Princess Ces'alena (30 page)

Long Bow looked at his son and stroked his hair. “My son, I would grant you anything your heart desired but I cannot grant you that. She is wild, and rare, and must remain free. She belongs to the red marked one…and his she should stay.”

“But father, as he, I am red marked. She was destined to be mine. I know it, I feel it is so. It is a sign from the spirits, the red marked one…he is me. Please father, she would be good medicine for us…please capture her.” He pleaded.

“No son, not her. She must remain as I said. Captured, she could never be tamed. Her medicine is for them, not us. We must respect that.”

Lil’Bear sighed looking longingly at the gold raven; his heart pounding from want of it. A chill ran up his spine when the gold raven looked back at him. Her eyes were as yellow as her golden plumage. “Oh father, I feel it. She is meant for me. I know she is.”

Suddenly, as if giving warning to the others, they all took flight at once. Sighing, father and son stood from the bush, watching the birds dance about the sky. “My father, this I promise, if ever I see another gold raven as she, I will capture her, and make her mine.”

Long Bow shook his head and ruffled the top of his son’s. “My son, if there ever be another by your eyes or mine, I make this promise to you before the Gods. She shall be yours; before the Gods, I will see it through.”

Turning from the clearing, Long Bow turned back to his son, who was still watching them as they circled overhead. “Come son, we must get back to our hunting.” Lil’Bear stood staring a bit longer, then whispered. “Take care of her, red marked one; mighty red crow, for I shall one day possess a gold raven, and she shall be my own.” He then turned and mounted up behind his father who had already done so, off once again to continue their hunting.

Chapter Seven

“Mikey! Mikey!” Lena called from the back door of the mansion. He looked up from the huddle he was in with Johnnypoe, Darrin and Willie as they were readying their turtles to race. “Uh oh!” He muttered recognizing that high shrill call from his mother. That was the voice of he’d done something wrong, or he hadn’t done what he was supposed to. “Here Johnnypoe, keep hold of my turtle for me.” He shoved it into his lap and took off around the corner from Darrin’s cabin, running down the center lane towards the porch where she stood about to call him again. “Hm mama?” He asked, sweating and breathing deep from the bottom of the porch looking up at her.

“Look down and tell me what you see!” She ordered with fist on her hips. With wide eyes, he looked down and immediately saw the problem.

“What have I told you, time and time again about leaving those toy soldiers, on the steps!? Someone could fall and hurt themselves Mikey if they’re stepped on. I’m tired of repeating it, they’re going to end up in the fire if I see it again. I mean it! Don’t look at me like that!” As she fussed he picked them up, casting doleful eyes her way.

As he sat at the table picking over his lunch, sulking over not being allowed to rejoin the others, he leaned on his hand moping over his plate.

“Young man, I want over half of that food gone.”

“But I’m not hungry.” He whined.

Lena ignored him. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Cora’s not feeling well today, so I’m going to have to go up and finish what she hasn’t in the bedrooms. I’ll be back after I change the sheets and air the rooms. Finish your food.”

“Mama…Manny say you suppose to stay in the kitchen.” He reminded her, looking up from his plate. No matter how often Manny told him it was okay to call him dad, or father…he couldn’t for some reason bring himself to do it. He loved him, respected him, but it was hard for him to refer to him as his father.

“I know, but no one is here to do it since Kayleen’s sitting with Mazie until she has the baby, and besides, Katherine’s restricted to her bed. She’ll never know I was up there.” She informed him leaving the room. Mike looked at the door a moment, sighed and turned back to picking at his food. Smiling, he pulled out his toy soldiers and began playing around his plate with them.

She was in the last room and almost done when she heard Katherine calling from her bedroom. She stood beside the bed a moment listening to her call out. She snapped the sheet thinking it best to ignore her, and get done and back down stairs. But the bell kept ringing, plus she was calling so pitifully.

“Cooor-raaa! I know you’re there. I can hear you moving around. Please, it will only take a moment, I need something urgently!” She called at the top of her voice. Lena stood with the sheet at her finger tips in indecision. Everything she felt inside said she should ignore her. But…what if? What if her need was indeed serious, who else would know of it? She shook her head and began tucking the sheet under the mattress, and went to the end tucking and centering it; to the other side…doing the same.

“Coraaa! I’m dying, the pain is unbearable, please. You can go back to what you’re doing after you help me. But I really do need you this time!”

She called again, sounding croakily frail and weak. With a basket at her side, Lena left the room entering the hall way. She considered calling Ferrus, but he was at the Hastings picking up some things Katherine’s mother had shipped to her, sending it through her sister.

‘
God, I hate being in this predicament.’
The bell rang again. Taking a deep breath, Lena took her chances.
‘I’m here; I might as well help her.’

Having made up her mind, she sat the basket down against the banister and wall, and went to her room. Katherine was lying back, propped against her pillows, as she heard someone enter, assuming it was Cora, “Please Cora, do be a good girl and get my medicine. My head is throbbing to no end. I feel I’m going to throw-up any moment now.”

