Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

T he great hall of Castle Stewart was filled with suitors from all over the land. There were few assemblies that required the presence of so many important men, Aaden thought, as he and Evander entered the hall ushered in by a servant. The castle, the little he had seen of it, at least, was a testament to the riches of the clan, dark stone rising high as if aiming to touch the clouds. Inside, though, it resembled a home more than a fortress, warm and lived-in, with colorful tapestries covering the walls and large fires burning to keep the chill of the day out.

A deer's head hung from the far wall of the great hall, undoubtedly hunted by one of the clan's lairds—perhaps even Thomas Stewart himself. Beneath it, there was a large painting of a man Aaden didn't recognize, surrounded by more such portraits of men, women, and children depicted in their finest garments. Whether it was a show of wealth or evidence of a loving family, Aaden didn't know.

Next to him, Evander sighed, a hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I didnae think there would be so many others here."

"Uncle did say Laird Stewart had invited the suitors," Aaden reminded him. "What did ye expect? Every clan wishes tae wed intae Clan Stewart. They'd be fools tae miss this."

"Aye, I ken that," Evander said through gritted teeth. "But I dinnae like tae share."

"Clearly."

Aaden gave him an amused chuckle as Evander turned to glare at him. It was interesting to see how riled up he got with the tiniest provocation, though it could prove to be a mistake fatal to their mission. Aaden couldn't allow him to show too much displeasure, especially towards the sisters and their father.

"Ye should be more concerned, cousin," Evander said, his usual smirk returning, mirth coloring his features. "Ye are the one who has the difficult task. I already ken that Freya wants me, but what will ye dae with yer Snow Lass, who sends all her suitors away?"

"Och, I wouldnae fash about that," Aaden said, grinning from ear to ear as he turned on his heels and began to walk backwards towards the crowd of men. "Watch an' learn, cousin."

Aaden had his own tricks—If there was one thing he knew other than courting women, it was causing chaos. As he walked, he picked his target: a young man with a large build, but not so large that Aaden couldn't easily take him on if it came to it. He was right in his path and as he reached him, Aaden bumped hard into him with substantial force. Startled, the man swung around and glared at him, clearly expecting an apology.

The apology never came. Instead, Aaden only kept the grin on his face, raising his eyebrow in a silent challenge.

He expected the fist that came hurtling towards his face and he ducked just in time to avoid it, but the man who stood right behind him wasn't so lucky, the fist meeting his jaw with a sickening crunch. It was so crowded in the room that the men stood close enough for several of them to be jostled, confusion rising among them as they tried to figure out what was happening. It was closely followed by fury as each of them took offence, all thinking someone else was at fault, and the entire great hall filled with punches and insults. In the chaos of the fight that rippled through the crowd, Aaden snatched the first opportunity to step out of the crowd, grabbing a bouquet of flowers that one of the men had dropped on his way.

Evander had taken no part in the fight, knowing better than to find himself in the middle of it. Instead, he stood by the door, mouth hanging open in disbelief as he took in the scene before his eyes, seemingly unable to believe how quickly the men had resorted to violence.

"Savages," he said when Aaden came to stand next to him once more. "All o' them, savages."

Just as Aaden had suspected, he truly wasn't a cruel man. If anything, he was probably eager to avoid any sort of fight.

Just as Aaden spun around towards the door, it opened to reveal three youngsters—two women and a man Aaden recognized as Cameron Baxter—and an older man, all of them halting by the entrance to stare at the suitors in the great hall in horror. The fight had only just begun and there was no telling when it would stop without intervention, but the older man, presumably the laird of the clan, leaned over to whisper hushed commands to Cameron, who called for the guards and spilled into the room along with them, trying to separate the men from each other.

"Ye're in me home!" Laird Stewart yelled, following his men into the room without a glance at either Aaden or Evander, his features arranged in a scowl. "Control yourselves!"

The ruckus was defeating, each man shouting obscenities or moaning in pain as firsts met bone. Still, Aaden couldn't hear any of it over the rush of blood to his head at the sight of the two women. They both had the same delicate features, the same dark hair, though the youngest's flowed down her back in curls, their eyes slightly different shades of blue.

Aaden knew one of them already.

He cursed softly under his breath. Had he ruined his chances before the courting had even begun?

There was a moment when time seemed to stop. The two of them looked at each other, Aaden's breath catching in his throat at the flash of hunger he saw in her gaze. It disappeared just as quickly as it had come, though, and was instead replaced by recognition, much to his chagrin. He had hoped that she wouldn't remember him.

