Chapter 5 - Revelations
As Elise began to come to a few moments later, she felt a strong body pinning her to the ground. She struggled to free herself, but was no match in her weakened state for the strength of this man. ”Lie still my pretty one”, whispered a male voice in her ear. A voice she recognized as belonging to that of her captor Mr. Andris Blackstone.
“Leave me alone! What are you trying to do to me, please get off of me and let me go!” Elise had her worst fears confirmed when she caught sight of her employer, Mr. Smith, crouched down beside them on the driveway. Elise glowered at him, “You!” “You set me up” she hissed furiously, struggling frantically to escape from Blackstone’s hold on her.
Elise heard Blackstone’s hushed voice in her ear, so close she could feel his warm breath brushing against her skin. “Calm down my little mouse. Yes, it’s true he did set you up, but only upon my orders, which were to bring you to me. I have been searching for you for a very long time.
Blackstone’s strong arms kept Elise’s hands pinned behind her back, as he tried to calm her struggles. “Relax. You have my word that I won’t hurt you, but I cannot allow you to leave either. Besides, if you keep wiggling around like that trying to break free from me, you will soon have more to deal with than my mere annoyance, I assure you."
Elise stopped struggling against Blackstone’s hold, and allowed herself to relax against his body. Her fever seemed to have returned with vengeance which was now rendering both her body and mind too weak to try and fight her way out of his tight grip, let alone make her way off of the damn estate grounds. As Blackstone leaned in closer to Elise’s body to exam her condition, she could feel his aroused response pressing against her thigh. Perhaps it was due to her close proximity, or maybe it was due to the exhilaration of catching his pursuit. Elise felt her own already feverish body begin to react in return as Blackstone pressed his cheek gently against her own to assess her fever, which served to send shivers rippling through her body.
"What is it my pretty little mouse, are you sick? I think you need to be back in that nice soft bed upstairs, with some of Lydia’s fresh hot soup." Moaning in agreement, Elise allowed herself to be picked up and carried in Blackstone’s arms back into the house, and up to the bedroom in which she had just escaped. The combination of fever and her escape attempt had taken what was left of her remaining strength, and Elise felt so light-headed and delirious that all she cared about at the moment was for sleep to rescue her from her discomfort.
When they reached the upstairs bedroom, Blackstone tenderly placed Elise on the bed, pulled the covers over her, and stroked her sweat soaked hair off her forehead with his strong yet gentle hands. "I will send Lydia immediately to come and look after you. And, I give you my word, that when you are feeling stronger I will explain what is going on." Blackstone strode over to Lydia who was waiting in the doorway, and spoke softly and quietly to her giving instructions on Elise’s care, before turning and leaving the room. Elise’s body fell limp and heavy into the softness of the bed. Her body could struggle no more, and she drifted off to sleep within mere seconds of Blackstone leaving the room.
Elise walked quickly through the cold damp passageway, gathering her skirts as she ascended the stone stairway so she wouldn’t fall. The biting cold air seeped into her skin underneath her flimsy garments, but she paid little regard to it as she continued on towards her destination, her journey onwards illuminated only by dim candle light emanating from the wall sconces along the passageways. She felt as though her feet were almost gliding across the stone surface of the passageway floors, and her heart beat fast against the fabric of her bodice. Reaching her destination, Elise paused outside the doorway trying to compose herself and lessen the vivid flush she felt on her cheeks. Almost like a ghostly figure, she wafted into the huge chamber, and crept silently over to the enormous fireplace to warm her freezing body. Taking a seat beside it, Elise watched as the flames roared and crackled up the massive chimney, welcoming the warmth that was now surging through her body.
While she waited, her eyes took in the splendor of the chamber. Beautiful tapestries hung from the walls and heavy dark drapes covered the open castle windows shutting out some of the intense winter chill. Excitement rose inside her and her heart lurched at the sight of a tall strikingly handsome figure walking slowly towards her. “My Lord", she whispered breathlessly, feeling intense tingling inside her body as he neared.
Lord Blackstone took her in his arms, murmuring “My beloved, you have come to me”. Elise tipped her face up to gaze at her love, lost in the beauty of his deep green eyes. She parted her lips as his mouth slowly descended to taste her. Her body weakening under their intimate exploration of lips and tongue, and Elise ran her fingers through his thick dark hair as she pulled him closer, as though he was part of her very own body. “My beloved” he whispered breathlessly, “My heart belongs to you for eternity, and together we are one. I vow to you, that we shall never be parted.”
Elise was consumed with the purest of desire; both of body and heart. Her beloved’s hands untied her bodice and lovingly caressed her body, her breath gasping as his hands contacted her naked breasts. Desire was raging inside Elise as she tore at his clothes, wanting this man with every fiber of her being.
