A Mermaid's Heart

Chapter Six.

Twelve years ago.

1739.

Layland Manor.

I awoke in a room decorated in green and gold, in a large bed that was made with silk sheets and feather pillows. My eyes blinked open against the sharp light, the sound of horse’s hooves clicking against cobble stone and the turning of a carriage’s wheels made me realize just what time it was. Lord Edmond Main was coming to visit the manor per my father’s request but I hardly cared for the young, rich, nobleman that my parents were so fond of. It was only when there was a frantic knock at my bedroom door that I knew my day of hiding away among the sheets of my bed would be filled with trying to entertain a wealthy child “Lady Campbell?” the familiar voice of one of my handmaids called through the double doors. I groaned in response, rolling over on the bed so that my back was to the door. My eyes fell shut, hoping that if I ignored the knocking long enough it would eventually go away “Lord Main wishes to present you with a mare” my golden eyes shot open, staring at the balcony doors that were covered by a layer of thin, gold material. Had I heard her right? Did she say mare? I sat up on the edge of the bed with my legs dangling over the side “He said it be a Shire or something of the sort?” my head turned in the direction of the voice and my feet began moving on their own accord, dragging me across the room to unlock to fling open the door. Gertrude stood on the other side of it, clutching a sickly pink dress to her chest with a grin plastered across her lips “There is no horse, is there?” I questioned, sighing when she only continued to smile sinisterly at me. If there was one thing about the riches of a noble family that I loved, it was the many horses I could afford. From a young age my father had bought me many stallions and mares, all from different breeds and regions across Europe. They were all I truly cared about, not the dresses or fancy dinner parties, not the balls or jewels but the wild, the horses that I could ride, the feel of the wind in my hair and the sound of their rushed breaths from having galloped “Forgive me, my lady but your father has requested your presence in the dining hall” I turned to return to my bed but Gertrude followed, shutting my door behind her so that she could help me get dressed. I fell back onto the silks knowing that my father would be enraged at how long I’d take to get dressed. Everything my father said to the helpers around the manor was law “Lord Main seems like a charming young fellow” she felt the need to say while she undid the laces of the pink dress’s corset. I turned my head to look at her, my black curls falling over my cheek and shoulder, splaying our around me like a curtain of ebony. I knew why my parents were so fond of the man, why he was there in the first place. They wanted to marry me off to a noble family other than their own. It was custom for daughters to be wedded into other noble bloodlines “The girls say that he’s very attractive” I turned my eyes back onto the ceiling above, white and decorated in gold trimming around the edges. The ‘girls’ she was referring to where the younger helpers at the manor, young women who were unmarried and barely making it by in life which is why they worked for my father, sometimes they would ‘work’ in his bed as well “Was it the ridiculous back combed hair or the flashy suit that tricked them into thinking such things?” my bluntly asked question caused Gertrude to choke on her own saliva while she worked, her breath catching in the back of her throat when she turned her wide eyes onto me. My words, if ever heard by anyone other than her, would easily get me killed but did I care? Not particularly “You should count your words, my lady, the lords might overhear-.” I rolled onto my stomach, eyes locking onto the golden statue of a lion’s head that hung from the wall by the door. It was a reminder of who I was, a proud predator yet it meant that I was also a fool trapped by money “The lioness does not fear the lion” I shot back, crossing my arms in front of me and propping my chin on top of them, my feet dangling over the side of the mattress. I breathed a laugh at the thought of Edmond and his family sigil “Nor do I fear a simple blue bird” the sigil that was woven into all of his clothing, the sigil I had grown so tired of, coming second only to the lion was that of the blue bird in flight. Gertrude made her way around the bed and began undoing the ribbons of my night gown while I lay on my stomach “You may be fearless but you are not without your boundaries” she reminded me, her aged voice much older than mine by a few decades. I hummed, blinking at the mirror that hung on the wall where I could stare at my own reflection. My skin was tan from all the riding, my eyes were as golden as the setting sun and my hair as black as a raven’s wings with plump pink lips that seemed all too alluring to most men. Gertrude had a point, I could say what I wanted, thought what I desired but the outcomes of my actions weren’t without boundary. I could be killed, beaten, forced to marry despite what I thought. It was the life of a noblewoman and I hated every second of it. I sat up on my knees when she’d finished untying my nightgown then slipped the mint fabric from my body, allowing it to fall from my arms and to the mattress before me, leaving only the skirt still wound around my waist. My fingers found the small marking on my left breast, a bruise where lips had once suckled, leaving their mark behind for only me and my handmaid to see. At the sight of it, Gertrude’s jaw tightened “You’ve been seeing him again, haven’t you?” I gently ran my fingertips over the mark, remembering the feel of his kisses, so gentle yet so desperate. His face was an image that I treasured, that I only allowed myself to see once I fell asleep at night. Only in my dreams could we truly be together. The maid shook her head and moved to retrieve the pink dress “If your father finds out about this-.” she was muttering more to herself but I stood and rushed to block her path, the skirt of my nightgown slipping down my body, leaving me completely bare as I reached for her shoulder with my right hand, eyes meeting hers “He can never know” I said, my gaze fearful despite being fearless. My father would have him slaughtered, strung up by his feet like a trophy he had shot while hunting. Her face was stern and her shoulders square, even as I touched her “That man will be the death of you” she warned then moved around me, snatching the pink dress up and tugging it on over my head. I breathed a laugh at her words and cringed at the color of the dress. I hated pink and I hated frumpy dresses. I didn’t know it at the time but she was wrong, he wouldn’t be the death of me but he would be my very last thought before I would die.

