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Post by CelticLass91 on Jul 29, 2010 15:43:06 GMT -5
Let me know if you like it so I can post the next part! The three men sat around the fire; each with their family. George sat with his arm around his wife while his daughter sat at his feet throwing sticks into the fire. Keith sat with his baby daughter asleep in his arms and his son sat between him and his wife. Damian sat on the ground, leaning on the log his wife and son were sitting on. “Papa, will you tell us the story of how the gypsy Ryan won the heart of the Lady, King Paul was to marry?” George’s daughter asked continuing to toss sticks in the fire. George looked to each of the men’s faces and answered his daughter with a smile. “Aye lass, but you do know it is not just a story?” His daughter nodded her head, knowingly. George continued “Damian, why don’t you start the story? You were the first to see the gypsies.” Keith agreed with George. “Yeah, Damo!” Keith looked down at his sleeping daughter and continued more softly. “You were the one to see them first. I was at my post in the castle, guarding the Lady Bethany when the gypsies arrived.” Sighing, Damian agreed. “Fine. I’ll start but you‘ll have to help tell the story.” He waited for the men to agree, then began. “Years ago when I was still a young lad that helped out around the castle. I was on an errand for the cook. She had told me to go and fetch water for Leah” He pointed over to Keith’s wife. “So she could clean the dishes. That’s when I saw that the gypsies had arrived. Three of them had come to our hall door. Brave and bold they were. You could tell by their manner and the way they carried themselves. After I had gotten the water I snuck back to hear why they gypsies had come. They were asking for permission to keep their caravan in the field near us. I remember their request would be granted if they would come and join the Lady at dinner that night then perform songs before they left.” Damian looked around at the kids to make sure they were paying attention and seeing they were wide eyed and hanging on every word he continued. “Of course they agreed and walking through the hall they left. Two of them singing; one sang high and the other sang low, his voice melding with the other gypsy‘s. Before I snuck back to the kitchen I heard our Lady singing softly the words “raggle taggle gypsy o” before leaving the room herself.” Stopping, Damian turned to Keith. “I do believe the next part of the story should be told by you.” Clearing his Throat, Keith sat up straighter shifting the baby in his arms and took over the story.
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Post by CelticLass91 on Jul 30, 2010 12:23:11 GMT -5
Thanks guys for the comments! I really appreciate it! “The moon was full that night as the gypsies made their way to the castle…..” Keith paused for a dramatic effect making Damian and George roll their eyes. “That night I stood in the door way of the great dinning hall, keeping guard over M’lady Bethany. Only a handful of gypsies had come. The three from earlier in the story and five others; three woman and two men.” Keith quirked his eyebrow at the kids now seated all around him and smiled. “Aye, HE was one of the two men.” Keith paused suddenly with a concerned look on his brow when his daughter started to stir. He looked over at his wife and whispered for her to hold the baby. She complied. “Now go finish your tale.” Leah smiled at her husband and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Keith instead of staying seated on the log, got up and stood in-between the children and the fire. “The gypsy Ryan and Lady Bethany sat talking, sometimes even whispering. Though I stood to faraway to hear. I didn’t trust him. He dressed in dark colors with his black hair slicked back to the side.” Keith shook his head at the memory, the fire light casting shadows through his long hair. “Soon after the meal was finished we headed over to the hall for the gypsies dance and music. The music was fast and the dances consisted of twirls and clapping.” Keith did a fast spin while clapping his hands to demonstrate while the children laughed and clapped along to the tune Damian and George had started to hum. Keith stopped spinning and his smile slipped from his face. “It was soon before the gypsies were to leave, when the lady Bethany left the hall. I followed her upstairs and stood out side her door and waited for her to come back out. When she did. she was wearing her suit of leather that she wore when riding. I didn’t ask why we would be riding, for that wasn’t my place. I followed a safe distance behind as we took the stairs to the stable. When we arrived the gypsies were already seated on their horses and ready to leave. The stable boy brought me my horse and Ryan held the reins to Lady Bethany’s horse while she mounted. Then we were off!” Keith through his hand out dramatically in the air. “We rode through the fields to where the gypsies had made camp and dismounted. Our horses where led away by a gypsy I hadn’t met before. I didn’t like the idea of Lady Bethany out their with the rogues. But what was I to do? I couldn’t force her to go back to the great hall.” Keith paused collecting his thoughts. Though he enjoyed telling the story to the kids, he never liked telling the next part. It made him feel like he had failed back then. He’d had one job. Protect Lady Bethany and he hadn’t been able to keep her from gallivanting away with the gypsies. Leah sensing her husbands discomfort spoke up.
