'Separation:

Your absence has gone through me
Like thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched with its color.'

-W.S. Merwin
***

The Palace;

Maya rearranged the pleats of her gown as she made her way through the corridors. Her heart thudded with anticipation. After more than a week of being away from her Edward, she had been forced to acknowledge the fact that she could not bear to distance herself further from him.

As soon as he was back, she would tell him exactly how much she loved him.
They would face all the difficulties together. He had never failed to show her how much he loved her. Now it was her turn. She knew that as long as she had his support, she would be able to overcome all her demons.

Maya's thoughts were interrupted, however, as she neared the end of the corridor. Her feet slowed and the smile on her face dimmed as she heard the commotion near the stairway.

"What is wrong?"

She frowned as she saw the Queen standing there, looking every bit as agitated as the maids surrounding her.
King Eric stood a few feet away, tension etched on his face as he gave instructions to a group of soldiers.

"Mother, what happened?"

Queen Catherine turned towards her with an anxious face. She made her way to Maya, not once averting her worried eyes from her.

"Maya, it is alright. He will be fine."

Maya's knees almost buckled with the shock of her words.

"What do you mean, mother? Where is Edward? Please tell me what happened!"

Queen Catherine gently held her hands in hers and spoke in a sympathetic tone-

"He was on his way, my dear. But th- the rebels ambushed his carriage..."

"Ambushed! But, how could they? Where is he now?"

Maya made little efforts to calm her erratically beating heart, clinging instead, on the words of her mother-in-law.

"Do not worry, Maya. One of the horsemen was able to ride here, to warn us. We have sent our best Knights. He would be fine."

Maya saw the conviction in the other woman's eyes and forced herself to calm down.

"But, what if they were too late?"

Her voice was much more composed as she grabbed onto the Queen's hands.

Catherine shook her head firmly.

"He was not far from here. Have faith in him, my dear. Have faith in the Lord and your love. My son will be back soon."

Maya took a shuddered breath as she allowed Catherine to pull her in a warm embrace.

She closed her eyes tightly, wishing for it to be a nightmare she would soon wake up from. The first tear escaped soon afterwards.

She could not survive if she lost Edward. No! Not after losing her mother, grandma and her son...

She prayed to the Lord to return her husband to her and vowed to never repeat her mistake. She would spend the rest of her life loving him.

Oh, Edward! Come home...
__________________________________

Bradford Estate;

Emma stood still, wringing her hands, as she waited for Brandon. She knew she had very little time. She had to tell him the truth before she lost her courage.

Her wait did not last long, as the very next moment, a worried Brandon made his way into the parlour.

"Emma! What are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

Emma blinked back the tears prickling her eyes as she looked at his worried face. She instinctively felt her burden lighten.
He would know what to do...

"No, Bran. I am alright."

Her words did little to calm Brandon. He drew neared to her as he scrunched his brows.

"Then why are you here? Emma, I told you not to visit me. It would do you no good to come here alone. What would happen if someone told your father about your visit?"

Emma knew he meant well, but his words caused her resolve to waver. For a second, she began to doubt whether she had done the right thing in coming here.

"I know. But I had something to tell you. And it could not wait till our next meeting."

The urgency of Emma's tone, alerted Brandon's mind. When the maid had announced that she was here to see him, he had been struck by fear. They had decided to never visit each other. For Emma to be here, there had to be something urgent.

Now, as he stood facing her apprehensive face, he suddenly felt caution grip him.

"What is it?"

Emma seemed to hesitate before she looked him straight into the eyes and spoke the words that sent the ground beneath his feet reeling.

"I am with child, Bran."

Brandon's mind numbed as the weight of her revelation bore down upon him. With child?

"I- I do not understand..."

Emma felt her doubt grow further when she saw the look of bewilderment on his face. On her way to the Bradford Estate, Emma had debated about what she would do. Though she was terrified by this new development, she could not ignore the fact that a miniscule part of her was elated at the thought of her carrying their child.

However, now, as she witnessed the stricken expression on Brandon's face as he assimilated her words, she was forced to reconsider.

"You heard me, Bran. I-"

Her tentative words were interrupted by his sudden, fervent voice,
"No! How could it be possible?"

"Bran..."

Emma felt her trepidation growing stronger with each passing second. She had expected him to be shocked; distressed even. But she had never once imagined him being this angry. His eyes held an ominous look and his features were tightened with anger.
Emma felt an instant need to brace herself from the onslaught that she feared awaited her.

