Nathan frowned. “That’s silly.”
Caden smiled faintly. “Aye, it was.”
Ava did not smile.
“The man married a woman he didnae ken,” Caden went on. “He told himself it was for the good of his people and that his feelings didnae matter. He tried to convince himself that if he kept his heart behind stone walls, he could protect himself.”
Ava’s fingers curled into the fabric of her skirt.
“But,” Caden sighed, “the trouble with walls is that they keep out the very things meant to save ye. One day, the man began to notice things. How the woman spoke gently to the servants he had dismissed. How she protected and loved animals. How she laughed when she thought nay one was listening.”
Ava’s breath caught despite herself.
Please, daenae…
“He noticed that the air felt warmer when she was in a room and colder when she left it. There was new life in his small castle—friendships and companionship. Fatherhood.”
The crackle of the fire was too loud in the ensuing silence. A lump formed in Ava’s throat.
“And one day,” Caden murmured, “the man realized that he had fallen in love with her the moment he carried her through the Great Hall’s doors. He had simply been too afraid to admit it.”
Nathan tilted his head. “Afraid? Why?”
Caden’s gaze lifted from the flames to Ava’s face. “Because loving her meant risking pain. The man convinced himself that he was strong enough to face solitude and loneliness if it meant being able to keep them out of harm’s way.”
His eyes bored into hers as he spoke.
“One day, when he risked losing her, he pushed her away even more. He didnae realize he’d hurt both of them in the process. Then, someone they loved got sick, and they had to come together to help. The man realized he had been a fool to let her go.”
Ava stood up abruptly, her chair scraping across the cobblestones.
The sound startled Nathan. “Ma?”
She turned away from Caden and crossed her arms over her chest, putting distance between her and the warmth of his words. She did not want to risk getting hurt again.
Shecouldnotgo through this again.
She turned back to face him, a stone wall of protection around her heart. “And what about duty?” she asked, her voice sharp enough to cut.
CHAPTER 29
Ava’s glarewas sharper than steel.
When Caden had entered the Great Hall, he knew it would not be easy to win her back. But God, this was harrowing.
Setting Nathan on the chair with a smile, he rose slowly, as though approaching a skittish animal.
“That was his mistake,” he said cautiously. “He thought duty and love were enemies.”
Ava let out a short, bitter laugh and looked toward the fire. “They usually are.”
“Nay,” Caden said firmly. “They arenae.”
She looked back at him, her eyes flashing. “Ye chose duty every time it asked ye to choose between us.”
He hung his head. “I daenae deny it. I did it to the detriment of our marriage.”
He would take the full punishment, whatever she chose. He deserved it. He would do anything to win her back.
