Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
"This is a terrible idea."
Amelia's whisper was barely audible in the quiet corridor, but Enya heard the fear in it clearly enough. She paused with her hand on the door handle to Harald's study, guilt warring with determination.
"I ken that," she whispered back. "But Finley expects information, and I cannae just sit around and nae dae anything."
"Ye could tell him the truth. That there's naethin' tae find because Harald isnae plottin' anythin'."
"He willnae believe that without proof." Enya tested the handle. Locked, as she'd expected. "And the only way to get proof is tae look."
"At what? His private correspondence? His battle plans?" Amelia's voice rose slightly. "Enya, if he catches ye—"
"He willnae catch me. He's in Council with Leo and the captains. They'll be occupied fer at least another hour." Enya pulled two pins from her hair and knelt by the lock. "Just keep watch, aye? If anyone comes, cough twice."
Amelia made a sound of pure frustration but moved to the end of the corridor anyway. "Ye're goin' tae get us both thrown in the dungeons."
"Lewis daesnae have dungeons," Enya muttered, working the pins into the lock mechanism. She'd watched the castle locksmith dae that once when she was twelve, then had practiced on her own chamber door until she could manage it. "Just a very unpleasant cellar."
"Oh, well, that's comfortin'."
The lock was more complicated than Enya had anticipated. She twisted the pins, feeling for the tumblers, trying to remember the exact angle—
"What are ye daein'?"
Enya's heart stopped.
The pins clattered to the floor as she spun around to find Harald standing at the opposite end of the corridor, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised.
Not in Council. Not occupied.
Right there.
"I—" Enya's mind went completely blank. "We were just…"
"Pickin' the lock tae me study?" Harald's voice was perfectly calm, which somehow made it worse. "Aye, I can see that."
"Nay! We were—" Enya scrambled for any explanation that didn't sound insane. "Amelia lost an earrin’. We thought it might have rolled under the door, so I was just—"
"Usin' hairpins tae pick the lock instead of simply knockin' and askin' if I'd seen it?"
When he put it like that, it sounded completely ridiculous.
"The door was locked," Enya said weakly. "And we didnae want tae disturb ye."
"So ye thought ye'd break intae me private study instead?" Harald moved closer, and Enya had to fight the urge to back up. "That seems like significantly more of a disturbance, Lady Cameron."
Behind him, Amelia had gone pale as milk. "Me laird, please, it was me fault—I was worried about the earring, and Lady Enya was just tryin' tae help."
"Is that so?" Harald's gaze flicked to Amelia, then back to Enya. "And where exactly did ye lose this earrin’, Amelia?"
"I... uh..." Amelia's eyes darted to Enya, pleading.
"She's nae wearin' any earrings," Harald observed. "In fact, I dinnae think I've ever seen her wear earrings."
Silence fell over the corridor like a burial shroud. Enya could feel her cheeks burning, could see the exact moment Harald's expression shifted from mild annoyance to something sharper.
Suspicion. Again.
"Right," she said, lifting her chin despite the mortification crawling up her spine. "Ye've caught us. We were bein' nosy. I wanted tae see yer study, and the door was locked, so I thought I'd... practice me lockpickin' skills."
It was possibly the worst lie she'd ever told, but at least it was closer to believable than the earring story.
Harald stared at her for a long moment. Then, impossibly, his mouth twitched.
"Yer lockpickin' skills."
"Aye."
"Which ye were practicin' on the door tae me private study."
"It seemed like a good opportunity."
"It seems like a terrible idea," Harald corrected. But the sharp edge had left his voice, replaced by something that sounded almost like amusement. "What were ye plannin' tae dae if ye actually got it open? Just wander around lookin' at things?"
"I..." Enya had no good answer for that. "Maybe?"
"Brilliant plan. Very well thought out." Harald shook his head, then bent to pick up her fallen hairpins. "Here. Ye'll need these back. Though I have tae tell ye, yer technique is terrible."
"Excuse me?"
"Ye're usin' the wrong angle. The lock mechanism on that door requires ye tae lift the pins while turnin', nae just twist them." Harald demonstrated with his hands. "Like this. See?"
Enya stared at him. "Are ye... teachin' me tae pick yer own lock?"
"I'm teachin' ye the right technique so ye dinnae damage the mechanism with yer clumsy attempts." Harald's eyes glinted with something that might have been humor. "If ye're goin' tae break intae places, at least dae it properly."
"I wasnae breakin' in."
"Nay? What would ye call it?"
"Investigatin'," Enya said before she could stop herself.
"Investigatin' what, exactly?"
The question hung between them, weighted with all the unspoken tension of the past few days. Enya knew she should deflect, should laugh it off or invent another weak excuse.
Instead, she found herself saying, "Ye. I was investigatin' ye."
Harald's expression shifted—surprise, maybe, or something deeper. "Why?"
"Because I dinnae understand ye." The words tumbled out, honest despite every instinct screaming at her to stop.
"Because ye're kind tae children and maids who cannae reach high shelves, but ye're also the Hawk of Lewis who can cut down six men without breakin' a sweat.
Because ye defended me tae the king's envoy but ye dinnae trust me.
Because ye called me beautiful and then walked away like ye regretted it. "
She stopped, horrified at everything she'd just admitted. Behind Harald, Amelia's eyes were huge.
"I see," Harald said quietly. "And ye thought breakin' intae me study would help ye understand?"
"I thought maybe yer private things would tell me what ye willnae." Enya's voice dropped. "What ye hide behind all that control."
Harald was silent for a long moment. Then he reached past her and unlocked the door.
"Come on, then," he said. "If ye want tae ken who I am, ye can just ask instead of resortin' tae criminal activity."
Enya blinked. "What?"
