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A week passes. Gethin visits every day and stays for long hours. Both Zara and Bear are always present, watching from across the room. Sometimes Bear teaches Oz how to play chess as Amelia and Gethin sit together with Tress. Bear watches as each day Amelia softens towards Gethin, eyes starting to look at him with restrained affection. It irritates Bear.
Yet Gethin has done nothing wrong as of yet. He has followed her rules to the letter and he has been nothing but kind and gentle with his child. If anything he appears completed devoted to his daughter. And in return Tress has become attached. Already in such a short time she is crawling all over him and dragging him around the room to look at things. Her comfortableness around him was only highlighted by the fact that after a week she set herself in his lap, snuggled up to him, and proceeded to fall asleep.
A look had come into Amelia's eyes then of true sincere love. She had not pretended to have felt nothing for Gethin before. Bear knows her feelings for him once were strong. It pains him to see her falling once again, allowing feelings long buried to rise to the surface. She deserves better. Not him. Bear knows it is not him. He can still only offer her little. But surely Gethin cannot offer her more.
Now he is lying on his bed, in the room he has accepted from his brother, staring at the ceiling. The day is breaking outside and for the first time in a week the sun is shining and the clouds are nowhere to be seen. His throat itches so he rises and pours himself a glass of water.
A gentle knock sounds at the door and he goes to open it. The face he almost expects to see is not the one he is presented with. Archer hurriedly steps in and closes the door behind him. He grinds his teeth as he sinks down into an armchair in the corner of the room. "How long is Wolfe intending to tolerate the Ricells presence? I am home and yet I am not able to wander freely through it due to them."
"Through your own mistakes, not mine," Bear drawls as he sits in his bed and faces Archer. "Wolfe will tolerate them as long as they behave themselves."
"They cannot be trusted! That family is a nest of vipers that will strike when you least expect it. Do you have any idea how hard it was to untangle Logan from them? Are you seriously putting yourself in a similar position?"
"Logan was in love and was accused of murder. I am protecting a friend and accused of nothing. Our situations are completely different."
"You mean to say that you do not care for her?" Archer asks, his face disbelieving. "If so, then fine. But I do not want to see them using her to harm you."
"They will not. He is after the child. And Amelia is stronger than you think."
"I know Mia and I know she is strong. That is not my worry. You are attached to her children... how will you handle it if they are taken away?"
"If Mia believes he will continue to be good and kind I cannot stop them."
"Even If Oz is ignored because he does not belong to him or if Mia is treated as a servant once again?"
"Enough, Hunter."
The door bursts open and both brothers' heads whip to the side to see who has intruded.
Amelia stands in the doorway, her dressing gown gaping open revealing her night dress. Her hair is in wild disarray and her face is unwashed from sleep. However her eyes are wide and ferociously aware. Bear is before her within seconds and taking her hands. They shake within his grasp. "She is gone... I woke up and..." her voice trembles, her eyes dampen, "I cannot find her. Everyone I have come across is looking. Tress is gone! And I cannot find Oz either."
Bear grips her hands firmly and speaks in a calm controlled tone, "We do not need to jump to the worst. They may have just wandered into one of the many rooms. I will help you look." He glances back at Archer who immediately nods and bypasses them both to alert more people and search himself. Someone will have to go and see what the Ricell situation is. Bear pulls Amelia's borrowed dressing gown shut and ties the sash around her waist. Colour rises to her cheeks but she pulls herself together. A few deep breaths later they are leaving his room and searching each room they come across together, one of her hands staying firmly within his.
Each room is frighteningly empty of the two children they search for. Amelia despite wanting to believe the best keeps thinking the worst. Oz would not suddenly decide to leave their room without alerting his mother and certainly not with Tress.
They stop in the main entrance hall when they see many servants and the rest of the family gathered. Wolfe shakes his head subtly in Bear's direction. His hand tightens around hers.
Amelia squeezes his hand in a vice grip and Bear blinks in surprise at the strength it shows. "He asked me to leave with him last night. I said no. Surely he would not..." her eyes close momentarily. "He would. I need a horse." She then looks down at her state of dress. Sparrow jumps into action and runs over to them. She takes Amelia's hand and pulls her to her room to let her change quickly. Bear takes that moment to run outside and get two horses ready and tacked up.
Amelia arrives outside only moments later, long stressful moments for all involved. Her arrival also heralds the arrival of Bronco. The tightness of his face gives the answer before his mouth does. "Gavriel, Dawn and Zara are still present at the tavern. However Gethin is nowhere to be seen. Gavriel reacted with fury upon finding out. I do not believe it was an act for my benefit. Gethin appears to have acted alone."
