KEEPER’S OF DRAGONS HEART

Lord Byron McSim looked down at his young infant son.  “I’m sorry about your mother Samuel.  But we’ll find you a new mother soon.  I can’t wait around long either.”  It wasn’t like he wasn’t sad about her death, but it had been an arranged marriage in the first place.  They hadn’t really loved one another; it was more of a strategic move on both of the families.

However, one of the things they had to do was have children.  Priscilla had gotten sick right before Samuel’s birth and never fully recovered.  Now here he was just his son, only age 2 months and him.

Thankfully he was the Lord of this region, and that meant he could pick out any girl he wanted, and she would be his.  “Tomorrow I’ll go down to the village pick out one for us.”  Byron said down to Samuel.

The little boy looked up and cooed happily.  Byron smiled down at Samuel.  He was happy that he had Samuel.  At least the child had lived.  But he knew the child needed motherly love as well.  Plus Byron would admit that he wanted the touch of a woman in his life just as much as any red blooded male. 

He lay Samuel down and covered him up.  He looked down at the now sleeping child and smiled again.  “I love you Samuel sweet dreams.”  Byron turned got into bed.

There were quite a few females in the village.  He had made sure to treat everyone decent, and they loved him.  The day of Priscilla’s funeral he had many visitors wishing him their condolences.  He had noticed a few women that day.  Some of the father’s had made sure to get their daughters all dressed up for the occasion.

But if he had to admit anything it would be that he really didn’t want to deal with some young female.  That would mean that he would have to teach her everything.  He didn’t feel like that at all.  He had already dealt with Priscilla, who was much like a child in her own ways. 

In the morning things would look better, he thought to himself and let sleep swallow him up for the night.  Samuel woke up some time during the night and Byron got up and dutifully feed him.  “Here you are Samuel.  One day you’ll be a big man just like me!  I hate to see how much you’ll be able eat when you are older.”  He laughed as he grabbed another bottle of milk.

As Samuel got satisfied his little eyes began to close and he fell back to sleep.  Byron tried to lie down, but his mind continued to run as he thought of his late wife Priscilla.  She had been a normal looking woman, not beautiful, but not ugly by far.  However, since it was an arranged marriage between their families there had been no love between them.  Samuel had come out of necessity, to carry on the McSim name.

Byron wasn’t a dumb man; he knew that he wouldn’t find love right away.  But at least this time around he would be picking his bride.  He tried to picture the perfect woman for him, but really couldn’t come up with a good idea. 

He would have one of the maids watch Samuel when he went down to the village, then he thought again, perhaps not.  If he was finding a mother for him shouldn’t he take him?  Bryon wondered which would be best.  After all, he wasn’t going to give the woman he picked a choice of whether she was marrying him.  However, he didn’t want a woman who would take out her frustrations on the child.  That would lead to far too many problems. 

Bryon thought about the best way to go about making sure his son would always be safe.  “I’ll just decide in a few hours.”  He said to himself.  He was side tracked in his thoughts by the wars that were going on around them right now.  This was another reason he was looking for a mother for Samuel, the wars.  If he had to go fight, he wanted someone who truly loved Samuel to take care of him.  He knew the maids could watch Samuel, but they didn’t necessarily have the same attachment with the young boy.

He closed his eyes and tried to slow his mind and not think about anything.  Past images of the battles he’d been in flashed his mind.  It was a gruesome scene to say the least, one that would scar him forever.  Byron hoped that Samuel would never have to face a single battle in his life; if he could he would leave behind a peaceful land to his son.

Bryon could imagine it if he got some sort of peace agreement done, and how he would be thought of as a hero.  But more than anything was the fact that Samuel wouldn’t have the same kind of experiences and memories as Bryon did.  He smiled and sleep took over for the night.

****

His eyes came open unwillingly the next morning.  Bryon felt like he barely had rested during the night.  Samuel was just stirring in his crib; he smiled down at his boy.  He picked up Samuel and said.  “So my boy, we’re both going to find a new mother for you today, and a wife for me!  Let’s see what shall we dress you in today?”  Bryon looked through the choices of outfits he had for Samuel. 

Finally, he settled on a beautiful looking emerald green outfit.  It made Samuel’s bright little green eyes shine brightly.  “You are a handsome little man already!”  Bryon cooed down at Samuel.  Samuel laughed up at his father.  “I love you Samuel!”  He kissed Samuel on the cheek.

Samuel really did make his life better, he couldn’t deny that.  As he walked to the village with Samuel he smiled at many people and chatted with several for a while.  He heard many condolences and compliments about how attractive Samuel looked today.

“Thank you very much.”  He said many times. 

Then the fun started, as many of the fathers are brought out their daughters once again.  Bryon saw plenty of young girls who were attractive, but they just didn’t quite match what he wanted.  He was beginning to doubt that he would find a wife today.

Bryon had just turned to walk back up to his castle when he spotted her.  She was alone, and had to be a bit older.  She didn’t have the young looks of a child who was just coming of age like a lot of the younger girls in the village.  The 18 and 19 year olds that he’d been introduced to had looked younger than their ages easily.  But this woman, she looked different, and he liked it.

“Hello, what is your name, lass?”  He asked her.

She looked at him then looked at Samuel.  “My name Lord, I’m Heather McKogel.”  She smiled at Samuel again and played with the boy.  He began to laugh as she made funny faces at the boy.

Bryon knew right then and there she was the one he wanted.  She was great with Samuel, but she also brought out a deep feeling in him.  He knew a lot of it was a lust for a beautiful woman, after all her long red hair flowed down against her white skin and it made her look like an angel. 

“You’ll do perfect.  Lass you are to be my bride.  We will get married tomorrow.”  Bryon announced.

“I don’t want to marry you Lord.”  She said stubbornly.  Her blue eyes looked at him; she showed little pleasure in his offer of being the lead woman of this land.

“You don’t have a choice.”  Bryon stated.  “Now you can come with me peacefully, or I will get my men to bring you along.  Which will it be?”  He asked her, his voice barely above the level of a whisper.

She looked at him and saw that he was completely serious.  Her eyes challenged him anyway.  “I’ll come with you, but I won’t be what you think.”  She said very lowly.

Bryon felt a flutter of excitement and a slight mixture of fear.  He wasn’t afraid of the woman, she was a little wisp of a thing, and would never truly be able to hurt her.  “Just as long as you take care of him without hurting him, I can stand a challenge.”  He said, stating his challenge to her as well.

“I would never hurt him.”  Heather said, and Bryon could tell by the look in her eyes that she was being honest. 

“Good let’s go then.”  Bryon started to walk away and she fell in line behind him.  As they went he heard several voices of shock. 

