“Tis Ewan.”
“Well hello, Ewan, my name is Addie. I would love to help you spell your name. And we can make it fun, so you will never forget.” I smile, and as he sees the promise in my eyes, he nods and picks up his pencil.
“Alright Ewan. Let’s start with the E. First off, can you pronounce the letter ‘E’?” The little boy, with all his might, pronounces the vowel. “Great! That’s great. Now, can you tell me anything that starts with the letter ‘E’?”
“Me! I do.” At that, I laugh. “You sure do, kiddo. Alright, well let’s get started. If I was a stick, and I needed to stand super tall, what would I look like?” He seems puzzled, but shortly figures it out.
“I would be a line. Like this.” He draws a straight vertical line for the base.
“Fantastic! Now, an E has three branches. It needs one on the bottom to hold the tree up. One in the middle to balance, and one on top so if anyone wants to climb up, they will be so so tall! So where would the branches on your E-Tree go?”
His eagerness warms me. He starts at the bottom, just as I said, drawing a line. He makes it to the middle and once he is done with the top branch, he has a perfect uppercase E. “You did it Ewan! You drew an E. Now whenever you think about the first letter in your name, you will think of the tree.” I smile. His eyes light up and he turns to me. Then he tackles me off my chair.
We are both now laying on the floor, laughing as little Ewan thanks me over and over. “Oh my goodness, is everything okay?” I peek over the boy to see Maria and Locke standing over us, a look of concern covering both their faces.
“Ms. Maria, Addie taught me how to spell E! She did it! I can do it now!” The little boy squeals as he hugs me tighter.
“Ewan, I only taught you how to write one letter,” I remind him. This would all be worth it if we got the whole name down.
“But he has never even written the first one. He has word blindness, so his mind has trouble processing. We have been at this for months. This is the first time he has done it.” Maria looks astonished, almost in tears with happiness. I, on the other hand, am. I look at the little boy who has his whole life to strive. “Thank ye,” he says softly.
“How about you thank me after we get your whole name down, huh?” He nods his head and jumps off me. Locke helps me up and before he has a chance to say anything, Ewan grabs my hand, tugging me back to my chair.
“Sorry, Locke, she’s mine. Ye have to get yer own princess.”
“How are ye fairing so far?” Locke asks, assessing my current mood.
“Oh, just great. This is wonderful! Did you see the little girl, Olivia? She is so smart! She says she is going to be an animal surgeon when she grows up. Little does she know, she can be something so much bigger! She can be anything she wants to be. And did you see Benjamin? He wants to be a builder. Which is totally possible, because they have so many architecture schools now and with all the latest books and technology… These kids, they have dreams that are so doable!” I stumble over my own tongue, excited for the children.
“Well. I think ye made a great impression on them,” he replies, that unfamiliar smile still on his face.
Without thought, I jump into his arms, giving him the biggest hug I can. I pull away, still smiling, “Thank you, Locke, for today. It was really amazing. I really needed something good to come out of this horrible experience.” I regret my words instantly. Dammit. A moment that was building between us, is now suddenly gone.
“Yes, well we should be going.” He doesn’t stick around to allow me time to fix what I said. He turns quickly, instructing the stable boys to gather our horses. We ride back, conversation slim to none. He seems deep in thought, and anytime I ask a question just to radiate an exchange of words between us, his answers are short with no emotion. Without conversation, the weight of the day hits me. I have been fighting tooth and nail with my eyelids to stay open, but every few seconds, I lose and my head bobs forward. It’s during bob number three, maybe five, that Locke’s voice startles me awake.
“Stop yer horse.”
“Hmm? What? Why, are we lost?” I shake my brain awake. He stops his horse and grabs for my reins, pulling my horse closer to his. “No, ye are falling asleep. It does not bode well if I bring back the horse with no princess on top of it. Ye will ride with me, so I can make sure ye don’t fall off.”
“Like, as in, on the same horse?”