Taking her hand he guided her towards the bed, “Quickly my lady, come to me and love me”. Through her burning desire, Elise felt the weight of his body, felt his urgent arousal pressing against her as he caressed her passionately. His breathing became heavy, and his kisses burnt her lips like fire. “My Lord, I am yours forever; take me now as my body is consumed with fire…now…now!”
Elise woke suddenly, startled out of the strangest of dreams, her heart pounding wildly. Drenched in sweat, her head was throbbing and the room in front of her seemed to be spinning. What was happening, where was she? Slowly she began to remember….the strange Mr. Smith, Mr. Andris Blackstone, the sickness, and that damn silver box, which was the reason why she was here at all.
Something was wrong, something she needed to remember. The dream, yes, that’s it. Sinking back into her pillow, Elise closed her eyes and tried to piece the fading memories of her dream together. Some sort of castle…a fire…her lover…wait…Mr. Blackstone, no!! She must be delirious again. Obviously the fever was having an effect on her, of course. Elise had woken from her dream before their love had been consummated, but, she had desired him. She stared into those mesmerizing green eyes of his, and felt the intense love she had for him. A strange sense of deja vue swept over her. The dream was so unbelievably real, yet it made no sense. Blackstone was her captor. Albeit, a considerate captor, he was a captor nonetheless. How could she have desired him so wildly? She was obviously losing her mind in this place. Exhaustion once again demanded her rest, and without even fighting it, Elise drifted off to sleep again.
The sound of rustling in the room woke Elise from her fitful sleep. She opened her eyes to see Lydia placing a tray on the bedside table." Oh, so you are awake now, good. I have brought you a bowl of my finest homemade broth, and some herbal medicine, both of which will have you up and about in no time." Lydia took a seat next to the bed, as Elise struggled into a sitting position, thinking how unreal this whole experience was, almost as if she was living in a parallel universe!
Elise watched closely as the older woman carefully poured the herbal medicine onto a spoon and encouraged her to take it, “Quickly, that’s it, now try some of the broth. You need to regain your strength." Elise allowed the woman to spoon the warm broth into her fevered mouth, and she had to admit it tasted incredibly good. Elise made a mental note to herself to try her hand at cooking, if ever she escaped this house of mystery.
Lydia smiled kindly at Elise, saying “I would warn you not to run again Miss, but I think in your current state of health it’s not likely you will get very far. Besides, Bruno there is watching the door for me, and there is no moving him when he’s decided otherwise."
Looking over to the d
oor, Elise saw a giant black Mastiff lying directly in front of the exit, his massive head resting on his paws. Of course, Elise thought, the dog. That must be what had violently knocked her to the ground when she was trying to steal the box. Lydia was right, she was certainly in no condition to try for another escape attempt, and this time she would have to first get past Bruno!
Lydia continued to fee Elise her homemade broth, and asked her if she would like to hear an old Folk tale. Intrigued, and in need for some light entertainment, Elise nodded her assent. Lydia spoke in soft, yet animated tones as she expressed the tale, to her now captive audience.
Once there lived a handsome and mighty Lord. He was well respected by all the people in his community. He lived in a castle, high up from a small village below. He was tall dark and handsome, and received the attention of many ladies, who endeavored to marry him, yet none, had succeeded in capturing his heart. However, his life was spent mainly engaged in battle, or riding around the surrounding countryside, surveying and protecting the land of his people. It was on one of these surveying riding trips, that his whole life was changed forever.
One day whilst out riding, he spied a maiden in the distance, walking along towards the village. After catching up with her on his horse, he stopped her to chat, and immediately became enthralled by her beauty, charm and intelligence. When he inquired about her status, his heart leapt wildly when the enchanting maiden told him she was not betrothed. She told him she lived in the village, and was from a family of priests, who took care of the local temple. During many further meetings, their desire for each other became unbearable, and the Lord told his beloved he would marry her, and his heart would be hers forever.
After first seeking permission from the maiden’s father to wed his daughter, the wedding preparations were made, and the whole village rejoiced to hear of their union. The maiden herself had fallen deeply in love with the Lord of her people’s land, and was ecstatically happy to be marrying the man that made her heart sing. However, she realized that her beloved’s life as a warrior held many dangers. What if he was to be killed in battle? Her happiness would be cruelly ripped away, and her heart would be hardened and left cold. She confided her fears to her sister, who was a mighty priestess, and begged her to use her powers to help her plight, and to bless their union with protection. Her priestess sister agreed and instructed her, "Bring me his dagger, and I will place a blessing upon it, so that as long as he wields the blade, he shall never be defeated." Overcome with joy, the maiden decided she would take her beloved’s dagger in secret, so that she could return it to him blessed with the protection spell on their wedding day.
