Interview with Gaetan, the Keep's Haelen (healer)
I rap my knuckles against the infirmary’s worn wooden door.
“Come in.” Gaetan’s familiar voice slips between the cracks.
I grip the doorknob, the metal cool against my overheated palm. My gaze tracks over the doorframe, so familiar, yet so eerie. How many warriors died here? A chill sweeps over my shoulders. I shrug it off, push open the door, and step inside.
The scent of antiseptic mixes with ancient rock and time beyond time. Tables arranged end to end fill the room, ready for the next round of wounded warriors. Against the far wall, beakers, herbs, and an assortment of medical tools line the countertops.
Gaetan pours a dark liquid into a bottle, the glug-glug-glug echoing off the walls. Riveted on his work, his brow furrows over his beautiful aquamarine eyes. The shock of gray in his short-cropped brown hair adds to the air of wisdom that radiates from him.
I swallow and clear my throat.
He smiles, but doesn’t draw his attention away from his task. “Welcome, Rosalie. Please, have a seat. I’ll be with you in a moment. Just want to finish this last dose of medicine.”
“Take your time.” I peer around the room. The only chair in the place is Gaetan’s wooden stool. The seat is worn on one side, evident of much use. I can’t bring myself to sit in his chair, so I hoist myself onto one of the stone medical beds. My feet dangle over the edge, and I swing them back and forth, trying to rid myself of my nervous energy.
He places a stopper in the bottle and sets the glass on the countertop. His gaze draws to mine, and my heart skips a beat. I swear he can see all the way into my soul.
A smile tugs at his lip. He wraps his hand around the sunstone embedded in his cane and strolls toward me. His limp seems more pronounced. As he places his hand over mine, a warmth radiates between us. The tension in my shoulders ease.
“Feel better?” His deep voice rumbles in the space between us.
“Yes, much.” I blink. Why had I been so nervous to interview him?
He releases my hand and rolls his stool alongside me. After he sits, he winces and rubs his palm over his knee. “What did you want to talk about today?”
“I’m here to interview you.”
“Ah, yes, that. Please, go ahead.” He smiles, but nothing can chase away the guilt in the depths of those aquamarine eyes.
Gaetan is the greatest healer the Keep has ever known, yet, my heart aches for the pain he hides beneath his pleasant smile. I reach into my bag and pull out my notebook and a pen. Technology doesn’t work in the Keep, so I’m going old school today. I click the pen and steady it over the page. “Tell the readers something about yourself they might not know.”
His eyebrows raise, and a smirk plays along his lips. “I lost a game of stones once to Saar. As part of the bet, I had to sing in the Grand Hall at the evening repast.” He leans forward, a twinkle in his eye. “Between you and me, I can’t sing worth a darn.”
Warmed by his sense of self-deprecation, the words tumble from my lips before I can stop myself. “I’ll bet Ginnia loved it.”
The gentle mirth in his eyes dims, replaced with an age-old sadness. “Well, yes, my sister did. Do you have another question for me?”
I glance at my page to hide the tears burning my eyes. “What do you value most in your life?”
“My relationships with others. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for those close to me—Ginnia, Noeh, Melissa, Anlon…
Craya.” A loud exhale rushes from him. He rises from his stool and grips the satchel dangling from his belt. Fingers shaking, he tugs open the string then draws out a small white pill. With a quick flick, he pops it into his mouth and swallows—dry.
I study him for a long moment, trying to ignore the unease teasing the hairs at the back of my neck.
He winks at me. “I’m sure you have a few more questions for me, don’t you?”
As much as I want to leave right now, he’s right. I need to finish this interview. My gaze returns to my list of questions.
How do you feel about your life right now? What, if anything, would you like to change?
What's the worst thing you've ever done? Why?
What one physical attribute would you change if you could?
A lump forms in my throat. Given what I know of Gaetan and what he’s been through, I can’t bring myself to ask him these questions. They would only cause him pain. I force myself to meet his gaze and place my hand on his arm. “Actually, you’ve answered the most important ones. Thank you for spending time with me.”
He smiles, and the affection in his gaze is genuine. “Thank you, Rosalie. It’s a pleasure to see you, as always.”
My eyes tear up once again. If anyone deserves to meet the love of his life and have a happily ever after, it’s Gaetan.
