By Order of the King

Chapter 17

Lord Malcolm's carriage went across the great gate of the King's castle the following day early in the morning. The steady sound of horses' feet pounding on the cobbled road soothed the fret of the weary passengers. After the big journey, where they were forced to go over rough roads, and jolting each time the carriage fell into potholes, was a great relief to all, and the view from the carriage windows rewarded them.

The road to the castle door was amidst a lush green landscape of various trees, fruit-bearing and not, and colorful, fantastic gardens. Skye caught sight of a round wooden gazebo and thought it would be a great treat if she had the chance to take her tea there and enjoy the lovely view while reading a book, or better yet, she could paint the garden or part of it.

There were so many flowers, and as if they had made a secret agreement, they mixed their various scents to create a unique blend.

Skye opened the window a c***k and closed her eyes as she took deep breaths, enjoying the incredibly tickling scent, and felt the nausea of the trip slowly leave her body.

The comfortable ride soon ended, and the carriage stopped in front of the wide wooden door where two men were already waiting.

Two men approached the carriage, and one of them opened the door. Skye felt herself shiver as the morning chill stormed through the thin fabric of her dress. She took her blanket and put it on like a cape, wrapping it around her shoulders.

One man helped the women climb down from the carriage, offering them his arm as support while the other man unloaded the trunks from the carriage's roof.

"Leave me alone. I don't need help," Lord Malcolm snapped, and Skye, standing a little further away admiring the endless sea view, turned to see what was going on. She caught sight of her uncle pushing the man's hand away.

"I'm not that old yet," Lord Malcolm barked. His face had gained a reddish color.

"Forgive me, Lord Malcolm. I never thought you were old; I just wanted to…" The man tried to apologize, but Malcolm cut him off with displeasure.

Skye looked away from him. The way her uncle treated people whom he considered his inferiors only offered her disgust.

She considered it unfair. After all, weren't they all creations of the same god?

More men came to help carry the trunks, and a maid came to welcome them.

Skye returned her kind smile while, beside her, she heard Iona moan grumpily.

Skye pursed her lips, sickish by Iona's behavior, and followed the maid leading them into the castle.

Once the door was closed, more maids appeared, young in age with rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes full of life. Among the young girls was an older woman. Her years were etched into every wrinkle on her face. Her gray hair was tied tightly in a net. But the spark in her gray eyes was still there and burned for life, even if she was not in her prime youth.

Skye's attention was drawn to the young girls, who seemed blissful and cheerful. How was that possible? They were maids; their duty was to work all day, to run with their hearts in their mouths, to catch up with everything, not having time to rest except at night in their bed when they were going to sleep. At least that's what she saw in her uncle's castle, and she thought it would be like that everywhere. But now she realized that she was naive to believe such a thing after that.

She looked away from them as she thought it unseemly to observe them so intently, and then her gaze caught the most beautiful figure in her eyes, which had missed so much as it had been several months since she had last seen her.

The woman stood there straight, in her formal clothes, with a severe expression without revealing her emotions.

Skye's heart skipped a beat with joy. "Talisha!" she exclaimed, taking a step forward, intending to go near her, but Talisha gave her a cold, distant look.

Skye stopped short. She clasped her hands together and swallowed hard to get rid of the tears in her eyes. What had happened? Why did Talisha treat her so coldly? For so many years, Skye believed there was a special bond between them. To Skye, Talisha was the closest person she had to a mother. At least, that's what she believed until that moment.

"Skye, be careful with your manners," Fiona said sternly, "It is inappropriate to yell like that in the King's castle."

Skye took a step back. "Yes, aunt. You are right. Please forgive me," she answered and bowed so no one could see her watery eyes.

"Here we meet again, Talisha," Fiona said with a hint of irony.

"Yes, my lady," Talisha said submissively.

Skye furrowed her brows. Talisha had never shown such servility, not to her uncle and even less to Aunt Fiona when she came to the castle accompanied by the King's emissary.

"Well," Talisha continued, "since it's still very early, would you like to rest before the event? There are a few hours to spare if you wish. We have already prepared the chambers and arranged them so that there is room for everyone who will come to attend the event. In any case, the chambers will be needed for the ladies and gentlemen to change clothes and freshen up, so..."

"Enough with the talk, Talisha!" Fiona growled. "You made me feel dizzy. We are tired and, yes, we want to rest. So, there isn't time to lose, lead us to our chamber. "

"Yes, my lady, of course. Orlaith? Sabha? Lead Lord Malcolm, Lady Fiona, and little Lady Iona into the great west chamber, and help them with anything they may want."

