Chapter 12
A Few Days Later
Kira wondered if it was possible for her to wear down the lush rug in the room after one night of pacing.
She had been at it for hours, needing something to do with her body as her mind ran rampant within her head.
She and Hunter were to be wed in the morning.
A day that had been planned since her birth, and yet she felt anything but prepared for it.
After all, how could it end up any other way when the groom hated the bride?
But she had to accept it, it was her fate—and not going through with it would only make Hunter hate her all the more.
Not to mention the bloodshed that would come.
She was the beautiful, meek sacrificial lamb that she had always hoped she wouldn’t be.
She needed air.
With her anxiety peaking, even the vast bedchamber was starting to feel small. Heading out of the corridor, she was mindful to keep quiet since the Keep was asleep by that hour. Only guards on patrol and the hallway torches were alive at that time of night.
Good, she didn’t want to have to worry about the glares and whispers following her every step.
The hateful gleam in their eyes had certainly dampened after she returned with Hunter from the attack; but as rumors circulated about the motive of the attack and her part to play in all of it, the hate returned.
Kira let her feet carry her wherever they saw fit as her mind continued to jump around with the same aimlessness.
It felt like the battle for acceptance she had been fighting her entire life would be a lifelong battle in the end.
There had been days in her youth where she had thought marrying Hunter could have been her escape, her soft place to rest, her haven.
But it was only a thought conjured by immature hope instead of pragmatic reality.
She felt stuck on the thought of their marriage, forged out of force and hate, and how miserable it would be for both of them.
She would forever be a source of pain for Hunter, one that he wouldn’t want as near as one should want a wife to be.
And he would keep her locked away in the Galbraith Keep, sentencing her to a living tomb before she had even reached her twenty-second year of life.
After climbing many stairs and wandering countless corridors, Kira opened a door and felt an invigorating gust of fresh air blow past her.
It was a rooftop, lined with parapets. Ensuring to squeeze a rock between the door and the door frame, she moved away from the entrance and found her way to the parapets.
Her hands moved along the carefully engineered design, up and down, up and down, in their blocky pattern.
It occurred to her to climb atop them, to jump stone to stone.
Just to feel that rush, to remember that at the root of her being, she was technically in control of her fate.
Even if that only control was whether she lived.
But she wouldn’t, knowing the drama it would garner if she were spotted.
She sighed heavily and rested her hands atop the stones and turned her face to the sky.
Her eyes glazed over with boredom at seeing the stars completely blotted out from the overcast sky.
If only she could search the stars for understanding…
The door swinging open and creaking brought her attention back to the rooftop. Much to her surprise, it wasn’t a guard or Hunter himself tracking her down—it was Edine.
“I thought I saw ye wandering about,” she said as she positioned the rock back into place to keep the door from closing. She sauntered closer then, wrapping her shawl around herself more tightly. “What are ye doing out here?”
Kira shrugged and looked back to the dark, endless gray sky. “I was going mad in my chamber. Went for a walk and my feet led me here eventually.”
Edine nodded and rested her elbows on the stone next to Kira. “Fresh air does indeed do the mind good.”
Then, a hip gently pushed Kira and she looked to the woman who had always been a little sister to her.
She looked so much like the late Lady Galbraith that it almost pained her to look at her; God only knew how it made Edine or Hunter feel.
It was the roundness of her petite features, giving her an appearance that was somewhat like a mouse. An adorable, feisty mouse.
“What’s on yer mind?”
“The obvious,” Kira mused. There wasn’t any need to explain in depth, she knew that and so did Edine.
“Well, yes. What particularly, though? Must be something more than an arranged marriage coming to fruition for ye to be wandering about rooftops at night,” Edine pried.
Her hazel eyes were just as intense as Hunter’s, the green seeming to glow even without the aid of torch or sunlight.
“Go on, out with it. I will nae ask again. Ye ken how Galbraith’s loath to repeat themselves. ”
Kira snorted. She then sighed and looked down at her hands as she nibbled on her lip.
