Chapter 22: I Do

The day of the wedding arrived, and Willow had the jitters.

She was surprised she was worried, but Grace helped put her at ease, saying that she had felt the same. Prue was going to be her matron of honour and Ulani had agreed to be the maid. Bethany got to be the flower girl again, of course.

Ulani felt honoured to be asked. She even received a message from her father saying he was happy with her new choice of friends. He supported her mother in her choice to stay and attend the Academe. He recommended that while she was there, she concentrated on finding a suitable match.

He suggested that Lord Mikael Rothberg or preferably, Earl Vincent Arrondale as a possible husband he would approve of. She could use whatever means she felt she had at her disposal to encourage a favourable result.

Ulani had laughed at the letter. Reading between the lines, the crafty old bugger had said she could screw either or both of them as long as one of them married her. She would have to think about it she decided. Vincent’s sexy smile popped into her head.

Bethany was distressed that she would have to own and wear another dress, but she understood it was important. So she grimaced and bore it. She also understood that after her father’s wedding the family would be going home to Willow’s place. For this reason, alone, she felt it was worth her discomfort.

Willow told Bethany that she was very proud of her. Ty also gave her a huge hug and told her she was a daughter any man would be proud to have. She had huffed but loved that they both cared so much for her. She had no problem gaining Willow as her new mother.

They had made the wedding ceremony open to all. But only the invited guests would be attending the dinner ball that followed. They had decided to have it at the house since they hadn’t planned a ball here this year.

Willow made sure the gardens were well lit, and they had placed several fire baskets to help warm and add more light to the area. The back fenced, high hedges would help keep some heat in the area. She had the two gates to the garden locked and put guards on them.

The back gate and the two front gates would also be guarded and locked after the guests arrived. Two more guards would also stay in the front of the house to assist guests wishing to leave and ensure uninvited guests didn’t get in.

The fact the King and visiting royalty would be there was the reason given as to why the protections were in place. The information about the guards was included in the article that went into the news sheets about the wedding.

Ty had also placed his people in the church as guests. He hoped that once they were married the threats against Willow would cease.

They may be directed at him, but he could live with that.

Baron Terence read the report of his son’s death in the paper and scowled.

Beatrice was upstairs sedated. She had gone into hysterics, after being told that her son had died during the attempted abduction of Countess Terville and his body was at the morgue waiting for them to identify and collect him. They had to hold her down until the doctor could be sent for.

The Constable had then told Terence that Earl Robert Lindum had also died during the abduction when his horse had thrown him against a wall, and he had cracked his head and died of his injuries at the scene.

The Constable told Terence that Carl had succeeded in removing Countess Terville from the scene of the abduction with the coachman. However, the coach had broken down near the border, and they had argued. The coachman had shot Carl before he fled. Lord Arrondale was able to retrieve his betrothed, and she was unharmed.

There were several women, who were very happy to read of both Carl’s and Robert’s demises when the news got to the papers. Quite a few other people were not saddened by the death of either man but cranky to be carrying the debts they owed.

Baron Terence’s dark mood had also been derived from his discussions with the manager of his estates earlier that morning. He had been told five families had moved out of their holdings and left. The manager had not yet been able to find new people to take over the farms.

As soon as they find out who the overlord would be, they leave the manager’s office. It was one thing for the Gentry to blacklist them, but when the lower classes do as well, any Baron knows he is in deep trouble. He would at this rate, lose the next election and then he truly would be a nobody.

He had a pile of bills in the study, and he didn’t have the ready cash to pay them. Some of the tradesmen even informed him that if they were not paid soon, they would be given to the Debt Collector. Even selling off his land wouldn’t help. He doubted he’d be offered what it was worth.

He couldn’t believe how much money his stupid wife had gone through during the Season. He suspected she had been syphoning off money for their bloody idiot son, who had pissed it up against a wall. She had always spoiled the boy, and she couldn’t see his faults.

The idiot couldn’t even manage to fuck a fifteen-year-old girl. Apparently, he had screwed up the abduction as well. Stories of his son’s other activities of late also came to mind, and he scowled.

He was pacing up and down his library when a book fell from a shelf. He picked it up and read the title, ‘Old Gods Groves, Myths or Truths?’ He flipped through the book and stopped at a page that was headed, ‘Killing Innocents in a Grove.’ He felt a chill go down his spine.

He couldn’t help himself; he had to read the page. ‘The Old Gods do not tolerate the killing or harming of innocents in their groves. Those who order the act and or carry out the acts will be punished. It has been documented that these punishments may vary.’

