Chapter 20 #2
A moment later, he turned to a warrior behind the dais and answered a question about patrols. When Flynn muttered something that sounded like a jest, Ian even allowed a small smile to touch his mouth.
He speaks to everyone but me. Perhaps he truly regrets touching me. Does he think me shameless for yielding so easily?
Her cheeks warmed with the memory, embarrassment slowly hardening into something sharper. She kept her gaze lowered for a time, but each moment of his silence made the irritation grow stronger. The hall buzzed with life around them, yet she felt strangely invisible within it.
Then Flynn said something that made Ian chuckle quietly beside her.
That small laugh snapped the final thread of Arianna’s patience.
“Ye seem in good spirits tonight, husband.” She turned toward him, her voice low but edged with steel.
Ian glanced at her cautiously, clearly sensing the tension beneath her calm tone. “Aye,” he said simply.
The single word felt like a dismissal.
“I wouldnae wish to interrupt ye, me Laird…only to remind ye that yer wife still sits beside ye,” she replied loudly.
Several nearby conversations faltered as ears turned toward them. Ian’s shoulders stiffened beside her.
“Not now, Arianna,” he murmured through clenched teeth.
But the restraint she had carried for days shattered. “Oh, forgive me, me Laird,” she said coolly. “I forgot I must wait me turn like the rest of the clan.”
Now, several people openly stared. Ian finally turned fully toward her, his expression darkening. His voice dropped low, dangerous enough that only she could hear clearly.
“Enough.”
But Arianna could not stop. “It's been four days, Ian. Do ye hate yer wife this much?” she said, the words slipping out before pride could silence them.
The laughter around the hall faded into uneasy quiet. Ian’s jaw clenched visibly as he looked at her. “Ye misunderstand…”
“Oh, do I?” she interrupted quickly. Her voice trembled despite her effort to remain steady. “Then explain why ye pretend I do not exist.”
The entire hall now watched them. Arianna could feel the weight of every gaze pressing against her, but the humiliation burning in her chest drowned out any caution.
Hurt twisted tightly with anger, and beneath it all lay something far more dangerous.
A longing she could not seem to crush, no matter how coldly he treated her.
And that longing made the pain far worse.
He suddenly pushed back his chair and rose to his feet.
The movement was so abrupt that the murmur of the hall faltered and died away.
Arianna barely had time to register the silence before his hand closed firmly around her arm.
It was not cruel, yet it carried a command that allowed no argument as he pulled her to her feet beside him.
“Excuse us,” Ian said coldly.
His voice cut cleanly through the quiet hall as he led her down from the dais. Dozens of eyes followed them as he guided her across the stone floor and toward the great doors. Arianna’s cheeks burned with a mixture of anger and embarrassment as the doors closed heavily behind them.
The corridor outside lay hushed and dim. Torchlight flickered along the stone walls, casting wavering shadows that danced across the floor. The moment they were alone, Ian released her arm. Then he turned on her sharply.
“What in God’s name were ye thinking?” he demanded.
His voice carried a harsh edge she had not heard before. “Ye made a spectacle of yerself before the entire clan.”
Arianna’s temper flared instantly, her frustration boiling over. “A spectacle?” she shot back.
“Forgive me for wishin' me husband would speak to me, like I matter!”
Their voices echoed sharply along the empty corridor. Ian’s expression darkened as he stepped closer, his frustration plainly visible. “Ye’ve avoided me like a stranger,” she continued bitterly. “As if I’ve done something shameful.”
Ian dragged a hand through his hair in clear agitation. “Because I must,” he muttered.
The words struck her like a sudden blow.
He wished it had not happened at all.
Arianna stilled completely, the anger draining from her face as confusion rushed in to take its place. For a moment, she simply stared at him, trying to understand what he meant. “Why?” she asked softly.
But Ian did not answer.
Instead, he turned abruptly and strode down the corridor toward the courtyard doors. Arianna stood frozen where she was, watching as he pushed them open and disappeared into the cool night air beyond. The sound of the door closing behind him echoed hollowly through the hall.
Silence settled heavily around her.
Her heart still pounded from the argument as shame slowly crept in to replace her anger. She pressed her hands together tightly, her thoughts racing back over the scene in the great hall. Why did I say all that before everyone? she wondered miserably.
He must think her foolish now.
The realization made her stomach twist with humiliation. She had allowed her temper to betray her in front of the entire clan. The memory of all those watching faces burned painfully in her mind.