The Knight's Mysterious Maid-Chapter 291: Iris (2)

Annalise changed from her dress to pants and a shirt then made her way over to her grandmother’s house which was a little out of the way from all the other homes. She was occasionally stopped by everyone who spotted her to be hugged and then asked about her time away from home.

Annalise could not be any happier than when she finally got away from the crowd and spotted her grandmother’s house.

A smile quickly formed as she spotted her grandmother standing outside in her little garden looking down at her as she made her way up.

"You must teach me this skill of how you know when I am coming," Annalise said.

"It is not a skill. There are only two reasons why there is so much noise today. There is either trouble or my granddaughter has returned. Come inside," Celeste said, moving to go inside right as Annalise stood in front of her.

"No hug?" Annalise questioned, still following her grandmother inside.

"Why do I need to greet you with a hug? I always knew you would return safe and sound. You were just gone longer than I thought. What have you come to me to talk about?"

"Well," Annalise said, pushing the vines growing by the door out the way. She looked around at the new plants her grandmother added inside her home. "I thought you would want to hear about my trip and there is something I need to ask you."

Celeste cleared the small table she used of the herbs and flowers she picked. Learning if they had any special uses could wait. She sat down and started to pour the little water she had left in a jug into a cup for Annalise to have. "Sit and tell me what it is," she said.

Annalise sat down at the table and watched as the cup with water was pushed toward her. "Grandmother, do you know of anyone who might have fallen in love with a man named Nicolas Callahan? It should have been around your time," Annalise said, tapping her finger on the edge of the cup.

Celeste didn’t expect this was what Annalise wanted to talk to her about. She thought Annalise would have come to her second-guessing everything she was told in the past. Still, she smiled as the name brought back memories. "That’s a name I have not heard in a long time," she answered.

"Grandmother, please say that you were not his lover," Annalisa said, looking up from the water to her grandmother.

Celeste looked around for her stick to tap Annalise on her head with. "Of course not. I only loved your grandfather."

Annalise sighed in relief. She didn’t want to hear about her grandmother and Rafael’s grandfather, even though they were not related by blood, being lovers in the past.

"But there was also that fellow before your grandfather. He was a passionate one, but I got a sign he wasn’t the one for me. Why are you asking about that man? You know your father hates to hear the Callahan name," Celeste said, curious about what Annalise found. She knew something good would come from sending Annalise away.

"There is an orphanage in one of the towns with our markings that let us know where it is safe for us to be. Rafael said his grandfather didn’t have a bad opinion about us and passed that down to him. He spoke of his grandfather having a lover who disappeared one day. I just thought that it might be someone from here," Annalise answered.

"Many know his name because he was the father of River Callahan. I knew of him from a friend of mine who travelled a long way from home like you did. I’ve kept her secret about her little romance with him until now," Celeste said, standing up to look for something she kept all these years.

Annalise couldn’t believe her theory that Nicolas’s lover came from the border was true. She thought she was thinking too much about it, but she was right. She could hardly stay still in her seat as she wanted to see what her grandmother was searching for.

Celeste returned with a small box and placed it on the table. A key was inside the lock to open it. "It was something she came home with. Something to hold her memories. She gave the key to me so I could open it to see her treasures," Celeste said, turning the key to open the box. "I have only seen what was inside once when she told me all her stories."

Annalise leaned forward, excited to see what was in the box.

Inside the box were a dried-up flower, letters, a handkerchief, and other random things that seemed to have been collected at different times.

"The most valuable one to her was this," Celeste said, placing a ring on the table. "They were going to get married or maybe they did. She kept that a secret. "

"Why didn’t they?" Annalise asked, not seeing why this woman returned home if life seemed to be good where she was. Was this woman like her with responsibility she couldn’t stay away from? "What was her name?"

"Iris always had a weak body. It was what made her want to explore more of the world before anything happened to her. She was a dear friend of mine. Someone who didn’t question my ways of being close to the world. She came to me one night and asked that I leave with her. We were going to return once we saw enough. I agreed," Celeste revealed.

"However, when the time neared I changed my mind. I don’t regret that I did because I spent so much time with your grandfather and ended up marrying him. Iris thought of staying, but I told her something good might happen if she followed her heart so she went out on her own. I didn’t see her for two years, but then one day she returned with a group who wanted to be where they belonged."

"She was quiet and I thought something awful might have happened to her. To my surprise, she smiled and revealed her story about the man she fell in love with. Iris told him where she was from and he protected her. The only reason she came home was because her body was growing weaker and she knew she didn’t have much time left. She wanted to die in the place she was born. That was why she returned," Celeste said, pushing the box toward Annalise.

"I had two weeks of hearing her stories before she passed away. You can keep the box from now on. I am not getting any younger so I would like to pass on her memories to someone who will keep them safe for me. Oh, the orphanage," Celeste said, remembering it now. "She told me there was somewhere for people like her seeking help. I didn’t know it was an orphanage."

"I would have loved to meet her," Annalise said, saddened by the news that Iris was dead.

"Is it because you worry about your lover?" Celeste questioned.

"W-What?" Annalise stuttered, leaning back in her chair. She covered her chest, fearing what her grandmother might have seen. "I don’t have a lover."

"I was just teasing you, but it seems like there is one. This is a safe place, child. I won’t share anything you say. Not even with your father. Like I did with Iris, I will give you an honest answer to what I think you should do. After all, I sent you out because there was this feeling inside of me that you might bring change. Maybe find a way to end this war," Celeste said.

"End the war? I think what I did might start a new one if my father finds out. Like Iris, I might have fallen for a Callahan," Annalise confessed.

"Oh," Celeste said, her eyes widening. "Yes, that could start another if your father found out. I don’t see it to be a bad union. You are our future leader and the Callahans lead an army of knights. You two are in great positions to be the voices of reason to end so many lives being lost, so why don’t you try? Or is it that you think you won’t be loved once he knows?"

"I see," Celeste said after Annalise lowered her head. "Annalise, I believe everything happens for a reason. You went there and fell in love with him of all people. You will never know if he will continue to love you if you don’t show him who you really are."

"It’s a little too late for that since I have come home. Father won’t let me out of his sight and I am to start joining him at the front of our army. I missed my chance," Annalise said, regretting not being honest with Rafael when she had the chance.

"Something is telling me you will get another chance," Celeste said, closing her eyes as she felt a familiar breeze passing by her.