“Hello,” came a tiny voice from the counter. Deidre looked down and smiled at the little girl, her blonde curls hidden under a red hat.
“Hello and what can I do for you?” Deidre asked setting down her saucer and leaning forward to get a better look at the child. Strange she had none of her parent’s looks.
“Nothing, I was just saying hello, do you work here?” Belle asked scrunching up her nose and standing on her tip toes.
“Yes, I own the shop,” answered Deidre merrily, the little child was not unalike a grown up woman she thought.
“Oh, so you can eat all the sweets you want?” Belle asked slightly jealous at such a privilege.
“Well no actually, I like the rest have to pay but sometimes,” she began to whisper noticing Belle leaning forward intently, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. “Sometimes I quickly pop one sweet into my mouth when no one is looking,” she confessed folding her arms in mischief. Belle’s mouth curved into an o and she sighed.
“Is that not stealing?” she enquired firmly trying to look as grown up as possible.
“Not if you pay for it later,” argued Deidre because in all honesty she did pay for any sweets she happened to indulge in.
“Oh that’s good, it’s bad to steal,” Belle replied bluntly. Deidre let her head fall backwards as she laughed out loud, causing Belle to smile and frown in confusion.
“Would you like a sweet dear?” Deidre asked the child who at once beamed brightly and nodded violently.
“Oh yes please,” she drooled watching the old lady get up from her seat and make her way around the counter to her holding out a frail hand.
“Come with me then,” she winked guiding Belle around the shop and showing her all the different sweets.
“You know this is really such a tease,” Eveline moaned gazing at a beautifully wrapped box of fudge dying inside with fudge envy.
“Hmm I know what you mean,” groaned Galean his eyes on the same box.
“I forgot my purse,” sighed Eveline picking up the box and turning it about in her hand. Galean held Eveline close to him as they admired the beautifully wrapped fudge. Eveline emerged herself in the beauty of the moment and the shop, everything was magical and warm in Hardy’s. For a silly moment she imagined this must be what it was like to be married with a family and in that silly moment she felt a warm fire spread throughout her covering the weakness and pain.
“Look!” Belle cried happily pulling at Galean’s coat. Eveline and Galean both looked down at Belle, who held up a red lollipop in her hand.
“Belle you must put that back,” ordered Eveline gently smiling across at Galean, who rolled his eyes.
“Deidre let me have it,” Belle retorted holding onto her lollipop tightly, pressing it to her coat. Eveline turned to the counter and was just about to ask the little old lady if this was correct but was met with a wide smile.
“Thank you very much.”
“Twas no problem dear, she is a pet your daughter.” Deidre answered happily waving at Belle, who left Eveline and Galean and made her way to the counter, resting her chin upon it and delving into a discussion.
“That was very kind,” Eveline murmured to Galean who was rummaging in his coat pocket.
“Yes, you sound surprised,” he teased bringing her over to the counter.
“Well, you know what I mean,” Eveline blushed bending down to kiss Belle’s head tenderly.
“Can I keep this in your pocket?” Belle asked, holding up her lollipop.
“Off course you can,” Eveline replied taking the lollipop and putting it into her pocket.
“Belle why don’t you show Eveline Santa,” Galean requested letting go of Eveline’s arm.
“Oh yes! Come on,” beamed Belle taking Eveline’s hand and practically pulling her to the window display.
“Your wife is lovely,” Deidre commented looking up at Galean, slightly taken back by his intensely blue eyes.
“Oh, she is just my friend,” Galean replied kindly placing a box of fudge onto the counter and handing her a sovereign.
“Not your wife!” gasped Deidre in surprise, letting Galean drop the sovereign into her frail hand.
“You sound disappointed,” Galean laughed putting the box inside his coat pocket.
“Well I have seen many loving couples in my time and you both seem to be the same,” Deidre replied popping the money into the till.
“I don’t know what to say,” muttered Galean his face warming slightly.
