(Click photo for larger image)
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ForevaXena's FanFic . . .
Uninvited
by Deb Kern
Disclaimer:
Copyright:
This is an alternative uber tale. No copyright infringement is intended.
This is not to be used for profit.
Subtext
and Sex: Yes and yes. If the idea of two women loving each other is not your cup
of tea; go get a glass of milk and skip this. If you are under the age of 18
years of age or this type of story is illegal in your state or country, please
do not read it.
Violence
and Language: There are scenes of fighting. The language is pretty mild.
Credits:
This story line is completely my own, but the poem that is found as a journal
entry in Section Three is by a very talented poet. I inquired if she would lend
her beautiful words to this story and she accepted. I cannot tell you how
honored and grateful I am. Thank you Renotta. Your poetry is always a source of
inspiration.
Dedication:
This is for my twin sister. She has been a constant source of inspiration and
encouragement and like me, is a huge romantic. You’re amazing.
Thank
You: Big hugs to Cindy at ForevaXena, Jude, and Tracey for beta reading and for
your words of encouragement. Kisses to the ex-Guards for all the wonderful
feedback and for giving me a home in your talented community. A big thank you to
Mary D for the Xippy’s on "Written
in My Days" and "My
Cup of Tea". I’m a beginning writer and these awards have encouraged
my to write on.
Email: dikern@aol.com
| Cover
by Deb Kern (Click photo for larger image)
|
||
| Artwork
by Maria
Mercado (Click photo for larger image) |
Rosa moved her chair
next to the queen and spoke cautiously. "Catherine, I know this is hard on
you. I’m so sorry this has happened. I understand what it feels like to worry
about your child, but if anyone can protect her and bring her back safely,
it’s my Maria."
"She’s just an
innocent young woman," Catherine said as she sniffed back tears and looked
over at Rosa. "She doesn’t deserve to be caught up in the struggle between
our two countries. She never even wanted to come to Spain, but the King
insisted. She’s my youngest daughter and I love her so much."
"Have faith,
Catherine," Rosa said. "Luc and Maria won’t let anything happen to her.
They both care deeply for your daughter."
She looked down at her
hands and thought about her next words. The events of the morning weighed
heavily on her mind. It didn’t help matters that her only son had vanished,
and now Maria was risking her life for a woman who Rosa was certain had caused
the dispute between brother and sister.
"Catherine," she
said very slowly. "Has Danielle said anything to you about Fredrick? I mean
has she shown any interest in their courtship?"
Catherine sighed. She
knew in her heart that Danielle, while keeping her promise to be polite and
attentive to Fredrick, was not overly excited by this marriage. In fact,
Catherine noticed that her child seemed much more interested in Maria than
anyone else. She’d never seen Danielle look at anyone the way she looked at
her. It worried her terribly, but she didn’t know what to say to Danielle.
She’d tried to ignore it, but it was obvious from Danielle’s display at
dinner that her attraction was to Rosa’s beautiful daughter and not to
Fredrick.
"Why do you ask such
a question at a time like this?" Catherine asked. She couldn’t believe that
Rosa thought it was an appropriate time to get into a conversation she really
didn’t want to have. All she could think about was Danielle’s safe return.
"I’m sorry,
Catherine," Rosa said "I’m just as worried as you are at this moment, but
we need to talk about something. This won’t be easy, but I don’t think it
can wait any longer."
Rosa stood up and
walked to the window. Peering out, she took a deep breath. She was sure that
Maria cared for Danielle. The look on Maria’s face as she rode after Ortega
was one of concern for someone that she loved, not just worry over a French
princess.
"Before you were up
this morning, something happened between Maria and Fredrick. I’ve never seen
my children argue, but this was a bitter fight," Rosa said, turning her
attention to Catherine and walking over to her. "I think Danielle is at the
heart of it."
Catherine looked up at
Rosa. "What are you talking about? What happened?"
"I found the three of
them in the garden early this morning. I only caught the last part of it, but it
ended in Fredrick accidentally injuring Cora. He pulled his sword on Maria and
Cora tried to protect her," Rosa trembled slightly with the memory of the
morning. "Fredrick got on his horse and left immediately. I tried to get
answers, but no one would talk. Danielle was crying uncontrollably and the
tension between her and Maria was not normal."
