Chapter 8

A tense moment passed by before Ardeth moved into the house closely followed by Kontar and than the others followed behind. They walked through the kitchen and into the dining room where a group of people sat around the table, the four outsiders stopped and took up sits after they realized that their way up after the two warriors was immediately blocked by two more that stood guard by the doorway.

Taking a sharp left and up the stairs and into the girl's room. Ardeth placed Jessica on the bed. Turning around he made a moved back to the doorway were Kontar stood. His movements stilled by a feeling of touch. Looking behind him he saw Jessica was awake with sleep-heavy eyes as she stared at him. Her tired voice spoke, "Stay."

"I can not."

"Why?"

"It will be improper of me to do so."

"Please."

"You are in my father's house, and safe you will be. A couple of our warriors will be outside guarding." He knelt by the bed as he brought her hand up and kissed it before tucking it back into her. Ardeth smoothed some hair from her forehead, and he whispered, "Sleep dear one, while you still have the chance this night."

Jessica didn't fight with staying awake as she felt warm lips on her forehead as she drifted off into dreamland. Ardeth stood and turned to Kontar, a silent conversation between their glances took place, as they made their way out of her room. Both Kontar and him moved back downstairs. When they stepped back into the room, a lot must have happened from the time they went through and now as they silently took in the scene.

A woman had stood up, and her chair pushed back roughly. Her right hand held a hilt of an ancient sword. The sword itself was thirty-eight inches long altogether. The hilt of the sword had a wooden hand-grip that overlapped the steel, with a sliver of silver from the steel showing on the sides. Engraved into the wood in gold was a strange symbol. The Blade had vines on one half the sword, but some weaved over to the other side and between the runes that lie there. Both sides of the sword mirrored the other side.

This sword she had slammed into the middle of the table. The runes seemed to glow just a little. Her stature seemed to grow, and her eyes held a fire of anger that burned from within, the air in the room seems to take on a dense and heavy feeling. By this point, she narrowed her eyes as she felt the next in line to be the protector and she pushed the ties to the person away for it wasn't time to reveal them for their safety and protection along with her charge's welfare.

As she let go of the sword, she slammed her hands onto the table, with a response to the other woman, "Don't you dare! If it weren't for the clan's meddling, we wouldn't have this crisis, to begin with!"

"We did what we needed to do to keep the royal line safe!"

"No, Priscilla, ye all did it so the heiress would be kept ignorant!"

"She was bereaved!"

"Don't justify your reckless behavior by preying on a young girl's grief."

"Well, you need to start looking beyond just your opinion on the matter."

"No, I should have never let me own grief consumed and no more!"

"You..." Priscilla's voice trailed off as the woman said, "Excuse me, Priscilla, ye are as thick as manure but only half as useful!"

Everyone waited with a held breathe as what the woman said to Priscilla slowly dawned on her and her eyes narrowed with hateful anger as she started to speak, "Why you little..."

"Enough!" A wise old voice spoke loudly.

All eyes turned to him at the end of the table sat an elderly man and in a softer voice said, "The protector is right. We interfered with not only her responsibilities, but we also did so with the royal line in which as the faithful shouldn't have done. By doing so, we disrespect the last wishes of our beloved late queen and not without consequence."

Objections arose among the clan members. The elder raised his hands for silence, and slowly the room grew quiet again. He lowered his hand and leaned forward with his hand's clasps and said, "We will allow her to do her duties."

"He can't be serious?" Whispered someone despite the fact it traveled into the quit open.

"Oh, but I am deadly serious. You all better pray that the consequences will not be severe due to our meddling. All of you dismissed for the evening."

He left no room to argue in his tone of voice. One by one the clan left the house. Finally, all that remained was the protector, who was still standing, the Elder, the Medjai Chieftain and a few of his warriors along with his heir.

Slowly the old man stood, but paused as she spoke her eyes still focused, "Would you two gentlemen watch over the girl 'tis night."

Kontar answered as they were leaving the room, "We will."

When they did she let out a small sigh of relief, and she reached for the sword and re-sheathed it.

"Do you have a plan?" The Elder asked.

She rested the sword on the table and studied it for a time before looking at him carefully responded, "I do."

"Will it work?"

"It's not foolproof if that is what you mean."

She continued before he could speak. "What plan isn't completely without risk?"

"Be has it may Aine, I am still concerned."

"Your concern has been noted Brian, and dismissed, you all made a mess of things already. The plan should buy some time."

"I understand, but.."

"If that is all gentlemen, I will be retiring for the night."

Terrance stood up as Aine moved away from the table with the sword in hand. Pausing at the doorway, she turned and looked at the chieftain. "Thank you for watching out for her as a father would do and for opening your home to us, I deeply appreciated."

She left the room and went up the stairs, pausing at the door that held her charge. The four warriors watched over her, two on the inside and two in the hallway. Satisfied, she moved toward her room, closing the door behind her. She placed the sword against the wall and slipped out of her dress and under clothes. She walked to the suitcase and pulled out a slip and stepped into it before getting into bed. Arms wrapped around her and a male body pressed close.

"How'd it go?" a soft, thick, masculine voiced asked.

"Well enough to be expected. But the fight is only beginning, and it's time for the old to wan, and the new to wax like the moon does."

He turned to face her, and she rolled over, reaching up to caress his face."Do not worry about me, my love. I know the day is coming and I will gladly hand over the line to the one who is more worthy, than I. For I failed in many ways already."

He went to speak, and she placed one of her fingers on his lips to silence him. "I am alright with this, and ye should be too. For the one, we consider as a daughter will be safe. We have a plan, even if it is shaky. However, right now I need my lover's comfort, David, to hold and love me 'tis night."

