The Queen (MacBride Sisters Trilogy Book 1)

by Kira Freitas

  - Her name is Aideen. Not that you're going to call her by her name, but have respect when you talk about her, in front of me or anyone else. I'm not gonna let you throw your poison at her.

  - Poison? - Rose laughed while standing up. - Until recently, that wasn't exactly what I was throwing at you.

  - Don't tease me! - I threatened between my teeth. - Aideen is my wife and you should treat her like a princess, because that's what she is. Unlike you, who's nothing but a hooker dowry.

  Rose had a laugh. She didn't seem intimidated by my words and it made me apprehensive.

  - Do you really think that blood could fool anyone? - I frowned and she continued. - Did you forget that the walls have ears?

  Closing my eyes, I grunted. It was clear that Rose had heard my conversation with MacBride and, who knows, my discussion with Aideen two nights ago. Rose approached me, passing the tip of her index finger on my chin.

  - I guess I'm not the only prostitute in this place.

  - If you tell anyone anything, I'll break every bone in your body! - I threatened. Grabbing her hand, I squeezed hard until my fingers snapped. - Now get out of my sight and thank God I love your mother very much. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be in this castle anymore.

  Rose pulled her hand hard.

  - You'll regret what you're doing to me!

  She turned around abruptly and walked out towards the door. He got so angry, he almost ran over Bruce.

  - Bad day? - Bruce asked in an ironic tone.

  - Go to hell! - she spit and then disappeared.

  He laughed and then looked in my direction.

  - What's wrong with her?

  - Jealousy, jealousy, spite... - said shaking his head. - Pick one.

  - She didn't take it very well when I was getting married. - Bruce sat in the chair in front of the table. - I hear she's been trying to provoke Aideen, but she's responded accordingly. It made Rose shut up.

  I hid a smile of satisfaction and frowned with a surprised look on my forehead. To be honest, I shouldn't be. Knowing how Aideen was with words, of course she would put Rose in her place. I had worried for nothing, but I decided to keep Rose away from her.

  - Tell me! What is this urgent matter you wish to discuss with me?

  I went behind the table and sat down.

  - Hmm! I need your help with something. - I sighed. - I want you to go to Inverness and make a survey on the MacBride.

  Bruce frowned.

  - Exactly what should I be looking for and why?

  - All about Ravenna's life and daughters. I don't care much for Loch, so you can ignore him.

  - May I ask why that is now? I thought you liked Aideen.

  I rolled my eyes and frowned.

  - You're the one who said it, so don't look at me like that.

  - I know that.

  - Why do you want to know about her past and her life?

  - Because Aideen had a lover and I need to know if there's a risk of him showing up again. - I fired without patience. - She told me on her wedding night before I could...

  I paused to sigh and ran my hand over my face.

  - That bastard Ravenna knew Aideen was no longer a virgin, but she gave me her daughter anyway.

  - Well, after all the arguments and the dowry increase, it was kind of hard to refuse the deal. - Bruce sighed. - As I recall, you insisted a lot on having Aideen and made use of a law that we don't even use anymore.

  I snorted because Bruce repeated the same words as Aideen.

  - Aideen fooled me! - I fired.

  - No! Aideen didn't fool you. It was Ravenna who deceived him by omitting his daughter to be no longer pure. - Bruce argued. - As I recall, Aideen begged me not to marry her.

  - Why didn't she just say why at that moment?

  - Would that make you quit?

  - It would give me a choice.

  - And how much Annabel?

  - What about her?

  - Would you risk tarnishing your sister's reputation because of your mistake?

  - Of course not!

  - So that's exactly what Aideen did. - Bruce smiled with satisfaction. - She was protecting her sister from having her reputation tarnished in front of a bunch of people. If she really wanted to fool him, she wouldn't have told him herself.

  I opened my mouth to talk, but Bruce interrupted me again.

  - Besides, we don't know what really happened and what threats Ravenna made so that neither of them would reveal anything.

  - I thought you weren't paying attention. - I fired. - Weren't you busy with those fruits?

  - My dear fellow, I'm never as busy as I look. - Bruce smiled. - You of all people should know that by now.