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Post by CelticLass91 on Jul 31, 2010 5:53:42 GMT -5
Here is a longer update! Enjoy!
“Aye, ‘tis not your fault the gypsies held you back while she willingly left with the gypsy Ryan.” Leah turned to look at the kids. “The Gypsies jumped Keith and took his sword while the Lady Bethany mounted her horse and followed Ryan, racing out of the camp. When the gypsies knew Ryan and his lady were a safe distance away they freed Keith and packed up their small caravan and headed out. Keith found a horse and pushed it the limit back to the castle.” Damian’s son interrupted Leah with a question.
“Why didn’t Keith go after the Lady Bethany when he was freed?” He asked confused.
“Keith knew that the gypsies had held him long enough for her and Ryan to have changed the direction he had seen them leave and they could be heading anywhere. So he went to get a search party together.” Leah told him. “I saw Keith as he ran though the hall shouting “The Lady Bethany! She’s away with that raggle taggle gypsy!” She paused remembering. “Keith got every able body man to go out and search the fields in the countryside leaving us woman at the castle with just a few guards. I knew that prince Paul would be returning soon for he had been visiting with a neighboring kingdom and was to arrive late that night. I also knew somebody would have to tell him the woman he intended to marry had gone with the gypsies. That’s when I saw Prince Paul stride into the hall. Now King Paul, Prince at the time, was a kind man who took care of his servants and even knew some by name. When Prince Paul saw me standing there he made his way toward me with a questioning expression on his face. I knew then I would have to be the one to tell him about his lady…”
* ~ * ~ * ~ *
She searched the castle un till she found the king leaning over his desk, pondering over a stack papers. She stood in front of him, her pale blue night gown just touching the floor.
“Papa! You promised you would tell me the next part of the story!” Startled, Paul glanced over at his daughter, hiding a smile while pretending to ponder his decision before answering.
“Well….” Paul grinned. “Aye, I think I could tell you the next part.” Watching his young daughter squeal in excitement, he took her hand and they headed to her room. She settled in on the bed as Paul sat on the edge facing her.
“Lets see…where did I leave off?” He asked her, feigning forgetfulness.
“You remember! The gypsy Ryan and the Lady Bethany had left, leaving her guard to gather a search party.”
“Ah! Yes. Now I remember.” Paul took a deep breath and continued the story. “I had been gone for a week on business and was returning back to the castle late that night, eager to see the Lady Bethany. I rode straight up to the door and passed my horse off to a young servant boy. I was curious to find hardly a soul roaming the castle but when I entered the hall I saw one of the servant women, who seemed nervous upon seeing me.” Paul paused, thinking about the servant girl. How she had lost her seemingly nervous expression and exchanged it for a look of resolve as he had drawn nearer.
“What happened next?” Paul’s daughter eagerly asked, though she had heard the story many times.
Paul sighed, “When I reached her I looked around the hall and asked, “Where has everybody gone? Where is the Lady Bethany?” Impersonating the woman, Paul drew in a lung full of air and let it out in a girly voice. “M’lord, the Lady Bethany, she ran away with the raggle taggle gypsies!” Paul grinned at his daughter’s laughing face and continued on. “I stared at her a moment, letting the news sink in, before I turned on my heal and stalked out of the hall. I was going to the stables. I had to go and search for the Lady-” Paul and his daughter looked up at the sound of a throat clearing.
“Alright you two. Time for you to sleep.” Said a smiling woman, staring at the two in the bed.
“Aw, Mama! Do I have to?” The pleading little girl asked. Paul leaned over and kissed the top of her head.
“You heard your mother! We have to do what she says.” She looked up at them, silently pouting. Making her mother and father laugh.
“Ah, don’t worry my sweet. We shall finish the story tomorrow night. I promise.” Paul said, as his wife gave their daughter a kiss and with a wave left the room. Paul turned to follow.
“Papa, do you wish you had married Lady Bethany instead of Mama?” When Paul heard that question he raised an eyebrow at her.
