Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

" A nd that's all that happened, eh?" Cassian asked, his suspicious gaze not fading for a second.

Kaden held tightly onto the knot in his stomach, knowing he would be just as angry in Cassian's situation if this had been one of his sisters. As it was, he had to do his best to keep Cassian calm. Laird Lamont hadn't even sat down in his study yet, leaving Kaden sat behind his desk, feeling frustrated, as Cassian paced up and down.

"One other thing," Kaden whispered.

"Which is?" Cassian jerked his head toward Kaden, clearly waiting for a confession of something physical, but Kaden had been careful to avoid any discussion of the intimacies between him and Elara.

"She fell in a wolf trap."

"She… what?" Cassian unfolded his arms and stepped forward. "But Elara… small spaces they –"

"Terrify her, aye, I quickly saw that meself." Kaden nodded. "I caught her as she fell in. She wasnae harmed. When I saw her panicking, I had tae calm her down." Cassian arched his eyebrows, in clear doubt. "I didnae say it was an easy thing tae dae, but I did it. I think after that, she trusted me a little more."

"Hmm." Cassian returned to his pacing.

Kaden fidgeted, scratching the back of his neck repeatedly in stress.

"I am asking fer yer blessing, Laird Lamont." It was the first time either of them had formally addressed the other with their title. It certainly got Cassian's attention, who halted pacing. "I want tae marry her."

"Ye think it will solidify any alliance between us?" Cassian's top lip curled, showing exactly what he thought of that.

"The alliance is a bonus, but nae the reason I am doing this." Kaden breathed deeply. He had a feeling there was one thing that would get Cassian's attention, for it would certainly have got his attention if he was discussing his sisters. "I am in love with yer sister. I am asking tae marry her because I intend tae keep me vows tae love and protect her."

"Ye've fallen in love in a very short time. Can ye nae see how that raises suspicions fer a braither?"

"Aye, I can, but as one of me own sisters fell in love and married quickly…" Kaden shrugged. "It nay longer alarms me. Maybe some men take years tae fall in love, and others, just days. Apparently, I am one of the latter."

Peace descended between them. Abruptly, Cassian sat down in an armchair beside the fire. Kaden was so happy just to see Cassian more comfortable in his presence that he didn't dare poke the bear by saying anything. He just sat there, watching, marking what similarities he could see in Cassian's features that were alike to Elara's. There weren't many, but there were enough to see they were indeed related. Something that was unmistakably shared between them was the deepness of their frowns when they were unhappy.

Cassian eventually sighed, rubbing that furled brow with his finger and thumb.

"I have spent years believing ye are a killer," he said in a low tone. "I cannae let go of that anger with the drop of a hat, even at me sister's persuasion."

Kaden felt a pit drop in his stomach as he looked away.

He still willnae give us his blessing.

"I dinnae trust ye, and I cannae trust ye. Yet." Cassian sat taller. "Fer now, me answer is still nay." He stood again, showing his intention to leave the room.

"That doesnae necessarily mean it will be a nay forever then?" Kaden asked with hope.

"Dinnae get yer hopes up. When I come tae a decision, I'm kenned tae be a man who sticks tae it." With these final words, he walked out of the room.

"Ye are in jest, arenae ye? Is this some trick? Some deception tae deceive Kaden intae a false sense of security?" Lydia asked, her eyes wider than Elara could ever remember seeing them before.

"Why would it be some trick?"

"Oh, I wonder why. Perhaps it could have something tae do with the fact that the night ye met, ye tried tae drug him," Lydia reminded her wildly as they sat opposite one another at the feasting table.

There were other places set up for the feast, but no one had joined them. Evidently, the men had other things to do that warranted being more important than eating. Elara tucked into the chicken on her plate, watching as her sister barely ate a crumb, preferring instead to clutch her chalice of mead rather tightly.

"Please, dinnae remind me," Elara whispered. "Now, kenning all that I ken, I feel ashamed of that night."

"Ye felt nay shame at the time," Lydia reminded her, raising her eyebrows.

"Thank ye fer that." Elara shook her head. "Look, much has changed. These last few days, I have seen exactly what sort of man Kaden truly is. He's a good one. He's a much better man than I could have ever given him credit fer before, and I…" Elara trailed off. It was hard to say the words, even to Lydia.

"Normally ye tell me every secret in yer heart," Lydia said softly, topping up her mead again. "Now, suddenly, ye cannae tell me something?"

"It's hard tae explain."

How can I say I'm falling in love with Kaden?

She knew what Lydia would think of that. Lydia, who with all her quiet ways, had a very sound and reasonable head on her shoulders. The idea of Elara falling in love so quickly would be dismissed with a flick of her fingers.

"Ye cannae trust these people," Lydia whispered.

"Lydia, were ye nae the first of the two of us tae believe that Kaden was innocent?" Elara reminded her. "We stood in this very castle with ye insisting that Kaden couldnae have done it. Ye believed him before I did."

"Doesnae mean I want tae jump intae marriage with them any time soon," Lydia scoffed and sipped from her cup.

"It doesnae matter. Cassian has refused tae give us his blessing anyway."

"Aye, I have." Cassian's voice made Elara drop her chicken to her plate, as Lydia jumped so much in her chair that she managed to spill some of her mead onto her lap.

Cassian was walking in through the open doorway. Behind him were Kaden and Marcus. Elara eyed Marcus carefully, watching as he moved to lean on the seat behind Lydia. Without looking at her, he offered up a napkin for her to dry herself. She didn't meet his eye as she took it.

"Cassian," Elara sat tall, "please, just hear me out."

"I've heard yer suitor out, and it's still nae enough tae persuade me." Cassian took the seat beside her, reaching to serve himself from the trenchers. "After we have eaten, we will leave."