"Ye," Lilith Stewart said, pointing an accusatory finger at Aaden. She looked as though she was about to claw his eyes out and Aaden let out an awkward, half-hearted chuckle as he took a step forward, parting his lips as if to say something—only nothing came to mind.

They had only met once but Aaden hadn't stopped thinking about her ever since that night at the inn. She haunted his dreams, those piercing blue eyes staying with him even all this time later. He could never forget that face. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Next to him, Evander shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Ye ken each other?"

"Nay," Aaden said before Lilith could confirm it. She didn't claim otherwise, even though Aaden hadn't been certain she would play along. "But I am very glad we ken each other now. Aaden MacEwan, me lady. Clan McDowell's Chieftain."

To say Lilith was unimpressed would be an understatement. Her expression didn't change at all as Aaden introduced himself and bowed to her, and she didn't even bother to offer a curtsy in return. She only looked at him and the flowers in his hands in disdain, one corner of her lips lifting in a mocking smirk.

"Are these nae the flowers that grow outside our castle walls?" she asked her sister. "Perhaps Mr. MacEwan thinks that is all I am worth? A few hastily picked flowers?" Her gaze sought out the rest of the men, some of them still fighting behind Aaden, others panting to catch their breath as they were separated by the guards. "An' this? This is who we are meant tae entertain an' welcome tae our home?"

Aaden didn't miss the way the youngest, Freya jabbed her elbow right into her sister's ribs. With a smile, she walked over to Evander, her cheeks heating as she approached, much to Aaden's disbelief. How could Evander have such an effect on any woman, even one as young as Freya, he didn't know.

At least she truly seemed to be taken by him. His cousin hadn't lied about that. His job would be easy, while Aaden would somehow have to convince Lilith that he was a better man than the one she had met in that inn a year prior.

How will I dae that?

Perhaps Freya's fascination with Evander would prove helpful to Aaden. If what Ruadh said was true, then Freya couldn't wed if Lilith didn't find a match first and Aaden was confident that out of all those men in there, he was the most reasonable option. Perhaps he could make an ally out of her. Perhaps he could convince her to help him.

Behind them, the shouting had lessened to a few angry jabs every now and then as the men calmed down and yet still tried to blame each other for their behavior. For a moment, Aaden looked at them over his shoulder, pleased with his work. Not only had he created a diversion, bringing everyone away from Lilith, but he had also managed to put himself above them by not participating in the fight. Surely, Laird Stewart had noticed that he and Evander were the only two who hadn't started punching the moment spirits ran high.

When Aaden tore his gaze from them and looked back at Lilith, he found her frowning in concern. It was a look he hadn't expected from her, but then again, he hardly knew the woman. It was unfair of him to make assumptions on what he had heard, though calling her Snow Lass had seemed rather accurate so far.

"I've heard tales o' yer beauty, me lady, an' I must say they're nae true," Aaden told Lilith with a smile. "Nae such tale could capture yer true beauty. Neither words nor paintings would be enough."

Lilith gave him a cold glare, hands on her hips. Though she was several inches shorter than him, in that moment, it seemed to Aaden as if she was staring down at him.

"Empty flattery will get ye naewhere, Mr. MacEwan," she said. "Dae ye truly think this is somethin' I've never heard ‘afore?"

"Is it?" Aaden asked. "May I ask from whom? I'd very much like tae ken who me competition is."

"There is nae competition." Lilith sounded weary then, a sigh escaping her lips. "Everyone here thinks they will have tae fight over me like I am a prized pig. Look at them, already at each other's throats."

"I'm here, am I nae?" Aaden pointed out with a small shrug. "I'm nae fightin'."

"Nay," said Lilith. "Nay, yer nae fightin'. But somethin' tells me that ye had a hand in this."

Aaden smiled, neither confirming nor denying the accusation. Lilith was a perceptive woman and there was no point in lying to her. Instead, he took a step closer, emboldened by the fact that no one seemed to be paying them any attention, Freya and Evander too busy with each other while the rest were still trying to resolve the fight.

"I am determined," he said. "Ever since I saw ye, I couldnae stop thinking about ye."

They both knew he was talking about that night at the inn. Aaden expected some sort of reaction, a coy blush, at least, at the memory of that night, but Lilith was just as impassive as always. She regarded him with what Aaden could only call boredom, as if she couldn't care less what he thought.

It only served to spur him on.

"I would suggest ye choose a more productive pastime activity," Lilith said. "Ye seem tae have too much time on yer hands. Idle minds are susceptible to temptation."