In the dead of night a few days later, the maiden decided to carry out her mission as she stealthily made her way into her Lord’s castle and crept soundlessly into her lovers abode. She was determined to take his dagger so that her sister could place the protection spell on it, and save him from death on the battlefield or whilst otherwise protecting his lands. Being a man of battle, her Lord always kept his dagger close at hand, ready to act swiftly if any foes should come upon him. Even as he slept, his blade always rested at his side. The maiden slowly reached across his sleeping form to carefully take the dagger from its sheath, when her fingers accidentally brushed against his skin. Feeling the touch against his body, the sleeping Lord arose instantly fearing he was being attacked as he slept. Reacting with a warrior instinct, he plunged the blade straight into the intruder’s heart, realizing a split second later that he had just took the life of his beloved maiden.
The Lord was inconsolable, and almost driven mad by grief. He carried the body of his beloved to the temple of her family, and begged her priestess sister to use her holy magic and return his love to life once more. However, the priestess although powerful, did not possess the powers to restore life once it had been taken, and she herself was deeply shocked by the death of her sister.
Instead, the priestess took the dagger from her sister’s breast, and placed both blessing and curse upon the Lord. She respected her dead sister’s wishes; and the Lord would not ever die in battle. The blessing-curse also meant that the Lord would not die from wound, or age, or infirmity, as a normal man should. Instead, the Lord would be imprisoned to life eternal without love, and the soul of his heart would be sealed within the very dagger that he had used to slay his beloved.
There would come a day when the Lord’s beloved maiden would be reborn into the world, and she would return as the thief he had mistaken her for the night he took her life. If she could take possession of the dagger, knowing it for what it truly was, then the memory of their past love would be fully returned to her, and the couple would be reunited to live the life they had been denied by that fateful night. The priestess then plunged the bloody blade into the Lord’s chest, straight into his heart. Though the strike should have killed him, it did not. Instead, when the priestess pulled the blade from him chest, the blade pulsed, beating in time with his trapped heart. She then sealed the dagger within a sacred box, made from silver, and there it waits still for the Lord's maiden and only love to reclaim it.”
Elise had enjoyed Lydia’s tale, and it briefly allowed her mind to escape, if not her body, from her current predicament. She had already started to feel less feverish and her strength returning, and wondered just what was in that herbal mixture! Lydia had seemed excited and animated as she told the tale, and she was now staring intently at Elise as if the story were about to be continued.
"Is there more Lydia?" asked Elise.
The older woman looked away wistfully and said, "Yes, there is my dear, a lot more".
“My dear girl, what would you say if I told you that we believe you are that very maiden from the tale I told. The reincarnated soul of the Lord’s beloved, come to free him, and you, from the dagger heart spell. A spell, and curse, he has had to bear for a century.”
Elise stared at the woman, who had clearly lost her mind. Her fever may be the cause of her own temporary delusions, but what was the cause of Lydia’s? Was this a madhouse? Were they feeding her mind altering drugs? Was that what was in the soup and herbal medicine Lydia had fed her? Is that why she had such a weird lucid dream earlier, in which she was making love to her kidnapper? All these questions were running like lightening through Elise’s mind, and she began to feel afraid. What exactly did these people have planned for her?
Lydia placed a hand on her arm "I know it’s hard to believe, and you think I am a mad woman, but please, just try to open your mind and understand. I am also included in this tale, you see. I am the reincarnated soul of the high priestess, your sister. I am the one who placed that spell on the Lord and his dagger on that night your life was taken. And, in this incarnation I have reunited with Lord Blackstone to assist him in finding his beloved once again, my sister, and I like him, believe it to be you.
Elise stared at the woman open mouthed. “You expect me to believe that I am that reincarnated maiden, Blackstone was to be my husband, and now you tell me that you are my sister?! Of course, how silly of me not to realize all this!”
“I know you don’t believe me” Lydia replied patiently, “But, no one except Lord Blackstone has been able to touch that silver box since the dagger was sealed within it over almost 1000 years ago. You will believe me, soon enough.” Lydia nodded her head sagely as she stood up from her chair, and taking the empty soup bowl and food tray exited the room, stepping carefully over the resting dog.
Once Lydia had left the room, Elise settled back down onto the bed, wondering why on earth she had ever taken this job in the first place. Oh yes, the money. This must be her punishment and lesson for allowing herself to be seduced by money, she thought. It seemed clear to her that she had been captured by a group of loonies, rich loonies, if they could spend one million dollars just to get her here to play a part in their mad charade.