Lena hesitated a moment biting the inside of her lip; then asked softly, “Where is your medicine?” She hoped her voice didn’t betray her, as she noticed Katherine’s startling paleness. Thinking what she needed was to get out of that bed, and get some sun and fresh air. Unfortunately, as she thought that, Katherine made a face and turned her head looking right at her.

“What are you doing in my room? Even more so, what are you doing out of the kitchen?” She demanded brusquely. Lena took a nervous breath and answered carefully. “Cora took sick. Kayleen’s aiding a birth. And Ferrus is on an errand for you; there were things that had to be done up here… -(she swallowed nervous)- where is your medicine? I’ll get it for.”

“You think I would stoop to ask you to do anything for me? Get out of my room and get back to what you were doing. The sight of you makes me feel worse than I am.” She hissed acidly.

Lena rolled her eyes, “Katherine please, I’m sorry you don’t feel well. I don’t mean to make you feel any worse; you look bad enough, all on your own.” Both gasped at her remark. Lena hadn’t meant it as an insult; she merely spoke her mind and it slipped out with what she was thinking.

“You get out of my room!” Katherine screeched. “I will not sit here and be insulted by my husbands whore!” Lena sucked in and felt tears sting the back of her eyes. “Katherine, I apologize, I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

“I don’t care how you meant it! Just get out of my room! Where’s Ruby, get Ruby! She’ll get my medicine for me.”

“Katherine, I’m here…I’m right here, just tell me where they are; I’ll get them.”

“
Did you hear what I said?! I don’t want you getting me anything!”

Fed up with her, Lena fired back, “Well you shouldn’t be taking anything in your condition anyway! How can you simply lay there in bed? Get up, move around, go outside, breath some fresh air, that is all you need!”

“How dare you speak to me that way!”

“I’m only telling you what others should! You are sick because your body needs movement! Sun on your skin, clean air in your lungs!”

“Who do you think you are?!” Katherine yelled to the top of her voice. “I’ll tell you who! My husband’s common harlot! As a lady of privilege I would not be caught dead out as you are! How dare you think I would flaunt my condition as would a
slave!
”

Mike could now hear the yelling, and out of fear for his mother, jumped up and ran from the kitchen, down the hall taking the stairs quickly.

“You have done it now! I refuse to put up with your high and mighty attitude a moment longer! You are nothing but a slave and should consider it a privilege that I even speak to you! And it is time you realized that!” She continued in heated anger. The humiliation of them both there, pregnant with her husbands children was more than she could bare and to see Lena further along; healthy, glowing, unbothered so it seemed by the pregnancy; as beautiful if not more so, mutilated her pride. “I want you out of my room!” She grated through clenched teeth, breathing deep and hard, boiling on the verge of explosion. She swung her legs over the side of the bed standing with her fist balled at her sides. The sight of Lena making her burn all the hotter as she took menacing steps towards her, her eyes blazing with pure hatred and contempt.

“I want you out of my house!!”

Lena grew frightened now, but was unwilling to turn her back at this stage, she started backing out of the room with Katherine following her unyielding.

“Look Katherine.” Lena tried coaxing with her hand raised to calm her. “I’m leaving…okay, go back to your bed and I’ll leave. I’m sorry I ever entered the room. God knows I am. Please, calm down - go back to bed.”

“No! I will not calm down! I don’t have to calm down, I will not make this easy on you! Look at you, so smug and secure –
he is my husband!
Mine!
I want you out of my house! I want you out of my husband’s life! I want you out of my life! Out of our marriage!! I want you out of everything!! Do you hear me!! I hate you with every source of my life!!”

Right then, Mike flew in, straight to the front of his mother to protect her as Katherine was in the heat of her tirade. The sight of him made it even worse as Katherine snapped, screaming with her head shaking and her hair flying as she did, “Aand take that filty little bastard of yours with you!!”

Lena grabbed Mike’s shoulders turning him and quickly headed for the door. He ran off down the hall leading the way. Katherine followed raging all the way, catching up to Lena, she began shoving her from behind; ranting - “Get out!! Get out!! Damn you! I want you gone from my life - out!!”

Lena stumbled, almost falling, but regained her balance. Looking back the whole time, Mike saw it - and ran back between them. “You keep your hands off of my mama!!” It happened so fast, Lena barely had time to turn and get her son, “Mikey no!! Come on!” She shouted at him.

Katherine, shocked and appalled that he should yell at her with such boldness, reared back and slapped him soundly across the face.

Lena lost control; pulling Mike behind her, which wasn’t easy, because despite his stinging cheek, he would take many more before backing down when it came to her. Lena yanked so hard to move him it tore his shirt as she shouted at Katherine. “Hold it right there!! You stop now – because you have gone too far!!” Now their rage was almost matched, with Lena’s quite a few notches higher. Through grinding teeth and clear fury she warned. “You can hate me til the end of time Katherine. Wish me gone every day of your life! With me, do what you will! But - you do not touch my son! That one slap, was one too many. The next, will cost you more than you have to pay.” She promised walking closer to Katherine, her eyes shooting daggers.