Grace’s spirits plunged. “Does it matter now? He will never forgive me.”
Harris chuckled. The sound echoed off the walls, odd and off-putting. Grace narrowed her eyes at him. He clicked his tongue and tweaked her ear. “ You finally fell for someone. A Highlander for that matter. This would send all the society mothers to their graves.”
“Hey! I was notthatbad, I just wanted to find true love. You should see the Ice Princess here.” Grace quelled a shiver. “I was nothing compared to her.”
“I’d like to meet this woman, worse than you.”
She softly hit the back of his head and Harris faked a cry.
A few seconds later, he continued in a quiet voice. “It does matter, Grace. When you have the chance, explain to him, apologize. From what I saw, he feels the same. Loyalty is like a second skin to them; they would understand why you had to avenge your father…”
“It’s not just that. I lied to him, about my name, my situation. I should have trusted him at some point. I think he would have understood. He believed me when no one else did, shielded me…”
“Would you have been able to let it go? You thought he killed your father, you could not have told him. It would have beendevastating. If I’d known or suspected that you weren’t being held prisoner, I would not have mentioned your name.”
“Isn’t that sad? I love the man I suspected.”
“Maybe deep down, you knew it could not have been him.”
“Or maybe I was starting to understand that it was war. Even if itwashim, it was not personal. He didn’t deserve those lies…” Grace shook her head. “And your distraction didn’t work, by the way. I still want to leave.”
“It is better if you’re here. They might not hurt you.” Harris sighed. “Grace, you’re not still worried about your last words to your father, are you? That’s not why you have to… I don’t want you to kill Ethan. You would carry that in your heart for the rest of your life.”
Grace didn’t even have to think twice, “After what he’s done, I can bear the load, gladly.”
“It’s a man’s life. I don’t want that weighing on you.”
“How do you think I survived these past weeks? I’ve seen and survived horrible things. Ethan means nothing to me. Just how do I get out of this damned cell?! You need to be treated too, before your wounds fester.”
Harris cringed at the wordfester.“Ah, you swear now,” Harris said softly. “And you didn’t answer my earlier question.”
Grace didn’t have an answer about the disagreement she had had with her father. It was too heavy on her heart to dwell on, along with the other things. She sat up and looked around. “Doesn’t it seem too quiet? What do you think is going on?”
He stood and turned in a circle. “Maybe Ethan has yet to arrive. Or he has not broken through the gates.”
A sudden image of a fallen Duncan flashed through her mind. Grace surged to her feet, leaving Harris side. She swept hair from her face, and mindless of the dirt on the rails, she grabbed them and shook back and forth.
“Who’s there?! Let me out! Let us out!”
Her screams were cut off by Harris dragging her back to the hay bed. “Be quiet or someone from Ethan’s side might hear.” Grace had pained tears running down her face. She was useless. She was a failure. She struggled for a bit in Harris’s arms, then calmed down, remembering he was wounded.
Then, keys jangled from outside, followed by halting footsteps. Grace looked up. “Someone came, someone’s here.”
She strained her neck to see down the hall, but could not see anything. The steps got closer, then a flash of ginger hair and bright eyes.
“Sheena!” Grace exclaimed, but she could not meet the girl’s eyes. Sheena had treated her like family and defended her fromEmily. She, on the other hand, had treated her brother’s feelings like nothing and even worse, planned to kill him, all the while acting like she was in love. Sheena could demand for her head and she’d be right.
Somber, Sheena stuck the key into the lock. The door swung open. Grace stood beside Harris, heart pounding like a drum.
“Go,” Sheena spat.
“W-what…?” Grace stammered, exchanging looks with Harris. He made to stand in front of her, but Grace wouldn’t let him.
“Ye heard me. Ye can leave.” She glanced at Harris. “Ye’re wounded, ye cannae join the fight.” Back to Grace. “I heard ye’re good with a sword. Go help them.”
“Sheena…I.” It was what she wanted. Why was she hesitating now?
“Dinnae say a word. I ken ye love Duncan. This is ye chance tae prove it. Go.”
