The Curse Conduit
Chapter 36

While they waited the others had paired off. Danny and Bethie had gone to sit by themselves, Declan and Beth-Elena had done the same. And though his attention was on his princess Declan kept an eye on Uriah knowing he would have to take him to Derek soon enough. Urian and Uriah walked as they talked, discussing their knightly cousin. Both men concerned that the appearance of Elizabeth and Bethie had been too much for Uri. Their appearance having brought his feelings for Beth-Elena closer to the surface and they were worried about his emotional state. Had they known what he had told Elizabeth they would have been far more concerned. If they had known what the women were going to discuss later that evening they probably would have grasped hands and hoped to get transported somewhere else, anywhere else.

Elizabeth knelt down in front of Derek and he opened his eyes. Although she was smiling he could see that she had been crying. He opened his mouth but shut it again defeated as the words stuck deep in his throat. Elizabeth leant in and kissed him gently. Her lips washing over his like a feather. “I love you Derek, don’t ever think that I don’t.” She rested back on her haunches and took his hands in hers but dropped her gaze to look at the ground as she spoke. “I need to tell you something before anything else happens. Uri told me that Uriah has feelings for me, deep feelings.” She felt Derek try to pull his hands away but she held on. “I need to tell you that I have feelings for him.” This time Derek did succeed in freeing his hands and the hurt look she could see on his face broke her heart into a million pieces. Elizabeth needed to get it all out before she lost her nerve so she stumbled on. “I need to tell you the truth Derek. If I had met Uriah first I think maybe we may have had something.” She could see every fibre of Derek’s body tense up as he looked at her with disbelieving eyes. “But I met you Derek, you are the one that is in my dreams, you are the one that my heart pounds in my ears for. You are the one I want to be with and not because destiny or fate brought us together but because I liked you from the very first moment I saw you. If you didn’t exist then maybe Uriah and I may have got together who knows; but you do exist and my heart, my soul, everything that is me belongs to you. If you’ll still have me.” She took a deep breath and waited not sure what would happen, she could very well lose the man she loved. In those moments as she was speaking those words she knew it was Derek that she loved. Not Uriah. Yes she had feelings for Uriah but nothing like those she felt for Derek. Uriah was a great and true friend, her heart ached for him knowing what he felt for her but she could not give him what he desired. That precious gift belonged to Derek, If.. He still wanted her in his life.

When she got no reaction from Derek she began to leave, thinking the one man she probably should not go to was the one man who would understand, who could comfort her. In Uriah’s arms she would replace refuge from the pain for a while. Elizabeth was not sure if her legs would carry her, they felt so weak. And it did feel like they had failed her. As she got up to leave she began to feel like she was being pulled back down. She was… but it was not because of her legs. It was Derek. He had taken hold do her hand and was pulling her back towards him.

Once more she found herself on her knees looking into his deep, deep, sad eyes. Derek moved a little closer and rested his forehead on hers. It happened so suddenly and in such a whisper she almost missed it. Derek spoke the first words to flow across his lips in such a long time were. “Lizzie I love you too.”

She gasped, pulling her head back to once again look into his eyes. “Derek you spoke.”

The smile that crept across her face warmed his heart. She squeezed his hands. “Say it again, say my name again.”

She felt his breath wash over her face as he spoke. “Elizabeth.”

Uriah and Declan stopped as they saw Derek and Elizabeth kiss. Declan patted Uriah on the back not realising the impact of what they were witnessing had on Uriah. “Your friend is in good hands.”

Uriah’s heart cracked just a little bit more knowing he would never be able to give Elizabeth the love he had for her.

Declan had already started to return to the house as Uriah watched and listened to Derek and Elizabeth. Standing alone he allowed a small tear to escape. “Good bye Lizzie, good bye.”

He turned towards the house vowing never to have his heart broken ever again. He would be a friend, confidant, guardian, even a lover but he would never love. It hurt so much to love.

It was then that he realised they had not passed Uri on the way to see Derek. Uriah wondered if he had also seen their love, was Uri dealing with the same feelings because of Beth-Elena.

He made it back to the court yard not long after Declan to hear young Geoffrey declare he had seen Uri riding out.

Urian frowned when he saw Uriah, immediately understanding that his friend was suffering so very much. He had no idea what had transpired but something had happened. Looking around the group, he was the only one to pick up on it. Uriah caught him looking and gave him a slight shrug of his shoulders, continuing to walk through the court yard intent on going back to his room.

Urian followed catching up and walking by Uriah’s side. “What is it cousin? You have seen them together before. Why is this time any different?”

“She loves him Urian.”

“You already knew that, as I know that Bethie loves Danny.”

Uriah stopped. “No… She really loves him.” He paused for a moment. “He spoke Urian, Derek spoke to her.”

Urian was shocked at what he heard, the implication not lost on him. Derek had spoken and it was to the woman he loved. His own heart began to ache in his chest as he thought of Bethie. If they had just stayed in their own time he could have coped, he would have been allowed to live his life next to her but now, here, like this it all seemed to be closing in on him, on them. Uriah’s voice speared through his thoughts. “I need to get out of here.”

Urian did not answer, both men looking around them until their eyes fell on the stable. No words were spoken but each man took purposeful steps towards the building. A little while later with the aid of the stable hand two more horses could be heard riding out and young Geoffrey was running to the court yard to divulge his latest piece of information.

