"Nae! Look, I’ll nae fight ye because of her. I swear, I do nae want yer wife. She’s yers, ye married her."
"Draw yer blade and fight."
"Nae. If ye want to strike me then do it, but I’ll nae fight ye." Gawain let his hand leave his dagger, and he braced himself for the incoming blow, but it never came. Instead, a familiar voice called out to him. Looking back at the sound of a sword being unsheathed, he found Hansel already taking a stance.
"Sir Gawain, please step away from him. Let me handle this, ye leave." Gawain could see how nervous the boy was, how tightly he gripped his sword on the offense, how stiff his stance was. He was sure to get stuck down within the first few seconds, but Gawain admired the boy for jumping into a fight he knew nothing about just to help a man that was openly considered a traitor. Just how highly did Hansel think of him.
"Just like yer brother." Scott said as he sheathed his sword. "Ye both have a lackey who is ready to die fer ye just about the corner. Cowards." Scott spat, and Hansel flared up in his commander's defense.
"Drawing yer sword at a man who has refused to fight ye, perhaps ye should think about who the real coward is!" Gawain bolted toward the boy, slapping a hand over his mouth before using his other hand to push down the boy's head into a bow.
"Our most sincere apologies, Scott I assure ye, I’ve nae interest in taking what is yers. I’m nae that kind of man, I promise ye. Please excuse me subordinate, he’s only eager to please. Please forgive us." Scott gave no reply as he grabbed onto his wife's arm and pulled her along with him as they made their way down for supper leaving the two men still bowing.
Gawain did not move until he was certain they were alone in the hallway before straightening up, unhanding Hansel so he could do the same. "As much as I appreciate yer intrusion, ye should nae be eager to jump into any fight ye see, lad. How did ye even find me?"
"I asked a maid, and she told me she saw ye leave with Miss Davinia. I found Miss Davinia who said ye had retired fer the night. She wanted to deliver me message, but I requested to hand it over meself. She directed me to her chambers, and on me where there, I heard the commotion." Hansel sheathed his sword before taking out a parchment for Gawain. "Ye requested our names to give to the laird."
Gawain unfurled the paper to look at the seventeen names noted down. "Aye, be on yer way. I’ll have this delivered to me brother by the marrow."
"Do ye need me to walk ye to her chambers, sir?" Gawain stopped to glare at the boy, tucking the paper in his pouch.
"Do I look like some sort of princess to ye? Do ye see me in a dress, or ye see me nose powdered? Off ye go, lad, and do name get into a fight fer me again. I’ll deny knowing yer arse." Gawain called out to Hansel as the boy hurried off, leaving Gawain to his musing.
It had certainly been an eventful day.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Gawain soon found out the day wasn’t over when, right after he settled into his bed, a loud knock on the door rang through his room. Only one person he knew knocked on his door like they were being chased by hounds. Sliding off his bed, he hurried over to the door, almost ripping it right off as his maid faced him.
"Ida, I beg of ye. Leave me be, just fer an hour. At this point, I would kill to be able to get an hour's rest." Gawain failed to notice her bubbling excitement as she practically bounced on the heels of her feet.
"Sir Gawain. I think I might ken who it was that did it."
"Who did what?"
"The pot of sand from the window. I think I might ken!" Gawain pulled her in without any hesitation, slamming the door shut behind him before he turned to the maid.
"Who was it?"
Davinia set down the pitcher of wine after she had filled her brother-in-law's cup. He thanked her with a smile. Looking around the table, only two seats were empty, one belonged to Hector and the other, Gawain. This did not go unnoticed by her sister.
"Where is Gawain? It is nae like him to miss supper." Emer asked as she set down her cutlery.
"He explained to me earlier that he would nae be joining us. He said he had something important to think about." She averted her eyes from Caillen's, not wanting to give herself out that Gawain had briefed her about anything. "He did seem tired when he was telling me. Could barely talk without slurring."
"I'm surprised that he told ye, but then again, he has been doing the most spontaneous things lately. Like last night, he threw a fuss because ye were nae seated at the table with us. It was quite unnecessary if we're being honest." Davinia frowned slightly at her sister's words. She knew Emer did not think much of it, but her words did hold meaning.
"Then please sit with us and have supper. The last thing we would want is Gawain throwing another tantrum because he found out ye did nae have supper at this table." Flora joked, earning a laugh from Emer. Scott, on the other hand, looked just about ready to murder with how tight he gripped his cutlery, and Caillen was deep in thought, absentmindedly picking at his food.
Davinia did take offense to Flora's joke as she was poking fun at Gawain who was only standing up for her. That did not mean he had to be ridiculed. "It only seems funny and unnecessary fer ye because ye’ve always been sitting at this table, Lady Flora. I’m glad that Gawain decided to consider me feelings and see if I would also want to sit and eat with me sister like we once used to." Emer said nothing as a slight frown appeared on her face.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Emer looked up at her sister, who shrugged, her hands folded behind her back.
"Making fun of Gawain because he insisted I should have a seat at the table is nae the right way to go about things. He noticed me presence and decided to speak up fer me."
"Yer presence has always been noticed, but as Hector said last night, ye’re perfect at what ye do it would be better if ye stayed with the servants to keep an eye on things. Davinia, ye’ve always done that." Emer said, her confusion showing slightly on her face. "Ye ken sitting at a table or nae is nae going to have ye stop being yerself. Ye are still me sister and the laird's sister-in-law, and ye will be treated and respected as such. We were just saying that Gawain went a wee overboard last night."
"And I’m saying even if he did which I ken he did nae, he was fighting fer me, and ye should nae make fun of him anymore. He already has it bad enough, being laughed at is more than enough. He deserves even the smallest bit of praise at least." Davinia ended in a barely audible mumble. She took a bow before her sister could speak and was soon shuffling her way back to the kitchen where one last tray of food was waiting for her. She knew Gawain had told her to come by after everyone had retired, but she had done her rounds, made sure every belly was full, and she was no longer needed. If a guard as low as the one guarding the corridors was full, she saw no reason why Gawain should sleep on an empty stomach.
