Forbidden Love Ch. 02

a big thanks to laRascasse for editing this new story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I blinked. I was lying flat on my back looking up at the ceiling. I sat up slowly, the parchment was still in my hand. I didn't need to read it. I saw what it was and I put it back. Father's voice came from the upstairs room. They were still arguing typical. I sat on the chair nearby, reeling from what I saw and what I knew. I closed my eyes, hoping that I would go back into the vision, but nothing came. Sighing, I left the room and went up to the landing platform, looking out onto the grassy fields. I wondered if they had never have met, would I be the person I was?

"Alex," a voice said from behind me.

I turned "Hey, James" I said.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"I don't honestly know," I said, almost crying.

James walked over and hugged me tightly. I cried into his arms. He didn't say anything, just held me.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" James asked.

"I had a vision," I whispered.

James cringed "What did you see?" he asked.

"I saw how Aislinn met Alexander and how they fell in love," I said.

"Aislinn, as in your daughter?"

"No. Who she was named after," I said.

"Oh I see."

"Why did you come up here?" I asked.

"Your father and grandfather are having the worst argument I have ever seen them have. There really going at it," James said.

I sighed James kissed my forehead "Why don't you go and lie down for a bit while they kill each other?" James suggested, cheekily.

"No. I think I will go and see if I can find out why they are arguing. Father never speaks of it maybe its in the records," I said.

"Ok. If you need anything, you know where to find me," James said, squeezing me.

"Thanks, James."

I walked back into the castle. Grandfather's room door was slightly ajar.

"He was your brother. I know he sided with the light raiders, but what did he do!" grandfather roared.

"I am not discussing this with you. Its bad enough that my daughter had to kill her uncle," father shouted back.

I went back to the small room. I knew Gabriel had betrayed my father, but how? I closed the door I pulled a few parchments out. When I pulled the fourth one, I got the twinge and I was soaring.

Alexander was waiting at the cave. I knew he was waiting for Aislinn, and sure enough she appeared they kissed deeply.

"Alexander, we need to talk." Aislinn said, urgently.

"What's wrong?" Alexander said.

Aislinn's eyes filled with tears "I'm pregnant," she said trembling.

Alexander's eyes went wide with shock. He grabbed her and hugged her tightly.

"What are we going to do Alexander? I can't hide this from my father. I fear he already knows," Aislinn said.

"We could run away?" Alexander suggested half-heartedly.

"Where would we go? We would be hunted until the ends of the earth."

"I don't care as long as I'm with you and our baby."

"Then we will go tonight," Aislinn said.

"We will," Alexander said, kissing her.

"We need to leave now. Its to dangerous to go back" "Let's go," Alexander said.

Aislinn nodded. They left the cave and ran for days and nights, finding little shelter in the woods. Alexander made a bow and arrow from a fallen tree and learned to hunt. Aislinn was starting to show a small bump evident of their child that lay within

"I hope the baby will be ok," Aislinn said one night as they ate rabbit by the fire side.

"I will protect it with my life," Alexander said, leaning over and kissing the bump which made Aislinn giggle.

Alexander shot up when he heard the thunder of hooves. He grabbed his bow knowing in his heart they were being hunted and he would have to fight.

"Easy lad. We mean no harm." It was Alexander's father.

"Why are you here?" Alexander asked, visibly surprised.

A few men had followed Alexander's father.

"We're here to support you, son."

"What do you mean?" Alexander asked.

"The clans have spilt and I am sorry your highness, but your father has been killed. The council of elders have condemned you two to death, but those here think you should have the right to marry as you wish and live together." Aislinn burst into tears as soon as she heard her father had been killed "You mean that?" Aislinn asked. Through tears Alexander hugged Aislinn letting her cry on his shoulder

"Yes, as long as it wasn't forced we don't care," one of the men said.

"It wasn't. I love him," Aislinn said.

"Then we support you," Alexander's father replied.

"Thank you," Alexander said.

"We need to find a place for the princess to give birth," Alexander's father said.

There was a murmur of agreement. For days the party scoured, looking for a safe place. Finally, when Aislinn was pretty big they found an old castle.

"What about here?" Alexander asked, hopefully.

"As good a place as any," Alexander's father said.

