Chapter Nine
Hannah watched her men- because that’s how she liked to think of them- from the roof top of the castle as they each tried to best the other. It was quite a sight, but she didn’t know who to root for. If she sided with her cousin and the brother of her heart, then who would side with the man she loved? If she sided the man she loved, then who would be on the side of her cousin and the brother of her heart?
She was in quite a fix, she thought. She just watched and rooted for them both. They were both good, but watching cephas gave her memories of her childhood. Of how he would go easy on her. And how, the easier he went on her, the harder she fought.
They spoke to each other from time to time, but didn’t catch the words that were being said.
It was, on this rooftop Jasper had asked her to be his wife, on this rooftop she had said yes. So much had kept happening, pulling her mind away from their wedding that needed to be planned. Jasper was a patient man, he honoured her body, even as he tended her mind that was continually terrorized by something dark and slippery.
He didn’t have to. He loved her but he didn’t have to. She was grateful she got to be loved by a man who did all that, not seeing the cross she carried as a burden, but one he would bear with because he loved her. She was grateful and she was blessed.
It was Jasper who saw her first, the spread that spread across his face made heart do a dance. There was her man, sweaty, shirtless, muscles bulging.
Dear God. she thought. Thank you, Thank you.
She raised a hand in greeting and blew him a kiss, he acted out catching it and placed a palm on his chest. The laugh took her, quick and honest.
“ Hannah, how on earth did you get up there?”
“ This castle is full of secrets.” was all she said.”
“ Well now.” He said in return.
Her men, she thought, a hand on her chest. Thank you, God, for my men.
~~~~
“ How did she get up there?” Cephas asked, looking up at her, shielding his eyes with his hand from the glint of the sun,
“ Library. There’s a secret door.” Jasper replied, they took a gulp of water, then handed the bottle he held to Cephas, he said “ thanks” they gulped down the rest of the water.
“ Don’t think I would have ever found that. Library’s not my thing.”
“ Not mine either. Found it on a restless night.” Cephas paused, with the bottle close to his mouth.
And with a tilt of his head asked, “ The library or the secret door?”
Jasper barked out a laugh. “ The door.”
Cephas smiled, brought the bottle once more to his lips,
“ Want to go up?”
Heights weren’t exactly Cephas’s thing, but he thought of Hannah, the sweet warm way she smiled down at them,
“ sure.” and inwardly questioned his sanity.
~~~~
They pushed to the left a row of books and revealed a door, and Cephas let out a long whistle, before saying,
“ How did you ever manage to find this? What did you do, move rows of books while you were restless?”
Jasper chuckled,
“ Actually, I sat by it while trying to read a book Hannah once showed me. Then noticed it moved some, pushed at it some more, it moved and there this baby was.” he finished, gesturing at the door.
“ Open it, the rest, you will see for yourself.”
“ Alright, Moline, lead the way. “
“ here we go.” he pushed open the door and they were met by a staircase that led upward.
“ There’s usually a lantern, but I guess Hannah’s used it to go up. So we’ll just do a little bit of groping.
“Alright, lead the way.”
“ will do.” He walked through the door and stood on the second staircase, “ try to push that row a bit and close the door behind you.”
“ How do we get out?”
“ There’s a latch on it.”
“ Alright, here goes.” He pushed the row of books and closed the door. “ pretty dark in here.”
“ Not anymore.” Jasper replied when a door at the top of the staircase was opened, and revealed the face of the woman he loved. “ Not anymore.” He repeated smiling.