Wish Upon a Star
By Kimberley Comeaux

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This was not Darian's room.  This wasn't even her own chamber.  As a matter of fact, this looked exactly like the first room she'd ever laid eyes on when she'd first time-traveled.

Dear Lord!   She was back at Christiana's father's house! 

What did this mean?

Quickly she jumped out of the bed and began searching for something to wear.  Hearing her milling about, Nan came into the room, making a "tsk"ing noise.

"My, my, milady!  What ever has gotten you into such a state?"

Falling back into her twelfth century persona, she answered her maid.  "Nan, I must make haste and dress.  I need to speak with my father."

Nan continued to make comments about how a lady should behave, but she did begin to move a little faster.

As soon as she looked presentable, she quickly ran down to the great hall, where Nan had told her that the baron was.

The large man was sitting with some of his men breaking his fast.  Kristy had managed to get a little information from Nan, (even though the servant thought she was nuts for asking obvious questions) and she told her that Christiana had left Greystone only a week ago.   Christiana's father, William had fallen ill so Christiana had used that excuse to come back to Cranbrook.  But Nan had gently berated her for all the arguing and "unpleasantness" that had conspired between them in the week before.    Apparently Christiana had no intention of going back to Greystone.

Kristy was glad to hear that Darian and Christiana had not gotten along, but she now had the awkward task of trying to convince her father that she wanted to go back - and convince her husband that she was back and not Christiana.

Taking a deep breath, she walked up to William and smiled.  "Good morn, Father.  I'm glad to see that you are looking well, once again," she told him smoothly.  Nan had told her that William wasn't seriously ill anymore.

William took a drink from his tanker and sat back in his great chair.  "Aye, daughter, I am at that."  He motioned toward an empty chair by him.  "Sit, Christiana.   There is something of great importance that I must speak to you about."

"I need to speak with you too, er, Father.  You see I..." she began but was interrupted.

"I know that you don't want to hear this, but I must insist that you return to Greystone and to your husband."

This was going to be easier than she thought!  "Well, that is what I wanted...."

He lifted a large hard to ward off her words.  "Now, I'll have no argument!  I know that you came here to take care of me, but I am well, now.  And I also know that things are not well with you and Darian but by law he is your husband.  You must fulfill your duties as his wife!"

"But I want..."

"I don't care what you want, Daughter.  Surely you do not want to bring shame on both families!"  He looked down a moment before he continuing.  "Now, I know 'tis true that Darian was heard telling you not to return, but surely, you can find a way to live in some sort of peace with the man!  Use whatever feminine wiles you have to, just do it!"

Kristy tried hard not to laugh at how Darian had reacted to Christiana, but she couldn't stop the tears from gathering in her eyes.  Apparently William thought she was crying, because he started patting her arm in an awkward way. 

"Now, dear.   'Tis not something I do to make you unhappy.  But it is for the good of all that you need to do this.  All I am asking you to do, Christiana, is to try.   Put aside your bitter feelings that you harbor for the man and make an attempt to make life - if not good - then settle for pleasant."

Kristy wanted to jump up and shout, "Of course, I'll go back!  I love him!"  But Lord William would never understand that reaction.  So, instead, she nodded demurely, as if she were about to make a supreme sacrifice and told him, "I will do what you ask, Father.  I will try to make it work."

"Fine, then!" he exclaimed, his shoulders lowering in relief.  "I will not forget this, Daughter!  I am proud of you."

She rose from the table.  "I will go and help Nan prepare for the trip," she muttered quickly, then darted off to her chamber.

As the carriage bumped along the road to Greystone, following and preceding a dozen or so men-at-arms, Kristy took a deep breath and absently put a hand over her barely rounded stomach.   For a moment she thought that she felt a small flutter, like butterfly wings, in her belly.  Was the baby moving?  Maybe the baby knew that he or she was finally home!

What Kristy didn't notice was that her father, who was sitting across from her with Nan was watching her closely and saw the dreamy smile that formed on her lips as she rubbed her stomach.

"Dear God!   Are you  with child, Christiana?" he belted out, his eyes wide with shock.  "Why did you not tell me this?"

Maybe because Christiana didn't know that I was pregnant, she thought with amusement.  To William she manufactured a lie.  "Well...I knew that...you would not let me come to you if you knew that I was with child.  I was too worried about you to let that happen, so I just did not tell you."

