A gift not only for the king but for her. Her sneaky knight! It had to be from Aonghus. Her fingers reached out, touching the nubby fibers woven together upon the massive tapestry which seemed to swallow the colossal wall in its grandeur. How did he ever commission such a find?
Slowly, her eyes traveled higher and higher and higher…then things spun a bit; was that lightning flashing from the arrow slits? Her balance failed her when she fell rearward. Sleep welcomed her again, but this time terror ran in her blood, not calm.
Ugh!The stone floor would be a most unforgiving bed…her body was suddenly flying backward before the breath whooshed from her lungs after the air turned into arms about her waist. Thick as tree trunks but gentle as a feather. Aonghus.
***
“Summon the king’s physician!” Aonghus’s voice boomed through the great hall like thunder. He looked down at thelifeless body in his arms. A whisper came gentle as a breeze: “Keirah?”
What was wrong?! His heart hit his ribs when her eyes remained closed. Leaning forth, he pressed his cheek near her tiny nostrils. A breath graced his flesh, so he was able to draw one himself once more at the discovery. Carefully standing, he lifted her in his arms, then glared at Sir Sean.
“Why do you still stand before me? Summon the king’s physician! If he is not about, seek to have the barber surgeon sent to our chambers at once, and notify the king illness has claimed my lady.”
Giving a tight nod, Sir Sean vanished in a whirl of surcoat and chainmail. As Aonghus bolted down the passage, gasps sounded around him; he barked at one squatty courtier, “Make way!”
Once in the passage, he leapt the steps two at a time, reaching their chamber’s door. Kicking it wide, he made his way toward their bed. He gasped himself after getting a solid look at her – she was pale as snow. Dammit! It was the strain of court. He should have left her at Castle MacCade with Alec and Deidre then journeyed back to speak with the king…
“Sir Aonghus?” The king’s physician appeared, gray and wrinkled and worried. He should be – to fail his lady would unleash his wrath and that of a king.
Aonghus held her hand. “My lady was simply admiring a tapestry and fainted.”
“Leave me the chamber for but a moment.” The physician approached, raising his satchel.
His fingers tightened on hers. Did he trust this Scot? He was an honorable sort. Looking down at the solemn, delicate features, he brushed his lips over her brow. No fever – good.
“Cluaran, I shall return in a moment.” Reluctantly he released her hand, as another shadow darkened the doorway.
“My lord king,” Aonghus greeted him somberly.
The eyes turned wide at spying Keirah’s state before they both sought the passageway. As soon as the door shut, the king questioned, “What strain has caused Lady Keirah to fall ill?”
Running his hand through his hair, he mused, “I do not know. Her spirits were high after discovering the tapestry.” A long-strained silence swallowed them.
He couldn’t lose her.Well,she had to bewell.They were to leave, start a fresh time they both yearned for at Clan MacCade. Years he was to be at her side, and she at his. No. No. No! This could not be happening!She has to be well!His hand ruffled the hairs upon his scalp till his fingers numbed.
The door re-opened as the stone-faced physician emerged. “The lady still has not yet roused. I believe ’tis best to have the barber surgeon bleed her, or would you rather let her rest a wee bit before the measure is taken? Nae fever is present nor mark on her flesh declaring disease.”
Never would he see her bleed. “I shall sit with her a wee bit.”
“Aye.” The physician nodded. “I shall fetch the chamberlain to remain outside the door if you have need to summon me.”
The king gave one final look after he glimpsed the sight of Keirah lying on the bed, her hands folded neatly over her gowned waist, before he turned toward him. “I will have the Lord Chancellor take to the chapel in prayer for her, as shall I.”
Giving a solemn nod, Aonghus re-entered the chamber, shut the door behind him, and claimed a seat beside the bed.
“A joyful day,” he whispered, taking her hand. The next question broke in agony: “Cluaran, what has captured you?”
His breath, rasped by fear, echoed through the chamber. Could it be a glance? The physician did not know about her instinct in senses. No one did other than those on the inner circle from Largs. Was this some sort of odd cost in measure that had been delayed? Never did they think it even possible she would have kept the ability of fate-seer after consummation. The largest change since then had been a bright find when headaches as the cost of measure had faded after the current glances. Was it possible all those lessened measures had been bottled up to be unleashed in a dire event like this?
For a moment his eyes strayed toward the arrow slit when movement caught his attention. What was that? He narrowed his eyes; little white snowflakes fluttered through the opening. No, it was too warm for snow. One landed onto his chainmail-clad forearm, small and white and fluffy.How odd.It was a dandelion seed, not a snowflake. Strange; there weren’t any dandelions near the castle nor keep…yet…His eyes went from narrow to wide at the newfound sight.
There were thousands of them! He had not seen so many float the air since…since the time in the secluded meadow near Castle MacCade which he and Keirah had strolled through on their last lazy afternoon before returning here.
He would have grinned if not for the circumstance facing them. It was the moment when a stiff gust had blown all the fluffy seeds into the sky like feathers dancing about, just as they were doing now doing in this chamber. A time when his lady had twirled with her arms wide and carefree. Her face was bright as the sun overhead had been that day. His desire had overwhelmed his propriety; they had made love in that meadow – twice.
Looking down at Keirah, his eyes narrowed. A…a smile graced her lips, as the room filled with more feathery dancers aboutthem, gracing the chamber in almost a wave-like pattern of the sea.A night-glance, it has to be.However, his brow furrowed when he glimpsed the sun’s rays illuminating the gifts from nature looming about; it was not night but day. Odd. What the hell was happening?!
After her lashes fluttered, he dove closer. “Cluaran?”
