by Fiona Faris
“There is nothin’ that we can dae in this situation. With the way that things have turned out, there is nay way that we can finish the plan. Ye will have to ride out once yer win is announced. The Younger is in nay state, as ye can see,” Osgar said.
Lilia slipped away from Uielam and went over to Miller, who obviously wanted to speak to her.
“Thank ye for doin’ as I asked Miller. Ye have saved both me life and the life of Uielam Younger,” she said.
“O- Of course… ye seemed to be in distress, there was nay way I could have ignored what ye asked.” He stammered out, “I am just so shocked that Uielam Younger is here… Has he been in the tournament all along? He wasnae in the castle, so where did he come from? Is he alright? Who was tendin’ to the horse he rode?”
Miller seemed to be in shock and was asking a lot of questions, his hands shaking as he continued to look at Uielam on the ground. Miller was younger than her, and she saw in him what her little brother might have been like if he lived. Miller seemed very close to Uielam in the way a little brother looked up to an older one. She put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.
“I ken that Uielam probably didnae look very good when ye saw the soldiers bring him here, but I assure ye that he will be fine. Ye dinnae have to worry about him,” she assured him. He nodded, and she squeezed his shoulder comfortingly before letting him leave the tent. She turned back to where Uielam lay. She had just told Miller that he was alright but was that true? Until he woke up, there was no way to know if he was fine or not. All they could do was wait and hope for the best.
“Are ye finished?” she heard Osgar ask, pulling her from her thoughts. The healer put all of his things back in his bag and got to his feet.
“Aye, they are both stable, but it is important nae for them nae to go through stress so that they would heal properly. For The Younger, I would return every week until he is completely healed,” he said. Osgar nodded and bowed in thanks. As the old healer left the tent, he bumped into Flora, and the two apologized to each other.
Flora blinked in surprise as she entered the tent, looking at Uielam and Shug on the ground, bandaged and unconscious.
“I… What happened while I was gone? Faither was busy at first, and I had to find a way to pull him away without lettin’ anyone else ken what was goin’ on,” she said. “Faither just went to find the Laird before I returned…”
Osgar sighed and massaged his forehead.
“We have taken care of the situation. We caught the assassin, and the healer had treated Uielam. I will take them both to the castle right now. Ye, on the other hand, should hurry back to Faither and tell him that we have solved the problem before they overreact,” he suggested. Flora pursed her lips, agreeing. She snatched up her skirts and hurried off to do as he said.
Lilia stayed quietly in the background as Osgar called in the soldiers around, and they transported Uielam and Shug to the castle. Uielam was taken to his room while Shug was carried down to the dungeon. Osgar went with the soldiers to ensure that he was secured in prison, leaving Lilia with Uielam, who was still unconscious as he lay in his bed.
She took a seat beside his bed and watched him for several minutes. He looked so peaceful that she needed to move closer and check if he was still breathing. She let out a relieved sigh when she found that he was. So much had happened in the space of a few hours. She was overwhelmed and tired, yet it wasn’t even time for dinner yet.
The door opened, and Osgar stepped back in. She got up as he did, and he waved at her.
“Nay, please ye daenae need to get up,” he said. Lilia only smiled but remained standing as he approached.
“We came so close to losin’ him today… what kind of right-hand man am I if I wasnae able to be there for him?” he asked, half talking to himself. She looked over at him, not sure how to reassure him. She knew that he had probably argued with Uielam just before the incident and so he was feeling guilty.
Noise down the hall alerted her that people were approaching, and she moved away from the bedside to give space just before the Laird burst in with Flora and Mr. Abernathy. The older men were in equal states of distress as they rushed over to Uielam’s bedside. They pulled off his covers to look over him and check his wounds, seeming relieved to find that there was not a lot of damage.
“What were ye two thinkin’ nae comin’ to us the moment ye heard of the plot against The Younger’s life?!” Mr. Abernathy thundered, turning to his children. “I cannae believe ye Osgar, that ye would order me spies to keep the news from me!”
Osgar and Flora were being scolded, and once again, Lilia felt as invisible as a fly on the wall. She did not belong in their midst, it showed in the way that while distracted by a crisis, they did not even acknowledge that she was in the room. She was nobody important to be acknowledged.
Since she was standing to the side, as Mr. Abernathy moved a few steps back during his scolding, he bumped into her by accident. She gasped and walked out of the way.
“Ah, I am sorry, sir…” She said, but he was not bothered with her at all, only glancing at her briefly while the rest continued to talk and waving his hand.
“Oh, a maid, ye’re dismissed. Ye may leave now,” he said to her before immediately joining the conversation again.
She slipped out of the room as quietly as she could, making her way to the servant’s quarters. She probably no longer had a room since she had left her job at the castle due to Uielam’s plan, but there was nowhere else in the castle that would be acceptable for her to be in while she waited for Uielam to wake up.
