Chapter 18
Kirsten’s heart was light at the sight of him.
Finally, there is mercy! Surely, Marcas will believe me!
She beamed with happiness and joy, overwhelmed that he had managed to break free of the poison’s hold.
“Kirsten,” he spat. His voice was devoid of any happiness at all, and his features were dark.
There were shadows under his eyes; his body bristled with tension.
Anger was imbued in his face and he looked terrifying.
Kirsten was filled with fear and immediately knew that this was not going to go as well as she had hoped.
“Marcas, I need tae tell ye—” she began, but before she could say anything, Marcas had already spoken. His words were thunderous, booming through the empty hallways of the dungeon, making even the spiders and rats scuttle away in fear.
“Ye need tae tell me what? Another lie? Another scheme? I knew there was an enemy close but I didnae think it was ye. And tae think, I actually started tae trust ye. I actually started tae...” He stopped himself, and she wondered what he had been about to say.
He raised a clenched fist and shook his head.
“I made ye my wife! Is this how ye repay me? Who came up with this scheme, Kirsten? Was it yer brothers? Were they a part of this tae? Are ye all tired of the Monroe clan? Are ye working with the Calbraiths, ready tae carve up the land we have and share it amongst yerselves? Well, say something!”
Kirsten’s lower lip trembled. Even her own husband had turned on her.
She remembered the way he had berated the guard.
His temper was uncontrollable, and she was now bearing the brunt of it.
Fear crawled over her body as she stepped back, her shoulders round and her head slumped.
There was no hope in him. He had condemned her just like the rest. What else was there to do but accept her destiny?
“I only wanted tae help ye, Marcas. I thought it was lavender,” she said in a small voice.
“Oh, aye, and what a piece of art that was. Are ye mocking me? That was just how my mother died. I thought for a moment that ye were being sweet. Ye played me well, Kirsten, I hae tae give ye that. I never thought I’d be sae easily fooled, but I suppose I’m just as weak as any other man.
Well, ye almost succeeded, but I’m still here, and I’m nae gaeing tae rest until all my enemies hae been rooted out.
If the other clans want a war, then I’ll give them one.
I won’t stop until the Highlands are bathed in blood. ”
Looking at him, she could well believe that he would do it.
She could see him carving his way through the Highlands, letting his rage fuel him, getting stronger and stronger until there was nobody left to fight.
But it wouldn’t prevent him from being in danger.
There was still something he didn’t understand, and although he hated her in that moment and felt that she had betrayed him, she still loved him and wanted him to know the truth of the matter.
“There is one enemy ye hae nae seen,” she said.
That caught his attention, and he grew quiet. He lowered his hand by his side and regarded her with a cool detachment.
“Oh?”
Kirsten swallowed the lump in her throat and held her head high, trying to make herself as confident as possible. “Yer uncle.”
“Roderick?” Marcas asked in disbelief. Then he laughed. “Lass, I thought ye were skilled, but now I’m thinking it’s more that ye were lucky. Why would ye try and turn me against my own flesh and blood?”
“Because he is against ye. I dinnae know for how long, but he is the one responsible,” she said, pleading with him. “I never meant to hurt ye, I promise ye that. All I wanted was tae be with ye, tae make ye fall in love with me like I hae fallen in love with ye.”
The declaration of love made Marcas pause for a moment, but Kirsten was not going to stop speaking.
She had his attention and was not going to waste it.
She told him the whole story of what happened, including how Roderick had been the one to give her the idea and tell her where she could find the lavender.
As she laid out her thought process, it seemed clear that Roderick had a hand in this, but could the truth overcome the bond between family?
“Please, Marcas, ye hae tae believe me. I wouldnae lie tae ye. I want a life with ye. I want a future with ye! I am devoted tae ye.”
Marcas was quiet and looked reserved. There was a stunned look on his face.
“Are ye sure?” he asked.
Kirsten nodded. “Aye. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
I couldnae hae mistaken the lavender for the poison because they were the only plants there.
I thought I could trust him. I thought he wanted tae help.
He seemed sae sincere…I truly thought he was trying tae help me get closer tae ye, but I made a mistake in trusting him.
Please, Marcas, dinnae make the same mistake as well. ”
“But how dae I know ye arenae trying tae turn me against my kin?” His paranoid nature was a hard habit to shake. He saw conspiracies everywhere, so it was ironic that he had missed the one actual scheme that had been occurring right under his nose.
“Marcas, dae ye think it’s fair tae throw me in the dungeon even though ye cannae be sure that I did it?
Why am I nae being given the right tae defend myself?
Roderick threw me in here because he knows that I can speak the truth.
I hope that ye would know me by now. We hae shared a bed taegether.
We hae shared our bodies. Please, just trust me.
I am yer wife. I want tae protect ye and keep ye safe.
That’s all I want. If ye dinnae believe me, then ye are gaeing tae be at the mercy of him.
At least take me tae see him, and we can talk.
Surely he will nae mind defending himself? ”
She could tell that Marcas was struggling with his feelings.
She continued to look at him, hoping that some emotion would swell within him.
He thought about her words and seemed to see sense.
He unlocked the door and let her out. She wanted to fling her arms around him, but she wasn’t sure how he would react to that.
“I suppose ye hae a point. He knows the castle grounds. He would know what ye would find when he told ye where tae gae.” Kirsten could see the wheels turning in his mind, and then realization struck his face.
He glowered and scowled, and bristled with anger once again, but this time it was not directed towards her.
They walked back through the dungeons and emerged in the soft twilight of the evening, but just as they stepped outside and Kirsten tasted the fresh air again, there was a battle cry, and flaming arrows surged through the air.
Kirsten watched as the flames arched through the sky and flew towards the castle, embedding against the tall towers.
Kirsten watched in horror as her gaze drifted across the fields to see an army attacking.
Her home was under attack, and fear rippled through her heart.