Chapter 6

"Gilchrist?" Kyven whispered tartly as Shay turned his back on the pair of them to talk to Larry sitting on his other side. "Care tae explain why ye are being so rude tae me… guest?" She added the latter word with hesitation, knowing that she should have actually said ‘tae me betrothed.'

Gilchrist didn't answer her. Instead, he picked up the goblet of mead in front of him and downed what seemed to be half the cup in one mouthful. She stared with her jaw slackened, shaking her head a little.

"Gilchrist!" she hissed once more.

This dinner was not at all what she thought it would be.

All around the room, the tacksmen and council were enjoying themselves, the ladies most especially, laughing and talking freely. Every table seemed to be having fun except Kyven's own. Sat at the head of the table, between Captain Gilchrist and Laird Shay, scarcely a word had been muttered between the pair of them that was not tense or awkward. From where Kyven was sitting, most of the tension was caused by Gilchrist. He either he refused to look Laird Shay in the eye as they spoke, or he made throwaway sharp comments that only confused her all the more.

"Aye, aye, ye are right, as usual," Shay said a little louder now to the advisor at his side, and then turned back to face Kyven and Gilchrist. Unable to interrogate Gilchrist any further, Kyven sat forward and busied herself with her food. Each mouthful tasted dry and dull, for she was in no mood to enjoy her food. "Me advisor here, Larry, thinks something must be bothering ye, Captain Gilchrist. Perhaps a shadow has been cast over ye today."

"Over the castle, perhaps," Gilchrist muttered, still looking down at his goblet. Once more, Kyven flicked her eyes toward him. She could have sworn a muscle twitched in his cheek, as if he was restraining himself.

"Ye must speak of yer woes. Aye, ye must!" Laird Shay said with sudden vigor, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. He placed a hand upon Kyven's wrist, a soft hand, almost tender. Kyven supposed the touch was a charming one, though she jumped in surprise. "If I am tae be laird of this clan, and Lady Kyven honors me with her hand, then I want the captain of me army tae feel free tae talk tae me of anything he wishes. Tae share in his woes with me. Fer us tae be… true friends."

From Gilchrist's expression, Kyven rather thought Laird Shay had offered up to drown a kitten. Gilchrist's hand tightened so much around the spindle of the goblet, she thought she heard it crack.

"If I have something tae share, I will," Gilchrist muttered darkly. His eyes were on Shay's hand resting on Kyven's wrist. She pulled her hand back, startled by the warmth that spread through her when she saw Gilchrist's shoulders relax a little.

Is this what is affecting him? Nay, it cannae be. Gilchrist made it plain he sees me as nothing more than his friend, and does nae even care that the others in the castle speak about us.

"I will have nay further arguments or tensions at this table," Kyven said slowly, looking between the two of them. "Captain Gilchrist is protective of this clan, me laird. I am sure, he means only tae be on his guard around a stranger." She glanced at Captain Gilchrist, expecting him to nod in agreement. He simply topped up his mead again, silently.

What is wrong with him?

Never had she felt so frustrated with him. She wished to reach across the table, grab his shoulders and shake him until he said something that was of use.

"Of course. He does ye great credit, me lady." Laird Shay bowed his head to her, that charming smile back in his expression. "I am curious tae ken more about such a well-reputed soldier. Is Gilchrist yer Christian name, Captain? Yer surname? The name of yer kin?"

"It is the name I am kenned by." Gilchrist's enigmatic answer made her jaw drop.

I dinnae ken the answer tae this question meself!

She felt as if she had been kicked in the stomach. In all those evenings when the two of them had sat together in the library, he hadn't even explained if he had another name beside Gilchrist.

"Ha!" Laird Shay laughed loudly and leaned toward Kyven. He came so close that she jolted once more but tried to lean toward him too, encouragingly.

This is what I should be doing, is it nae? Encouraging him?

Yet as they came near to one another, she felt cold rather than warm. She fought the urge to look toward Gilchrist, though out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed he was close to breaking his goblet once more.

"Ye have devoted men around ye, me lady. Clearly it is a great woman indeed who can inspire such devotion."

"Devotion?" She laughed at the idea, sitting back and shaking her head. "I believe more and more that Captain Gilchrist takes his responsibilities seriously, aye, but he takes them seriously because he believes in what is right. It has little tae dae with the woman who sits in this chair."

Gilchrist jerked his head toward her. She stared back, trying to read something in his eyes, to get a rise out of him and make him speak to her, but he remained silent as before.

Say something, ye eejit!

Calmly, he raised the goblet to his lips and took another sip. She stared at his lips, thinking of the way those lips could kiss a woman, what they would feel like upon her skin, on her lips… the thrill, the excitement... Then Laird Shay's hand rested tenderly over hers once more, and she suddenly leapt to her feet.

