Prologue: Family Betrayal
Edwin Seymour paced rapidly in the hall outside one of the bedrooms in the manor house of Berry Pomeroy castle; if it were not for the heavy flagstone flooring, he might have worn a trough into it. His footfalls echoed through the castle as several of the house servants looked on but kept their distance.
He stopped suddenly hearing his dear wife cry out from the room beyond, through the heavy Aspen door. It was a painfully cry, woeful. He moved towards the door reaching for the handle but dared not throw it as he knew he would be scalded beyond measure by the midwife for breaking Clara’s concentration, she needed focus, and poise. After all, even in child birth someone of her status had to have poise.
One of the servants had moved close, likely to stop him from barging into the room. He recognized her, her name eluded him, he searched his memory, it was enough to keep him distracted from the sudden outcry from beyond the door. He glanced over. “It’s alright Justine. I know.” He said holding up a hand. “I know.” He turned to continue his pacing.
“Beggin yer pardon sir, but if you continue you might wear a hole in the ground. Want me to send good ol’ Abbott down to fetch you a chair sir?” she asked watching him return to his pacing.
Edwin shook his head, “No, no. I’ll pace as I please. There is no danger of a hole in the ground. Don’t be daft!” he said a bit sharper than he probably should but she got the point.
“Shall I fetch you a cup of tea sir?” she asked.
He stopped and stared at her a moment considering that request, it was reasonable. “Yes, tea would be nice.”
“Very good sir, I’ll be back smartly.” She said bowing and retreated down the hall.
He watched her go, she had been a loyal servant and perhaps cared a bit too much for both him and his wife. The separation of the ‘help’ and family had been dwindling and it was starting to wear on him. He would have to make an example soon to keep things as they should be, but now wasn’t the time. Not today of all days.
There was one last cry from beyond the Aspen door, and then the sounds of a child crying.
Edwin rushed forward and through the door quickly. “Is it done?” he asked standing just beyond the door, still holding onto the handle.
“Tis done sire.” The midwife said holding the baby aloft. “Alas it is a girl.”
Edwin felt his heart sink. “A girl?” he repeated.
“Yes sire. A girl.” She repeated again.
He looked at his exhausted wife, then back to the baby. Slowly he turned and exited closing the door quietly behind him. Each of the servants who looked on with hopeful eyes turned to dismay.
“Edwin!” he heard his wife cry out.
He paused for a long moment and seemed to be conflicted and then disappeared down the hall out of sight without a word.
“Mary, my daughter please.” Clara asked holding her hands out.
The midwife walked over and gently lay the baby in her awaiting arms, then turned to start cleaning up the mess. “Is there anything I can get for you?”
“No thank you, I have everything I need right now.” Clara said.
“He’s going to come back for her eventually.” The midwife said. “You know what he’s going to do.”
“I know.” Clara said softly, her voice was shaky. “Will you take her?”
“I… I can’t.” the woman said bundling up the mass of cloth. “I’m sorry.”
Clara stared deep into her child's eyes but sorry blurred them with tears. "What..." She started to ask and hugged the child close to her chest. "What do I do?" She looked to the midwife, her eyes pleading.
The woman shook her head, and stopped closing her own eyes. She went about arranging the cloth and tying off one of the sheets around her neck and shoulder, she stuffed it with the dirty sheets then moved over holding her hands out. "I will figure something out..." The woman said, tears in her eyes. "Buy me sometime." She said stuffing sheets around the newborn then finally over the child gently, creating a passage for the air to reach the child. "I'll get her to safety."
"Bless you!" Clara said rubbing the tears away from her eyes. "Bless you!"
"Goodbye miss." She said bowing slightly, then disappeared out the door.
Allyson had smuggled away unwanted children before, this was no different. No less dangerous. She had nearly died her last attempt so she had vowed never to do so again but the look of terror and sadness on Ms. Seymour's face made it impossible to say no. She knew what would happen to yet another failed attempt at an Aire for Mr. Seymour. He would toss the child in the river, or so the rumors told. He was known through the land as a cruel monster, ruling the land with a heavy hand. But in recent years it became known that he and his wife had been trying to have a child, an Aire with which to maintain the throne. "Come little one, we have a dangerous journey ahead." She whispered as she moved past the other servants of the house. She dared not let them know, but she too could see the look in the eyes of the servants that they had little hope for the child.