"Ye heard me. Come in. Look around. Ask yer questions." Harald pushed the door open and gestured inside. "Though I warn ye, it's mostly just borin’ correspondence and maps."
"Ye're... lettin' me in?"
"Seems simpler than havin' ye damage me locks every time yer curiosity gets the better of ye." Harald glanced at Amelia. "Ye can wait here, if ye like. Or go back tae yer chamber. This might take a while."
Amelia looked at Enya, who nodded slightly. Her maid bobbed a curtsy and fled down the corridor with visible relief.
Which left Enya alone with Harald and an open door to his private sanctuary.
"Well?" Harald asked. "Are ye comin', or have ye changed yer mind?"
Enya stepped through the door before she could lose her nerve.
The study was exactly what Harald had promised, mostly boring. Shelves lined with books and scrolls, a large desk covered in maps and correspondence, a chess board set up near the window.
It was neat but lived-in, the space of someone who actually used it for work rather than show.
"Nae exactly excitin', is it?" Harald moved to the sideboard and poured two cups of wine. "Nay secret battle plans or hidden treasure."
"I wasnae lookin' fer treasure."
"So what were ye lookin’ fer?" Harald's voice was mild. “Why ye keep lyin' tae me."
Enya's chest tightened. "I told ye, I was just—"
“All I need ye tae dae is trust me.”
Enya could feel the weight of the moment, the choice standing clear before her.
Tell him the truth and betray Finley. Or keep lying and lose whatever fragile connection was building between them.
"Tell me." Harald settled into the chair near the chess board. "Can ye play chess?"
"A little. I’ve played with Amelia."
"Really?" Harald blinked. “All right then, let’s have a wager. Winner chooses what the other must teach them."
Enya moved to the board, studying the pieces with false intensity. "So ye’re saying if I win, ye teach me somethin'. If ye win, I'll... I'll tell ye what ye want tae ken."
It was a coward's bargain, a way to let fate decide instead of her own conscience. But Harald seemed to understand anyway.
"Alright," he said softly. "We'll play."
They played in silence at first, the only sounds the soft click of pieces on the board and the crackle of the fire. Enya had learned chess from her father before he had died and had played countless games with Amelia over the years to pass long winter nights.
But Harald played like he fought—with strategy and patience, always thinking three moves ahead.
Still, Enya held her own. She took his bishop, sacrificed a knight to protect her queen, pressed her advantage when she found it.
And slowly, she realized something.
He was letting her win.
Not obviously, not in any way she could prove. But she could see it in the moves he chose, the opportunities he didn't take. He was good enough to demolish her if he wanted. Instead, he was making it close.
Making it matter.
"Yer move," Harald said, his voice rough.
Enya studied the board. She could see the path to checkmate now—three moves, maybe four. If she took it, she'd win. The wager would be hers.
And she'd never have to tell him the truth.
Her hand hovered over her queen. It would be so easy. So simple.
But when she looked up and met Harald's eyes across the board, she saw something there that made her breath catch.
Hope. He was hoping she'd win. Hoping she'd take the escape he was offering.
Because he didn't want to hear the truth any more than she wanted to tell it.
"Checkmate," Enya whispered, moving her queen into position.
Harald studied the board for a long moment, then tipped his king over with a soft click.
"So it is," he said. "Well played, Lady Cameron."
"Ye let me win."
"Did I?"
"Ye ken ye did." Enya's throat was tight. "Why?"
"Because sometimes losin' is easier than winnin'." Harald stood, moving to the window. "So. Ye've won. What dae ye want me tae teach ye?"
What did she want? The question felt enormous, weighted with possibility.
"The island," Enya heard herself say. "Teach me about Lewis. About the places ye love. The parts of this land that make it worth fightin' fer."
Harald turned to look at her, surprise clear on his face. "That's what ye want? Nae battle tactics or defensive strategies? Just... the island?"
"Aye." Enya moved to stand beside him, looking out at the darkening landscape. "If I'm tae be lady here, I should ken it. Nae just the castle, but the whole of it. The parts ye dinnae show tae strangers."
Something shifted in Harald's expression—the hard edges softening, the suspicion giving way to something that looked almost like wonder.
"There's a lake," he said quietly. "North of here, hidden in the cliffs.
The water's so clear ye can see straight to the bottom, and the rocks around it are worn smooth from centuries of waves.
I went there a lot as a boy when I needed to think.
When the weight of bein' laird's son felt like too much. "
"It sounds beautiful."
"It is. I'll take ye there." Harald's voice was soft now, intimate. "When the weather clears. I think ye'd like it."
"I think I would too." Enya felt the warmth of his nearness, the pull of him like gravity. "Thank ye. Fer trustin' me with it."
"Thank ye fer winnin' instead of losin' on purpose." Harald's mouth quirked. "I ken ye saw what I was daein'."
"Aye. But I won anyway." Enya managed a smile despite the guilt still churning in her stomach.
Harald's hand moved like he might reach for hers, then stopped. "Enya—"
"I should go." She stepped back before she could do something stupid like close the distance between them. "It's late, and Amelia will be worried."
"Of course." Harald's expression shuttered. "I'll walk ye back."
"Nay need. I ken the way now." Enya moved toward the door, then paused. "Harald? Thank ye. Fer this. Fer... all of it."
"Ye're welcome." His voice followed her into the corridor. "And Enya? Next time ye want tae ken somethin', just ask. The locks in this castle are terrible, and I'd rather nae have ye breakin' them all."
Despite everything, Enya felt herself smile. "I'll remember that."
She fled before he could see the tears threatening to spill—tears of guilt and longing and the growing certainty that she was falling for a man she'd been sent to betray.
And she had absolutely no idea how to stop it.