Calanthe

Chapter VIII

Calanthe

Cedric led Calanthe to the big old Oak tree. It's gnarled roots seemed to have been in the ground for an eternity. Red and pink poppies surrounded it. It was in the furthest corner of Lord Hereric's farm. Calanthe used to go there sometimes at night when she couldn't sleep. She would climb the tree and lie on its wide branches. Sometimes she would pretend that she was back with her real parents. That they were still alive.

"So Calanthe, I have been thinking. You are a slave, a very pretty one I grant you, but still a slave. I have the power to give you the one thing you want: freedom. My father has urged me to get a wife." Calanthe blinked in confusion but Cedric continued. "Someone I can own these lands with. Someone practical. Now, practical ladies are hard to come by. Sure, Lady Edith may be pretty and practical but she is a bore. I need someone who understands life here. Someone who has a personality. Someone who can bear me children. Someone beautiful. Someone practical, for my father's sake. I realised that although you are by far, by far, the last choice that any man should pick. I mean, you are just a slave." Anger rose up inside Calanthe but Cedric continued. "I am willing to look past your 'humble' beginnings and society status. I know that you may be frowned upon by society but I know that you are the perfect woman for me in body and soul. I will, of course, have to employ a woman to teach you about proper society, but I will pay for these costs as they are essential." Calanthe opened her mouth to respond but Cedric interrupted. "I certainly won't be giving honour to my family but, I believe if I am to be truly happy I need a woman that entertains me." Cedric paused a moment. "Calanthe, will you marry me?" Cedric asked, his eyes were confident but oddly sincere.

"No."

"What?" Spluttered Cedric in shock.

"No." Repeated Calanthe.

"How dare you refuse me! I am going to be the lord of these lands one day! How can you, a lowly slave, even think of turning down such an offer?" A dangerous glint appeared in his eye while his voice was filled with rage.

"Because you have insulted me in every way you can. You disregard my upbringing and regard my status as dirt. I may be a slave in this society but I do not need to be treated so lowly. Even by a gentleman." Calanthe turned away from him and stormed off. Her eyes quickly brimmed with tears threatening to spill. 

"If you do not come back here right now I will take back this offer! You will never get something as generous as this for the rest of your life!" Cedric cursed at her retreating form.

...

The next few days nothing of consequence occurred. Calanthe refused to tell her stepparents about her conversation with Cedric. She felt no guilt for turning him down. He had been horrible towards her and deserved to be rejected for the first time in his life.

She did felt sorry for Elfreda and Edric. Their wish was for her to get married so that they were no longer burdened with her, in the best possible way. Perhaps she could find another man. Someone who treated her with respect at least. Even if she stayed a slave her whole life she could not marry someone who treated her as such.

One morning Cedric did return. It was an awful morning. There was a black storm in the sky and clouds blotted out the sun. A great ferocious wind howled across the land whipping trees back and forth with no mercy. Rain fell like a torrent smashing the ground in fury. "No one can go out in this weather or they will surely die. Or at least die of sickness afterwards." Shouted Edric over the racket the storm was producing outside. Elfreda nodded in agreement at the dining table in the hut. Calanthe felt a strange sense of joy at being relieved of her duties mixed with fear of the storm outside.

The knock on the door had announced him. It was like a sight from a scary story. Elfreda had opened the door to Cedric. On cue, a bolt of lightening had flashed behind his dripping figure. He looked too pale and his hair plastered to his head like a skeleton.

"I wish to speak with Calanthe!" He screamed over the sound of the storm.

In a flustered fashion, Elfreda had replied by inviting him in.

"I would like privacy, if she could accompany me back to the manor, I have a horse waiting." Cedric raised his eyebrows as though he was surprised Calanthe had not been handed over plucked, stuffed and dressed already.

"Well, of course" Elfreda had become quite confused and gestured frantically for Calanthe to follow Cedric outside.

As soon as Calanthe was out of the doorway, the door shut firmly behind her. Slowly the continuous rain began to seep into every piece of clothing. Calanthe looked towards Cedric expectantly. He gestured her to follow him in reply. They walked quickly towards athe dark outlie of a horse that was only ten metres ahead. She was highly apprehensive of the situation. Cedric had threatened her and no doubt was planning revenge. There was no way that getting onto the horse with him could end well. But not being able to go back and the promise of shelter at the manor kept her on a fast paced path towards the ominous animal figure. beside the horse he grasped her arm, pulling her towards him so that he could boost her up. Cedric was suddenly in front of her, also astride the horse. Digging his heels in, the horse started it's journey. Calanthe not only shivered from the cold but also in fear at the eerie situation.

Horse's can sense your nervousness or fear. Either because of the violent storm or the fear of one of the riders, it didn't take much for the large animal to be spooked. The beast took off suddenly and the outburst caused Calanthe to fall violently backwards and onto the ground.

Her breath was knocked out of her as she lay wheezing on the cold muddy ground. The horse and Cedric sped off into the darkness of the raging storm. For several minutes Calanthe just lay there stunned. Lightening lit up the darkness for a split second. This allowed Calanthe, in her shocked state, to observe her surroundings. The trees were familiarly scattered either side of the path the horse had been taking. To her right, the old barn stood, trembling against the fierce storm. The young woman raised herself to her knees and then slowly to her feet. Her whole right side was had a sharp aching pain from her fall. As fast as she could she hobbled over to the barn and slipped in the familiar way.

Once inside she curled up into a ball and just crouched on the floor. After a while she decided to lay on that semi dry ground. She stayed like that for some time, well time didn't seem to matter anymore. All she knew was that the storm still raged outside. The wind made the barn shake and rattle. The raindrops hammered down on the roof. But oddly everything seemed calm. She was lying on her left side on the ground, barely daring to breath because of the pain in the right side of her body.

"Calanthe." The sound of her name pulled her out of the dazed trance of being alone.

A spark of light announced a candle being lit inside the black barn. Calanthe looked into the face responsible and watched the shadows of the flickering light dance across it. She pushed herself up with her arms so that she now squatted in front of him. She stared at him for a solid 30 seconds before breaking the silence.

"What is it you want Cedric? I have made it clear I will not marry you, what could you want from me after that rejection?" the directness of her words made him flinch.

"I don't think I can except no as an answer. Please, you can learn to love me as I love you." The young lord moved towards her.

Suddenly Calanthe wanted to be anywhere but there. As he moved towards her she scooted back, her sodden dress scuffing against the dirt floor of the barn. There was no farming tools in this part for her to hide behind. Suddenly her back hit the raw timber of that was the wall of the barn.

"What are you doing Cedric?" A hint of panic touched her voice. 

But she already knew. Other slave girls had talked about the horror of men. The tales surfaced in her mind about the brutality that befalls girls who are left alone with them. Cedric had a crazed looked in his eyes as he reached for her.