'The warriors are also taking a rest, but Achaius has gone,' Calem says. 'I told him that you wanted Skena to be with you, so he left. He went to the village where he had left her, and will bring her here soon.'
'Oh, how nice,' I say happily. 'I am sure that Skena will be happy to return to me. I hope she feels all right and will be able to return.'
'Let's hope so,' Calem replies, hugging me.
It turns out that Skena feels very well. As the village is not too far from the castle, Skena arrives a few hours later, just as we finish eating the dinner. Skena comes into the dining-room, looking shy but happy. The moment I see her, I get up and go towards her. Ainslee looks at her, and then at me, trying to understand who she is.
'I am so happy that you are well, Skena,' I say. 'Ainslee, this is Skena, my maid. Megan and Sloan let her go with me from the Domnhall castle. Skena, this is Ainslee, and she is the main maid in the Bedigalhall Castle. She has been like a second mother to me, and I love her very much.'
Ainslee and Skena look at each other, smiling kindly at each other. I think they will get along very well during this one week until I and Calem get married. Both are kind and nice women.
When Skena leaves to her bedroom – which Anslee had shown her – I tell Ainslee in a whisper:
'Skena wishes to get married to a good man and to have her family. I hope that she will find her love and will be happy.'
Ainslee nods, raising her eyebrows. 'There are nice men working in our castle. In case she likes any of them, it will be good. We have workers in the barn, in the stables, as well. There are also warriors and guards in the castle, as well as the gardener. We have plenty of time to choose someone for her. I think that she is shy and will need our help,' Ainslee adds, smiling and winking at me.
I smile, already trying to think who will be suitable for Skena who does not even know that I am thinking about finding a husband for her. I am glad that Ainslee is involved and eager to participate in that matter.
Elsie
I cannot explain how happy I became when I heard that Megan and Sloan are on their way and will be here very soon. Sloan's cousins are also coming, as they want to be present during my wedding ceremony. I am glad about it, too, as I have missed Kam and Frasier, Isla and Grizela.
'Calem, I want to go out and be the first to see them enter through the gates,' I tell him.
'They will be here very soon, so we can already go out,' he tells me.
Together, we leave the castle and walk through the yard, going towards the gates.
'I am eager to see them,' Calem tells me. 'I have missed them already.'
'Yes, I know, me, too,' I say. 'I can imagine how happy they are, especially Megan. I am sure that she has missed this castle very much. She has not been here since we left at night, trying to escape our uncle.'
Calem hugs me and we both look at the gates.
'Any minute now,' he says, and at that moment a distant noise of horses' hooves can be heard. I shield my eyes from the late afternoon sunrays, my heart beating faster, as the noise becomes louder by each second.
At last, the gates are opened. The carriage is pulled into the yard by the horses. When the horses stop, the door of the carriage opens, and Sloan gets down. After him, Megan gets down and runs towards me, her smile covering almost her entire face.
'Elsie!'
'Meg!'
We hug tightly and do not let go for a long time. We have not seen each other only for a couple of weeks, but it seems like ages. When we pull back, I see tears of happiness in my sister's eyes. She looks at me with a beaming smile, as if not believing her happiness.
'How are you, my pretty sister?' She asks me, as Sloan and Calem hug and walk a bit to the side.
'I am very well, really,' I say, 'The thought that our castle is such a good and kind place, it makes me so happy.'
I was so excited to see my sister that I did not even notice Sloan's cousins who also got out of the carriage and stood in front of us.
'Ah, Kam, Frasier, Isla, Grizela,' I say their names aloud, as I spread my arms widely and go to hug all of them, too. They are glad to see me and this caslte, which is new to them.