Chapter Six

Beatrice managed to fend Annalise off by replying to her questions with one worded answers. Lady Victoria got the hint that Beatrice did not want to talk so she ushered Annalise outside the chamber saying something about a newly blooming flower that she wanted to show her. Lucia also left the chamber to give her mistress privacy.

After they had all left, Beatrice felt lonely and didn't know what to do. She decided to wander around the castle.

Matilda made her way down the stairs and pushed out of the great bronze front doors of the castle. Outside, she came across a guard post. A heavily built guard tried to come close to her but she waved him away.

She made a turn to the right, past the beautiful fountain and kept on going until she came across a clear beautiful lake. She sat down on th edge, kicked off her shoes and dipped her toes into the water.

A sudden movement in the water startled her and she looked at the ripples on the surface of the lake. Then the water surface broke in a blossom of water. It swirled and reflected the sunlight and there were sparkles of light on the flowers in the middle of the lake. The petals of the flowers slowly closed. Some folded into wings, others into a body and tail, and finally the inner leaves formed a head on the fish shaped creature made entirely out of water that was in front of Matilda.

She tried to rise upward and make her way back inside the castle when the gentle voice from the creature stopped her.

"My name is Nomar and I am your personal fairy charged with protecting you. Sit down and I shall tell you everything."

Matilda sat down back on the edge of the lake skeptically and looked at the fish shaped creature.

"Your name is Matilda and you have come from the twenty first century. A series of events was responsible for your time travelling. You come from a long line of people blessed with water magic but you are the only one alive and still able to use it that is why you were brought here."

Matilda did not know what to say to all these information. She allowed the strange creature to go on with his talk.

"A powerful army from the west is going to come to this town not far from now. They would try to breach the walls of Ludlow but you will go there and stop them and defeat them. You are the only one who can do this. I will warn you of their coming nearer to the time," Nomar, the fairy said.

" How will I defeat this powerful army?" Matilda asked.

" I will show you how to use the magic you have been blessed with and how to fight properly. But for now, I shall tell you everything about Beatrice so that you may become familiar with her way of life."

When Nomar was done with his tale of Beatrice, Matilda heaved a sigh of apprehension. She was not sure if she was up to this great task which Nomar had laid before her and more than anything, she wanted to go back home.

"Can't I go back to the twenty first century?" she asked.

"The portal for going back to the twenty first century has been closed presently. In the meantime, you have to remain here and fight for the people. You have to become Beatrice completely."

Matilda took some time to gather her thoughts together. After a while, the spoke to herself.

"Your name is Beatrice and you can do this." Then she turned to Nomar and spoke to him.

"Alright then, Beatrice is ready. Show me how to use this magic you said I have been blessed with."

Beatrice spent a lot of time at the lake with Nomar, her personal fairy, teaching her how to use her magic. After some time, she was already getting familiar with the techniques.

Nomar then changed form to a full grown man made entirely of water, dressed in a costume with a helmet on his head. A Knight's wear, he called it.

Nomar positioned Beatrice's arms in the proper fighting stance. He arranged her legs and her upper and lower body too. He taught her different fighting styles and techniques for beginners and she mastered all of them to the best of her ability.

He spoke to her as they finished their fighting session.

"Beatrice, you must not tell anyone about this. Not even Alexander," Nomar warned and she nodded in confirmation.

"Now, Beatrice, as from today onwards, I will always follow you to wherever you go. Do you accept me as your personal guide?"

" Yes, I do," Beatrice answered.

Nomar then changed form back to a fish and made himself invisible. Beatrice put on her shoes and proceeded to walk inside when she saw Alexander walking towards her.

**********

Alexander had been busy throughout the day. He and Mark, his right hand man, had been in his office dealing with grants and requests from many of the town's people especially the peasant farmers. Some of the farmers were embarking on their first farming journey so they needed a good and fertile piece of land on which to grow their crops.

Alexander approved many of the grants, he stamped and stamped till his arms ached. He only took a break once when Mark had ordered a kitchen maid to bring some edibles in and she had brought in a basket of fruits and a pitcher of cold water. They had both munched on the fruits in satisfaction before returning to their work.

Alexander and Mark had finished with their work and Alexander was eager to see Beatrice. He wanted to find out how she was coping without him. He bade Mark goodbye and turned the final corner to their chamber.

Alexander walked into the chamber. He went straight to the sleeping area and found no one there. He searched the whole chamber and there was no sign of any human presence there apart from his. He was puzzled.

"Where is Beatrice?" he asked himself loudly.

She did not seem to know her way around the keep so he had asked Lucia, her personal maid to keep her company. He needed to find Lucia in order to know the whereabouts of Beatrice. He stormed out of the chamber and came across Lucia chatting with one of the kitchen maids. On seeing him, both of them stopped their conversation and bowed low before him.

"My Lord," they chorused.

"Lucia," Alexander called out.

The kitchen maid promptly left before being told to do so. She knew how much the Marquess hated eavesdropping and gossiping.

