"Oh Caillen, look at them. Hector looked so satisfied, and my sister looked so happy. Look at the smile on her face!" Emer giggled as the whole table started to stare at the couple. In Gawain's eyes, Hector was holding her too tight, and why was she smiling so much? Did she really prefer Hector to him?
Gawain watched the couple sway across the floor along with the other dancing couples, "Aye, lady Emer. She looks so at ease in his arms." Flora chipped in, and she looked back and forth from the couple to Gawain, who returned her excited look with a hard glare that seemed to match her husband's.
It seemed the whole table was against him as even Caillen commented on how they would look if they were actually married, “I should talk to her about it
Hector is such a fine gentleman. So right fer me, soft-spoken sister."
"Perhaps her sister might have a different man in mind. Ye cannae say just yet and so ahead to— but never mind. Please, ignore me." Gawain downed the rest of his wine and slumped back in his chair, his tapping continued faster, running his hand through his hair as he never took his eyes off the couple while the table continued their praises. "Caillen?" Gawain cut into the chatter. "Perhaps you should call Hector in yer study. I think I might have a lead on—"
"Nae, brother. Tonight, we make merry. Leave all of the work stress at the entrance." Caillen simply waved his brother off. "And could ye stop tapping yer feet, ye’re crushing down me foot more than half of the time," Gawain responded by bringing his foot down on his brother's as hard as he could, earning a muffled groan from the man. "Oh, Gawain. Ye just reminded me of why I asked the stork to return ye." Caillen got out behind clenched teeth, but his brother was not interested in him tonight. Knowing he could not bear to listen to any more supportive comments toward the couple, Gawain shot out of his seat and made his way straight toward the couple, ignoring his brother calling him back.
He stopped right next to him, getting bumped into by Hector before the dance stopped. Davinia, unfortunately, still held on to Hector. "Sir Gawain. Is anything the matter?"
"Nae." Gawain forced a smile at Hector, who returned it with a nervous one. "Davinia." Looking back, he could see his whole table staring straight at him, Emer could have not looked even more disappointed and annoyed even if she wanted to. "Davinia," He called out once more before her eyes snapped open, and they widened in surprise before she looked up at Hector. "May I dance with ye?"
"Ye may dance with her when a new song starts." Hector butted in before Davinia could respond and was about to start dancing again when Gawain grabbed onto the hand on Davinia's waist. "Sir Gawain?"
"I remember talking to Davinia and Davinia alone. Ye do nae look, talk or sound like her so do name answer for her. Let the woman speak."
"Sir Gawain, I'll have ye ken that ye’re being a wee rude at the moment."
"Oh really? Me apologies, Sir Hector, but I’ll need ye to move."
"And if I do nae?"
"Ye might have to tell me how hard me fist is." Hector paused completely, letting go of Davinia to face Gawain.
"Are ye challenging me?" Hector raised his voice, earning more than a few stares. "Shall I draw me sword?"
"Now why will ye bring a sword to a fistfight? I’m nae. I only want the woman to speak fer herself."
"I spoke fer her because ye’re being rude fer demanding a dance halfway through a song where she already had a partner." Davinia tried to chip in, but neither man was listening to her, pushing down her voice.
"Well, if she did nae seem like she was in shock the whole time, I would nae have to come here to save her from ye. And do remind me, Hector, this is nae the first time I’m saving a woman from ye after me arrival back at the clan, or is it?" Hector flushed a deep shade of red as he stepped back.
"Ye speak nonsense." Hector defended himself weakly, but Gawain's smirk only widened at his opponent's reaction.
"I speak nonsense? Were ye name trying to link that poor dancer to the—"
"I said ye speak nonsense! Watch how ye speak to me." Hector pointed a threatening finger at Gawain, who rolled his eyes with a scoff.
"Bring that finger a little closer and watch me bite it off."
"Gawain!" Caillen shot out of his seat, but Davinia grabbed Gawain's hand and forced him into a bow.
"Nae, me lord. Please, Sir Gawain is only a wee bit intoxicated. He did nae mean to insult her right hand. Please me, lord, overlook this. Give me a while with him, please." Caillen said nothing as Davinia dragged his brother out of the hall, a buzz of muttering and whispering was left in their wake.
Chapter Thirteen
Davinia dragged Gawain away from the hall as fast as she could, managing to get him into the inner gardens where Emer grew her flowers for her different fragrances, which was where he snatched his arm back from her. She turned to him, her eyes lit with fury. They stared at each other, neither saying a word until Davinia's glare started to sink into him. Never had she looked at him in such a manner before.
"Why are ye looking at me like that?" He challenged her, stepping out of her reach, and pointed back in the direction they had come from. "Go back to yer beloved Hector. Hector, who can never go wrong. Hector that everybody loves so much, ye all could cut out yer damn hearts fer him. Go to him and leave me be!"
"Are ye listening to yerself right now, Gawain? Ye sound jealous and possibly daft. Look at what ye did in there. Ye outright insulted the second in command of the entire clan in front of all those people!"
"Davinia, stop it. Don't ye dare tell me what he’s worth because to me he’s nothing! He already has the position suited for the Laird's blood. He gets treated like a king, and I get treated like horse shite! Ye run after him, basking in his attention while ye lie to me, get me hopes high only to pull the chair out from under me! If ye want to act like everyone else, then do it. Do nae lie to me, Davinia!"
Davinia clenched her hands, a red hue creeping up from her neck up to her face. She raised a fist and hit his chest, causing Gawain to step back. "How dare ye!" She hit him again. "Me? Lie to ye? Ye think I fawn over Hector? How dare ye Gawain? Do ye ken how long I’ve been waiting fer ye to notice me? Ye chased after Lady Flora like she held the key to yer life. With yer looks and the previous women ye’ve been with, look at me? I cannae even hold a candle next to them, and ye come with this newfound interest in me? Ye do all these little things that make me flustered, and I ken ye ken of me affections ger ye yet ye accuse me of fawning over another ton? A man I’ve never had a wee bit of interest in?"
