My Highlander, My Love, Part Three:Forbidden Love, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told.

The Black Smith

The black smith raised his strong arm and brought down the hammer on the heated metal, his sweat glistened over his bronzed, muscled chest as he worked. The man's thick mane of hair that was tied with a leather thong, and hung behind his back, fell forward as he bent to place another piece of heated metal on top of the other, and his muscles rippled with every move that he made.

Alana and Violet watched him from a distance, and they were dumbstruck. The hunk of a man reeked power and strength. He was very tall and built like a Greek God and his features were strikingly handsome.

Violet elbowed Alana, "I told you he was handsome!"

"He's not handsome," Alana whispered back, " he's gorgeous!"

Gabriel overheard their conversation and sighed with relief, bringing the blacksmith to this village was the best idea he ever had.

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"Come on Isabella, we don't want to keep the seamstress waiting too long, she can become very miserable when she gets upset, and if that happens her hand will tremble from rage and the pins will stick into your skin, and I promise you, you are not going to like that at all!" Lanie said, as she pulled Isabella quickly to the dressing room.

Isabella almost tripped over her feet trying to keep pace with Lanie, and when they finally entered the dressing room, they found the seamstress waiting with her hands on her hips, looking at them sternly.

"I hope you don't make a habit of being late when you come to your fittings, I don't take a liking to late arrivals, and furthermore, your bust looks as it has grown an inch from last week!" The miserable seamstress said. "undress quickly and slip into the wedding gown, I have the feeling that it won't button all the way up!"

Doing as she was told, Isabella wasted no time undressing out of her gown, and with the help of Lanie and the mistress she slipped into the wedding gown, and just as the seamstress had feared, it was much too tight at her bosom.

"Do you have your curse?"

"Yes," Isabella lied, "I got it last night."

"Then we can't finish the fitting because your chest is swollen, we shall have to wait a few more days until your breasts have gone back to their regular size! Remove the gown and be gone with ya, I have other gowns to finish before nightfall!" The seamstress complained.

Isabella looked in the mirror and admired the lovely wedding gown, it was the most beautiful gown she had ever seen, a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation. It was whispered that there were two thousand hand sewn pearls embedded on it, and it took eight months to complete the pattern. Expelling a deep sigh, the Druidess slipped out of the beaded gown with the help of the seamstress, and dressed back into her own.

Lanie stood by the side quietly, and watched Isabella's every move. When they left the fitting room, the Druidess escorted Isabella to her chambers and slammed the door shut.

"What pray tell was that all about, why did you bring me in here?" Isabella asked.

"Why didn't you tell me!" Lanie asked.

"Tell you what?"

"That you are with child?"

"What?"

"You heard me, you are with child!" Lanie accused.

Fear struck Isabella's heart, "Please tell no one, I beg of you!"

Lanie sat on her bed and threaded her fingers through her thick hair, "Do you know what they do to maidens who carry bastard children in their wombs Isabella?"

Shaking her head, the Druidess waited for Lanie to tell her.

"They whip them until they miscarry their babe and then they are thrown in the red tents!" Lanie said hysterically, "who is the father of your babe Isabella?"

Tears glided down Isabella's face, as fear struck her heart. Placing her hand on her belly, she cried until there were no more tears to spill.

"I asked you who has fathered your babe!"

The Druidess dropped her head to her chest in shame, "Your brother Silas." She whispered.

"What?"

"Tis true, he seduced me on the beach one night at the festival, and now I am cursed with his babe!" Isabella cried.

"Do you love him?" Lanie asked, her heart pounded wildly against her chest, knowing that all hell will break loose once Camran finds out the truth.

"Aye, I love Silas, but he doesn't love me back."

"Lord have mercy, have you any idea what you have done? Tis the death penalty they will seek once word gets out! Promise me that you will never tell Camran the truth! He must believe the child is his or else you and your child are as good as dead Isabella!" Lanie said hoarsely.

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Sidri paced back and fourth, Maria was in depression mode and didn't attend to the babe. His son whined all day, but Maria refused to feed him. The Fay King knew that he was in trouble and called on his friend and second in command.

"You are invited to the wedding next week are you not?" Leathan asked.

Sidri narrowed his eyes, "Aye, so?"

"The McCanes are invited also, and I heard through the grapevine that they will be attending the ceremony!"

The king raised his eyes brow, "And?"

"My king, have you considered talking to Bruce, his family is keeper of the Holy Grail, that may be your only hope!" Leathan told him.

"Are you sure it is in their hands?"

"I'm positive, Bruce himself once told me in confidence."

"Do you think that he will give it up?" Sidri anxiously asked.

"No, but you are not the only one that needs it, the MacAlisters Stephan, Tristan and Thomas have all married mortals, And they too need the Holy Grail. If all four of you go to him and plead your case I am sure that they will help you."

Sidri sighed a relief and cried happy tears without shame that Leathan was a witness to his weakness.

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