To Love Someone

chapter 5

     

      From what April had seen so far, even though it was just the land and rolling hills that went on as far as the eye could see, it was beautiful, Alba was beautiful. She looked up at Ian, her silent brooding husband. It was funny the way he pretended not to be attracted to her. She had seen the way he looked at her when he thought she was busy. She decided to talk to him, maybe she could start up a conversation.

"Are we almost there?" She asked.

"No."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No."

"Do you have any Christians among your people?"

"No."

      April wanted to pull out her hair at this point. He was being deliberately difficult.

"Do you answer every question with no?"

"No."

She let out a deep breath. "Do you know any word apart from no?"

  He looked down at her,"maybe."

Maybe what? Maybe he knew another word? Or the other word he knew was maybe. Ian's lips twitched as she frowned and played with the her hair as she thought of another question.

"Sleep lass, it will take us some time to get there."

She gave up trying to talk to him and instead tried to sleep. She relaxed against him and snuggled into his shoulder and she wrapped her hands around his waist. He tensed at her touch, then slowly relaxed, she smiled. It was so easy to get to him.

        Ian watched as she slept, her breath against his neck was tickling, so he moved her instead so it looked like he was cradling her. She let out a soft sigh and snuggled even deeper. They were approaching the outskirts of the town.
Home at last.

                   ***********

           April woke up to see that they had just entered the town. She sat up and looked round. They were taking a path that led up to a huge stone keep, houses lined the path, and the people stared at them, or rather they stared at her. She stared right back at them.

Leaving the people behind, she stared up at the keep. Soldiers manned the gate, and as they approached, it was opened. Ian alighted and helped her down, leading her to the man who stood with wide welcoming arms, he had a kind smile on his face.

"Ian, my son, welcome home," he turned to her,"and I see you brought back a beautiful princess." She curtseyed and he hugged her and kissed both her cheeks.

"Welcome home. Has my son been treating you well? Cause I know he sometimes behaves like an ass, and I can assure you that that was not how I trained him,"  he said as he tucked her hand in his arm and led them towards the main building, April instantly liked him. Ian snorted at his father's statement.

"Not at all my Lord. He was quite the gentleman," April said and looked at Ian with raised eyebrows, daring him to contradict her.

He shook his head and grabbed her, "she is my wife father, you can leave her now, she is tired and would like to rest. You and I have business to talk." His father laughed and released her. He handed her to one of the maids and waited till she was gone before he turned to his father.

The old man had his hands up, he looked guilty, as well as he should be for playing one on him like that. Ian shook his head and laughed, it was hard to remain mad at him.

"So that was the bit of news?" He nodded. "Well you gave me no choice, it was unexpected."

Owen shook his head, "you had a choice Ian, you could have declined the offer, it was not necessary, but I'm glad you married her.What King Tudor proposed was good, and, you needed a respectable woman as wife, not that strumpet you spend your nights with."

Ian was shocked, how had his father known about Freyr.

"Och, don't look so shocked, I am still king and i know everything that happens in this place."

     "Yeah, I forgot you had your damned spies. They must be very reliable."

Owen laughed, "that's why they are my spies, you can inherit them when I am dead."

Ian wasn't quick enough to hide his wince. Here was his father, welcoming death with open hands and a smile whereas Ian was ready to give his own life for his father, if the fates should have it.

"Do not worry my dear boy, I have seen enough of this life, it's only fit that I should die one day. Just not today though." Ian smiled, at least he still had some life in him. "Are you ready for your tournament tomorrow?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Ian replied. Owen sank down into a chair and closed his eyes. After some silence, he cracked open one eye and saw Ian still standing there staring at him.

"I am not dying you fool," he snapped, "leave me alone. Go do something, be useful somewhere, meet your wife."

Ian smiled and left his father, he didn't go up to meet his wife, instead he went out and met with Ryan and some of the other warriors.

                    ********

            April was led to their bed chamber. It was a very large room with lots of space. There was a huge canopy bed facing the doorway, a large wooden chest sat at the foot of the bed and a few others in another corner of the room. Two chairs and a round table were placed by the hearth where a fire burned brightly giving light to the room. The ceilings were high and the windows were covered with purple drapes. There was another door leading to......a bathhouse.

   April gasped when she saw it. She had never seen one before. Only read about it in books. Aaron, a monk in a monastery back in Mercia had told her about it when she was little. He told her he had only seen it Rome when he went on pilgrimage there. She would never go on pilgrimage now that she was married to a pagan, she thought sadly. But still she was amazed by what she saw.

        There were steps leading into the water, it seemed the room was built around a what she thought to be a bubbling brook. She could see where the water bubbled up from the ground, filling a rectangular trench, and where it drained out, leaving the pool water clean and fresh all day. She looked around and saw a large wooden tub, and a shelf stacked with fresh towels and sheets, small vials of different scents and soaps. She went back out and saw the maid that accompanied her still standing there awaiting orders.

"What's your name?"

"Karen, my lady."

"Well, Karen, do you know where my maid is, she arrived with me."

"She has been taken to the servants quarters, my lady."

If Marge didn't like it there, she could always demand that she be given a better place. She nodded and asked the girl to bring her some food. She went back and soaked herself in the pool. Surprisingly, the water was warm, and she waded deeper into the water. Then she scrubbed herself clean of the journey. The girl Karen came back with the food while April was drying herself. She dismissed her and ate everything she brought.

After days of eating nothing but roasted meat and soups and fruits they could find, it was a nice change to eat the porridge and she drank the milk happily. The bed was so soft that she fell asleep almost immediately. And her last thought before she slept was, where could her husband be??

I'm in love with Owen personally 😌, such a nice old man.
Pleaseeee read, comment, vote, share, follow me.....,not necessarily in that order.
 I almost said like, but this is not Facebook 😂😂. Vote people, it's not hard, just click that little star right there.

Thank you