William's eyes narrowed on her.  "I wonder if you were more worried about yourself, than me, Christiana."

Kristy sighed.   "That's not true, Father.  And it is beside the point.  I am on my way back, am I not?"

William stared at her a minute more, then directed his attention out of the window.

The sky had begun to dim when one of the men-at-arms informed them they had entered Greystone lands.

Everything seemed quiet about the castle.  Nothing but the clomps of the horses hooves and the squeaking of the carriage wheels could be heard as they reached the castle gates.

"Halt!" A loud roaring voice called out.  A castle guard stepped forward from the gate.   In a matter of seconds they were surrounded by other guards bearing the Greystone colors - all of whom Kristy recognized.  The first guard spoke again, "State your name and your business!"  The voice belonged to Sir Will.

William climbed out of the carriage and yelled back, "Baron William of Cranbrook.  I've come to return Earl Greystone's wife.

Sir Will's heart sank.  'Tis truth, he'd been dreading this moment.  But what could he do?   His orders had been very explicit.

His voice shook with extreme nervousness as he recited the order.  "I'm sorry, Milord.  I have been given the order not to...." He took a deep breath.  "I'm not to allow Lady Christiana into Greystone's gates."

"What say you?" The baron bellowed so loud it seemed to shake the castle walls.   "Are you saying that Greystone has forbidden my daughter, your countess, to enter her own castle?  This is nonsense!"

Sir Will slipped a finger between his neck and tunic and tugged uncomfortably.  "Y-yes milord.   This is what I am saying."

Within the carriage Kristy and Nan stared at one another as they listened to the conversation.

"I can't believe  this, milady!" Nan cried.  "The guard must have misheard his lordship!"

"No," Kristy answered her thoughtfully.  "He has his reasons."

Nan narrowed her shrewd gaze on her.  "Milady didn't do anything that might have urged his lordship to act this way, did you?"

Kristy looked out the tiny carriage window and nodded her head.  "Yes, I did, Nan.  But now I'm going to try to mend the situation."

She was out of the carriage in a flash and running toward the gate, ignoring her father's protest.   "Sir Will, lower that bridge and let us come inside," she ordered calmly, then folded her arms across her chest as she awaited them to obey.

"I...I cannot..."

"You don't understand, Sir Will.  Tell him that it's Kristy.  Tell him his wife has come home for good." 

Their was a rumble within the gates but Sir Will only shook his head, uncertain.  "'Twill do no good..."

"Christiana, why are the castle gates not opening to us?  Why would he deny you entrance?" Lord William asked coming up behind her, his voice accusing.

Kristy sighed as she continued to glare at Sir Will.  "I did nothing, Father.  Mayhap he is just in a surly mood, or something," she said with a shrug.  If only they'd give Darian her message, then he would understand.  "Father, I know if Darian could see me, that he would let me in, but they will not tell him I am here."

A mutinous expression came over the Baron's features.  "By God, he will know you are here, then!"  He cupped his hands around his mouth.  "Darian Maxwell!   You treacherous blackguard, come out of your cowardly hiding place and face me like a man!"  He shouted a few other obscenities and challenges towards the stone castle.  His voice ricocheted like flying bullets in the quietness of the night.  

Darian would definitely hear it.  But would he respond?

Oh, yes.

Suddenly the castle gates opened and the drawbridge lowered.  There in the entrance, across the moat stood her husband.  Standing beside him was Vachel, backed up by six other knights.  Once of which, Kristy recognized, was the knight who had held her at knife point at Worthingham's castle.  That seemed strange to her...

Darian spoke, his voice so cold that it sent a chill rippling down her spine.  "Lord William, I hope for you sake, Sir, that there is a good reason for interrupting my supper."

Lord William bristled at his tone and his chin rose a notch.  "It is indeed a good reason.   I bring you your wife."

A deliberate smirk formed on Darian's face as he ran a pair of icy gray eyes over Kristy's form.   "Then you have wasted your time."  He turned his back, as to walk back to the castle, his knights turning with him.

"Wait!"   The sound of that cry sent a strange feeling right to his heart.  He stopped, his whole body stiffening.  That voice....it sounded like Christiana - but yet it didn't.  Dear God!  he missed Kristy so much, he was beginning to imagine things.