“He picked her; I can’t believe he didn’t pick you.”  One father said to his daughter as Bryon walked past. 

Bryon knew that Heather must be newer to the village, and he looked forward to hearing a bit about her.  He scanned his memory for any idea of who she might be, but couldn’t come up with it.  He looked over at her several times as they were walking to the castle. 

She could feel his eyes on her and finally stopped and asked, “Why do you keep looking at me?” 

“I’m just trying to put a story with you, are you new to the village?”  He asked.

“No my Lord, I’ve lived here my whole life, but you would remember me as Heather McDonnell.  I was married for a bit to Kaiden McKogel, but he was killed in battle last year.”  She explained.

“I haven’t seen you in years, but yes I remember you now.  Your father and mother were good people, I was very sad to see them pass.”  Bryon said.  “I’m sorry to hear about your husband as well.”  He added.  Although, if he would be honest he wasn’t sad about that at all, if Kaiden McKogel were still alive, Bryon wouldn’t be getting this woman for his wife.

“Thank you Lord.”  She said and looked away from him.

“I know you see this as a bad thing, but really I’m not a bad man.  I honestly need a mother for little Samuel, and I would like some companionship as well.”  Bryon tried to explain to her his situation.

He watched as her shoulders moved up as she sighed.  “I realize that my Lord.  I just really don’t know if marriage is right for me.”  Heather said.

“But you were married once before, so it must have been right for you.  I’m just offering you another chance to have a man in your life, and maybe even a child of your own.”  Bryon stated.

“Aye, I know my Lord.  That is one thing that I wished I would have had with Kaiden.  But he was a mean man, and I’m worried that you will be much the same as him.  I don’t want to go through that again, and I don’t want to be controlled by any man.  I am my own woman; I should be allowed to make my own choices.  But alas, you’ve taken my choice from me again, just like he did on many occasions in the past.”  Heather said, she talked fast and her face got red as her anger built up.  “Why is it you men always think you know what is right for us?  Why can’t you just let me decide whether or not I would like you and let me get to know you better?  No instead you tell me I will be your new wife and new maid for your son.  Don’t get me wrong I think he’s adorable, but you on the other hand are just a bully.”   She stated.

Bryon held up his hands and tried to get her to calm down.

“No you said I didn’t have a choice.  I could go easy or go the hard way.  Now that you’ve picked me you have to listen to me.”  Heather said. 

“Go ahead I’ll listen.”  Bryon said.

“You don’t have a choice; you do understand that, right?”  Heather asked.

“Yes I do have a choice; if I didn’t want to listen to you I would walk away.  I am choosing to let you talk.  I however feel that I should be allowed to answer back and defend myself after you are done.”  Bryon answered.

Heather looked at him and studied him for a minute.  “Fine, if you must.”  She looked at Samuel who was looking confused in his father’s arms.  “Actually, I don’t need to talk about this now.  I don’t want it to upset him.”  She said and pointed down at Samuel.

Bryon looked at his son, and nodded.  “I think that would be a good idea.  We can talk when he takes his nap.” 

“Alright this will be fine.  Do you mind if I carry him for a bit though, he’s a darling.”  Heather asked.

He looked at her for a second, somewhat unsure about whether he should trust her or not.  But all he saw in her eyes when she looked at the young boy was love.  “Sure, just be careful a make sure you support his head.”  Bryon said as he handed Samuel over to her.

“Look at you, aren’t you the most handsome little boy ever!  Yes you are, oh look at that adorable smile.  Oh there you go!”  She talked to Samuel.

Bryon watched her as she held and talked to the little boy.  They started to walk again.  She continued to look down and talk to Samuel the rest of the way.  Bryon heard the little boy laugh more than one time, and smiled to himself.

After they got back to the castle, Heather continued to play with Samuel for a while and even fed him.  Byron watched her, she seemed to be a natural at caring for the little boy, and Samuel obviously loved her.  He couldn’t take his eyes off of her bright red hair the whole time, and played with her hair a few times as she was feeding him his milk. 

“Oh look who’s tired.”  Heather cooed at Samuel as he let out a huge yawn.  

Byron grabbed Samuel from her and put him in the crib.  Heather watched as Bryon did this and had to smile.  The big man was so gentle with his small son.  She wondered what it would be like to be touched gently like that by him.  It made her think back to how badly Kaiden had treated her, he had never once touched her in a gentle manner.  For Kaiden it had been about the control he had over her, not only her body, but her mind at times.  He had played games with her many times, and often Heather would wonder if she was going crazy.

She shivered thinking of the many times he had forced himself on her and made her have sex.  She was thankful that he had never gotten her pregnant.  The thought of bringing a baby into a household with Kaiden scared her.  Heather would admit to herself, but no one else, that she didn’t miss Kaiden at all.  She had been happy to have him die in battle that meant no more pain in her life.  Of course, she had acted like the grieving widow for a while after he had died, but inside she was happy.

Now she looked at Byron he wanted her to be his wife, and it scared her.  He was already trying to control her, and the only thing she could associate with that was Kaiden.  Heather thought she might actual feel a bit of hate towards Byron for forcing this on her.  But now that she looked at him with his small son, she felt her heart warm a little towards him.  She wasn’t sure if she liked that though, so she pushed those emotions down by thinking more about Kaiden and her past marriage.

****

“Your job is to cook, clean and have sex with me.”   Kaiden had yelled at her in this way more than one time.

“What if I don’t want to have sex?”  She had asked him one time.  That had been the first time he had hit her and forced her to have sex.  Heather knew that no one would think it was a big deal.  The wife of the marriage should listen to her husband.  She would have been seen as the person who was in the wrong.  She was honestly worried that Byron would also force her to have sex with him.

But she looked at him again as he rocked little Samuel to sleep and couldn’t picture him being mean to her.  Not hitting her like Kaiden had, this man seemed far too gentle.  “He’s with his son; he won’t treat you the same way.”  A warning voice yelled out in her mind.

She tried to shake the bad thoughts of her head.  The fact was that she knew she would have to marry him; he was the Lord after all.  Well honestly, it scared her into feeling and thinking that he was far worse than Kaiden might have ever been.  “No look at him with little Samuel, he can’t be as bad as Kaiden, never.”  She thought.

Byron looked back at her and smiled.  “Okay, if you want we can talk now.” 

Heather honestly hadn’t believed him when he had told her that they would talk about what she wanted later on.  She had figured that he would simply forget and put it off all the time. 

