Celtic Rose

by Campbell, Jill

  “No, Maor Gabriel, I’d never question you. My tongue should be cut out for such insolence.” The soldier dropped to his knees and bowed his head.

  “I will forget about it this time, but never do that again.” Gabriel started forward without another word, with the others following close behind.

  “Yes, Maor, thank you.” The soldier went back to his station, relief plain on his face.

  They took the horses to the stable and traveled on quickly, receiving several curious glances as they made their way through the courtyard. Kallisto was careful not to get too close to Talus, even though her hand screamed for his touch. As they made their way through the castle doors, Kallisto was staring around the large meeting area with stairs going up one side to the upper landing that led to several different rooms. She’d always loved the castle with all of its beautiful tapestries showing the family crest and several different images that were breathtaking. One held the image of our lord and savior on the cross, another had a couple meeting in the forest; it looked very much like what she would’ve imagined Talus and she had looked like. She blushed slightly at that painting because the couple was in an intimate embrace and she was still imagining Talus and her in the forest.

  Just as they stepped into the center of the room, they were confronted by a very angry king. He was pacing back and forth before he realized they were there. His usually pale skin was nearly purple with anger, and Kallisto could see the veins in his neck and forehead popping out.

  “What went through that head of yours, child? What possessed you to leave the safety of the castle? You could have been taken, or worse! Did you even think about what your mother and I would have done if we had lost you?” The king waved his arms wildly about as he spoke. “What about your brother? Do you know what would happen to your brother and you if the two of you are apart for long?”

  Kallisto stepped forward, squinting in confusion at his puzzling reprimand. “What do you mean? What would happen if we are apart for long?”

  The king stopped short, his gaze traveling from Kallisto to Kalan. Only then did he notice the two strange peasants among them.

  “Who are these peasants in my presence that do not bow?” He changed the subject so quickly that they were taken aback.

  Kallisto’s eyes widened and she looked quickly to Talus, who was just as taken aback. For a royal prince to bow to the king of an enemy land was considered the highest disgrace. She didn’t want to disgrace Talus, but if he didn’t bow, it could cost him his life. Kalan looked at Ramina with the same shock on his face. They looked at each other and then they fell to their knees in front of the king. Kallisto’s breath caught. Under the edge of Talus’ hood, she saw his small smirk at her reaction. He must really love her to allow himself to be subjected to that much humiliation. Kallisto’s heart throbbed with the amount of love that grew in her heart for him at that moment. Kalan and Kallisto grinned at the bowing pair.

  “Father, they weren’t showing disrespect, only lack of knowledge. They are not from our province. They are traveling peasants that I came across on my journey. They just need some food, drink, and a place to rest. I offered to let them stay here.” Kallisto placed her chin on the king’s shoulder, grinning triumphantly at her father. He looked at her face and the anger melted away; it was replaced by the love he felt for his daughter. He had an expression of tenderness.

  “You and your bleeding heart, Kallisto.” He shook his head and patted her cheek. “Yes, Kallisto, they can stay. You are responsible for them though; you have to make sure that they have everything they need.” He spoke of them as if they were strays Kallisto had brought home asking if she could keep them. She was excited that their little ruse worked, but annoyed by the way the king spoke about Talus and Ramina.

  “I will be in my chambers. Gabriel, watch them.” He pointed at the four of them and proceeded to walk away. He just stopped talking and seemed to want out of there. Kallisto didn’t like how he had dodged her question from before.

  “Wait, Father.” Kallisto walked swiftly toward him. He turned, and his face dropped slowly when he saw the questioning look on her face. He sighed.

  “What did you mean when you said we could not be apart for long?” She waited. Finally the answer came but not in the way she’d expected. Her head filled with images of her and Kalan’s childhood.

