by Mia Pride
A strange realization washed over Baine and he suddenly felt like an outsider looking in on a private moment between two lovers. He was the odd man out. He would never have what Liam had, because the only woman he ever loved, did not love him in return. Even if he killed Liam or Gwynn, he would always live in misery with his unrequited love. With a numb feeling spreading through his veins like ice, he looked down at the dagger in his right hand.
“I love you, Gwynneth. I really did try. I see now that it was futile. I’m sorry…for everything.” His face went soft for a moment and she saw regret in his eyes. Without warning, he ran the sharp blade of his dagger along the bulging veins of his left wrist, letting his life’s blood flow freely into the sand of the beach. Duncan stopped in his tracks and watched with horror as Baine slowly dropped on to his knees.
Gwynneth was crying and screaming as she scrambled over to him to grab the dagger. Tossing it away in the sand, she took his uncut wrist in her hand and cried, “I’m so sorry Baine.” Her throat hurt as she choked back sobs. He smiled and ran his fingers through her wet hair, then his eyes closed and he collapsed backward into the sand.
Gwynneth released one more sob that shook her body and then everything went black as she fell sideways into the sand next to Baine’s limp body.
Chapter 26
Light was shining through her eyelids and its warmth was beating down upon her face. She could smell the savory scents of fresh bread mingled with rosemary and her eyes started to flutter open. Gwynneth saw a thatched roof over her head and started to look around, not remembering where she was or how she got there. Turning her head, she saw the hearth fire blazing as an iron cauldron hung over the fire by a chain, the stew inside hissing and popping as it released its fragrance into the smoke-filled room.
Gwynneth tried to lift her head off of the bed, but her temples started to pound and she laid back down swiftly squeezing her eyes shut. A vision of Baine’s life draining from his wrists and into the sand filled her eyes with tears and made her stomach clench. All at once, she remembered Liam saving her from the depth of the water and the horrifying aftermath.
“Liam?” she kept her eyes shut and curled her sore body into a ball as she tried to remember where she was. She had swooned after she saw Baine sacrifice himself. She started thinking about her life, and realized she had all of her memories back. She could remember every event of her life in crystal clear detail, and she smiled at a memory of her playing a game of hide and seek with her father when she was a little lass. She missed her father, even more now than she ever thought she could. She wanted him to know she didn’t blame him for his decisions. Everything happened the way it was supposed to, in the end. This was all part of her journey, even those bad years with Baine. More tears welled up in her eyes when she thought about Baine’s death. Somehow, even though she could never control her heart’s desire, nor did she deserve the years of abuse that followed, she couldn’t help but feel like everything he did was in response to her inability to love him in return.
How different would her life be if she could have just let go of Liam and given herself to her husband? Her heart ached at the thought. It was just not possible. She could never give up Liam. Silent tears dripped down the bridge of her nose as she lay in bed, not sure of where she was, but knowing Liam must be close by.
The bed sunk slightly at her feet as a weight came down on it and she felt a tender hand wipe away a tear dangling from the tip of her nose. She was still balled up on her side with her eyes closed, but she knew who it was.
“Good morrow, Gwynn.” His voice was soft and caressing, as if he knew she would wake up with an unbearable headache.
“Liam?” she turned her head toward him and opened her eyes, squinting against the light as her temples began to throb again. He got up quickly and shut the door, chasing the sunlight away. He was back at her side instantaneously, stroking her hair and smiling down at her.
Now that the sunlight was no longer hindering her view of the room, she instantly recognized this home. It was the large house of the King of Iverni. She had grown up in this home and smiled as she saw the corridor that used to lead to her old bed chamber. Her eyes flicked to a shadowed corridor on the left and her heart leapt out of her chest. She immediately remembered it from her visit into her father’s memories. That was where she had met her mother, and subsequently watched her die. Now, she knew why her father never went down that corridor.
