Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Stop it!” Marissa cried, her hands flapping around her face as she fought off another fit of laughter. “Stop it, I cannae breathe!”
Her sides hurt, her stomach aching with how much she had been laughing throughout the cèilidh.
Once her anxiety over meeting the council had faded, she had been able to relax. Even beyond that, she had been able to enjoy herself.
She and Arthur had danced for quite a while, before Cody and Abigail joined them. Apparently, her husband-to-be was not one to dance in a group, because not long after her nephew and sister had joined them, Arthur excused himself and disappeared into the crowd.
Ayla and Amara had joined them as well. And now, all five of them were dancing in a circle.
“If ye can talk,” Abigail yelled back, grabbing Marissa’s hand and spinning her again so that her stomach flipped, “then ye can breathe! I dinnae want to hear any sass from ye!”
Clutching at her side, Marissa focused on her friends. “I need a break,” she gasped, pointing in Arthur’s direction.
Ayla and Abigail gave her knowing looks, while Amara and Cody seemed to not even notice she had spoken.
Marissa turned, making her way slowly through the crowd. As she neared the edges of the crowd, a breeze floated up and caressed her, cooling her sweat-soaked skin.
Arthur, seeming to sense her approach, shifted his gaze to her. His eyes raked over her, missing no part as they traveled from foot to brow.
“Are ye done dancin’?” he asked the moment she was within earshot, prompting her to shrug one shoulder.
“Mayhap for a little while. I need a moment to cool down and breathe.”
He dipped his head to the right, gesturing to a place beyond the courtyard where the revelry was taking place. “Come this way, then.”
Curiosity sparked within her, and she didn’t ask questions as she followed him beyond the hedges that marked the boundaries of the courtyard. A well-maintained dirt path wound through tall hedges, interspersed every so often with iron benches.
“Would ye like to sit?” Arthur asked, pointing to the nearest bench for emphasis.
“I think I’d like to walk for a bit,” she answered honestly, “if that’s all right with ye.”
Arthur just nodded, falling into step with her as they made their way down the footpath.
They could still hear the music, the sound of the bagpipes floating to them on the breeze. But with every step they took, the sound of the instruments and the hum of people talking and laughing began to fade.
By the time they reached the back corner of the castle, it was little more than a dull hum.
“Are ye happy with how things went tonight?” Marissa asked, anxious to break the silence that had fallen between them.
“Aye,” he said. “The council seemed to take a likin’ to ye.”
She chuckled. “Most of them, anyway.”
“Dinnae let McKellen get to ye,” Arthur murmured. “The man has always been a pain in the arse. He was terrible to me faither, and now he’s terrible to me. I’m certain if ye asked him, he’d tell ye that me family was the reason for all the evil in the world.”
Marissa couldn’t help but chuckle. But when she looked at him, she was a little surprised to find his face solemn.
He’d stopped walking, his grey eyes glinting in the moonlight as he watched her move. Marissa stopped as well, turning to face him.
“Is everythin’ all right?” she asked, cocking her head to the side as she glanced at him.
For the first time since she had met him, Arthur seemed hesitant. Doubt shone in his eyes, and he seemed to be considering whether or not to speak.
I can be patient.
And patient Marissa was. She waited for a few moments, the gentle hum of those still at the cèilidh and the music of crickets the only sounds filling the night.
Finally, Arthur let out a sigh. “Joseph is a bastard,” he admitted.
At first, Marissa thought he was telling her a joke, about to start admonishing his brother. But when she started laughing, he shook his head.
“I mean, truly,” he said, his voice still serious.
“Me faither sired him with one of the local village women. It wasnae until after Joseph’s maither died that he found out who his faither was.
He showed up on our doorstep, screamin’ like a banshee that he was our braither.
And ye need only look at him to ken the truth of it. ”
“The council didnae treat him kindly,” he continued. “They tried to keep me from allowin’ him to live in the castle. Said that nay bastard should have rights to the castle, or rights to be me man-at-arms. But Joseph was so young, and he had just lost everyone.”
“I was a new laird meself. Our faither had passed shortly before his maither, and he was so lost. He didnae ken how to handle it all. I was all he had.”