  Her father had taken Kalan on a hunting trip far away from the castle when they were seven years old. Kallisto stayed at the castle with her mother. The first few days were fine, but after a couple of weeks Kalan was no longer able to discern the truth from a lie. No one paid much attention at first, but after a few more days Kalan became sick; his skin was pale and dark circles appeared under his eyes. He would wake up crying in the night. The king was extremely worried and decided to cut their trip short so he could bring Kalan to the warlock. The warlock was the closest thing to a healer they knew. By the time they made it back to the castle Kalan was too weak to even eat, and he choked every time they tried to make him drink. Merrick, the warlock, told the king that Kallisto had come down with the exact same illness. They immediately took Kalan to her room and tucked him into bed next to her. Though they were both weak, they managed to reach out and grab each other’s hand. For the next few days, they began to get stronger until they were finally able to eat and drink. One morning, their father came in to check on them and they were asleep. Kallisto had worked her way closer to Kalan and had her head on his shoulder; his arm was around her and they had more color to their cheeks. Later that day they were sitting up and playing, but they never got farther than a few inches from each other. Kallisto’s eyes focused on the king.

  “That is why you cannot be away from each other for long. We thought we’d try again later, but we were going to keep the hunting trip shorter than the last so that you wouldn’t get that sick again. You both got sick quicker and it lasted longer when we got him back to you. We didn’t want to take the chance again, but one day Kalan wouldn’t be satiated; he just had to go no matter what. We didn’t tell him what would happen. We just prayed that it was a childhood problem. To be safe we were only going to be gone six days, which was well within the limits of the sickness, but it didn’t matter. After five days the sickness began; it gets shorter the more frequently you are separated. You had only been gone for one day this time so there was really no time for the sickness to start, but had you been gone longer we may have never seen you again. Do you understand my anger now?”

  Tears stung Kallisto’s eyes and she could feel fear radiating from Kalan although he didn’t show it. Talus and Ramina stared at them with horror in their eyes. The king had explained what Kallisto was seeing while it was happening, so Kalan and Gabriel would know what she saw.

  “I understand now, Father.” It explained why Kallisto was able to lie to Kalan even though they had been near each other for a few hours. Since it took longer to recover the longer they were away from each other, it took nearly the whole day for them to be able to read each other again. “I am sorry, Father, I won’t do it again.” Kallisto bowed her head. The king came to her side and hugged her, reaching for Kalan to pull him into the embrace.

  “You two are my life. I couldn’t live without you,” he whispered and pulled away. “My little anam-charas.” He patted their cheeks and gazing at them lovingly. He had called them his little soul mates. That was actually a good explanation for how connected they were. The king glanced at the new comers. He seemed to have forgotten that they were there.

  “I trust that you will keep this information to yourselves. If word gets out about this I will know who to hunt down.” He waited for an answer. They bowed their heads in acknowledgment. “I want your word that you will take this to your grave.” He started losing patience with their silence. Kallisto had forgotten they were supposed to be mute.

  “Oh, I apologize, Father. I forgot to tell you that they couldn’t speak. You won’t have to worry about them telling anyone what they heard here today. They couldn�
��t, even if they wanted to.” Kallisto hugged her worried father to console his fears.

  “All right then,” he said, patting her shoulder again. “I will be in my chambers if you have need of me.” He kissed her head, did the same with Kalan, and went on his way. Kallisto and Kalan turned to their little entourage.

  “Well, that went smashingly,” Kallisto said, smiling at Talus, but he and Ramina looked at them with worried eyes. “What? We’re going to be fine.” Kallisto tried to be convincing, but she was a little worried herself.

  “How can you stand there so calm? You just found out that a separation between you and your brother is a death sentence. Don’t even try to tell me you’re not the least bit worried.” Talus was firm but also pleading. Kallisto could tell he was concerned. His brow was creased and his eyes were wide with tears glistening in them, but they hadn’t fallen.

  “Please, Talus, don’t worry. As long as Kalan and I aren’t separated, we’ll be fine.” Kallisto tried her encouraging smile again, but the only smile returned was her brothers. Even Gabriel looked worried.

