A Father's Sin

A Distant Home Remembered (Chapter Fifteen)

I dreamt of the old man sitting in an arm chair with his glasses perched on his nose and with a book in his hands again. But this time it was different, this time I remembered who he is. Alaric Ira the man, who raised me, cares and loves me unconditionally, my father.

The man that thought me how to ride a horse, who thought me how to read and thought me to embrace who I am and let me be just that. How could I have forgotten him, his warm gap toothed smile, his laugh that always had the to make me laugh with him, his sincere brown eye that always bore his truth, a man so showed in his tenderness. How is it possible that I forgot?

I remembered also my mother Adela Ira, the memory of the week she passed away it all came to me as clear as day.

"Your mother will always and forever be in my heart, you know why little one?"

"Why Papa?"

"Because not only did he brand my heart with her tender love, she gave me you; my hopes and dreams she turned into a beautiful little girl."

"Remember now and always dear Isabel, your mother loves you and is always...always with you even if we cannot see her or we forget."

That memory brought hot tears to my eyes, I felt like the little girl who lost her mother all over again. My silent tears turned into sobs and soon I was bawling, fat tears falling rapidly from my eyes.

"Bella are you alright???"

His voice reminded me of where I was and what time it was; the very early hours of the morning, the sun would show its face in maybe an hour, judging by the looks of the sky outside my window.

"My father, I remembered by father..."

I did not hear him come in, in a heartbeat he was by my bedside holding my face up tenderly with his large right hand.

"That is a good thing is it not? That you remembered?" I nodded yes slowly

"Then why do you cry?"

"I remembered my mother also, I remembered she died."

There were other fluids and tears running down my face now, I used to dream of him a lot but I did not remember who he was.

"I would see him most nights in my dream, sitting in his large arm chair, his completely grey head of hair combed back neatly, his beard always gave him a scruffy appearance with his slightly tall and stocky frame he would look very intimidating if he didn't always have a smile on his face".

He hesitantly at first wrapped his large arms around me and when I didn't resist he hugged me and rubbed my back softy.

"Why - how are you here at this hour?"

"I wasn't very far from here and I have very good hearing remember? I was...concerned when I heard you crying."

Before I could thank him for his concern someone burst into my room and filled the atmosphere with urgency. "My Lord! There are men approaching the castle, armed with guns, knives, clubs and torches!!!"

The castle had no visible walls around it, I guess that was because it had never been attacked before and there was really no need for it. Apart for the generations of different servants the Le Gris have had with them for generations the also had a family of knights that have served them for generations. Eli the current knight and head of the castle guard had the responsibility of maintaining the security of the castle.

There were watch towers in all the north, south, east and west wing of the castle. They did not keep people out of the castle but the guards alerted the head of the castle guard if there was any stranger on the grounds. If the visitors had ill intentions the master of the house will be called upon. From the description of these visitors the assuredly had ill intention. Why would anyone with the health of a good mind want to attack this castle?

I was out of bed, throwing my robe on I was hot on their heels following them out of the castle. As they walked they talked, despite Bevan's long heavy strides Eli kept up with him easily.

"Are you certain the mean to attack the castle?"

"Our scouts did not think they were headed this way when they spotted them three days ago. They are a group obviously not trained for combat, farmers and hunters most likely from a village not too far from here."

"Why did you think they were not headed our way?"

"When they were spotted about a hundred leagues north of the grounds of the castle they made camp and sent a group ahead to scout, purposefully like they were searching for something specific. One of their scouts spotted the castle the whole party changed the direction of their travel."

"So you think they have been traveling – searching for long?"

"Most likely, the relied on the forest totally for their meals and it seems the traveled the whole way afoot, for they possess no horses or livestock."

"We still do not know exactly what their intentions are, I will try to speak to them first before anything else Eli." "Yes my Lord."