“I don’t like marriage.  My first husband was not a nice man; he controlled me all the time.  I had to do anything and everything he said.  If I was too slow at something, he would hit me.  If I didn’t feel like having sex, he would hit me, and then force me to have sex.  I’m scared that you will force me to do things that I don’t want as well.  Look you told me, that I was going to be your wife.  How should I act with this type of control?  I don’t want it again.  I’m happy since he’s gone, but now you want to put me into the same type of relationship, why?”  Heather said, but wasn’t sure if she was explaining her feelings well enough.

“Well, I’m not going to change my mind about marrying you, or making you do it.  I’m sorry, you may not understand it, but there is just something about you that attracts me.  I won’t ever hit you or force you to have sex with me though.  Just so you know I’m not a mean person.  I don’t know how to explain to you my process of thinking of why I picked you.  You’re a bit older, and more mature than the other lasses in the village.  Plus the fact that you were married, it means you know what marriage means, well maybe not though now that I know how your husband was to you.  I’m truly sorry that he was like that to you.”  Byron stated.

Heather looked at him.  He talked a good game, and said he wouldn’t hit her or force her to have sex, but he could be lying.  She didn’t know him well enough to figure it out.  “I’ll marry you, because I have no choice.  But I can’t promise you anything else from there.  I don’t think its fair that to me.  I know nothing of you, besides the obvious that everyone knows around here.   You’re the Lord of the land and your wife died just a few weeks ago now, you have a son, and you’re a decent man.  But just because everyone sees that side of you, it doesn’t mean you are like that behind closed doors.  I know all too well how appearances can fool a person.”  She stated.

“I’m not him am I?”  Byron challenged her.

“No but you could be just as mean, if not meaner than he was to me.”  Heather could feel the tears start to slip down her face.  She paused a moment and closed her eyes, she could almost feel the punch of his fist on her skin.  “I really didn’t do anything wrong to him either.  All I wanted was to not be told what to do all the time. To be made to do things I didn’t choose.  That isn’t a life, that’s a prison.  I can’t help but feel you are putting me in another type of prison.”  Heather said.

Byron walked over to her and touched under her chin lightly, and made her look up at him.  He could see the tears flowing freely down her cheeks.  He wiped one of them as it trailed down her cheek.  He felt her tense up.  Bryon took his hand down and walked away from her.

Heather watched as he left the room and wondered what he was doing.  His touch had been so gentle on her skin.  She had seen pain reflecting back from his eyes as he looked at her.  She wanted him to come back now, to comfort her again as he just had.  Heather felt a chip of ice melt off of her heart as she thought of Byron.

She thought of how her parents had always talked about how good Byron’s parents were and that they felt he would be a good ruler.  Heather thought back to when she was younger and she had first met Byron.  She had been about 16 years old and he was 18.  He had been an obnoxious boy who felt that girls were not near as good as boys.  Could he have grown out of that opinion?  She wasn’t sure if that was true or not.  This memory worried her about his ability to not want to control her like Kaiden did, by using his fists and words.

She went over to look down at Samuel as he slept.  He was such a handsome little boy already.  He looked a lot like what she would imagine Byron did as a boy.  She was sure that as he grew up he would be a spitting image of Byron.  She smiled down at him.  “You’re a lucky little boy if you look like your father when you get older.  He’s a very handsome man.”  She said to Samuel.

Heather wasn’t aware that Byron had opened the door behind her and heard those words.  He silently walked back out of the room. 

***

  Byron walked a bit more around the castle after he had heard what Heather had said to Samuel.  He really did find Heather quite attractive.  When he had looked into her eyes he had seen the pain and fear in them.  It had made him hurt inside too.  He had felt upset about the man who had made her feel this way, “If he was alive I would kill him with my bare hands.”  Bryon swore under his breath.

She was so much different from Priscilla, in so many ways.  For one she had a nice figure.  She wasn’t super skinny like Priscilla had been.  Honestly it had been one thing he had never liked about Priscilla, and that was only the beginning of the list.

No one but Byron knew how bad it had been in this castle.  Well some of the staff he was sure had heard her on more than one occasion yelling and complaining about things.

“I want to have a son to carry on my name.”  He had told her one night.

“Well then I guess you better find someone to have that child for you.  I don’t think I want to ruin my perfect body.”   She had complained.  Priscilla had been standing in front of the mirror and looking at herself.  It had been a daily habit that she would do for hours on end.  Byron didn’t understand why she found her body so attractive.  He would rather have a bit more meat to her.

“I think the extra weight would make you look nice.”  He had said to her.

She had turned back to him and the look had been one that could have killed him.  “Extra weight, I don’t think so.” 

The only reason that they had eventually had Samuel was one night in a moment of weakness on her part.  She had been celebrating her birthday and had a bit too much to drink.  He had been shocked by her come-ons that night, but had gladly slept with her.  It had been the one and only time in their whole marriage. 

He did feel some guilt by the fact that it was complications from her pregnancy that had killed her in the end.  But here he was with Heather; she was the type of woman he would have loved to marry the first time.  In fact, if it had been his choice he might have married her.  She hadn’t known how much of a crush he had on her for years.  Bryon didn’t even know if she had seen him watching her on the many occasion he had spied on her.

The first time he met her though he had to admit he was put off.  She had been like a little tomboy.  Byron smiled now as he thought back.  Heather had been playing in the forest and he had come up on her.

“Hey what are you doing out here?”  He had said to her.  “Don’t you know how dangerous it can be out her for a girl?”  He added.

Heather had looked at him.  Her hair hadn’t been as long back then, but still it flowed over her shoulders.  He had been mesmerized by her when she looked up at him with her big blue pools of eyes.

“I can handle myself; I’m not some little girl who doesn’t know anything.”  She had spouted at him.  Her shoulders had gone back in a defiant stance too.

Bryon had laughed at that point and it had made her furious.  She had come up to him and hit him.  It had hurt quite a bit, but he would never admit that to her.  “Come on I’ll walk you home.”  He had grabbed her arm.

“Stop it; I don’t want to go home yet.”  She had yelled and pulled away from him.

“It’s going to be dark soon; I can’t let you stay out her.  My parents would not want me to be like that.”  He had stated.  She had struggled the whole way back to the village with him.  But he had been stronger than her, though she had almost gotten away a few times.

She had been so spunky, he had found her fascinating.  But after that her parents had kept a closer watch on her and she didn’t go out to the woods as often.  He had tried to talk to her a few times after that day, but she had often ignored him, or found a way to escape the conversation.  So Bryon had instead watched her from time to time from afar.

There had been a few times before his father had told him of his impending marriage he had thought of asking her to marry him.  In fact the night he was going to talk to his father about Heather, he had his world devastated.

