Family Love

Chapter 3

"Alanna, your uncle wishes to see you."

Alanna's aunt, Hellen, informed her as she came into the sitting room of the home. Alanna glanced up from her needle work and looked at the elder woman. Nodding her head she stuck the needle down into the last stitch she made before placing it down onto the chair.

Alanna combed out her dress as she wished to look presentable as possible to her uncle, head of the Linnington family, and Lord of his home. It was a simple deep blue dress that she wore back home when she was with her family in the North. She missed home dearly, but was pleased to say that her stay down here in the South wasn't --terrible.

"He's waiting for you in the library on the third floor, dear."

Hellen told Alanna. Hellen was always seemingly given the role of the motherly type. Whenever Alanna would come here for the summer Hellen would always show her nothing but kindness and compassion.

Nodding Alanna made her way off to the third floor library. She entered the room and peeked inside seeing the towering bookcases that were as tall as trees and filled to the brim with multicolored books.

She looked down the isle and seen the back of Charles as he stood at the desks that were placed in the middle of the room for the enjoyment of others should they find themselves wishing to read. Walking up slowly behind Charles, the man turned around hearing the shoes clacking on the cold stone floor. Alanna gave a small bow before rising and looking at Charles with a curious gaze.

"You called, uncle?"

She questioned. Her questioned was answered when he held up a piece of parchment before her eyes.

"A letter, from your Lord father. It seems that he wished for me to inform you that your uncle, Henry McGalister, has just become part of the council of the King."

Charles stated watching his nieces eyes grow slightly from the shocking news. He continued.

"He also wished to know if you would be brought to the castle in Wales so that you might find a suitor."

Alanna felt her heart stop. Her father always wanted her to marry a very wealthy man and be well taken care of in terms of money. But that wasn't what Alanna wanted. She always wanted to marry for love. She was by no means a romantic, but she wished that she would be able to choose her own suitor.

"How kind of my father."

Alanna sighed rolling her eyes. Charles's brow arched rather amused like as he watched Alanna's body shift from respectively to a slouched and displeased woman.

"You do not approve?"

Charles questioned.

"Your father is a smart man. He married my youngest sister, which proves it. Surely you know as well as I that this is a smart move."

"I don't want a smart move. I want a move that's my own."

She told Charles, seeing that his amusement was still there. She wrinkled her nose in confusion looking at the elder man.

"What? Why are you looking st me like that?"

Charles gave a somewhat chuckle as he took the paper and tossed it down onto the table behind him.

"I'm simply thinking."

"About how you find this situation for me amusing?"

"About how I knew you'd act just the way you are now."

Charles quickly corrected as he turned back to face her. His green-golden gaze looking into her blue-golden one. She felt her breath being held for a moment as she looked up at the older man that approached her slowly. Three long strides and he was there standing before her.

"If I didn't know any better..."

Charles spoke softly as his hand came up and softly caressed the side of Alanna's pale cheek, causing a rose to come to them.

"I'd say you won't listen to your father because you have plans with someone else."

Alanna felt her heart moving a thousand beats per second in her chest. She couldn't say anything because he wasn't wrong. A month here and she had been captured by the old lion in a way that she never dreamed possible. And now the actions that he took with her didn't help her to even want to imagine anyone else touching her like Charles Linnington touched her.

"Shall I inform your father of your refusal?"

He questioned causing Alanna to blink rapidly as she gazed up into Charles's eyes and felt his hand travel from her cheek to the back exposed part of her neck.

"Yes."

Her lips trembled with excitement as she spoke prior to Charles's lips swooping down and capturing her own.

Although not everything happy lasts forever.

"Uncle?"

Alanna called out softly during the late night. She sat naked on the edge of his bed while he laid naked with the sheets draped over him.

"Alanna, what have I told you?"

His tone was stern causing the woman to close her eyes.

"Apologizes, Charles."

She corrected. She had been told once that when they were together intimately she was to call him by his name. She figured this was because him being the proud old man was still disgusted by the fact he was f*****g his niece. She knew how high he placed on family values, but it was odd that he would look past this fact just to have her.

"Well?"

He questioned looking upon her back. Alanna turned slightly, her hair covering her breasts as she sat there looking at her uncle.

"I heard rumors that you're leaving to the Kingdom?"

Charles sighed. He pushed himself up back against the headboard of the bed and pressed his back flush against it.

"Yes, you'll be returning to the North for the time being. Ramsey has fallen ill apparently and Alexandria has called for me."

Alanna just continued to look at Charles. He was sending her away because he had to leave. She understood, to a point, summer was ending as was her time here. But she wanted to believe, even for a little bit, that maybe Charles might have allowed her to stay with him?

"I see... how is it looking for Ramsey?"

She questioned only to have Charles look at her. He sighed and held up his arm, his hand reaching out for her. Instantly Alanna crawled across the large bed and was embraced by Charles as he pulled her to lay down upon his chest.

"She doesn't think he's going to make it."

"How tragic."

Charles glanced down at Alanna with an arched brow. He couldn't tell if the young girl was being serious or sarcastic, but he knew that she never did like Ramsey -- just like himself.

"Your uncle is still in the council of the king. But I don't believe he will stay hand long once Alexandria takes to the throne."