"What are you trying
to tell me, Rosa?" Catherine stood up from her chair so that she was eye to
eye with Rosa.
"I think
. . ." Rosa whispered. "I think that Danielle and Maria care for one
another and I’m afraid that Fredrick saw something between them."
Catherine’s breath
caught in her chest and she stumbled back, falling into her chair. Rosa came to
her side.
"Catherine? Are you
all right, Catherine?"
Catherine put her head
in her hands as her tears fell hard. She couldn’t explain the emotion she
felt. Concern, fear, confusion, and worry all piled up on her, causing her to
break down and weep.
"Catherine," Rosa
sat next to the queen and placed her hand on her knee. "We don’t need to
talk about this right now. Please forgive me. I’ve just been so concerned
about this. It feels like my family is falling apart and I just needed someone
to talk to about it. I thought we could work this out together." She looked
down and felt her eyes welling with tears. Soon, her sobs were as strong as
Catherine’s.
Slowly, Catherine
covered the Spanish woman’s hand with her own. She knew in her heart that Rosa
was probably correct in her assumption about Maria and her daughter. She
wasn’t sure what to say.
"This is such a
mess," Catherine sighed. "I never imagined any of this could happen."
"God help us, none of
this was planned," Rosa said, choking back sobs
The women looked up at
each other, worry and concern evident in their tear-soaked eyes.
‘What are we going to
do, Rosa?" Catherine asked quietly.
"We’ re going to
pray for the safe return of our children," Rosa said. "And whatever comes of
all of this, we’re going to help each other through it."
Catherine squeezed
Rosa’s hand, taking comfort in her words and strength.
The sun had left the
sky and only the moon’s soft light illuminated the grounds as Luc’s horse
came to an abrupt stop in front of the doctor’s villa. Jumping down quickly,
he ran to the door and pounded as hard as he could.
"We need some
assistance here, please," Luc shouted.
He ran back to
Danielle. "Let me take her, Princess," he said, gently cradling Maria in his
arms.
"Be careful, Luc,"
Danielle said. "She’s so weak." She dismounted and ran ahead of Luc.
The door to the villa
opened and Dr. Sanar stepped out holding a lamp to light the dark entrance.
"What’s happened here?"
"Maria’s been
shot," Danielle said, reaching in and pushing the door wider so that Luc could
carry the wounded woman inside. "Ortega and his men kidnapped me and as Luc
and Maria were rescuing me, she got injured."
"Take her upstairs
and put her in the room on the right," Dr. Sanar instructed.
Luc climbed the steps
carrying Maria as Danielle followed closely behind. Placing her gingerly on the
bed, Luc stepped back. Danielle went to her side, kneeling on the floor.
"You’re going to be
okay, Maria," she said, picking up the tall woman’s hand and holding it
against her own warm cheek. She placed her hand over Maria’s and, sliding it
down gently to her lips, kissed the other woman’s palm lightly. She held
Maria’s hand a moment longer, afraid to relinquish the touch. "You hang on.
You hear me? I’ll be right here waiting for you."
"I’ll have to ask
you to step out," Dr. Sanar said, holding the lamp by Maria’s side. "I
need to see how bad this wound is."
Danielle’s eyes began
to tear up. She kissed Maria’s palm again and then gently laid her hand back
on the bed.
"Come on,
Princess," Luc said softly. "Let’s let the doctor take care of her."
Luc brought his hand
down and helped Danielle up from the floor. The young woman stood on wobbly feet
and held on to the strong arm of the captain for support. He led her out of the
room and down the stairs.
"Let me take you back
to your mother," Luc offered. "I’m sure she’s worried out of her wits by
now."
"No, Luc," Danielle
said. "I can’t leave Maria. I won’t go anywhere until I know she’s out
of danger."
"Princess," Luc
said, placing his hand on her cheek and wiping away dried blood from one of the
many scratches caused by the tree branches, "Your wounds need to be tended to
and you need to rest from this ordeal."
"I’m fine, Luc,"
Danielle said impatiently. "These are just little cuts and I can’t rest
until I know she’s all right!"
Danielle realized that
she’d snapped at the captain. She took a deep breath. "Luc, I’m sorry. I
didn’t mean to take that tone with you. I’ll never be able to tell you how
grateful I am to you for risking your life to save me and for helping Maria, but
I can’t leave."
