by Terri Pray
She growled against his hand and he pulled it away. “I didn't run off with him.”
“Then what happened?”
“He dragged me off, just as you now have, so let go of me.” She yanked her arm free from his grasp. “There, now, what the hell are you doing? I've got a trial this evening and I don't need this from you, or anyone else for that matter.”
“How dare you— you're mine. You swore to... ”
“I did what? Can you prove it?” Celeste spoke calmly. “Nothing happened, Steven.”
“What?”
“Nothing happened between us, Steven,” she repeated calmly. “I won't change my statement on that. Nor is there anything you can do about it. I've found myself to be a far stronger woman than I ever believed possible. Strong enough to deal with Tearlach, Davien and you, even if it means standing alone for the rest of my life.”
He blinked and stepped back from her. “You two timing whore!”
“Hit me and it will be the last thing you do, I'll make sure that it's well known that you have broken the laws of the island.”
“It will be you that pays for this, not me,” he growled, his hands fisted at his sides.
“Are you so sure about that?” Celeste kept the fear from her voice, though it took her every ounce of strength she still laid claim to. “I'm not... ”
Steven blanched and looked away from her. “I can't believe you're doing this to me.”
“I'm doing this for myself, Steven. Regardless of what you think, or believe, I must look after myself and no one else, else I will be a pawn to the likes of you for the rest of my life. I will make my own choices, and you will respect them.”
The look on his face was priceless.
“I suggest you leave me alone, I intend to get something to eat and prepare myself for the trial. Goodbye, Steven.” She didn't look back at him as she swept past and down the corridor. Nothing was going to stop her this time. She wasn't going to let them push her around.
No. This was her world. Her life. Her choice.
She hadn't lied to Steven, though until she'd spoken she hadn't been certain of what she would do. Now she knew. She'd stand up, speak the truth and deal with what would come.
Where had the strength come from? She wasn't sure and had no one to ask as she headed into the kitchen and settled down at the table. The reception there was an odd one, cold at first, but the staff quickly warmed to her once they realized she hadn't changed.
Fresh cooked meat and bread was placed on the table in front of her, and she smiled, eating quietly. She needed this, the quiet and peace of the kitchen, the warmth offered here away from the formality of the great hall.
“Are you well, lady?” The cook set a large mug of milk down in front of Celeste. “You look pale and drawn, lady. You're shaking as you sit there.”
“It's been a long couple of days, Cook. I'm fine now, or rather I will be once the trial is over.” She took a sip of the milk and then looked at the Cook. “I appreciate the care you've taken of me though, I won't forget it.”
The older woman nodded and turned back to her work.
The simple pleasures of the kitchen were one's that had brought back fond memories for her. It wasn't something she wanted to turn her back on any time soon. Not when she had such a terrible event waiting for her. The trial could be the end of everything she wanted, if it went against her and she knew it.
Chapter Five
“Lady, it grows late. Aren't you wanted for the trial soon?”
Celeste blinked and yanked her head up from the table. “I— I fell asleep?”
“Yes, lady. You've been sleeping most of the day there. I didn't have the heart to wake you, not after everything you'd been through already.” The Cook smiled and placed a glass of brandy in front of her. “Get this down you before you face those brutes.”
“Thank you,” she smiled and sipped the brandy. The fiery liquid scalded a path down her throat leaving her coughing. “God, that's strong!”
“Very, not that smooth weak stuff they serve up in the hall, is it.” The cook smiled and refilled the glass. “Drink a little more.”
“No, I'd best not, I need to have a level head for tonight.”
“Then get a little milk down you, lass. And some cheese. Nothing worse than entering a nasty situation with an empty stomach.” The Cook smiled calmly and replaced the glass with a mug of milk. “Now, do you need help getting ready?”
“No, I should be fine.”
“Still, I'll have one of the gal's walk you back up to your rooms. Not safe you walking around alone before the trial, as I know you understand.”
“Indeed, I don't want to have more trouble rest on my shoulders. Not out of foolishness.” Celeste smiled and pushed to her feet. “Thank you, I appreciate your care.”
“Nothing to thank me for, lass, you've been through the wars. Ere, Maggie, you be a good girl and walk with the lady here. She needs to be watched over for a short while.”
“Yes, mum, understood.” The freckle faced maid smiled and moved to Celeste's side. “Shall we go?”
“Yes, I think so.” She glanced back at the door, then at the maid. “Thank you for this, Maggie, I won't keep you from your duties long.”
The kitchen maid smiled and fell into place with Celeste as the two of them left the kitchen. It hurt, in some respects, that she needed someone walking with her to make sure that she'd be alright, but Celeste had already learned the hard way that she wasn't safe in the castle. Both Steven and Davien had shown, even after she'd been snatched by Tearlach, that they could get to her at any time.
She wasn't safe.
Once the trial was over she'd be back to watching her back at all times unless she could find a way to be safe. No, she didn't need to think about that right now, focus on the trial, on what had happened and what would be said, the rest could wait. It would have to wait.
They climbed the steps together in silence, whatever the maid might have said wasn't shared. Not yet at least.