"Why are you here?"

She took in a shuddered breath before answering his question in a pleading tone,

"Why are you saying that? You know why! This is your child. I am scared, Bran. I am so scared...I do not know what will happen if Papa gets to know of this. What should I do? Tell me you are there with me. Bran?"

Her appeals were met with his blank, almost inanimate face.

Brandon felt a violent urge to run away. It felt like vines of consternation were twisting around his gut, pulling him into the abyss of pain. The sheer thought of being a father, terrified him.

Suddenly the image of his own child floated in front of his eyes.
His child- looking at him with eyes full of hatred and disgust.

Beads of sweat lined Brandon's forehead as he forced the image out of his mind.
No! He could not allow that. He would never make a good father. With the blood of his own father running through his veins, Brandon could hardly hope to be any better than him.

He would never let Emma suffer the way his mother had suffered; even if it meant dissociating himself from her life. She and the child would be better off without him. His presence would bring only pain and agony in their lives.

Brandon felt his palms shake and brought them behind his back. He could not fall weak. When he spoke next, his voice was cold and impervious,

"Why did you come here, Emma? How would I know what you should do? I already told you at the start. We do not have a future.
What did you expect me to say? Do you expect me to marry you? you know I cannot do that Emma!"

Emma's face blanched as his words seared their way through her heart. She gasped, pressing her palm to her chest, trying to sooth her pain.

"Bran, please."

Brandon' jaw clenched at her imploring tone. Her pain was palpable and it took everything in him to stop himself from comforting her. However, he could not help but soften his voice as he spoke again, allowing her to see the frustration and diffidence in his eyes.

"No, Emma. I- I am sorry. I cannot... Please. I do not know what you should do. But-"

Emma could not bear to hear another word.
She had seen what she needed to see. His eyes said everything. She had been a fool to believe that her love could change him. He had let his anger and doubts consume him. She should have known that no amount of love from her could ever save him until he himself was ready to be saved.

A livid anger at herself rose in her heart.
How could she have been such a fool? How could she have been so blinded by her adoration for him?

What hurt her more was the fact that she could not truly blame him. He had been honest with her since the start. He had even warned her that she should stay away from him. Whatever had happened had been her own fault. But that did not stop her from feeling betrayed- betrayed by him.

Had it been wrong of her to have faith in him?
Faith, that he would be able to overcome the darkness that surrounded his heart, and allow himself to love?

Had it been wrong to believe that he loved her enough to be able to overcome his doubts?
It probably had...

Emma straightened and wiped at her tears angrily. She looked at Brandon with eyes that were filled with condemnation,

"Stop. I have understood this. I am going to leave, Brandon. I would never force you to do this. I realise that I had been wrong about you.
You are a coward, Brandon Hayworth. I know you fear of being like your father. But what you do not realize is that by giving that fear a complete leverage over your life, you are already turning into him."

She quickly rushed out of the manor, not bothering to glance back at Brandon's dejected figure.
It was only when she sat inside the carriage, that she allowed the sobs to wreck her body.
__________________________________

Averey squinted his eyes as recognition flared through him.

There was no doubt about it. It was Emma.
He pulled back the curtains of his carriage window and peered at the retreating carriage.

"What is it? Do you see anything?"

Roberts's voice caused him to turn his face away from the window, blinking to get the memory out of his mind.
He knew he should not feel this hurt. Bran and Emma loved each other. It had been no secret for him, ever since he had seen them together at Maya's wedding.
He had already reconciled with the fact that. Her visiting Bran, should be no shock.

"No. It is nothing."

He smiled shortly at his brother, trying to ignore the foreboding that had suddenly overcome his senses.
__________________________________

"Bran!"

Roberts's elated voice pulled Brandon out of the numbness that had gripped him since Emma's departure.

His startled eyes fell upon the figures of his brothers, making their way inside the manor.

"Rob? Averey? What are you-"

"We thought to surprise you, brother. It had been so long since we last met."

Averey's apprehension heightened when he neared his brother.
For, though his face gave nothing away, Brandon's eyes held a look of utter misery.

"Oh. Th- That is great, brother."

Robert engulfed Brandon in his arms, failing to notice the stiffness of his face.

Averey frowned as he looked at him. There was definitely something amiss. He had seldom seen Brandon look so agitated.

