Dark Matter: SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

by Jessica Loft

  “Ye think I didna know?” She asked. “Sure, it took me a minute to put te pieces together but once I did it was as clear as day.”

  “Why didn’t ye say anytin’?” Lizbeth asked, still shocked.

  “Because, luv, I know ye. I know ye be a strong lass with a level head on ye shoulders. And I know that if ye gave ye heart to a man that he surely deserved it.” She finished packing her best dress and clean undergarments, and then came over to grasp her daughter’s hands.

  “I can only imagine how frightened ye must be te see him again. But keep in mind, wit everythin’ he’s been dealin’ with, there’s surely a reason why he hasn’t reached out to ye yet. Meeting him at te castle will be te best thing for ye. I promise.”

  Lizbeth took in a deep breath, and released it as she nodded her head. Together they set about getting ready for their trip and as promised, they were ready to depart with Thistle’s brood. Ready or not, it was time to see Beaste again.

  ~

  An hour after they left, old Man Shamus came to check up on the animals as promised. To his surprise, he found a falcon sitting calmly on the post with a piece of parchment tied to its leg. Shamus unwrapped it, and read the note.

  My Dearest Lizbeth,

  How long I have wanted to write this letter you will never know, but it fills my heart with joy to finally lay out these words. My love, my father has finally passed on. After my disappearance I am sure that you have pieced together that I am the last surviving son of Alan O’Clancy, the very man who your father had battled. I have no doubt that you were confused and felt betrayed, but I assure you, my intentions for you and this land are nothing but pure.

  Now that my father is gone, I have called for a signing of a peace treaty in which the rebel clan leaders and I pledge our alliance together to fight the greater evil that is England. I beg of you to please come to the castle for the signing. To see your father alive and well, I know how you worried. And, selfishly, to see me. I have missed you so every day, and I long to hold you in my arms once again.

  I hope to see you soon, my Love.

  Yours Eternally,

  Beaste.

  CHAPTER 7

  Beaste grit his teeth as the long broadsword came swinging down on him. The clash of metal on his own sword sent a ringing vibration up his arm, but he steeled himself against it and pushed with all his might forwards. The sword lifted up and away from and he took a few steps back to prepare himself for Angus’s next blow. His friend smiled devilishly at him and came at him again with his next move.

  He had not heard back from Lizbeth since he had sent his letter, but the day of the signing of the peace treaty had come, and he was more nervous than a chicken laying an egg for the first time. To take his mind off it Angus had dragged him to the training circle and put a sword in his hand. To his surprise and relief, it worked. The poor Beaste had been more nervous about her coming than the actual signing of the peace treaty ever since he sent her the letter.

  From the doorway a young boy entered, looking like a tiny version of Angus. Beaste called a halt to the training and walked over to the boy.

  “It’s time, sire,” he said, his voice full of youth. “Te rebels have arrived and will be waitin’ for ye in te great hall.

  “Excellent,” Beaste praised, ruffling the boys already messy hair. “Tell them we’ll be on our way shortly.”

  The little boy nodded his head and took off at a jog to repeat the message. With no more waiting to do, Beaste climbed the stairs to his rooms, quickly bathed and dressed in his family’s traditional tartan and kilt, as all of the leaders would be. By the time he was ready, Angus had accomplished the same feat and met him outside his chamber doors.

  “I can’t believe it,” Angus said, cracking his knuckles as they made their way down the staircase that lead to the great hall where everyone was waiting for them. “After ye father’s reign of terror, we’re actually goin te have peace among te clans.”

  Beaste nodded his head in agreement, but his eyes were on the sea of people below them. Hundreds of all stations had turned up for the signing of the peace treaty. How was he going to find Lizbeth in the crowd when his heart jumped into his throat every time he saw a young woman with red hair?

  At the base of the stairs, Beaste was greeted warmly by everyone. He was being considered highly to most that attended, and he felt good about that. After all, he had wanted peace just as much as they all did. Angus was as usual a fantastic ambassador, somehow knowing everyone’s first name and the clan they belonged to.

  “Ah, me lord, this be Rob McFarland,” Angus said, introducing Beaste to the giant man with the bright red beard and matching hair. Beaste felt his heart still as he shook hands with the great man. He knew that Rob was Lizbeth’s father, and that-

  “Beaste?”

  Her beautiful voice rang in his ears like a perfect song, and Beaste completely forgot about the man’s hand he was shaking. Behind the giant man stood his love, more beautiful than ever, and to his surprise, rounder than ever.

  “Ye know each other?’ Rob asked, confused, looking between his daughter and his new alliance.

  Merida cleared her throat and took her husband’s arm. “Come me love, we have a few minutes before this ceremony starts and I could use a wee bit o’ ale te calm me stomach from the journey.” Merida led her husband away from the young couple, and winked at them over her shoulder.

