"Davinia, calm down. We only want to help. Hector explained to us about yer courtship and how ye two have made it private fer a while." Davinia's head snapped toward Hector, disbelief as clear as day on her face. "I do nae ken how to apologize fer me brother's behavior toward ye. I should have kent, but I ignored all the signs. Even the day I caught ye with him, ye had stormed off in tears. Knowing me brother's behavior, I should have kent better."
"Nae, ye’re getting this all wrong. Gawain never forced himself on me. He has never forced anything on me. I’m nae in a courtship with Hector. I do nae even like the man!" Davinia tried to argue but stopped, tensing when she felt Hector's hands on her shoulder. "Unhand me! Caillen, ye’ve to understand that Gawain approached me for courtship, and I agreed. Hector has never mentioned such a thing to me, and I’ve made it Clare so many times that I do nae with to court him."
"Ye do nae need to pretend anymore, Davinia." Hector cooed softly, and she jerked away from him. " Gawain cannae longer threaten or harm ye. I promised ye I would find a way out of—"
"Shut up, Hector!" Hector flinched at her tone. "I do nae ken what ye’ve planned, nor do I want to. I’ll beg and grovel at yer feet if ye want me to. Gawain has done nothing wrong; he has done none of the things ye accuse of him, and ye ken this. I do nae want to ken why ye’re doing this, but please just tell everyone the truth and let Gawain go." Davinia heard her voice crack as the room had gone silent. Tears stung the back of her eyes as she latched on to the front of Hector's shirt. " Please, just tell the truth."
Hector let out a shaky breath, looking away from Davinia as he peeled her hands off his shirt. "I understand that ye’re terrified of Gawain. He has done quite a lot to us since his return, but even if ye want me to lie fer him, I cannae because he’s shown us constantly how vile he really is."
"Davinia." Caillen started as he pulled out a stack of paper from under his desk. "These are the deeds of the land the clan owns as well as the battle plans that went missing from me study a few days ago. I still cannae wrap me head around it, but these were found in Gawain's chambers last night when I ordered a search."
"Ha." She let out a dry laugh as Caillen pushed the stack toward her. "I guess Hector suggested that search."
"Nae, I did," Scott spoke up for the first time since she had arrived. "With the different accusations being lined up against him, I figured a few, if not all, had to be true, at least. I only wanted to search for the plans, but we came back with this instead."
"With the deeds, Gawain could have easily sold off our land to some other clan. Who kens what he might have planned?" Emer chipped in, but before Davinia could speak in his defense, Flora decided to put in her opinion.
" I do nae think Gawain would do such a thing," Davinia was surprised to say the least. Out of everyone, she had thought that Flora would be the one to support Gawain. " Even when me clan took advantage of him, I knew his intentions were nae to cause harm to the clan. Gawain might be aggressive, rough around the edges, but I’ve once been his lover, and I can say that he’s nae the forceful brute ye’re painting him out to be. He respects women. It doesnae matter if ye spit in his face or give him a chest of treasures. He would never manhandle a woman. He also loves his clan very much. He would never find ways to harm a person within in. He might act nonchalant about a lot of things concerning the clan but all of that is only a front. I dare say Gawain would sacrifice a lot of things for this clan who continues to treat him this unfairly."
"Flora, what are ye saying? There are piles of evidence against the man yet ye speak nonsense like this. " Her husband hissed at her causing her to flinch slightly.
"Do what ye will to me. This is nae about me feelings toward Gawain, this is about the man's life. He’s being accused of murder, if the truth doesnae come out, he will be executed. Ye cannae seek fer forgiveness after his blood has been spilled, Scott He’s down in the dungeons, suffering for crimes he has nae hand in. Tell me how this is fair!"
Davinia only seemed to register the last part. She had thought about it all wrong. Gawain has not been locked in his chambers, but due to his fight with Hector and the lies the man had spun, Gawain was locked in the cells instead.
While she slept peacefully, Gawain had been accused of more crimes and was suffering in the dungeons as he awaited the beginning of his trial. She had to see him, and even though she was bound by the rules of the Laird to stay away from Gawain, she threw caution into the wind as she dashed out of the study with one destination in mind.
