A Traitor's Daughter

Chapter 2

I picked Tomas off the ground and we followed sir Gillebeart to the front of the estate and that's when I saw Lord father and my eldest brother, Seamas. They were in chains and being led to a different carriage. My heart filled with fear as I tried to run to them. 

"Father! Brother!" I screamed. They both stopped. As I almost approached them, two guards escorting them had unsheared their weapons and pointed them at me. I stopped dead in my tracks. My eyes filled with tears and horror as hands grabbed both of my arms pulling me away. "Wait no! Stop! Sir Gillebeart, please! Tell me why is Lord father and my brother in chains! Where are you taking them?" I pleaded and I begged. I was beyond distraught. Father looked horrified when he saw us being dragged to the front of the estate as if he wasn't expecting us. 

"Why are the rest of my family here? They have nothing to do with this! Unhand my daughter!" my father yelled as he tried to come for me but was grabbed by a soldier. 

"Lord Moireach! You mind yourself for you do not wish to anger me! Take the MacAra family into the carriages and let us be off!" Sir Gillebeart shouted as he then walked to me and grabbed me hard by the arm. He yanked me forward and I looked up to an unknown angry man. It was not the sir Gillebeart I knew or had come to love. "If you do not wish to harm your family lady Catriona, I suggest you shut your mouth and stop causing scenes." He tossed me aside back into the arms of the soldiers, who then took me back to my mother and younger siblings. As we entered the carriage, numbness took over my body. It was like I was watching everything that was happening from afar; a truly out of body experience. And that was it. That was the last day I was ever truly happy. 

I knew the ride back to the capital would be long and cold one as we lived in a different region of the kingdom of Ecros. It took us two days to reach the capital. The entire time we were not allowed to see father or my elder brother. I feared for them. I feared for my mother and younger siblings. I feared for myself. My heart had been torn apart by someone who I had thought cared for me deeply, but now that same gentle- no that same man treated me with such aggression and distain. He wasn't the gentleman that I had thought him to be. He made my mother, my siblings, and I live off scraps of bread and barely any water. It was bitter cold the whole time. By the time we had reached the capital, we were all pale dirty cold and scared out of our minds. I was happy to be back in the capital maybe then we would finally get some answers on what was happening. When we returned it was late into the night and it had started to snow heavily. The wind around whistled and blew with such a fiery. We were again separated from father and brother. 

"Take lord Moireach and his son to the dungeon! And the rest of his family to the tower!" Sir Gillebeart instructed his men. This time I did not make a scene. I held my tongue and stayed close to my mother and siblings. My mother was weak and pale. She could barely stand by the time we made it to where we would be held for the night. Floraidh was shivering and Tomas was so quiet no longer that hyper boy we all loved. We were instructed that a guard would be posted by our door and we were not permitted to leave. In the morning, we would stand before the king. 

The chamber we were to stay in was far from nice or comfortable for nobility like ourselves. I was appalled by the king. We were nobles after all and close friends with the king. My mother was heavy with child and she was sleeping on a bed of straw with a dirty white sheet thrown over it. 

"Lady mother, I'm scared," shivered Floraidh as she hugged closely to my mother. My mother let out a gasp as she dropped to her knees. 

"Lady mother!" I shouted as I rushed to her side. As I grabbed her hand, I noticed that she was cold but covered with sweat. "Tomas go try to get help! Hurry!" Tomas ran to the wooden chamber door and began to bang on it. 

"Help! Help! My mother needs help! Please!" Tomas yelled and yelled, but no one came to our aid. My mother went limp in my arms as her eyes rolled back. 

"Lady mother!" I yelled as I shook her roughly. "Lady mother! Please wake up! Open your eyes, please!" I burst into tears as I begged my mother to stay with me. I could still hear Tomas yelling at the door and I looked to see Floraidh huddled in the corner of the chamber crying as well. I checked to see if mother was still breathing by putting my skinny finger up to her nose. I thanked the gods that she was still breathing. "Floraidh come stay with Lady mother. I'm gonna try to get help." Floraidh quickly crawled to me and mother and I gently placed her on the ground. I ran to the door where Tomas was still banging and yelling. I screamed, "Guards! Anyone, please help!" I banged on the chamber door for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, a guard opened the door. I quickly pulled Tomas behind me protectively. 

"What is all the commotion?" the guard asked angrily. 

"Please, it's my mother. She has collapsed. She needs a healer," I begged. The guard looked as if he was gonna walk away, but I quickly yelled, "Please, she's heavy with child! Can you at least help me to get her onto the bed?" The guard sighed and before coming in, he looked around outside, nodding his head after. He helped lift mother onto the straw bed. Before leaving, he turned to me with such a sad look on his face. 

"I am sorry, but this is all I can do for you. I'd start praying if I were you," he said before leaving. I backed away placing my hand over my chest trying so hard not to cry. No. I shook my head. I had to be strong for my mother and my siblings. I went over to my mother after telling my siblings to lay next to her for warmth as the room wasn't quite warm enough. I sat next to them as they slept, kneeling down by the bed I prayed and prayed. Please, don't let my mother die. Please. Please. Please.