“No, on a different horse. Yes, on the same horse.” He throws my banter back at me. He sticks out his hand for me to take. Still feeling a bit unsure, I reach out and our hands connect. Something happens in that moment. A feeling I’m not familiar with. As if electricity just shot up my arm and warmed my entire body. I look at Locke and I know he felt it too, because his eyes are blazing.
“Sooner would be better than later here,” he says, breaking the moment. I pretend I didn’t just feel a blast of electricity from his touch, and I allow him to guide me off my horse and onto his.
“Lift up yer dress and raise yer leg over. That’s it.” Now straddling the horse, feeling Locke’s body pressed behind mine, I know one thing is for certain, I will have no problem falling asleep. Because the feel of his body this close to mine is sending electronic volts of lightening to my brain and lower region.
It’s when we start moving that I pass right out.
I wake up while we are dislodging the horse. Locke has managed to dismount and still cradle me in his arms. It’s when we enter the castle that I open an eye. “Are we home?” I whisper, my voice groggy.
“Yes, Princess, we’re home.” He holds me tighter to his chest as he carries me through the corridor.
“I can walk; you don’t have to carry me.” I say, as I snuggle more into his shirt and inhale his scent. It’s then I fall back asleep.
I wake again, when I hear the sound of Ellie as we enter my room. “Oh dear, is she alright?”
“Shh. Quiet now. She is fine. Just tired. I am going to lay her in her bed. Please have something set up for her in case she wakes and is hungry.”
“Yes, right away, Sir.” I hear her feet patter across the wooden floor and out the door. Locke walks toward my bed and gently places me down, bringing the cover up and over me. I turn to my side, facing him.
“Good night, Princess,” the softness of his voice warming me. Snuggling farther into the warm blanket, I want to ask him to stay. To hold me. To make me feel safe. But I don’t.
“Goodnight, my prince.” And with that, I allow myself back into sleep.
As I begin to wake, I wonder what time it is. My eyelids don’t detect sun, so it has to be early. Opening my eyes to investigate, I jump, head butting Ellie. “Jesus, what the heck are you doing?!” I yell as we both cradle our foreheads.
“I was waiting for ye to wake. Ye are being beckoned again. I must have ye ready before morning ends.
“By who?” I ask.
“By Sir Locke, Miss.”
Again? I thought after yesterday and the way he shut down on me, he would want nothing to do with me. I take a second to remember his gentleness last night. The way he smiled unexpectedly throughout the day; the alluring scent of him. Yum. Sooo much yum. I throw my blankets off me, being more careful this time, and pop off the bed.
“Well, I guess if he is beckoning I should probably get ready.” I try not to act excited. I hate this place, so I speed walk, instead of run, to the bathroom and go through my morning routine.
“Sir Locke told me to let ye know this is another town’s visit. He does not want ye mistaken like yesterday.” A little slump of the shoulders at her clarification, but I get over it quickly. I don’t plan on staying here much longer, but until I find a way home, I might as well learn a little bit more about my dad’s hometown. Yep, that’s what we are chalking this up as.
Dressed and ready to go, I hear the knock on the door. I take a deep breath, and without looking too eager, I ask Ellie to get the door. It’s when she does and the man who walks through the door, that my s
tomach does that funny thing again. Locke stands tall, looking casual in a pair of brown pants and a loose white shirt. His hands are once again in his pockets, his face unreadable.
“I see ye are ready. We need to get going, or we will miss the show.”
“Show? What show?” I ask, my ears perking up.
“Ye will have to wait and see.”
Ugh, a man of few words. He holds the door for me then escorts me, just like yesterday, through the corridor to the entrance of the castle. It’s then I notice only one horse. He sees the questionable look on my face.
“I figured it would be best. I imagine the day will be long, so we will ride together. That way, I don’t have to worry about ye taking a nosedive off poor Cherry.” With a wink and a smile that leaves me breathless we start our next journey.
