The Curse Conduit
Chapter 48

Just before dawn Elizabeth stirred. As she turned on her side she realised she was in Derek’s arms. Leaning in she kissed him gently on the cheek making him cuddle up to her a little more. She smiled and kissed him again. “I think I love you my knight.”

Derek sighed opening his eyes to see her smiling up at him. “Hey you woke up. How are you feeling?”

Elizabeth could see the concern in his eyes. “I’m okay. Just a bit of a wobble is all.” She paused knowing what she had to say would cause him more concern. “Derek…..I had a dream.”

Derek shuffled himself into a sitting position and Elizabeth mirrored his moves. Before he could say anything she continued. “I know what the King wants us to do. I know what he wants us girls to do.” She ran her hands through her hair. “Means I will have to cut my hair. We all need to look the same.”

The look that Derek gave her was full of love, love and concern. “Lizzie, whatever it is its too dangerous. I am scared to death about having to go into battle. I know the King does not want us to fight but so far all my dreams say we will. I don’t want you to get hurt. There has to be another way.”

Again she leant over and kissed him. “I don’t think we do get hurt Derek. I think my dream was the same as Uriah’s. We are in a time where people can be very suppositious and the King is going to use this to his advantage. You will see.”

Elizabeth went on to explain what she had seen in her dream. In a way Derek felt cheated. He had not dreamt at all the night before. He felt like his friends now had to take up the burden. He wondered who else had dreamt that night.

He would find out as they gathered for breakfast that Beth-Elena and Bethie had also had the same dream as Elizabeth and the women had set their minds to doing whatever they could to get them all back home and keep their men alive.

It was a sombre group that sat around Uri’s table that morning. Elizabeth had decided that after her little episode of weakness she was going to be strong, she was not going to be the weak link that let them down, no matter what happened. So with this new found determination she slapped her hands on the table and stood. “Okay ladies we are in need of some beauty treatment.” They all looked at her. “Uri and Declan need a shave.”

At her words both men put their hands to their faces. “Do I have any volunteers?”

With a smile and a giggle Beth-Elena put up her hand.

Uri grunted not at all sure he wanted that kind of attention. “I can attend to myself well enough thank you.” again he rubbed his face, they all laughed and Beth-Elena pouted. Declan got hold of her hand. “I would be honoured if you would assist me.”

His words brought a cheeky smile to Beth-Elena’s face and a booming laugh from Derek. “You may regret saying that Declan.”

Beth-Elena had moved to stand next to Declan so he pulled her into his lap and hugged her. “How could I regret any attention from such a beauty?”

Beth-Elena ran her hands through her hair. “Sister Elizabeth we will be in need of assistance also.”

Before anyone could answer Derek shouted. “I’ll volunteer.”

Elizabeth shot him a look not sure if he was being serious or just playing. “Derek have you ever cut anyone’s hair?”

Uriah answered emphatically for him with a resounding “No!” Making everyone laugh and giving Elizabeth the chance to swipe him gently across the back of the head.

Derek took her hand and kissed it.

Uri rose from the table. “We shall meet back here at the noon hour. I have made arrangements for us to leave at this time.”

Once again the room fell silent as they watched him leave.

Back in his own room Uri stood looking at himself in the mirror, again rubbing his hands over his face. His whole body shivered at the thought of Beth-Elena being that close, her hands touching his face, her breath on his skin. “No, it is best this way.”

The others had stayed in the hall and when Beth-Elena had finished shaving Declan he, Danny and Derek just stood looking at each other. They were indeed the same, very, very much the same. So much so it had brought them all too stunned silence. Just as they were getting used to this Uri walked in. He had pulled his hair back into a ponytail. They all gasped. Urian and Uriah rose and went to stand next to him. Uri could feel the tension in the air and again rubbed his hand over he now clean shaven face. “You do not approve?”

Elizabeth took a deep breath and walked over to the three men. She took Uri’s hands and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. We most certainly do approve.” She looked from him to Uriah and Urian. “I think the King’s plan will work looking at you three. No one is going to believe it is not sorcery.” She looked over to Derek, Declan and Danny. “Yes, two wizards that can replicate themselves. Surely this will put the fear of God into the enemy.” Elizabeth went to stand with her sisters. “And a sorceress who can do the same. All we need to do is get word to the other side that the King has some great magic at his disposal and we may have a very real advantage. Come on ladies we have a few changes of our own to make.”

The ladies left their men to ponder Elizabeth’s words. Uri speaking first. “Master Derek, the Lady Elizabeth, she is well recovered?”

Derek nodded. “Seems so Uri. She is far stronger than she gives herself credit. They all are.”

Declan nodded in agreement. “Maybe we should let our females fight these battles.”

Uriah had a grave look on his face as he spoke. “In our time they do Declan, they fight and they die alongside the men.”

Uri looked to Uriah a little shocked. “And your Kings they approve of this?”

Uriah only nodded. His thoughts had turned to his dreams and Elizabeth. He had hoped that she would stay asleep a little longer, hoping to change destiny. His own dreams the night before showed him that was not the case. They would be going into battle, all of them. The only thing his dream did not show him was the outcome. All the other times he had seen the deaths of his friends. This time nothing, it was his hope that this meant that they had changed destiny but his heart grieved for them all. “Derek did you dream last night?”