Danielle looked at Luc;
he was not just the Captain of the Guard, but her friend. She took his hand and
led him to the sitting room, then sat in a chair next to the window.
"Sit down, Luc,"
Danielle said softly. "I need to tell you something."
Luc sat directly across
from the young woman and looked at her with compassion.
"Luc," Danielle
began. "I don’t know how to tell you this. I’ve tried to put it in words
for myself many times but none of the explanations compare to what it is I feel
inside. For years now I’ve dreamt of the same blue eyes. I prayed to find this
person and it happened, Luc. It’s not what I expected but I can’t deny what
my heart knows is the truth. I . .
. I’m . . ."
"You’re in love
with Maria," Luc said thoughtfully.
Danielle looked over at
the man who had been her protector and mentor since her birth and smiled
slightly at him.
"How did you know?"
"I see it in your
eyes, in your words, and in your actions, Danielle," Luc said quietly. "I
watched you risk your life for her today and her for you. I knew this morning
that Maria cared for you deeply, but what I didn’t know was if you felt the
same for her. I do now."
"Does that upset you,
Luc?" Danielle asked hesitantly.
"No, cherie," Luc
said, taking her small hand in his and smiling gently. "Your life has always
been controlled by your title. I prayed that you would find the happiness you
deserved. Some people never know what it feels like to find their true love.
That you have makes me very happy."
Danielle brought his
hand up to her lips and kissed the back of it as tears began to fall from her
eyes. "Thank you, Luc. Your friendship has been the greatest of my life. Your
understanding and support mean the world to me."
"You will always have
that from me, Princess, but most people will not be as accepting of this. Does
anyone else know of your feelings?" Luc asked gently, standing up from his
chair.
"Oh, Luc," her
voice shook slightly. "This morning, in the garden, very early, I went down to
talk to Maria. I told her about my feelings and she begged me to drop it. She
was worried about her brother, my position in France, and doing the right thing.
She told me we had to walk away from it, but I pushed her and pushed her until
she broke down and she kissed me."
Danielle took a deep
breath and continued. "Fredrick
witnessed the kiss and blamed Maria for seducing me. That’s not at all what
happened, but he wouldn’t listen. He attacked her and that’s how Cora got
injured. It was horrible. None of this was Maria’s fault. I should have walked
away like she begged me to do."
Danielle looked up at
her friend. The worry in his eyes showed through his usual stoic demeanor.
"Where is Fredrick
now?" Luc asked, concerned.
"I’m not sure,
Luc," Danielle said softly, looking down at her lap and letting fall tears
born of worry and frustration. "He got on his horse right after the incident
and left. I saw his face when he was leaving. I think it scared him that he’d
lost control. He didn’t mean to hurt Cora. It was an accident."
Luc came back to
Danielle and knelt in front of her. "Don’t worry about any of this right
now, Princess. We’ll figure something out."
"I hope so, Luc. This
is such a mess and now Maria . .
." her voice broke off as her tears turned to soft sobs.
"You stay with
her," Luc said, standing up. "I need to go back and let the queen know
you’re okay. Rosa needs to know about Maria, and I’ll do my best to find
Fredrick and talk with him."
"Thank you, Luc,"
Danielle said and stood to embrace him.
"I’ll return as
soon as possible," Luc placed a kiss on the top of her head.
Danielle watched from
the door as he mounted his horse and rode away. Turning around, she closed the
door and walked back up the steps; sitting on the top rung, she prayed as she
waited for the door to open.
Fredrick led his horse
up a dirt road. He’d spent the entire day riding through the countryside and
thinking about his actions of the morning. He was embarrassed by his sister and
ashamed of his own behavior. He’d never meant to let his anger get the best of
him and no matter what Maria had done, it could not excuse the outburst that led
to Cora being hurt. He couldn’t believe he’d tried to hurt his sister. The
guilt was eating away at him.
Deciding to go back to
the doctor’s villa and check on Cora, he pulled the reins hard to the right
and headed south. As he rode, he remembered the green eyes of the princess as
they looked at him in contempt. She would never trust him again. Any hope that
she would still want his hand in marriage was lost. His thoughts drifted to his
mother, who would be devastated by the turn of events. He took a deep breath and
dropped his head.
Danielle looked up when
the door opened. The doctor walked out, wiping his hands on a cloth stained by
Maria’s blood.