I watched as they cleaned the castle. I recognised it as the castle I was born in. A few days later Aislinn gave birth to a baby boy. They called it Jasper. I watched as she held her son in her arms. Alexander took him and put him down for the night and as he did, I heard her scream. I whipped my head around as Alexander ran into there room Jacob had her by the throat.

"Well well, if it isn't the floor scrubber" he sneered.

"Let her go!" Alexander snarled.

"No chance. She's coming back with me," Jacob said.

Alexander lunged at him but before he could get three feet, Jacob slit her throat and ran from the room.

"Compliments of the light raiders," he yelled as he ran.

Aislinn coughed some blood up. Alexander pulled her into his lap crying.

"I swear to you, I wont rest until they are all dead."

"u-u-u-s-s-e t-t-h-e v-o-id," Aislinn gargled.

"Who?" Alexander asked.

"Luke. Find Luke use the void," she said firmly.

"I will. I love you," Alexander said.

"l-l-l-l-o-v-v-v-e y-y-y-o-o-u --t-o," she said, as her eyes dulled.

I knew she had left him. He wailed out gripping her body. The men came running in from the main hall. They all broke down in tears. After a long time, Alexander got up gently placing her back on the floor.

"They now call them selves, the 'light raiders'. We are now the shadow raiders and I wont rest until they are all dead," Alexander said solemnly.

"And we will fight with you," all the men declared.

"Does anyone know who Luke is?" Alexander asked.

"He's the master of the black castle. To strike a deal with him, it will cost you a great deal. Maybe even your very soul," Alexander's father warned.

"Then he can have it. Aislinn is gone and the only reason I am not joining her is because of our son. We need his help," Alexander said.

"Then you need to go through the void. There is one here. I did some research. This castle was once home to the royal family. They abandoned it after the prince died, saying it was haunted. there should be a portal to the black castle somewhere here."

Alexander nodded. They cleaned Aislinn's body and buried her in what was the graveyard.

"Father, I need you to look after Jasper while I am away. There should be cattle milk you can give him in the kitchen," Alexander said before leaving.

"Yes son. Just come back to him"

"I will," Alexander said, kissing his son's head.

He went deep into the castle. The men showed him to an arch which he walked through with confidence. I watched as he emerged in front of grandfather's castle. He looked about stunned, then slowly walked to the front door at the main hall where he was met by Balthazar.

"What business do you have here?" he demanded.

"I need to speak to Luke. It's important," Alexander said.

Balthazar nodded and walked him into the main hall. I recognised grandfather sitting where he usually did. Sitting next to him, I thought for a split second I was looking into a mirror, but when grandfather kissed her, I knew I was looking at my long dead grandmother.

"Gabriel! Lucifer! Stop that this instant!" grandfather said.

I looked over to my right and I noticed father wrestling with someone. I did a double take. It was Gabriel before he betrayed my father. They really were twins. I couldn't tell them apart.

"Keep your hair on, old man. We were only playing," with that attitude, it must have been Gabriel. Father came up and slapped him on the back of the head.

Balthazar led Alexander to grandfather then walked away

"Can we help you?" my grandmother asked him.

"Is one of you Luke?" Alexander asked.

"I am," grandfather said.

"I need your help. The clan has spilt. They killed my wife, Aislinn, who was the rightful queen am afraid for our son Jasper."

"What do you want us to do?" either Gabriel or Lucifer asked.

"Lucifer!" grandma barked.

"I'm Gabriel!" he barked back.

"Gabriel!" she barked. "Yes mum," the other one answered. I had to giggle they were driving there parents insane.

Alexander frowned.

"I need your help to destroy them," Alexander said.

"What would you give me in return?" grandfather asked.

"Anything you want."

"I want your soul in return. I will send my sons to help you. They are to help until your enemies are destroyed," grandfather said.

"Then you have it. I don't care. My wife is gone. The only reason I stand before you is because of my son," Alexander said.

"Then come up here and make a blood oath."

Alexander walked up and held out his hand. Grandfather cut it with a knife. Then they clasped hands .

"Do you swear that when your enemies are destroyed you will give me your soul and in return my two sons will aid you in destroying them?" grandfather said.

"I swear," Alexander replied.

"Very well. Lucifer, Gabriel you two are to stay with Alexander until his enemies are destroyed," grandfather said.

I watched as father and Gabriel, who barely looked in their twenties, gathered their armour and followed Alexander back to the castle. The war of blood had started.