Chapter Twenty-Four #2
“May I… may I speak with you privately, Cole?” she asked.
Her voice was trembling. Jax graciously bowed out, but he didn’t go far. He went to stand next to Ares and they were easily within earshot of Gaia and Cole, but they were behind Gaia so she couldn’t see them.
It was a good thing, too, because Gaia was very nervous.
She’d just been through a soul-baring confession with Ares, who hadn’t been pleased, but at least he hadn’t exploded.
He’d been surprisingly sympathetic, even more so when he realized why Gaia had done such a thing.
He’d taken her straight to Cole because he was the one who really needed to hear her confession.
She could hardly look at him.
“I… I want to first say that I am sorry I pinched you,” she said as tears stung her eyes. “I knew you were fond of my sister, and she was fond of you, and I should not have pinched you. I am very sorry I did that.”
Out of all the things Cole expected to hear, that wasn’t on his mind.
Moreover, he had no idea what Gaia could possibly say to him and, frankly, he wasn’t in the mood to hear anything from her.
He was desperate to find Corisande and apologize more fervently than he’d ever apologized for anything in his life.
If she’d listen to him.
Therefore, he struggled to stay patient with Gaia.
“No harm done,” he said. “But your apology is noted.”
Gaia nodded, wiping at her eyes because tears were starting to trickle through.
“I wanted to tell you that I know my sister loves you,” she said.
“She’s a wonderful, loving sister and I love her very much.
She was so excited to marry you so I knew I had to help her.
I had to protect her, so when MacDuff told her that he would release everyone if she warmed his bed for the night, I knew I could not let that happen. ”
Now, she had Cole’s attention. Brow furrowed, he bent over so he could hear her better because she was speaking so softly, she was barely audible.
“Is that what happened?” he said, struggling with his emotions again. “It was Alexander MacDuff who captured you? The same man who came to The Keld and demanded your father’s loyalty last month?”
Ares heard him. “Aye,” he said, answering for Gaia. “The same man, the Justiciar of Scotia. He’s a powerful man, Cole.”
Cole began to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
“So MacDuff was your captor,” he said. “Being beaten back from The Keld must have been a humiliating experience for him, so when he realized he had Alastor’s daughters as captives, he must have seen an opportunity to get back at Alastor. Is that true?”
Ares shrugged. “It is very possible. But that is not what Gaia came to tell you.”
Cole refocused on Gaia. “Gaia, did he offer to release everyone if Corisande would… surrender to him?”
Gaia nodded. “She was so sad,” she said, starting to weep a little.
“She was devastated. She kept saying that you would never want her if another man had her. When she finally found happiness, it was about to be taken away, so I went to MacDuff in her stead. It was me, Cole. Corisande never warmed his bed. I did.”
Cole was thunderstruck. Eyes wide, he grasped Gaia with both hands, forcing her to look at him. “Then why didn’t she deny it?” he demanded, his voice cracking. “I asked her and she would not deny it.”
Gaia began to sob. “Because she was still protecting me,” she wept. “She has always protected me. She did not want anyone to know that I made the sacrifice so that she would not have to, even at the cost of her own happiness. Even at the cost of you. But it wasn’t her. It was me.”
She was off on a crying jag by that time and Cole wasn’t much better. Tears filled his eyes and he pulled the young woman into an embrace, hugging her because she needed the comfort. She’d shown astounding bravery to spare her sister and he’d been a monster about it.
So much bravery from two small woman.
It was incomprehensible.
“I must go to her,” he said hoarsely, releasing her. “I must go to her and apologize for my…”
“Nay!” Gaia said, grabbing him as he tried to walk away.
“She must not know that you know the truth. She has tried to protect me and you must let her continue to do so. It would be terrible if she knew I told you the truth. Don’t you see?
If you apologize to her because I told you the truth, it would mean that it was the only reason you apologized.
It would be a worthless apology. It wouldn’t be because you love her unconditionally, no matter what she did to save a group of captives. ”
“She’s right,” Jax said softly. He’d been listening to the entire thing, feeling such sorrow for Gaia, for Cole, for Corisande.
It was such a bitterly beautiful thing that Gaia had done and he looked at the young woman through new eyes.
“Gaia has made a tremendous sacrifice, Cole. And so has Corisande for letting everyone think she was the one who did the unspeakable thing in order to protect her sister. You will diminish both of their acts of bravery if you let Corisande know that you know. Let her continue to be brave and love her because of it.”
Cole could see all that, very clearly now. Odd how the confession of one young woman suddenly righted everything in his world. He looked at Gaia, who was still so vastly upset, and put his hand underneath her chin, tipping it up so she was looking at him. He smiled at her, wearily.
“I have seen many men in battle,” he said quietly, “but I’ve not seen any man who has come close to the courage you showed in the face of the enemy. You have my deepest admiration and thanks, Lady Gaia.”
Gaia sniffled, her tears fading with Cole’s words. He made her feel better about herself with that gentle praise. He made her feel as if she were actually worth something. Instead of looking at her with disdain, he was looking at her with respect.
She hadn’t expected that.
Cole winked at her and dropped his hand, looking to Ares.
“Where is your sister?” he asked.
Ares tipped his head in the direction of the encampment. “When I saw her last, she was in her tent,” he said. “I assume she’s still there.”
Cole nodded, heading for the stairs, but he put his hand on Ares’ arm as he walked by.
“Thank you,” he muttered. “For everything… thank you.”
Ares, Jax, and Gaia watched him run up the stairs, heading back to Corisande where he belonged.
If she would have him.
Jax found himself praying the young woman had the capacity for forgiveness where his son was concerned.