She wanted to sit by his bedside and wait for him to wake up, but she had no right to be there. Uielam had confessed his love to her, but in reality, it was nothing like she had imagined. She had totally overlooked how different their lives were. How much of a difference there was in their status. He was the Laird’s son, and she was a maid. She could not stand in the same room with those around him and be noticed, not to mention being considered as important.
Not having a room to go to, she simply slid down the wall in the hallway, sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. She felt sadness begin to creep into her heart. He said he wanted to marry her, but was it not just wishful thinking? Could she really marry Uielam and become a lady? It was so farfetched it made her heart ache with panic.
Thinking of such things would do her no good. She had her plan already, to stop being a maid and begin to climb the social ladder as a respectable high-class woman in the clan. If she did that, then she would no longer be a fly on the wall. Even though she was not known, at least when she was in a room, they would ask who she was instead of dismissing her as another face amongst the help.
She leaned her head back against the wall. Maybe then she would be worthy of being called Uielam’s lover and becoming his wife.
Chapter Twenty-Three
There were a million bright lights in Uielam’s vision, and in the midst of them all stood Lilia… She twirled happily, her laugh soothing his ears as her white skirts billowed in the breeze.
“Lilia…” He called out to her. She seemed to notice him then, her head jerking up as she looked at him, and then her face burst into a brilliant smile.
Uielam!” She said, an urgency in her voice even though she was smiling as she approached. She reached out for him, her slender fingers glowing. He reached out to take her hand as well as she continued to call out to him.
“Uielam?! Uielam! Are ye awake?!” He heard. The scene with Lilia began to melt away as he awoke to the sunlight streaming in through his open bedroom windows. He blinked groggily as the voice stopped being Lilia’s and became Flora’s.
He looked to the side of his bed and indeed found Flora standing with her hand on his shoulder as she tried to tap him awake. He blinked again in confusion, not understanding why Flora was in his bedroom, nor why tears were springing up in her eyes as she looked at him.
“Well met Flora… why did ye wake me, and why are ye cryin’?” he ask
ed. At the sound of his voice, a sob left her lips, and she jumped at him, throwing herself over his torso in a hug.
“Uielam! Ye’re alright!” She cried.
He laughed, feeling rather tired in the face of her exuberance and still not quite understanding why she was giving him so much affection.
“Aye, I am alright, why would I nae be? Did ye hit yer head?” he asked. He returned her hug, and it was only when he tried raising his right hand and was met with a jolt of pain that he immediately remembered all that had occurred the last time he had been awake. He gasped, half from the pain and half from realization, and Flora jumped back, apologizing as though her hug had contributed to his pain.
He looked down at his well-bandaged hand and frowned as he had no memory of getting treated. Lilia’s bindings had already loosened during his fight with the assassin. In fact, he had no idea how he arrived at the castle.
“How long have I been asleep?” he asked Flora as he touched his scalp with his good hand. He had hit the assassin very hard, so it was no surprise that he found a lump underneath his blond locks. He sighed.
“Ye have been asleep for almost a whole day. Ye was asleep since the evening of yesterday at the lists, and now it is midday,” she said. He had been rather lucky, considering that he expected that he would not wake up at all.
“What happened after me fight with the assassin?” he asked. Flora perked up at that and raised a finger, signaling that he should wait, and then she bolted out of the room, leaving Uielam staring at the door where she exited from in even more confusion. He turned his eyes to the ceiling in his moment alone and tried to remember what he could of the incident with the assassin.
Lilia had saved his life. He remembered the sting in his eyes from the dirt the assassin had thrown and blinked rapidly on instinct. He was no longer suffering from the effects, so it seemed that his eyes had cleaned themselves or someone had washed his face while he slept. If it were not for Lilia’s timely action of attacking for him, the dirt in his eyes just might have cost his life. He shook his head. It was no wonder that he had been dreaming of her just before he awoke.
The door opened, signaling him of Flora’s return, and he looked over as she entered with Osgar in tow, only to shoot off again like a frightened mouse. Uielam turned confused eyes to Osgar.
“What’s the matter with her?” he asked as his best friend approached. Osgar gave a quiet laugh.
“I daenae ken…” He said before trailing off as he looked at Uielam, his expression becoming serious.
“I cannae tell ye how relieved I am to see ye awake again,” Osgar said seriously. Uielam gave him a grin.
“Ah, well, it will take more than a joustin’ attack to kill me,” he joked. Osgar did not laugh, however.
“The last time we spoke before now… the last time I saw ye awake… I said some terrible things to ye that I really shouldnae have said. Ye daenae ken how guilty I have felt… instead of protectin’ ye I got angry and left yer side, givin’ the enemy the opportunity to strike… I am so sorry…” He began to apologize, but Uielam stopped him, waving his hand.
“Nay Osgar, daenae apologize,” he said. “It is I who should apologize. Everythin’ ye said to me, was the truth. Ye were absolutely right, and I was so painfully wrong. I was indeed selfish and short-sighted. It was stupid to think that I could have had another match after gettin’ injured. I shouldnae have said the things I said to ye. Ye are the most intelligent man I ken, and I respect ye, and I am grateful to have ye by me side.”
