Cursed 2

TWENTY ONE

In the least lit room of the house, Caili was making awkward movements with her father's sword when her mother burst into the room.

“Caili, what are you doing with that?! Let it go! If your father sees you, he will be angry.”

The girl carefully put the sword where it was and her mother held her by the shoulders guiding her into the hall.

“I know you disagree with Darrel's proposal of marriage and we honestly hope that still stands despite what happened. That's why your father called your uncle so you could talk to him. He just arrived, maybe he will give you another perspective on the matter.”

Reluctantly the girl headed downstairs where a robed man was sitting in the living room. That man was Abbot Wicklow, his father's brother.

“You are more beautiful than the last time I saw you Caili.”

“Glad to see you uncle. You haven't been to Castle Combe in a long time.”

“Unfortunately God has all my time. But now I'm here, your parents called me worried, they say you do not want to commit to a good Christian.”

“I hadn't even thought about getting married, I don't want to be anyone's wife. Tell them what they want to do to me is a mistake.”

In silence Alexandre and Briana watched Abbot Wicklow nervously as they waited for him to speak.

“Caili... God created woman as a bespoke companion for man--”

“What? I don't think that was so...” she replied interrupting the abbot.

“It doesn't matter what you think” he continued, “young women like you have to learn to be good wives.”

“But the witch is nobody's wife!”

At that moment, the girl regretted releasing those hasty words that came out of her mouth. Abbot Wicklow's face darkened.

“The witch?! The witch is a demonic being Caili. Don't compare yourself to her and don't mention her again.”

His harsh voice was full of anger as he lectured the girl who had been very innocent thinking that her uncle could support her.

At the end of the exhausting conversation, Caili wanted to see Nora and Owen and tell them about the undesirable proposal since she had not seen them since. She opened the window of his room and climbed carefully down by the tree that was attached to the facade, sneaking out to the town square to see them. Her parents hated that she was with her friends because people would see her daughter interact with lower class people, so she usually met with them in secret.

When she reached the square, Nora and Owen were sitting by the stone fountain like every afternoon. The boy, who was always eating, was stuffing a jam-filled muffin into his mouth when Caili approached.

“Where have you been? You haven't appeared for days” Nora said with intrigue waiting for an answer that never came.

Caili leaned dejectedly against the fountain and sighed looking up at the cloudy sky before blurting out some unexpected words.

“I want to be a knight...” she murmured suddenly observing the shapes of the clouds while her friends looked at her in amazement.

“That's not possible Caili, girls can't be knight” Owen said when he suddenly howled in pain putting a hand to his knee from the kick that Nora gave him.

“Don't listen to him, all he thinks about is eating. I think you would do very well” Nora said showing him a kind smile.

The three of them were silent in the empty plaza that without the local market could only hear the sound of Owen chewing his bun.

“You know, I want something too” Nora broke the silence.

“Really? What?” Caili asked looking at her.

“I want to see what's beyond this town, get out of here. I'm tired of seeing the same trees and houses day after day” she said and paused before continuing, “The three of us could leave here together! Caili becomes a knight, I get out of this little town and Owen... well, Owen can take care of the horses.”

“What? Is that what I am for you? A simple stable boy?” he replied with annoyance.

“Well, you're also a blacksmith's apprentice so you're the one who knows the most about horses” argued Nora as she played with her curls that fell on her forehead.

“You're cruel Nora, I thought he was your friend.”

“Of course you are, you idiot.”

The girls started laughing when drops of water began to fall from the sky with force.

“I'm not going to leave here anyway. Castle Combe is my home and I like my trade” he decreed.

“Neither will I be able to go with you Nora... nor will I be able to become a knight” Caili said breathing slowly before releasing the big news, “my parents have arranged a marriage for me without my permission to the son of a wealthy family from a nearby town. My life is a disaster, they have even made plans after the wedding and I will have to go with him far from here to a big city.”

Her friends were surprised again, that day was full of surprises. Caili kicked the ground violently in anger kicking up dust from the sand.

“They can't make you to do something like that” Owen said trying to relax the atmosphere.

“You know that my father has gambling debts and by marrying me to a more powerful family we will rise in status and influence and will be able to pay them off much faster.”

“I don't get it. Who would want a girl with so few tits?” Nora scoffed not knowing what to say trying to hide her sadness while thinking that it was a matter of time before her best friend went far away with her future husband and that their days together would come to an end.

Caili wanted to write her own story, but others were already writing it for her.