“My father’s home,” Gwynneth said with a smile as she took in the central room, the sight of memorable objects, dried herbs hanging from the wooden beams and their family seal dangling on a wall, the shiny metal flickering in the light of the fire. There was a ladder to the left that led up to a loft with extra bins and wicker baskets used for storage.
“Our home, Gwynneth.” Liam picked up her hand and smiled as he brushed it lightly with his lips. “I’m glad you are awake. You swooned and haven’t awoken for an entire day.”
“I have all my memories back. Tis as if I left them in that murky water and retrieved them again upon my second fall. Mayhap I needed to knock my head again.” She giggled at that, but instantly held her temples again. Her headache was better without the sunlight, but not completely gone. “Where were you when I woke up?”
She saw a quick look of apprehension flash across Liam’s face and then he squeezed her hand tightly. “Listen to what I have to say before you get angry…” she winced at those words, but he smiled reassuringly. “I was speaking with Fiona.”
Gwynneth took a sharp inward breath and closed her eyes, trying to control her reaction.
“She heard I was back, and she didn’t know about you and me. She came here to see me, and to hopefully rekindle our, well…I had to let her know about us, I owed her that much.” He squeezed Gwynneth’s arm and gave her a pleading look as she stared into the fire, considering his words.
“I understand,” she said with a sigh of resignation.
“You do?” He sounded shocked and relieved all at once, letting out a slow relieved breath.
“Aye, it wouldn’t be fair to her. After all, we have had enough pain brought on to us by scorned lovers, have we not? Tis best to be honest with her and move on.” She sighed again as she lay in bed, still curled up on her side, using Liam’s legs as a head rest. “How did she take it?”
He grumbled and rubbed a hand across his face. Her eyes trailed up and she gasped as she saw the red handprint staining his cheek. “Not well.”
“Well, she will have to learn to deal with it. You’re mine now. And if she ever touches you again, I will claw her eyes out, gladly.” Gwynneth sat up with a wink. Liam could tell that she was very serious, yet trying to lighten the mood. A bark of laughter escaped from Liam in his shock and admiration for Gwynneth’s humor during what could have been a very awkward moment. She was back to her usual self again.
“Well, I cannot argue with that. Come here, Gwynn.” He pulled her to him and planted a rough kiss on her lips and, just as quickly, pulled away. “Now. Tell me what all that was between you and Baine.” He squinted his eyes in question and looked sideways at her. He had seen some affection between the two of them in those final moments of Baine’s life. It did not make him jealous, surprisingly, however he was extremely curious.
Gwynneth spent a long time telling Liam about everything Baine had confided that day, from his intense desire to be loved in return by her, to his shift into a ragingly jealous husband. During her story of Baine’s transformation from gentle husband to abusive lover, she sighed frequently and kept her head down as she fidgeted with her fingers.
Liam listened quietly to her explanation about why she had stayed with him out of pity and guilt for years. She felt as if her love for Liam had destroyed Baine and, even if she had been loyal in body, she was very much disloyal in her heart. Baine knew this and it drove him into a jealous rage.
“I can’t help but feel like I did this to Baine. My actions, my inability to just love him, it destroyed
him and created so much hatred and jealousy. I saw the gentle husband in him come out often, though he tried hard to hide it. It was in those moments that he tried his hardest to bury his love and became aggressive to compensate.”
“Gwynneth. You cannot be blamed for his abuse. I believe very much that Baine loved you, in his own way. But a good man never turns on his wife when he feels scorned. Baine knew what he was getting into when he married you. In fact, part of his reason for marrying you was to achieve revenge on me. He always hated me. He did this to himself. If he hadn’t taken you from me, none of this would have happened. He would still be alive today.”
Liam tilted her head up with his finger, forcing her to lock eyes with him. “I know you are sorry that he is gone, but I am not. He hurt you for years and tried to kill you twice. I would have killed him myself, if he hadn’t done the job for me.”