  I closed my eyes by leaning back on the chair. I didn't think Aideen could be protecting her sister and vice versa. Annabel knew that sooner or later, I'd find out and tried to keep her sister safe.

  - I think there's more! - I whispered.

  - What's that? What's that? - Bruce asked confused.

  - Aideen's attitude when he said he'd give it back. She was terrified of that possibility. He even suggested faking his own death and disappearing so I wouldn't have my reputation tarnished.

  - Swear it! And what did you do?

  - I sent the MacBride away, stopped her from seeing her sister and confined her to the castle.

  - Very diplomatic of you.

  - Will you stop judging me with your sarcasm?

  Bruce had a laugh.

  - Alistair, it's clear that you like Aideen very much and that you're dying of jealousy of her. His pride was hurt because he was not the first to touch the woman who bewitched him and he wants compensation in every way.

  - I, uh...

  - I'm not judging you. Maybe I would do the same, but before I hurt her anyway, don't you think I should check the circumstances?

  - What do you mean?

  - What if she was seduced by a bully? After all, she's only seventeen. It's just a little girl.

  - I can't believe she was seduced.

  - Why shouldn't I?

  - Because of the scars. - I rolled my eyes.

  - What scars? - Bruce asked.

  - A whip. - I grunted by closing my fists. - Aideen said it was a beating that Ravenna had given her and that it was because of the man she had slept with.

  Bruce was silent for a moment.

  - That complicates things a little.

  - You see! - I fired a punch at the table. - She didn't even want to deny that she was in love with someone else and, besides everything, she was sarcastic with me.

  - Did she say that she loved someone else or that she had been beaten because she had lost her virginity?

  - He just said he took the beating. Why is that?

  Bruce had a laugh.

  - What was Ravenna's reaction to all this?

  - Weird.

  - Weird how?

  I shrugged my shoulders and frowned.

  - She was angry when she said she wouldn't return Aideen. - I explained. - Not even the fact that she could keep the dowry undone the impression that she preferred her daughter back.

  - Why would Ravenna want her daughter back stained?

  - That's the part I can't explain. - said thoughtful. - My father wouldn't want me married to Aideen and force me to marry Annabel.

  We remained silent for a few moments, until Bruce stood up.

  - I'll do what you ask and leave for Inverness tonight. - he declared determined. - Only you'll have to promise me you won't do anything thoughtless with Aideen until I get back.

  - Why shouldn't I? - I fired hard. - I promised she'd pay me for cheating on me, and that's what I'll do.

  - Watch your judgment, Alistair! - Bruce said. - We don't know what we'll find in Inverness. I don't want you to regret it later.

  - I won't regret it!

  - You say so. Just don't come complaining later.

  Bruce winked at me with his sarcastic and annoying smile, then left the library. I looked in the direction
of the door. I watched the wood as I ruminated his words. I hated it when Bruce talked like that, but I used to listen to his suggestions.

  But not this time! This time I was inclined to follow my instincts and they said that Aideen had to suffer.

  Try to concentrate on the various letters I had to answer, but soon the thought wandered until a few hours that morning, where I almost got lost on the lips of a little redhead. The soft skin of his body and the soft and shy touch of his hands on my skin, soon populated my thoughts. I could still hear her breathless breath when I penetrated her and led Aideen into an unpremeditated ecstasy. Even though it was quick, I couldn't say it wasn't good. A heat took over my whole body and I lost focus on what I was doing.

  - Damn it! - I grunted, stood up and walked to the door. - Now I need a long, cold bath.

  Chapter 10

  Aideen

  The gentle rubbing on the skin of my face made me open my eyes. I ran into big blue eyes staring at me with lust. Before I could even scream or react in any way, Alistair covered my lips. I tried to push him and struggled, but again my body betrayed me and I was attracted by the warmth of his skin as it had been before.

  After that morning when he possessed me and then left the room, I felt deeply lonely. None of the beatings I had taken from my mother had been as painful as the hostile look he gave me. It left me with a feeling of emptiness. The pain I felt wasn't as bad as the first time, even because Alistair was kind, and the bad feeling became so good that I wanted more. I didn't know it could be this way. The bad part was when he confessed he was the lover of that cruel girl. Rose hated me and now I knew the reason. She loved Alistair. I just didn't know if the feeling was mutual.

