Chapter 23 #2
Arianna pushed herself away from the door and began pacing the chamber. Her thoughts twisted with anger and humiliation.
If the clause she overheard was real, then the entire marriage might have been a calculated move.
I am not a wife. I am not a partner. I am a pawn.
Tears flowed down her cheeks. Her throat tightened painfully as the thought settled deep inside her chest. Tears blurred her vision. Furious at her own weakness, she wiped them away with the back of her hand.
“I’ll nae weep for him,” she muttered bitterly to the empty room.
The words sounded hollow even to her own ears.
Arianna stopped beside the writing desk. The polished wood gleamed softly in the candlelight. Her jaw tightened with sudden determination.
There was only one person she trusted completely.
Her brother.
Hugh, Laird McDonald.
She pulled out a sheet of parchment and sat quickly at the desk. Her fingers trembled slightly as she dipped the quill into the small pot of ink. The feather scratched softly against the page as she began to write.
Dearest Brother,
I pray this letter finds ye well, though I fear the news I must share is troubling.
Today, I overheard a conversation within the council chamber regarding the marriage contract between Clan McGuire and Clan McDonald.
A clause states that if no male heir is born within one year of my marriage, Clan McGuire may claim lands or wealth from our clan as repayment for an older debt agreement.
The steward confirmed that the page bears Uncle’s signature and the seal of our house.
I must ask plainly, Hugh, did ye ken of this clause?
Did Uncle truly agree to such terms when arranging this marriage?
I beg ye to tell me the truth, for I feel as though I stand upon uncertain ground and ken nae whom I may trust. If this agreement was hidden from me, I fear I have been made a pawn in a matter far greater than I was led to believe.
Arianna folded the parchment carefully, smoothing the creases with trembling fingers. The letter felt heavier than its thin paper should allow, as though the truth contained within it carried its own weight. She melted a small pool of wax onto the fold and pressed the seal.
Determined, she rose from the desk and slipped from her chamber into the corridor.
This was not the first time she had sent word home since arriving at Castle McGuire.
Many letters had traveled between her and her family since the wedding.
Yet now the simple act of sending a message felt strangely dangerous.
Not far down the corridor, she encountered a young servant. The lad straightened quickly when he saw her approaching and dipped his head respectfully. Arianna slowed her steps and reached into the fold of her skirts where she carried the sealed letter.
“Ye there,” she said gently. “I have a letter that must be sent to me family Clan McDonald.”
The boy nodded eagerly. “Aye, me Lady.”
She held the parchment out toward him. “Take this to the stables and have one of the message riders carry it at first light.”
The servant stepped forward and reached for the letter.
Then something inside Arianna tightened suddenly.
A strange unease settled in her chest, sharp and unwelcome. Her hand remained extended for only a heartbeat longer before she hesitated. Instead of releasing the parchment, her fingers held fast to its edge.
She studied the young man’s face.
There was nothing openly suspicious about him. He appeared no older than seventeen, with sandy hair and an earnest expression. Yet the moment felt wrong in a way she could not explain.
Too exposed. Too vulnerable.
The memory of the council chamber crept back into her mind like a cold whisper.
The agreement must remain secret.
Her pulse quickened. If the council spoke about the contract, then others within the castle might know of it as well.
Servants carried messages, overheard conversations, and passed information through unseen channels.
Arianna suddenly realized how little she truly understood about the loyalties within Clan McGuire.
Who can I trust?
Before the servant could take the parchment, Arianna pulled the letter back toward herself.
“Oh,” she said quickly, forcing a polite smile. “Forgive me. I’ve just remembered somethin' I wished to add.”
The boy blinked in mild confusion.
“I’ll need to rewrite the letter,” she continued calmly. “Thank ye, but that will be all for now.”
“Aye, me Lady,” he replied, bowing again before turning down the corridor.
Arianna waited until the servant disappeared around the corner before exhaling slowly. Her fingers tightened around the sealed parchment as though it were something precious. With careful movement, she slipped the letter into the hidden pocket sewn within her skirts.
Her instincts told her not to send it. Not yet.
She began walking again, though she no longer had a destination in mind. Here and there, small groups of clan members stood speaking quietly. Several conversations seemed to fade as she approached.
At first, she thought nothing of it. Yet as she continued walking, the silence began to feel heavier. A pair of warriors glanced her way before lowering their voices. Two servants near the stairwell fell quiet when she passed between them.
Arianna could not tell whether the silence was real or merely imagined.
But every glance felt like scrutiny. Every murmur sounded like suspicion.
For the first time since arriving at Castle McGuire, Arianna felt something she had not known before within its walls.
I feel completely alone.