“Son, I have some really good news for our future.”  His father had announced at dinner that one night.  Byron had been 23 at the time.  It seemed like yesterday right now, not 5 years ago. 

“What is it father?”  He had asked.

“You’ll be marrying Priscilla McDaniel next month.”  He had stated.

“I don’t want to marry her.”  He had refused.  “I’d rather pick my own wife.”  He added.

“Son I’m sorry this is a great strategic move for us.  We need another clan behind us in these times.  This clan would be a very strong alliance for us.  You have to do it, you don’t have a choice. I’ve already agreed for you.”  His father had said.

“What about love?  Why can’t I have that?  You and mother have always told me to find it.  Now you’re going to steal that chance from me?”  He had argued.

His father had shaken his head sternly.  “Son you may love her, just give it time.” 

Byron had gone out for a walk, he saw Heather at that point.  He had wanted to approach her and ask her to run away with him.  But then he thought about the kind of life he would have offered her.  He couldn’t do it, she deserved better than that.  Instead he had turned around and lost track of her.  He had thought that was her in the village this afternoon.  Byron had thought he was seeing a ghost, but when he had asked her name, his heart had gone through his chest.  He took it as a sign that this was his chance. 

“Maybe I should tell her about this?”  He wondered as he walked.  Finally, he went back to the room again.  He peaked in first to see if she was talking again or not, but it was silent.  As he went further into the room he noticed she was sleeping in the chair.  He picked her up and carried her over to the bed, and covered her up.

Byron went and got comfortable in the chair.  Soon his eyes closed and he was fast asleep.

***

Heather woke up confused.  She looked around, unsure where she was at first.  As the fog of sleep cleared from her mind she remembered yesterday.  She looked around the room and saw that Byron was across the room sleeping in a chair. 

She couldn’t help but smile at how sweet he had been the night before.  She knew for a fact that it had to have been him who had moved her to the bed.  He had covered her up, and then chosen to not even sleep in his own bed. 

Heather got up and went to check on Samuel, he was just opening his eyes and the first sounds of his cries hit the air.  She picked him up quickly and tried to calm him down until she got his breakfast ready.  She had hoped to let Byron sleep, but she heard him moving behind her.

“Here you are.”  He said and handed her Samuel’s milk. 

“Thank you, I’m sorry I was trying to get it done before he woke you up.”  She smiled.

“I wake up at the first peep he makes.  But thank you for the thought.”  Byron said and smiled at her. 

“Thank you for moving me to the bed.  I would have slept in the chair though if you wanted the bed.”  Heather said.

“I just didn’t want to scare you when you woke up and found me beside you, so I decided to sleep in the chair last night.”  Byron stated.

She looked at him; he had a strange look on his face, like he was thinking of something that made him really happy. 

He noticed the confused look she had and laughed.  “I have something to tell you that may help explain this better.  So just please listen to what I tell you.”  Byron said.

“Okay, you listened to me; it’s only fair you get a chance to speak.”  Heather said.

“Remember when we first met in the woods?”  He asked.

He watched as she blushed a bit.  “Yes I was just thinking of it last night.  You were an obnoxious boy then.”  She said.

“I was yes.  But it wasn’t that I didn’t think you could handle being in the woods.  Did you notice how much I tried to get you to talk to me on the way home?”  He asked her.

“Honestly I was so upset that you were forcing me to go back home.  But the worst part was I knew you were right.  Anyone could have come up in the woods on me and hurt me really badly.  I didn’t want to admit it, but I was scared shaking all the way home thinking about it.”  Heather admitted.

“I fell in love with you on that day.”  He blurted out.

Heather looked at him quickly, studying his face for a lie.  But she saw no hint of untruth in his eyes.  But she wasn’t able to process the thought fully yet.  “What did you just say?”  She asked when she could finally speak.

“I tried to come and see you several times after that, but you would never talk to me much.  I know you remember that too.”  Byron looked at her for reassurance that he wasn’t remembering the past differently than it had actually happened.

“I was far too embarrassed at first, and then Kaiden had come around.  He would hurt me every time he saw me talking to another man.  I didn’t like being hit, so I had to avoid all men from that day forward.”  Heather thought back to the many painful beatings he had committed against her.

She looked and saw that his face was furious with anger.  “He’s lucky he’s dead, or I would kill him right now.”  Byron said the anger could be heard in his voice.

“It’s okay, he’s gone and the physical wounds have all healed.”  Heather said trying to calm the obviously upset Byron.

“I just can’t help think what would have happened if my father wouldn’t have made me marry Priscilla.”  Byron said.

“Why, Kaiden already had me under lock and key, what could you have done?”  She asked.

“I was going to come and ask you to marry me.  I was going to talk to my father that very night he told me about Priscilla.  If I would have found him and seen you, and there would have been even one mark on you, I would have killed him.  I wouldn’t have gotten in trouble; we would tell everyone what he was doing.  Then I would have married you instead, and we could have had all these years together now.”  Byron said.

Heather smiled, she liked the idea.  “That would have been nice.  But were you still as obnoxious at that time as you were when you were 18?”  She asked.

Byron laughed.  “I was probably quite a bit more obnoxious, I was 23 years old then.” 

“So why do you think I would have married you?”  Heather asked.

“Heather, I would have told you that I love you very much.  Plus remember I would have killed the man who was hurting you.  You would run into my arms and see me as your fearless protector.”  He stated.  “I couldn’t believe my luck to find you in the village yesterday.  I hadn’t seen you in years.  I stopped coming around after my father told me the news.  I honestly couldn’t bear to see the woman I loved and I was married to another.”  Byron said.

She looked at him and studied his face again.  Again Heather tried to register the fact that Byron had just told her this story.  He had told he had been in love with her for years now?  I was 21 back then when he’s talking about, she thought.  “I wonder what it would have been like.”  Heather thought out loud.

“I know, I thought about it last night a lot.”  Byron admitted.  I tried to put you out of my mind as much as I could after Priscilla.  But honestly it was the worst years of my life with her.  I never loved her, how could I my heart always belonged to you.  I had loved you since that first day in the forest.  You were so defiant and strong.  You made my blood boil!”  He   blushed red at the admission.

Heather also turned a bright red color.  She could feel the heat coming off of her body at his comment.  For the first time in her life, she actually wanted to think about having sex.  The admission itself made her blush once more. 

“Heather, I’ve waited for so many years to be with you, I wish you would simply give me a chance to prove to you that I love you.”  Byron got down on one knee in front of her.  “Heather, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”  He asked.

She looked down at him shocked.  She hadn’t expected it at all.  Her mind shouted out, “do it”, her heart bulked for a second.  In the end her mouth answered for her, “I will marry you.”  Her heart cried out in fear instantly.  Heather knew she would have to learn to trust him, even though he had never done a thing to hurt her.  Kaiden had ruined her capacity to trust any man in the world.

