There was a silence after this. Astrid leaned forward, taking a moment to collect her thoughts.
“He is manipulating ye, lass,” she said softly. “Do ye not see it?”
Una pressed her lips together. “I can tell ye that he no longer wants to die at any cost. That’s something, isn’t it? Surely we can prevent one man from leaving the Keep while we try and get something useful out of him.”
Kai looked at his wife and waited. It was clear who the decision rested with. Una found herself holding her breath.
Why do I care? I should be hoping that he gets hanged.
She could picture it in her mind for a moment and saw Struan’s still form swaying from a noose. To her surprise, the idea filled her with nausea. It wasn’tfair, somehow.
“Very well,” Astrid whispered, her voice almost hoarse. “He gets a chance. But Una, since ye have argued for him, he is yer responsibility. On yer head be it if he escapes or does anything terrible.”
Kai stiffened at this but didn’t argue. Una breathed out.
“Agreed,” she said shortly.
Straightening up, she turned and stared down at Struan. He was staring up at her, his expression unreadable. Before she could stop herself, she smiled.
“So,if I’m not to be hanged,” Struan remarked idly, as the soldiers undid the ropes knotted around his wrists. “Can I at least wash?”
Una lifted her eyebrows. “Wash? Weren’t ye given a basin of water to wash in? I know ye did at the convent.”
They were in the quiet hallways behind the Great Hall. The crowd had been dispersed, a number of them visibly displeased that there’d be no execution. More people seemed to be relieved than disappointed, however, and that was consolation in itself, somehow.
“Aye, I was,” Struan snorted, rubbing his wrists to get some life back into them.
The guards backed away to a respectable distance but still glared balefully at Struan, as if daring him to put a foot wrong.
“Would ye be happy to wash only in a bucket of cold water once a day? I want a bath.”
Una clenched her jaw. “Ye must be joking.”
“I am not. From what I understand, ye think I am going to give ye information about my father’s plans. If we’re going to talk, I want to have a bath first.”
“That’s not possible. I can get ye more water…” She broke off as Struan leaned forward, coming almost nose to nose with her.
She found herself swallowing hard, fighting the urge to lean back. Backing away would show weakness, so she held her ground, even though the tips of their noses almost brushed. His eyes seemed even more vivid this close, with specks of gold, green, and even brown jumping in the blue. A lock of dark hair fell over his forehead.
“Take me to a gallows or a bathtub,” he whispered. “The choice is yers, lass.”
Una clenched her jaw. Turning away at last, she locked eyes with one of the horrified-looking guards.
“Are the washrooms empty?” she demanded brusquely. “If not, empty them. Fetch hot water and drying sheets.”
Shortly after, Una stood, arms tightly folded, in the Keep’s washroom. There were two, one for the men and one for thewomen. Of course, respected guests had tubs in their own rooms, in front of their own fires. The washroom consisted of several large copper tubs, set in a line in front of a blazing fireplace, and could be filled with water at will. There were washbasins by another wall, and drying sheets of all sizes hung everywhere. Sheets could be rigged between the tubs to provide a semblance of privacy. A permanent fog of steam hung in the air.
It was empty. The guards were to wait outside. One tub was full of hot water, steaming and inviting.
“That’s yers,” Una said bluntly, pointing. “In ye get.”
Struan strolled over to the bath and trailed his hand in the water. Smiling to himself, he reached up, tugging the back of his shirt collar in preparation to pull it off. Pausing, he glanced over at Una and lifted an eyebrow.
“Did ye plan to stay and watch?”
Color rushed into her cheeks, making them burn.
“Nay, of course not!” she yelped, backing towards the door. “I’m… I’m just going to fetch ye some fresh clothes.”