“Well maybe in the future you will come back as man and wife,” Deidre commented slyly avoiding his vivid blue gaze.
“I had a wife and daughter, I don’t intend on another family,” Galean replied bluntly putting on his hat.
“Oh I didn’t mean to offend you sir, it’s just you all..,” she let her gaze roam to the window display where Eveline and Belle were talking in an animated manner touching the Santa prop. “You seem like such a lovely, tight and loving unit.”
“Yes, well we are,” answered Galean also gazing at the pair now giggling out loud.
“I hope you have a merry Christmas,” Deidre replied as Galean went to meet the pair.
“And you,” Galean smiled. Belle, Eveline and Galean opened the door and waved their goodbyes and made their way down the busy street once more. Beside Nicholas Wyldes Jewellers were a choir of carol singers singing A Tender Shoot, a carol well known and loved by Eveline, written by Otto Goldschmidt. Opposite the choir, Galean eyed a shop selling trees and left Eveline and Belle to watch the choir while he dashed over and picked one up.
“I have never been to church at Christmas,” noted Belle, staring on at the young children, wrapped up in warm coats. Eveline looked down at Belle in surprise.
“How can that be?” she asked a little shocked.
“Mama and papa don’t really go to church, we go to the park instead,” Belle replied innocently.
“But you know the story of Christmas?” Eveline quizzed bending down and taking Belle up into her arms. Belle titled back her hat and looked into Eveline’s golden eyes and nodded.
“Off course I do, grandma told me,” she whispered turning her gaze back to the choir who were now singing the Sussex carol.
“Well good, would you like to come with me to a Christmas carol at the Bath Abbey?” Eveline asked holding Belle close to her, both of their faces touching lightly.
“Oh I would love that very much,” beamed Belle kissing Eveline on the cheek gently. Eveline laughed gently as Belle kissed her and hardly noticed Galean’s return until Belle squealed in excitement. “A tree!” she cried aloud, “a real tree!”
“Yes!” smiled Galean holding an eight foot tree on his shoulder. Eveline turned to Galean and frowned slightly.
“Are you sure you can carry that home?” she asked concerned.
“Are you doubting my strength?” Galean teased lifting the tree into the air proving his point.
“Well no but still are you quite sure?” blushed Eveline.
“Yes dear I am quite sure of my strength,” laughed Galean taking her arm in his own. “Come we should head back now, we have been out long enough.”
“Okay,” stammered Eveline, hoping Galean hadn’t noticed her flushed cheeks. The journey home was cold but merry. Galean, Eveline noticed had no problem balancing the tree on his shoulder whilst guiding her by the arm. The sky drew dark and the street lamps were being lit as they neared home. Belle and Galean sang some carols as Eveline kept an eye out on the pedestrians that passed them by. If anyone had followed them, they were well hidden. The trio arrived home covered in a light dusting of snow. Galean leaned the tree against the outside wall and shook off the snow. Belle ran into the kitchen and up the stairs to find Estelle to tell her all about her day whilst Eveline stood near the aga and warmed her hands. Hannah was nowhere to be seen, she must have been attending to Mary thought Eveline as she took off her gloves, hat and scarf setting them on the oak table.
“Oh it’s lovely and warm,
” shivered Galean his teeth chattering heavily. Quickly he closed the heavy door behind him and shrugged off his coat.
“Come and warm your hands before you freeze to death,” ordered Eveline.
“That would be hard to achieve,” chuckled Galean inwardly.
“Pardon?” replied Eveline confused.
“Oh don’t listen to me,” smiled Galean draping his coat across a chair and making his way to the aga, letting his hands hover above it. Eveline frowned at Galean but kept quiet as she let the warmth cover her skin. “So I had an idea today and ran it by Hannah,” Galean revealed.
“Oh what is it?” enquired Eveline trying to avoid physical contact with the ever dominant Galean, whose tall and strong body seemed to fill the kitchen.
“Well seeing as though Belle cannot go to the ball tomorrow evening I thought we could stage a small ball in her honour this evening,” he chimed proudly.
