A Gypsy woman.

Chapter eight.

Chapter eight.

“Cacia!” He says with a Bottle of wine in his left hand and a chicken leg in the other. I smile weakly as I step forward Emilian at my side with each step.

I take comfort in the heat radiating off his body, just knowing that he’s there eases some nerves within my heart.

Some… I say some, because there’s a heck of a lot left churning wildly within my heart.   

“You look ravishing as usual my dear!” he says walking up to me planting a kiss on my cheek. It’s odd, he’s never been known to show affection towards me, and to be honest it makes me uncomfortable. Mostly because I don’t trust it.

“Thank you Dee, for the compliment and the invitation.” I say calling on whatever charm I can muster.  He laughs lightly before clapping his son on the back with affection.

“My boy! Returned from his mission stronger than ever eh!?” he says wildly ushering us forward. J7ki

“Please take a seat!” he says motioning toward an old wooden chair at the long table full of food.

I smile and take a seat in the faded Pink seat. I loved this table actually, all the miss-matched chairs and the Dishes that seemed to be taken from several different homes. It was the perfect example of the gypsy culture, lots of mismatched Pieces all together melding beautifully, making a home a home.

 Lian turns to sit by his father but as he lowers himself into the seat he is stopped.

“No my boy, take your seat by Cacia!” he says brightly, with a hearty laugh. “You did fight so very hard to get her here, why not enjoy her company.” He mumbles into his glass before taking a large sip of wine.

Yep… he’s definitely mad about the whole Emilian standing up for me thing.

There is an awkward silence at the table as Lian looks my way sort of hovering halfway over the seat he was about to plop into.

His father laughs at his hesitation. “My boy! Please take a seat next to your lady!” my eyes go wide at this. He hadn’t grasped the point I was trying to make earlier, the part where I didn’t want to be anyone’s girl.

“Oh she’s not my…” Lian started to say standing upright. But his father glared at him. “Emilian… please take your seat next to the lady.” He puts out each work precisely, emphasizing his words with authority.

Lian sighed deep and loud before pushing the chair back and walking around to sit next to me in a chipped green chair dramatically plopping into a seat.

His father eyes the two of us together for a moment just staring.  Causing tension more than there already was that is.

“There. Now doesn’t that feel right? Boys don’t that look right to you?”  He says turning to his two men behind him.

“Yes sir looks good to me.” his brother says quietly agreeing with everything he says.

Lian laughs awkwardly. “So dad. Uh Why did you want us to come here tonight?” he says wiping his hands on his knees before leaning forward to position his elbows on the table.

Dee does not take kindly to the refusing to acknowledge his comment. “Well upon your rapid insistence my son, that I allow Cacia here to work, I decided you were right. Cacia does have talent! She knows how to pull the wool over the eyes of the stupid and easy fooled! I shouldn’t over look someone who can help this family just because of age old traditions right?” he says with a sly smile, his eyes glinting with something I can’t trust. Like a snake in the grass curled and waiting to strike.

Emilian however didn’t see this, he let out an excited laugh of relief looking back from me to his father grabbing my hand from where it was resting on the table.

“It’s great you think that way! Really! So does this mean you’ll let her be my partner?” he asks hopefully still he holds on to my hand tight.

“Funny you should phrase it that way son…” he says with a wicked smile slowly pouring a glass of wine and passing it to me.

I look at him confused by his words but I accept his offering gleefully, I could really use the alcohol to be quite honest.

“you see son I know you think I’m mad about the way you stormed into my home in the middle of the night demanding that I consider cacia as a working woman of the camp… but I’m not!” he says seeming sincere while passing his son his own glass of wine.

“I’m proud of you! I never really thought that you would take charge like that! Never thought you would take leadership or own up to a decision. But then when you so lovingly screamed at me last night, I realized what made you take charge in such a way… It’s been in front of me your whole lives.” I turn my head to the side, I don’t know where he’s going with this, and that scares me.

“She is what inspires you to lead! All this time I worried you didn’t have enough fight to be a leader of this camp! But she makes you fight! She is the key to the future of this caravan! So yes, she may work on one very specific and essential condition. She may be whatever she wants as soon as she is married to you, you may allow her to be whatever you want with no objections from me!”  He says with a look that I see right through. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He’s not letting us win! He’s punishing us in the most subtle way he can!

I stare at him with my mouth hanging open wide. I dig my nails into the palm of Lian’s hands, but he doesn’t seem to object or even notice he’s so shocked.  Anger builds within my heart. But I contain myself, I must before the head of our family.

I look down away from the face that causes my blood to burn with fiery red hate in that moment and let out a dark little snort of a laugh.

“So… Your saying that I either marry Lian or what marry some idiot you pick off the street?” I say letting the anger get the better of me for a moment.

He looks at me as if he’s confused. But I don’t doubt this is exactly the outcome and response he was looking for!

“No, I’m saying you either marry my son or pack your bags!” he says calmly and then leans forward staring us both down.

“I thought you would be happy with this! You get the life you wanted! And I get the leader this caravan needs! Everyone wins!” he says brightly.

I look over at Lian who’s been very quiet as his father and I go back and forth. He looks pale in his usually tan face, his eyes closed tight and his hand loosely wrapped around my own.

“So shall we break out some serious stuff for the celebration?” he asks standing and walking into the other room, his men have already gone to bed while we fought, and Lian and I are left alone for the moment.

I turn in my chair to look him in the eyes. But he avoids contact with me. Locked in some sort of trance.

I slowly lift my hand to place it on his cheek pulling his face toward mine.

“You ok?” I whisper. He doesn’t answer and I don’t have time to ask again as his father re-enters the room.

“ahh good to see the young couple so embracing there future!”  he says setting the glass bottle down happily referring to my hand on his son’s cheek.

I quickly pull my hand back down to res tin my lap.

“So we have a wedding to plan then don’t we?” he says.

This seems to be the last straw for lian as he abruptly pushes away from the table, wordlessly rushing form the room in what seems to be a fit of rage.

It stings just a bit his reaction to this. Not that I don’t feel the same way, or that I don’t understand it. Mostly what I’m upset about in that moment is his leaving me with his sinister father.

“Excuse me, I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day. Thank you for the meal it was…” I look down at the still empty plates and the cold food we haven’t touched.

“It was a nice gesture!” I say quickly exciting, my only mission to find emilian and get this whole thing sorted out.