Edmond was a tall, lanky nobleman with combed back red hair and dark brown, almost black eyes. He had freckles and wore mostly brightly colored suits with odd patterns on them. The one he had worn that morning during breakfast was a light blue tailored suit with pink and red flowers printed onto the silky material. He had conversed with my parents about his collection of ‘oddities’ as he’d called them. It was mostly a collection of unique artwork, strange jewelry and all things eye catching such as clothes and furniture. It explained why he dressed the way he did. My father had asked me to show him around the garden which I took as the perfect opportunity to escape into the stables where my horses were being kept. I ran my fingers across their stall doors and greeted them, speaking to them as if they were human. My most prized steed was a Akhal-Teke stallion with a golden coat, a very rare color breed that was imported from Turkmenistan “Good morning, Hyperion” I greeted the stallion, my hands coming to a rest on the door of his stable. He was named after the titan of light and barely seemed to recognize me with my hair neatly done up and my body clad in pink fabrics that seemed to pale for my skin “You seem oddly done up this morning” a familiar voice whispered into my ear when a set of hands snaked their way around my waist and thigh. I gasped and melted into him, my head leaned back to meet his laughing eyes, eyes that seemed to manipulate me however he pleased “Theo” I breathed the name that I moaned in my sleep, the name that had my body tingling at the mere sound of it. He was dangerous, even more dangerous than a lioness on the hunt. The only word I could use to effectively describe him was, beastly. He wasn’t any animal I knew of, he was a new exotic breed of creature that made me a slave to its power “I’ve missed you” he dragged his teeth along my throat, his stubble scratching at the sensitive skin that could be found there. His eyes were an orange color that danced like flames of lapping fire while his blonde curls dangling down to his shoulders, never bothering to tie them up. I was too entranced by him to notice that he’d pulled the skirt of my dress up and slipped his hands underneath until the shock of his touch had me hurriedly pulling away, placing my hand flat onto his chest to keep him at arm’s length “We can’t, not now” he c****d an eyebrow at my used of the word ‘can’t’. To him that was one of the words I wasn’t allowed to ever say to him along with ‘no’ but that day we couldn’t, not with my father constantly trailing me or with Edmund there “Did you say something?” he questioned, his hand grabbing hold of my wrist that was keeping him away from me to shove me back into the wall of the stables, pressing himself firmly into me. I gasped at the feel of him so close that I could hardly breathe. He nipped at my neck and pinned my arms up high above my head with one hand, the other snaking its way down my hips. I didn’t want to tell him about Edmund, not yet that it but if he kept at it I wouldn’t have much of a choice. His fingers slid up, along my inner thigh and I threw my head back, biting at my bottom lip for fear of giving into him “My father is looking for me!” I blurted moments before his fingertips could meet my core, stopping him dead in his tracks. My head fell forward, my breathing ragged, somewhere in between relieved and disappointed. Theo pulled away from me just enough to meet my drooping gaze “Why?” my eyes flickered up to him for the briefest of moments, my body feeling weak just from his touch. He drove me insane, so much so that my mind wouldn’t work and my tongue would tie whenever I’d try to speak. My father never really cared about what I did or where I was so for him to be looking for me meant that something was wrong and Theo knew this “He plans to have me wed a noble” the reaction he had was one I’d been expecting. His grip on my wrists tightened and his free hand gripped my chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing my head back into the wall behind me. He was a blacksmith which meant that he had to be strong and his grip showed it, his already tan skin dirtied in some places from work like his forehead, cheek, arms and hands “You’re mine!” he managed to get out through gritted teeth. I wanted to scream, to yell at the top of my lungs that yes, I was his but I couldn’t because I was a nobleman’s daughter and he was my father’s most trusted blacksmith, having forged at least a hundred swords for the Campbell family in his time. That being said he was some years older than I was, having been nineteen when I was only eight years old. When I was younger I used to have a crush on him and would ask him silly questions whenever he would visit to consult my father on his next weapon’s project. He’d watched me blossom into a beautiful young woman and one night when he’d had a little too much to drink and was leaving, I’d caught his eye, out by the stables where we had first made love. He had made it clear that I was his and that no one else could ever have me but of course that was a year or so ago when I had just turned sixteen “I won’t marry him” I rushed out, tearing my chin from Theo’s grip, my hands tugging to be free of their restraints, despite my struggle he refused to release me, too afraid that if he did I would disappear and never return again “Not when I love someone else” my eyes searched his, desperate. If I could run away I would’ve, if I could go back and be born as a commoner I would change the course of time within seconds. Theo was meant to be my husband, not some nobleman with a collection of odd clothing “Not when I’m in love with you” his grip on my wrists loosened a bit and his gaze softened some. If it where anyone other than me, I was sure they wouldn’t have noticed the small changes in his demeanor but I had known him for eleven years, I had spent over a decade learning as much as I could about him. He leaned down to place tender kisses to my lips, the small exchange of love enough to cloud my mind once more, making me forget what I had been saying “Claudia?” a voice called, somewhere outside the stables and my eyes shot open. Theo snarled in his throat then let go of me, ducking down behind a pile of hay bales while I rushed to fix my dress and hair. The voice belonged to Edmund who had been hard at work trying to track me down. Of course, my father had told him of my obsession with horses earlier that morning so the stables were most likely the first place he would check “Here you are, your father has sent for you” he informed me, stopping in the open doorway to the stables. I forced a smile and nodded, saying goodbye to Hyperion, my eyes darting to where Theo was still hiding for the briefest of moments as if to say that I had to go but that I would see him later.