"How is she?"
Danielle asked anxiously, standing up to talk to him.
"She lost a lot of
blood. I removed the musket ball, but it punctured her left lung. It’ll be
hard for her to fight off infection in the weakened state she’s in," Doctor
Sanar said in a low voice. "Only time will tell. Has someone told Rosa?"
"Luc’s gone back to
tell her," Danielle said, walking over to the room and peering in at Maria.
"May I sit with her, please?"
"I think I should
look at your cuts first, and get you cleaned up," Doctor Sanar said. "She
won’t be conscious anytime soon."
"Later, I promise, I
. . . I need to be with her now," Danielle insisted.
The doctor nodded his
head in reply. Danielle walked quickly to the bed, leaving the door open.
Maria’s face was pale and beads of perspiration rose on her forehead. A clean
sheet covered her chest.
Danielle looked down at
her own hands. Walking over to a water basin, she washed the dirt and blood from
them and then got a clean rag, soaking it in another basin filled with cool
clean water. Wringing the rag out, she brought a chair to the edge of the bed
and sat down. Gently, she wiped Maria’s cheeks and laid the cloth over her
forehead. She sat quietly, looking at the beautiful face, praying for her
recovery.
Fredrick dismounted his
horse and knocked on the doctor’s door.
The door opened and
Doctor Sanar stepped out. "She’s upstairs in the room on the right"
"Cora?"
"No. Maria!" the
doctor said, puzzled that Fredrick would inquire after the dog first. "The
princess is with her."
Fredrick blinked his
eyes. "What? Why is Maria here?"
"I take it you’ve
not been back to the villa today?" Doctor Sanar said slowly.
Fredrick shook his
head.
"After I treated
Cora, it seems that Ortega and his bandits kidnapped the princess. The French
captain and your sister went after them and in the process of rescuing the
princess, Maria was shot."
"And the princess? Is
she all right?" Fredrick asked urgently.
"Minor scrapes and
bruises from what I can tell, but she won’t leave Maria’s side," the
doctor replied.
Confused and alarmed,
Fredrick walked past the doctor through the entrance and up the stairs. When he
got to the door, he stopped before turning to enter the room, listening as he
heard Danielle’s voice.
"I’m so sorry,
Maria," Danielle said, picking up Maria’s hand and holding it tenderly
between hers. "I’ve done nothing but ruin your life since I arrived. I never
intended for any of this to happen. I know you’ll never be able to forgive me,
but I’ll live the rest of my life trying to set things right with you and your
family."
Danielle
brought the tall woman’s hand to her lips and placed small kisses on it.
"You begged me to leave you alone and I just couldn’t do it. I tried to
fight the feelings I had for you, I really did, but I wasn’t as strong as you
are. Can you blame me for wanting to make my dream a reality? I finally found
what my heart was searching for and I wanted to force you to see that we were
destined to be together. I didn’t care at what cost and now look what’s
happened."
Danielle looked at
Maria with tears of regret. "Oh God, Maria, please forgive me. If I had let
you leave when you wanted to, Fredrick would have never blamed you for our kiss.
This is all my fault!" Danielle laid her head on the side of the bed next to
Maria. "My heart will always belong to you, my love, and I’ll do whatever
you think is best from now on. If you want me to marry Fredrick, I will, I
promise you, just please come back to me. You have to fight, Maria. I couldn’t
go on without you. I love you, Maria."
Fredrick felt his legs
weaken as he leaned against the wall for support. All along he’d blamed his
sister for seducing the princess, when it was Danielle who taken the initiative.
He closed his eyes tight and shook his head. Maria had always thought of his
feelings first and the family. Why hadn’t he trusted her to do the same when
it came to the princess?
He bit his lip, holding
back the anger he felt at himself for thinking that his sister would ever
intentionally do anything to hurt him or shame their family. He’d let his
jealousy and pride come before the love of his sister and it made him sick as he
remembered the horrible things he’d yelled at her. Not only had he caused
Maria pain with his words, he’d left her alone to fight against Ortega. He
felt like her blood was on his hands.
‘I should have been
there for you, Maria, just like you have always been for me.’ He thought as he
quietly walked away and headed down the stairs. ‘I don’t know if I can ever
forgive myself.’
"Doctor?" Fredrick
asked softly as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Will she be all
right?"