In danger of knocking over her chair, one of the guards jumped forward and barely managed to catch it before it collided with the floor.

How dare Gilchrist dae this? How can he drive me mad with silence, saying nothing at all, and yet I still think of him much more than the man who is sitting here and who actually wishes tae marry me?

"Is all well, me lady?" Shay asked with concern as the pair of them stared up at her.

"If ye'll forgive me, I have a sudden headache," she said, struggling for an excuse. "I think I will retire early fer the night. Me apologies, me laird." She nodded her head at Laird Shay. "Perhaps we could spend some more time together on the morrow, tae ken one another better."

"I look forward tae it." He stood slowly and offered his arm. "But at least let me be of use tae ye now. Come, I shall escort ye tae yer chamber."

Captain Gilchrist's knife toppled to the table with a clatter though he said nothing.

She and Laird Shay were not yet married. It was perhaps improper for him to come as far as her chamber, and she certainly had no intention of letting him into it. An errant idea entered her mind too. Perhaps if she could see Laird Shay without Captain Gilchrist nearby, then maybe she could at least think of him more as a lover than an acquaintance. As Helen had described, some loves took time.

"Aye, thank ye." Kyven took his arm.

Together, they walked from the room. As they neared the door, Laird Shay's other hand came up and rested over hers, a soft and warm touch to her fingertips. She smiled at him, grateful for the kind touch.

"It has been a long day, I expect," he said comfortingly as he led her through the castle. They walked through torchlit corridors, the flames burning brightly in their sconces, and under stone archways. At this time of night, the shadows beneath those flames seemed longer still. Despite the fact it was her home, Kyven was thankful for the company.

After so much had happened in the castle over the years, she never felt completely safe within its walls.

"I presume the tension of me arrival was nay easy thing," Laird Shay went on with a smile. "Please permit me tae talk freely, Lady Kyven. I ken it cannae have been a welcome thing, tae have a council tell ye of me betrothal proposal and encourage ye tae accept it when we had never met."

"Well, at least ye are proving tae be sensitive tae the situation I am in," she said with a sigh. "Many a man might have presumed I would have accepted the betrothal without question."

"Nay. Ye have a strong heart. I saw that from the moment I arrived."

She jerked her head toward him as their pace slowed. How could he possibly know that? How could he judge such a thing from their momentary meeting on the doorstep?

"I wish ye tae ken something," he spoke gently as they turned a corner and she gestured to her bedchamber door up ahead. "I make ye this proposal as I wish fer a companion." His words made her stall, she hesitated by the door, staring up into the pale and handsome face in wonder.

Is he in earnest?

"I'd heard much of ye, and I ken very well what it is like tae have a council urging ye tae wed. I was resolved tae find a wife who understood me struggles. Having met ye now, I believe I may have made the right choice." He smiled sweetly then took her hand from his arm and raised it to his lips.

He was but an inch from kissing her hand. Any second now, she would feel those lips upon her skin. She stared up at him, waiting for that contact, admiring the handsome smile in the firelight of the torches when –

"Is it nae time ye returned tae the dinner, me laird?"

The voice from the shadows made Kyven retract her hand sharply. Something flashed in Laird Shay's eyes, there for but a moment before disappearing as he flicked his head around.

Both Kyven and Laird Shay stared as Captain Gilchrist emerged from the darkness between the torches. He seemed more dangerous in that moment than Kyven could remember ever seeing him before. Tall, ominous, his hands looped on his weapon's belt, the glare he offered the laird was so cutting, she nearly backed up.

"Captain," she began, but he cut in quickly.

"Ye should retire tae yer chamber, me lady. Ye wouldnae want the staff tae talk about ye entertaining the laird's company before ye are wed."

She flushed red, both with embarrassment and fury.

So, that is what he truly thinks of me!?

"Goodnight tae ye, me lady." Laird Shay bowed and disappeared back down the corridor, moving so close to Captain Gilchrist's shoulder that she couldn't be sure if they had collided or not. Neither one of them showed a sign of it if they had .

Kyven continued to gawp at Gilchrist in fury, her face feeling as fiery as the torches on the walls, until the sounds of the footsteps in the corridor vanished. Then she approached him.

"What in the wee man above's name dae ye think ye are doin'!?" she raged, striding toward him.

He didn't answer, but a single eyebrow raised high across that frustratingly handsome face.

"Gilchrist! Ye overstepped the mark. Completely."

"How?"

"How? Ye ask me that?" She waved her arms madly around. "I was alone with me… me betrothed –"

"Ye struggled tae call him that, dae ye nae?" Gilchrist cocked his head to the side. She felt penetrated by that gaze, the blue eyes seeing into the heart she was trying to hide. "Ye care nay more fer him than ye dae a passing stranger."

