Aideen's Answer

-Chapter Ten-

 Aideen froze, a hand pressed to her thundering heart. What had happened? Should she return to the study? But if it was merely her fathers anger in response to her harsh words...

 Her mothers scream came again. This one far worse than the last.

 "SOMEONE FETCH A DOCTOR!"

 Aideen turned and rushed back the way she had come. She burst into the study and had to slap her hand over her mouth in order to stifle her own cry.

 Her father, the mighty King Daniel, was laying on the floor next to his desk. His eyes were closed and his face, so recently red in anger, was now more pale than death itself.

 "Mother? I-is he?" She asked the woman kneeling over him.

 "Aideen, get the twins. Send them to find the village doctor, McLaren is his name. Tell them to get him here as quickly as possible!"

 "Yes, Mother," Aideen answered immediately, but her feet refused to move. She stayed rooted to the spot where she stood, staring at her fallen father, unable to take her eyes from his still form.

 "Quickly, Aideen! Go, now!"

 But just then, Daniels eyes fluttered open, "Cara?"

 "Shh, I am right here, my Love. I will not leave you," Cara answered as she stroked his cheek.

 He mumbled something unintelligible and his head fell back against the floor.

 Cara looked to Aideen, who finally tore her stare away from her father. Their gazes locked until Cara broke the trance by uttering a single word.

 "Run."

 And Aideen ran as she had never run in her life.

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  "Jeremy and Jayden came back with Dr McLaren within the hour," Aideen said later that night. "The twins and some of the guards carried Father to her bedchamber and, upon examining him, the doctor said he fully believes the problem lays in Fathers heart. Mother is with him now, she refuses to leave his side. But Samantha said she will sit with him when Mother is tired and I shall after her. I do not think they will notice me gone right now, not with everyone in an uproar about Father. I-I simply had to tell you about all of this," Aideen said as she looked up into those warm green eyes that she loved so much. Eyes that were, at the moment, filled with concern on her behalf.

 Kevin put his arms around her and held her tightly, "Of course you needed to tell me. That is too much of a load to bear on your own! But, tell me, darling, are you all right?"

 Aideen squeezed her eyes shut and leaned her head against Kevin's chest. A traitorous tear escaped and made its way down her cheek, despite her best efforts. She quickly wiped it away, still hiding her face from Kevin's view.

 "I honestly do not know. Right now, it simply hurts. My father, the strong one, unconscious in his bed? It can not be real! Or rather, I truly wish it were not," Aideen said with a sigh.

 Seconds stretched into minutes as they stood in their clearing, wrapped up in each others arms. Each content with the silence between them. Finally Kevin cleared his throat.

 "My dear, please do not think me terribly insensitive to your pain this night, but there is something I must discuss with you. And, seeing as how our meetings are becoming increasingly short and rare, I fear I must take advantage of the time we are given. Here, perhaps you should sit down for this," Kevin said as he took her hand, led her to an old tree stump, then put his hands around her waist and placed her atop it.

 Once she was relatively comfortable, she spoke, "Kevin, Love, I truly wish I could come out to see you more, but it simply is not poss-"

 "Darling, I did not say that to bring you guilt, I merely wanted you to understand that I am not attempting to be an insensitive clod. I just need to use the time we are given, all right?" He asked with a smile, he waited until she smiled back and nodded before he began. "Now, I know everything of your engagement to the prince of Alderia. As well as the fact that Prince Garrett is due to arrive at the castle in a fortnight. Your reasons for not telling me this information yourself, however, I can only guess."

 Aideen's mouth had swung open as he spoke and now began to open in order to interrupt but Kevin held up a hand and succeeded in silencing her.

 "I am not angry, Love. I admit I was hurt at first, but that has since vanished. Please allow me to finish before you give your opinion. Will you do that?"

 Aideen stared at Kevin with a bit of apprehension. Where was he going with all of this? And why did she feel so unsettled, as if they were not completely alone? Nevertheless, she nodded her head and whispered, "I will."

 "Thank you," Kevin began to pace in front of her as he continued. "Darling, all this time, we have assumed that when the time came to reveal our courtship to your parents, that our love would be enough. That, if they saw that I truly love and cherish you and that I will do anything to take care of you for the rest of our lives, they would give their blessing. But the steps that they have recently taken to assure you a stable future has caused me to realize something," Kevin stopped pacing and stood before her, looking deep into her eyes. Your parents will not rest until they are completely sure their daughter is with the best. and I am not, in their eyes, the best. Indeed, far from it!" He let out a humorless little chuckle as he said this, "My dear, your parents are never going to give us their blessing. Of this, I am sure. When I realized it, I wept bitterly."

 Aideen looked at him in surprise. Her tough Kevin-crying? Yet, she held her tongue.

 "I wept for what could never be. I wept for the fact that you, the only woman I have ever known who loves her family more than herself, had to fall in love with a man your family could never approve of. I wept for the wedding we could never have, you on your fathers arm, coming down the aisle toward me."

 Hearing these words, Aideen's hand went to her mouth and she found her eyes suddenly watery.

 "And so, I packed my bags," Kevin continued. "I tried to leave, because I knew it would be better that way. Your future would be set with the prince, you would still have your parents affections, but I simply could not go through with it. I could not go, I know it is selfish, but I want you too much to leave. So I must ask you something. Something far greater than anything that has been asked of you in the past."

 Kevin looked at her with an intensity in his gaze that sent shivers down her spine, and he dropped to one knee.

 "My darling, Love of my life, will you marry me? What is more, will you run away with me?"

 "Kevin! I-I-I-"

 "I know you will need some time to think on this before you answer me. But I need to do something that I have wanted to do since I first saw you in that grassy meadow."

 Kevin stood up, pulled her off that tree stump and into his arms. Then he lifted her chin and pressed his warm lips against hers.

 Aideen felt as though she were flying. Her head was spinning, her heart was pounding and she never wanted him to let her go. Her knees went weak and it was only his arms around her that kept her from sliding onto the dirt. She poured all her feelings into that kiss, her very first kiss.

 But when it was over, and he was gone, she still had not a clue on what to do about his questions.

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Hello all! So things finally took a more interesting turn ;) please let me know what you think! feedback from y'all is just the best :D Much Love!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                    -Me:)