My father was in his study, a glass of bourbon pressed to his lips when the butler opened the door and bowed for me to enter. My mother was nowhere to be seen, off drinking tea and picking out the most exaggerated gowns that she could possibly find. She hardly cared about what my father did whether it was to marry me off or bed numerous w****s. I stepped inside, the door closing behind me as I waited for the man before me to speak. He cleared his throat and motioned to his desk where a sword was placed in a glass box, on display for the world to see but no one to touch “My fascination with sword started a long time ago” he explained, moving around the large wooden piece of furniture to inspect that particular sword. My father had hundreds that hung in his trophy room along with the heads of animals he had stuffed “And this one in particular peaked my interests” he raised his glass toward the sword that had a golden handle made out to form two angel wings on either side with the end of the hilt being a roaring lion’s head. Its blade was sharp and reflected my eyes from where I was stood, marveling it. Theo did not forge that sword; I was certain of it “The sword of Leandros-.” he took another sip of his drink, eyes on the weapon as if it could vanish at any given moment. There was something about the sword that seemed magical, almost entrancing. It drew me ever closer “Legend has it that Amun entrusted our family to keep its existence a secret” my eyes moved from the sword to the back of the man stood across from me. Was he drunk? Did he have too much bourbon? One truly has to be out of their mind to believe that the ruler of the gods had entrusted their family with such an important task. Surely it was a task more suited for a god than humans “It is the very reason why we were created-.” he turned while he spoke, his eyes first falling to the trinkets above the fireplace then to the sofa that sat before it. His eyes looked entirely sober in contrast to the drunken words that escaped his lips “It had been handed down from my father to me and now the time has come for you to take responsibility as its guardian” when his eyes, golden eyes, landed on my form I felt my back muscles stiffen. He spoke about a simple sword, a sword that had no value to me. It was a weapon crafted to cut down men and nothing more. It may have looked more enchanting but it was no different from the rest of the swords that he owned “Some merchants on the black market have been tracking its whereabouts for decades and they’re getting close-.” my hands tightened on the material of my dress skirt, wanting mostly to tug it off my body because it was too constricting and ugly but the other part of me knew what my father was getting at and the only way I could control my surging anger was to turn my knuckles white from the grip I had on the fabrics “Which is why you’re to be married-.” he glanced at me then began making his way over to the fireplace, his fingers reaching out to trace the detailed markings on it mantle when he added “You will leave here and take the sword with you” his finger pressed down on a round portion of the carvings, causing a door to click open on the side of the fireplace. It was a big enough compartment to hide the sword in. He set his glass down on the mantle then turned to head for the weapon “It is your responsibility as a Campbell” I tightened my hands even more. I was to marry a man I hardly knew because of some sword that my father claimed was gifted to our family by a god. It was madness. He removed the glass containing the blade then took it in hand, handling it as though it was an infant “You expect me to marry a stranger because of some-?” I searched for the right words to explain what was going on, my hand motioning to the steel and gold sword that radiated power but I was too consumed by thoughts of Theo and anger to notice it “Made up story?” his hand moved to caress the hilt of the sword, first tenderly stroking it with his fingers then gripped it. He was entranced, bewitched by the power that came with the ancient, god forged weapon “I refuse to-.” before I could finish my train of words, my father extended his arm, pointing the tip of the blade to the center of my exposed chest. I hardly flinched at the sudden movement, teeth gritting and eyes remaining locked onto him. I feared nothing when it came to myself not even death but where Theo was involved, I feared for him, his death and his well-being “You had the unlucky fortune of being my daughter therefor you have no say as to what your future holds” it was like a brutal slap to the face, the way he spat the words, his eyes narrowed onto me with fury and warning in them as if daring me to argue. I wanted to push the blade aside and step closer to him, I wanted to snarl in his face that regardless of my name I was my own person and had a right to be whoever I wanted to be but I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to call for me to be locked away until the day I would be dragged off to be married to Lord Main. I bit