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Ainsly was left in bed feeling desolate. She had tried to distract Ian by making love, and she hated herself for it. It hadn’t felt the same as it had before, and she knew she could never hide something from him. She had tried to lose herself in the moment as she had before, but she found that she could not shake the terrible thoughts from her mind. She knew someone was scheming against her husband, and she was doing nothing to stop it. She was a worthless wife, and she would surely be condemned by the gods for her behavior.

Where making love to Ian before had been magical, this time, it was tragic. All the pleasure was tainted by her lies and secrecy, and when he told her that she could tell him anything, she wished that it was true, but she knew it wasn’t. She feared the way he would walk out if she told him of the conspiracy of their love that would be left in tatters if he should ever find out that she had lied to him. But then something worse happened. He left her for the practice fields, the very location where Calum and Seamus were planning to make their move. She had at least hoped that Ian would be spared the initial attack, but he was walking into the very midst, and there was nothing she could do to dissuade him. When he walked out of the chamber, she was filled with the sense that it was going to be the last time she ever saw him, and she couldn’t live with herself.

Her heart was filled with anguish as she rose from the bed and paced around the room, wondering what she should do. It didn’t take her long to decide. She had to choose her husband. It was impossible to deny that she had fallen in love with him despite her best intentions, and she liked what he planned for their future. As much as she hated to think it, it was now clear that Seamus and Calum did not have her best interests at heart.

She threw on her clothes and ran through the keep. Her footsteps were light as she danced upon the stone, and then she was flung into the bright sunshine. She could hear the clash of steel and the cries of people cheering as she reached the practice fields, and then her heart was in her throat as she saw Calum and Ian locked in battle.

For a big man, Ian was able to dance around and evaded Calum’s blows. This was supposed to be a practice, but Calum was clearly not taking it as such. Anger was etched upon his face, and Ainsly knew that he wouldn’t have been able to help himself. He painted himself as a noble warrior fighting for the good of the clan when instead he was just causing trouble. No doubt he was trying to make up for his mistakes, but instead of forgiving himself, he was just making things worse. Ainsly rushed forward but couldn’t interrupt the battle.

Calum swung his sword, and Ian met every blow with an easy deflection. Calum had been a fine warrior in his time, but although he had a great deal of experience, his best days were behind him. His blows were weaker than they used to be, and he was half a step slower than he had been in his youth. Ian was a honed fighting machine, and he seemed to be dealing with Calum with ease, although it was only making Calum angrier.

At one point, Calum swiped at Ian with a mighty blow, putting all his strength into it. Ian spun away, and Calum staggered forward, falling to his knees. He plunged his sword into the ground and used it to stop himself from collapsing to his face and tasting the dirt.

There was a round of applause and cackling laughter from Calan as the old warrior fell, and Ainsly’s heart broke for him. Calum was a proud man, and this humiliation would cut him deeper than any blade ever could.

“I think that’s enough for taeday,” Ian said, walking over to Calum and holding out his hand. Ainsly let out a deep breath and shook her head. Ian shouldn’t have been there. Calum and Seamus were plotting his death. Was this all part of the plan? She glanced around, but couldn’t see any sign of Seamus. Her gaze eventually settled on the tree line, but as she peered into the distance, there was a noise from the duel. Her head twisted around, and she saw Ian staggering back, clawing dirt out of his eyes. Calum rose in one swift movement and slashed at Ian, cutting his arm. Blood streaked out, and Ian glared at Calum.

“Hae ye lost yer mind? Why would ye dae such a cowardly thing?” Ian cried out.

“It’s rich for ye tae accuse another man of being cowardly when ye brought yer army here tae this peaceful keep and claimed the laird as yer own. Ye might hae plenty of these people fooled, but ye will never make a fool out of me. I wilnae forget the blood ye hae spilled. It is time for ye tae pay,” Calum bellowed, and he suddenly seemed to have found more vigor. His blade slashed through the air at an alarming speed. Ian was still struggling to regain his vision as the clod of dirt had blinded him. He stepped back and managed to deflect the blows, but Calum was relentless.

This was it, Ainsly realized. This was the moment when she was going to have to make her fateful choice.

The crowd held back and let the two warriors fight. There were calls for Calum to give Ian a chance to wipe the dirt from his eyes, but the old warrior was relentless. His prowess would have been admirable if it wasn’t so foolish. Ainsly started towards the field, but something didn’t seem quite right. Where was Seamus? He and Calum wouldn’t have planned things to rely on fortune. They were going to strike now but from where? It had to be from the forest…she noticed how Calum was pushing Ian away from the crowd, isolating him, making him turn so that his back was facing the forest.

That’s when she knew what they were planning.

She ran forward. At the same time, Calum lifted his sword. “NOW!” he cried.

“Ian!” Ainsly cried. The name came out in a rush of breath as she tried to warn her husband, but she feared she was too late. Ian was separate from the crowd now, standing alone, his huge, hulking back a prime target for anyone who was gifted with a bow and arrow, which Seamus most certainly was. The air thrummed, and Ainsly’s heart thumped in her chest as she flung herself forward. Calum looked shocked as he saw her. Ian frowned, wondering why she was there. Time seemed to slow for Ainsly. She could see the arrow pointing directly at Ian, its tip gleaming as it caught the sun. In her mind, she visualized it sinking into Ian’s heart, sending him falling back, killing him, and taking with it any hope the clans had for peace. It would be the beginning of a war, and Ainsly knew few would survive. The name of the McLallen clan would be in tatters, and she would have lost the only man she had ever loved. She knew that now. It was as clear as the sun, and there was no denying it in her heart. She loved Ian, and she wanted to build a life with him. The only regret she had now was that she hadn’t told him all of this when she had the chance.

But while she could still act, she was going to try everything she could to prevent this terrible crime. She leaped with all her strength and soared through the air, stretching out her hands, reaching for Ian. He opened his arms to catch her, but then he too saw the arrow. He tried to move towards her and prevent the inevitable, but it was too late. She had always lived for her clan. Everything she did was always to make their lives better, but this she did for herself also. She wanted to give Ian the chance to live, to find his happy ending.

Pain flared like a warning drum as the arrow sank into her skin. The shock almost caused her to collapse. She heard a wailing shriek in the distance. It sounded like a wounded animal. Within seconds she realized that the noise was coming from her. The arrow bit into her back near her shoulder blade, clinging on to her like a venomous snake. Pain hissed as she crumpled to the ground, landing with a thud so mighty it shook her entire body and rattled her teeth. She groaned as she landed, and everything started to go hazy. She gazed up, and the look on Ian’s face broke her heart. Her vision blurred as her eyes swam. Ainsly tried to reach up to Ian, but she lacked the strength to move her arm.

“Ian,” she whispered, barely able to speak. “I…I love ye…”

There was so much more she wanted to say, but those were the only words she could muster. All her life she had been devoted to the clan, and now she would die for them.