"Ye are in nay place tae make such judgements." She raised a hand and pointed it at him. "Ye are me dearest friend, Gilchrist, the closest I have in this castle, but ye arenae me guard dog. Ye willnae stand at me chamber door and forbid me betrothed tae… tae…"

"Kiss ye?" Gilchrist scoffed and shook his head. "Very well, fear nae. Ye willnae hear such objections from this friend again." He turned on his heel and walked away.

"Gilchrist? Gilchrist, where are ye going?" She hurried after him, but he was moving away fast. "We arenae done with this argument!"

"Aye, we are," he barked over his shoulder. "Ye may wish tae embarrass yerself with yer new betrothed, but I willnae be here tae witness it."

"What does that mean?" She reached for his arm and pulled on it, but he was too tall and strong for her. He didn't even have to jerk to pull out of her grasp and just keep on walking, leaving her behind. "Gilchrist!"

"Goodnight, Lady Kyven."

She halted, nearly tripping on the stone floor beneath her as she marked the title. He rarely addressed her as ‘me lady'.

As she watched him walk away, she rather imagined there had been a new stone wall built in that castle, and it had been erected between her and Captain Gilchrist.

Gilchrist barged open the barracks door and shut it loudly behind him. In the room, Aaden jumped and nearly slid off his chair, raising his head sleepily.

"Ye have a habit of doing that at the moment, ye ken," Aaden said, stifling a yawn. The sight of Aaden's tiredness suddenly infuriated Gilchrist. He knew well enough where Aaden had spent the evening – with Helen, Kyven's maid. The fact Aaden was having satisfaction when all Gilchrist felt was frustration, just augmented his anger. "I would ask what has ye this angry again, but I am going tae hazard a guess at Laird Shay and leave it at that."

Gilchrist sat down on the other side of the table. They were in the small mess hall that belonged to the barracks. There was just one candle lit between them resting on the table, and the light flickered in the darkness, casting orange light and shadows across both men's faces.

"Another drink?" Aaden offered into the silence. Gilchrist nodded. He waited until Aaden returned with a bottle of whisky. "Tae replace yers that I broke."

Gilchrist thanked him and took a small sip from the glass poured out in front of him.

"What happened?" Aaden asked, stifling another yawn as he returned to his chair.

"She…" Gilchrist paused, inhaling the spiced scent of the whisky before he went on. "She nearly allowed Laird Shay tae kiss her," he mumbled in derision. "Then she called me her friend. Her friend."

"Aye, lovers should also be friends."

"Nay, Aaden. That is all she sees me as. That's it!" Gilchrist snapped loudly. He felt as if Kyven had driven a stake into his chest with those words. Never had he felt this pain before, never known the feeling as if he was being split into two. "I was trying tae protect her from the staff whispering about her, and what dae I get in return? I get her dismissal. I was put in me place tonight."

"So, our mission tae make her fall in love with ye isnae off tae a great start –"

"It isnae beginning at all." Gilchrist barked and shook his head. "Forget this foolish plan. She has made it plain what I am tae her, and that amounts tae nothing more than a friend."

"I see." For a minute, Aaden stayed quiet, then he tipped the glass back to his lips and drained the whisky, clearly deep in thought. "Then I suggest we change the way she looks at ye."

"What dae ye mean?"

"Well, it's hard nae tae think of someone in a different light if ye're in close quarters with them, say, in a bedchamber, close tae a bed." Aaden waggled his eyebrows in mischief.

"Dinnae speak of such a thing." Gilchrist shook his head sharply. "She is the lady of the clan. I willnae be encroaching on her bedchamber. There would be scandal."

"I dinnae remember saying anything about her bedchamber." Aaden continued with that mischievous look. "Leave it tae me, Captain. I'll change the way Lady Kyven thinks about ye."

"I'm now regretting telling ye any of this. Aaden, listen tae me," Gilchrist leaned forward. "I'll have nay part in any deception. Pushing Kyven and I together would dae nay good regardless. Leave it be and forget the idea of Kyven and I ever marrying. Such things make up dreams and tales, nae reality."

"I dinnae ken." Aaden smiled and leaned back in his chair, flicking his feet until they were crossed in front of him. "I hear sometimes dreams can come true."

Gilchrist looked at him scathingly and poured out another whisky. He'd drank rather heavily today, and in retrospect, that might have been one of the reasons he had been so freely scornful with his words at dinner, but he hardly cared.

That day, everything had changed. Laird Shay Lamont was back in his life, and it seemed no matter what he did, he had once again come to take away the woman Gilchrist loved.