"I won’t lie to
you," Doctor Sanar said. "It’s serious. The bullet punctured her lung and
she’s lost a lot of blood. Only time will tell."
Fredrick walked out the
door to his horse. He knew he needed to be with his mother. She deserved the
truth and she needed to know about Maria. He promised himself that his petty
pride would never get in the way of the truth again. Somehow, some way, he
needed to make this right.
Keeping her promise to
Maria, Rosa left Catherine briefly to go check on Cora. As she sat inside the
stables petting the healing dog, she heard a lone horse come to a stop outside.
Holding her breath, she watched as the captain walked in and guided his horse to
the water trough. Her heart fell as she braced herself against the stall.
"Maria?" Rosa asked
breathless.
Luc looked up and saw
Rosa. Walking quickly to her, he pulled a stool over for the woman, who was
obviously having trouble standing.
"There is no easy way
to tell you this . . . Maria’s been shot," Luc held onto Rosa’s hand as he
helped her sit. "She’s with the doctor. He’s doing everything he can for
her."
"What happened?"
Rosa inquired through her tears and then quickly thought of the princess. "And
Danielle?"
"She’s fine, but
she insisted on staying with your daughter," Luc said, holding Rosa’s hand
and kneeling down to talk to her. "Maria found Ortega’s hiding place and we
were able to free Danielle, but as we were escaping one of Ortega’s armed men
surprised us. I yelled to Maria and she shielded Danielle from the attack. The
bullet would have hit the princess, but Maria saved her life."
"I must go to her,"
Rosa struggled with the words. "I .
. . I need to be with my daughter."
"Of course," Luc
said. "I will take you there myself. First I must tell Catherine that Danielle
has been found and is unharmed. Will you be all right for a moment?"
Rosa shook her head as
her tears fell harder. "Catherine is sitting just inside the villa."
"I’ll be right back
and we’ll get to Maria as quickly as possible." Luc ran out of the stables.
"My Maria," Rosa
cried hard into her hands as she prayed. "You’ve always been the brave one
in the family. I don’t know what I would do without you, my beautiful
daughter. Your strength has been the one thing that has held our family
together. I would have fallen apart when your father was murdered, but you were
there to encourage me to keep living. Hear me now, my child. I love you more
than life itself. You fight for me, Maria. Dear God, please be with her now."
Fredrick heard his
mother’s prayer as he walked quietly into the stables. "Mother?"
Rosa looked up. "Oh,
Fredrick," she stood and walked quickly to her son, throwing her arms around
his neck. "Where have you been? I’ve been so worried. My God, Fredrick, so
much has happened."
"Mother," Fredrick
hugged her tight. "I know what’s happened today and to Maria. I’ve just
come from Dr. Sanar’s villa. She’s in good hands. Danielle is with her, but
it is serious."
Pulling back from the
embrace, he brought his hands up to his mother’s cheeks. "I can’t explain
what happened this morning, except to say, I acted like a complete idiot. I’ve
been roaming the countryside all day trying to understand how I could have lost
control. I’m sorry I hurt you."
Stepping back he looked
over and saw Cora lying on a blanket. "How’s Maria’s little pet?"
"She’ll be fine,
Fredrick," Rosa sniffed back her tears.
"I’m so glad. She
loves that dog. I didn’t mean to harm her." Fredrick said softly.
"Please tell me what
made you and your sister fight. I really need to understand this." Rosa said.
"It’s complicated,
Mother," Fredrick brought his hands to his sides. "Sometimes things are
better left unspoken."
Rosa looked down lost
in her own thoughts. She knew what Fredrick was referring to. She’d watched
her daughter’s interactions with other women for some years now. It was
obvious to her that Maria preferred the company of women. At first it was hard
for her to come to terms with. Maria had never had a serious involvement with
anyone and the subject was never addressed in the family, until now.
"Fredrick," Rosa
said, looking up. "I already have an idea, but I’d rather hear it from you.
I want no more secrets in this family. We need to come together now."
Fredrick lowered his
head. "I accused Maria of seducing the princess. I walked into the garden this
morning and saw them in an embrace. I felt ashamed that Maria would embarrass
our family in that way and I guess I also felt a little jealous." Fredrick
looked up slowly. "I assumed that Maria had forced Danielle into the kiss. I
didn’t even consider that the princess could have initiated it."
