Chapter 7
It was unnerving that he was only staring at her. Although she had asked him to talk, she didn't know how she should start. Now they sat in Bash's chamber and said nothing to each other.
"Mary didn't tell you, did she?" Kenna started the conversation.
"No."
"It must have been quite a shock for you to see me again."
"Not exactly. I saw the carriage arriving a few hours ago. And I had read your letter."
"You did?"Kenna asked surprised.
He nodded.
"Look, Bash... if I had known that you would be in the Castle I wouldn't have come. I would have saved us this embarrassment."
"It's all right." He cleared his throat. "What is it you want to talk about it?"
But Kenna continued as she had not heard him. "I would like to tell you first that I'm glad you moved on. And I think that you made a good choice with Mary for a partner..."
"Kenna, stop!" Defensively, he raised his hand. "If you want to talk with me about my relationship with Mary. I'm not interested." He fixed her with a sharp look. "It wasn't what you wanted to talk about, was it?"
She felt the heat in her cheeks. "No, it wasn't." She bowed her head and kneaded her hands. It was harder to tell him the truth than she had thought. "I'm glad that you and Daniel get along well", she began.
"Hardly." Bash frowned. "He even didn't want to tell me his name. A stubborn little fellow."
Kenna smiled slightly. "Yes, sometimes he is a little shy with strangers."
Bash nodded. "He is swift and agile. He will be a good huntsman one day, because his prey won't hear him coming." He cleared his throat. "I hope you're not offended if I tell you that you can be glad that he doesn't resemble Renaude."
Kenna stopped breathing for a moment. "He can't look like him", she replied softly.
"What do you mean?" Bash looked at her puzzled.
"Renaude is not his father..." She left the sentence open and looked up to Bash to see his reaction. But he seemed still clueless.
Kenna sighed. "I was heavily pregnant and had this sharp pain all of a sudden that I feared that something was wrong with the baby. I called the midwife and she arrived in time to help with the delivery. Three months earlier than planned... I thought." Kenna took a deep breath, before she continued. "But the midwife informed me that I had been mistaken all the time. The baby was fully developed and healthy. And when she laid him in my arms the first time I knew that she was right..."
"I don't understand."
"My baby looked at me and I looked into eyes that were as green as yours. Don't you still understand? I was pregnant before I met Renaude. Daniel is your son, Bash!"
"This is... impossible." All color drained from his face.
"I thought so too, but a mistake is excluded. It was dark outside. You could not really see him, but he looks just like you. And it is impossible to look at him without thinking of you. That was my punishment for all these years. Continuously reminded what I had lost."
"No...!" Bash jumped to his feet. "It can't be! All those years I had a son and was unaware of his existence?!"
"I'm awfully sorry!" Kenna had got up too and walked towards him.
"Don't!" He turned his back to her. "Don't touch me!"
"Bash, please...!" Kenna blinked back tears.
"I thought we could put the past behind us and come to an agreement. "But this..." He paused. "I cannot forgive you!" He left the room without a backward glance.
Kenna burst into tears, as her legs gave way under her and she fell to the ground.