Highland Magic Ch. 30

Cien started the sad task of the burial when he woke. His body was stiff from the exertion, but he wanted no one to help him in the task. He dug the hole deep in the woods beside Maggie's cottage. Maggie stayed inside, preparing Regan.

When the hole was deep enough, Cien climbed out slowly and looked down. He had the most sincere wish that he could burry himself right along with her. For a long moment he couldn't breathe through the pain in his chest. Would that pain always be there when he thought of her?

A memory of her smiling and happy flashed through his mind. How her raven's dark hair shone in the light, how her eyes sparkled as she beat him in a fair fight. With a sad shake of his head he turned to the cottage and waited. Maggie came out a few moments later and nodded. Cien dropped his eyes and took a deep breath. This was going to be the hardest part.

He went inside the cabin and saw her laying where he'd left her the night before. She was wearing a beautiful purple gown now, rich with color and gold thread. She would have loved the gown. With a puzzled look, Cien turned to Maggie.

"I was making the dress for her, for when she returned to us." Cien nodded silently and moved forward.

She looked peaceful. Her face was slack except for that small smile she'd had as she fell asleep the night before holding on to his hand. Her hands were folded neatly on top of her chest, as if she were waiting for her galliant knight to come and kiss her awake.

Dropping to his knees beside her, he lowered his head into prayer. He wasn't a religious man, but he did believe in God, and he did believe in Heaven. If it took his prayers the rest of his life, he would get to Heaven and to Regan. She would wait for him. She said she would wait all eternity for him. And he believed her. He only hoped he didn't have to wait that long.

He bowed his head and recited every prayer he'd ever been taught. Not sure which one would bless her soul the most. Finally he lifted his head and sighed a heavy, pain filled sigh. Standing up, he slid his arms under her body and lifted her easily.

She was dead weight now, unlike all the other times he'd held her. He head lolled off to the side, her hair streaming out around her. One of her arms fell off and swung around her. Turning he walked past Maggie, brushing away at her tears, and out of the cottage to the hole he'd dug.

Carefully, he jumped down into the hole and lay her gently down. He adjusted her dress and her hair to make her look as perfect now as she had been when she lay on the small cot in the cottage. Brushing a lock of hair out of her face, and back into place, he leaned down and kissed he forehead. "I love ye, lass." He whispered before straightening. Climbing out of the hole, he looked down at the woman he loved.

Maggie had come up beside him, quietly sobbing. Clasping his hands together, he looked at Maggie. "Should we say anything?"

"Yes."

He waited for her to elaborate, but she didn't. So he turned back to the grave and the woman he'd loved, and knew what to say.

"I ne're worried about marriage and the like. Women were not my problem. I remember when Kevin brought ye inside that first day. I thought ye strangely dressed, but only a woman, and nary my concern. But when ye came down that night, my heart gasped and my soul fawned. Ne'er had I seen a woman such as ye. So beautiful and gentle and kind." He paused looking Heavenward, hoping for some sort of grace. "I loved ye then, and I love ye now. Wait for me, lass."

With that he made the sign of the cross and waited until Maggie did the same before he began to shovel the dirt back into the hole. When the hole was finally finished, Cien found a large semicircle rock and spent the next few hours carving into it. When he finished, he placed it securely at her head, and leaned back on his knees to read it.

"Lady Regan Fraser

Loving wife to Cien

She left us too soon"

And with that he got up, slid on to his horse and rode out into the night, looking for something to stop the pain inside him.