Day two with Locke was just as amazing as day one. We traveled to a small village, and Locke introduced me to the head horseman, Silvio. He was in charge of breeding all the livestock from the surrounding villages. He also trained horses. When Locke said we were to see a show, boy did we. Locke took me to an arena of sorts, and Silvio and an army of other villagers performed what he explained was a game of jousting. As I watched in amazement, the men galloped at high speed right toward one another and struck with such an impact, their long swords clashing together. Locke explained it was considered a martial art of their time. I felt like I was at the real life Mediaeval Times and I didn’t even have to pay extra to sit with the winning team!
The day turned into night, and before I knew it, just like last night, Locke was carrying me to my bedroom and gently laying me down to bed.
By day three I don’t need assistance waking. I am up and ready before the knock on the door even sounds. I open it instantly, shocking Locke. “Ready?” I pounce, almost mauling him as I race out of the door.
“I will take this as a good sign, then?”
“That what?” I turn, giving him the hurry up look.
“That ye haven’t gotten sick of me yet?”
“What? No way. What do you have planned for us today? Are we going to the same town? Does it have anything to do with the kids? The animals?” I’m babbling so fast, I almost miss the opportunity to enjoy when Locke begins to laugh.
“Ah, sweet princess, in due time ye will discover my almighty plans for ye today. But until we get there, it is a surprise.” Surprise? Pfft. “Oh, come on. Just tell me, so we can talk about it before we get there. Is there anything that I need to know? Names? Laws?”
Locke smiles, catching up to me and taking my hand into his. The warmth of his touch ignites everything inside me in an instant. “Be patient. We will be there shortly. And all’s ye need to know is that I will guide ye the entire way.” Our eyes trapped in a moment. One I cannot explain; as always he breaks away first. We head out. One horse, just as the prior day.
The ride starts out silent. I’m trying not to bounce in my seat. The anticipation just might throw me off this horse. It also doesn’t help that every time I get too bouncy, Locke tightens his grip around my waist, pressing our bodies strongly against one another.
“If ye don’t calm down, one of us is going to have to walk the rest of the way.”
“Why?” I turn, worried that I’m annoying him with my excitement.
“Because all this bouncing against me is causing my pants to get very tight. I am not sure I can manage the remainder of the trip if ye keep this up.” My cheeks flush instantly. I accidently look down, checking out the pants in question. Then blush a billion times more, embarrassed that I just peeked at his junk.
“Oh. Sorry.” I twist, quickly facing forward. Scrunching my eyes tightly shut, I try and not make my humiliation obvious, or let him know my heart rate has picked up.
I feel the warmth of his breath hit my ear. “Don’t be shy now, Princess. Consider it a compliment of what a beautiful lady like yerself does to a man.”
Oh, holy boy. I swallow, my whole neck contracting. So not smooth. “Oh yeah, um okay.”
That’s when his hands squeeze just a smidge harder, his thumb strumming my ribcage. My eyes fall shut, focusing on the feel of his touch. His grip slowly slides downward, pressing his hold down my hips at the base where my hipbone meets my thigh. My lips part slightly and without acknowledgment, I lay my head against Locke’s shoulder, allowing his mouth to skim the exposed skin of my neck.
“Addie?” he says my name, so deep and seductively.
“Yes?” I moan.
“We’re here.” My eyes fly open. I look around and notice a small town approaching, people scurrying all over the place, tending to their daily duties. Smoke from the outdoor fires are in full swing, small children running through the main street, kicking a small ball to one another. The closer we get into the town; the townspeople begin to line up outside their homes and storefronts. As we trot through, people wave, smiling brightly at Locke. We stop in front of a larger home, a gentleman, one of stature waiting for us.
“We will stop here,” he says, halting and guiding me off the horse.
“Ahh, Sir Lockelan, it is always a pleasure to have ye visit,” the man addresses Locke. They meet and shake hands. Holding out his hand to me, he pulls me to his side. “Fredrick, I would like to introduce ye to Adeline McAllister, Princess of Wren.” He smiles. Fredrick’s eyes widen a bit, and then smile just the same.