She breathed deeply, brushing a tendril of hair behind her ear. “I know, and I think seeing me throw myself over you when he had the dagger was the moment he realized I would die for you. I would never have done that for him. If he killed you, I would hate him forever, and if he killed me, he would never forgive himself. He could not live on this earth with either scenario, so he took his own life.” Gwynneth’s chin started to quiver with repressed tears and then she buried her face in Liam’s neck.
“I won’t ever forget what he did to me, but I also won’t ever forget how much he loved me, when he thought I could love him back. I hope you can respect that.” She looked up to Liam with unshed tears in her eyes.
“Aye. I will never understand, but I will respect it, for you.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, holding her against his chest. She could hear his heart beating under his hard muscles and a feeling of warmth spread over her. She would finally sleep well at night, knowing that this man would never hurt her. She was safe in Liam’s arms.
“Wh-where is he?” The words came out as a strangled whisper, and he could tell that she was afraid to ask, but it was important for her to know that her former husband’s body had been treated respectfully.
“Tis all taken care of, I made sure of that. Gorman, Rioghan, and Brion found us on the shore shortly after you collapsed. They helped us take Baine back to the tuath. He will be given his burial rites on the morrow. Tis all set up. Nobody needs to know more than that.”
She nodded her head with acceptance and she looked up at him with an appreciative smile. “Thank you, Liam. I know this is hard for you, too. You’re an honorable man.”
His face was serious and his mouth was set in a firm line, but he nodded his head at her and kissed her forehead. “Now…” a smile spread across his face and he pushed her back on the bed playfully, as she fell back with a giggle.
“Let’s talk about our wedding…”
Chapter 27
Laughter reverberated off of the white walls of the house as the women surrounded Gwynneth, fussing over every little detail of her appearance. Abigael was on her knees making last minute length adjustments on the hem of the soft blue dress she had already crafted for Gwynneth. She said soft blue was the traditional color of purity and the yellow dress, although beautiful, was now cursed with ill memories. Abigael, with her ever-precise instincts, had informed Ceara the day Liam left with Gwynneth that there would be a wedding in the next fortnight. She had started creating the dress that night, awaiting the messenger who would arrive with the announcement.
It was a soft shear blue linen, requiring a white under-tunic to lay under the transparent fabric. The hem of the dress was embellished with white knot designs all around the bottom and the neckline. The sleeves were long and sheer, hanging delicately past her slim wrists and the neck was low, falling off of her shoulders. It was a perfect fit, hugging tightly over her breasts and hips, then cascading down to the floor like a waterfall.
“This is such a lucky time of year to have a wedding!” Liam’s mother, Aileen, came up and grabbed Gwynneth’s face with both of her hands. “And my son is a very lucky man. He has waited so long for you, my dear! Nobody knows better than his own mother.” She planted a kiss on Gwynneth’s forehead and gave her a wink, causing a flush to spread across her cheeks.
Ceara was behind Gwynneth, skillfully braiding small strands of her hair, wrapping them in intricate designs on top of her head and weaving fresh yellow wild flowers into the braids as the rest of her hair fell loosely in shiny waves around her face. The yellow flowers were Gwynn’s idea, wanting to wear them as a special symbol to honor how she and Liam met all those years ago on the top of their special hill, the same hill they would meet upon in just a few moments to exchange their oaths.
“Liam will love these flowers, Gwynn!” Gwynn smiled as her sister finished her last ministrations to her hair.
“Do you have your oath stone?” nodding, Gwynneth held out her stone. It was a pure white, smooth stone that Gwynneth had collected from the shore the night they first made love. She had kept it in what she thought was a silly whim of sentiment, but now it would serve as the stone they would hold as they said their mutual oaths. It was a popular tradition, one that symbolized their love becoming part of nature. After the ceremony, they would travel to the shore together and toss it into the sea, sharing their marriage oath with the earth.
“Turn around, let us look at you!” Aileen was almost as giddy as Gwynneth, clapping her hands frantically as she watched Gwynneth make an elegant swirl, her blue dress rippling around her long slim legs.