"And now you think
differently?" Rosa reached over and placed her hand over her son’s.
" I overheard
Danielle confess it as she was praying for Maria," Fredrick squeezed his
mother’s hand. "I don’t think Maria wanted to pursue the feelings. In
fact, she was planning on leaving just to avoid them. Danielle was pushing Maria
to acknowledge their bond."
"Oh, Fredrick,"
Rosa sighed. "I’ve noticed emotions that seemed strained coming from both of
them. I wondered if what I was seeing had anything to do with an attraction
between them."
"Mother," Fredrick
said slowly. "Danielle is in love with Maria. If you could have heard the
words she spoke - they left no doubt about her feelings."
Lost in a reflective
silence, Fredrick dropped his head, and then after a moment walked over to look
at Cora. "I don’t think Maria will ever forgive me. I’ve hurt her so
badly. The things I said, and the worst of it is - I really had intended in my
rage to hurt her. It’s unthinkable and unforgivable."
"Maria loves you,
Fredrick," Rosa said. "If you explain it to her as you have to me, she will
forgive you. She would never do anything to intentionally hurt you."
"I’ll never forget
that again," Fredrick said.
Fredrick walked back to
his mother. "I like Danielle, Mother. I felt an attraction to her and I hoped
that our marriage would not be just one of convenience. I started to hope for
much more. I told Maria that I liked the princess. I can only imagine the pain
she felt - I really do think Maria would have walked away from her only chance
at a real love just for the sake of my happiness."
"I have no doubt that
she would have tried," Rosa said. "She loves you that much."
Fredrick reached for
his mother’s hand and held it tightly. "We both know Maria, Mother. That she
struggled with her feelings and finally gave in to a kiss tells me that the love
between them is stronger than Maria’s willpower. I won’t let her walk away
from that. She’s been given a gift of love from an amazing young woman. If I
can do anything to support that, I will."
Rosa stood on her
tiptoes and placed a kiss on her son’s cheek. "I’m very proud of you,
Fredrick. It takes a special quality in a man to admit his mistakes and strength
of character to show the depth of understanding you have for your sister. You
know, of course, that Danielle’s life is governed by her title," Rosa
squeezed Frederick’s hand. "We do not have the only say in this woman’s
future."
"I know, but I have a
plan that just might work out for everyone," Fredrick said. "But first we
must go to Maria. She needs you."
"She needs both of
us," Rosa said.
Luc and Catherine
walked into the stables, stopping immediately when they saw Fredrick.
"Luc," Fredrick
said, walking to the captain and holding his hand out. "I’ll never be able
to repay you for helping my sister against Ortega. I am only sorry I was not
there to help you. Thank you for getting Maria to the doctor and for being here
for my mother."
"No thank you is
necessary," the captain said, shaking Frederick’s hand. "I wish I could
have prevented your sister from being harmed. I pray for her full recovery."
"She saved my
daughter’s life," Catherine said softly. "She’s a very brave woman. You
must be very proud of your sister."
"I’ve never been
more proud in my life," Fredrick said.
Catherine looked over
at Rosa. Rosa gave her a small smile as a tear fell from her eye. Catherine
returned the smile. It appeared that mother and son had resolved the events of
the morning.
"Shall we go?" Luc
asked
"Yes, immediately,"
Fredrick replied.
Luc and Fredrick
readied the coach and helped Rosa and Catherine inside, then Luc mounted his
horse and Fredrick climbed onto the steps of the coach. Just before he sat down,
he thought of something, jumped off of the steps, and ran back inside the
stables. Luc watched, curious at Frederick’s last-minute action. In a moment,
Fredrick reappeared, carrying a bundle wrapped in a blanket. He opened the door
to the carriage.
"Maria would want to
know that Cora’s with her," Fredrick said, placing the dog between his
mother and the queen. "I think she will take comfort in knowing that her pet
is nearby."
"Yes, of course,"
Rosa said. "I’m surprised I didn’t think of it. Thank you, Fredrick."
The door closed
quietly. Catherine looked over at Rosa as she placed her hand on Cora’s head
and petted the animal. "He’s a thoughtful young man, Rosa. Whatever happened
before, it appears he’s worked through it. You did a wonderful job raising
him. You must be proud of both of your children."
