Highland Magic Ch 33

Cien paced the length of the dining room anxiously the next morning. He'd had lain awake in his bed all night making plans, ideas on how to win his Rose back. He shook his head. How could he win her back, he thought, if he had yet to win her at all?

With that thought his head began to pound. All of this time traveling nonsense was much a bother. He'd lain awake most of the night with a pounding headache when he thought about such things.

It really didn't matter to him. If he had won her or not. He knew he had once, in his time. With a soft smile, he stopped and leaned his forehead against the cool wall. And if a barbarian could win the hand and heart of such a soft woman, the good Lord above knows he has to try again.

Closing his eyes, he prayed. He could still feel the crushing weight on his heart that her death had caused him. He could still feel her last kiss on his lips. Slowly a tear slipped from beneath his lashes and ran down his cheek. He would not let her be harmed again. He stood abruptly from the wall and wiped fiercely at the tear running down his check.

Saints above, he was the Laird Fraser. Cien Fraser. And Cien Fraser didn't cry. He threw his arrogance around himself like a cloak, wrapping himself tightly in it.

"You'll ne're get her back like that, my young Laird," Henry said from the foot of the table.

Cien spun around and glared at the old man. He was greeted with a newspaper that covered Henry's face completely. "What nonsense is this that you speak old man?" Cien demanded.

Henry sighed, and folded the newspaper before setting it down in front of him. "The Lady Regan, my laird. She won't be won with arrogance and chest pounding." Henry rolled his eyes. "Believe this old man when he tells you that. No woman is won in such a way."

"And why would I be wanting to win this Regan?"

Henry smiled a soft smile and looked off into the distance of the room. "Because when I saw you peeking out at her yesterday, I saw the same look in your eyes as I saw in my own when I met my Iris." Henry chuckled and shook his head. "Tis naught but love, Lad. I see your love for the girl plain as day. Let her see it as well, and she shall love you the same."

Cien's body was shaking finely, and was forced to sit down. He stared down at the table, not really seeing it. "She is my Rose."

Henry smiled at the younger man before picking up his newspaper again. "Bah. Enough of this women's talk. Iris!"

Iris stormed into the room hands on her hips and glared at Henry. " 'Twill be done when it's done, your royal highness." With that she spun on her heel and disappeared back into the kitchen.

"She seems cross with you, Henry. Twas not love I saw shinning in her eyes. Twas murder." Cien and Henry both shouted with laughter. "I need to be seeing to things outside." Cien picked himself up and headed out to the stables from the kitchen.

Henry's laughter was the first thing Regan heard when she hit the down stairs. See, she thought to herself, this was the right place to go. The view is amazing, I got a great night's sleep... The images of the man from her dream stopped her in her tracks. Her heart began beating hard and her breath caught.

She could still feel the rough calluses on his hands when he touched her body. She could still feel the weight of him on her. With a sigh she shook her head. But she could still smell his skin, and see his face in her thoughts.

Opening her eyes she forced herself to keep moving. She was NOT going to fall in love with a dream. That was something twelve year old girls did. Not twenty something teachers. Squaring her shoulders she plastered a smile on her face and pushed the door to the dining room open.

She ate a small amount and spoke to Iris of her dream, and learned of Cien.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Are ye all right, Lassie?" Iris stood and came to stand next to me.

I looked up at her, and knew I must have looked as stricken as I felt. "How far is that

castle?"

"Within walking distance. A few kilometers at most." She said as she watched my face. "This is what you need to do." Iris said, sitting in the chair next to me. "Walk out the door in the kitchen, and you'll see a path that leads ye through the forest. It hasn't been traveled in a long while, but it is still there. When ye come to the fork, go left. Do not at all go right. Tis said to the right is where the fey hold court and none of their magic's can be trusted." She paused looking at my face. "The castle will only be a few minutes away from there." Standing she looked down at me. "Ye let me fix ye a small meal to take with ye." And with that she turned to the door and vanished through it.

I stood slowly and walked up the stairs to my room. If Henry spoke to me as I passed, I didn't hear him. When I got to the room, I went to my backpack I used as a carry on and emptied it out. Turning I left the room and went directly to the kitchen. Iris already had everything ready.

I loaded the 'small' meal that had to be at least four courses in my backpack, and then she handed me a flashlight. "The forest can be so dense, as no light can get in." I thanked her and walked out the door of the kitchen into the morning sun.