"Perhaps they were scared. They didn't want anyone to ken they broke a pot."
"It was the window of the old store room, and someone stole Davinia's key."
Caillen pinched the bridge of his nose, and he leaned forward. "Imagine this, brother. A maid broke a pot in the kitchen. Terrified about anyone finding out, she disposes of it and managed to steal the key of the storeroom from the housekeep. They sneak in, try to steal back the pot when it falls and breaks. Again. They will nae show their face fer that will attract suspicion."
"Someone is targeting me, Caillen!"
"Fine. Name one-person ye might suspect?" His mind raced to Hector, but Hector was in the garden when it started to rain, and he did not enter inside until the last maid was in the castle, the pot had already been thrown. His next thought went to the maids who knew him and did not like him for his betrayal.
"‘Tis one of the maids. Only a maid could take Davinia's key easily."
"Good. Let's narrow the list a little. What maid is off in the head enough to steal from the housekeep?"
"Caillen—"
"Gawain, I understand yer fears and yer paranoia, but I assure ye that nae one is trying to kill ye. Everyone is just a little uneasy at the moment, but that's it. Please, stop worrying and stop making Davinia scared as well."
"Will ye at least look around fer me?"
"I’ll though I won't find anything. There is a meeting with the elders later today. I want to officially put ye in position. The elders are you to screech like birds, but ye’ve to promise not to break down before them." Gawain raised a brow at his brother before slowly nodding. “Thank ye."
Finding no need to remain in the study, Gawain set out, unsatisfied with his conversation with his brother. Caillen wasn't taking things seriously enough for him. Swallowed in his own thoughts, he bumped into someone as he rounded a corner, his eyes widened when he saw he had collided with his sister-in-law.
"Emer! Please, are ye alright?" He had on to her arms, steadying her before he let her go, but she waved him off.
"Aye, I’m fine, but I can tell ye aren't." She pointed at his furrowed brows before flicking at his nose. He stepped back as she grinned widely. “What did me husband do to ye again?" Gawain shook his head, loosening enough to return her smile. He always wondered how Davinia tolerated her much energetic and playful sister. Even as an adult, Emer hadn't changed much. Fir his brother, he couldn't find anyone with a personality similar to his than Emer.
Emer seemed to be in a jovial mood, and he did not want to ruin that for her. Learning that her start was almost injured could bring about a negative reaction, but then again, this was Emer. She wasn't made like most women.
"Someone tried to injure Davinia and I. They threw a pot from above at where we were both standing earlier today. I told Caillen about it, but he did nae take me seriously. I wish he did."
"I see." She placed her hands on his waist. “Do nae worry, I'll talk some sense into him. Ye should nae be upset if things like this happened, Gawain. Caillen is...well, he has a full plate nowadays."
"It would help if he shared it with me."
"Aye, it would, but ye ken Caillen. He wants to do it on his own. He never even told me he had written to ye until the messenger returned. He's trying his hardest to patch up the relationship between ye two as ye’re his blood. Ye ken how he has always felt about family."
"Aye which is why I was surprised when he packed up and left back then.” He shifted from one foot to the other as Emer stretched out her hands for him to take.
"I promise ye, Caillen is nae as insensitive as ye think he is. He still loves ye very much, ye’re very dear to him. It has just been a while that ye two have been under the same roof, he doesnae ken how to act. He doesnae want to upset ye, neither does he want to suffocate ye. I promise that he only has good intentions toward ye."
"...I suppose ye want me to go easy on him."
"Aye. Any more pressure on how to make ye comfortable, and I fear he might break."
"If that is what ye want, Emer. Personally, I would love to see him cry a wee bit." She laughed at his words before he let her hands go. “I'll escort ye to his study."
"Nae, I'll be fine. I'm with child nae dying."
* * *
When Gawain was being groomed to be the Laird, a good number of the elders did not approve of him. They said he was just not the right fit. He could think and make decisions on his own, it was the thought of him that made the elders tremble. Independent ones, they said, were not meant to be lairds. For Gawain, he did nae understand why until he came back to the clan.
The elders simply wanted someone to sink their nails into, someone to control. His brother fit the description all too well. Caillen, like their father, was more emotional than logical, he cared more about what people would say about his reign and would often try to find loopholes to make both sides happy.
Gawain rested against the door of the meeting hall as the elders trooped in with their escorts behind them. The hall had nae windows, the only source of light were the candles that had been lit. A long table sat in the middle of the room, on each side were three chairs, one at an end and at the other end was another. Six elders, two guards each, his brother, Hector, and finally him. Gawain took his stand on the left hand of his brother, doing his hardest to ignore the glares the elders were shooting at him.
Whatever decision Caillen would make would completely be in the elders' control unless Caillen could stand his ground.