  I had spent all day in my room and I just didn't feel alone because of Elaine's company. She was 15, but she was very smart. According to her, Alistair had asked her to be my maid of company. I was grateful to have the company of someone who would talk the same way I talked to my sister. When she said she was Rose's sister, I feared it would be as covert as it was, but I found out I was very much mistaken. She spent the whole day talking to me and I felt like I'd won a friend.

  - No! - I whispered when I felt Alistair's hands squeeze my buttocks against her pelvis. I knew he was about to penetrate me.

  - Yes! - He returned it with a whisper. - Dude, remember? You'll do what I want, when I want you to.

  His words hurt deep in my chest. Once again he reminded me that I was nothing but an object. Without the strength to stop him, I let Alistair penetrate me. I tried not to feel static, but my body betrayed me and we reached the summit together. Alistair kept me hugging him until we caught our breath. It made the void return to my body. In silence, he rose up from the bed and walked up the barrel to bathe. Then he took a blanket and lined the floor in front of the fireplace.

  - Are you going to sleep on the floor? - I asked sitting on the bed.

  - Yes. - He answered without looking at me. - You said this bed was yours alone. I may possess your body, but I will not share your bed.

  That being said, he lay down.

  - Have sweet dreams!

  My eyes are sore and I swallowed a hiccup. I lay on my pillow and in silence, I cried myself to sleep. I woke up with a cold breeze on my face. Slowly I opened my eyes to contemplate the silence and coldness of the stones that surrounded me. The fireplace was still lit, but the ember was already over. I pulled the blanket up to my chin and slowly stood up to look towards the fireplace. Alistair slept deeply lying on the fur blanket. Raising my gaze and slightly biting my lower lip, as if this made all and any noise impossible, I sneaked up to the edge of the bed. I breathed deeply when I contemplated the naked back, because the skin blanket only covered it from the waist down. One arm was superimposed on his face covering his eyes, while the other rested on his wide chest, which rose and descended slowly as he breathed. I got out of bed slowly. Passing through the door of the small balcony, I looked at the sky through the glass and made sure that it had not yet dawned. The sky was dark, but it was already showing signs that it would soon dawn. The breeze that entered through the crevices, denounced that winter had arrived and that soon the snow would begin to fall. I shook my arms shaking and sneaked up to the fireplace. I went to the place where the firewood was stored and then I picked up two large stumps placing them one by one under the low fire. Grabbing the poker, I put the wood together and put the coals on top. I kept doing that until the flame expanded and the wood started to crack. Satisfied with my work, I turned to Alistair and leaned down beside her. I stared at his serene face to make sure he slept deeply. A lock of her long hair was lying on her face and I restrained the desire to push her away. I slowly pulled the blanket so that it would cover half of his body and warm him up even more. I swallowed dry when he moved, but it was for a moment, then he came back to breathe softly demonstrating that he was in deep sleep again. Putting my hand on my chest, I took a deep breath, catching my breath. My heart was beating fast because of the scare. I got up slowly and just as I got there, I went back to bed. I shouldn't care about Alistair, because he didn't care about me. If he knew everything, maybe he wouldn't act like that. My story was too sad and I was ashamed to talk about what had happened to me.

  Sighing, I took the blanket and went to one of the armchairs, which wasn't too heavy. I lifted her up so she wouldn't make a sound, carrying her to the front of the balcony door and sat down. Without opening the glass and wood door, I curled up in the armchair with my legs shrunk and then rolled up in the blanket. I watched the end of dawn and the dawn, which already brought some snowflakes. Smile for the dance of the small white spots illuminated by timid rays of the moon that, sometimes appeared, sometimes hidden, behind dense black clouds. Little by little my eyes were getting heavy and I put my head on top of my arms crossed under one of the arms of the armchair. Sleep took hold of me and I fell asleep deeply.

