"Baroness,I've come to collect what is mine," he said, extending the parchment to her father. "I'm sure ye've received a similar copy of the decree and are under nay pretense of why I'm here. Now, if ye daenae mind, we've got a long journey back to Scotland. I'll give ye time to say yer goodbyes."
"What is he talking about?"Cynthia asked as she grabbed Byron by his collar. The pain in her voice was like a shard of glasscutting across Isabella's heart. "Why does he think he has a right to claim our daughter?"
"Cynthia,I had no choice. The King had decreed a union between our lines," Byron explained. "I tried all I could to see her married to an Englishman."
"All the partiesyou've dragged me to for the past month? I knew you were trying to marry me off. I just didn't understand why," Isabella gasped as she glanced at Aaron.
"So, ye admit ye were tryin'to sidestep the King's decree? Is that what I just heard? The notice was sent three months ago."
"Yes,and the King's letter assured me that if I could wed my daughter before said time, you would have no right to her," Byron confessed as his anger festered within him. Isabella stepped back, stunned by her parent's' meddling and their deceit.
"You knew about this?"Isabella gasped as she fumbled into the small table. The world was spinning far too quickly for her to keep up with as the air was being pulled from her lungs. Every fiber in her body tingled as the warmth drained out of her pores.
"You knew…you knew and didn't tell me? Why didn't you tell me? Did you think that maybe had I known, I would have –"
"What? What would ye have done?"Aaron asked as he arched an amused eyebrow. "Would ye have thrown yer self at the firstthing to cross yer path?" he paused and shook his head as his eyes narrowed. "Nay, ye wouldnae dare stoop to that. But it matters nae. Here we are. Ye're nae married, and so, by decree, ye belong to me."
"Mother,please tell me you didn't have anything to do with this."
"I would neverin a million years have you married to a Scott. Byron, please tell me you can explain all this,"
"Izzy, please,"Byron sniffled as he tried to reach out for his daughter and pull her into a loving embrace. She shook her head, trying to push aside the pain of their betrayal, but the damaged had been done. Her lip trembled as she refused to let a single tear fall from her eyes. There was no way she was going to give the Scot the satisfaction of seeing her crumble.
"Youdo notgetto call me that anymore," Isabella said as she wagged a finger at her father.
"Byron,you have some serious explaining to do. What did you do to cause this? The king doesn't just go about forcing families to marry. Out with it. Why our house, our daughter?"
"Cynthia,now is not the time for that particular conversation," Byron mumbled as he glared at Izzy. Her chest tightened as fury ripped through her.
"Why?Am I making this uncomfortable for you? How insensitive of me," Izzy lashed out. "Maybe I should go petition the king for my answers."
"I had debts,"Byron shouted as beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. Izzy watched his hands tremble as he reached for his handkerchief. "It was the only way to save what we had."
"How couldyou sign over our only daughter like this? You know what she means to me, and you're just going to let her go so freely? Do something — kick the brute from our home," Cynthia demanded, trying to sit properly in her seat.
"My heart,you need to calm down," Byron insisted as Isabella glanced to Aaron. She was surprised that when she expected to find arrogance and pride, she found him looking more stoic than ever. If it weren't for his shoulders rising with each breath, she would have thought him to be a statue.
"I will not! How could you?"Cynthia wailed. Isabella rolled her shoulders back and made a beeline for the door.
"And just wheredo ye think ye're goin'?"
"You will let me pass, sir,"Isabella growled as Aaron stepped into the threshold, blocking the entire doorway.
"I'll do nay such thing,"Aaron said. The warning in his voice rattled Isabella to her core. His eyes shot over to the servant in the corner who was stunned by the chaos. "Ye'll tell yer servantsto make ready yer carriage if ye want a pleasant ride to Scotland. I can tell ye now by the change in the clouds, we'll be gettin' rain goin' back, and ye daenae want to be on the back of me horse. But if ye're nae ready in twenty minutes, I'm throwin' ye over me shoulder and takin' ye out of here as me hostage."
"Byron,you cannot let that man take our daughter," Cynthia wailed behind Isabella.
"I'm not marrying you,"Isabella interjected defiantly. "There is nothing in this world that could make me."
"Pain of death,"Aaron whispered. "That is what the decree states. Ye refuse me, and I have every right to plow through every single person here."
"That would cause a war,"Cynthia gasped.
"No,"Byron mumbled. Despair and defeat tainted his tone. "It wouldn't. The King has it all in writing. Believe me, I had tried to see you settled with a proper man, but you just made it so hard."
"If you would have toldme what was going on, then maybe we could have come to a different arrangement," Isabella argued as she glared daggers at her parents.
"But ye dinnae.Now, can we please get on the road? I meant what I said about the journey. If ye daenae prepare yerself, we will leave without everythin'."