"You do not look well, Bran. Is everything alright?"

Averey found his chance to question him as soon as Robert had ventured out of earshot.

Brandon turned a distracted face towards him. His eyes suddenly turned guarded and his mouth stretched into a mirthless smile.

"Nothing is the matter, brother. I am just too delighted to see you here."

Averey knew he would be unable to extract any more information from Brandon.
He opted to smile back, hoping that whatever was plaguing him, Brandon would soon be able to overcome it.

"Whatever you say, Bran..."
__________________________________

Hayworth Estate;

Hamond Mortimer tried to calm his anger as he made his way inside the manor. He could not let his emotions overrule him. If he did not approach the matter with a clear head, his daughter's life would be essentially ruined.

His breath came out in tremors. His mind was still unable to accept the truth.

His own daughter- his Emma...
How could she shame him like this?

Her shameless actions had forced him to raise his hand on her. In all these years, he had never once been angry at his daughter. She was the apple of his eyes. How had it come to this?

The moment her mother had come to relay her doubts to him, he had been adamantly denying them. She insisted that Emma showed all the signs. But it wasn't until he heard the truth from her own mouth, that he finally let the truth sink.
His own daughter, was carrying a bastard out of wedlock!
He almost had a seizure as he contemplated the reality of the situation. All his hard-earned honour would be crushed upon. His family would be spited by everyone. How would he ever get his trade going with this disastrous news?

Most importantly, what would happen to Emma?
Who would ever marry a ruined girl?
He should have already had her wedded the past year. It would have saved him this shame. But he had been waiting for the best match for her. Now, it seemed that it had all been a colossal error.

He could not understand how she had landed herself in this state. He tried to get answers from her- tying every tactic there was. When persuasion did not work, he had taken to anger and threatening. He told her that he would never allow the child to be born in his house. He would send her to the east- to his sister; and after she gave birth, he would give the child away. And since she had forsaken her modesty, she would be committed to a lifetime in the convent, atoning for her sins.

Though his words sent her swaying on her feet, with eyes wide with terror, she did not open her mouth. He felt his heart clench with pain as he saw the pathetic state of his daughter. For a moment, he feared that she had been violated.
Why else would she refuse to tell him the name of the man?
But his fears were rendered useless once he talked to her perplexed friend, Matilde.

He discovered the lie that they had been hiding for an entire year. The poor girl was pale with fear when he confronted her. Of course, he did not reveal anything; only that he was aware of what Emma had been doing behind his back. Matilde had soon started apologising for assisting Emma in her rendezvous; but she had vehemently denied knowing the identity of the man.

Just when he was going mad with frustration, he had been informed by his coachman about her visit to the Bradford Estate earlier that day.

It had not been difficult for him to decipher the truth thereafter. He knew that Brandon Hayworth had been living at the Bradford Estate. There could be no other reason for Emma to visit there, except to meet him.

However, considering her resolution of not revealing his identity, Hamond knew he would not be accepting any responsibility. Lord Hayworth's son had probably had his fill of his daughter, and decided to wash his hands off of her. But Hamond was not going to allow him to do that.

He would be taking matters in his own hands.
And the best way to do that, was talking to Lord Hayworth himself.
__________________________________

"Hamond, what brings you here?"

Zachary frowned as the other man entered the library and bowed before him.

Hamond Mortimer was a trusted ally. His daughter had been a constant companion of Maya since childhood. Hence, his visit had not been a shock.
But what was unusual, was the affliction that reflected from his face.

Zachary knew something was wrong the moment he met his eyes.

"My Lord, forgive me for my impertinence; but I fear that I have some very unfortunate news for you."

Zachary's perplexity increased at his distressed words and he made his way neared to him.

"Make yourself clearer, Hamond."

Hamond Mortimer hesitated before letting the words out of his mouth,

"My lord, it is Lord Brandon. I come to seek justice from you. He has ruined my daughter's life, My Lord."

Zachary huffed frustratingly.
"Do not talk in riddles, Mortimer. What has my son done to your daughter?"

"You have known Emma for years, My Lord. She is a naïve girl. Your son has taken advantage of my daughter and seduced her for his own salacious intent. He has left her heavy with his child, My Lord."

Zachary stared incredulously at the other man.

"What sort of an accusation is this, Mortimer? How dare you lay such malicious allegation at my son?"