Osgar stepped forward and gave him a short hug.
“I am sorry that I argued with ye.” He apologized, and Osgar did the same. Now back on good terms, Osgar took the seat beside his bed where Flora had been.
“How dae ye feel?” Osgar asked. Uielam scrunched his face up, considering how to answer the question. He felt a bit too tired for someone who just woke up, but he guessed that was to be expected, considering how much blood he had lost. Other than that, his injury did not hurt unless he tried to use the affected hand.
“For what I went through, I believe I am feelin’ really good,” he answered. “What happened? All I remember is Lilia comin’ to stab the assassin from behind when me eyes had been sabotaged, and then I managed to land a solid headbutt before I collapsed. What happened to the assassin?”
His curiosity had been eating at him, and he had asked Flora already only to get no response.
“We were fortunate, and it was all thanks to Lilia’s quick thinkin’. She had noticed ye follow the assassin and asked yer stableboy to come to find me and let me ken that ye were in trouble. I was just receiving the healer when he found me. I rushed after ye two with several soldiers, and by the time I arrived, all three of ye were on the ground, and only Lilia was conscious. We brought both ye and the assassin to the tent, and the healer treated ye both before we came to the castle. The assassin is in the dungeon. In fact, yer faither and mine are down there right now. They are nae in good spirits, so I assume he is nae havin’ a good time. Yer faither has begun preparations to launch war on the Douglas clan for their attempt on yer life,” Osgar said.
Uielam sat up at the mention of war and gave Osgar a horrified expression.
“A war ye say?! Why would faither dae that?” he asked. Osgar gave him a look.
“They attempted to take yer life to weaken our clan. The assassin has confessed this in the face of torture. They are the ones who were aimin’ for war. Now we shall take one to them instead,” Osgar explained.
Uielam shook his head vehemently.
“Nay, does faither ken that I have awoken? I want to speak to faither. There is nae need for a war,” Uielam said.
Osgar was just about to respond when the door opened again, and Flora came in with Lilia behind her. At the sight of Lilia, all previous thoughts left his mind, and he was utterly focused on her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she took in the sight of him sitting in bed, and she ran forwards, flinging herself into his arms. Joy and warmth burst from his heart as he wrapped his arm around her.
“Ye’re finally awake! I was so worried that I had lost ye.” She sobbed into his shoulder. He smiled and moved his hand so he could caress her head comfortingly.
“It is alright now, I am sorry I scared ye like that…” He said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Osgar and Flora leave the room quietly with Osgar gesturing that he would come back, and Uielam was grateful that they gave them their moment alone. He kissed Lilia’s forehead.
“Ye saved me life. Thank ye. I daenae ken how I would have survived if nae for ye,” he said.
“I had to save ye. There was nay way I could have sat back and allowed the man I love to die in me presence,” she mumbled into his shoulder. Uielam squeezed her to himself lovingly.
“I love ye too. I am so lucky to have ye, and I still cannae believe that it was one of me stupid plans that brought ye to me,” he said. Lilia laughed at that, letting go of him and sitting up to wipe her tears with a sniffle.
“At the end of the day, ye didnae succeed in finishin’ yer plan,” she said, and Uielam perked up at that, becoming curious.
“Ah, ye are right, what happened to the tournament?” he asked, he had completely forgotten that there would have been a conclusion to the matches while he was unconscious. Lilia angled her head to one side.
“Well, the judges had planned for another match, but when they discovered that it was an imposter who rode the first time and that the jouster from the palace city was attacked and rendered unconscious, they called both the farmer and the jouster to find a way to settle the issue. At first, they suggested that the match be moved to today, but the jouster refused and forfeited the match as he said it was his lack of diligence that led to someone being able to incapacitate him and take his place. He chose to lose honorably. Since ye were unconscious, Osgar let the farmer take the glory for winnin’ the tournament while we headed for the castle,” she narrated.
Uielam stroked his chin. Things had worked out
surprisingly in their favor as they would have been in quite a bit of trouble if the farmer was forced to joust while he was unconscious. Although it could also have ended merely with the farmer deciding to forfeit the match. Lilia studied him quietly.
“I am sorry that ye didnae get to dae what ye planned. Now all of the glory went to the farmer, and ye were unable to prove yer joustin’ prowess to all those who doubted ye,” she said somberly. “What would ye dae? Would ye dae it a second time?”
Uielam raised his brows in amusement and laughed, tugging her forward by pulling her hand until she fell against his chest.
“Why are ye so serious? I ken that it had been important to me before, but now I ken how childish it was in the first place. The only reason why I daenae regret me foolish actions is the fact that it brought me to ye. I nae longer care what they say about me. In fact, I should never have cared. It was quite petty of me. Now, I realize all that matters is who I am on the inside and that those who love me can see it,” he said. Lilia looked up at him with a smile that made his cheeks warm with embarrassment.
