Chapter 24

"Yes, Bran… yes…"

Nothing had ever felt more right to Bran in his entire life. Nothing. Idalia was a cool, deep lake, and Bran drank of her endlessly, tirelessly. The more he drank, the more he wanted to drink, his thirst never slackened.

As she squirmed underneath his vice-like grip, and he slipped in and out of her as slowly as he liked, her sounds bathed him and renewed him, pumping him with desire to keep going. He watched her every reaction, cataloged every expression, and stored every piece of information her body shared with him.

He had to be the most stupid man in the world. Only an incredibly stupid person would have convinced himself that he did not want this! Bran didn't bother asking himself what he had been thinking, because he was quite sure he must have not been thinking when he chose to pass her on to his brother.

Idalia gave herself completely to him and held nothing back. Between them, there were no secrets. Tangled between her legs, all his lies crumbled to the touch like caked dirt. In the throes of his passion and lust, he realized there was no chance in the world that he would let Idalia marry anyone besides him.

He had been a naive fool to think he would have been able to live with himself had Idalia and Andrew gone through with the wedding. A naive fool, indeed. He leaned in and kissed her delicate neck, nibbling at her neckline and enjoying the gasps escaping her lips. His back burned in a million different places as sweat dripped into the scratches Idalia had left him as a thank you gift.

When they were done, he rolled off Idalia, and collapsed in a heap beside her. He took a moment to catch his breath, enjoying the silence of the night. Bran wondered if anyone had heard him and Idalia and thought about what the consequences of that discovery would be. He suppressed the urge to laugh out loud as he realized he did not care in that moment if they were found out.

A cool wind blew in from the open window, and he felt the sweet chill of the autumn air. The breeze smelled of rain, and all he could think about was a cold, sweet bath in an icy river.

He turned to Idalia and scooped her into his arms, placing her on his chest. Really, what was I thinking? The more he thought about it, the less reasonable he sounded to himself. He parted her hair with his fingers and memorized what she looked like, naked as day and splayed over his chest. That image was going to be in his head till the end of time, stored in a safe place like valuable jewels.

He was never going to let her go. He was not that man he pretended to be, the one who could let her go for the greater good. He felt as if he saw the world with stark clarity at that moment.

All he was going to do from this point on would be what his heart desired. He was done putting pressure on himself to be someone he was not even so sure he had ever been. The only thing he knew with any measure of certainty was that he would spend the rest of his mortal life with Idalia.

Idalia stirred and wrapped an arm around his neck, then opened her eyes slowly. She found Bran watching her and gave him a puzzled look. Bran smiled at her, and she smiled back. All he could think of was how beautiful she looked in the golden light of the torch on the wall.

"Should I be worried?" Idalia asked, shifting her weight until she felt comfortable.

"Ye should nae," Bran replied and kissed her forehead. "Someone had tae watch ye as ye got yer beauty sleep."

Idalia chuckled and shook her head. "Thanks are in order, I suppose?"

"Something like that," Bran said. He sighed deeply and looked at her seriously. "Listen, Idalia. I am so sorry. Ye have been right the whole time. I dinnae ken why it took me so long tae realize, but I dae ken now. I can never dae without ye. I made a terrible mistake when I gave up on ye… on us. And I'm deeply regretting all I have done."

Idalia leaned back in the bed and frowned in confusion. "What?"

"Aye," Bran said as he pulled her closer to him. "I was wrong. I should nae have told ye that things would nae work out between us. I definitely had nae business sayin' that tae the council, nor suggesting tae them that ye marry my brother." Bran reached out to Idalia and grabbed her hand in both of his, kissing it gently. "I ken now that I would die if I spent a day without ye."

Bran could see the hope burning in her eyes as they shimmered with tears. He felt like an idiot all over again. How could he have been so blind not to see how much she wanted him? Why had he insisted on pushing her away? What sort of man did that, especially to the woman he loved? She had always had eyes for him. All she had wanted was him, and all he had done was hurt her and cause her pain.

"I've come tae a decision," Bran continued. "I have decided tae inform the council that I will be the one tae marry ye tomorrow, nae Andrew."

Idalia's eyes lit up immediately and tears cascaded from them as she smiled joyously. Bran watched her reaction and wondered how he could have lived the rest of his life without those beautiful eyes.

"Instead of Andrew, it shall be me ye meet on the altar," Bran said. "We shall have a short ceremony first, just tae ensure August Raymond can never again take ye as his wife. However, I would like us tae have a big wedding after we save Mahala."

"I don't know what to say Bran," Idalia said, the tears kept pouring.

"Ye dinnae have tae say anything, Idalia," Bran replied, wiping her tears gently. "Ye should go tae bed kenning that everything is right in the world."

She nodded and lay on his chest, and Bran put a protective arm across her waist. He sighed deeply and listened to Idalia sleeping. He had a big day ahead of him, and he was sure there were challenges that awaited his sudden change of heart. He didn't care. Nothing they said or did mattered. Only Idalia did.

Feeling exhausted, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to go to sleep believing that everything, truly, was right in the world.

* * *

Bran stirred from his sleep, his eyes closed as he stretched his arms out. He felt relaxed and strangely invigorated, a feeling he hardly remembered. His hands met with restraint, and he frowned in confusion, wondering what was going on.

Recollections of the night before filled his mind as he remembered all that had happened. He grinned in the knowledge that he was in Idalia's room. He turned to her, watching her body bathed in the glow of the moonlight. This was the most comfortable sleep he'd had in a long time. The room was cast into darkness save for the moonlight, as the torch had blown out during the night.

