Their father chuckled as well. “There comes a day when even a laird has tae face what is before him. There will always be enemies, Ian, dinnae forget that, but some of those enemies are demons in disguise.”
Blinking out of the memory, Iris stared at the charred wood before her. They had moved on after her father’s parting words, and Iris had stood there longer than she had anticipated, her mind warring with itself.
It was the same with her and James. She had to face what was before her and make a choice regarding her future. Either she could leave the games and move forward with her life or she could…
Nay,Iris thought as she pushed her weary body to her feet,I cannae be with James.The negotiations had failed. Her family was still at war with his, and Iris’s loyalty was always with her family.
Now she had to face him in the sparring ring, the last time she would see him without a battle bringing them together.
It was her worst nightmare.
“Iris?”
Iris turned to find her father standing there, a concerned look on his weathered face.
“Da,” she said, smiling faintly. “I’m just taking a small breath before the last fight.”
“Against Lennox,” he finished, joining her. “Yer brother tells me that Lennox seems tae have turned yer head.”
Ian. She was going to run a sword through him for telling their father that!
“Nay, Da,” she lied. “He hasnae.”
“Ye cannae lie tae me, Iris,” her father said softly. “I know ye too well.”
It was the truth. Her father could sniff out a lie before she got it out of her mouth sometimes.
“It matters not,” she finally said. “I only wish tae win and go home, where I belong.”
To her surprise, her father reached out and took her hands in his.
“Ye are mah favorite daughter,” he started out. “Vera much like me. I have watched ye grow up intae the warrior ye are taeday, and ye make me proud, Iris.”
Tears clogged her throat and Iris had to swallow them so that they wouldn’t spill out onto her cheeks.
“But,” he continued, his expression one of regret, “I fear I have given ye the impression that ye will let me down if ye chose something else.”
“Nay, Da,” she replied. “I dinnae wish tae do anything else.”
Her traitorous heart squeezed painfully in her chest, but Iris pushed it aside.
Her father didn’t look as if he believed her, but he released her hands, giving her a faint nod.
“Aye. Well, rest up, Daughter. One more and we will go home.”
Iris waited until her father had disappeared from her sight before she allowed her shoulders to slump. First James and now her father. Their words were making her thoughts confusing. She thought she knew who she was, but now, she wasn’t so certain.
Ian was the one to come retrieve her from her tent when it was time for her to face James, his expression solemn.
“Dinnae tell me,” she teased. “The laird wants fiery swords.”
Ian choked out a laugh. “Nay, yer sword will do well enough, Sister.”
She bumped her shoulder with his as they walked back to the sparring ring.
“Then why do ye look as if someone killed yer best horse?”
Ian stopped suddenly, gripping her sore arms with his hands.