Nothing more was said until they reached the door to her room and the maid pressed her hand against Celeste's arm. “You're very brave, mam.”
“No, I'm just doing what needs to be done.”
“Not many people would do that. They'd run, or hide, or find a way to avoid such a thing. It's going to be nasty, mam, you know that.”
“Yes, I do. But I don't see another choice. Not with how things are going.” She nodded and looked back down the stairs. “Thank you, for walking me up here, but I'm fine now.”
“Yes, I guess you are.”
Celeste smiled and slipped into her room, closing the door behind her. She glanced around, making sure that no one had followed her into the room, or beaten her into it. Relief washed through her being. She was safe, alone for now but she didn't have long before the trial was due to take place.
Just enough time to get washed and dressed, and presentable, or so it seemed, but it had to be done. Just as she'd told the kitchen maid it had to be done, she needed to face this down.
It didn't take long to prepare herself. She washed her face, brushed her hair and pulled on a clean dress before she braided the long lengths and pinned it up out of the way. She took a long look in the mirror before she turned away. No matter what she did she'd remain pale but for the bruises that still marred her flesh.
Hiding them would have been pointless. They showed she hadn't gone willingly. Didn't they? No, not fully, knowing Tearlach he'd argue that she'd enjoyed it. She had to figure out how to counter that argument.
The answer is an easy one, I know what to say, I just have to stay calm.
Easier said than done with how she felt right now. For all she knew Jamezen was trying to set her up so she'd be an Island slave herself.
Don't think that way, it will make facing the trial all the harder.
Calm, focused, and level headed, that's what she had to be. If she presented any other side of herself, she'd lose before she even opened her mouth.
She took one last look at her reflection in the mirror and then checked the time in the clock that stood in the room. It was time. She had to head down to the great hall. Even now she could hear the guards gathering, ready to deal with any problems caused by the trial. Not that either Tearlach, or herself, had anyone to call on if it all went wrong.
She wiped her hands down and headed for the door, her head raised high, a calm smile painted on her lips. Her fate rested within her own hands for the first time in a long time. It wasn't a chance she was simply going to toss aside.
Celeste barely even looked back as she heard her door close and climbed down the stairs. Each step was harder, her legs shook, her body threatened to rebel on her yet she focused past that. She took a deep breath and walked into the corridor and down toward the grand hall where she knew the trial would take place.
“Celeste,” Davien nodded and stepped out of the shadows, offering his arm to her.
“Thank you,” she took his arm and lifted her chin a little more. Why was it that she felt stronger when he was around? Don't think about that right now, the answer will appear later when I'm ready to face it.
“You'll do fine, Celeste, just speak the truth and don't be afraid.”
She nodded, not trusting herself to actually speak right now.
“I'll walk you over to the chair, I've already seen the set up for the trial.” Davien's voice was calm, little above a whisper. “I'll be within reach.”
She glanced over at him and gave a half smile before she looked around the room. Tearlach was already sat in the second chair, which had been placed about twenty paces away from the chair where she'd be required to sit. Enough room to move if she had to. If Tearlach moved toward her without warning...
“Ah, Celeste, good to see you,” Jamezen moved to his feet and waved one hand toward the empty chair. “Sit, please.”
Celeste smiled and took her place and sat down on the chair. She lifted her head and folded her hands into her lap. “Thank you, my Lord.”
“Now, we shall begin unless anyone has any objections.”
No one answered.
“Good, then let us begin.” Jamezen let his gaze pass over the assembled men and women, and Celeste was relieved to see that Mystic was no where near Jamezen, for now at least. “Tearlach, we'll begin with you. What gave you the right to take Celeste from the island without her consent?”
“She came with me willingly, Jamezen,” his voice rang out clearly through the great hall. “She didn't want to stay here, and begged me to take her away from the island.”
Celeste bit into her bottom lip as she struggled not to speak out. Tearlach hadn't even asked her if she wanted to come with him. She let out her breath between clenched teeth, but stayed silent as she sat in the chair.
“And what, exactly, did she say to you that implied she wished to leave the island, Tearlach?”
“She knelt to me, in the servants corridor, just outside of the kitchen and begged me to watch over her. She pleaded with me to take pity on her and return her to the life she craved for, and no longer allow her to pretend to be free. What else could I do but take pity on her.” Tearlach glanced over and smiled. “I did what any man would have done in my circumstances, I took her into my care.”
“I see, well how do you explain the marks on her face. Or the marks the guards reported on her body when she was found on the ship?”
“She wanted to be reminded of her place and Celeste is not one for gentle loving, my Lord. She's a slave, to the core, and needs such usage. You might even be able to find someone on the island who could speak of her need of this?”
“And the guard?”
“She serviced him in payment for his help.”
“Now, this is where I am confused, Tearlach. If your leaving was legal, if she submitted to you willingly, why would you need the aid of the guard?”
Tearlach's smile widened. “Because of Lord Davien Blood, my Lord.”
“Explain, if you will.”
