Chapter 3

Finding Charlie would turn out to be one of the worst days of my life. It wasn't supposed to be much of a concern to me, having my problems at the time, but Arthur was like a dear friend and I didn't see myself staying out of the whole debacle.

When we went outside, I realized that none of Arthur's patrons had heard the news. They carried on drinking themselves into a stupor.

"Tell me what you know," Arthur told Merl, who confided that a runner had come bearing the message. Arthur's wife hadn't seen the little boy after she'd left him out on the front verandah. She'd only disappeared into the house for a while to pick out some clothes for the laundry. So she sent someone while she went in search of Charlie.

"Did she say where she'll be?" asked Arthur.

Merl just shook his head. I could see that he was panicking.

"Stay here, I'll go find Charlie," said Arthur, with an air of confidence.

"We'll find him," I added before following Arthur out the door.

*********

We found Charlie about an hour later. It happened that he had followed a butterfly, trying to catch it, and had somehow ended up in the barn house of a farmer. Sir. Conwald and his brothers were only too happy that Arthur had found his child unharmed, but they took one look at me and lost their delight.

"Somehow I never thought I'd find you on my property," said Sir. Conwald, with much emphasis on my property.

"She helped me find Charlie," said Arthur.

"Did she know?" said Conwald.

"Yes, she did, Conwald. Why is there a problem?"

Sir. Conwald looked behind him at his brothers. "Hear that, men? He's asking if there is a problem." Laughter. "I wonder how you can still hold a conversation with her even when you know the problems surrounding her."

"What problems are you talking about, Conwald?"

"She's the mate of Lord Killian, is she not?" said Conwald's first brother.

"So?"

"She is the cause of her problem, Arthur. Even Lord Killian's pages can't stop singing about it. The mate of the Lord is a fraud."

"That's a very disrespectful thing to say to a woman you know little about, Conwald."

"We've all heard the stories, have we not, men?"

"We have," chorused Conwald's brothers.

"But can you defend it?" asked Arthur.

"I do not need to defend anything, Arthur. Because it comes right from the manor."

"So you would just believe everything that comes out of the manor?"

"Yes, I would, Arthur. Unlike you, who seems to be the only one in cohorts with her."

"Watch your mouth, Conwald," warned Arthur.

"I want this woman off my property at this moment."

"We are only here because of my son," stated Arthur. But I had already started tugging on Arthur's arm. I desperately wanted to leave that place. But Arthur seemed like Conwald's property was where he wanted to be at that moment, trying to defend me. It was useless. He was only one figure, and when the brothers advanced, Arthur had to look after his child, leaving me to take a blow to the head.

**********

As I ran, I remembered the sting of that blow again. Killian hadn't touched me physically, but he was nothing different from those rogues.

I couldn't go to the cobblestone streets, to the pub house to see Arthur and to tell him that Killian had finally cheated on me. To tell Merl that those ladies he had heard about were Lord Killian's sex toys.

I figured that the only person who would understand was my mother. I remember her telling me of going through such an experience, but with a different man before she met my father.

I walked straight to her room, and luckily enough, there was no one else. My mother, Mrs. Gomez, was standing by the window with a drink in one hand. Her finger swirled the surface of the liquid. Once she saw my tears, she put down the cup and turned to look at me.

"What happened, my dear," she asked calmly.

I sat on the bed, and she joined me shortly. "Something's happened," I said.

"What is it?"

"I went to his study."

"Killian's?"

I nodded. "There were some ladies in there with him. They were naked," I said and stopped there. I offered myself the opportunity to look into her eyes, to see what she made of my explanation. She just stared at me, taking it all in.

"Is that all," she finally asked.

"They all stood in a line, waiting for their turns," I added.

"Did you see him making love to one of them?" Mother asked, and sighed after I nodded in reply. She sat still for a moment, allowing the news to digest.

"Why would he do this to me, Mother? I thought we were mates. Why would he think of cheating on me?"

"He is the Lord of the manor, Val..."

"And all lords must be this promiscuous?" I demanded.

Mother said nothing. She rose and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To call your father here."

"Why?"

"He needs to listen to this."

"Why? What does he have with all of it? You are the one I want to talk to, mother."

"I know. However, there is something we have been keeping from you."

**********

I sat there staring at my mother's cup until my father came in and sat in a chair before me. That time of solace was enough for some thoughts. Father went straight to the point without delay.

"Your mother told me," said Mr. Gomez. When I said nothing, he continued, "And I must say that it is shocking news."

"Not what I expected," I said.

"Not what you expected?" repeated my mother.

"Did any of you know something about this?" I asked as I folded my arms across my breasts. I remembered Killian fondling them so savagely on our first night.

"About Killian cheating on you?" asked my father.

"I was unaware of this until you broke the news, darling," said Mrs. Gomez. "It's frightful, Val, but I need you to be in a good frame of mind and not insinuate things that aren't probable."

"I was just asking a question, Mother," I defended, as I turned my eyes to her. "And if you think this will put me in a good frame of mind, then you should have another thing coming. Mother Killian didn't even make it appear like he had done something wrong, right before my eyes. And you both aren't making me feel miserable. I need to feel that way. I've lost my mate for fuck's sake."

Mother shook her head.

"Tell me it's not true?" I said. "Prove me wrong then. I know that when an Alpha cheats on his mate, he has rejected her in that act. It doesn't have to be a medley of choice words, mother, father." I looked from her to him. "And he's becoming king next week."

"He might not have rejected you, Val."

"Then maybe you don't know him as well as I do," I retorted.

"That's unfair, Val," said Mr. Gomez.

Mrs. Gomez put a hand on her husband's hand. "All we've done for you, Val, has been for your good. When we found you, we were skeptical about taking you with us. But the museum was abandoned, and we couldn't know for sure if someone else would come around. We took the chance, and haven't regretted it. There is nothing wrong with you, darling."

"Then how do you explain someone abandoning me at a museum?" I asked.