"You look at peace with yourself Kristina, mayhap sending my sisters up here was a good idea." Bruce said with a smile.
"Your sisters are both lovely girls." Kristina responded happily, but Bruce saw the pain in her vivid blue eyes and his heart sank. for a moment he hoped that things could have been different, but who was he kidding, he thought, she belonged to Seth, and he was going to return her to him!
"May I please have a moment alone with Kristina," he told his sisters, "there is much I need to discuss with her."
The sisters looked disappointed, they were enjoying themselves over a cup of tea while they chatted about the Christmas season that was fast approaching.
"Can we steal her away after dinner? Alana and I want to introduce her to the ladies of the court!" she said excitedly.
"Aye, she s all yours after dinner!" Bruce promised.
The the sisters left and when they closed the door behind them, Bruce pulled a chair closer to Kristina and sat down.
"How are you holding up?" He asked her.
"I'm doing fine, your sister's were quite entertaining, and very beautiful. Are all your sister this lovely?" She asked.
"Yes, but the youngest is by far the loveliest, she is the fairest in all the land."
"Is that a problem? I detect disapproval in your voice."
"it's a major problem having a sister so beautiful. We are constantly bombarded with marriage proposals!"
"And why would that be a problem, I think that would be a good thing, nay?"
"Well it's not, it's a curse! We have to marry off the other four before it will be her turn to marry. She must wait her turn." Bruce said.
"And if the right man comes along, and your others sisters are not married yet, she will lose her opportunity to marry him because it's not her turn? That's not fair Bruce!" Kristina told him.
"I know, but it is the way it must be done!"
"So what do you do to keep her from being seen, is she locked up in a tower somewhere, where no one can see her?" Kristina teased.
Bruce looked away.
"You can't be serious!" Kristina said in a serious tone of voice. "that's inhumane!"
"It must be this way Kristina, there are other reasons behind our actions as well. I'm not at liberty to discuss them with you right now, but she is where she needs to be right now, tis for her own good!"
"Bruce please let her out of her prison, I beg of you!" The princess said, her eyes filled with tears, "she will fall into depression if you leave her there! How many months has she been locked up?"
"She's been in there at least ten years. Don't worry about her Kristina, she's fine, we visit her everyday, her sisters spend much quality time with her everyday, and she has tons of books to read to keep,her busy. The tower has glass walls and she gets to see everything that goes on in the courtyard. She is very happy up there Kristina."
Kristina said not one more word, knowing that anything she may say will be on deaf ears, but she made a mental note to visit the young lady and mayhap find a way to free her from her miserable fate.
"Bruce have you thought about returning me to Seth? I want to go home!" She cried, as tears flowed down her lovely face.
Bruce had a soft spot for her and did not wish to see her cry. he wanted to pull her in his arms and sooth her aching heart, but chose not to, because he didn't trust himself. He found her to be one of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and wanted nothing more than to throw her in his bed and make love to her, but he withheld from doing so. She belonged to another and he would honor that, no matter how high the stakes were if he returned her to Seth.
"Worry not about returning home. I promise you I will find a way to return you to your mate, in the meantime you must stay in your room and not even think to leave it, because there are many in this castle that don't agree with my way of thinking and you could be in serious danger!" He told her, hoping she heeded his warning and stayed in her room.
"Aye, I will do as you say and not leave the room, but please hurry and help me return home because I'm not feeling quite well, I think I'm sick!" She said.
It was obvious to Bruce that she knew not that she was with child. "You are not sick Kristina, you are with child." He told her, and watched as her eyes opened wide.
"What? How...how ..would you know that?" she asked.
"You have mated with Seth have you not?" He asked.
Kristina lowered her eyes to her lap, "Yes I have."
"His seed grows inside you, you will give birth to a daughter and according to the prophecies, you will call her Liusaidh, which means the light of the world." he told her, and watched her eyes glisten with tears.
"You have no idea who you are do you? You are named Kristina because you are the follower of Christ, and your fist born will be the light of this world, she will be assigned a guardian angel to watch over her until she reaches her twenty two years of age, and gains all her powers, but the powers that she will carry inside her will be strong and will surpass all of our powers, she will be a Demi God, and will live for the sole purpose of humanity."
"And how do you know this Bruce?" She asked, choking back a sob.
"I know this because I have read the prophecies many times and know them inside out!"
"Is that the reason why you brought me here?"
"Yes."
"But if I'm already with child, Seth has beat you to it. What good could I be to you if I already carry Seth's seed inside me?" She asked, and when she realized what his intentions may be, she jumped up from her chair and dashed across the room to get away from him.
Quick to his feet, Bruce grabbed her and pulled her against his chest. "You have no need to fear me Kristina, I have already promised you my protection! I will never hurt you, nor will I allow anyone else to do so either!" He said hoarsely.
Kristina went limp in his arms, and he lifted her gently and walked over to his bed where he lay her carefully on the feathered mattress.
"There is no need to worry yourself about any of this, you have my solemn promise that no harm will come to you or your child. I swear to this on my mothers life!" He told her, "I will return you to Seth!"
"Thank you." She whispered, and closed her eyes.
Bruce could not resist laying next to her on the bed, and pulling her in his strong and possessive arms. He cared about her well being, and he was going to make sure that his family didn't harm her in any way, shape or form.
***********
Tears glided down Isabella's beautiful porcelain face as she watched through the glass walls of her prison the ladies of the court chatting with the handsome warriors down below in the courtyard.
She wanted so desperately to be free and walk around the courtyard as all the other ladies, she wanted the soft wind to blow through her hair, as she ran through the gardens enjoying the scent of roses that sprayed through the air.
She wanted the strong and possessive arms of a handsome warrior to wrap around her tiny waist, and slam her against his muscled chest, she wanted to look into his eyes and see the love he felt for her before he claimed her lips.
Isabella beat her delicate fists on the glass wall, and cried her heart out. She would never get to enjoy falling in love because she would remain a prisoner here for the rest of her life!
"Why do you make yourself ill Isabella? Can't you just accept your fate and live your life in peace? Do we not visit you everyday and bring you many treasures? Why do you insist on torturing yourself in this way?" Patrick said.
Isabella whirled around and threw her brother an angry look, "Go away! You are quick to talk because you are not in prison like I am!"
A pained expression was etched on her brothers handsome face, "You think I don't feel your pain sister? You think I don't wish you were out of here? I love you and want you to have a life the way you wish it, but you know that there is no other way but for you to remain here if you want to live!"
Isabella knew new that he spoke the truth. She threw herself on his muscled chest and cried her heart out. Patrick wrapped his strong arms around her and held her tightly.
"Don't do this Isabella, you are only hurting yourself even more!" he told her in a broken voice, as pain surged through his heart. he loved his sister dearly and it pained him to see her suffer In this way.
"Then help me brother! Get me out of here, take me somewhere far away and let me live my life, please!" She pleaded, as more tears rolled down her face.
Pain speared through his heart, and Patrick cradled his sister in his arms whispering in her ear endearments, hoping to sooth her aching heart.
"I will find a way sister, I promise you!" He told her hoarsely, "I shall find a way to free you of this prison and take you somewhere where no one will find you, and lock you up ever again!"
Tomorrow is Mother's Day, for all you mothers out there, from the bottom of my heart I wish you all a very happy Mother's Day !!
And for all you children out there, make sure you treat your moms like queens tomorrow, remember always that no one besides GOD himself loves you more than your moms do!!
Do something nice for them, cherish them for she will be the only mom you will ever get In this lifetime!!!!
Thank you for your votes and comments. Xoxxoxoxxoxo