned her bright blue eyes to the young woman. “Oh! Of course not!” She glanced sheepishly down at her own dress and noted how sharply out of place it probably looked in the shop. “I absolutely do not want a dress like this,” she said, indicating her homespun dress. “I would like a dress made just like that one, if you please.”
Astonished, the young shop girl nodded and led Miriam to a curtained-off area where she helped her disrobe and began taking exact measurements. Finding that Miriam was the exact same size as the dress on display, the shop girl offered to sell it to her at a discount, saving on the cost and time of having a new one made. The idea sounded spectacular to Miriam, so the shop girl pulled the dress off the mannequin, helped Miriam into it, and turned her toward the mirror to see the effect.
Miriam stood looking in the mirror. The beautiful dress was light, almost weightless compared to the dress she had just cast into the corner. She almost felt naked in it. However, the cut and the color were so flattering to her petite figure. She stared at herself a moment before realizing something was out of place. She looked to her hair, still covered by the plain white cap, and removed the cap. Still, her hair was in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She pulled the pins out and let the dark auburn hair fall in cascades down her back and over her shoulders. As she watched the hair fall, she saw a completely different young woman. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror, and then turned to the shop girl, who was so shocked by the transformation that she had no words.
Thirty minutes later, Miriam left the store in her new dress, an order for two more dresses, a new pair of sensible ankle boots, an order for two fashionable hats, and a huge smile upon her face. She felt so proud of herself and all that she had accomplished on her first day of Rumspringa. She felt most proud of the fact that she had no intention of ever returning to the Amish community of her parents. If they were still alive, maybe it would have been different, but they had been dead for almost ten years, and in that time, Miriam had felt like she was a bird trapped in a cage where she was more of a burden to her uncle. He made no secret of wanting to marry her off, and made it clear that, when she returned at the end of her eighteen days in the world, she would immediately be married to Owen Miller.
Miriam could not turn down the marriage, but she despised Owen. Despite strict Amish culture, Owen was spoiled and spiteful. His parents only had him, and as an only child to them, and for a long time the only grandchild to the leader of their Amish community, Owen was more often than not doted on and allowed to get away with all manner of shocking outbursts. Had it been anyone else’s family member, he would have been shunned ages ago. Plus, her personal feelings for Owen spawned from his mistreatment of her because she was an orphan. The community may have had strong Biblical ties, but that did not mean they were perfect, and as an orphan in many ways, Miriam was treated like one of the shunned.
Many of her community treated Miriam differently after her parents both passed away from an illness that swept across their community. Owen, over ten years older than Miriam, had caught on to the elders’ different treatment of her, and treated her even worse, going out of his way to be cruel. Then as she got older, he started to notice her as a woman. She complained on multiple occasions to her uncle and to her closest friend’s mother, but they both dismissed her concerns as the flirtations of a man in love with a young girl. From that point on, her uncle went about setting up a betrothal of sorts between Owen and Miriam. For over a year, Miriam lived in fear. Once it was common knowledge that she was to marry Owen, he would try to catch her alone. More than once, he had cornered her, putting his hands on her, forcing her to kiss him, and on the one occasion he was caught he turned the blame on her saying she tempted him.
So as Rumspringa neared, Miriam had made excuses to go into the local town outside their community and find a way to leave forever. On one of her excursions, as she was idly passing time in the local general store, she overheard two men joking about advertisements they had seen in the paper regarding mail order brides. Intrigued, Miriam made several more trips into town to learn as much as she could.
As Miriam marched up the steps to the hotel she was staying at in Philadelphia, she could not believe that in less than a day, she had done so much to assure she never return to the Amish community. After she had placed the ad in the paper, which she was told was sent as far away as Denver, Colorado, she had also been informed that she could see inquiries as quickly as the next day due to agencies that acted on behalf of private parties. As Miriam made her way to her room, she fervently prayed that the Lord would bless her with a fast inquir
y because she knew her time in Philadelphia would go by fast, and she wanted to be well away before anyone had a chance to come after her when they realized she was not returning on her own.
Miriam let herself in the room and smiled at the expression on her friend’s face.
“Did you stay in here all day, Ruth?” Miriam asked as she nonchalantly walked around the room showing off her new dress. While men from the community were allowed to take Rumspringa on their own, the young women were required to go in pairs.
Ruth nodded mutely, still staring at Miriam with her head uncovered, dress showing off her arms and collar bone, with the beautiful doe-skin boots peeking from the hem of the dress.
Miriam moved to sit next to her friend. “Will you come out with me tomorrow?”
Ruth leaned back against the pillows of the bed. “No. I was going to tell you that I think I am just going to go back tomorrow. I really do not want to stay out here. Just looking at you makes me feel so uncomfortable.”
Miriam sighed heavily. “I know, but you can’t go back yet. Please. Please stay at least for the week, just to see if I have a letter come through. Say you will.”
Ruth stared into her dearest friend’s face. She knew all that Miriam had been through. She knew how Owen was terrorizing her, so she understood Miriam’s desire to leave. However, for Ruth it was very different. The young man she was more or less promised to was a distant cousin from a neighboring community, and he was quiet, kind, and yet was being groomed to lead that community in time. Ruth greatly admired Matthew, and this time away for Rumspringa made her wary. What if he took her absence as a sign that she was discontent? Still, she knew Miriam needed her, and should not be left alone in this big city with so much to tempt her.
AFRICAN AMERICAN URBAN FICTION: BWWM ROMANCE: Billionaire Baby Daddy (Billionaire Secret Baby Pregnancy Romance) (Multicultural & Interracial Romance Short Stories) Page 79