  For a moment Beaste had no idea what to do. He had dreamed of her, night and day, and she was actually here. His palms twitched to touch her once again, his lips pleaded to tell her everything he felt. He needed her to know that she hadn’t left his mind for a single second.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered at last. To his surprise, a look of relief crossed over Lizbeth’s face and tears began to well up. Nervousness completely gone, Beaste pulled her into his arms and kissed her with every drop of passion he had saved for her, onlookers be damned. Lizbeth melted into his arms like warm butter, and he vowed now and then to never leave her side again.

  “Why te tears love?” He asked, wiping them away gently. He pulled her away from the center of the room and towards the kitchens for more privacy. She explained how she had no idea what to expect by coming, and that she had prepared to have her heartbroken twice. When he asked about his letter, she looked utterly confused.

  “What letter?” She asked.

  Beaste shook his head, not wanting to dwell on it. “It doesn’t matter now,” he told her. “What matters is that we’re together, finally, and…and, ye with child!”

  Lizbeth laughed through her tears and nodded her head. “Aye. For te longest time I thought it would be the only piece I would ever have left of ye.”

  Shame, embarrassment, and anger flowed through Beaste as he thought of all of the heartache and turmoil he had put Lizbeth through. The woman had saved his life, given him his heart, and he did nothing but abandon her after putting a babe in her belly.

  The great bell in the hall began to ring, and all grew silent. It was time to sign the peace treaty, and though Beaste found Lizbeth far more important, he knew he had a duty to his people to fulfill. He quickly picked up her hand and placed a warm kiss there.

  “We will continue this as soon as possible,” he promised. Still having a hold of her hand, he guided them through the hall and towards the giant table, where the three rebel leaders had gathered and were waiting for Beaste. Rob gave his daughter a ‘ye mother told me everythin’ and we’re going to talk about this later’ look as she went to stand behind him with her mother.

  “Friends, Clansmen, welcome,” Beaste began. “We are gathered here today to sign a treaty of peace that will cease fighting and bind all the clans together. As we end a reign of terror with the death of a tyrant, I hope to bring in a new wave of peace among us, so that we all stand together against the English and save our land!”

  A roar of cheers and applause went up throughout the hall. The leaders of the rebels all stood tall and proud,
except for the old Herrin, who had his arms crossed angrily over his chest. Something about his stance put Rob on edge, and he took a small step towards him. Beaste went on with his speech about the need for unity and strength, but Rob had completely tuned him out. Instead, his focus switched completely to Herrin, who had started to move his left shoulder just a little bit at a time.

  Before entering the castle the guards had checked everyone for weapons. There was to be none at the ceremony as a sign of good faith for all of the clans. Yet, Rob couldn’t help but wonder if the old man had somehow snuck something in? Herrin continued to wiggle his left arm a little at a time for a solid minute before Rob actually saw the glint of steel through the man’s tartan.

  “And now, without further to say, we sign the treaty…” As Beaste bent down to sign the scroll Herrin moved like lightning, ripping the dagger out of its hiding place and lifting it high in the air to delve into the back of the man that was trying to end the fighting.

  “Noooo!” Rob exclaimed, lunging towards the old man. His heavy body slammed into the frail frame like a boulder, and took Herrin to the floor. Like a snake, he hissed and writhed under rob, trying frantically to get free. Screams filled the hall as the two men struggled for power of the dagger. For an old man Herrin had surprising strength, and was able to get loose the blade from Rob’s fist and slide it high into the left side of Rob’s chest.

  Lizbeth and Merida screamed as they saw the knife slide in, and they both sprung into action. With her riding boot Lizbeth delivered a swift kick to man’s crooked nose, making blood explode out of it like a faucet. He yelped in pain and tried to get away, but the weight of Rob’s unconscious body held him trapped as the mother and daughter continued to reign holy hell down up on him.

  ~

  Several Hours Later

  “How do ye feel, da?” Lizbeth asked, holding a cool compress to his forehead. It was at least an hour before Rob regained consciousness, and he was quite surprised to find out how much he missed after being stabbed. The knife, the doctor told him, had missed his heart by only a couple inches. He would be sore for several weeks and wouldn’t be able to use his left arm for lifting, but he would indeed live.

  “Like I’ve been stabbed,” he rasped with a laugh.

  Beaste appeared beside Lizbeth, his hand resting in a very familiar way on his daughter’s lower back. “That’s two people in your family now that I owe my life to now, Rob,” he said. “Thank you for stopping him.”

  Rob grunted, not quite sure how to handle the man that had stolen his daughter’s-um, heart.

  “What happened to the treaty?” Rob whispered.