Byron took Samuel out of her hands and put him in his crib.  He went back to Heather once more and hugged her.  He kissed her lightly on the lips.  “You’ve made me so happy today.”  He smiled down at her.

She sighed as he held her closely to him.  She felt safe in his arms; Heather could swear that she would be able to trust him.  Though the fear was still there, she felt a bit better already, just by being in his embrace.

***

Weeks had gone by quickly.  Heather had no doubt that she was madly in love with Byron now.  He had been patient with her and never even raised his voice at her.  She looked over at him as he ate his supper. 

“How was your day?”  He asked her.

“It was good.  How are you so patient with me?  You haven’t even pushed having sex yet.”   Heather asked him.

Byron looked at her.  “I love you Heather, I told you I wouldn’t push you.”  He stated.

“I love you too Byron.  I knew it at first, but really didn’t want to admit it.  I was still scared of you being like Kaiden and hurting me.  But you really aren’t that type of man.  I am lucky to be your wife.”  Heather told him.

He took her in his arms and kissed her deeply.  She sighed, his soft lips felt so nice against her lips.  Byron hadn’t even kissed her in the past few weeks.  He had been able to tell she had been frightened every night they had gone to bed in the past few weeks since they married.  He knew she had expected him to demand sex from her.  In all reality he figured he had waited this many years a little longer wasn’t a big deal.  So instead he had done his best to not push her away and prove that he wasn’t just after her body and nothing more.  The reason he had done this is because Heather had asked him about something she had overheard from one of the staff of the castle.

“Byron, I heard someone talking today saying you simply married to have more children.  Is that true?”  Heather had asked him one night.  He had looked at her and seen that the comment had really upset her. 

“No darling.  I told you I love you.  Think about it, if I wanted for you to simply carry my children, wouldn’t I have already forced you to have sex with me?”  He had asked her.

“I know this, but maybe you’re simply being patient because you don’t want me to put up a fight.”  She had answered back.

He had asked for the name of the person who had said this, and she wouldn’t tell him.  If he ever found out they would be dismissed immediately. 

“Heather, I want to make love to you, but only if you are ready.”  Byron said to her.

She looked up at him and nodded her head yes.  He came closer to her and took her into his arms again.  He kissed her deeply again, and heard the telltale sighs out of her mouth. 

He undressed her slowly and enjoyed the sight of her body.  “You are beautiful.”  Byron said.  He looked over her body with great appreciation. 

Heather felt a blush spread on her skin and she went to cover up her breasts and lower region with her hands.  He grabbed her hands and gently moved them aside.  “Don’t hide yourself from me; I’ve waited for years to see you like this.  Let me enjoy it, please.”  He stated.

She didn’t feel dirty as he looked at her and ran his fingers lightly over her body.  Heather felt a shiver of anticipation spread over her and into her lower regions.  She could feel her legs quiver as she became more excited by his kisses and touches.

He lowered her to the bed and suckled on her breasts, biting her nipples and bringing out a low moan from Heather.  Byron ran his fingers down to her sex and played, making her moist and ready.  His hard member found its way to her hole and he slowly slide into her body.  She arched her back to meet his thrusts.

Soon they were breathing heavily and Heather could feel an odd feeling rushing through her body.  Suddenly her juices were exploding as a climax hit her hard.  “Byron, oh that feels so good.”  She moaned out.

He kissed her hard as he thrust into her a few more times and emptied his seed deeply into her womb.  He fell to the side of her on the bed.  “That was better than I could have ever imagined in my life.”  Byron said.

“I can honestly say I’ve never enjoyed sex before now.”  Heather looked at him and stated.

Bryon kissed her, “I’m glad you enjoyed it!”  He pulled her close and they fell asleep until Samuel woke them up a few hours later.

***

Heather found out she enjoyed having sex more than she ever thought would be possible.  Byron was a very caring lover.  He would always make sure she had a climax before he would finish.  Plus she had to admit she loved the intimacy between them when they made love.

However, she had found out that Samuel would often wake up and interrupt their love making.  She couldn’t get mad at the small boy, and often she and Byron would end up laughing about Samuel’s timing.

Her life seemed to be close to perfect.  She couldn’t believe that Byron had almost married her so many years before. 

“Honey I think I’m going to have to go to battle in the North.”  Byron told her as they sat eating breakfast. 

Samuel was in the crib they had downstairs for him; he had already eaten and was rolling over playfully. 

“I don’t want you to go.  Can’t you just send the men up a stay with me?”  Heather said.  She already knew the answer of course; she knew the type of man she was married too.

“You know I can’t send the men off by themselves, what kind of Lord would I be?”  He asked.

“I know, it’s just I’ve never had happiness like this before and what if you don’t come back?”  She asked.

“Nothing will keep me away from you.”  He stated.  Byron got up and came over to her and kissed her.  “I love you Heather, I will make it back her for you and Samuel.  Don’t worry about me.”  He said.

Heather couldn’t help but worry about him though.  “When do you have to leave?”  She asked.

“I’ll leave tomorrow.  We are trying to help the other clan flank this army before they push through the country side.  Please while I’m gone be very careful.  There may be problems here as well.  Be safe and keep our boy safe as well.”  Byron stated.

“Nothing will happen to Samuel I’ll protect him with my life.”  Heather commented.

“I want to come home to both of you.”  Byron kissed her.  “My love for you both will bring me back safely!” He said and kissed her again.

“I hope so my dear, it would be horrible to lose you after finally finding love.”  Heather’s eyes shined brightly with the unshed tears that were threatening to pour down her face.

Byron looked at her again.  “Don’t cry my dear, I will be back as soon as I can be, and we still have tonight.”  He smiled at her.

He took her upstairs and made love to her.  Byron savored every inch of her body, he would miss seeing and touching her.  But the war was something that he couldn’t avoid.  If he were to not go, it would surely hurt his kingdom.  His ally would think that Byron had turned his back on their treaty, and would possible even take it as a sign of war between their two sides.  He wanted to keep the fights as far away from his family as possible.

Heather smiled at him as they lay in their peaceful bliss after they had sex.  “Hurry back my love, my body shall miss your touch so.” 

“I will miss touching you and having you touch me as well!”  Byron stated and pulled her closely to him. 

“Shall I go and get Samuel now?”  Heather asked.  They had left the little boy with one of the maid’s downstairs. 

“No I’ll go get him, you just sit down and relax and continue to look beautiful.”  He smiled as he walked out the door after getting dressed.

