My Heartless Lover

Episode 7: Responsibility

As much as she had wanted to avoid him, he came infront of her. The chief commander of the Sinclairs bowed down to Glenna first and then to Annabelle. An expression of restraint covered his face and feeling of discomfort overcame Annabelle.

"Milady, we have been waiting for you for the past hour. What made you so late?" Ethan spoke with an expressionless face.

Before Annabelle could speak, Angus intervened. The chief commander of the Mcleod's gave a short bow to Glenna and spoke gravely, "Your husband was injured by a poisoned arrow. We had to desert Cainhorn immediately in order to save his life."

Glenna gave a short cry. For once, she felt that the earth beneath her feet moved. Annabelle quickly held her close. She too was flabbergasted.

"What? What are you saying?" Annabelle spoke impatiently.

"Aye, milady. Laird has been struck by a poisonous arrow in his left thigh." Ethan said with a straight face.

Annabelle ignored him and asked Angus again. "Where is he? Is he fine?"

"Milady, he lies inside." He pointed to a little door in the right most corner of the cottage. "We have tied his thigh so that the poison doesn't flow ahead in the body. But, he is loosing consciousness. The wound needs to be tended to immediately."

Glenna stood their wrapped in Annabelle's arms. She was too numb to speak anything. Her hunch regarding leaving  the castle without  Aaron seemed to have come true.

"Milady, let me go inside. I can treat his wound." Brenda spoke in her meek voice.

Annabelle's face quickly lit up. In the course of these events, this thought had completely drained her mind that Brenda was a brilliant healer. She had a great knowledge of medicine and herbs.

"Yes, Brenda. You must go. You must go and treat Aaron's wound." She turned to Angus. "Let Brenda go. She can save Aaron's life."

Angus gave a suspicious look. Annabelle spoke assuring him, "Angus, Brenda is a trusted servant. She would definitely. ........", Annabelle stopped mid sentence. Her eyes fixed upon the dark figure emerging from the little door in the right.

He was Arthur.

Her heart skipped a beat and she forgot persuading Angus. Angus turned over to Arthur. "Laird, this lady here," he pointed towards Brenda, "says she can heal the wounds. Should we let her in?"

Arthur passed a quick look at Brenda and gave a curt nod. Brenda scooted inside without wasting a second more on Arthur's permission followed by Glenna. Kyla too ran inside. She couldn't stand Arthur's nerve wrenching stare.

Annabelle stood there. For some reason, her feet didn't allow her to leave especially when Arthur was in sight.

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It was a tiny but a spacious cottage. In the middle of it, a small makeshift  fireplace burnt spreading its heat to all sides. To its left, bundles of hay were kept and to its right a small old chest lay. Annabelle sat with her back across the haystack and looked at Arthur without blinking her eyes. He was sitting on a wood stub across the fire, with Angus and Ethan discussing their further course of action. He looked grave as always and indifferent of the fact that Annabelle was staring him since the past hour.

The door opened and Brenda emerged outside looking exhausted. She wiped the trail of sweat running down her forehead and looked at Annabelle. She passed an assured look to her.

"Milady, Laird is fine. I have treated the wound. I have also given a concoction to him which will keep him in deep sleep until morning. But he is in good health now." She  smiled.

Annabelle quickly stood up and ran inside. She knelt beside Aaron and a tear escaped her eye. Glenna pressed her arm and managed a half smile.

"He is fine." Glenna tried to console her.

Annabelle hugged her. She had been keeping herself so strong all this while. She needed to release all her anxieties now.

"But where will go now? Our home is gone. Cainhorn has been captured. We are left with nothing." For the first time, Glenna found Annabelle pessimistic.

"You all will come with us", Arthur spoke in a hoarse voice. He stood there in the doorway.

As if he could not hold Annabelle's stare for long, he turned to Glenna. "Milady, as soon as Aaron is fit to move, we would head for Dunstead. You all are now my responsibility."

To your extreme right, picture of the much waited Arthur ;)

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