‘It one case, it was reported that a Lord who wished his wife murdered, had her killed by hired men. The two men, who carried out the killing, both died painful deaths within the week of the killing. The Lord and his mistress both died when his carriage went off the road and through ice into a pond. The carriage driver was spared.’

He flipped to another page, titled, ‘Harming a Druid.’ It read, ‘Those who harm or murder a Druid in a grove will be punished. It has been documented that if the person performs an act to redeem themselves. They may be spared if the aggrieved Druid wishes it.’

The third page he read deemed, ‘A Druid as a devout Pagan or anyone who has been Gifted by the Old Gods. The Gifted were protected both in and out of the groves, as they were the chosen.’

A story Beatrice had once told him came to mind. She told him that a man had accused her grandmother Heather of being a witch and had thrown stones at her. He was killed when he bent to pick up another stone, and a wall fell on him. No one dared touch Heather after that.

He also remembered that Willow’s mother had always said that Willow was Gifted and protected by the Old Gods. Baron Terence threw the book on the floor and stormed out of the library, he didn’t believe all that claptrap. Willow was just a normal girl, and she would pay for his son’s death and his wife’s loss of sanity.

Once he had the Earl’s wealth, the Gentry and peasants would not be able to shun him. He’d get rid of the bloody meddlesome Duke Arrondale as well. The man had interfered with and stopped several of his schemes in the last couple of years, and cost him a lot of money.

It was time to pull the thorns out of his side. He sent out messages to contact several of his unsavoury friends, but they didn’t return his notes or they informed him it wasn’t safe to do business with him at present.

He ranted, raved and threw things around the house when he got the latest message. The staff made themselves scarce, and many packed bags and just left. They would rather be unemployed than continue to work for him. This pissed him off, even more, when he was told.

Distraught he went and talked to Beatrice about what he planned to do. She was awake and laughed hysterically at him, “You fucking idiot, we can’t claim the money. I’m not a true bloody Terrell. Carl had to marry her you dumb fuck. The Earl knew I was your father’s daughter. He had proof.”

She then laughed in mockery at his shocked face. She had never told him that she was his sister. He was horrified to learn that the vicious rumours were all true. He asked her how long she had known about this fact.

She giggled hysterically. “I’ve always known. I only married you so we could live with our father. Carl is his son you sad fuck. You are nothing like our father. Didn’t you wonder why I grieved his loss?”

Something inside Terence broke. His life was a sham. He had put up with this bitch for all these years and she had betrayed him most foul. He lashed out at Beatrice and didn’t stop until she was a bloody, broken mess and his hands were aching from thumping her.

He stumbled away in a daze.

Willow arrived at the King’s Chapel.

The King had said he was honoured when she asked him to give her away since she didn’t have a father to do it and she was, marrying her guardian. He had even insisted they use the royal coach. It needed to get out occasionally as he rarely used it, he told her.

When a report of the size of the crowd that had turned up to see her arrive got back to the King, he organised an honour guard as well. When they arrived, the guard marched up to the doors and then marched outwards to clear the access to the doorway.

Some people were not happy to be shifted. However, the crowd all realised it wasn’t a good idea to crowd the King and soon settled down. King Harold got out of the carriage and the crowd cheered. He was a popular ruler.

When he helped Willow down, the crowd went silent. They stared at her then bowed as if on cue. Even the King was surprised by their actions. Then he stood back and looked at Willow, in her beautiful silver white dress and the little yellow flowers in her hair that seemed to glow.

The King also bowed. He took Willow’s hand self-importantly and rested it gently on his arm. The crowd had cheered when the King bowed. Bethany moved, so she was in front of them, and they proudly walked Willow up the steps. The crowd sang out well wishes as they went past.

King Harold walked Willow sedately down the aisle. He hoped it wouldn’t be too long before he got to walk his own beautiful daughters down the aisle, as well. He was also looking forward to when he got to meet Sara at the other end of the aisle for his own wedding.

He handed Willow over to Ty and stepped back until his next part in the ceremony. All eyes were focused on the handsome couple as they went to kneel in front of the High Priest.

Paul, Leigh and Vincent had been prowling around the crowd. Vincent felt something was wrong. He sent Paul and Leigh to check the upper balcony again. Willow hadn’t wanted people up there looking down on her, so it should be empty except for the guard at the bottom of the stairs.

The High Priest was just about to start when several shots rang out, and then the priest collapsed. Willow had dropped onto her knees faster than she intended. She had looked up to see the surprise on the face of the High Priest as the blood spread across his chest. His knees gave out, and he slid to the floor.