Chapter 50: Chapter Nine

ADA

“It cannot be! I am not ready. It is barely July. I still have a few more weeks!” I began to panic. Oisín and Myrna helped me toward the servants’ stairs again.

With every step, a little more water came out. Myrna gave me a few linens from the kitchen to put under my dress.

“Well, these things do not run on our schedule. It seems with all the excitement of today, the baby has decided to come sooner than expected.”

The two of them helped me back to my room. Myrna insisted I continue to walk around the room while we waited for the midwife to arrive.

She directed my servants to remove the rug from the floor and bring as many sheets and blankets as possible.

Sable helped me out of my dress and into an underlayer, holding my hand as we walked back and forth. By now, she knew my temperament very well.

When I felt anxious, she did not speak or try to comfort me with words. She simply held my hand, something I’d been grateful for over these past few months.

Sable looked at one of the younger servants in the room.

“You, girl, send word to the king that Ada is to give birth. She is to remain undisturbed by ~everyone~.”

“And find out how much longer it will be until the midwife arrives,” Myrna added.

Once all the supplies had been delivered and the midwife had arrived, Myrna dismissed everyone except herself, Sable, the midwife, and her apprentice.

Hours passed, and the pains of childbirth intensified. The late evening was starting to turn into early morning.

The midwife kept me alternating between resting and walking about the room, and I could feel the pain moving lower.

The midwife told me that once it hit a certain point, the real work would begin. I could not imagine what she meant by that; I felt like I had already met my threshold for pain.

I walked over to the window and pulled back the tapestry to stare at the moon. Wherever Cayden was, I hoped his strength would be with me tonight.

CAYDEN

Almost four months to the day after Ada was taken, Cayden sat at the head table in Dundalk. With his friends and family gathered around him, Cayden still felt empty inside.

Not only had the raid gotten them no closer to avenging Murrow’s death, but he had not found out any information on the men that took Ada.

Every day that passed was a constant reminder that he had failed her.

“Maybe it’s time that you turned your attention to something else…perhaps someone else,” Sayer suggested to his brother.

It had been hard for Sayer to watch his brother in constant battle with himself over Ada. He understood how much Cayden cared for her, but right now, he needed something to look forward to.

He was losing all hope, which turned him into vile company. Cayden gave Sayer a look like he had killed Ada himself. A few of the others around them noticed the tension between them.

“I am not saying to give up on her, but maybe it would do you some good to spend a night with another woman. It would not be hard for you to find someone.”

“I do not care to spend a night with anyone else.”

“Well, you cannot go on like this, brother. It is as if you are the walking dead.”

“I apologize that my sorrow has inconvenienced you so. I shall remove myself from your presence from now on,” he said, rising from the table.

Before Sayer could explain what he meant, Cayden moved across the hall to the door.

He caught Freja’s face as he exited, reminding him that if Ada were alive, she would be giving birth to their son any day now.

Cayden felt an intense surge of guilt through his body. He did not wish to return to their home—it would only remind him of her.

Instead, he ran toward the sea to find comfort in her favorite place on the shore.

He sat on the piece of wood, staring at the moonlit water. He had let himself go over the months without Ada. He was in need of grooming and new clothes, but to him it didn’t matter.

Cayden had been forced to fight in the raid, pulling him further away from his search. He had channeled everything into his fighting, proving to be the strongest warrior as they took over.

Everyone had observed this and treaded lightly around him, especially Rankin and Weylin—they had done their best to stay far out of his path.

“Are you Cayden Barrason?” A man’s voice broke Cayden’s concentration.

He pulled out his sword, holding it up to the man, who trembled where he stood. The man held his arms up. Cayden noticed Padriac standing behind him and lowered his sword.

It was dark; he could barely see anyone on the beach. As he examined the man further, he saw that Padriac seemed to have beaten him, but for what reason?

“Who wishes to know?”

“My name is Kane. I am a tradesman who has just arrived here in Dundalk this very day.”

“Yes, what’s your business? I am growing impatient.”

“I have sailed here from the Kingdom of Oranmore, giving passage to a peddler along the way. Your friend here overheard me speaking about the peddler and believes I may be of use to you.”

“Go on.”

“The peddler was recently paid a handsome sum of money for providing information about a young woman named Ada.” Cayden looked at Padriac, who nodded.

The man continued, “I do not know if she is there now, but the peddler believed her location had been found, and that the king would send his guards to retrieve her.

“The peddler said the king seemed quite obsessed with his account of this woman…but I should warn you, it is said this woman’s beauty steals the souls of men.”

Cayden felt something inside of him come back to life. He laughed at the man’s words. It was certain Ada had stolen his soul long ago, but it wasn’t just her beauty that’d lured him to her.

It had been ~everything~ about her. Looking at the moon, he felt as though she was right there with him in that moment. First thing tomorrow, he would speak with Barra.

With Kyra’s belief that these were the same men responsible for Murrow’s death, Barra would be easily persuaded to begin building an army to bring to Oranmore.

ADA

“Arghhhh!” I screamed as the midwife told me to push. Light from outside was beginning to creep into the room. I had been pushing for a few hours already.

The midwife was concerned about how long my labor had been. My nightgown was drenched in blood and sweat. Sable wiped my face and chest with a cool rag every so often.

I was beyond fatigued from pushing, and I found myself fading away. The women's voices were growing distant as my heavy head fell backward in bed.

~I awoke to find myself lying on sand. I raised my head and saw no one around. I had been left, deserted there. A storm was on the horizon, causing the sea to roar in complete chaos.~

~My hands were covered in blood, and I pushed myself up into a kneeling position. I was still clothed in the nightdress; the bottom half was still soaked in blood.~

~I tried to yell out for help, but my voice was mute.~

~I looked up the cliff and realized I was on the shoreline below the castle. One of the guards noticed me and sounded the alarm. I had to start running, but where was my child?~

~Panicked, I looked around and saw a man standing in the distance. I ran toward him as fast as I could, screaming for help, stumbling as I drew closer.~

~Cayden! He stood by the edge of the ocean holding our child. There was a gash on his head, and most of his armor was covered in blood. I needed to get to them... to save them.~

~The guards were making their way down the cliffside behind me. Cayden began to call out my name. 'Ada!' He shouted it repeatedly, but why was he not moving?~

~My voice was still silent as I tried to tell him to run. As hard as I ran, I could not reach him.~

~'Do not give up, Ada! You are almost there!' I could hear him saying. 'Ada!'~

~All of a sudden, a huge wave swept the three of us away.~