“That’s not such a bad idea Galean, I actually had the same idea this morning. When and where shall it occur?” smiled Eveline knowing Belle would be enchanted.
“The music room at supper time,” answered Galean moving away from the aga and collecting his coat from the chair. “So get some rest and I will see you later.”
*
Eveline retired to her room, exhausted but her spirits lifted by the afternoons walk. As she took off her shoes and jumped into her bed she realised how bizarre the day had been, the morning had been awful and her dark encounter with Mary made her shiver violently. Covering her body with the duvet she let her eyes close drifting into a sudden and familiar darkness. Eveline found herself under water, dark and terrible. Her chest burned with the need to breathe, and she violently flung her arms about, kicking her legs trying to swim to the surface. With each stroke she ascended and with a sudden lunge forward her hand shot out of the stormy waters. Eveline opened her lungs hungrily feeding them with oxygen as she raised her head above the water crying. The water was cold and choppy as she tried to float against the currents. Turning about she looked for land haphazardly. To her left she noticed a fire burning and a group of people waving out to her, beckoning her forward.
Eveline swam towards the shore, her lungs pained and aching, her legs tired and limp. Coughing wildly she swam towards the shore, falling under the surface with exhaustion. Eveline watched as she fell deeper and deeper into darkness. Closing her eyes she cried inwardly at the struggle. Time stood still as she waited for death to take her, but instead of slipping into deaths hands she was hauled to the surface by a strong body.
“Hold on to me!” cried the woman wrapping Eveline’s arms about her neck and swimming to the shore. Eveline held on for dear life, disorientated and weak. The tall woman dragged Eveline onto the sand falling down to her side and turning her onto her side. “Can you hear me?” the woman asked urgently, “Nod if you can hear me,” she ordered. Eveline weakly nodded and heard a sigh of relief. Eveline dropped in and out of consciousness as people brought her toward the fire. Eveline felt the heat of the fire on her skin as the strangers dried her down and covered her in blankets. For a while she simply waited for silence and stillness.
“Can you talk?” the familiar voice of the woman asked gently. Eveline opened her eyes and looked up into the face of a beautiful woman with short black hair and green eyes. The woman smiled down at her whilst helping her up into a sitting position. “I am Mathilda and you are Celestine?” she asked quickly. Eveline looked on at the fire, noticing a few strangers sitting around it staring at her in awe.
“I..,” Eveline spluttered, “I am Eveline.”
“You are Celestine,” Mathilda demanded gently. “You have come to aid us.”
“No, I don’t know where I am,” cried Eveline, looking around wildly at her surroundings. Where was she? Why were these strangers dressed like warriors?
“Hush you are weary and weak you must rest, Aabe will feed you some broth, only take sips,” Mathilda ordered motioning a young warrior to her side. Eveline looked at the young man with long brown hair and brown eyes. Aabe brought a wooden bowl of broth with him as he gently sat beside Eveline smiling shyly.
“Your grace,” he bowed. Eveline could not answer the warrior who held up a wooden spoon of broth to her. Weakly she opened her mouth and let the warm broth slide down her throat warming all the muscles along the way. For some time everyone sat in silence as Eveline regained a little of her strength, using the time as a means of observing the faces of the young people, who sat gawking at her like she was a God. Eveline felt slightly uncomfortable as she felt her body warm and respond to the broth.
“Who are you all?” she asked, her throat raw and sore. Mathilda looked across at Eveline curiously.
“We are your guides,” she replied motioning to the other four warriors, “we are here to guide you to Calhuni.”
“Calhuni? Where is that?” Eveline asked confused.
“Calhuni is an ancient garden it is where the High Kings and Queens of old were crowned, it is where you will be crowned.” Mathilda replied wrapping a fur cloak about her.
“But why am I going there?” Eveline responded eyeing up Mathilda’s heavy sword that lay in the sand at her feet.
