Love's Requiem

Warwick Castle, Lancaster Estate England 1815

Kelloch Havisham, Duke of Lancaster, sat on the settee across from his bed and stared at it hard, as he swallowed another mouthful of the rich brandy. There was something wrong with him, he thought. The same dream, over and over again, it wasn't normal. Not in the least. It wasn't supposed to happen to him. He was the bloody Duke of Lancaster. Everyone in the Ton trembled when he passed them by, and he was having a bloody reoccurring nightmare.

"Bloody well figures," he mumbled as he looked out the window. Night was still high in the sky, and he knew dawn was still far off. Much to early to rouse his footman, or even the butler for that matter. With a shake of his head, he stood, walking swiftly back to the bed. Placing the brandy glass on the table beside him, he threw the blankets aside and climbed in.

A few minutes later, he had made himself as comfortable as he could get, he sighed and closed his eyes. He wasn't going to dream the same dream again. He wasn't. He was going to stop himself this time.

He was wrong.

She was in his house in the colonies. Sitting on a bed, that looked unusual to him, with its bars at the head and foot, but he figured it must be the style in the colonies. She was staring at him from the bed. Her eyes a vivid green, accented by her dark wavy hair. "Kell..." Her voice sounded more like a moan than anything else. He knew he should go to her, but he also knew that he couldn't. Despite what he wanted, his body seemed to follow of its own accord.

As he walked forward, she lay herself back on the bed, her naked lush body exposed to him. Her breasts were full, high and perky upon her chest. He felt desire stirring with in him as he walked forward. She parted her legs, showing him her virginity and her desire for him. With a groan, he lay beside her on the bed and touched her breast with reverence. It was so soft, so supple. The slightest touch of his hand caused her nipples to peak, and a moan to escape her lips. "My beautiful Katherine..." Kell groaned as he lowered his lips to taste her supple flesh.

She cried out in pleasure, arching her back and clasping his head to her breast. "Kell!" He ran his hands over her body, touching, brushing, grabbing. Katherine bucked in wild pleasure at his touch. He let his hand drift to her curls at her thighs. Wetness greeted his touch as he slipped a finger between her full lips to touch her. She scored her nails across his back as he flicked her clit gently. "Oh, Kelloch..." Moving up, he kissed her as he began his tender assault. Her lips tasted like honey, her body moved in such provocative ways, he could hardly keep from touching her in the most appropriate of ways. But he held out, because he knew he would hurt her if he took her too soon. He knew the pain and the blood that would be left behind if he didn't take his gentle and sweet time with her. And that he could not live with. So take his time, he would.

Slowly, he stretched a long finger into her tight passage. When she arched her hips against his touch, he looked for that spot. That ridge that he could touch inside her that would drive her over the edge. He found it, desperately close to her virgins barrier. He stroked it lovingly, swallowing her gasps of pleasure into him self as he kissed her. He stroked her until he felt her near the edge of completion. Moving above her slowly, he parted her thighs further, and rested his chest against her lush breasts. "Katherine... My sweet love..." He murmured as he positioned himself.

Slowly he pushed himself into her tight passage way. Groaning, he began a short series of pushing in slightly and then withdrawing almost completely. It was the worst tease he had ever given himself, but it would ease her pain. When he had eased himself inside her enough to feel her hymen, he groaned. If he wasn't careful he was going to cum.

Pushing up, he sat on his knees between her thighs and pulled her closer to him. Her eyes were closed with passion, and he knew if he moved any further inside her, they would fly open with pain and alarm. Licking his thumb, he placed it on her clit and began to tease her. She groaned and bucked her hips against him. He gritted his teeth and continued his gentle assault. He felt her passage tightening on him as she began to climax. As her world shattered and she came, he pushed past her barrier and buried his seed into her warm womb. He cried out at the pleasure, promising his love and devotion with every shout. She in turn answered with her own vows of love.

Kell woke with a start. He'd had the dream again. Damn it. He told himself no more. It was torture. And he wasn't a fan of torture. Sitting up, he realized, he had moved in his sleep. He was at the bottom of the bed, his knees at an odd angle... as if he were making love in a position on his knees...

"Bloody rubbish." With that he stood up and rang for his valet.

Plantation Lancaster, 10 miles from Charleston, NC 2006

Katherine St. Claire woke up from the dream with a start. It had seemed so real. But it wasn't, she told herself, scolding. Flopping back on the pillows, she stared at the wall across the room. The morning sunshine shone through the shutters slightly, making the wall across the room a dazzling array of streaks. Every other morning, she loved to lay in bed for as long as she could get away with and just watch the streaks. Today, today she couldn't wait to get out of bed.

Pushing the blankets aside, she moved out of the bed, and cringed. Leaning down, she saw a smattering of something that wasn't vaginal liquid or blood or even urine on her thighs, seeping out of her vagina. Great, she thought. Not again. She didn't know what the substance was, but she would be damned if she believed what her first impression of it was. Sperm. She was a virgin for god's sake. She wasn't about to have sperm splattering her thighs in the morning. And she was NOT the virgin Mary either. Sure, the dreams had been going on for three months, every night for three months, but they would end soon. She knew they would.

Walking to the bathroom, she cringed. She had to go into town today. She had a doctors appointment in two hours. Great. Taking a shower she got dressed and did her make up in record time. Grabbing her purse, she bid goodbye to her grandmother and grandfather as they sat on the porch watching her leave.

THREE HOURS LATER

"That can't be right."