“It is a pleasure, Princess Adeline. I have heard from the winds that ye have been making a grand impression on the neighboring towns and villages. I look forward to yer visit and company today.”
He shocks me a little bit that he has heard about our past few days. I look at Locke, who looks happy, possibly proud. I smile back. “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Fredrick. Locke hasn’t told me what we will be doing today, but I look forward to making a difference any way I can.”
He looks from me to Locke, who shrugs, then back at me. “Sir Locke runs our construction plans in Drumberg. He is responsible for all the improvements of our homes and stores. He brings us new ideas on how to make our structures more sturdy and safe during poor weather. He has decreased our losses, due to natural disasters, immensely in the past years.”
I turn to Locke, surprised. “You’re a laborer?”
“I wouldn’t say that. I just take what I’ve learned on my travels and help the people who need it. Some of them don’t have the resources, so I help them use what they have. Consider it efficiency training.”
This shocks me. Not because of the kindness, but because Locke doesn’t seem like the guy who spends his days working to better things, coming across as the rough dark man that he is.
“Shall we?” he asks, snapping me out of my excitement. I nod and Fredrick leads the way to an open area of land, where Locke and the townspeople discuss possible building structures and more efficient farm fields to hold more crops.
“Locke, thank you. This shall build the space we need for the medical huts for the townspeople. Mary Ellen has been studying her skills and would make a nice nurse to the smaller children.”
Fredrick goes on and on, how Locke’s insight will better the village and how grateful they, once again, are for his knowledge and skill. And with that the entire town went to work to build a better place.
There is something so rewarding with working with your hands. I know I do it a lot serving food, but this is different. I wasn’t strong enough to help with the large beams that were being placed into the ground for the base of the next upcoming cottage. However, while I helped paint and handle smaller projects, I watched as a shirtless Locke work his magic. His muscles stretching with each pole as he lifted, with ease, the weight over his shoulder. His brawny back contracting as he carried the material over to where each pole needed to be placed. I mean, not that I was ogling, but it’s hard not to admire him. And stare. Nothing that good looking can be real. I think about the last three days and how different he has been with me. Gone is the roguish beast that I first met. In his place: a kinder, gentler man who,
hidden behind his tough façade, is actually a selfless man spending his time helping others. As it’s been for the last three days, a fluttering feeling fills my chest, thinking about him. About us. How in some crazy sort of way we would actually make a really great team. Just as those thoughts flow through my mind, Locke turns, catching me staring and winks. And my heart melts.
I want something from him, but I just don’t know what it is. Is it to ask me to stay in the end? For him to tell me he feels at all for me what, if I admitted, I feel for him? And I do feel. God, do I. The way my skin warms when he holds me on our travels back and forth. The way everything he does affects me. I can’t stop reliving the moments where his lips were on mine; his hands roaming my needy flesh. I wake up every morning in a pool of sweat, being ripped away from the dreams in which he takes me fully, demanding that I succumb to him and, in my dream, I do. I beg for him to touch me in places that I would never admit out loud. I dream he holds me at night, whispering the words of love and admiration. God, I sound like a sappy teenager.
I laugh softly to myself at the crazy thoughts. Because they are crazy. No way could I see myself staying here and actually building a life as a princess. With Locke. Again I look at him, standing, wiping sweat off his forehead. Our eyes catch and the most magical thing happens. He smiles and it almost sends me to my knees. I go to lift my arms to wave, when I hear screaming.
“Help! Someone help!” I jolt to my left to see a woman running toward us. Everyone stops, catching sight of the frantic woman. She makes it to me first.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, trying to reach for her but she is completely irrational.
“My son! The children were playing in the armory and it collapsed! My son, he is stuck in there, and there is only one cracked beam holding the roof in place! Ye must hurry. Please! Save my son.” The woman begins running back toward where she came, and I run with her. I don’t think, I just run. I hear Locke shouting my name, but I can’t stop now. We hit the corner and before us is the destruction of the armory.
Unlocking Adeline (Skeleton Key) Page 12