Alexander fixed his gaze upon Lucia and narrowed his eyes.

"Where is Lady Beatrice?" he queried.

"My Lord, she said that she wanted to take a tour of the keep and its grounds," Lucia answered her heart filling with trepidation. In her mind, she hoped for Lord Alexander not to see it as her fault that Lady Beatrice went to take a stroll on the castle grounds. Her Lady simply needed a walk alone and Lucia saw no harm in not following her where she went.

Alexander was suprised at Beatrice's actions. She did not know anywhere in the keep again since she lost her memory. Couldn't she be content to stay in their chambers to pass away time and await his return?

He decided to go out to the guard post and enquire about her whereabouts. Alexander stepped out of the great doors into the cool evening breeze and walked straight to the guard post. He asked the sentries there if they had seen Beatrice and a heavily built one answered in the affirmative. He pointed towards the right side of the keep, past the fountain and further down.

Alexander nodded and walked towards the direction that the guard had pointed out. He walked further down and admired the calmness of the evening and the sounds of nature. He felt his spirit lifting at the view even though he had not found Beatrice.

Alexander went on walking and halted at the sight of his wife sitting at the edge of the lake, her head bent down, putting on her shoes and tying the laces together. He heaved a great sigh of relief and the tension vanished from his shoulders. By the time he had gotten to her side with a smile on his face, she had stood up and was gazing at him expectantly. Alexander took her hand possessively and spoke, all the remaining tension ebbing away from his voice.

"I have been searching all over everywhere for you, Beatrice. Lucia said you had gone for a walk. Why didn't you tell her to accompany you, milady?" he asked gently.

" I merely wanted some time to myself, to gather my thoughts and put myself together. It turns out that my time of reflection in the lake side has helped me greatly. Shall we go in for the evening meal, Alexander?"

Alexander was suprised at her calmness. He expected her to be confused and even reject to hold his hand. He was also puzzled as to how she knew it was time for the evening meal. She was sounding more like the Beatrice he knew before she lost her memory than the stranger of these past days. Had she regained her memories? He wanted to know so he decided to ask her.

"Have you regained your memories, milady?" he asked.

" I have, my dear husband," Beatrice replied. " I told you earlier that my time of reflection at the lake side has helped me greatly. Yes, my memories are back and they are here to stay," Beatrice confirmed.

With that confirmation, Alexander pulled Beatrice into his arms and wrapped them around her, enveloping her in his warmth. She on her own part, enjoyed the feeling of being in his arms and the warmth emanating from every pore in his skin.

Alexander ended the embrace and took Beatrice's arms in his own and together, they walked towards the castle's great doors.

"I am genuinely pleased with that, Beatrice," he said while beaming from ear to ear in happiness.

They walked inside the keep together, arm in arm, towards the dining area where a large rectangular table, hand carved from rare mahogany stayed, surrounded by thirty chairs. At the head of the table stood a tall chair for the Marquess and a slightly shorter one for the Marchioness. They both took their seats at the appropriate chairs and the maids began serving the food.

The whole place smelt of food. They had been served roasted pork and bread with a goblet of mellow wine. Beatrice raised her head up from her plate and looked at the faces of her dinner companions.

From the descriptions Nomar gave her, she recognized a short middle aged woman with curly brown hair and brown eyes as Victoria Thomas, Alexander's mother. She also recognized a tall, handsome man with brown hair and light brown eyes as Isaac Thomas, Alexander's younger brother and Victoria's other son. Their eyes met and he smiled at her in a friendly manner. She smiled back at him and returned her gaze back to the food in her front.

Beatrice took the first bite of her meal and it tasted good as was common of the meals in this place. Their cooks sure knew how to perform well in the kitchen.

Feeling a set of eyes piercing into her bowed head, she raised her head up and her eyes met that of a tall beautiful young woman with red hair and black eyes. Annalise Solomon. She truly was beautiful as Nomar had described her to be. Even more so. Beatrice smiled at her in greeting and she smiled back, albeit reluctantly.

Finally, Beatrice returned back to her food and continued eating and washing it down occasionally with the sweet wine. When she was done with the food, she raised the goblet of wine and drained the remnants.

Alexander had been looking at her throughout the whole meal and he looked at her again as she drained the remaining wine. The maids came and cleared their plates away and Alexander raised his voice to announce their departure to the occupants of the table.

"Beatrice and I would be taking our leave now," he said.

" Alright, I will be coming to check on her tomorrow," Victoria replied.

" Have a good night's rest, Lady Beatrice," Isaac called out.

Annalise refused to even utter a word. Victoria excused her behaviour by covering up for her actions.

"I guess Annalise is simply to full from the meal to be able to make any comment. Goodbye, Alexander and Beatrice," Victoria said.

The Marquess and Marchioness made their way to their chambers, undressed, and too tired to do anything else other than sleep, changed into their nightclothes and fell asleep in each other's arms.