Beth-Elena had hold of Declan’s hand, she had only let go when he had escorted Uriah to see Derek but now he was back so too was her hand in his. She felt safe as he held onto her. The sight of their visitors had unsettled her far more than she was letting on. After fainting at the site of Elizabeth and Bethie she had determined it was not proper for a princess to be so weak and decided that whatever was to come she would not be so feeble. On seeing the men however, she very nearly did faint again and now sitting with Declan as she tried hard to put on a brave face she felt so overwhelmed. Declan had picked up on her uneasiness but did not realise just how much the situation had perturbed her. “Beth-Elena, Bea.” Declan smiled as he spoke her new name, he rather liked it. Beth-Elena gave him a small smile but remained silent. “Bea. Do you understand what has happened? What has been happening to us?”

She nodded and he felt her give his hand a squeeze. “I understand full well my love. Though it is hard for me to say that I am at ease with our new situation.” She looked at him, her resolve disappearing as her tears appeared. “Declan, they come to us because they have seen things, things that have yet to happen. I don’t want to lose you.”

Declan hugged her. “You will not my sweet. Do you not see that with our new friends the future will be changed? They can change it, did you not hear Urian speak of how they changed Danny’s future. He did not die as he was supposed to. So I have great faith that they can also do this for us.”

Once again she squeezed his hand. “What if they cannot Declan?”

“Then I shall be forever grateful for the time that I have with you. I was not borne of noble blood but yet I sit here at the side of the woman I am to marry and she is a princess.” He lent in and kissed her. “The gods have given us this time together and I am honoured to have found true love, to know how it feels, to have been given the chance to love one such as you.” Declan looked sincerely into her eyes. “If the gods deem that I should leave you this very night then I go with your love in my heart. It is the only thing I need.”

Beth-Elena bit her lip and Declan wiped away her tears just as Geoffrey, Derek and Elizabeth entered the court yard.

Derek was disappointed not to see Uriah, Uri or Urian. He had not told Elizabeth about his dreams, he wanted to talk to the other men first, those that they involved.

Declan and Danny waved to him, however the ladies just looked at each other as they saw Elizabeth. They knew something had happened, something good but what? Bethie and Beth-Elena made a move to greet their sister but everyone’s actions came to a stop as Geoffrey ran into the court yard. He looked around the grown-ups wondering who he should direct his attention to. He decided on Declan. “Master Declan, The new master Uri’s have taken horses. They have left.”

His words confused them all for a few moments as Declan put his hands on the young boy’s shoulders. “Now young Geoffrey, say this news again.”

The boy took a deep breath and again announced his news, a little slower this time. He could not understand why they did not comprehend what he had said but then again they were grown-ups and sometimes you had to explain things a few times to them. “My Master Uri, he left on a horse not long ago.” This was news to Elizabeth and Derek and it showed as Geoffrey continued. “Just now the other two masters, they have gone also, taken horses.”

Declan smiled at the young boy. “Thank you young man, Uri is right; you are a wealth of information. You will indeed make a fine knight one of these days.”

Geoffrey left the group with a beaming smile. Declan his hero; his idol had said that he would make a fine knight.

Danny looked to Derek and Elizabeth. “What happened out there? Uri never came back and Uriah never stopped when he did.” Danny looked right at Elizabeth. “Do you know what happened?”

Elizabeth felt her stomach tighten, she was almost sure her conversation with Uri had been the reason he did not return but as for Uriah she had not seen him since she left the court yard. How did she tell them what she knew? She felt Derek squeeze her hand and what happened next surprised the others. He spoke. “Nothing happened, except I found out that Elizabeth loves me, truly loves me.”

The ladies gasped with amazement and the men smiled and went to slap Derek on the back.

Once the congratulations were over their focus was back on the absent ones of their group. Derek had a pretty good idea why Uri had gone riding. He may not have told Elizabeth about his dreams but she had told him about her conversation with Uri, all of the conversation. He was well aware that Uri had feelings for Beth-Elena as Uriah had feelings for Elizabeth. He had vowed he would not divulge the information until Elizabeth had time to talk to the other women. Derek looked at Danny but his words betrayed his thoughts. “I am sure that Urian and Uriah have just gone looking for Uri.” Derek was trying to convince himself as much as the others. He had wondered after Elizabeth told him about Uriah and Uri whether Urian had a similar turmoil in regards to Bethie. What Declan said next concerned him a great deal.

“Derek, you did not see Uriah before you came back. I left him in the garden. He was going to make sure that you were not ill.” Declan smiled at Elizabeth. “But seeing you with your lady it was obvious you had all you needed.”

Elizabeth’s chest tightened even more, so did her grip on Derek. Had Uriah heard what she had said to Derek? Did he now know that she knew about his love for her? If he did what was he going to do?

Derek was wondering the same thing. “He did not comeback with you Declan?”

Declan shook his head but it was Bethie who answered. “He did return but did not stop, Urian went after him then that young boy told us they had ridden out.” She looked from Danny, to Declan and back to Derek. “What happened?”

Derek did not want to divulge what he knew or what he thought he knew so chose his words every carefully, something Elizabeth was grateful for. “I don’t know about you guys but this has all been a lot for me. Too much. I lost my voice for god sake. I know Uriah, he will have kept a lot of things close to his chest but sooner or later he needs to let them out. He doesn’t always talk. At home he goes for a ride on his bike. I am sure that is all it is. If Uriah and Urian and Uri are so much alike it would make sense that they chose the same way to deal with things.”

Declan and Danny were nodding and Danny spoke up. Yeah you are right. At home Urian heads out on his triumph when he needs to clear his head.”

They all looked to Declan. “Yes. This is true of Uri also. Nightwish is his escape. I am not so concerned for Uri; this is his home but as for the others? This is a strange land.”

Danny piped up again. “I am sure they will stick to the road.”

“Even so, in these restless times the road is not as safe as it once was my friend and as night falls it is less so.”

The serious expression etched on Declan’s face was all the others needed for their own concerns to change from a gentle hum to a blaring ringing in their ears.