"I am, Catherine,"
Rosa said as she watched the dog’s tail wag in response to the petting. "You
have no idea how much."
"Rosa," Catherine
asked very slowly. "Did Fredrick tell you what happened?"
"Yes, my friend,"
Rosa said, placing her hand over the queen’s. "It is as we suspected. Our
daughters are struggling with the feelings they have for each other. Fredrick
has come to terms with it, but I’m not sure what we’ll do about this
situation."
"I guess we’ll deal
with it as we need to," Catherine said, looking over at her friend. "The
most important thing right now is Maria. I’m praying for her."
"Thank you," Rosa
said, squeezing the hand of the woman she’d had grown to care about.
Danielle removed the
cloth from Maria’s forehead and dipped it back into the cool water. With the
back of her hand, she felt the sides of Maria’s face. Despite her attempts to
cool her skin, it seemed that her temperature was increasing. Looking at the
tall woman, she saw a rapid fluttering underneath closed eyelids. Maria’s lips
began to twitch and her shoulders and chest began to tremble. A soft moan
escaped her mouth. Danielle wasn’t sure if it was the fever or the pain that
was causing this reaction.
"Maria," Danielle
said, kissing the woman’s cheek, "It’s okay, Maria. I’m with you.
You’re going to be fine. Do you hear me, Maria? I’m right here, my love. I
won’t leave your side. I’ll be with you always, Maria."
Maria’s movements
stilled as Danielle continued to speak softly to her. Danielle laid her head
next to the dark woman, humming a song into her ear. Each time she began to moan
or tremble, the princess talked her through the spell and whispered songs until
Maria calmed. Danielle kept track of the occurrences and it worried her that
they were coming closer and closer together.
Dr. Sanar came up to
check on his patient and found the princess humming a song. "Is she
responsive?"
"No," Danielle said
worriedly. "She’s having tremors of some sort. They began a while ago and
her fever seems worse."
"Let me take a
look." The doctor moved next to the injured woman and felt her face, then
removed the sheet and listened to her lungs. "She’s not doing as well as
I’d hoped. I think she might be fighting an infection. Just in case, we’ll
have to bleed her to let the infection drain."
"But she’s so weak
already," Danielle said. "Won’t that make it harder for her to recover?"
"If it is an
infection we shouldn’t wait." The doctor moved to the table and brought over
a porcelain bowl, placing a towel underneath it, then reached for a knife. He
placed Maria’s arm over the bowl, resting her elbow in the center. "You
might want to leave now."
"No, I’m
staying," Danielle said softly.
"Very well," Dr.
Sanar said before he took the blade and made a cut along the soft fold of
Maria’s arm. Blood trickled out immediately and collected in the basin.
"Is there anything
else we can do?" Danielle asked as tears formed in her eyes.
"I’m sorry, but
I’ve done all that I know how to do," the doctor stood and started to walk
out of the room. "I’ll be back in a couple of minutes."
Danielle watched as
Maria lay helpless, taken to a dark world by the infection. Her head moved back
and forth and she mumbled words that made no sense. The perspiration on her brow
beaded with intensity and as Danielle ran her hand alongside of Maria’s arm,
her fingers burned from the heat coming from her skin. Gently holding Maria’s
hand, she hummed another song and prayed for her to return from her
hallucinations.
The doctor returned a
few minutes later and removed the bowl. He tied a bandage around the cut and
folded Maria’s arm back to help stop the bleeding. "We’ll see how she does
now, but we may need to repeat this treatment. If you notice any change in her,
call for me. I’ll be right downstairs."
"Thank you,
Doctor," Danielle whispered.
As the doctor stepped
off of the stairs, he heard a knock. Taking the lamp from the side table, he
opened the door. Rosa quickly stepped in.
"How is she?" Rosa
asked.
" I think an
infection has settled in, but she’s fighting it very hard. Let’s keep our
hopes up," Dr. Sanar said thoughtfully. "She’s upstairs on the right and
Danielle is still with her."
Rosa walked quickly to
the staircase as the doctor escorted the rest of the party in.
When she entered the room, she saw the princess staring at her daughter
and holding her hand.
"How is she?"
"Rosa!" Danielle,
startled from her thoughts, looked up at the older woman and then turned quickly
back to Maria. "Maria look, it’s your mother. She’s here for you
Maria."