  “We will sign it now, just you, me, and Aaron. Herrin and his clan have been exiled to the wood, with threat of death hangin’ over te heads if tey try te break through.”

  A minute later Rob, Aaron, and Beaste all signed the peace treaty in the privacy of their secure room. Rob signing by leaning over the edge of the bed. Together they knew their pact would unite the forces strongest and together they would stand against their greater enemy to fight for their freedom. After a round of toasts Aaron left the family to themselves to go join the party. He wasn’t quite sure what was going on but he was assuming it had something to do with Lizbeth’s ripe belly.

  “So, ye be te man that broke me daughter’s heart,” Rob said, breaking the awkward silence.

  “Aye,” Beaste answered truthfully. “But I swear to my mother’s grave, bless her soul, that I never wanted te hurt her.” He held out his hand and instead of just grabbing hers, he waited for her to take his.

  “We got few precious weeks together before we were torn apart,” he went on, “but from the very moment I saw her I knew that she was someone special. I know that we have much te discuss, te figure out, and I ask not just for her forgiveness, but ye entire family’s.”

  Merida grabbed her husband’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He looked away from Beaste and up at her. She was as beautiful as ever, and the love they shared was pouring into him then just as it had on the very first day they met. If he could find love like that, then so could his daughter.

  “If ye break her heart again I’ll break ye legs,” Rob warned. Lizbeth smiled and leaned down to kiss her father’s cheek, and Beaste chuckled as he shook his hand.

  “Now go. Ye two have a lot te talk about and me and ye mother need alone time,” Rob instructed.

  CHAPTER 8

  One Year Later

  Lizbeth yawned and stretched lazily, her nude body grazing softly over the warm furs piled on the bed. Beside her, Beaste reached out and pulled her body close to his. It was early morning and the babe had not yet woken from her slumber. Turning her head, Lizbeth’s lips found Beaste’s, and they shared a morning kiss. She gasped when she found his hard shaft pressed tight against her bum, and she wiggled her hips in a wicked fashion.

  Their months of torment seemed to be centuries past, and they had settled well into their new life. Lizbeth found that she did indeed enjoy the sexual pleasures of her husband, and more often than not they spent late mornings together wrapped in one another under their blankets.

  Beaste bit softly into Lizbeth’s shoulder as he slid himself into her warm, wet passage, and they both sighed in relief at the pleasure of being united once again. Together they moved their bodies in a perfect fashion, undulating into one another in erotic pleasure. “Don’t stop,” Lizbeth gasped, her orgasm close. When she came her entire body trembled and clenched, bringing her love to his end shortly after own.

  “Do you think we woke the baby?” Lizbeth whispered under the covers. Beaste smiled at her and shook his head. He knew his little Liz would make herself known the moment she was awake. Beaste kissed his wife long and slow, taking the moment to appreciate the love that they had shared together.

  After the signing of the peace treaty they had gotten married. It was a beautiful ceremony held outside on the castle grounds, mixed with old religion and the new. Then, a short two weeks later they had welcomed baby Liz into the world, surrounding her with warmth and love, as all parents should. Rob had been named second in command of all of the clans, and together he and Beaste made sure peace remained steady through all of Scotland.

  Herrin’s clans, much like the tales of the wisps, disappeared completely into the woods and were never seen again by a Scot or an Englishman. Tales of magic and sorcery sprouted from the disappearance act but no one made a move to actually go looking for them. Somehow they all knew that only trouble would follow such an act.

  Beaste thought of all of these changes as he held Lizbeth close to him, knowing the change between them had been the most important one of all. If he had stumbled in the opposite direction after getting stabbed, if he had rebelled and not fought at all, he would have never met the love of his life and they would have never had their beautiful daughter. Who would, no doubt, grow up to be strong, and brave, and good like both of her parents.

  “What’s goin’ on in that head of yours?” Lizbeth asked, tracing her fingertips over Beaste’s forehead. She always knew when his mind was somewhere else.

  He smiled, and kissed her again. There would never be a time where he grew tired of kissing her. “Just about you, and everythin’ we went through te get here. I love ye so much, lass. More than ye’ll ever know.”

  “Och, I think I’ve got a pretty close idea,” she teased back. They both heard the sounds of cooing from outside the covers and knew their love was awake. Liz, taking after mother, had soft, milky skin and bright red hair with emerald eyes. She was considered, by all, the child of peace, and was adored by every Scot.

  “Come my love,” Lizbeth cooed. She wrapped a robe around herself and picked up her happy baby. Together the three of them walked outside onto the balcony to greet the day.

  One day they knew that the peacefulness would be gone, and England would strike again. But that day had not yet come, and both Beaste and Lizbeth were determined to not let a single day pass where there wasn’t love and hap
piness to be shared by all.