Derek shook his head. “Sorry Uriah, no. I guess it was the ladies turn.” He paused looking at Uriah understanding why he had asked the question. “But you did. Anything new?”

Uriah just shook his head; he did not want to give them any false hope. “No, same as they have been.”

Derek knew his friend well enough to know he was not telling them all but figured if it was important he would have let them know. Uri and Urian being connected to Uriah so closely also understood he was not saying all wondering what he was holding back.

“Do you think Elizabeth is right? I mean about all this sorcery stuff.” Danny’s eyes danced from one man to the other as he waited for a reply.

Again it was Uri that gave him his answer. “Many of my countrymen are very much affected by such things. What they do not understand or cannot explain they will blame on the black arts.”

“And you Uri. How do you feel about such things?” Danny’s question had them all listening intently for Uri’s answer.

Uri smiled. “I have been dreaming about Master Derek for many years. And yes at first I thought I had been bewitched even though I did not believe in such things. I may not understand things but with study many can be explained. Those that we call wizards and sorcerers are just men and women who have studied Mother Nature and what she has to offer. I have seen the potions they brew work for good and evil. But that is all they are, potions made from elements available to us all if we so desired.” Uri looked at them hoping his answer would be enough when Derek spoke up.

“But Uri, how do you explain us, how we got here. I mean I don’t go in for all that witches and goblin stuff myself but I can’t explain what has happened to us. I am here because of a curse. I don’t believe in such things”

“Yet you are here. Master Derek, if someone from your future was to visit you like you have come to us they may have the answers. There is much in this world we have yet to learn. Your presence has shown us that. No matter what time we are from we are all still learning.”

Urian gave them all a resounding “Amen”

Elizabeth, Beth-Elena and Bethie emerged from Beth-Elena’s room to run into young Geoffrey. He gasped and came to a sudden stop as he saw the three women approaching, they looked identical. Hair cut in the same short style as Bethie and Beth-Elena had dressed them in identical clothes. The only difference being the colour of their dresses. His eyes darted from one to the other as his heart raced. “Lady Beth-Elena?”

Each woman smiled at him remaining silent. Geoffrey knew that if they did not speak he would not be able to tell who was who. “Please your ladies one of you speak. I am afraid I do not know who my Lady Beth-Elena is.”

The three ladies could see the insecurity and fright beginning to well up in the young boy so Beth-Elena steeped forward. As soon as she spoke all his fear disappeared. “Do not fret young Geoffrey it is I.”

At her words the young boy threw his arms around her waist. “Lady Beth.”

The other ladies smiled as Beth-Elena untangled the young boy from around her, kneeling down so she could look him in the eyes. “I am still your Lady Beth.”

Geoffrey touched her hair gently. “I think Masters Uri and Declan will be surprised.”

Elizabeth spoke up. “You think?”

The young boy nodded. “If you do not speak, they will not know of which one you are.”

Beth-Elena placed her finger to her lips. “We shall keep this surprise to ourselves Master Geoffrey.”

The young boy smiled. “I shall not tell.” And he kissed Beth-Elena on the cheek before running down the hall.

Bethie smiled. “Ladies we could have some fun with our new look. Shall we see what mischief we can get into?”

Beth-Elena entered the hall first with Elizabeth and Bethie right behind her out of sight of the others. All the men smiled but as Elizabeth and Bethie stepped out to stand next to Beth-Elena their smiles disappeared. It was impossible to tell the women apart.

Derek and Danny whistled and Declan’s jaw dropped. How was it possible that he could not tell which one of the beauties that stood before him was his Beth-Elena? Uri, Urian and Uriah smiled all having similar thoughts. That their females where not above having a little fun at their expense.

Declan took a few steps forward still looking from one woman to the other, looking for some small clue that would show him who was who. Taking a deep breath he took the hand of the woman to the right. “Beth-Elena?”

This was in fact Elizabeth and there was something in the way that she shook her head that alerted Derek to this. He jumped forward as Declan was trying to figure out where his Beth-Elena was.

“That’s Elizabeth Declan!”

Declan shot him a look. “But how can you know this, they are all the same.”

Derek took Elizabeth’s hand. “I am right aren’t I?”

As soon as she spoke they all knew he had been right and he hugged her.

Meanwhile Bethie and Beth-Elena waited for Declan and Danny to choose. With both men standing side by side the ladies knew if they had been dressed in the same clothes it would have been very hard for them to distinguish between them.

Declan did not want to choose again and be wrong and Danny was trembling inside. “Derek how did you do that. These girls are identical.”

From behind them Uriah spoke up. “Maybe I can help.”

Walking between Declan and Danny Uriah stood in front of Beth-Elena, took her hand and kissed the back of it then guided her over to Declan. “I believe that you will find this is you Lady Beth-Elena.”

Declan looked from Uriah to the woman now standing in front of him. “Bea?”

“Yes Declan it is I.”

Declan hugged her to him and Danny went to hug his wife while Derek asked the question that was on all their lips. “Uriah how could you possibly have known. It was only because of the way Lizzie shook her head I had any clue it was her.”

Uriah smiled. “My dreams. I saw them in my dreams dressed exactly as they are now.”

They all laughed and for a few moments the atmosphere was light, all thoughts of battles lost in the sounds of laughter.

Young Geoffrey bolted from his vantage point to tell his friends of what he had seen.

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