She did not care the consequences of her actions, she just had to see Gawain.
He had to leave that cell.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Davinia could hear the echoes of several different footsteps behind her as she hurried down the cold, forgotten corridors that led to the dungeons. She flinched at the loud voice of the Laird, who had caught up to her fast enough, his arm going around her to pull her to a stop while she struggled with him, almost tipping the both of them over. "Davinia, ye need to listen to me! I cannae have ye running around in here fer me, brother. The evidence we have gathered speak against him, it is hard fer me to conclude, but Gawain is still the same as the man who left the clan back then. I’ve tried me best fer him, but Gawain has fallen far into the pit he dug. I’ve tried to out me trust in him, but he has betrayed us all once again."
"Nae!" Davinia ripped her arm away from him as Hector and Emer finally caught up to them, Scott and Flora nowhere to be found. "If that is what ye choose to believe about Gawain then ye’ve nae right to call yerself his brother. Ye say ye’ve tried to put yer trust in him which is a lie! Ye openly provoke him, ye constantly put Hector over him. Look at the fuss ye made when ye could nae find Hector fer a few hours and look at what ye did when yer own brother was almost killed with something as low as a clay pot! How dare ye try to patronize me. If ye ever trusted Gawain, ye would never have accused him of beating Hector up during lunch, ye would listen to what he has to say, but ye’ve nae done any if that. Ye just listen to all they have to say about him but nae what he has to say. I do nae ken anything about yer missing documents and how they got into Gawain's chambers, but I’m willing to bet that this man has a hand in it!" She pointed straight at Hector, who scoffed in her face.
"Why on earth would I want to frame Gawain of anything. He has nothing I want. On the contrary, he’s the once chasing after me position as the right hand of the laird. Ye are only being hysterical because ye’re frightened of him! I’ve been nothing but loyal to the clan and me laird. Tell me why I would commit such treachery now?"
"Because ye’re the frightened one!" Davinia easily countered. It was all starting to make sense to her now. The only grudge Hector had against Gawain was that Gawain was the laird's brother and the only person suitable to take over his role as the right hand. That was it, and she'd be damned if she was not correct. "Ye are scared of losing yer position to Gawain. That is why ye started this elaborate scheme to either have him exiled or executed." A new set of footsteps echoed in the corridor, and Davinia managed to look over Caillen's shoulder to see Erica. " And why is she here?"
"Me apologies, Miss Davinia, but Sir Hector asked me to come to the Laird's study to give me witness testimony, but when I got there, I saw they were all running after ye, so I followed."
"So ye followed? Ye left yer duties, and ye followed?" Davinia snapped at the maid who took a cautious step back. Davinia ignored the people around her and continued her search for Gawain, this time without running.
She had only been in the dungeons a handful of times to bring down a handful of servants to clean out the cells. As the clan had very few enemies, raids against them were almost nonexistent, leaving them with almost no prisoners. The Laird saw no sense in keeping people for long periods of time, so his judgment was often swift.
Davinia walked past the empty cells, focusing on the one cell with two guards in front of it. Her guess was correct; that was where Gawain was being held.
Her heart sank seeing the state he was in. His cheek was slightly swollen from his fight with Hector. He sat in the corner of the cell, eyes closed and his legs spread out in front of him. His skin was slightly paler than normal. The curls in his hair had fallen flat over his face. The cell seemed too small for him. The only source of light was a window that was placed way too high for anyone to reach.
Pressing herself against the cell gate, she reached out a hand, but he was too far away. "Gawain?" She got no reply. "Gawain, please get up." Her voice died down in a whisper. "Gawain!" Her shoulders sagged in relief when she saw his blue eyes snap open. She waited for him to gather himself, for his eyes landed on her.
"M'eudail?" His voice was coarse, as he coughed a bit while pulling himself to his feet. "Ye came to see me?"
"Aye, Gawain. Just give me a minute." She turned to Caillen. He seemed to understand what she wanted and shook his head. "Please, Caillen. I promise he’ll nae hurt me." Gawain snorted from inside the cell, causing his brother to glare at him. "Please just let him out."
"Nae, me lord. If we let him out and he goes on a rampage, we’ll nae be able to stop him!" Erica cried, hiding behind the laird.