"I'm afraid that was what I said to Grandma." Katherine shook her head. "I'm a virgin, and I don't even date. How on Earth can I possibly be pregnant?"

"I don't know dear. I honestly don't know." That was something that had always drawn Katherine to her grandmother instead of her real mother. She believed her when she told her something. Grandma always believed her. No matter what.

"I need to get out of here for a little while, Gram. I need a change of pace, so I can figure out what I want to do about this." Gram nodded.

"Of course you do dear." She seemed to think for a minute. "Why not go on that trip you were going to take to England? Study all the castles and histories and all that?" Her grandmother smiled brightly. "Of course, that is exactly what you need, Katherine. I shall get the tickets and reservations going immediately!"

THREE DAYS LATER

Katherine stood, pressed against the car she had rented as she stared out at Warwick castle. Now it was a place where tourists could buy pamphlets on English history and they could learn about the past inhabitants, and walk through midieval halls so well preserved. Katherine shivered in the autumn breeze, as she looked at the castle. She felt so drawn to it, she couldn't explain it.

Shaking herself, she stepped away from the car and toward the ticket line. She would take the grand tour.

After touring the guard house, and the great hall, the tour began on the rooms above stairs. They visited a few before they visited the masters chambers. Katherine shivered as she looked at the settee that faced the bed, and the window that looked oh so familiar. The tour guide was ready to move on with the tour from that room, and began to lead everyone out.

Katherine stayed behind.

She felt so drawn to this room. To that bed. Closing her eyes, she knew who had once slept there. Kelloch. Who ever he was, had slept there, and she knew it in her bones that he had dreamed of her too. Her baby's father had slept in a bed that was so old, it was blocked by velvet ropes. Katherine felt herself slip into a chair at the edge of the room, and sob.

For some desperate reason she was mourning him. She had loved him, she thought a bit wildly. She had loved him, and she couldn't be with him. Time separated them in more ways than she could bare to count.

"What the bloody hell?!?" A man's shout brought her out of her sob, and scrambling for the door.

"I'm sorry. I thought that the chair was all right to sit it. I didn't realize it was an antique!" She said as she scrambled for the door.

"Who the bloody hell are you?"

At the inquisition, she stopped and turned a bit sheepishly back to the room. "Katherine St. Claire. I'm really sorry. Do you need to see my ticket?" When she looked up at the man, she almost fell back. He was dressed in early nineteenth century noblemen clothing. His hair pulled back into a neat pony with a leather strap. "Oh, who are you supposed to be?"

"I am the lord of this castle."

"Right." She said and rolled her eyes. Looking up at him fully, she stumbled backward and fell onto her hip. Jesus, it was him. Kelloch. Her heart began to race as she stared at his face, his hard body, and knew. Knew in her bones and every other part of her, that this was him. This was the man who fathered her child, the man who stole her heart in her dreams. The man she had never hoped to see.

"Kell..."

Kell looked at the girl who fell on the floor and wanted to swoon himself. It was Katherine, the Katherine of his dreams, he was certain. But how? He had been dressing by himself in the room when he suddenly herd weeping and she was there. Sitting at his chair weeping for all she was worth. He hadn't known if was her. Lord, if he had known, he wouldn't have shouted.

He had a sudden image of him falling to his knees and begging for her hand. He snorted at that. He was about to call a guard to escort her off his property, when she whispered his name. It was the same way she had whispered it in his dream. Like a shocked moan. "Katherine..." He took a hesitant step forward, and stopped himself. What were these feeling that were cascading over him. They were the same feelings he felt for her in the dream. Maybe this was a dream.

She stood slowly, watching him with careful eyes. "I have dreams..." she started and then stopped. "That sounds so stupid."

"Nay, it doesn't." Kell rushed out before he realized what he was saying. "I have them too, and they are completely about you, Katherine."

She looked at him with shiny eyes. "Please tell me this is real this time. I can't keep loosing you in my dreams every night. Please tell me I can keep you this time." She buried her face in her hands. "Please tell me you'll love me forever this time."

Kell was at her side, holding her closely, as tightly as he can to him. "I swear it to you Katherine. I promise you. I will love you with every breath in my body." That only seemed to make Katherine cry harder. "Love, don't cry..."

"Kell," She cried into his jacket, clinging to him. "Oh Kell.... I'm... I'm pregnant." Kell went stiff, and pulled away slowly.

"Is the child mine? This babe you carry?"

Katherine nodded. "I didn't understand. I'm a virgin, but every morning after the dream, I would wake up with sperm on me, and the doctor told me last week that I was pregnant. I don't even date!"

Kell smiled. "My love, this is a blessing."

Katherine looked up at him and smiled.

"Marry me, my sweet Katherine?"

"Oh yes, Kell."

Plantation Lancaster 2006

Elizabeth had taken the first flight to England she could get. Her granddaughter had last been seen at Warwick Castle, three weeks ago. She had looked in every space inside of the castles main floor, looking for any sign of Katherine, and finding none. She advanced with the help of the tour guides and the Scotland Yard to the upper level. As she walked past the masters chambers, she spotted a surprising painting.

"Miss," she called out to the tour guide. "Who is that young woman in the painting?"

With a smile, the woman answered. "Kelloch, the twelfth Duke Lancaster's wife, Lady Katherine. It was rumored that she was an elf, for one day she just appeared in the master's chambers and they were married the next day. It is said that she and the Duke were the happiest couple this castle has ever seen."

And just like that Elizabeth gave up her search. She knew what had happened to Katherine. And she couldn't have been happier for her.