  “Princess, did you happen to think of what might happen if our enemies were to find out about this little detail? Do you really think that no one would use this against the family?” Gabriel’s strategic mind was already hard at work. He took a pointed look at Talus and Ramina. It was going to take more than Kallisto’s infatuation for Talus and Kalan’s attraction to Ramina to make Gabriel trust them. It could prove more difficult than Kallisto had imagined.

  “No one besides the family, you, and now Talus and Ramina, know about this little quirk. I’m going to say this one more time Gabriel. I trust them.” Kallisto walked over to Talus and took his hand. He pulled her into his arms and stared into her eyes.

  “I promise Gabriel, this woman’s life is more precious to me than my own. If anything happens to her I will gladly let you take mine.” Talus bent to kiss her, but he was abruptly pulled away. He regained his stance and readied himself for a fight until he realized the reason for it. Kallisto turned to see what the cause was and found William coming down the stairs. He was smiling reverently at her, so clearly he had not seen anything.

  “Kallisto, I’m so glad you’re home. You worried us all.” He went to Kallisto with his arms outstretched. As William wrapped his arms around her, she gave Talus an apologetic look. He stared at them, confused. When realization hit, jealousy was plain on his face; he balled his fists up and scowled, but it was wiped away quickly by a sharp glance from Gabriel. Gabriel had warned him about this, but Kallisto guessed Talus hadn’t realized William was staying at the castle. William was a Scottish lord, but not related to Talus in any way. He had chosen to pursue this union because he believed there should be piece between the lands, and he didn’t believe the royal family would help in that aspect any more than the king had.

  “William, I’m fine. I was well taken care of.” She took a pointed glance toward Talus and Ramina. William looked at the two of them and turned his nose up.

  “Hello.” He acknowledged them at least, but it was purely for Kallisto’s benefit. He wasn’t accustomed to acknowledging peasants.

  “They cannot speak sire, they’re mute.” Gabriel stepped up and bowed slightly at William.

  “Oh, you poor people. I thank you for taking care of my fiancée. We shall make sure that your every need is tended to while you are with us here in the castle.” William smiled earnestly at them as he snapped his fingers for one of the servants to come. Kallisto really detested the use of servants, but being a royal they were, to her dismay, a part of her life. William, however, was perfectly happy to have things done for him.

  “William, our guests have been placed in my charge for the duration of their stay. As my future husband I will expect you to allow me to tend to my charges on my own.” She smiled at him so her words wouldn’t sound as harsh as she actually wanted them to. He looked as though he’d been struck at first but then he smiled. He seemed to truly believe she was trying for him.

  “As you wish, my lady. Is there anything you would like me to do for you before I retire for the night?” He stood very close to her with his hands clasped behind his back.

  “No, thank you William, I believe I have everything well in hand.” She made a motion for the stairs with her hand. He bent down to her and closed his eyes. Kallisto grimaced as his lips touched hers. It wasn’t a horrible kiss but she wanted Talus too much to be kissed by another man. If things had been different, then maybe she would have reciprocated the feelings, but as it was, she didn’t feel for William, at least not in the way she did for Talus. She wished that she could split in two; that way one could stay and be the proper princess her family needed. She could marry William and be the perfect daughter while the other ran off with Talus and be who she wanted to be.

  Kallisto watched William as he ascended the stairs. He stared at her, smiling, as he went, apparently taking her staring after him as a longing to follow. Being able to tell what people were thinking came in handy most of the time, but at that moment it was more of a curse to her than a gift. Tears began to fill her eyes as William disappeared around the corner. She stared at the spot where he disappeared for a time while she tried to clear the tears from her eyes. She didn’t want Talus to see her cry; she was afraid he’d think that she wanted William.

  “Are you all right, Kallisto?” Talus came up behind her.