He turned back to find her running towards him.  His heart quickened.  He found himself unable to catch his breath.  Could it be...?

The odd expression written on his face made her lose her nerve.  She stopped her flight in the middle of the bridge.

The wimple that she had worn on her head had fallen off, her hair was loose about her shoulders in a wild array of waves.  Kristy's chest heaved from running, her cheeks flushed.

All Darian could think was that she was the most beautiful creature that he had ever seen.  All he wanted to do was grab her and hold her to him.

But at the same time, his thoughts disgusted him that he could feel desire for...HER!  That...that brat! The real Christiana!  Had his loneliness made him sink so low?

He didn't turn away from her.  He simply could not.

They stared at one another for a heart stopping moment.  Kristy could tell that he was unsure - that he was battling within himself.

"Darian," her voice floated over to him like a silken caress.  "It is I, Kristy.   I've come back."  she reached down and put a hand on her stomach.   "Both of us have come home."

Then he knew.

"Kristy," he murmured in a hoarse breath.  "By the Heavens, it is you!  Kristy!"   It came out a shout this time.

Neither knew who moved first or how it happened, but suddenly they were in each other's arms and kissing like there might be no tomorrow.

Lord William looked on with more than a little shock at the amorous display.  He could have sworn they hated each other!  He shook his head and walked to wear they stood, clearing his throat.

"Mayhap, we should take this homecoming inside," he stated calmly, a thread of amusement running through his voice.

But his subtle hint was ignored as they continued their tirade of kissing and hugging.

He looked about him and said to the men and Nan who stood their smiling at the couple.  "Perhaps we should go inside and leave these two to welcome one another."  With that, everyone followed Lord William into the castle, leaving the couple alone to their reunion.

Darian, at last broke away from his and stared down into Kristy's teary eyes.  "I thought my mind was playing tricks on me when I heard your voice.  But my heart knew who you were.   My God, I cannot believe you come back to me."

She lifted her hand and caressed the side of his face, trailing a delicate finger over his handsome full lips.  "I thought I'd never see you again.  I love so much, Darian.  I love..."

His mouth cut off her words as he hungrily plundered her lips.  Her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers threading through his thick black tresses. 

Darian pulled her closer but it wasn't enough.  Frustrated he wretched his lips away and pulled her had to rest beneath his chin.  With a chuckle he confessed, "My self-control is vastly loosing ground, my love.  If you do not want me to take you our here for all to see, I suggested we join the others in the keep."

For the first time, Kristy realized that they were all alone.  "Where did they go?"

He laughed.   "They wanted to give us privacy, I suppose.   But let us see to your father's comfort, then we shall see to our own," he told her with a wink that made her blush.

Later,  as they lay in each other's arms, Kristy told him about Alex and how he'd helped her through her rough two weeks back in the future.

She really shouldn't have.

Jealously reared its ugly head as Darian sat up, dumping her firmly back on her side of the bed.   "You would have married this man?" he practically roared...okay he actually did roar!

Kristy winced and sat up.  "Not really, but I had to look at all the possibilities.  If I'd stayed, or if Christiana had decided that she didn't want to trade back places, Alex offered to marry me for the sake of the baby.  Would you have wanted your child to grow up fatherless, Darian?  Alex is a descendent - a true Maxwell.  If the baby could not have you, then he was the next best thing," she explained.

Darian thought about what she said and knew that she was right, but it still did not sit well with him.   "You would have shared a bed with this man?"

Kristy reached out and placed a hand on Darian's roughened cheek.  "I don't think that I could ever be with anyone else but you, sweetheart.  I love you and only you."

He gathered her into his arms and once again fell back onto the bed.  "I don't deserve your love, Kristy.  If you had not returned, I would not have blamed you.  I treated you horribly before."

Kristy closed her eyes and cuddled her cheek on his brawny chest.  "But I forgave you for that long ago, Darian.  I could barely get through two weeks without you, how could I live a lifetime without you?  It would be no life at all."

Gently he lifted her face to his and he caress her mouth with a soft gentle kiss that made her heart ache with love.  "I don't want to live without you either, Kristy.  We were meant to be.  For always."

"For always," she answered as he covered her mouth once again.

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