She thought about him and was worried about him losing his life in this war.  But she also believed that he would fight tooth and nail for survival.  She had no doubt about his love for her and Samuel.  Heather thought about how different her life was now, compared to before.  In the beginning of their relationship Byron was so patient with her, he still was, but she wasn’t the same person either.

She had grown a lot in these months they had been together.  Her love for Byron was burning brightly in her body and seemed to grow even stronger each day.  She didn’t know how it was possible to love him more the next day, but she knew it was true.

Byron opened up the door and carried in Samuel.  “There’s mommy, look at her isn’t she beautiful Samuel?”  He said as they came in.

Heather smiled at him.  “Oh there’s my little handsome man.”  She watched as Samuel got a huge smile on his face.  “He looks so much like you when he smiles!”  She commented to Byron.

Byron handed Samuel to Heather to hold.  She curled him up in her arms and gave him a kiss.  “I love you Samuel.”  She said and heard his vocalizations in response.  “Oh I think he almost said mommy!”  She said.

“I think it sounded more like Daddy!”  Byron argued back.

They both laughed.  The sound hadn’t been close to either of the words, but they were looking forward to his first words coming out soon!

“I hope you don’t miss his first words.”  Heather said looking up at Byron.

“I don’t plan to be gone long at all.”  Byron said.

“How long do you think?”  She asked.  She had wanted to ask before, but was worried about the number that would come out of his mouth.

“Maybe a couple of months, at least that’s what I’m hoping for!”  Byron said.

“That’s so long.”  Heather looked down at Samuel and tried to raise her mood by the little boys smiling face.  It helped a lot, but she still didn’t like the fact that Byron would be gone for even a day.

“I’ll try to make it quicker, but it takes at least a week to get there.  We have a long ride ahead of us, and most likely I should have left today.  But in all honestly, I couldn’t.  I needed one more day with you and Samuel.”  Byron admitted.

“So that means you’re leaving soon now aren’t you?”  She asked.  Heather knew he had originally said he would leave the next day.  But she could see the look in his eyes.  It was a look she knew well.  He was thinking of his obligations to his allies and if he was successfully being a good ruler or not.  In his mind the fact of waiting longer to leave for a battle that was going on right now just didn’t work.  He couldn’t see how he was being a good ally to anyone.  “It’s okay I understand, I know how you are Byron.”  She said. 

He sighed heavily.  “In such a short amount of time you know me all too well.  I have to go now.  I don’t know if the enemy has attacked yet or not, but I should be there soon.”  He admitted.

“Samuel, daddy has to go for a bit, let’s give him kisses goodbye.”  Heather said to the little boy.  He turned his head and looked up at his father.  Samuel opened up his arms and smiled and made a kissing face. 

“Come here my boy, I’ll miss you like crazy.  If you were older you could take good care of mommy for me.”  Byron said to the boy and kissed him.

Byron put Samuel down on the bed and took Heather in his arms.  “I love you Heather, please take care of our little boy while I’m gone.  I promise to hurry back to you both.”  Byron kissed her hard and turned to go.

“I love you too Byron, please come back safely to us.”  Heather said as he left the room.

****

“Mrs. Laird Ailen McDougal here to see you, should I show him in?”  One of the men servant’s came into the study where Heather and Samuel were at.  It had already been a month since Byron had left to fight. 

“Yes show him in.”  Heather said to the servant.  She looked down at Samuel; she wasn’t sure who this Laird was, so she picked up the boy and moved him into a little area they had blocked off for him to play.  It was further from the door.  She couldn’t take a chance that this might be an enemy and he was coming to do harm to Samuel.

“My Lady, it is a pleasure to meet you.  I’m a good friend of your husband’s and have come to offer my services to you.”  A man who stood about 6’ said to her. 

Heather studied him closely; he had red hair and blue eyes.  She didn’t recognize him for anyone she might know.  “I’m sorry but I don’t know you.”  Heather said.

“I’m Laird Ailen McDougal.  I live to the south of the village.  I’ve been a good friend of the Lord’s for years now.  I didn’t realize just how beautiful you were.  You really shouldn’t reside in the castle all by yourself.”  His blue eyes gleamed as he said the words.  “I have a great idea; I can stay in one of the rooms.  This way if any of the enemy come for the young child, I can help protect him.”  Ailen said.

She looked at him again.  “I have many staff here, I’m not alone.”  Heather stated.

“But how many of them know how to use a weapon?  I’m sure not many, that leaves you as close to alone as I can imagine.”  Ailen stated.

Heather thought about it for a second.  Byron had left some of the men behind, but if an enemy approached with a lot of men, could they survive?  She wasn’t sure, but there was something else about this man she didn’t like.  Heather couldn’t quite put her finger on it though and he started to talk again so she had to listen.

“Madam, I’m not trying to scare you.  But surely you know that if young Samuel were to die, and the Lord died in battle, the throne could be up for grabs.  There are many greedy men around her who would use a tragedy to their advantage.  You should really be protected far more than you are right now.  I am willing to offer my services with several of my men to help you out.”  Ailen offered.

“I don’t know.  I mean I know you make a good point, but I really don’t know you at all.  Byron never talked to me about you, so I’m not so sure I should trust you.”  Heather admitted.

“He wouldn’t have called me by my name; he would have been talking about me by my nickname, Dogz.”  Ailen explained.

A flicker of recognition at the moniker made her laugh.  “Oh you’re him?  I’ve heard a lot of stories about you two.  You two liked to get into trouble quite a bit from what I heard.”  Heather laughed.

“Aye, we did have a lot of fun times together.  But once Priscilla married him, well he wasn’t the same after that.  He would go out, but he was much more to himself.  I stopped coming around for a while, and only now have returned to Scotland.  I came as soon as I heard of her death to see him.”  Ailen said.

Heather felt much more relaxed as she realized this was a man that Byron truly did trust with his life.  They both heard a loud crack and then the incessant crying of Samuel.  Heather ran to him and picked him up, she checked for blood or broken bones.

“Is he okay?”  Ailen asked.

“He’s okay; I don’t see anything that looks broken.”  Heather said.

“Oh he looks just like Byron doesn’t he.”  Ailen said.

“Very much so, when he laughs you would swear it’s a duplicate version of Byron.”  Heather admitted.  “I would like to take you up on your offer to help protect him, and just know that I really appreciate it.”  She said.

“Oh I am so lucky to have the chance to get to know such an attractive woman.”  He said and took her hand and kissed it and bowed in front of her.

Heather blushed at the compliment, but didn’t really think anything more of it.  Byron had talked about how much of a scoundrel both him and Dogz had been before his marriage.  But she had noticed that the stories usually only took place before Byron had been married.  Of course what he had told her of his late wife, she would understand why Byron had shut out the rest of the world.