  I don't know how long it took, but my scream when I felt him grabbing me was terrible. I was walking along the shore of the lake when I was surprised by her jump. The huge black shadow had dragged me to one of the trees and began its slow torture. His red eyes were glacial and he seemed to feel pleasure with every cry of pain from me. The white teeth against my face bit my skin and I could feel the putrid breath that exhaled from his open mouth, whose breathing was accelerated. I felt my disgusting tongue touch the skin of my neck and my nails stick in my arms preventing me from pushing it away. The animal was huge and very heavy. I was lying under my chest, throwing all its weight so that it would make it difficult for me to breathe. I struggled, because I couldn't move. There were people around me. They were standing there just looking at that horrible beast pulling bits and pieces out of me. I was screaming in the hope that someone would help me, but it was in vain. Everybody laughed around me and one of the laughs was my mother's. I started crying in panic when I felt the first pinch of pain. Before he could hurt me any more, a pair of huge hands grabbed the hair from his head and pulled him off me, throwing the animal away so hard that he hit a tree. He drew his sword in a quick gesture and struck the people who watched him kill them all. It was when the pool of blood touched my feet that I opened my eyes with a scream. I sat on the bed hugging my knees and started crying. That was another one of my nightmares. Except for the outcome, it had been exactly the same as the others. I closed my eyes tightly to try to dispel the image of the beast that was lying on the forest floor in the darkness. Little by little the vision of the terrifying images disappeared and I took a deep breath to control the panic I felt.

  Looking around, I made sure I was alone. To my relief, there was no sign of Alistair. The bed he had been in was broken, but the fireplace remained lit. I sighed with relief and then I got out of bed. I went to the bedside table where Elaine used to leave the water for my bath, plus a vase in case I felt I gave in. Grabbing the vase I poured a little in a glass and drank the fresh liquid slowly, savoring that freshness that invaded my throat. That's when I realized I'd woken up outside the ar
mchair.

  - How did I end up in bed? - I whispered with a frown. - Have I become sleepwalking?

  I remembered that I had fired and fed the fire, then I sat on an armchair, which was no longer in front of the window. I used to put an armchair in front of the window when I was at home. At home, Annabel woke me up or carried me to bed when she saw me sleeping seated. Would Alistair have done that? I very much doubted this possibility and believed in the theory that I could have really become a sleepwalker.

  Finishing drinking the water I decided to take a long bath. I preferred not to heat the water, so, just undressing and taking the one that was reserved, I went to the place destined for the bath in the room. I was sorry I didn't warm her up as soon as she hit my skin. I had to work really hard not to scream.

  - I should have done as Elaine taught me. - I whispered frustrated.

  Elaine was very caring and dedicated, I remembered Aila with her care. I didn't know whether she did it by choice or by designation, but I felt I could trust her. I ran my hands over my shoulders reaching part of the scars. They still hurt a little. I remembered the day I received them and anger, as usual, invaded my chest. Closing my eyes, I dissipated the hostile feeling. I threw more water containing rose petals that I directed Elaine to fetch. After the bath, I took the towel she had left and started drying. I put on the clean underwear and the purple dress that was on a chair. Grabbing a brush, I went to the balcony and contemplated the small garden just below, leaning against the stone wall of the room. There were few roses and I knew I could make it better. Elaine had said that she was the one taking care of the garden until the gardener returned to work on the land. Initially Lowenna took care of him, but she discovered she had no talent when the roses began to die. She smiles when she realizes that I could plant a lot of herbs and thus have a good hobby.

  Looking at myself in the big mirror of the room, I saw that I was well dressed for a lonely breakfast, because I knew that Alistair would not be present. He made a point of ignoring me. I wasn't sure if it was good or bad, but I was already used to loneliness and contempt from people. I came downstairs to get to the big hall. The kitchen and my bedroom were rooms that I knew by heart where they were staying. I'd have to ask Elaine to show me the whole castle or I'd do it myself. Sighing, I stopped in front of the big wooden door and pushed it hard. As soon as I took a few steps, I stopped petrified. Sitting at the table was Alistair accompanied by his cousin Bruce whom I met during the wedding. I was surprised, because Elaine had said that Bruce was leaving for a trip requested by Alistair. There must have been something that made him postpone the match. I was hoping it wouldn't be anything serious.