He looked at her expectantly, and she stepped forward. With a shaking hand, she reached out and touched his arm.
“Ye did the right thing,” Marissa assured him. “He is yer braither. It doesnae matter how it happened. Ye two share the same blood. There’s nay shame in bein’ there for him.”
Arthur took her in, his eyes roaming over her. Emotions played over his face, one after the other. Shock, grief, worry, anger, acceptance. Each one lasting less than the last.
Marissa wondered how many people he had felt he could talk to, felt safe confiding in.
I can be that for him.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could, there was a loud, sudden rustling in the hedges to their right. A hand darted out, and metal glinted in the moonlight.
Marissa hardly had time to register what was happening before a scream wrenched itself from her lips. All she could see was the glint of a dagger in the moonlight as it was thrown, heading directly toward her chest.
Arthur moved faster than she would have thought possible. One moment he was about to speak to her, and the next he’d wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him and out of the way.
She hardly had time to register anything at all. Only the feel of his large body pressed against hers, the strength of him as he wrenched her from the spot where she’d been standing.
The dirk that had been thrown landed tip-down on the ground with a thud. She stared at it, her heart hammering so loudly that it was all she could hear.
Someone was shaking her. Someone was speaking. But all the noise sounded like it was coming from very far away.
“Marissa!” Arthur yelled again, the sound of his voice finally breaking through her shock.
She blinked at him. Nothing made sense.
“Someone tried to kill me,” she muttered.
Footsteps came rushing toward them, and immediately Marissa’s heart raced faster.
Whoever it was has come back. They’ve come to finish me off. They’re here to harm me. They’re here to well and truly kill me.
“We heard someone scream,” a familiar voice came from behind Arthur. “We thought…”
Peering around Arthur’s massive form, Marissa found her entire family plus Joseph, Ayla, and Amara rushing toward them.
It was Joseph who had spoken, but now his grey eyes were raking over the scene. She watched his expression shift from one of confusion to anger as his gaze raked over the ground, spotting the dirk buried in it.
His gaze darkened with fury before it landed on Arthur. “Someone attacked her,” he said.
It wasn’t a question, but Arthur nodded anyway. His eyes fell on her once more, quickly assessing her.
“Are ye all right?” he asked, his voice filled with more worry than Marissa had ever heard it.
She nodded quickly. “Just a bit shaken, is all.”
He grunted in acknowledgment before immediately turning to his brother. Guards were rushing up behind him, their eyes frantic and on high alert.
Immediately, Arthur began barking orders to everyone around them, informing them of what had happened.
“We didnae see much,” he explained. “But he came from that direction. We need to see if we can track him.”
Joseph nodded, the men quickly falling into line beside him and Arthur.
They began walking in the direction Arthur had indicated. Before he followed after them, he turned and gave Marissa a lingering look.
She was still shaking. Wrapping her arms around herself, she released a shaky breath. Immediately, her sisters were at her side.
“Go,” she said, her voice stronger than she felt. “Find him.”
Michael and Cody stepped on either side of them.
“We’ll make sure she’s safe,” Michael said, his voice filled with protective fury.
A muscle in Arthur’s jaw ticked, but eventually, he nodded. He turned and followed after his men. With every step that he took away from her, Marissa felt a knot growing larger in her belly.
She didn’t want him to leave, she realized with a jolt. In the past few days, she’d come to feel safe around him. She’d come to trust that Arthur would do whatever was in his power to protect her.
And now, with everything that had happened just moments ago, she craved that protection more than she’d ever craved anything in her life.
Breathe. Cody and Michael have spent the last few years protectin’ ye. They can manage it for a little while longer.
A warm arm fell over her shoulders, and she turned to find Cody. He was gazing at her with concern.
“I’m all right,” she assured him, careful to make her voice sound sure and confident. “I’ll be all right.”
The look on his face told her that he didn’t believe her. But thankfully, he didn’t argue.
The small group walked back along the path, toward the courtyard where just a few moments ago, a celebration had been taking place. People still milled about, a bit unsure of what had just occurred.
The councilmen stood on the platform, speaking to concerned clansfolk as they worked to keep everyone calm.