Aaden had no response to that, for once in his life silenced. He didn't have much time to ponder his failure, though, before Laird Stewart and Cameron approached them, leaving the guards to take care of the last of the men's anger as they returned to business.

"I will nae have ye behavin' like animals in me home!" Laird Stewart called behind him. "All o' ye, leave. I've had enough o' ye."

It was a drastic measure but one that worked in Aaden's and Evander's favor. With the rest of the suitors gone, they would have every opportunity to charm the two sisters and their father, as well.

"Laird Stewart," Evander said, quickly stepping into the man's way and bowing to him. "Evander MacEwan, son o' Laird Ruadh MacEwan. I was here recently fer a meetin' o' the clans."

"Aye, I remember," Laird Stewart said as he looked at Evander from head to toe, scrutinizing him, before doing the same to Aaden. Whether he was satisfied with what he saw, Aaden couldn't tell. The man could be as unreadable as his daughter. "It would be difficult tae forget when Freya talks about ye all the time."

"Faither!" Freya protested, the blush on her cheeks only deepening. "Please, dinnae embarrass me."

With a smile so charming that even Aaden could have believed it genuine had he not known his cousin, Evander turned to brush his thumb over Freya's cheek gently. "There is naething embarrassing about love. I'm sure me faither would say the same thing about me."

In perfect unison, Laird Stewart and Cameron rolled their eyes upon hearing that and Aaden had to stifle a laugh. He expected it from the laird but seeing Cameron react like this puzzled him a little. Perhaps it was nothing more than a natural reaction to Evander's obvious attempts at flattery, but Aaden would hazard a guess that there was more to it. There was longing in his gaze as he looked at Freya and Aaden wondered if anyone else had ever noticed it.

"Laird Stewart, may I have a word with ye?" Evander asked, breaking the tension.

"Forgive me," Aaden said, interrupting before the laird could respond. "I am Aaden MacEwan, Chieftain o' McDowell Clan. It's an honor tae meet ye, Laird Stewart. An' Cameron Baxter, correct? We have met ‘afore."

"Och aye," said Cameron, quickly recognizing Aaden. "We met when I visited Clan McDowell, correct?"

"Aye, that is so," said Aaden.

"Clan McDowell?" Laird Stewart asked, raising a curious eyebrow. "How come ye are with the McDowells an' nae with the MacEwans?"

From the corner of his eye, Aaden saw that Evander was ready to respond, so he quickly said, "I wanted tae have more experience an' Clan McDowell needed an advisor. Now I can return tae me clan kenning that I can be useful."

It was an excuse he used every time someone asked him why he was with the McDowells instead of his own people in Clan MacEwan, one he had come up with a long time ago. People loved to ask him that question. If nothing else, it made for good gossip.

Next to him, Evander snorted, much to Aaden's annoyance. The fool would ruin everything for him before they had even started. "Isnae that right, cousin?" he asked him, daring him to say anything different.

"Aye," Evander said swiftly, withering under Aaden's glare. "That is so."

"Well, in that case, would ye like tae join us fer the meetin'?" Laird Stewart asked. "If it is a clan matter?—"

"It is a private matter," Evander said. "It's about… it's about Freya, actually. I'd rather speak with ye alone, me laird."

There was only a moment of hesitation before Laird Stewart nodded, relenting. He turned to his daughters then, his gaze visibly softening as he addressed them. "Go an' prepare fer dinner. An' Cameron, please show Aaden the castle. If he is tae be our guest, he must ken where tae go."

"O' course," Cameron said with a tilt of his head.

With one last, scathing look at Aaden, Lilith turned around and left, followed closely by her sister. Just as Lilith walked by, her fingers brushed over his for the briefest of moments, sending a jolt of excitement through him. It may have been a small, barely-there touch, but it was enough to excite him, the point of contact between them blooming with heat. Even Lilith seemed to hesitate for a second, their eyes meeting, their gazes locked as she walked by him. But it didn't take long for her expression to turn cold and indifferent once more, her feelings entirely hidden from him.

As the two sisters walked out of the room, Aaden looked at Evander, who in turn looked at Freya—or rather, Freya's rear. It was a small comfort that he was at least being discreet about it.

Not discreet enough for Cameron to remain unaware, though. When Aaden glanced at him, the man was grinding his teeth so hard he ran the risk of cracking a molar.

"Well," Laird Stewart said, gesturing to Evander to follow. "Let us discuss."

I hope he doesnae say anythin' foolish.