"He has my children?!" Amelia says the words that have yet to come out of his mouth.
Bronco nods. "Most likely."
Bear helps her to mount before climbing atop his steed. "I can only assume he will heading back to Ricell," he says to Bronco. Amelia does not wait for confirmation and kicks her horse on hurriedly in that direction.
Bronco grabs Bear's reins before he can follow. "The chances are you will not find them. He has a head start and he is not a stupid man. We should be planning our next moves..." Bronco hesitates, "there is only so much we can do. He is the child's father and of a higher status than her."
"Are you telling me that his claim means more than hers?"
"Wolfe cannot get involved in this! She is no relation and it would cause a conflict that could cost a great many lives." Bronco tells him straight.
Bear stares him down until he removes his hand from the reins. Then he quickly spurs his horse on to catch up with Amelia who is running blind with fear.
○ ○ ○
"What do you want with us?" Oz's voice, despite his young age, is measured and calm. He has not allowed his temper to rise or his fear to take root. Instead he has pretended that all is right so that Tress has not gotten anxious. It is the only reason he believes Gethin has allowed him to follow his little sister. "Where are you taking us?"
Gethin leans back away from the window and meets the boy's eyes. He sighs before shaking his head. "She is my daughter. You understand that?" Gethin answers cryptically.
Oz frowns and glances down at Tress before fastening his gaze once again to Gethin. Tress has fallen asleep on his knee, tired out by the excitement of the journey. The motion of the wheels below them has lulled her into a deep sleep. Even the clip clipping of the horses' hooves pulling the carriage are a rhythmic bedtime story.
"Yes, Ma explained it to me. But you have taken her away from Ma. Tress needs Ma." Oz shrugs his shoulders as if only a fool would not know this.
"My daughter deserves the best. Your Ma was doing the best she could, I get that. But you barely had enough food; your clothes are patched and sewn together from bigger worn out clothes. Your mother cannot provide an education or the treasures that I can. Tress deserves all of that and I will give it to her."
"By taking her away from Ma?" Oz blinks slowly and shakes his head. "Why now? You did not want Tress before. Why now?" Gethin sighs again, louder. "Why now?" Oz repeats once again, softly. There is almost a yearning for an answer that will satisfy him.
"My brother's wife is pregnant. It made me realise what I was missing out on. I need Tress. I need her to grow up and inherit the Ricell lands from me. Your mother will come. I promise."
"What about me?" Oz softly strokes Tress' hair to keep her asleep when she moves her head slightly on his lap. Gethin studies the two of them.
"You are Tress' brother. You will be by her side forever."
Oz nods and rests his head back against the seat. There is nothing more for him to say. For now he can be sure that he will not suddenly be separated from Tress, there will be time before Tress will become anxious without her Ma. Oz can keep her comforted while his Ma finds them. And she will find them. He is sure of that. And she will get them away from this man. This man that Oz cannot trust. There is something behind his words that Oz cannot identify. But he senses that Tress will be used for a power move.
"Oz." Gethin's voice intrudes on the boy's distrusting thoughts. "You have always experienced poverty. You can now experience a life without fear of an empty stomach or lack of a roof over your head. All of you can, your Ma included. She will follow and I will offer her what she always wanted. We can be a family, you, me, Tress and your Ma. You will all be under my protection."
"What if Ma says no?" Oz mumbles under his breath but the words purposely do not reach Gethin's ears.
Gethin regards the young boy with a measure of interest. He knows that the boy is still wary of him and his words. That does not matter so much to him. Tress has come to have trust in him. That is what matters. The boy will remain for her and care for her. And Mia will come for both of them. Gethin has complete control of the situation. The only goal left is for them to leave the Usani lands behind them. He certainly does not want the Usani brother's pesky interference in his personal affairs. They have already have had too much influence for his tastes.
Oz shifts slightly and Gethin wonders whether he should further try to convince the boy of good intentions. However that would be laying it on too thick. Even to his own ears his words can sound increasingly insincere. Oz opens his mouth as if to say something but then it snaps shut. His brow furrows just slightly. His jaw clenches and unclenches. Eventually he seems to come to a decision.
"Tress will cry when she wakes. She will miss Ma. I would plan on Ma catching up sooner rather than later if I was you. Tress can keep crying for an awfully long time." One of Oz's eyebrows crooks up almost like a taunt.
Better late than never, right? I got so distracted watching films today that I forgot to write so I stayed up late and I have managed to still post a chapter Friday evening/night! Lets jump straight into what we all expected Gethin to do! Mwa ha ha.... So what did you all think? Your comments mean so much to me so please do leave one, or more ;)