It didn't take long for Allyson to find her way through the Castles main house and to the courtyard, and all this time the child had stayed relatively quiet, only moving occasionally which supported the fact that the child continued to breath.
"STOP!" A voice cried out somewhere deep within the home.
Allyson looked back at the main door which was still open, she took off running across the courtyard heading for the main gate to the estate, her feet plodding in the puddling water and mud. She ran for dear life, as she was indeed running to protect not only her own but the child.
"STOP!" Again, the voice called out, this time it was outside on the porch.
Allyson looked back to see Mr. Seymour standing on the stoop pointing at her. He was dwarfed by a couple of armed men. "No!" She yelled and continued to run, passing through the gates at the front of the castle and out onto the main road. She started down the path towards the forest and the town beyond.
Her foot falls were loud as ever in her ears, her heart was pumping and pounding in her ears as she ran as fast as she could down the slight hill. She heard it coming, the first arrow whistled past her hitting the ground in front of her it's shaft vibrating in the mud, she continued to run now pushing herself further and harder.
Allyson felt the impact, and her body spun around and sent her sprawling across the mud, sliding to a stop. Her lungs screaming and the sharp pain. Looking down she could see the tip of the arrow just sticking out of her chest. She gingerly reached for it, and coughed as her lungs tried desperately to fill with air but they were quickly losing the fight against the blood filling them.
She held her head aloft looking back towards the gate and between her and the gate about half the distance was Mr. Seymour holding a longbow, another arrow was nocked and pulled back. She raised her hands and shook them trying to ward off the vengeful man. The arrow was a blurry streak, it stuck with such force it slid her further down the hill, she felt the white-hot searing pain from her abdomen, and the heat of blood as it oozed from the wound, the shaft vibrated in the wind sending waves of pain through her body. Her head fell back and hit the mud, she could feel her life draining away, the rain fell in gray streaks, she watched as darkness closed in and slowly faded into nothingness.
A grin spread on Edwin's lips as he watched the woman go down from the second arrow, how violently she was hit and spun only to go careening across the muddy ground. He nocked another and pulled it, he could see her head come up looking back at him in disbelief and he let that arrow fly. Again it struck her violently sending her sliding further down the hill. She seemed to be done for at that point as he watched her head come back up but only for a moment long enough to fall back and her body to go limp.
Edwin approached her body, another arrow ready. He used the tip of the arrow to push through the sheets and nodded at his precision. The second arrow had struck its target, he never-the-less pulled back on the bow string and loosed the last arrow to ensure the deed was done. He nodded, a pained look in his eyes but only for a moment before he turned to walk back to the Castle. He met two of the guards and jerked a thumb. "Clean that up!" He said sharply. "Burn it!"
He continued on dropping the bow and quiver at their feet. His eyes came up as he spotted something he didn’t expect. His wife was standing on the overlooking balcony. She was shaking visibly. He wasn't sure if it was rage, fatigue, or the cold. "Clara, go back inside. This instant!" He yelled.
She was shouting something, he jogged forward to get closer, then cupped his hands. "Go back inside Clara, now!"
She stared down at him. "You’re a Monster!" She yelled. "You killed that woman, and our child!" She screamed.
"I killed a thief!" He shouted back.
"No!" She shouted thrusting an accusing finger down at her husband. "You’re a murderer! You killed her, and our baby! You'll pay! God as my witness Edwin Seymour, you will pay. Never again will you live in peace here, never again shall you rest easy in this place. Never again!" She shouted.
Lightning streaked across the sky and crackled, the light was blinding and the sound deafening, as his eyes adjusted to the low light he watched as his wife, the love of his life dove off the balcony out of reflex he jumped forward thinking to catch her but she was too far away. Her body made a sound that made him shy away from the shear violence. Turning back at her mangled body, he watched as she rolled onto her back, her breathing was labored, she coughed sending a gout of blood onto her lips.
He came to stand over her looking down at her face. "Why!" He said.
Her lips moved but no sound came out, her eyes grew wide as she struggled for breath. Finally gathering up the last bit of resolve, she whispered. "Never again..." And went limp.
Edwin stared down at her lifeless body, the rain falling steadily. He watched as the rain slowly swept away the pool of blood that formed around her, and at his feet. "You were weak!" He shouted. "You couldn't even manage to bare me an heir!Good riddance!" He stomped his way past her and through the house, nearly bowling Lydia.
