Page 47 of May Queen: May Day

“Nay,” he admitted. “I was a knight then and had just discover that I was part Druid when my uncle took me aside and told me. Your mother and I were betrothed and about to be married. I asked her to go with me to the Druid festival because I wanted to include her in my life. I was excited to find my roots and know the truth. But the festival of Beltane proved to be too much for either of us to resist.”

“I don’t understand. What happens at these festivals?”

“Come see for yourself, Flora. Come join us around the bonfire in the forest on the eve of Beltane. I would like the other Druids to know you as my daughter.”

“I – I don’t know,” said Flora, being curious but also feeling confused. She’d just told her father she wouldn’t go with him, yet he was still asking her to be a part of his life. Isn’t this what she always wanted? She’d longed for a father and protector in her life. Now that she had it, why was she so frightened?

“Flora,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulders and staring at her with his bright green eyes. “You are a Druid priestess and a very sacred one at that. I am only sorry your mother kept this a secret from you, and never told me about you all these years.”

“Did you say I’m a priestess?” Going from being a bastard, unwanted child in her mind one minute, to being considered a Druid priestess the next, was too much to think about right now. Night was closing in, and she knew Dayton and Lang would be looking for her soon. She needed to get back to the castle before Ricard noticed she was missing. “I need to go now, Father.”

She jumped to her feet, but her father’s hand lashed out to grab her wrist. “Don’t leave, Flora. You are my child and I want you by my side. I have missed out on your entire childhood. Please, don’t make me miss the rest of your life as well.”

“I am no longer a child, Father. I’m a woman and you can’t tell me what to do.” She shook loose from his hold. “You made a big mistake by leaving Mother. She had no husband all these years, and everyone considered her a harlot and me a bastard. Do you realize how cheated I feel right now?”

“I’m sorry, Flora. But it is your mother you should be sore at, not me. She lived by her decisions, as well as I’ve lived by mine. But that is all in the past now. Please, help Mug look for the necklace and then we will leave for Ireland with the rest of the Druids. Once we are there, no one will bother us again.”

Emotions came crashing through her and tears spilled from her eyes. Flora wished for her mother to still be alive so she could ask her so many questions. She wasn’t sure if what her father told her was the truth, and she had no one to talk to in order to find out otherwise. She stuck her hand in her pocket, closing her fingers around the sacred Druid icon.

She would give it to her father, after all, so he would leave. Mayhap it was better this way. At least if he left England, his life would be spared.

The sound of hoofbeats crashing through the forest and shouting voices made her spin around. Through the dense trees she could see men on horseback riding toward them.

“Lady Flora! Lady Flora, where are you?” came the voices of Ricard’s brothers.

“Father, I have something to give you,” she said, holding out her hand and turning around. Her heart stilled when she realized her father was gone. He had left her standing there, without even saying goodbye. Slowly, she slipped her hand into her pocket, wiped away her tears, and turned and ran to Dayton and Lang.

“I found her,” cried Dayton, riding right toward her. He stopped his horse and reached down. “Lady Flora, take my hand, quickly.”

She did as he instructed, and he pulled her up in front of him into the saddle.

“Where were you?” asked Lang, riding to meet them. “It’s just about dark and we were worried you were abducted by Druids.”

“I was clearing a path and got lost,” she told them, hoping they would believe it. “I am so glad you found me because I was very frightened.”

“Well, we’ve got the tree down, so all we need to do is cut off the branches and haul it back to the castle,” Lang told her.

They made their way back to the others. In the darkening sky, Flora saw the huge tree on the ground and almost laughed aloud. “What’s this?” she asked.

“It’s the tree you told us to cut down,” said Lang.

“We had a hell of a time doing it since the trunk is so thick and it is so tall, but we finally got it,” said Dayton proudly.

“That’s much too big for a Maypole,” she told them.

“It’s the one you told us you wanted,” said Dayton, sounding irritated.

“Nay, it isn’t, she said, sliding off the horse and pointing to a much smaller one close by. “That is the one I told you to get. That one is the perfect size for a Maypole.”

“That?” Lang sighed and the villagers threw her nasty glares.

“It’s too late in the day now to cut it down,” said Dayton.

“Then we’ll just have to return tomorrow and start all over again.” Flora pulled herself back into the saddle and turned and headed away with two grumbling knights and two disgruntled villagers right behind her.