Part II: Parley

(Art by Angie Mcleod)

"You shouldn't have come here....GUARDS!" I shouted.

"I am here to talk, there is noone outside to come to your rescue.."

"What have you done?"

"I gave them some well-deserved rest...Now get dressed!" she said and threw the white night gown on my feet. My hands trembled as I pulled the fabric over my head, I didn't know if I was feeling more fear than anger.

I walked to the fireplace and threw a log into the fire.

"When are you going to stop hunting me?" she asked with a pained expression on her face.
"When you are dead." I answered without meeting her gaze.
"I didn't kill him." she said

"I saw him dead. I saw him with my own eyes."

"I know you did, but our eyes do not always tell us the truth."

"I know what I saw..." I snapped

"Yes but do you know what you did that night, what really happened before you found him dead in the morning?"

I closed my eyes to hide my guilt and shame but the dancing flames behind my lids didn't grant me refuge. The Witching hour. I had agreed to it, I had even demanded it and now I could not hide from it.

My head felt heavy on my shoulders I let it fall.

"Do you want to know?" I heard her whisper in my ear and  turned around in panic.

She was standing right behind me, the same height as mine, her red hair swimming around her face with a life of its own, she had magic to her very bones.

"Why don't I remember then?"
"Because you chose not to.."

"You betrayed me, you never cared.." I complained.

 She shook her head in frustration, I caught glimpses of green as her eyes moved in front of the flames.

"I need a moon's time to rest and then you will see Richard again. Maybe he can explain better than I."

I was stunned by her words and said nothing. She turned her back on me and started to walk to the door.

"A moon's time!" she shouted  and was gone.

( Two women, two parallel stories, read Clainia's side of the story at matiasmeni.blogspot.com in her own tongue (or in google translation) or just click on the title of this post to go directly there. Lady Eleanor's side of the story will continue here.)