Maisie entered Caiden's study with her chin lifted, though her steps were light and eager. The room smelled faintly of smoke and leather, and the glow of the hearth lit his face with a golden hue.
He looked up from the desk, and her heart clenched at the sight, as if she had been starving and at last found sustenance. To spend time with him, even in the stern quiet of this place, felt like a gift she had yearned for.
Maisie drew a breath, her voice trembling though she smiled."Caiden, I have so much to say to ye, things I've kept in me heart and…"
He raised a hand sharply, his gaze hard, cutting her words away."Maisie, hold yer tongue a moment. There's somethin' of import I must tell ye first."
She blinked, startled, her lips parting as she searched his face."What is it, then? Ye've the look of a man bearin' a heavy truth."
Caiden leaned back in his chair, his voice measured, though a shadow flickered in his eyes. "It's time ye went home, lass. Ye're nae bound here any longer."
Her breath caught, confusion flashing in her gaze."Go home? What do ye mean by that? Caiden, I daenae understand."
He folded his hands upon the desk, his jaw set firm, though his tone softened slightly. "I mean ye're nay longer me captive. Ye're free to return to yer kin, and I'll see to it ye've safe passage. I shouldnae have taken ye in the first place; 'twas a mistake I'll forever regret."
The words hung heavy in the room, and Maisie stood still as stone, her throat tightening. For a moment, silence wrapped around her like a shroud. Then she drew a deep breath and shook her head, her voice low but steady.
"Ye daenae need to apologize. I'm glad to ken ye'll let me go… but the truth is, Caiden, I daenae want to leave."
She saw it then, the flicker of shock across his face, as if she had struck him where he least expected. His eyes widened, and for a heartbeat she thought he might reach for her, might tell her the words she longed to hear. Her heart surged with hope, fragile and trembling. But instead, his expression hardened like stone, and his voice cut cruel and sharp.
"If ye thought any more of what passed between us, then that's yer own folly. I never gave ye any promise, lass, nor hint that ye were more than a passin' pleasure to me."
The words pierced her chest, each syllable a blade, leaving her breathless and reeling. Her lips trembled, though she tried to keep her composure, her hands curling into fists at her sides. Every part of her wanted to cry out that he lied, that his eyes had told her otherwise. But she swallowed the pain, holding it close, knowing she could not let him see her break.
Maisie's chest heaved, fury burning through the ache in her heart. She stared at Caiden, her eyes glistening but sharp as blades. Every moment she had treasured now felt twisted into something cruel, something she had never wished to believe. Her voice broke the silence, fierce and trembling all at once.
"So that's it, then? Ye used me, Caiden, wrung me dry of what pleasure ye could steal, and now ye'll toss me aside when ye've grown weary?"
Caiden stiffened, his jaw tightening as though her words had struck too close. He rose from his chair, his height casting a shadow over her, yet his voice held a controlled edge. "Daenae twist this, Maisie. I never promised ye more than what it was. Ye ken I've me duties and me people to think of."
Maisie's laughter came bitter and raw, a sound that scraped her throat. She took a step closer, her hands balled at her sides.
"Yer people? Aye, ye speak of them as if they're chains upon ye. But what of me, Caiden? What of the nights, the words, the touches ye gave me? Were they naught but lies to keep me pliant?"
His eyes darkened, and for a heartbeat, his hand twitched as if he meant to reach for her, then he stilled. His tone grew harsher, though something flickered beneath it.
"Ye think too much of it, lass. I let me desire get the better of me, aye, but that was weakness, nae a vow. Ye should nae read love where there is none."
Her heart clenched, yet her anger burned hotter, refusing to be silenced. She stepped so close that her skirts brushed his boots, her chin tilting defiantly upward.
"Daenae dare tell me there was nay more, Caiden. I felt yer heart pound the same as mine, I saw the truth in yer eyes when ye kissed me. Ye cannae take that back with cold words now."
Caiden's nostrils flared, his hands curling into fists at his sides.
"Ye think ye ken me, Maisie, but ye ken naught of what I carry. Me heart cannae be given, nae when it's bound in duty and regret. Best ye leave before ye lose yerself in what I cannae give."
Maisie's breath caught, but her fury pushed through the sorrow that threatened to drown her. Her eyes shone bright, her voice sharp as steel.
"Lose meself? I've already lost, Caiden, lost to a man who would rather bury his soul than fight for what's before him. If ye cast me off now, it's nae me who's broken. It's ye."
The silence that followed stretched heavy, thick with unspoken truths. Caiden's eyes locked on hers, storm-tossed and fierce, yet he said nothing. His breath came hard, his chest rising and falling as though he battled himself. And Maisie stood tall, refusing to yield, though her heart bled within her.
Maisie stood frozen, her heart twisting as his words sank deep into her chest. Her lips parted, but no sound came, only the tremble of her breath. Caiden's tone had been final, his eyes cold as winter stone, and it shattered what hope she had clung to.
"There'll be guards waitin' in the stables, ready to escort ye home. Supplies have been prepared for the long journey," he said flatly.
"So ye truly mean to send me away," she whispered, her voice cracking with the weight of her pain. "After all that's passed between us, ye'll be rid of me with naught but guards and supplies? Is that what I am to ye, Caiden, a burden to be packed off and forgotten?"
