"Aye, I believe ye." Davinia's declaration earned a scoff from Emer, leading the maid away with Flora behind them.
"Davinia, ye cannae continue to defend him like this. He killed a lass!" Hector stepped in, but Davinia shook her head at him.
"Nae, I do nae ken what is going on exactly, but I’m certain that ye’re trying to frame Gawain. Fer what reason, I do nae ken. I do nae believe Gawain would hurt a hair on Ida's head. I’m an alibi. He was with me the whole night. He would never lay his hands on a woman, and I’m willing to stake a bet on anything that Gawain did nae lay a hand on ye before, during and after the fire took place. He’s innocent!"
"That's enough!" Caillen stepped between Hector and Davinia, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. "This is all one big mess. I cannae judge a case this way. As I’ve nae proof, Gawain cannae be judged yet, but in the meantime, I’ll rather have him stay in his bedchambers while I personally investigate this properly. I’ll have Ida's body delivered to her family, and I’ll be there to represent the keep. These people are nae just servants. They are members of the clan as well, and if one dies, we have lost a sibling.” He turned to Gawain, “I’ll have guards escort ye to yer chambers. Ye are nae to have contact with anyone, and that includes ye, Davinia. If ye need something, it’ll be provided by the guards."
"But that is nae fair!" Davinia cried, latching on to Gawain's arm, but Caillen raised his hand to silence her.
"Davinia, fer yer own sake, it would be better if ye comply with the rules. Hector, please take Davinia back to the kitchens while ye two," Caillen pointed at the two guards posted in the hall, and they rushed over, giving their Laird a bow out of respect, "Take him to his chambers and guard the door. He’s nae to leave, and nae one is allowed to visit him."
The guards swung to action, stepping on either side of Gawain as Hector tried in vain to pull Davinia from his side. "Caillen, ye need to think about this properly. Ye ken he would never do this. He’s innocent, and they are trying to frame him! How can ye side with them over yer own brother?"
"Davinia." Caillen opened his mouth to talk, but Gawain spoke first, causing her to stop her struggling. "M'eudail, I’ll be alright."
"But this nae fair! This is unjust, Gawain. Ye are innocent, and ye’re going to be locked up. How do ye want me to—"
"Nae, just get some rest. I’ll be fine." Gawain peeled Davinia's hands off him, and Hector quickly grabbed a hold of one before she could throw another tantrum.
Davinia could only watch helplessly as Hector led out of the grand hall as Gawain's head drooped low, a ghost of a smile on his lips. It was almost as if he knew what would happen. As if history was about to repeat itself. She recalled his question from earlier; would she leave with him?
If the man she loved was faced with this much injustice by the people who claimed to trust him, what reason did she have to stay?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Davinia snatched her arm back from Hector, causing the man to stumble forward slightly. "Do nae touch me!" She hissed at him, tucking her arms behind her again as he reached out to grab her once more. Looking back to the hall, Gawain had not yet been discharged, her guess was that Caillen still had a few things to say.
"When will ye snap out of this Davinia? Ye put yer trust in the wrong person, and ye’re even willing to fight fer him. What has he whispered in yer ear?" Davinia inched away from Hector's weak frame as he coughed out the last part. Instead of responding, she continued to glare at him until he sighed. "He’s only going to use ye, Davinia."
"He’s nae. Unlike some people, he's honest." Hector frowned at her reply. "I ken ye’re up to something, Hector, and I promise ye, I’ll get to the bottom of it and save Gawain."
"He murdered a servant! How could ye want to save him? He has betrayed the clan fer the second time and was trying to take over the laird's position. He killed a lass and was about to kill another who saw him. He’s a cold-blooded murderer and a traitor! How can ye continue to stand up fer such a person? Can I even call him a person? He's a filthy—" Hector was cut off by Davinia pointing a warning finger at him.
"Ye watch what ye say about him. I’m furious and extremely irritable at the moment, so I’ll nae apologize fer me actions. The reason I continue to stick up fer him is that I ken he’s innocent. I ken he has changed and is constantly trying to be a better man by the day. And I ken that ye want to drive him out of the clan with yer silly schemes, and if ye think I’m just going to stand and watch ye torment the man I love, then ye’ve another thing coming, Hector. I’ll fight if I’ve to!"
She saw Hector twitch, and for that moment, she wondered if he was going to collapse, but her worries faded when he let out a dry chuckle. "Ye love him? How is that even possible? Look at him. He’s a traitor!"
"And ye’re a liar. Gawain has changed while ye’re just as rotten and ill-tempered as when I first got here." She threw at him before gathering her skirts to leave as the doors of the grand hall opened when his hand latched on to her arm, pulling her back forcefully until her back hit the stone wall with a dull thud, the pain causing her to cry out.
"Ye should be the one watching what ye say to me. Yer beloved traitor is imprisoned and will be exiled or executed fer the lass he killed. Even after knowing his crimes, ye continue to stand by his side, which makes me think perhaps ye were also involved in all of this?" Hector's grip on her arm tightened the more she struggled and pushed against him, his nails digging painfully through the fabric of her dress.
Tears prickled the side of her eyes as he opened his mouth to speak again, only to be roughly ripped away from Davinia, who slid down the wall to her knees, her hand rubbing the sting Hector left on her arm. What she did not expect was to see Gawain pummeling Hector into the wall in front of her. Hector, though still weak, managed to block a few, returning them with less strength.
She watched the two men fight, terrified for her lover as Hector's blows gradually toughened up enough to send Gawain back a few steps, but it was temporary as the larger, angrier man came back harder. On more than one occasion, she saw Hector reach for Gawain's sheathed dagger as that was the only blade in sight, but Gawain easily deflected it, twisting Hector's hand behind his back far enough for the man to let out an agonizing howl.
Davinia tried to reach for Gawain, but the guards got there first, managing to pull him away from the now bleeding Hector. From the direction of the hall, Caillen and Scott came running.
"What happened?" Caillen asked while Gawain managed to push off the guards, successfully getting in a few more blows to Hector's head before he was restrained by Caillen and Scott this time.
"Let go of me! I'll kill him meself." Gawain fought against the two other men. "Ye can do what ye want with me, Hector but the day yer forsaken hands touch me woman again, I’ll tear ye apart, limb by limb, ye miserable bastard! Unhand me, Caillen. How dare ye manhandle the woman I love, me woman, how dare ye!" Davinia could only stare at the wall ahead as Gawain's yells registered in her head. A scene had been caused because of her. There was already a small group of servants peeping from the next hallway at them. She slowly got to her feet, wrapping her arms around herself as her eyes brimmed with unshed tears.
She started to walk away as fast as she could, eventually breaking into a sprint, desperate to get away from the men. Through her embarrassment, she got a few things out of the fight.
Gawain was triggered by Hector's manhandling of her, which proved Gawain would never sit for such a thing
He refused to watch a woman get roughened up. He would never actually hit a woman either. This was proper proof that Erica was lying. It did not matter if Gawain declared her his woman or not. She was still a woman.
She ran to her chambers, slamming the door behind her and clicking the lock into place before sinking down with her knees at her chest. She had evidence to prove Gawain's innocence. Hector was hurting her, and Gawain stepped in for her.