“Thank you.”  She said and removed her hand from his grip.

“I am only being honest my Lady.  Byron has good taste in women.”  Ailen said behind her.

She didn’t say anything to him, what could she say. 

“Well I will go and get my men and come back in just a couple of hours.”  Ailen got up to go and Heather stood up as well.

“Okay, we will see you in a little bit.”  She smiled as he left.

After he left she thought about the meeting.  It was nice to meet a friend of Byron’s and to know that she and Samuel would be a little better protected from enemies.  What she really wanted was for Byron to come walking back through the door though.  She ached at the lack of his kisses and touches in the past mouth.  But she kept a happy face on for Samuel, after he was asleep at night though the tears of loneliness and sorrow would slip out.

Perhaps it would be nice to have this friend of Byron’s around.  They could talk about Byron and the adventures they shared together.  Just to be able to think about him was heaven for her.  But it brought along with it the pinch of sadness as she missed him more.

“Let’s put you to bed for a nap.”   Heather said and picked up Samuel to go upstairs.  He had quickly recovered from his screaming fit earlier.  She didn’t see any bruises that were coming up on his skin either.  So perhaps it was simply something that had made him scared not hurt him.  Heather was happy about that.

She put him in his crib and began to sing to him.  Samuel smiled up and closed his eyes.  Heather had found that he would fall asleep as she sang to him a few days after Byron had left.  Soon she saw the rhythmic breathing that indicated he was sleeping.

Heather sat in the chair and thought about Byron.  “I miss you my love, please hurry back.”  She could only wish he would hear her words. 

She had told a servant before she had taken Samuel to bed where to place Ailen when he came back later.  She knew she would be asleep most likely, or at least not ready for more company.  These late hours of night were the worst for her.  She missed Byron like crazy.

****

The next day she took Samuel downstairs and was eating her breakfast when Ailen walked into the room.

“You look very lovely this morning.  Byron is lucky to wake up beside you every day of his life.  Well except for these few days he’s away.  How long has he been gone now?”  Ailen asked.

“A little over a month now, but he could be back soon.”  Heather said her hopes still high that he would be back in that two month time frame.

“You must miss him so much.”  Ailen said.

“Oh I do, I miss him more than you could imagine.”  Heather commented.  “Tell me some of the tales from your adventures with Byron.”  Heather said.

Ailen sat thinking about past things and then shook his head.  “I’m sure he’s told you all the ones that are good anyway.  Instead why don’t you tell me more about you, I’d love to hear it.”  He said.

Heather told him a few stories of her childhood, and how she had loved to play in the woods.  “It even carried over to the first time I met Byron.  I was out in the woods and he came upon me, told me I wasn’t safe by myself.  I got upset when he grabbed me by my arm and pulled me back home.”  She laughed at the memory. 

“That’s funny.  You are so beautiful when you laugh.  You get these amazing little dimples on the sides of your cheeks when you smile too.  Byron really is a lucky man.  Just so you know if something was to happen to him while he was gone, well I would take care of you.”  Ailen said.

She wasn’t sure if he was offering out of his friendship for Byron, or something else.  She was getting all kinds of mixed singles from him.  “Thank you, I’m sure Byron would appreciate it too.”

“I would simply be doing it out of selfishness.  To have a woman who is as charming and as beautiful as you on my arm.  Any man would be an idiot who didn’t think that was the life.”  Ailen said.

Heather was flattered by his compliments.  But she had a feeling he was getting the wrong idea of her kindness.  “I really love my husband.  He’s everything to me.”  She said it as if she was simply thinking it out loud and not addressing Ailen.  However, she looked over to ensure he was paying attention to her words.  She saw a sour look cross his face quickly, but then he put a smile back in place.

“He’s a fine man; you are wise to love him.”  Ailen stated.  His words though sounded more pretend than anything.

She looked at him again, but didn’t say anything right away.  “Yes he’s a good man I agree.”  She said finally.

Heather excused herself and took Samuel into the study.  She had thought it would be nice to have Ailen around, but honestly his constant compliments were tiring.  Heather wasn’t some young girl; she could tell that he was also hitting on her now.  This she felt was not something that one should expect from a friend of her husbands.  That was why for so many times she had ignored the compliments as simply being nice.  Now she knew without a doubt that Ailen was attempting to seduce her into his open and waiting arms.

Perhaps the extra protection for Samuel wasn’t worth it, if she had to deal with this type of behavior.  But then when she reconsidered, they were only words and looks from him.  However, if he stepped over the line and attempted to touch her, she might just throttle him. 

Ailen didn’t know it but Heather had learned a few things from Byron about self-protection.  She wondered if he had done it because he knew one day he would have to go away to fight.  Heather smiled at a painting on the wall of Byron and his parents. 

“Soon we’ll have one done of us, when Samuel is just a bit older and will be able to sit for a long enough time!”  Byron had told her one night as they sat in the room just enjoying the peace and quiet after Samuel had fallen asleep.

“Your mother was beautiful.”  Heather had complimented.

“Yes she was, but you are even more beautiful.”  Bryon had said to her that night.

She sighed, wishing that Byron would come back soon.  As her thoughts of him continued, she heard the telltale steps of Ailen coming.  Heather picked up a book and tried to act like she was immersed in it.

“Oh hey, I was wondering what you were doing.”  Ailen said as he came around the corner.

Heather looked up at him, acting like she hadn’t heard him.  “I’m sorry I was just reading this story.”  She said and held up the book.

“I’m sorry; I’ll let you get back to reading.”  Ailen seemed to pout as he sat down on the other seat in the room.  He then got up and looked around the library a bit and found something on the shelf, he took it down and went back to his seat.  He opened up the book and began reading.

She looked at the book and figured she would have to read it now.  Heather opened it up to the first page, and hoped he didn’t notice it.  If he did he would surely know it was just a lie that she had been reading when he first came into the room.

Thankfully, he seemed fully engaged into the book he had plucked off the shelf.  She sighed a bit of relief about it, and hoped that Samuel would soon get hungry.  Heather didn’t like the way she felt with Ailen around her. 

Heather was distracted while she read, or tried to focus on the words of the book on her lap.  What she really wanted was for Byron to come home and for Ailen to leave, or at least stop trying to seduce her.

“You seem quite distracted my Lady.  Is there something wrong?  Perhaps the overwhelming loneliness has gotten to you?  You know I could easily take care of you while Byron is gone, he won’t need to know a thing about it.”  Ailen said out of the clear blue.

