Aideen's Answer

-Chapter Thirty-Two-

Samantha looked at her coldly, "All right," she agreed. "What have you to say?"
Aideen tried not to feel wounded by her tone, she did deserve it, after all.
"May, may I come in, cousin? I would much prefer to converse in your chambers rather than the hallway."
Samantha hesitated, so Aideen pressed on.
"After all, this may take a while."
Samantha sighed, but nodded and stepped aside to allow Aideen entrance.
Aideen entered the room awkwardly, there was such a wall between them right now! Such as there had never been before. Aideen took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, this was why she was here. She must fix what she had broken.
Speaking to the floor, she began. "I have come, dear cousin, to attempt to rectify my mistakes and to beg your forgiveness. I have treated you in a way that is inexcusable and have dearly regretted it since. My actions would have been better geared toward an enemy than my closest friend. Samantha," Aideen looked into her cousins face and spoke softly. "I am truly sorry."
Aideen watched as a myriad of emotions passed over Samantha's face. Anger, hurt, hope and finally, joy.
"It is about time!" Came a shriek to her right and Aideen nearly toppled over as a flurry of fabric enveloped her. Confusion overwhelmed her until she heard Samantha's laughter, she then realized that she was being hugged! By not one, but two 'attackers'.
"Girls? I cannot breathe!" Aideen gasped.
Clarissa all but cackled with laughter as they each took a small step back. "Well, you deserve all that and more but I shall accept your humble apology, whether or not it was directed to me."
"And I, too, shall accept it, Addie," Samantha smiled.
Aideen all but slumped with relief before she remembered herself and turned to Clarissa.
"That one may not have been for you, but this most assuredly is. I must beg your forgiveness, my dear friend. I have acted horrendously to you as well."
Clarissa snatched a throw pillow from the bed and chunked it at her head. "Did you not hear me? I already accepted that! My goodness, you need to have your ears examined."
"Better my ears than my head, as you constantly seem to have trouble with," Aideen shot back, laughing.
Samantha clapped her hands together, smiling. "This is simply wonderful!" She exclaimed, "Why, I had begun to think that we would never have times like this again! Thanks be to God for His goodness!" She moved forward to hug Aideen once again, tears forming in her eyes, "He has returned you to us."
Aideen felt her own emotions rising to the surface at her friends deep joy. "And this time," she said, her voice a bit choked. "I am most willing to stay."
"Well, you had better!" Samantha said rather fiercely. "That was quite foolish of you! I shudder to think of what could have happened to you out there, with only that obviously untrustworthy man for company."
Aideen felt her heart squeeze at the mention of Kevin, but she merely smiled slightly and took Samantha's hand. She then decided that they could discuss that particular man at a later date, choosing instead a topic that was far more important.
"You must not dwell on such things, for what good will it do? God kept me safe when I was gone, He has restored me to you, He brought me home, and He," Aideen grasped Clarissas hand as well and fought tears as she struggled for the right words. "He has made me clean, girls." Aideen smiled at them both as a single tear left a wet trail down her cheek. "I have been washed in the blood of the Lamb."
This time it was Samantha who almost knocked her down, but Clarissa wasted no time in joining her. Their combined weight was to much for Aideen, and the three of them toppled to the floor in a flurry of laughter and tears. They were all talking at the same time, but soon gave up and just laughed. To Aideen, it was the most wonderful feeling.
To the person listening at the door, it was just one more reminder that the plan must be put into action, soon.
"Just you wait," came a ragged whisper. "Very soon, the royal family will get exactly what is coming to them."

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Well, it happened, I finally updated again. I know, it's awful how long it took me, I'm sorry    >.<    again! Just keep bugging me until I do it again ;)
Thanks for reading!!!:)