Kieran was pacing. Try as he might, he couldn't sit or stand still. Selena was upstairs in this very castle, talking to a laird who claimed her as his ward. Kieran was no fool. He had seen the look of love and concern in the man's eyes. He had to get Selena out of here before things got out of hand.
After what seemed like an eternity to Kieran, a knock came on his door. Rory rose to answer it. Outside, the guard from the hall stood waiting.
"Come, the laird requests your presence." he said and turned. Without looking behind him, he led the two to the hall and the laird.
"Selena is awake and waiting for you. Before you see her, I ask that you not make her upset. Her memory has been lacking these last few months. She may not remember who you are. Do not ask too much of her. I realize you will claim her as yours, but she has brought light back to this dreary castle. If she wants to leave with you, I will allow it, but only if she is sincere. You cannot convince her to leave with you. She doesn't know you have claimed her as your betrothed. I will see for myself if she remembers you. Then we will see." With that, Riley lead Kieran to Selena's chamber.
Selena was still reeling from the events of the night when she heard the light knock on her door. When the door opened, she was sitting beside the hearth waiting with her hands resting in her lap. She appeared to be in control of her emotions, but inwardly she was shaking. Riley walked into the room leading Kieran behind him. Selena began to rise, but Riley asked her to remaining sitting. She smiled a soft smile at him then looked beyond his shoulder at Kieran. The look in his eyes took her breathe away. "It's a good thing I'm still sitting," she thought.
"Selena, our guest has come to speak with you. I will be outside your chamber, in case you are in need of my assistance." He gave Kieran a very stern look which threatened bodily harm, and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Selena rose as soon as the door was closed and rushed into his arms. She couldn't believe he was real. She ran her hands up and down his back and over his face. She couldn't touch him enough. He bent his head and kissed her, a long wonderful soul shattering kiss. It said everything he needed to say.
Taking her into his arms, he sat on the chair she had left and sat her on his lap. With his forehead resting on hers, he said the only thing he could think to say, "You're here. You're here." He kept repeating it over and over as he rocked her back and forth. His hands traveled all over her as if through his touch he could make sure she was real and not an apparition.
"She said she would bring you to me and she did."
"Who said she would bring me to you, Kieran?"
"The old crone in the forest. I went to her after I realized you were not a dream, and that I did live in your America with you. I did know you and my friends. She said she could return you to me, here, in this time. How long have you been here?"
"I've been here about 3 months. I woke in a field of flowers, and within minutes a group of Highlanders came and I was brought here. If it wasn't for Riley, I would have become a mistress to one of his men. The one who brought me here. He was not a nice man. He scares me, but Riley has put me under his protection. I owe Riley, big time. He has been so kind to me. He thinks I have lost my memory. I couldn't explain to him that I knew who I was and I was not from Scotland, or this time period."
"I think Riley wants you to be his, Selena. Do you feel the same way?' he asked, with a feeling of dread and something else entirely. Jealousy rose in him quickly. He was becoming angry and he couldn't explain why.
"Riley has been very kind to me, Kieran. I know you don't believe I should feel that I owe him anything, but I was alone without anyone to protect me. I don't even know how I could have fed myself or lived alone in this place. I would have died if not for him. He is very kind and loving."
This was all Kieran needed to hear. He rose, knocking Selena off his lap. Without turning back he said, "Fine, Selena, have it your way. I will leave. I cannot and will not stay here a moment longer knowing that you have chosen someone else."
Selena was in shock, again. She watched as Kieran stalked out of her door. Once again she fell to the floor, but she didn't faint. This time she was completely aware of her surroundings. And then things began to fade. The flames of the fire, which moments before were almost too hot for her skin, were no longer anything but light. And that began to fade as she twirled into a vortex. All she could think was, "Here I go again. I've never fainted before, but it seems to be happening a lot lately." Then all was blank.
After what seemed like an eternity to Kieran, a knock came on his door. Rory rose to answer it. Outside, the guard from the hall stood waiting.
"Come, the laird requests your presence." he said and turned. Without looking behind him, he led the two to the hall and the laird.
"Selena is awake and waiting for you. Before you see her, I ask that you not make her upset. Her memory has been lacking these last few months. She may not remember who you are. Do not ask too much of her. I realize you will claim her as yours, but she has brought light back to this dreary castle. If she wants to leave with you, I will allow it, but only if she is sincere. You cannot convince her to leave with you. She doesn't know you have claimed her as your betrothed. I will see for myself if she remembers you. Then we will see." With that, Riley lead Kieran to Selena's chamber.
Selena was still reeling from the events of the night when she heard the light knock on her door. When the door opened, she was sitting beside the hearth waiting with her hands resting in her lap. She appeared to be in control of her emotions, but inwardly she was shaking. Riley walked into the room leading Kieran behind him. Selena began to rise, but Riley asked her to remaining sitting. She smiled a soft smile at him then looked beyond his shoulder at Kieran. The look in his eyes took her breathe away. "It's a good thing I'm still sitting," she thought.
"Selena, our guest has come to speak with you. I will be outside your chamber, in case you are in need of my assistance." He gave Kieran a very stern look which threatened bodily harm, and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Selena rose as soon as the door was closed and rushed into his arms. She couldn't believe he was real. She ran her hands up and down his back and over his face. She couldn't touch him enough. He bent his head and kissed her, a long wonderful soul shattering kiss. It said everything he needed to say.
Taking her into his arms, he sat on the chair she had left and sat her on his lap. With his forehead resting on hers, he said the only thing he could think to say, "You're here. You're here." He kept repeating it over and over as he rocked her back and forth. His hands traveled all over her as if through his touch he could make sure she was real and not an apparition.
"She said she would bring you to me and she did."
"Who said she would bring me to you, Kieran?"
"The old crone in the forest. I went to her after I realized you were not a dream, and that I did live in your America with you. I did know you and my friends. She said she could return you to me, here, in this time. How long have you been here?"
"I've been here about 3 months. I woke in a field of flowers, and within minutes a group of Highlanders came and I was brought here. If it wasn't for Riley, I would have become a mistress to one of his men. The one who brought me here. He was not a nice man. He scares me, but Riley has put me under his protection. I owe Riley, big time. He has been so kind to me. He thinks I have lost my memory. I couldn't explain to him that I knew who I was and I was not from Scotland, or this time period."
"I think Riley wants you to be his, Selena. Do you feel the same way?' he asked, with a feeling of dread and something else entirely. Jealousy rose in him quickly. He was becoming angry and he couldn't explain why.
"Riley has been very kind to me, Kieran. I know you don't believe I should feel that I owe him anything, but I was alone without anyone to protect me. I don't even know how I could have fed myself or lived alone in this place. I would have died if not for him. He is very kind and loving."
This was all Kieran needed to hear. He rose, knocking Selena off his lap. Without turning back he said, "Fine, Selena, have it your way. I will leave. I cannot and will not stay here a moment longer knowing that you have chosen someone else."
Selena was in shock, again. She watched as Kieran stalked out of her door. Once again she fell to the floor, but she didn't faint. This time she was completely aware of her surroundings. And then things began to fade. The flames of the fire, which moments before were almost too hot for her skin, were no longer anything but light. And that began to fade as she twirled into a vortex. All she could think was, "Here I go again. I've never fainted before, but it seems to be happening a lot lately." Then all was blank.
I have to say that Selena has a lot of fainting spells. This makes me laugh, really. And Kieran, well isn't he just like a typical guy. He only hears what he wants to hear. I hope for his sake, he realizes he needs to listen with his heart, not jealousy. HMMMMMMM. Will it be too late?
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