“He's obsessed with Celeste and has hounded her for months, to the point of stealing her from her family and friends. She believed if he found out she was trying to leave him and the island, then he'd cause problems for us, and she was right. He would have tracked us down, taken her and left the island with her, giving her no choice on who she wanted to be. Just as he did when he first snatched her from the side of the road when she was doing nothing more than walking home from the market.” His voice was calm, focused and dangerously cold as he spoke.
Celeste refused to let her emotions show on her face, she focused, instead, on a spot just behind Jamezen's chair.
“Interesting,” he nodded and leaned back in his chair. “Well now, I have the testimony of the guard to take into consideration as well. He told a very different story. One of a man who snatched a woman from my island. Beat her. Raped her. And tried to take her away on a ship.”
“The guard lied. He knew he'd get in trouble with you and he's now trying to cover his tracks, find a way to gain your good graces again.”
“He's to be hanged come dawn and he knows it, so I'm afraid that doesn't fit with the situation, Tearlach.”
“Then ask the woman herself, she'll tell you the truth.”
“Well then, Celeste, your version if you would be so kind.”
Celeste wiped her hands on her dress as she looked up and thought about what she'd say before she opened her mouth. “Thank you, my Lord.”
“Did you join him of your own free will? You can speak freely here.”
“No, my Lord. I did not.”
Tearlach growled and pushed to his feet, the chair scraped across the floor as he moved. “She lies, my lord.”
“Let her speak, she didn't interrupt you, Tearlach.”
“I— I'm sorry, it won't happen again.” He settled back down in the chair and folded his arms, his dark gaze focused on Celeste.
“Well, continue Celeste.”
“I didn't go with him of my own free will, and nothing he says can change that. He snatched me, I fought, but couldn't get free. By the time we were beyond the castle it was too late. I couldn't get anyone to hear me and I knew if I tried to call out there'd be a problem. He beat me. Raped me. Made me service the guard.” She lifted her chin and looked straight at Jamezen.
“I see. So, he kidnapped you, raped and beat you. This was done against your will and you never asked him to save you, or take you from the island?”
“Correct, my lord.”
“And can either of you prove that you tell the truth?”
“No, my Lord. I have only my words.”
“She's lying, my Lord. I took her because she asked me to do so.” Tearlach snarled, his hands clenched into tight fists. “She's mine. She submitted to me as such.”
“Hm, we have a small problem here, don't we?”
“Yes, my lord, we do indeed, so what is it you propose that we do about it?” Celeste kept calm as she spoke. “I've spoken the truth as I said I would. If I wanted to be with Tearlach I would be, I'd say that here and now. If I want someone, I say so.”
“And is there someone you want, Celeste?”
“Of course there is, you can see it in her eyes, Jamezen. My little sister is nothing more than a whore.” Mystic smiled as she rose to her feet and walked through the great hall. “She wants someone, perhaps someone even in this very room. Perhaps she should announce who it is she wants?”
“I don't think that should be the focus of this trial, beloved.”
“Why not? Don't you think it's important we should know?” Mystic settled down on the edge of the dais. “If there is a man involved, then perhaps he'd be able to speak for her. Add to her statements that she doesn't want to be with Tearlach.”
“Hm, I see your point, but I don't think we need that information right now. It wouldn't change the facts. The two stories aren't matching up. So, I have to decide what to do next. Celeste, you're not going to change your mind, are you?”
�
�No, my Lord. I'm not. He hurt me, terrified me, stripped me off and raped me.”
“Did you react to his touch?”
How could she answer that one without damning herself? She couldn't. “Yes, I did.”
“See, she's nothing but a little whore.”
“And you reacted to his touch, his use of you, why?”
“Because that's how Davien trained me. Unfortunately Tearlach is right on one thing. Davien did indeed snatch me from the side of the road. He taught me to be his slave, that, unfortunately, has left me dealing with certain reactions to the touch of a man, despite my actual desires at the time.”
Jamezen didn't say a word at first, his mouth opened, then he closed it with a sharp snap, his gaze now locked on Celeste. “You— you were a slave?”
“Yes, my lord, I was. I belonged to Davien Blood.”
“Hm, interesting.” He shook his head and looked first at Davien and then at Celeste. “And you came here as a free woman?”
“Yes, I did because I am free, completely free. I was not owned when I began the journey here.” That part at least she could be honest about. “Tearlach, at one point, owned me, like Davien he snatched me from the street and I was able to break free from him easily enough. Unlike Davien he was easy to run from. He's arrogant and foolish. Little better than a child playing a game.”
“You— you bitch!” Tearlach pushed back to his feet, growling. “How dare you!”
“I dare because it's the truth.”
“I'll kill you!”
“You'll do no such thing,” Jamezen stood slowly. “Tearlach, you're under arrest. Until such time as a sentence is passed upon you, you will be confined to the cells here on the island. You've broken the laws of the island and will pay for your crime.”
“You can't do this to me. You just can't. You have no right!”
“I have every right, Tearlach. This is my home, my laws and if you do not accompany the guards to the cells I'll have you dragged there.” Jamezen waved to the guards who stepped forward, their hands on the baker rifles they carried. “Is that clear?”
