Bay’s Story Time – Legend of Two Lovers

Sorcha and her handmaiden were always far more than just Princess and handmaiden. Part six of our story will show you just how much they meant to one another and how their gifts work hand in hand together.

The Two Lovers

There are many tales of the Druid Princess and those who were loyal to her throughout her years, but the most touching of these involve her handmaiden.
Aìne of the clan Walsh, a pale, dark haired waif who had fled to the druids when her father died in battle, finding herself on the Isle of Skye alongside our Princess.
Aìne and Sorcha spent much of their teen years together, one a Princess taught to rule and care for those in her kingdom and the other a handmaiden taught to tend to her Princess’s needs.
They saw each other through everything from learning of Sorcha’s mother the banished Druid Queen to Aìne’s first love and soon, first heartache when the boy found another to share affections with.
They were as inseparable as Princess and handmaiden were allowed to be in those days, often opting for one another’s company over the silence of their own rooms while Sorcha worked on lessons and Aìne mended clothes that needed stitching and patching.
It began late one night, on Sorcha’s return after a journey with the elder women of Skye to aid one of the villages of Ireland while their menfolk rode out to battle for their clan.
She found a fire burning in her chambers, the room warm and inviting, bed freshly made with a warm woolen blanket atop the soft woven bedding she preferred and her night shift waiting on the end of the bed to be donned before sleep.
Aìne joined her from behind the half wall that hid the bath basin from view, aiding her Princess in taking off the heavy cloak and dress she had worn for travel, then brought her round to the bath as usual for a hot soak before bed, helping Sorcha into the basin already filled with hot water.
Her words were soft as she knelt behind her Princess, Aìne resting her hands to either side of Sorcha’s head as to help wash her hair, but instead the young handmaiden reached inside herself for the gift she had spent so many years practicing.
“Rest, my Princess,” Aìne would whisper to Sorcha as she allowed her gift to smooth the edges of the memories from the last few days, easing the Princess’s thoughts of the battle and soothing away the strain that always came with rigorous use of the soul healer’s gift.
A while later, Aìne would sit on the empty edge of Sorcha’s bed, singing one of the Druid lullabies as one hand affectionately brushed red curls from her Princess’s face, bending to drop a kiss on Sorcha’s forehead before she would blow out the last candle and leave her Princess to rest for the night.
Aìne loved her Princess, more than a handmaiden had a right to in those days. For a time, her affections were kept quiet, simply being there when she sensed Sorcha would need her close.
Over time, Aìne became used to Sorcha joining her in the shadows of night, crawling beneath the blankets to lie beside her and talk quietly of the dreams that had woken her. As well, Sorcha became used to Aìne always being there to listen and help ease her mind when sleep wouldn’t come.
Aìne would hold Sorcha, watching as the Princess slept in her arms, the warmth of another body sharing her bed something she missed while Sorcha traveled.
When the Princess began to invite Aìne to travel, the two sharing a shelter became the norm, with the excuse that Sorcha would need her handmaiden close and the extra body heat wouldn’t go amiss on a damp, chilled Ireland eve.
In time, Sorcha began to invite Aìne to stay in her chambers, the bed too large and empty when Aìne wasn’t lying with her and her very soul craving the closeness of the woman who had become more than a friend to her over the years.
Aìne and Sorcha would share in each other’s affections, finding that the bond they had built with each other only added to what they felt, every touch more than just the affection of handmaiden and princess. As long as their shared bond held, neither woman felt the need for a husband, content to simply take pleasure in each other instead.