Lydia stared in disbelief at the lifeless body of Clara, she had only been the head of the house servants for a short time and mostly because Clara had pleaded with Edwin to make it so. She had been faithful and earned it, but Edwin had been determined to not let it be.
"Lydia!" He heard Edwin call from inside.
"Yes sir!" She said peering back through the door.
"I require your assistance..." He said as he headed up the large staircase.
"Yes, sir!" She said stepping back through the door. "But the..."
"Never mind that, the boys can deal with it." He said pointing to one of the guards.
"What shall we do with the misses?"
"Burn it!" He said as he disappeared out of sight.
Lydia watched in continued disbelief as he disappeared, and reluctantly followed.
It had been nearly a month since Clara had passed away, Edwin had continued to spiral down deeper and deeper into darkness, becoming cruel and abusive. He had taken Lydia, she wanted nothing to do with him and was ready to leave but he had threatened her life. Promised if she said anything or tried to leave he would hunt her down, she would give him what he needed and for that she despised him, no loathed. He had been the death of the woman whom she had come to love in her time working at the estate.
Lydia was making her way slowly up the stairs it was laundry day and she had just finished folding, a chill had come up and a draft came up the stairs sending a pair of socks sliding across the floor. Lydia's eyes followed them, and that chill grew more profound not just on her skin but she felt it to her core. She took a step toward the socks and then stopped as one of them started to slowly spin in place.
Her eyes grow wide as a white mist seemed to grow out of thin air, and it seemed to fill the hall for a moment, then it started to rush in towards the space just above the socks until it began to form an image, a familiar image. It was Clara, she stood looking down at the socks.
"Clara?" Lydia stammered.
The eyes came up first, then the head. Her expression was neutral at first and slowly a smile grew on the ghostly images lips. She mouthed something, and it took a moment for Lydia to realize what she was saying.
"Never again?" She asked, her skin felt cold and prickly. Lydia got that sinking feeling in her gut that something wasn't right.
Edwin appeared in the hall form a door. "Woman what ar..... what the hell!" He jumped as he clearly figured out what he was seeing in the hall in front of Lydia.
Clara turned and peered down the hall, her lips curled into a smile and she waved.
"That's....that's not possible!" Edwin stammered.
Clara turned back to Lydia, then rushed forward suddenly, passing right through her.
Lydia dropped the laundry holding up her hands, the intense feeling of cold, dread, and sorrow filled her as Clara passed through her, the force took her off her feet and sent her tumbling down the stairs. She felt every impact as she went down, and as she landed at the base of the stairs darkness closed in, the last image she had was of Clara peering down at her, a sorrowful look on her feature.
"No!" Edwin yelled as he ran to the stop of the stairs, he could see the unconscious form of Lydia at the base of the stars and watched as Clara slowly disappeared from sight. "That's..."
One of the guards appeared suddenly with his weapon drawn. "Sir..." He said looking up at Edwin. "What happened?"
"Clara!" He said pointing down at Lydia.
The guard looked down at Lydia then back up at Edwin. "Sir?"
"It was Clara!" He stammered out.
"My Lord, she's passed on to the afterlife." He said sheathing his sword as another of the guard appeared. "We will get Ms. Lydia to her room and call for the doctor." He said as he scooped up Lydia's unconscious body.
"No, you imbecile, she was right there plain as day! Do not refute this!"
"Yes, my lord!" He said and disappeared from sight with Lydia.
Edwin stood staring at the space that his dearly departed wife once occupied. "No!" He said and turned stomping his way to his private study slamming the door behind him. He crossed the room to the Alcohol cabinet and poured himself a small glass of Brandy shooting it quickly, then pouring himself another before retreating with it and the bottle to his desk. He let out a breath he had not known he was holding and closed his eyes.
"Never again!" He heard the voice whispers. He shot from his chair and swung the bottle of brandy but only found a faint cloud of Vapor which disappeared.
"No! You will not do this! You’re dead, you're not here! Go away, I command it!" He yelled.
A shiver ran through Edwin, it was as if he was suddenly chilled to the bone. His breath even appeared as a mist in front of him. He slowly turned back around, and floating just above the desk was his dearly departed wife but she wasn't alone. A woman, this one in blue whom he recognized were staring back.
"Never again!" They said in unison, the voices were shrill and cut him to the bone just as the cold did.