Carice didn’t know if it was possible to save both of their lives, but she had to try. No matter what her body had suffered, she could not lie here and wait for decisions to be made. She took a deep swallow of the honey chamomile tea, finishing the cup. If it would help her voice return, she would continue drinking. The heat seemed to soothe her throat.
“Will you send my father to me?” she managed.
The healer nodded. “Of course. He has been keeping vigil outside your door. I will bring him inside now, if you feel you have the strength.”
Carice lay back against the pillow, wondering if it was possible to ally with Brodie. Her father’s ambitions had led him this far, and she knew he would do nothing to help end her betrothal. But perhaps there was a way to save Raine’s life.
When Brodie entered the room, he appeared pale. He crossed over to her bedside and sat down, taking her hand. “Thank God you’re alive.”
In his tone, she heard the relief, and the affection. Despite everything, her father did love her. He squeezed her palm and admitted, “I didn’t know if you would survive.”
“Neither did I.” Carice held his hand and braved a smile. “I am glad you are here.” And she was. Although she and Brodie had never been close, she saw a break in his tight composure. His blue eyes held worry and traces of fear.
“Will you be all right?” He leaned over to stroke her hair. The gentle caress warmed her heart, and in his shadowed sorrow, she found herself wanting to mend the differences between them.
“I think so.” She caught his hand again and said quietly, “But I do need your help. Now, more than ever.”
At that, Brodie’s expression turned guarded. “What is it you want?”
She chose her words carefully. “I need to speak with the Ard-Righ. Can you bring me to him? I haven’t the strength to walk.”
Her father started to refuse. “Rory is very angry right now. This is not a good time to interfere.”
She knew that. But she would face the strongest storm if it meant saving Raine’s life. “I know. But I need the High King to know the truth about what happened.”
“Believe me when I say it is best if you remain here. Let them hold their trial and stay away. The Norman will bear whatever punishment you might have had.”
She knew he was only trying to protect her, but letting Raine take all the blame was unthinkable. “No. There should be no punishment, for we did nothing wrong.”
“Didn’t you?” The knowing tone in her father’s voice made her wary. She didn’t want to meet his stare, afraid he would guess the truth.
Instead, she changed the subject. “When you married my mother, did you love her?”
The question caught Brodie unawares, and he frowned. “Not at first. She was beautiful, and the union brought our two clans together.” He studied her and added, “You look very much like her. Especially now.”
“I don’t remember her anymore.” She had only been three years old when her mother had died in childbirth. “Sometimes I wish I had even one memory.”
“She wanted sons,” her father said. “She miscarried several children, and because of it, you were her treasure.”
She risked a smile at him. “And yours?”
“And mine,” he agreed. “But I did love your mother in the end. I thought of remarrying, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to do so.”
With that, Carice pressed, “When you love someone, you give away a piece of your heart. And you can never quite get it back.”
He understood, then, what she was saying. “Carice, don’t endanger yourself by asking for something you cannot have.” His gaze turned troubled, and he added, “For your sake, the High King must never know. I saw the way the Norman was embracing you. If Rory learned ofit—”
“Raine cares about me,” Carice said. “And I have grown to love him.” Though she had nearly succumbed to the hand of Death, Raine’s pleading words had bound her to him. He’d given her a reason to fight, and she had battled for each breath. “But that is not why I wish to speak with the High King.”
Brodie waited for her to continue, and she said, “I know I sought to end this betrothal. I never wanted to wed the High King, though you went to a lot of trouble to arrange it.” She steadied herself and said, “But I am willing to consider it now.”
His eyes softened, and he questioned, “And why is that?”
“Because I want to save Raine’s life. And I will agree to wed the High King if they let him go.” Inwardly, her heart was bruised and broken. She wanted to be with Raine, to love him freely and enjoy whatever time they had together. But she also knew that Rory Ó Connor was not about to forgive the insult of another man coveting his bride. He would have Raine killed or maimed as an example. And she would do anything to stop that from happening. Even if it meant giving him up to save his life.
At that, her father turned solemn. “The Ard-Righ is not going to forgive a Norman soldier. Especially when others saw him embracing you.”
“Raine was only trying to help me when I was poisoned,” Carice interrupted. “And only a few people saw it. I can meet with the High King in private to explain what happened, but it must be done before Raine is harmed.”