Bran had always been astonished by her striking features and the fire in her, but now that she lay naked, his words failed him in describing her beauty. He traced the curves of her hips with gentle fingers, careful to not wake her from her sleep. His eyes appreciated the plumpness of her round, firm bottom. Surely, there was not a woman more alluring than the one whose bed he currently shared.

It pained Bran that it had taken him so long to come to her. He had been stupid to think he could ever live without her. Everything about her reeled him in, from her stubborn and willful ways to her selflessness and kindness. Every single moment they had shared had shown him why he needed to keep her by his side forever, yet he had allowed himself to be deceived by his false sense of pride.

He had thought trying to protect her from himself and his past crimes was the way to make sure she was happy, but now he knew better. He had hurt her for so long, and it had taken his brother being with her for him to finally see that he was willing to do anything necessary to be with her. She had shown him how much she wished to be with him.

Bran looked out the window at the still dark skies as he prayed for morning. He knew his announcement would come as no shock to anyone when he declared he wanted to be the one to marry her. He was certain they had all thought him stupid for denying it anyway. He was ready to face their knowing glances, snide remarks, and hidden smirks. He'd react the same way in their shoes, so who could blame them?

Although Bran could not be sure what it was that had woken him from his slumber, he was glad to be awake. He shouldn't be found in her room, not since she was still Andrew's betrothed.

He heaved a deep sigh as he started to get up. Despite his unwillingness to admit it, Andrew already knew Bran loved Idalia, and Bran knew that although his brother was willing to marry her, it was not for the sake of his own heart. It was because he cared for her enough to keep her out of August Raymond's clutches. It would certainly not be too much trouble to get him to back down from the marriage.

Bran slipped out of bed carefully so as not to wake her. He walked around to her side of the bed and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead, smiling when her nose creased, and she burrowed deeper into the pillow. He pulled on his trousers and searched around for his shirt before realizing that in his hurry to speak to her, he had not worn one. He wondered how that would seem if anyone were to see him coming out of her room and silently prayed no one would.

How could I have ever thought of parting with ye forever? It will nae be long before ye are mine, and I am yers.

Bran pulled the heavy door inward, wincing when it opened with a loud squeak. He peeked out and looked around before hurriedly stepping in the hallway. Bran closed the door behind him as silently as he could and walked off. It was not until he was away from her vicinity that he allowed himself to relax and take in the night air.

The cold chill kissed his skin in a gentle caress, and Bran looked up at the moon, letting out a deep sigh. Today was going to be a good day for him, filled with promises of happiness and longevity. He had never been keener about anything else, save for getting Mahala back, as he was about getting married to Idalia. The thought filled him with excitement as though he was back to being a young lad, happy after his first rendezvous with a woman. Only this time, it was not just any woman; it was the woman who made everything worthwhile to him. And when he got his daughter, they would be one happy family.

Bran turned around and began to head to his room, a spring in his step as he walked. As he moved, he suddenly sensed something was amiss and made to turn around, but it was too late. He was grabbed from behind, a hand placed firmly on his mouth to ensure he remained silent. Bran quickly regained himself from his panicked state. He tried to maneuver the situation and flip his assailant in front of him, so as to disarm him, when he felt a heavy punch in his belly. It caused him to keel over, partly in pain but more so from the surprise of it all.

It was still dark out and Bran could see nothing, but he was certain of one thing. It was clear his assailants were more than one. Bran struggled against his captors. He kicked out his foot enough to harm the man in front of him and freed a hand to punch the man behind, fighting blindly in a desperate attempt to stop whoever these men were. However, the one from behind caught Bran's arm just as he was punched from the side, and he wrapped a hand around Bran's neck, choking him as the one at the side continued to land heavy punches on him.

All hopes of breaking free from the hold of his assailants was slowly diminishing as he began to run out of breath, realizing there were not two but in fact three men. Where had they all come from? How had he failed to notice them sneaking up on him in the first place? Or had they been there waiting all the while?

Bran's hands fell by his side, and his mind began to wander as he desperately sought an escape, but none came to mind. He felt his eyes droop until all was lost to him, and he was welcomed by darkness.

* * *

Bran's head ached from the constant rocking movement as he came to from his slumber. He groaned and tried to go back to sleep to stop the forceful throbbing that threatened to rupture his veins, but the curious swaying of his bed made him open his eyes. He jolted when he realized he was on a boat and not in bed as he had thought. Memories of what had happened came to him. He tried to move but realized he was tied up, hands and feet.

The darkness had dissipated, and Bran could finally see his assailants. Not that there was much to be seen, as they were fully cloaked and silently rowing the boat.

As he struggled to sit up, Bran groaned when his back pressed against a sharp edge. He ignored the pain until he was seated as upright as his tied hands and feet would allow.

"Who are ye and where are ye taking me?" Bran asked, struggling to keep the panic away from his voice as he assessed the situation.

"Who are ye? What's going on?" he asked again when there was no response from any of them. He knew there was no way out. Trying to escape would only cause him to drown, and Bran was not willing to go out like that. "Talk tae me. Who are ye?"

One of the men got up from where he sat and walked towards him, hitting him over the head with something he could not make out. Bran felt the pain explode in his head seconds later, and his eyes began once again to close.

This is definitely the work of August Raymond. How did they manage tae get intae the castle tae grab me? Had they been following me the whole time without me realizing it?

Soon, the darkness welcomed him once again.