“You look stunning Gwynneth. Let us go and get you married.” Abigael grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly with affection.
“What if he changed his mind?” Ceara shouted with mock horror, covering her mouth. Everyone giggled and looked at Gwynneth, who was blushing deeply, imagining Liam waiting for her under their favorite tree. There was no way Liam, after all of these years, would change his mind now.
“I’ve never seen a man more ready to get married in my life,” his mother said reassuringly as she leaned in and kissed Gwynn on the cheek. Aileen took Gwynneth’s left hand and Abigael took her right, honored to fill in as her mother for this special occasion. Ceara clipped their mother’s ruby brooch onto the fabric over Gwynn’s shoulder, knowing she was with them in spirit, then stood behind her as all four women left the house and started their short walk up to the birch tree, where Liam would be waiting eagerly for his bride.
As Gwynneth approached the top of the green hill holding hands with her two new mothers, she was overwhelmed by the view. It was a brisk late-autumn afternoon with clouds hanging low, creating a dream-like haze that hung in the air. The grass was flourishing from the ample rain of the season and the residual morning dew felt cool and soothing on Gwynneth bare feet. She wiggled her toes in the soft, damp blades, enjoying her closeness to nature and thinking of her last sister, whose element was earth, and it made her feel as if she was with them as well, in some inexplicable way.
Tiny yellow wild flowers dotted the grass like random little drops of sunshine, falling out of the sky in sporadic patterns across the terrain. Their tree still had a few leaves clinging to its branches, fluttering stubbornly and denying the wind that tried to drag them into the winter air. Colorful leaves scattered over the visible roots below, as did the vibrant tunics of the many members of their tuath.
It appeared the entire tuath had come out to view the wedding of their new king as he was united with one of the Sisters of Danu. By the time their wedding was announced, Patrick and his bard had successfully spread the word far and wide, proclaiming that the legend of the Sisters of Danu was coming to fruition. It felt strange to her that her life should be of so much interest to others, but all that mattered right now was this moment as she reached the top of the hill.
Gwynneth scanned the scenery, taking in the smiles of many familiar faces. How could she have forgotten all of these people, her father’s people? They were her friends and family and she was finally home.
She saw King Garreth first, t
owering over the crowd in his many layers of animal pelts, looking as omnipotent as ever. He was given a place of honor and stood beside Liam to represent their alliance.
She saw Duncan on the other side of Liam, waiting to serve as the master of ceremonies, an honor Gwynneth and Liam insisted upon. He had proven to be a loyal friend and they wanted to show their thanks to him. It was also a subtle reminder of their handfast ceremony from five years before, when Duncan performed their vows.
As if prolonging her anticipation, she waited to lock eyes with Liam last. She wanted his eyes to be the last, and only, thing she focused on during the rest of the ceremony. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her chest. He was smoldering, boring his eyes into hers with a smile more enigmatic than she had ever seen. He was wearing a crisp white tunic shirt that was open at the top, displaying a smattering of dark chest hair. She could see his hard muscles through the thin linen as the wind blew his shirt flat against his chest.
His new beige leather trousers showed off every powerful muscle from calf to thigh. She was breathless at the sight of the man about to become her husband. As a final touch, he wore his animal pelts around his neck and the small golden crown of the king upon his head, a ceremonial show of status to honor the formality of the day. He looked large, powerful and confident. His irresistible dimple winked at her from under his dark stubbly chin. His eyes were a clear blue, like the very waters they had first made love in, and they continued to consume her, as if connected to her soul.
Contentment flowed through Liam as he prepared to finally fulfill his life’s ambitions. He was king of his tuath, but all that mattered to him was the platinum vision in blue walking up slowly to meet him under their special tree. Her green eyes glittered with tears as she walked up within an arm’s reach of Liam. The sun shone through her hair, creating silvery wisps around her face as she approached. She looked down and saw he held one yellow flower in his hand, just as he had done every time they met under this tree in the past. His smile widened as she approached and he saw the same flowers adorning her hair.