Anise

Camaron glanced across the large table at Drustan as his men and friends laughed and cheered as several of the men chugged their ale to see who could down the pint the fastest. Her gaze became angrier as she though of his words earlier that day, thinking of what he made her do.

“Looks like the wee lassie wants to bite yer head off,” Murray stated with a laugh as he lifted his ale.

“Aye 'cept by what ye told us ye witnessed his morn she might want to bite more than just his head,” another man mused. The men around the room laughed as Drustan just looked at Camaron.

“Enough. Leave the poor girl alone.” William ordered the men. “She is a shy girl and you are making the poor thing awkward.” He looked at Camaron and gave her a reassuring smile. “They enjoy teasing you girl, only because you let them.”

Camaron notice the man was the only one who didn't have a thick Scottish brogue when he spoke. “Thank you, Sir. You're English, right?”

The man smiled bright then, “Aye, my older sister was married to Drustan's father.”

“But I thought England and Scotland hated each other.”

“Oh they do!” he exclaimed. “Except Drustan's father rescued my sister from barbarians on the England-Scotland boarder. My father thought it only right to see the two of them wed.”

“That's very romantic.”

William agreed, laying his hand over Camaron's. “He met Anise in much the same way.”

“He saved her from being raped?” She asked as she looked over at Drustan to see him smiling with his friends.

“Oh, heaven's no! Anise had decided she wanted to play around with a stallion that was not yet broken in. HE bucked her and she fell and hurt her leg and arm. Drustan found her and carried her back to her home. After that he did not see her from some time and then he saw her at Beltane.” William recalled, “The two of them were smitten, I was astonished to see my big, braw warrior nephew coddling the woman he loved in front of his men.”

Camaron glanced back at Drustan to now see him staring at her. She adverted her gaze and asked, “Could you tell me about the day she died?”

A deep frown came to William's face, “I was raining the night she died. No one knows how the MacDonald's got into the castle but the next morning when her maid went to help her dress they found her on Drustan's bedchamber floor. She... she had been violated and run through with one of Drustan's claymores. I sent word to Drustan on the battlefield and he was home as soon as he could.”

He took a drink of his ale before continuing. “He cursed for hours and cried like he was a lad again. After we put her to rest he left for days and when he returned he was cold, distant. He didn't enter the keep when he did return, he sent a man up to his bedchamber to fetch his belongings before he returned to battle.”

William then gave Camaron a small smile, “We had not seen him since he left. Not until he arrived with you in his arms.. Something inside of him is different now, like he is alive again.”

“Where was he the days he was gone?” She asked, changing the subject.

“No one knows. He will not speak of it no matter who asks.” William finished his ale and stood, stretching with a groan. “This old man is off to rest. Good night, m'dear.”

Camaron watched as William walked away, stopping briefly to say a few things to Drustan before exiting the dining hall. Drustan dismissed himself from his men and stood up, coming over to talk to her. “Would ya like to retire with me?”

“I guess,” She stood the hand he offered and let him lead her from the loud hall. As they walked she noticed his thumb brushing her knuckles. “You loved her,” she stated.

“Who?”

“Anise.”

He released her hand and began, “Aye, very much, but I know that the gods have sent you to me for a reason. Ye look like her, sound like her, ye have the same temperament as her. I see my Anise in ye with everything ye do.” He stopped and touched her hair. “I would give the world to have her back for a night. So she would know I loved her with all that was in me.”

Before she realized what she was saying, “She does.”

“Nay,” he stood his head, disagreeing.

“Why not?”

Drustan looked around before saying, “Tis a conversation for when we are alone.” He lead her towards his bedchamber and closed the door once she was inside.

Camaron sat on the bed and he started to speak, “My Anise was pregnant when I left. Two months or so. I told her that when I got back that I would wed her, that my child would not be born a bastard.. She said that she wouldn't wed me then because I might not return, that if I died she did not want to be the mother of laird Drustan's bastard. Anise wanted to obtain a special license to wed within the weed but I was expecting to ride out on the morn. Anise got angry at me, said that if I rode out without being wed first that she would not wed me when I returned. I left without telling her I loved her, cursing her and how stubborn she was.”

“But I'm sure she knew you loved her,” she assured standing up to embrace him.

Drustan went stiff and didn't hug her back, “How do ye know she dinnae curse me with her last breath?”

Camaron pulled away and lowered her eyes to the floor, she would regret what she was about to say later but to get him to stop wallowing in self-pity she would say about anything. “Because when I think of loving anyone but you my heart aches. I hardly know you but something in me tells me I have to love you.”

“Do ye love me, lass?”

“I hardly know you.”

“But do ye love me?”

“I don't know,” she told him.

Before she could protest he grabbed her and pressed his lips to hers, this kiss unlike the one from the morning this kiss wasn't passionate or patient. It was demanding and hard but she felt what she had felt with the previous kiss. Her body sizzled to life as her mind became fuddled at the feel of his lips on hers.

“Tell me ye love me, Anise.” He murmured before pressing his lips to hers again.

Camaron froze, her body immediately turning to ice at his words. She pulled away and glared at him, “I am not Anise.”

Drustan paled, “I dinnae mean to, lass.”

“I don't care!” she yelled at him. “I refuse to fall in love with someone whose in love with someone besides me.”

“But I am nay in love with someone else,” he defended weakly. “I love you, lass.”

“I've known you for like, a day. We barely know each other. You can't fall in love a day, it's impossible. It's stupid and careless and impossible..”

“I donnae have to know ye to love ye.” he told him, his temper mounting. “I laid my eyes on you and knew I loved you.”

“No, you looked at me and saw Anise. You saw me as a way to have your love back,” she went towards the door. “I better go.”

“I will nae let you leave angry at me!” He yelled, grabbing her arm and forcing her to stop. “Last time I did my woman and child died.”

“Except I'm not your woman and I'm not your child!”

Drustan set his hand against her breast, over her heart. She was about to slap him for touching her when he said. “Nay ye aren't but I know my woman is in here somewhere.”

Camaron shook her head and grabbed his hand, removing it from her breast. “No Drustan. Your woman is dead and I refuse to be her replacement in your life.” She told him calmly before rushing out of the room.