The two girls nodded. "Please follow us. We'll lead you there."

"Wait," Iona jumped in. "What about me? Where will I rest? In the same bed with my parents?" she complained, nearly yelling, clenching her fists.

"But no, no my dear" Talisha cajoled. "There is a separate room for you in the same chamber as your venerable parents. That way you won't have to stay away from them."

Iona seemed to calm down. "Very well."

"And now that everything has been cleared up, you may retire. You are wasting time on your precious rest," Talisha pointed out to them.

"Just a moment, just a moment". Fiona walked over to Talisha. "And Skye? You haven't mentioned her anywhere."

Talisha turned and looked at Skye seriously. "Oh yes. I had forgotten about her." She admitted, and Fiona smiled.

"Well?" Fiona asked impatiently.

Talisha realized Fiona's burning question, which she didn't dare express freely, whether they had to take Skye to their allotted chamber. It was apparent Fiona didn't want her with them, but Talisha kept her knowledge to herself.

"I know I'm going to upset you, but there's no room for Skye in your chamber. That's why I'll take her elsewhere."

"And where is that?" Fiona asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I hope you don't mind, but since she is alone and we need the chambers for the rest of the families that will come, I have remodeled the small storerooms that exist in the castle. We have laid out beds and all the essentials for lonely girls like Skye. Of course, the rooms are small but it will only be for a few hours. It's not that tragic, don't you agree, Lady Fiona?"

Fiona's eyes twinkled, and she tried to hide a smile. She pretended to clear her throat and assumed a serious expression to avoid showing her true feelings.

"Yes, I agree. It's not that tragic. It will be just a few hours," Fiona responded. Then she turned to the maids. "Well, let's go. We are exhausted from the journey."

"Yes, my Lady," Orlaith said and nodded to Sabha. The two handmaidens stepped forward to lead them to their chamber.

Talisha stood watching them walk away while Skye stared blankly at her. A feeling of loneliness showered her, and she felt an overwhelming desire to leave. But where would she go?

Her lower lip trembled as she tried to hold back the tears in her eyes. She was determined to hold it back until she was alone in the storeroom they had prepared for her. It hadn't bothered her about the storeroom. Better yet, she wouldn't have to compromise with the rest of the family. What burned her heart was Talisha's behavior.

As soon as her uncle's family turned down the hall and were out of sight, Talisha dismissed the rest of the maids, stressing that they shouldn't stray too far because the rest of the guests would start arriving soon.

Talisha and Skye were left alone.

Skye stood strained with her hands tied in front of her, unsure what to say or do. Should I go find the storeroom now that all the maids are gone?

She didn't know where to look and stared at the floor. It was the safest place.

"Skye?" Talisha's voice was so soft she felt it caressing her ears. Such a sweet and soothing sensation. But what the heck?

Skye hesitantly raised her head and looked at her. "Yes, Ms. Talisha, I know I'm on your way here. Just show me where to go. I don't know where…" she started to say. Her voice was unstable.

"Oh, you silly girl, stop talking and let me hug you," Talisha said and smiled widely. Then she opened her arms in a big hug. Skye looked at her for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she pursed her lips, but Talisha's warm smile and tender eyes invited her. Skye ran over and perched on her warm bosom without wasting another moment. Although it had been several months since they had last seen each other, the familiar, homely sweet smell of cinnamon and nutmeg caressed her nostrils and made her body throb with euphoria. Her heart swelled with tenderness and love for this woman. Talisha held her close and rested her cheek against the top of her head.

"Oh, Talisha," she snorted. "Then why?"

"Because I don't want your mean aunt to know about our relationship. I want it to remain ours."

Skye laughed softly. "I accept that. You're right. She doesn't need to know."

Talisha released her from her arms and gently took her hand. "Come. You need rest. You are pale."

Skye cupped her forehead. "You're right, I need rest. Let's go to the storeroom you have for me and we'll talk there if you have time."

"There is no storeroom. I said that just like that," Talisha confessed and giggled.

Skye turned her head sharply and looked at her. "There is not?"

"Of course not," Talisha gurgled. "Well, there are storerooms, but I have no intention of putting you in any of them.”

"So, where are we going?" Skye asked.

Talisha smiled. "You'll see," she intoned, patting her hand gently.