“I’ll let them ken what happened,” Michael murmured, shooting Cody a glance. “Dinnae leave her side.”
He didn’t wait for Cody’s agreement before powering through the crowd, making his way toward the councilmen.
The small group continued on their journey, making their way around to the entrance of the castle.
Once inside, Marissa let out a long, shaky breath.
“I’ll go and order some tea for ye,” Amara murmured, sounding rather shaken.
Marissa just nodded, unable to look at anyone as the reality of everything that had just occurred crashed around her.
Someone—she wasn’t entirely sure who—placed their hand on her arm and tried to guide her further into the castle. But she shook her head.
Breaking out of their grasp with a quick shrug, she stalked toward the drawing room just off the entryway. It had large, open windows that overlooked the walkway to the castle.
Immediately, Marissa found her way to one of the stuffed chairs next to the window. The sound of multiple footsteps filled the room, letting her know that her family had followed after her.
“I’m nae goin’ anywhere,” she said to no one in particular. “I’m nae movin’ until Arthur is back in the castle.”
No one argued with her. Instead, a low murmuring filled the space as they spoke to one another in low enough voices that she would not overhear.
Marissa didn’t care. She kept her eyes fixed on the lawn outside.
Anythin’ could happen out there. Someone just tried to kill me. Mayhap they’ll try to kill him, too.
She tried to banish the thoughts, but they only echoed louder.
Slowly, the guests began to leave the castle grounds.
She had no idea how long she sat there for.
Long enough to watch as the last of the partygoers fled, along with the councilmen.
Long enough that the torches that had been lit to mark the pathways toward the courtyard began to flicker and sputter as they died out.
Finally, just when Marissa had half convinced herself that it would be a good idea to race out into the night and find the assailant herself, she caught movement along the edges of her vision.
Pushing herself out of her seat, she rushed to press herself against the window.
Someone came to stand beside her, and a quick sideways glance revealed Abigail, looking out over the castle grounds with the same attentiveness.
Slowly, a group came into view. Marissa’s eyes searched them frantically, trying to find Arthur.
It didn’t take long, as he stood nearly half a head taller than any other man there. He was at the very rear of the group, his eyebrows knitted together in concern as they all purposefully strode toward the door.
In the center of the group stood a man, bound and shackled. A guard was on either side of him, their hands clamped firmly on his shoulders as they dragged him toward the castle.
Something about him niggled at Marissa, a familiarity that she couldn’t immediately place. As he drew closer, that familiarity grew.
The doors to the castle swung open, and all those who had been waiting with her rushed out of the drawing room and out into the entrance hall.
The guards poured through the door, roughly leading the man inside.
“Take him to the dungeons,” Arthur boomed the moment he crossed the threshold. “We shall interrogate him later.”
Joseph nodded before turning and barking orders to his men.
Marissa felt Arthur’s gaze on her, but she didn’t return it. Her eyes were fixed on the man they’d apprehended.
His blonde hair was a mess, and the side of his face was bloodied—no doubt from someone’s fist. A sense of dread was building within her, and a pressure for her to dig deep and realize how she knew the man standing before her.
“I’m surprised ye’re awake,” Arthur murmured, his voice sounding closer than it had just a moment ago.
“I wanted to wait for ye,” Marissa responded, still not taking her eyes off the man. “Is that him? The one who tried to kill me?”
“Aye. We still cannae figure out why he did it, though. He was murmurin’ somethin’ after Geralt pummeled him a little, about how ye werenae mine to marry. But we still cannae make sense of it or get anythin’ else out of him.”
I’m nae Arthur’s to marry?
A gasp flew from her lips as realization dawned on her. She had seen that man before, she was certain of it.
Hurriedly, she rushed out into the hallway, her footsteps echoing as she tried to follow after the guards. They were leading him away from her, but as they turned the corner, she caught another glimpse of his face.
Terror pooled in her belly, leaving her feeling hollow as she turned to look at Arthur.
Her family, Ayla, and Amara had filed in behind him. Each one of them was wearing matching expressions of concern.
“I ken who he is,” Marissa said, her voice shaking and filled with terror. “I ken who tried to kill me.”