His booming voice caused Hamond to take a step back. He had expected his reaction.
He just had to stand his ground. When he spoke next, his voice was tormented,

"It is the truth, My Lord! I am just a poor man coming to seek justice. I have faith in your judgement. Your family has been a provider for those living on this land for generations. I would not dare deceive you thus. My daughter has shamed the family.
I had the thought of getting rid of the child once it was born and bury this matter for eternity. With her ruined maidenhood, no one is going to marry her anyway. What good could it possibly make for me to lay false allegations upon your son?
I had to speak to you because she is carrying the seed of your family in her womb. It is the flesh and blood of your son. If you still insist that I am lying and do not care about the child, I would gladly go back and pursue the course of actions I had already set for her."

Hamond cast discreet, wary glances at Zachary as he paced the length of the library, rubbing his hands on his beard.

Zachary could not refute the sincerity in Hamond's eyes. He knew his words had been truthful, though he prayed with all his heart for him to have mistaken the situation.
At last, he turned towards him with a decisive look in his eyes.

"Alright, Hamond. If what you are speaking is indeed the truth, then I assure you that I would take full responsibility of your daughter and the child."

Zachary turned away from his grateful eyes and called for his squire.

"Yes, My Lord?"

"Prepare the carriage. I will leave for Bradford Estate this very instant."
__________________________________

The Palace;

"Your Highness, the Prince is here!"

Maya swung around to face the gleeful maid, her relief apparent on her face.

In the next second, she was up on her feet, rushing out of the chapel with urgent steps.

Her breath came out in wisps, her heart brimming in elation.
Edward was here! He was finally back to her!

She caught the sight of her husband through the arch of the courtyard. He leaned against the Queen, accepting her teary exclamations with a smiling face.

Maya's steps halted as she absorbed the sight before her. It seemed almost surreal. She could not belief that only that morning, they had been worried about his life.
Now, as the stars twinkled above in the sky, her breath caught up with her and she neared him steadily.

Edward's eyes met hers and the smile on his face dropped. Maya frowned as she spotted the bruises on his face and the limp in his right leg as he also started making his way to her. The other people around them had gone quiet, gazing at the two with soft smiles.

"Maya."

Maya closed her eyes blissfully. How she had feared that she would get to hear her name from him again...

Edward's fingers caressed her chin and her face was tilted up. She opened her eyes, letting a few tears roll down her face.

He looked at her with a passion that was almost ferocious in its intensity.

"I thought I had lost you."

Her broken whisper was met with a firm shake of his head.

"Never, my love. You would never lose me."

Maya choked back a sob and flung herself in his arms, burying her face in his chest.

Edward tightened his arms around her in a vice grip.
He had been just as afraid as her- of losing her and making her face another loss.

"I am so sorry, Edward. I am so sorry. Please do not scare me like this ever again."

Edward stroked the back of her head softly, trying to sooth her sobs,

"Hush, Maya. Hush. I am here with you. That is all that matters."

Maya shuddered with relief.
Yes, he was here. That was indeed all that mattered.

She pulled back to cast a fervent glance at his face, trying to commit this moment to her memory,

"I love you."
Edward smiled warmly at her words. He threaded his fingers through hers before speaking,

"I know, my love. I have always known."
__________________________________

Author's Note-

Hello to all my wonderful readers!

So, shit has literary gone down.
What do you make of the situation?

I know many of you are super angry at Brandon and his stupidity. I am too. I do not condone this sort of behaviour at all.
He has let his feelings overshadow his life. There is a reason why we are told to forgive and to forget. Festering anger and doubts would only harm oneself. Brandon has not learnt to do that. He has no faith in himself and although he loves Emma dearly, he does not trust her to be happy with him.
Plus, this entire situation of her pregnancy, has kind of sent him on the edge. As we know, he is consumed in his hatred for his own father. The idea of having to deal with a child- and become a father himself- is foreign for him. He cannot reconcile with that fact.

Again, I am not supporting him. I am simply saying that even good people have bad days and make mistakes.
What remains to be seen, is whether he would be able to redeem himself.

What do you think Zachary will do?

Also, Maya and Edward have finally reconciled.
(You guys can rest your wild doubts 😁)
What are your thoughts on that?

I hope you are happy for Maya. Let us hope she has no further hurdles in her life.

(P.S. : Please point out any typos you may encounter!)

Stay safe and healthy, everyone!

Till the next time!👋