Chapter 31
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
T he knock on her chambers startled Freya, as she had not been expecting anyone. For a moment, she was hesitant to open the door, since she feared someone would be lurking at the other side, waiting for her to reveal herself so they could harm her, just like that maid and those men. But then, Morgana’s melodic voice called from the other side, and Freya breathed a sigh of relief.
When she opened the door, though, Morgana was not alone. Evelyn was with her, looking as beautiful and regal as ever.
“Och… good morning,” Freya said, for lack of anything better to say.
“Good morning, Freya,” said Morgana softly. “May we come in?”
Freya couldn’t see how she could stop them, since it was Morgana’s home, and so she stepped aside and let them walk in. The two women sat in the small living room that took up the better part of the anterior chambers and Freya soon joined them, sitting stiffly on the edge of the ornate couch.
For a few moments, none of them spoke. Freya stared awkwardly out of the window at the darkening sky, but from the corner of her eye, she could see Morgana and Evelyn were just as awkward, sitting just as stiffly.
In the end, much to Freya’s surprise, it was Evelyn who spoke first.
“This marriage is very important tae me and tae me clan,” she said, and Freya balled up her fists, preparing herself for what was to come. They had come to change her mind, to try and convince her to leave James alone—and she didn’t know if she could refuse them if they both descended upon her like vultures.
But what Evelyn said afterwards caught her by surprise, and Freya couldn’t help but look at her with wide eyes, trying to figure out if it was some sort of ploy.
“But I dinnae want it tae come at the expense of someone else,” she said. “As important as it is tae me, I couldnae bear it if something happens tae ye just so I can marry James. Me uncle is very much out of line, Freya, and I can only apologize fer his actions, though I dinnae expect ye tae forgive him.”
So it was Alastair, after all, who was behind all this.
And yet there his niece was, apologizing and trying to make amends for something that wasn’t even her fault.
When Freya said nothing, too stunned to speak, Evelyn added, “Are ye alright? Did ye get hurt?”
Freya shook her head. It was better to avoid revealing the whole truth—namely that she had been hit on the head—since she was fine and she didn’t want Evelyn and Morgana to be even more concerned about her.
“I’m fine,” she assured them. “And… I can only thank ye fer being so understanding. I never thought…”
How could she explain to Evelyn that she had feared she would be just as combative as her uncle without offending her?
“I understand,” Evelyn said, beating her to it. “I’m sure ye thought I would dae anything fer this marriage, too. And if someone else’s wellbeing wasnae at stake, I would. Dinnae misunderstand, Freya… it is me duty tae dae what is best fer me clan and under any other circumstances, I would have done so. But it’s clear James daesnae want me. Even if me uncle or his maither somehow managed to convince him, he would never be happy with me and I have nae desire for a husband who resents me. Resentment builds hatred and hatred builds instability. Everyone in our clans would feel the ripples of it.”
Evelyn’s intellect and maturity were just as impressive to Freya as her beauty. She could not understand why a woman like her would need this marriage so much—surely, she had plenty of suitors, all of whom would be prepared to do anything for her.
“I will speak tae me uncle,” Evelyn continued. “I will try to make him see this isnae the right thing tae dae.”
“And I will speak tae me maither,” said Morgana. “Though she is notorious fer never listening tae anyone else. Perhaps… perhaps if I can sway me faither, he’ll be able to convince her, but I cannae guarantee it will work.”
“Just the fact that ye’re willing tae try is more than enough fer me,” Freya assured them, truly touched by their efforts. She was practically a stranger to them—not just that, but she was also the woman who was about to take this alliance away from Evelyn. And yet, they were both willing to help. “I cannae thank ye enough, both of ye.”
“Ye dinnae need tae thank us,” Morgana said, shaking her head. “Anything ye need, we are here fer ye.”
James stalked the halls of the castle like a shadow, searching for any sign of Alastair. In the end, he found him not in the keep, but in the courtyard, walking around the grounds. Before Alastair could get too far, James stepped in front of him, right in his way, forcing him to come to an abrupt stop.
“James,” said Alastair in a fake jolly tone. “Have ye considered what we discussed?”
“Listen tae me carefully,” said James, pointing a finger at the man’s chest. He didn’t care about decorum anymore. He didn’t care about manners or the fact that Alastair was his guest. All he cared about was protecting Freya from him and making sure everyone knew the wedding with Evelyn would never happen. “What ye did is despicable. Hurting the woman I love, in me own home! Where ye are a guest! How dare ye dae such a thing? Have ye nae shame?”
Alastair’s pleasant demeanor dissipated just as quickly as it had appeared and he gave James an unimpressed look. It seemed he was no longer interested in decorum either. “Ye gave me nay choice, lad,” he said. “If ye had simply agreed tae this wedding like ye should have, then this wouldnae have happened.”
“I will never marry yer niece,” James hissed through clenched teeth. “It’s time ye understand this. Even if I had wished tae wed her, I wouldnae after what ye did. Ye hurt an innocent woman! What were ye planning on doing tae her?”
“What I had tae,” Alastair said, eyes narrowing as he took a step closer to James, getting right in his personal space. “And rest assured I will.”
In that moment, James saw red. Before he knew what he was doing, his body acted on its own, his fist flying right into Alastair’s cheek. His knuckles collided with his cheekbone with a sickening crunch, and Alastair stumbled backwards, surprised by the sudden attack.
Heaving as he cradled his bleeding cheek, Alastair glared at James. “Ye wee bastard,” he hissed. “Ye’ll have what is coming tae ye.”
He had hardly finished his sentence before he attacked, throwing himself at James. The two men stumbled down to the ground, grappling for several seconds before the guards rushed to them to separate them. James was like a rabid animal, trying to get out of their grasp so he could get to Alastair, and Alastair did the same, struggling in the men’s grip.
“I want ye out of me castle!” James roared. “Ye and yer niece both! Ye have nay place here! And the sooner ye are gone, the better it will be fer everyone.”
The look Alastair gave James was scathing, and James could tell the last thing on his mind was that this was finished. There was nothing else he could do, though. Once everyone found out just how blatantly he had threatened Freya’s life, he would not be allowed to remain in the castle.
And James would make sure everyone knew the truth about him and his intentions.