He kissed her finger and said, "As you wish, my dear."

The night turned into fore-dawn and found the room occupants already started their day. Aine had gone down the stairs to start breakfast, and David dismissed the tired warriors back to their people while he took a seat by Jessica bed and waited.

It was roughly another hour when Jessica started to come to, stretching and blinking her eyes into awareness. "Top of the morning to you, sunshine."

She jolted upright and saw David. She scrambled from the bed and lunged at him. David barely kept the chair from tilting backward and pulled her tightly into a hug just as much as she was doing to him. She pulled back and traced his face with her fingertips. "I missed you both so much," she whispered. "Is Aine here too?"

He smiled. "Yes. Downstairs making breakfast." He squeezed her hands and stood. "I will draw a bath for you, Miss Jessica, and let you get your day started."

"You don't have to do that David and don't call me that, please. I haven't been your..." Jessica choked on the word. "...mistress for a long time."

He just smiled and turned into the bathroom and started to prepare her bath.

Jessica placed her feet on the floor and her hands on the edge of the bed and bit her lower lip thoughtfully. She saw how he smiled at her and the change in demeanor. Jessica wondered if he didn't realize how much she missed him and what he and Aine meant to her. Maybe she will reinforce that sometime today to them both and let them know that it tore her to pieces when she was forced to leave them behind.

She heard the door shut, glancing up, noticed David left. She went to the dresser and pulled out a fresh under clothes and an everyday dress. Nothing fancy. It had short sleeves, a square neckline, and slightly above ankle length.

Jessica rushed through her bath, having dried and dressed in under ten minutes. She pulled her wet tangled hair back with a hair clip and ran out off the room and down the hall and stairs. Before walking into the dining room, Jessica took a few deep breaths to calm her breathing and heart. She saw David sitting there sipping on coffee. Beside David sat a young woman. A young woman that grew up in the same household as Jessica, but on different ends of the spectrum in many ways. "Quinn?"

At the Sound of her name, Had the woman in question glancing up and smiling brightly at her former mistress. "Top of the mornin' to ye, Miss Jessica."

Jessica sprinted across the room and pulled Quinn up and into a hug. Quinn stood still for a brief second before returning the hug. Aine had come in with two plates of food and sat them down on the table and walked away with a smile on her face.

The two girls chattered away, catching each other up on what had happened. Quinn asked Jessica about her life here, and Jessica began her precise answer in her home language. Quinn just smiled and nodded at the right times until Jessica came to a stop.

Quinn let out her giggles, and in between, managed to say, "You can still talk a mile a minute, and I am glad you haven't changed in that at least. As for me, I left your family's employment after my mother and a few others were let go by your parents a few months after you left."

Jessica's eyes widened. "It's not your fault. We all planned on leaving once you have gotten out of there, so it's no big deal."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of us only stayed for you young mistress and nothing more."

Jessica's mouth formed an O, and before she could respond to ask her more, a voice interrupted.

"I want you both to eat, and I expect that your plate to be half eaten, young lady, you are still far too thin." Aine proceeded to hand David's plate to him and set her plate upon the table.

Jessica stared at Aine. She knew better than to talk back to her. The only time she ever remembers doing so she got her mouth washed out with soap when she was thirteen.

She couldn't remember what for, but she threw a tantrum and had sass and learned her lesson with a good spanking thrown in.

"I see I am not as important to you as I once was."

Jessica blinked and came back to the present. She rushed over to the older woman and hugged her tightly. "Yes, you are. Don't say that."

Aine returned the gesture, then stood back and looked her up and down and kept her thoughts to herself. She ushered the girl to her sit. The other two stood, and they waited for her to be seated, and the others did likewise. It was one of the more traditional breakfast from home, fried tomatoes, and bread, with bacon and eggs with a cup of hot tea to wash it all down.

The others hid their smiles as Jessica wrinkled her nose at the bacon and pushed it away from the rest of her food. She never cared for pork, and she wasn't going to start now.

"I expect you to eat one piece of that bacon," Aine said.

Jessica whispered her response out loud. "You can't be serious?"

"Yes, I am."

Jessica looked up and frowned at her caretaker.

"Don't frown child. It will give you wrinkles later on in life."

Jessica snatched up a piece of bacon and wolfed it down, grabbing her warm tea and drinking half of it to get the taste gone. She ate her food slowly and by the time she finished half of her plate and pushed it away, the others were done eating.

David and Quinn stood up as one. "Aine, Quinn and I will be back later to help with dinner. She wanted to explore a little, and I can pick up those few items you need too. It will give Jessica and you a chance to spend time together."

Aine nodded, and the two left.

"Have fun and stay safe," Jessica called out to them.

"Where is the fun in that?" asked Quinn, who smiled and walked out behind David.

The two women proceeded to clean up the breakfast plates and cups and worked getting the kitchen back in order. After Jessica placed the last dish away, she turned and looked at Aine. "I wanted to let you know that I miss you both so much and not a day had gone by that I didn't think about you both, and I was so scared when you made me leave, and it hurt."

Aine placed the towel on a rack to dry and turned to look at her. "Me girl, what has brought tis on?" She held out her arms to her and Jessica ran into them crying. "Shh... young one, we miss ye just as much, and it hurt us just as much."

Jessica nodded, gathering her composure.

"Come, there is much to talk about and little time to do so." She motioned to Jessica to grab the two glasses, and she grabbed the pitcher that held fresh homemade lemonade, and they went into the sitting room and sat down. Aine poured the lemonade into the glasses, and they sipped them until the glasses were empty.

Jessica poured the second helping of the refreshing drink. Sitting back down and taking her glass, Jessica grew nervous in the quiet. She noticed something off with Aine and grew uncomfortable.