Danielle stood and
motioned for Rosa to move next to the bed. "Please come and talk to her. She
might respond to your voice. She’s fighting an infection of some sort and her
fever is getting worse. I know she’ll do better now that you’re here."
Danielle stepped away
and allowed Rosa to take her place. Her heart broke as she watched Rosa’s
tears fall while she talked to her daughter. Nothing could ever compare to the love
of a mother, and Danielle knew her own mother must have been devastated when she
was kidnapped. Backing away quietly, Danielle left the room to give them time
alone.
"Danielle!"
Catherine’s voice reflected her fear as she saw her daughter’s torn dress
and the dried blood about her arms and legs. "My God, Danielle are you
hurt?"
"No Mother,"
Danielle said, descending the steps and giving her mother a hug. "These are
just scrapes and cuts. I’ll be fine, really."
"What happened to
your dress?" Catherine said very softly.
"I tore it so I could
ride the horse better," she whispered to her mother, who was obviously afraid
that something horrible had happened to her. "I needed to get Maria out of
that place as quickly as possible and I wanted to make sure I could hang on
tight. Don’t worry, nothing happened. Luc and Maria got to me in time."
Stepping back from the
embrace, Danielle’s gaze immediately fell on Fredrick, who was holding Cora in
his arms. Fredrick noticed the alarm in the princess’ eyes and it saddened
him, but he completely understood why Danielle stood speechless with her
questioning gaze.
Catherine noticed the
tension and asked Luc to escort her to the sitting room. She wanted them to have
time to talk.
"I’m so glad
you’re unharmed, Princess," Fredrick said slowly, lowering his head.
"I’m sorry I wasn’t there to assist in your release. Maybe I could have
done something to protect Maria. I know you don’t believe this, but I love her
very much."
Sensing a shift in
Frederick’s personality from what she’d seen that morning, Danielle walked
to his side and whispered. "I must talk to you, Fredrick. I must explain some
things."
"There’s no need
for you to say a word," Fredrick replied softly. "I’m the one who should
explain, but sadly nothing I say will ever excuse my behavior. I hope that
Maria will find it in her heart to forgive me, and I hope that one day you will
look at me without disgust."
"Fredrick,"
Danielle said, placing her hand on his arm. "I do not think of you with
disgust, I never did. I hurt you. None of what you saw in the garden was
Maria’s fault. I’m the one who pursued your sister and it was my actions
that caused your fight. I’m sorry I hurt you, and if anyone should ask for
forgiveness, it’s me. I’ve dreamt of one person all my life and the moment I
saw Maria, I knew it was her that made my heart beat. I’m sorry if that angers
you, Fredrick, but I understand if it does. Your anger should be directed at me
and me alone. Please know that Maria wanted nothing to do with my advances."
"Well then,
Princess," Fredrick smiled gently and whispered, "If it is my sister that
your heart is calling to I’d say she’s a very lucky woman, and I hope when
she recovers that she comes to her senses and runs straight into your arms."
Danielle tilted her
head in surprise as her eyes widened below raised eyebrows. She couldn’t help
the smile that came to her lips. That was not at all what she expected to hear
from Fredrick, and the playfulness with which he delivered it caused her to step
back in delighted shock. "Did you just say what I think you did?"
"Yes," Fredrick
said softly. "But don’t you dare tell Maria. I don’t want her to think I
gave you up that easily."
Closing the small gap
between them, Danielle stepped to Fredrick’s side, avoiding the dog he still
held in his arms, and placed a kiss on his cheek. "You are an amazing man,
Fredrick. No wonder Maria loves you so much."
"I hope she still
does," Fredrick said as the smile left his face. "I’ll do everything I can
to seek her forgiveness."
"Trust me,
Fredrick," Danielle said. "You’ve already been forgiven in her eyes."
Danielle reached in and
petted Cora’s head. "How are you doing, little one?"
Cora barked and her
tail began to wag, causing the blanket to move back and forth.
"I guess that means
she’s doing just fine," Fredrick laughed.
"Thank you for
bringing her," Danielle said, quickly sobering. "Maria will want her near
when she wakes up. Come upstairs and see your sister, Fredrick. She’ll sense
your presence and love in the room. She needs all the support she can get."
"I’m right behind
you," Fredrick said, and followed Danielle up the stairs.
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