The downside was that Gawain had fought Hector, which meant he was prone to violence and did not aid his case. She was afraid for him. No matter how noble the cause, he still fought someone of a higher rank. His violence would surely be regarded during his trial, she could only hope it was not enough to have him prosecuted.
She feared Gawain would immediately take his leave as soon as he could. He had already been frustrated before the latest accusations and now, Davinia just knew he would be hopping on the next ship to the lowlands or Ireland. Even England was a place she was sure he would consider over the clan.
Would I go with him?Of course, she would.
Even if it was not the confession she imagined, Gawain still said it out loud, almost even proud that he loved her. She wiped the tears off her face, chuckling a little at the thought. He loved her.
Of course, she could not let herself be happy as her doubts came to bite her in the face.
What if he only said it and did not mean it? What if he only said it out of the obligation of being her first lover? What if the only reason he said it was just to be able to pummel Hector? Knowing of Gawain's intense dislike for the man, Davinia could not cross it out.
But it did not matter if Gawain loved her or not. She had to help him prove his innocence. She had to think like Gawain, finding every possible way this could end and picking out the best one. She just had to think.
If she was correct, Gawain would be sent to his room, she was satisfied with that for the time being. Hector would be put in the cells when Gawain accuses him of assault. Even if Gawain was to run off, it was unlikely he would leave at night. It would be too expected.
Davinia concluded on waking up early the next day and going to Caillen to give her testimony. She was the victim as well. She rubbed her aching arm, silently praying it bruised so she could add it to her small pile of evidence. With that, she could get Hector dismissed, and Gawain vindicated. She had to know why Erica would lie against Gawain.
With her plan sorted out, she felt herself become calmer. Her breathing returned to normal as she picked herself off the floor and fell back on her bed. For now, she was tired, and she had to rest, even if it was for a while. She could get a few hours of sleep before putting her plan in motion. She felt emotionally and mentally drained, knowing she would feel better once she took a short nap, she slowly drifted off and was soon out like a light.
Davinia shot up from her sleep, eyes puffy and mouth dry. The loud banging on her door had her scurrying out of bed, swaying slightly as she rushed to unlock the door. "Miss Davinia!" She flinched at the out voice on the other side as she fumbled with the locks before finally getting it open.
"What is it?" Her voice was hoarse, her throat dry as she spoke to the servant that woke her up.
"Me apologies, Miss Davinia. Sorry to wake ye like this, but the Laird has requested yer presence in his study."
"I’ll be there." Davinia tried to dismiss the maid. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and tried to shut the door, but the servant was persistent.
"I’m sorry, miss, but he said to bring ye along." She was irked but did not show it. Instead, she nodded and retreated into her chambers, shutting the door behind her.
The light of the morning sun filtered its way into the room, casting a dull golden glow courtesy of the curtains. Peeking through the curtains at the ground below, she was surprised to find the keep crawling with servants and guards. She had only intended to take a nap, but instead, she had slept all through the night. The impatient knocking on her door once again pulled her out of her thoughts. She had to get ready for the day.
As she got dressed, Davinia noticed the reddish bruise that had formed where Hector had grabbed onto her, wincing every time she poked at it. She went over the incident from the day before. She would have preferred to stop by Gawain's chambers, but with his brother's rule, she doubted the guards would allow her to see him. Her best bet was to go see the Laird straight and explain her side of the story, then look for Erica and find out why she wanted to frame Gawain. Surely it had to be more than just a rejection that would make her accuse him of murder and assault.
Before the servant could start another onslaught of knocks on her door, Davinia stepped out and waved the servant away before making her way toward the laird's study. She passed by the kitchen, stopping to peep in, and she caught sight of Erica speaking to another servant who laughed at something Erica had said. Davinia narrowed her eyes at the servants before continuing her walk.
Davinia had thought about it as hard as she could but turned up with nothing. She could not think of any reason why Erica would pin something that large on Gawain. It was absurd in her point of view, pinning a crime of such magnitude on a man simply because he refused to warm her bed. Still, Davinia resisted the urge to pull the servant out of the kitchen to question her.
She was soon faced with the door of the laird's study, which was pulled open for her by the guards situated at the entrance. "Davinia, good morning." The Laird greeted the moment she stepped in, and she gave a curt bow, mumbling her greetings as she did. " Before we start, I want to ken how ye’re faring?"
"I beg yer pardon?"
"The fight from yesterday. I understand that the fight was about ye." Davinia finally looked around, and in the study sat her sister, Scott, Flora and surprisingly, Hector. Davinia immediately pointed at the bruised man.
"What is he doing here?"
"Whatever do ye mean, Davinia? Hector is a victim and a witness. I cannae exclude him from discussions such as this." Caillen leaned back in his seat, fingers drumming against the wooden desk. "Do ye’ve a problem with that?"
"Aye, he assaulted me just yesterday, but he’s walking about freely?" Davinia heard the tired sigh Scott let out but ignored him.
"If ye’re referring to the fight that broke out between Gawain and Hector yesterday, that’s been sorted out. I understand that Gawain might be forceful at times and doesnae understand how to react when he realizes something or someone doesnae belong to him." Davinia's brows scrunched up at the laird's words before Hector spoke up, immediately clearing the doubt in her mind.
"I only told them the truth, Davinia. Ye do nae have to look so worried anymore." She had no idea what Hector had told them, but it had helped him slip out of getting punished. She just knew he had found a way to pour the blame on Gawain.
"What do ye mean by that? Where is Gawain?" She stepped toward Hector, who gave her a toothy smile. "What lie have ye spun this time, Hector?"
"Davinia, please, we are nae here to fight against each other." Her sister started, getting to her feet while Davinia stepped back until she hit the door. "Hector explained everything to us, ye do nae have to be afraid of Gawain anymore."
"Whatever he has said is a lie!" Davinia snapped, immediately getting on the defensive.