  She turned slowly to look at him. “William is wonderful; his thoughts are pure. He really does have feelings for me.” Kallisto paused. Talus’ face went blank of all emotion, but she could hear what he was thinking when she concentrated; it was like hearing her own thoughts, but it was stronger and had a masculine voice. His thoughts confirmed her worst fears; he believed she would send him away and stay with William. Talus averted his eyes and she saw the glint of tears in his eyes.

  “Talus, look at me,” she pleaded. He turned back at her with a look of sadness.

  “I could never feel this strongly for anyone but you. I want to be with you, Talus. I only wish there was a way to do that without hurting William. He has a tender heart, and I’m afraid of hurting him. Even though I don’t know him that well, I feel connected to him somehow; not in the way that I feel connected to you, but there is something there. I’d like to try and preserve that if there is any possible way.” She diverted her eyes, because she was afraid of what she might hear in his thoughts. Talus put his finger under her chin and raised her eyes back to his.

  “How do you do that?” he asked.

  “How do I do what?” She stared at him, confusion plain on her face.

  “How do you seem to know exactly what I am thinking? How did you know what Gabriel was thinking at the village?” He was the one confused then.

  “I really don’t know. We found out that my brother and I were able to do this when we were children, but we can only do it when we’re concentrating on the person whose thoughts we wish to hear or see in some cases.”

  “That could be a very bad thing.” He smiled mischievously. Kallisto’s face reddened; since she was concentrating she had seen a vision of what he thought would be bad for her to see or hear. She had many thoughts of being his lover, but the vision in his head made the dream seem more real. The blush had given her away.

  “See, that is exactly the type of thought I didn’t want you to see.” He laughed.

  “Well…I don’t mind seeing those thoughts in your mind.” Kallisto smiled encouragingly and closed the last few inches between them. They wrapped their arms around each other and he bent down to kiss her. Their lips touched for only a few seconds when they heard a loud hiss from above.

  “Now I see the reason for your reluctance to be my wife,” William spat. He started down the stairs, drawing his sword as he came. “How dare you dispatch my love for some peasant!” He was at the bottom of the stairs and making his way to Talus. Kallisto pushed Talus out of the way and placed herself firmly between them. She was panicked, glancing back and forth for an esca
pe as William bore down on them. She stumbled through different explanations, trying to find something to say that would help the situation and not make it worse. She didn’t feel like she was betraying William since they weren’t married yet, but she did feel guilty because she cared for him, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.

  “William, you must understand, this happened before I even knew you,” she pleaded.

  “I must do nothing. Why didn’t you tell me this the first night?” His rage turned to sadness.

  “I’m sorry, William. I didn’t know that I’d see him again. It was my duty as the princess to accept our betrothal with dignity. If I had even one thought that I might’ve seen him again, I would have told you.” She walked to William, but he stepped back. She stopped.

  “Do you feel anything for me at all?” His expression was blank, but his eyes pleaded with hers.

  “Yes, William, I do feel for you, but it’s not the same as what I feel for Talus. I truly...” William stopped her.

  “Talus?” His eyes narrowed on Talus as jealous anger filled his eyes. “As in the Scottish Prince Talus, of the House of Rathburn?” Staring at Talus, William’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the sword tighter.

  “Yes, it’s him.”

  William dropped his sword and lunged for Talus, as if deciding hand-to-hand combat would better soothe his betrayal. Knowing what damage William was capable of inflicting, Kallisto dove between them, planting her hands firm against William’s chest in an attempt to hold him back. When her fingers brushed his bare chest through the open front of his shirt, he skidded to a stop and looked down at her hands. With their faces only inches apart, Kallisto heard his breath hiss in a shiver. “Tell me you don’t feel that.” Covering her hand with his palms, he closed his eyes as if enjoying the feeling.

  “That feeling is so much more than I have felt for anyone else. It is like a river’s current flowing through me and into you. Tell me that’s not love and I’ll leave.” He held her there and then opened his eyes, searching hers.