A Midsummer Night's Fling

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Aithne

I'd spent a restless night tossing and turning, my meeting with William weighing heavily on my mind. It wasn't surprising when I awoke that my head pounded from lack of sleep.

Although the tears had slowly subsided, my thoughts lingered on my predicament. Torn between two good men, I wasn't sure what I should do. Staring through the window as the night sky gave way to dawn, I finally decided that worrying or crying wouldn't solve my dilemma. I was determined to enjoy the upcoming Midsummer event and focus on continuing my preparations. Pushing aside all thoughts, I left for Farnsworth Forest after completing my daily chores.

As I dropped my basket to the ground, I felt a small dash of satisfaction. With so many households also seeking the necessary herbs for tomorrow night's festival, I was nervous I'd find most of the plants gathered. For the past month I'd been exploring Farnsworth Forest for undiscovered groves. I stepped into my favored one this morning, I was grateful it was untouched.

Old wives tales or not, I believed that herbs not only held medicinal uses, but magical as well. It was vital that whatever I brought home for my family should bring us the greatest fortune in the upcoming seasons. I would leave nothing to chance.

The small enclosed area held what I needed—St. John's Wort, fern, vervain, and yarrow. The different colors were scattered throughout, and as I located the pretty yellow petals of the St. John's plant, I knelt beside them. I slid on my leather gloves and carefully began picking. It would do my family and me no good if I rushed and bruised the flowers. They needed to be in the most pristine condition to remain potent.

I began arranging them in the center of my basket and softly hummed a tune. Excitement was building about the festival tomorrow and I anticipated all the dancing. There would obviously be the exchange between William and me and my stomach fluttered at the thought. As the King and Queen, we would make vows before opening the Midsummer Night's gala with a dance. It was said the magical ceremony determined whether crops failed or everyone prospered. Even though I wasn't sure if it was true, since the long awaited honor was mine, I didn't want to let my village down.

Maybe he'll kiss me again. Images from yesterday flooded my mind, addling my senses. Refusing to get caught up in the swell of emotions I refocused on my task and pushed all visions of William aside.

My nose crinkled while I twirled the small flower between my two fingers. Even though it held the prettiest of yellow shades, there was no disguising the strong odor emanating from it. To me it was a shame—beautiful things deserved to have no such flaws, but my mother would tell me, in this case, it was a wise thing. The plant may hold strong medicinal value, but its other name, Chase Devil, made me shudder. The buds contained the power to ward off evil.

I wonder if there's a flower that could help me decide my heart, I mused.

The appearance of Hadrian and William in my mind caused me to unintentionally crush the flower in my hand. I dropped it to the ground and noticed the distinctive reddish liquid left behind on my gloves. Not wanting to soil my dress, I quickly wiped my hands over the grass, before I stood. My basket held enough St. John's, so I turned and spied the purple vervain bush. If I kept up this pace, my herb picking would be completed in no time and I'd have the rest of the day to myself.

"Hello, Aithne. I hoped I'd find you today."

My breath hitched. Magic truly was in the air if the mere thought of Hadrian brought him to me.

When I glanced up, my heart skipped a beat. There he stood, in all his glory, and —if it were possible—looking even more handsome than before. There was no denying that I found him appealing. My body instantly reacted, and guilt tugged at my heart as William was overshadowed by Hadrian's magnetic influence.