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warmed his heart although at first he feared the rituals would
be too much for the soon to be mother. But as he found out,
she was as much a warrior as he was and he loved her for it.
He had no fear that she could take care of herself if the need
ever arose, but he prayed to the Goddess that would never
come to pass.
On this late summer day, Rowan was heading out to make
sure the harvesting was going smoothly. Angus was already
at the orchard overseeing the crops there, which left the
fields for Rowan's inspection.
"I will not be gone long, my love." Rowan said as he kissed
Kira for the third time before mounting his horse.
She giggled and tried to help him on his way.
"I will be safe. You do the same, my lord." She replied as
she stepped away from his horse.
Rowan smiled down at his beautiful wife, then jabbed his
heels into his horse's flanks and took off like a shot.
The sooner he left, the sooner he could return and once
again hold his beloved in his arms. He had become quite
addicted to her he rationalized as he left the castle behind.
The past several months had been turned into pure bliss
for him. Each night he made love to her as if they would
never awaken from their slumber. Then each morning when
they awoke in each other's arms, they would do it all over
again, before the day would intrude upon their peacefulness.
He had never imagined loving someone as much as he
loved his wife. He was truly blessed with more happiness than
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he thought any human being could have. Once the baby was
born he would truly have a happy family.
He hadn't wanted to leave Kira at the keep alone. They still
had not found the spy among them and that meant danger
for everyone there. Usually either he or Angus stayed behind
in case of any incident, but this time it wasn't to be. Harvest
time was a busy time for the land of Kells. Everyone pitched
in to bring in the harvest to the keep and put in the granary
for distribution over the winter. It was still too early for the
slaughtering. That would come in another month or so. The
meat would be cleaned and smoked and hung just before
winter set in, then divided amongst his people as they needed
it for their winter food. It had been a good custom so far,
bringing much food to those who ordinarily would have very
little over the winter. He knew there were many land owners
that nearly starved their people during the winter so they
could feast a plenty. He disliked those people greatly. This
system had worked for their clan and its people for
generations. There was no need to change it now.
Rowan knew this year would be plentiful indeed, for their
fields had been bountiful and the orchards full and bursting all
season. The cattle and sheep herds had been blessed with
many births and there had been more deer spotted within the
forests even with the nocturnal activity of late. He was very
proud of Kira for she had helped prepare the fruits and
vegetables for the coming winter months. She seemed to
enjoy the camaraderie with the older ladies of the village. He
was pleased that his people seemed to love their new
mistress. His heart swelled with pride.
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Kira watched Rowan ride out of the gates as they closed
behind him. The ladies from the village waved to her as she
started her slow assent back into the keep where she was
overseeing the cleaning of the rushes and the last cleansing
of the great hall before the great celebration. Soon the feast
of Mabon would be upon them and the harvesting would be
over and celebration would begin.
There was much to do to prepare for the feast of Mabon.
The whole village would attend the feast and the rituals would
begin. It was Kira's duty to perform these rituals for she was
the Lady of the Keep and the healer of the people. Of course
Rowan would be by her side throughout the entire night, for
he was the Lord of the Keep and it was his duty to reside over
the whole affair. She was sure that he wasn't quite thrilled
about that aspect. As she suspected, he would much prefer to
keep her in their room while he taught her the finer points of
making love. She giggled softly to herself as the thought
raced through her mind.
Kira loved what Rowan did to her body every night since
they were wed. The way his lips would softly touch hers in a
delicate kiss, letting his tongue dance across their lips while
his large hands roamed freely over her breasts and down her
stomach, creating an ache deep inside that only he could
satisfy.
She swiftly put the thoughts of their lovemaking aside for
it would be a long day before Rowan was to return to her
arms. To get her mind in another direction, she thought of
the feast ahead. She was looking forward to the celebration.
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This would be her first Mabon festival as a married woman
and she would have Rowan at her side.
Whenever they would celebrate the autumn equinox in her
village she had always took pleasure in it from afar for she
was never welcomed into its midst. Tainted blood offended
the goddess Modren and her son Mabon. Now that she was a
married woman and expecting a child, she hoped she did not
offend the goddess with her presence. After all, it was her
duty to set the mood of the festival and bring health and
prosperity to their people. She hoped it would be a grand
festival that their people would be proud of.
The day went fairly smooth for all the hustle and bustle of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]