“You are our Queen, you must be crowned by Heiden your grandfather,” Mathilda replied bluntly, the flames of the fire illuminating her eyes. Eveline choked on her broth, frowning at Mathilda.
“No, no I am Eveline,” she cried looking around for help and understanding but only finding confused faces. To the side of the group lay what looked like a body, covered in fur. “Who is that?” she asked suddenly, feeling a strange connection to the person who lay under the fur. Aabe lay a hand upon her shoulder causing her to turn to him, frightened.
“We found him with you,” Aabe answered gently, his brown eyes gentle but firm.
“With me?” Eveline whispered anxiously.
“Yes, he was with you in the water but he was gone, we could not save him,” explained Aabe getting up and holding out his hand to her. Eveline carefully arose to her feet, keeping the furs close to her body as she followed Aabe.
“Aabe it is too soon,” cautioned Mathilda coming to their side before the limp and lifeless body. With each breath Eveline feared it would be him and stood still as Aabe drew back the fur cloak revealing the lifeless body of Theodore.
“No!” whispered Eveline, “No!” she cried out loud falling to her knees. Salted tears fell from her eyes and she crawled to his side bending down over his face. Mathilda and Aabe stepped back quietly as Eveline cradled Theodores head in her lap crying loudly. Gently she lowered her head and kissed his lips, cold as stone. Searching she found his right hand and brought it to her lips kissing it fervently, noticing a gold band on his forth finger. Dropping her own right hand before her she noticed a gold band on her own wedding finger. Eveline’s heart stopped as she bent over Theodore, her husband. As she cried she heard the cries of the warriors behind her and turned her head to see what was happening. Arrows of fire were being aimed at the warriors from the forest. Mathilda quickly lifted her sword, killed the fire and made her way to Eveline.
“Celestine we must leave now, they have found us, we must go,” she cried hauling Eveline to her feet and forcing her away from Theodore.
“No, no please don’t leave him, please!” begged Eveline as she was being forced over to a horse being kept in place by Aabe who then jumped up onto his own black stallion waiting for his leader and Eveline to move.
“I’m sorry I hope you can forgive me,” shouted Mathilda turning round to see a group of invaders running towards her. With a harsh roughness, Mathilda lifted Eveline onto the horse and jumped up behind her. Aabe lightly tapped the horse’s hind and it bolted into a gallop, heading straight for the forest, following the other warriors, who were shooting arrows at their enemies whilst riding. Eveline cried in anger as she held onto Mathilda who was leading her horse into the forest winding her way around the large and formidable trees. Amongst the chaos, Eveline closed her eyes t
ightly, her body aching as the horse sped through the heavy forest. Darkness took Eveline.
“Eveline,” a familiar voice whispered into her ear, “Eveline can you hear me?”
Eveline cried deeply, “Theodore?”
“Eveline it’s me, Eveline I’m here,” whispered Theodore willing her to open her eyes, “it’s alright Eveline it was just a bad dream.”
“I can’t open my eyes,” she cried feeling for him and finding his chest with her hands. Sitting up she wrapped herself in Theodore sobbing.
“Are you real?” she asked weakly, “You aren’t going to leave me?” she begged.
“No Eveline I’m back I’m not ever leaving you again,” Theodore promised stroking her locks of hair letting her cry into his shirt.
“You died,” she whispered into his linen shirt, “you died,” she repeated again and again, “they couldn’t save you,” she stammered, “they took me from you, I’m sorry,” she cried quietly.
“Eveline, I’m not dead, I’m alive, I’m here, open your eyes,” commanded Theodore gently. Theodore had returned to Bath in the morning and after a meeting with his friends, he made his way to Eveline. Meeting Galean in the red room, he told him about his trip in London before asking him where Eveline was. Galean quietly told Theodore that Eveline was asleep. Estelle and Belle were in the music room playing on the piano happily. Theodore quickly popped his head into the room and bade them hello. Belle jumped down from the piano and cautiously made her way toward him holding out her hand.
One Crown & Two Thrones: The Guardians Page 19