“No. If I hadn’t married the most beautiful woman…I wouldn’t have the most beautiful little girl.” He smiled at her. “I love you and your mother more then life itself.” He watched her smile at that and drift of to sleep. Paul walked down the corridor un till he reached his and his wife‘s chambers. Opening the door to see her waiting on him, Paul still couldn’t believe he was the lucky man to call her his wife…..
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
“Then the Prince turned and stormed off toward the stables...” Leah said, finishing her part of the story. She looked at George.
“Aye, storm he did! I’d never seen him like that before. He came through the stable doors in a flurry, glancing this way and that till he spotted me. He yelled, “George! I need a horse!” I quickly passed of the two mares I had been leading outside to Damian who had been helping me in the stables.“ He smiled fondly over at Damian. “So I moved as fast as my legs could take me over to his big, black horse and started to saddle him up but he stopped me with a look and said. “Saddle for me my fast, milk white steed. My big, black horse does not have the speed I need this night!” I brought the horse over to, at the time Prince Paul, the horse he had requested. I stood outside the stable door as he rode passed through. He stopped beside me and said. “George, my faithful servant. I will ride and seek all over for my bride whose away with that raggle taggle gypsy!” And with that he spurred his horse toward the east…..” George continued on telling the story, long into the night by the fire’s side.
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Post by CelticLass91 on Aug 4, 2010 15:24:02 GMT -5
This is the end! I really enjoyed writing it! Though I'm kinda sad its over.... I really hope you enjoy it! * ~ * ~ * ~ * The group of children looked on with attention and some, curiosity, at the man who spoke; for the younger children had not heard the story before. They sat still waiting for the ending to the story, the adults lingering behind them quietly, also listing. “We were told by our scouts and villagers over many a long months, that the prince had headed East then West, searching for his bride. When he didn’t find her the Prince searched North and South, also. We had begun to think we would never be found. Our little caravan of gypsies had made camp in a wide open field miles from anything.” Ryan looked over the crowd of faces as he said, “Two years passed. Bethany had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl.” He looked over and grinned at his wife. “But at the end of the two years, we were found.” He saw the eyes of the younger children widen in shock. Then glance from a woman in the crowd back to him with a questioning look. “Bethany and I had decided to take the twins on a walk. They were only about a year old then. When we were almost out of sight of the caravan, a white horse appeared over the crest of the hill that we stood at. Bethany and I could tell the rider was Prince Paul and that he had spied us as he slowed his horse to a stop.” Ryan paused when he heard a voice. “What did Prince Paul do? Did he try and take Bethany back with him?” One of the little girls asked, quietly enough that Ryan had to lean in to hear. He smiled down at the little girl. “No, Paul nudged his horse slowly forward down the hill to meet us. Bethany and I stood, each holding one of the twins as he approached.” Ryan remembered how Bethany had sidled closer to him, allowing him to wrap his free arm around her as they had waited. “He stopped his horse in front of us, so close I could feel the horses warm breath on my arm. He had a dazed look as his eyes moved from Bethany’s worried face to mine, and lastly, the twins. Then he said, “Is this what you truly want, Bethany?“ Paul waved his hand around, “To live out here…?” Then Paul looked down at Bethany and sighed, “Are you happy, with him?“ Ryan trailed off as he glanced up to look at his wife who had walked up to join him. “That’s when I replied, “Yes, Paul. I’m happy with him” and I leaned over and kissed my Gypsy Ryan, like this.” Bethany turned meeting Ryan’s lips with hers and smiled through their kiss as she felt his arms wrap around her while ignoring the assembly of friends clapping around them……….. Fin~
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Post by celticbear on Aug 4, 2010 23:03:29 GMT -5
Tam I love the ending, just one thing who did Paul end up with? Great interpatation of "Raggle Taggle Gypsy" Can't wait to read more of your stuff.
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Post by CelticLass91 on Aug 5, 2010 14:12:02 GMT -5
Thanks guys! i ran back and forth with the ending...was going to have it end with Bethany telling ryan she was pregnant ...but decided i like the short and sweet. CB! thanks! i was going to have something in the story about who Paul married but thought better of it...felt like it took away from who the story was really about. but oh well.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2010 15:33:22 GMT -5
Aw, that would have been sweet too.
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