Cazi pushed herself up and looked at Aelfric. "What do you mean you have to leave tomorrow? Why? You cannot just... leave me." She slid from on top of him and sat beside him on the bed, looking over at him. Of itself her mind flashed back to the last time she said those words.
Cassandra stared at her husband and just sat down hard in the chair in their parlor. "What do you mean you have to leave? You cannot just leave me, Henry. I thought we were going to try to have another child."
Captain Bevington sighed and sat down next to her. "Cassandra, you know I do not have a choice. I am an officer in Her Majesty's Army. We are at war with the Boers of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State. The 13th is being mobilized. I have orders to report to Aldershot on the fifth of next month to catch the train to Liverpool." He took her hand and squeezed gently. "I had hoped to spend Christmas and greet the new century with my love. But I have my orders Cassandra. I have to go."
"Why does it have to be you, Henry? Is there not someone else that can go?" Cassandra asked, the tears starting to flow down her face. Even as she asked, she knew that he had to go, that he would go all the way to South Africa and leave her alone in England. "I need you
here
with me."
She felt her anger flare as Henry chuckled. "And I want to stay here with you, Cassandra. I am a Captain in the Hussars of our Queen's Army. I have been called to go with my regiment to war. I will return to you as soon as I can, Cassandra. I promise."
Her anger returned to tears and she pulled her hands from his, covering her face with a lace handkerchief as she sobbed. She did not want him to go. He could not leave her! She felt his arm slide around her shoulders comfortingly and jerked angrily away, still sobbing. As he so often did when she cried, Henry stood up and stepped away from her. She did not understand why he did that. She wanted him closer, not farther away. Her tears fell harder as she heard him moving away from her.
"I am sorry, Cassandra. But I have to do my duty to our Queen." She heard him sigh deeply but her face was hidden in the handkerchief. "I will send Amina in to you. I am going to take my new horse out for a ride to give you time to relax." As her sobs grew heavier into the handkerchief she heard him turn and leave her alone in the room.
Aelfric stretched languidly and smiled grimly as he pushed up onto one arm facing her. "My Sire has demanded my presence. And when Cadeyrn demands something, he gets it."
"Your... 'Sire'? The one who made you?" Cazi asked, turning to face Aelfric on the bed. When Aelfric nodded she asked. "What does he want? Do you know?"