She looked up at him shocked.  “I’m sorry if you think I would ever sleep with another man who isn’t my husband.  I’m not interested in that at all.  I would also appreciate it if you didn’t ask me again, or make comments that elude to it.”  Heather said bluntly.

It was his turn to be surprised at her words.  “Hmm, seems like you might need a bit more convincing than his last wife did.”  Ailen said.

Heather looked at him surprised and asked.  “What do you mean?”  She asked.

He laughed.  “I could tell that Byron hadn’t shared all of our past memories with you from the beginning.  If he had you would have thrown me out the door.  It is true we are friends, but it has been a bit strained since I had an affair with Priscilla.” 

“How could you do that to your friend?”  Heather asked, her face showing her disgust.

“She threw herself at me; I tried to avoid it several times.  I even tried to tell Byron it wasn’t me that began the affair.  But he didn’t care, and I couldn’t stand to see the pain in his eyes anymore.  Priscilla didn’t care; she would beg me to visit her continually sending men out to my place.  She even rode out on a few occasions.  I’m not happy to admit that I gave into her on a few trips.  Finally, I had to leave so she would leave me alone.  Once I came back and found out she was dead, I knew that I could peacefully approach Byron and explain to him.  But when I came I saw you here, and he was gone.  I don’t mind saying that you are even prettier than Priscilla was.”  Ailen explained.

“So you slept with her and you’ve come to talk to him and explain how you should still be trusted?”  Heather asked.

“I just want him to understand what happened.  Also I wanted to let him know that I didn’t sleep with her on purpose.”  Ailen stated.

“But yet here you are again telling me that you would sleep with me?”  Heather didn’t understand his way of thinking.

“Okay so you got me, I did it on purpose.  I wanted her and I want you.  Just like her, I will have you as well.”  Ailen said, his eyes sparking with a dangerous light.

“I think you should take your men and leave now; you are no longer welcome in my home.”  Heather stated.  She tried to keep her voice calm and low though, because she didn’t want to upset Samuel.

“You do know that even if I leave I can come back anytime I want and take this place by force.  I can take you by force if I wanted to right now.”  Ailen stood up and moved closer to her.

“Don’t come any closer.  Samuel is in her too, you can’t have him see something done so brutally to the woman he thinks is his mother.”  Heather pleaded.

Ailen looked at the boy and hesitated in his advance.  It was enough time for Heather to put a little more room in between them.

“He’ll get over it.”  Ailen finally decided his choice and moved towards her again.

She tried to get in a stance to protect herself, and remember everything that Byron had taught her.  He easily grabbed her though and had her pinned against the wall in a second.  Heather raised her knee up quickly and tried to get him in his privates.  She didn’t get a full hit, but hit to the side.  It was enough of a blow to get him to let go for a minute.

Heather moved away and looked for some sort of weapon to use.  They didn’t keep any in the study though, not since Samuel had begun to explore the room more by learning to walk.

Ailen advanced on her again quickly and knocked her down.  Now they were on the floor, he was holding her down and trying to move his mouth over hers.  Heather moved her head to the sides and yelled out “Stop, don’t do it.” 

She struggled and he ripped her top.  He grabbed her breasts forcefully, and then Heather saw a flash out of the corner of her eye.  The next thing she knew she saw Byron on top of Ailen.

“Who do you think you are?  I heard her say no, and you just kept going, like a wild animal.”  Byron shouted as he hit Ailen hard in the face.

Heather got up and went to grab Samuel.  “Daddy.”  She heard Samuel yell.

Byron got distracted and looked over at Samuel; Ailen got in a punch on the side of his head and threw him off balance.  But Byron quickly got control of the situation and had Ailen back under him again.

He drew a knife and put it to Ailen’s throat.  “I should have done this a long time ago.”  Byron pulled the knife across his throat. 

Heather turned Samuel away from the view.  Byron walked up behind her and put his arms around her. 

“Are you okay?”  He asked her.

She turned around and kissed Byron.  “I’ve missed you so much, I’m so glad you came back.” 

He kissed her back.  “What was he doing here?”  Byron asked her.

“He came to see you said.  I just found out today that he had slept with Priscilla.  He tried to act like he was a good friend of yours.  I remember the stories, but you never told me about him and Priscilla, why not?”  Heather asked.

“I didn’t tell you because the last I had heard of him was from Priscilla.  She blamed me for him leaving the country.  Saying that he left because he was my friend, and now she had no one to sleep with.  If she wanted sex she would have to find another man.  Like I wasn’t good enough for her, and I was her husband.”  Byron explained.

“So what he said about her seducing him is that true?”  Heather asked.

“It was a mutual seducing from both of them.  He wasn’t innocent in this at all.  But he was clearly trying to rape you now.  I should have killed him when I first found out about him and Priscilla.”  Byron said.

“I’m so glad you are home.  Are you home for good?”  Heather asked.

“Oh I’m not leaving again.”  Byron hugged her closer.  He leaned down and kissed Samuel on the top of the head.

Samuel looked up at him and said, “Daddy!” 

Heather smiled and laughed.  “I think he said mommy.” 

“No way that was clearly daddy.”  Byron stated back and laughed.

“How did you get back so much earlier than you thought?”  She asked.

“I’ve missed you both terribly, and the battle was under control.”  Byron said.

He kissed her deeply.  “Is it about time for his nap?”  He asked.

“Well he might not be too long for that, but we can always have the maid watch him for a bit.”  Heather said.

Byron grabbed Samuel and took him to the maid to watch and then picked Heather up and carried her up the stairs.  “I want to explore every inch of your body for hours.” 

She moaned at the thought of his touch.  It had been far too long since he had been home.  “I’m looking forward to that.” 

****

Heather sat at the table, her belly hitting the table.  She rubbed it and said.  “I sure hope the baby comes soon.”

“Well you look like you’re going to pop any second now.”  Byron laughed.  “But you still look beautiful!”  He added.

“Oh, I think it’s time now.”  She looked up at him as she felt wetness spread down her legs and looked at the floor.  “Get the doctor my water just broke.”

He ran out of the room and down to where they had put the doctor up as she had gotten closer to full-term.  Byron hadn’t wanted to take any chances of Heather falling ill while pregnant.  He had lost Priscilla that way, but not another wife.

They came back in the room and the doctor helped Byron get her upstairs.  Three hours later they were looking down at the face of their brand new baby girl.

“What should we name her?”  Heather asked Byron.

“How about we go with the name you liked?”  Byron said.

“You sure you don’t mind?”  She asked.

“No I like the name.” He answered.

“Welcome to the world Keita.”  Heather cooed at the little girl. 

They picked the name which meant woods, since that was the first place they had met so long ago.

THE END