“I had always hoped that one day, a time would come that whether it was Hunter or another man, marriage would be a choice. A man who does nae wed me because of politics or familial pressure, but because of love and his own freewill. There had been a time that I thought it was possible for Hunter to make that choice in spite of all the other influences, regardless ot the pressure and politics at play. That he would just choose… me.” Kira wiped a stray tear away before it could roll down her cheek.
“And I ken it’s nae possible now. He’s too bound to hatred.
I dinnae think I have the gall to even ask for forgiveness.
So why would I ever expect him to be happy to marry me? ”
Edine patted her shoulder and let out a sigh.
“I ken ye may nae believe me, but I dinnae think forgiveness is something he’s waiting for ye to ask for.
Hunter might be wounded, but that does nae mean it cannot be repaired.
He is a man of honor and even with the circumstances, it is nae in his character to take marriage lightly.
I think that with time and effort, he can learn to trust ye… and ye can learn to forgive yerself.”
Her words struck Kira deeply, and it took effort for Kira to hold onto her composure. “Ye’re so wise for yer age,” Kira muttered with a smile, wiping away more tears before they could fall.
“Thank ye,” she replied, sounding proud and radiant. “I’ve had good role models, and my advantage over them is knowing they were nae perfect and learning from their flaws.”
“Wiser still,” Kira praised and wrapped her arms around Edine.
They embraced and squeezed one another. She was so grateful that even though just a while ago, Edine was ready to throw her to the wolves for stepping foot in the Galbraith Keep, their bond was easily mended.
“Aside from all the drama, I’m glad I’ll get to have ye as a sister after all,” she added in a whisper.
“Me too,” Edine replied. She gave Kira one more squeeze before holding her at arm’s length and giving her a smile. “Things are dark now, but brighter days are ahead.”
“Keep throwing words of wisdom at me and I’ll start to wonder if ye’re a reincarnated soul,” Kira teased.
They shared a chuckle and a little more idle chatter before Edine excused herself to head to bed. Kira stayed by the parapets for a bit longer, looking up at the sky in contemplation. Edine’s final words stuck with her as she stared up at the cloudy sky.
Scotland was always overcast, but right then she felt like the Heavens had intentionally blotted out the stars.
If she wanted to navigate this tumultuous marriage of hers, she had to learn to have faith.
The stars were still in the sky only obscured, just like the brighter days ahead.
Kira couldn’t control the clouds or the atmosphere, but she could have faith that one day, the sky would clear.
With a much lighter heart than she had arrived with, Kira finally left the rooftop.
Before she could approach her door, however, she noticed something unfamiliar out of the corner of her eye.
Turning, she noticed it was Hunter’s bedchamber door left open, the lit hearth causing light to spill into the corridor.
She bit her lip and pattered over, stealing a peek inside.
His shirtless figure was softly lit by the fire as he sat on a sofa.
On the table in front of the sofa was a small, open box that she couldn’t quite make out the contents of.
But as she watched him slowly unwrap the bandages from around his shoulder, she felt her feet carry her forward without any input from her mind.
“Would ye like some help?” she called as she entered the room.
Hunter turned his head and looked her up and down.
Without saying a word, he only nodded in accepting her assistance.
She approached slowly, the air immediately thick between them.
Hunter was a beautiful man, the fire casting dramatic shadows over his face from his cheekbones and chiseled nose and jaw, accentuating his features.
But his eyes were forever dangerous.
They were always intense and focused, and in the glow of the fire, they were…
primal. He reminded her of a predator in the wild, watching its prey, knowing for certain that it would get its kill in one fell swoop.
And she was the meek doe, wandering too close even if she saw the danger emanating from the treeline.
She sat next to him, her hands working diligently and gingerly, not wanting to cause him any unnecessary discomfort.
Once the wound was exposed, she took a moment to really get a look at it.
Her chest ached, knowing that it was because of her that he had been injured.
It was only a couple of inches wide, but she could tell it was deep from the soiled bandages.