my tongue, my mouth starting to fill with blood from where I had bit too hard “Your engagement will be announced tomorrow evening at a ball being thrown for the occasion” he informed me, picking up a sheath that had been placed on the back of the couch before the fireplace to slide the weapon into it. I watched him, my mind contemplating for the briefest of moments how long it would take me to retrieve the letter opener from his desk and jab it into the side of this neck “You are excused” he said to which I bowed my head and turned, about to reach for the handle of the door when his words stopped me dead in my tracks “And Claudia-.” my shoulders tensed at his use of my name as if to mockingly remind me that I was his blood despite not wanting to be, despite hating it with every fiber of my being. He was stood in front of the secret compartment with the sword in hand “No one may know of this-.” he warned, motioning to the weapon when he spoke. My head turned to glance at him from out of the corner of my eye when he said his next words, words that cut me deep “Not even your husband” I stormed forward, throwing the door open to make my way down the hall. The butler hurriedly closed it behind me, attempting to stop it from bouncing off the walls and causing a loud bang to echo throughout the manor. He had some nerve, choosing to marry me off then telling me to protect a useless sword. I rushed past Edmund and my mother, heading for the stables where I saddled Hyperion and mounted him. I didn’t need to explain myself nor did I need to tell anyone of where I was going, no, I was a woman who could make my own decisions and choices yet they treated me like a bargaining tool to get what they wanted all because of status and wealth “Damn that bastard!” I spat into the wind when Hyperion took off at a strong gallop past the gates that lead to the manor and down the winding cobblestone trail into the town. I didn’t care if anyone saw me, noticed my frumpy pink dress or the expensive hairpins that I plucked from my hair only to toss them to the ground. They meant nothing to me, it wasn’t money I wanted, it was freedom, love. I pulled on Hyperion’s reigns and the horse came to an abrupt halt, rearing up on its hind limbs before letting his hooves crash down on the hay and stone. Theo’s helper was carrying some metal chunks to the workshop when he was startled by the large horse and its rider. I flung myself down from the steed and handed the reigns to him when I passed on my way to the wooden doors of the blacksmith. They crashed open as if to announce my arrival and the man inside hardly looked up from his work, beating a piece of heated steel with a hammer “I sent you for some silver over an hour ago!” Theo snapped at me, thinking that I was his assistant. I shut the doors behind me and reached for the laces of my dress, gripping and tearing at them until they started to come undone from Gertrude’s many knots. I was hallway undressed by the time I reached him. He turned about to snap at the man whom he thought I was but froze, the hammer and clamps he had been holding abandoned on the ground by his feet “Claudia” he managed to breathe moments before my lips crashed into his. We moved as one, him stepping back until he was met with a table, his hand removing his thick leather gloves, his apron and shirt while I worked on the buttons of his trousers. I didn’t care about being naked nor did I care about the man just outside or the fact that anyone could walk in at any given moment. I was angry, frustrated and wanted to be with Theo, I wanted to be one with him. He shoved the underdress up to just below my rear and lifted me up, I wrapped my legs around him, allowing him to turn me and lay me down on the surface of the table among scrap metal so that he could mold into me. If only I had known in that moment that it would be the last time we would ever be together, if only I had cherished it more, if only I had touched him longer, kissed him deeper, whispered that I loved him a thousand times more but I didn’t and the following night I would find myself arguing with my father in front of the towns people, bursting from the manor and out to the garden where a man with golden eyes and short brown hair would be waiting for me. If only I had called for help and not faced him alone then maybe I couldn’t have been killed, then maybe I would’ve still been able to be with Theo in some way or form but at the same time I thanked that man in the moments before I died. He had saved me from a life of marriage to Edmund Main, he had made sure that the only man to ever hold my heart was Theo, the only man to have ever touched me. I would’ve rather died than married Edmund and whoever that young man, around my age was, he had granted my wish. I cursed his name out loud but I thanked him in my heart because that night not only I died but everyone else, my parents, Lord Main and Theo. My horses were slaughtered and my bedroom raided yet it still remained a much happier ending than it would’ve been if I was forced to live.