Hope you enjoyed meeting Gaetan! For more information about his story, Unforgivable Lover, click <<here>>
“Come in.” Gaetan’s familiar voice slips between the cracks.
I grip the doorknob, the metal cool against my overheated palm. My gaze tracks over the doorframe, so familiar, yet so eerie. How many warriors died here? A chill sweeps over my shoulders. I shrug it off, push open the door, and step inside.
The scent of antiseptic mixes with ancient rock and time beyond time. Tables arranged end to end fill the room, ready for the next round of wounded warriors. Against the far wall, beakers, herbs, and an assortment of medical tools line the countertops.
Gaetan pours a dark liquid into a bottle, the glug-glug-glug echoing off the walls. Riveted on his work, his brow furrows over his beautiful aquamarine eyes. The shock of gray in his short-cropped brown hair adds to the air of wisdom that radiates from him.
I swallow and clear my throat.
He smiles, but doesn’t draw his attention away from his task. “Welcome, Rosalie. Please, have a seat. I’ll be with you in a moment. Just want to finish this last dose of medicine.”
“Take your time.” I peer around the room. The only chair in the place is Gaetan’s wooden stool. The seat is worn on one side, evident of much use. I can’t bring myself to sit in his chair, so I hoist myself onto one of the stone medical beds. My feet dangle over the edge, and I swing them back and forth, trying to rid myself of my nervous energy.
He places a stopper in the bottle and sets the glass on the countertop. His gaze draws to mine, and my heart skips a beat. I swear he can see all the way into my soul.
A smile tugs at his lip. He wraps his hand around the sunstone embedded in his cane and strolls toward me. His limp seems more pronounced. As he places his hand over mine, a warmth radiates between us. The tension in my shoulders ease.
“Feel better?” His deep voice rumbles in the space between us.
“Yes, much.” I blink. Why had I been so nervous to interview him?
He releases my hand and rolls his stool alongside me. After he sits, he winces and rubs his palm over his knee. “What did you want to talk about today?”
“I’m here to interview you.”
“Ah, yes, that. Please, go ahead.” He smiles, but nothing can chase away the guilt in the depths of those aquamarine eyes.
Gaetan is the greatest healer the Keep has ever known, yet, my heart aches for the pain he hides beneath his pleasant smile. I reach into my bag and pull out my notebook and a pen. Technology doesn’t work in the Keep, so I’m going old school today. I click the pen and steady it over the page. “Tell the readers something about yourself they might not know.”
His eyebrows raise, and a smirk plays along his lips. “I lost a game of stones once to Saar. As part of the bet, I had to sing in the Grand Hall at the evening repast.” He leans forward, a twinkle in his eye. “Between you and me, I can’t sing worth a darn.”
Warmed by his sense of self-deprecation, the words tumble from my lips before I can stop myself. “I’ll bet Ginnia loved it.”
The gentle mirth in his eyes dims, replaced with an age-old sadness. “Well, yes, my sister did. Do you have another question for me?”
I glance at my page to hide the tears burning my eyes. “What do you value most in your life?”
“My relationships with others. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for those close to me—Ginnia, Noeh, Melissa, Anlon…
Craya.” A loud exhale rushes from him. He rises from his stool and grips the satchel dangling from his belt. Fingers shaking, he tugs open the string then draws out a small white pill. With a quick flick, he pops it into his mouth and swallows—dry.
I study him for a long moment, trying to ignore the unease teasing the hairs at the back of my neck.
He winks at me. “I’m sure you have a few more questions for me, don’t you?”
As much as I want to leave right now, he’s right. I need to finish this interview. My gaze returns to my list of questions.
How do you feel about your life right now? What, if anything, would you like to change?
What's the worst thing you've ever done? Why?
What one physical attribute would you change if you could?
A lump forms in my throat. Given what I know of Gaetan and what he’s been through, I can’t bring myself to ask him these questions. They would only cause him pain. I force myself to meet his gaze and place my hand on his arm. “Actually, you’ve answered the most important ones. Thank you for spending time with me.”
He smiles, and the affection in his gaze is genuine. “Thank you, Rosalie. It’s a pleasure to see you, as always.”
My eyes tear up once again. If anyone deserves to meet the love of his life and have a happily ever after, it’s Gaetan.
Hope you enjoyed meeting Gaetan! For more information about his story, Unforgivable Lover, click <<here>>