Escape from the Witch Hunters

Gillian frowned at the letter in his hand and his mouth was pressed into a firm line.

“What is it, Gillian?” Ryia set down her sewing and walked over to where he was sitting.

He didn’t answer and continued reading.

She sat down on the armrest and put her arm around his shoulder.

He finished reading it and set it down. “Why didn’t she tell me?” he turned to Ryia and pulled her onto his lap.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she rested her head on his chest.

“You remember when I told you about my mother?” he asked her.

“Yes.” Ryia nodded.

“Well it turns out she was the sister of the queen of Rhône.” he scoffed almost as if he didn’t quite believe it. “She was supposed to be queen. She could have been queen. Yet she chose to be a poor physician’s wife.”

He shook his head. “She was the older of the two sisters. She was supposed to be married to the Prince of Carenthia the year she ran away to Norcliffe.”

Ryia was about to pull her knees up onto the chair when she remembered that she couldn’t. “Go on.” she encouraged and sat sideways on the chair, her legs going over the armrest.

“Well that broke the marriage alliance between Carenthia and Rhône. So mother’s little sister, who was already married, promised their first son or daughter, to Carenthia’s first son or daughter.” he sighed.

“And why are you, just now, getting a letter about all of this? And how did they even find you?” she put a hand over her stomach and winced as a wave of nausea washed over her.

“You alright?” Gillian furrowed his eyebrows. He hated seeing her feeling so poorly.

She nodded weakly. “Go on.”

Gillian frowned, but did as he was told. “Well it just so happens that the King and Queen of Rhône got a letter from my mother just months ago.”

Ryia raised an eyebrow. “I thought she’s been dead for years and years.”

“She has been.” Gillian nodded. “But the letter was conveniently found when someone was going through old letters. It had apparently been sent a few months before she died. It said something about how she had a husband and she was very happy, she also had a son with the -and I quote- the most beautiful name: Gillian McCormack.” he cringed. “And so they stealthily tracked me down. How? I’m not sure. But they did it. And now they’re asking me to come back and, since my mother flaked out on them, to fill her position for the marriage alliance.”

“You’re married.” Ryia frowned.

“So I noticed.” he said dryly.

Ryia smacked Gillian’s arm but a smile made its way onto her face.

“I’m just going to have to tell them that I’m already married.” he turned serious again.

“What about them? What about Carenthia? What about the alliance?” she held on to his hand.

“They have a child. They don’t need me.” Gillian hugged her gently.

She relaxed, then tensed again. “Do the King and Queen of Carenthia have a boy or girl? Because if it’s a girl-”

“Now that I think about it, they have a boy. So it wouldn’t have worked even if I wasn’t married.” he smiled. “Feel better?”

She nodded.

“Now all I have to do is write a letter back to them, and their marriage alliance can go through.” he shrugged and leaned back in the chair. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Except this little guy.” Ryia looked down at her small stomach and smiled.

“Or that little girl.” Gillian grinned.

Ryia’s smile disappeared and Gillian heard a sharp intake of breath. “Gotta go.”

She quickly ran to a bucket and started to emptying her breakfast contents into it.

Gillian got up and held back her hair, cringing the whole time.

When all of her breakfast was gone, she collapsed into his arms.

“Are you alright?” he led her back to a wide chair and sat down next to her. “You seem to be getting worse and worse.”

Ryia forced a wan smile and shook her head. “Nora says that it’s all normal. Some get it worse than others. I just happen to have it worse.”

“I’m sorry.” he rubbed her back. “I wish I could help you feel better.”

“Don’t be.” she rested her head against his shoulder. “I knew what I was signing up for when I married you.”

He rolled his eyes. “We were forced into that, and no, you had no idea what you were getting into.”

“Well, I knew what I was getting into when I let you back into my life.” she grinned cheekily.

He shook his head. “You still didn’t know what you were getting into. And I would have stayed even if you hadn’t let me.”

“Oh really?” she stood up defiantly and grabbed his shirt by the collar and dragged him outside of their little home, and pushed him out.

“I’m stronger than you and I let you push me out.” he raised his chin.

“I could have just stayed and Burtly and Nora’s house.” she countered. “And you would have lost me.”

He stepped onto the first step and when he spoke, his voice was eerily calm. “Then I would have visited every single day,” he stepped close, “begging you to let me back in,” he was back in the doorway of the home, inches from Ryia, “until you finally were willing to come back to me and love me with your whole heart.”

Ryia took a steadying breath. “What if I never did?”

“Then I’d die trying.” he whispered, taking hold of her waist and pulling her close.

Her heart picked up speed.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” she said breathlessly.

He just smirked and hoped that she couldn’t sense the electric current she was sending through him.

“Meany.” she murmured before closing the distance between them.