"Alexandria never had liked our family, none of the Linningtons - accept mother and grandfather - enjoyed the McGalisters."

"Yes, my father was very found of your father."

Charles said his thumb rubbing the soft skin of her arm slowly. Alanna felt Charles's head rest against hers and felt his breathing slow. She knew that he was falling asleep.

"After things are settled with Robert, perhaps... your uncle will invite you to King's Landing."

Alanna's eyes slowly closed as she heard Charles saying this. She knew that it wouldn't be her uncles idea to have her come, but more than likely Charles's own. She didn't say anything on the matter of figuring that was the idea, but she had hoped.

No sooner had Alanna returned up to the North did she hear that her uncle had been killed. He had been poisoned by the Linningtons shortly after King Ramsey’s death from illness.

Alanna had never felt so little in all her life. Home no longer seemed like a home and merely empty walls. The McGalisters were at war with the Linningtons after they had accused Alexandria of poisoning Henry McGalister and the only thing on Alanna's mind was Charles.

Her heart ached that every day something would happen. Her cousin Henry II was hell bent on having the man's head and she could understand why, even when she didn't wish to. Her mother and father left the McGalister home along with her, they both traveled alongside Henry II during the war, which meant that she too had to go with them. Of course her mother was furious and upset with the whole thing, her father depressed that his brother had been killed. However neither understood her own fears.

Nobody understood anything until a single meeting night.

"Lady McGalister, will you come here for a moment?"

The Lord that Henry had joined forces with in order to combat against the Linningtons called out causing Alanna to c**k her brow. Her mother and father had been gone for a while, excusing themselves during the middle of the meeting, having left her there by herself along with the rest of the McGalisters.

But, Alanna complied as she stood up from the table. Her body tingled from the wine that she had drank and was trying her best to be as graceful as she could as she approached the man.

"Yes, my Lord?"

She questioned. The Lord just looked at her with a large grin.

"Tell me, why is Charles Linnington so hell bent on your safety?"

He questioned causing Alanna's eyes to widen. Where had this question suddenly come from? The Lord had spoken loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. Her cousin Henry II stood up from his chair and caused a loud scraping noise to echo through the room.

"What?"

He questioned causing Alanna to turn and look at her cousin. She seemed just as confused as he as she stood there shaking her head.

"Seems to me like he's taken extra care in making sure you're not to be hurt. Far more precautions than any Linnington would care for when it came to a McGalister."

"Alanna, what is he talking about?"

Henry II questioned his eyes widening. Alanna glanced at Henry II. She didn’t know what to say to all of this. She most certainly hadn’t expected the old lord that her cousin had joined forces with to even know that she and her uncle Charles had any type of connection during this whole war. It was then Alanna noticed a man, grabbing her cousin’s right hand man and slicing open his throat.

Screams erupted as the men that sat around the meeting table was attacked by the lord’s armed men unexpectedly. Alanna stood there in shock. People screamed as swords clashed and people were sliced open like pigs. People died, people were dying, she didn't understand her brain couldn't register.

It was then she was pulled back by one of the lord’s guards and dragged toward the back door, away from the death. Alanna stumbled as she walked, her body numb as her brain just couldn't process what had happened. She figured she was being dragged to her death. That everything the lord had said to her was simply a distraction so that he could do as he pleased to her and then kill her.

But Alanna realized that she had been pulled outside to a carriage where her mother and father awaited. They pulled her inside and checked her over quickly before the carriage pulled away with a lighting speed.

"They -- They killed -- "

"Hush."

Her mother snapped softly as she grabbed Alanna's head and pulled her daughter into her shoulder, allowing her the comfort that she needed until the arrived to the castle in Wales.

Charles was sitting behind his desk when his door opened. He looked up and noticed that it was his sister, her husband, and Alanna walking into his room. Charles put his quill away in the ink pot as he stood up from his seat and walked around his desk.

He noticed the bags under Alanna's eyes as they were hard to miss.

"Brother."

"Dearest sister."

Charles greeted, but his eyes never left Alanna. Lauren noticed this and cleared her throat as she held her head high.

"As we agreed?"

"Yes, as we agreed."

Alanna glanced up from the floor and looked at her mother and father in question. What had they agreed upon? What was it? What was happening? Charles nodded and looked at Alanna's father Timon.

"Remember what should happen if you break your word."

"I have no intentions of crossing you, my Lord."

Charles nodded and with the nod of his head he ordered them out.

"Not you."

Charles called out when Alanna went to leave with her family, only to stop with her back toward Charles. It was then she turned back around to face him once her parents were gone. She looked up at the man having so many questions.

"You killed my family?"

She questioned causing Charles to sigh. He stood several steps forward and stood before Alanna. Her noticed just how tired her eyes were now that he was close enough to see her.

"I did it to protect my family, Alanna. To protect my daughter who sits on that throne. To protect my sons. To protect you."

He informed her. She just looked up at him.

"What deals did you make with my parents, Charles?"

"In exchange for your father's life, he is to never breed with your mother again. The McGalister line will die out due to this. And, your mother and I made a... special arrangement."

"What?"

"Your hand. You're going to become my wife."