"Leave?" Lydia said it at the same time as Elara. Startled, Elara spun around, but Lydia cleared her throat and spoke again. "Excellent," she said, though she didn't seem especially enthused by the idea to Elara.

"We cannae leave. Nae yet," Elara said in panic. She looked at Kaden who hadn't taken his seat at the head of the table but just stood behind it, his expression a mixture of ire and disappointment.

"This isnae up fer discussion, Elara," Cassian said calmly. Elara pleaded silently with Kaden, hoping he understood the widening of her eyes. He winked at her, discretely. Plainly, he had something in mind.

"Before ye go, would ye nae like tae prove yer mettle first?" Kaden's question made Cassian pause with a chicken leg in the air. He no longer tore the meat of the bone with his teeth.

"What dae ye mean?"

"Two lairds gathered together, aye, I imagine it could be quite a spectacle fer us tae spar, eh?"

"Ye want tae fight me?" Cassian laughed. "Ye may be a warrior laird, but I'm nay fairy either. What would be the point in us two injuring one another?"

"Statement of trust, fer our alliance. A chance tae prove yerself the better warrior, which we both ken ye are eager tae dae," Kaden said, provoking him even more.

Elara's jaw had slackened. She wasn't sure what Kaden's aim was with this discussion, but she wasn't certain it was a good idea.

Cassian was staring into the distance now, apparently quite tempted by the idea.

"Ye win, ye can leave at once. If I win, ye stay one more night," Kaden said, holding up a single finger.

"Like I would agree tae that," Cassian scoffed.

"Ah, so ye think ye will lose then?" Kaden folded his arms. "Aye, aye, well, I cannae blame ye fer that. What laird would want tae lose a sparring match in the castle of a man he used tae call his foe?"

"This cannae end well," Lydia muttered to herself, her head in her hands, but now Elara understood what Kaden was doing, she kicked her sister under the table, trying to make her be quiet.

Cassian downed a glass of mead and stood. One thing Cassian could never take was an insult to his pride, or the chance to look like a fool. He would go to the very ends to prove someone wrong.

"Pick yer weapon," he called to Kaden. "We spar on yer castle lawn in half an hour."

Light was beginning to fade from the sky again as Kaden took his broadsword and walked out onto the lawn, wearing his trews, a loose shirt and a waistcoat. In contrast, Cassian was already there, waiting for him. He wore his trews and a shirt, with an even longer sword at his side.

Along one edge of the lawn, were the few men Cassian had brought with him. Along the others were Kaden's soldiers, outnumbering the others by many. Standing somewhere in the middle were Elara and Lydia. Elara watched on nervously, wringing her hands together, bumble bees dancing in the bushes behind them. Lydia occasionally swatted the bees away, clearly preferring to focus on them than the sparring match at hand.

"Ye ready, Laird Stuart?" Cassian called, swinging his sword through the air in emphasis.

Kaden was not one for such show. He just approached, focused, ready for the battle, yet Cassian's display had done the job he wished it to do. In that swish alone, Kaden judged Cassian was no fool with a blade.

"Normal sparring rules apply," Marcus called from where he stood in front of the rest of Kaden's men. "The first tae draw blood wins, or the man tae first surrender loses. Stand ready, lairds."

Both Kaden and Cassian looked at Marcus, a resentful glance for bundling them together with the term ‘lairds.' Marcus offered the smallest of smiles, clearly enjoying the moment.

"Ready?" Marcus called.

Cassian took his battle stance as Kaden raised his sword at his side.

"Now," Marcus bellowed.

Cassian leapt forward. Kaden was ready for the heat of the battle. Poor Cassian had built up inside of him for years anger and pure fury for the man he had believed to be the murderer of his parents. It didn't matter that Kaden wasn't that man after all – as he had said, it was impossible to let go of such resentment so fast.

Kaden blocked the first blow and moved aside, dodging the second. He had to roll away across the ground when Cassian came at him again.

Men hollered for Kaden to act faster, to win, as Cassian's support was drowned out by the greater numbers. Meanwhile, Elara and Lydia watched on. Elara danced on the spot with her nerves as Lydia was too scared to watch in any great detail.

Kaden saw his chance to attack when Cassian needed a breather from raising the heavy sword so many times. As Cassian took a step back, Kaden lunged forward, though he was blocked at the last second.

Their blades clashed repeatedly, striking at odd angles. They blocked blows by their faces, then their feet, then their chests. When Cassian went for a particularly personal blow near Kaden's groin, he had to act fast and jump out of the way. Judging by the flash of victory in Cassian's eye, he evidently suspected that Kaden hadn't been honest about all that had passed between him and Elara on their trip. He thought some intimacy had taken place.

Kaden raised his sword again, knocking Cassian back. He tumbled away. It was a chance for Kaden to overpower him. He could do it, he could take that chance now and win when – Elara let out a little squeal.

Kaden looked away. His head turning on instinct, his sword frozen in the air.

One of the bees from the bushes had stung Elara. Lydia helped her swat it away, but the damage was done.

"Kaden!" Marcus barked.

Kaden barely looked back in time to see Cassian was running at him with his blade. Cassian would surely win – he was bound to draw blood now, then strangely, it didn't happen. Cassian feigned missing him, striking the ground instead.

Kaden acted on reflex. He took hold of Cassian's hold and thrust the blade down hard, pushing the sword deep into the ground so Cassian couldn't pull it out, then he used the hilt of his sword to knock Cassian's shoulder, so he dropped to the ground. Cassian fell flat, with Kaden stood over him, then they both froze.

Victory.

Kaden's men roared and cheered with delight, but Kaden could show no such satisfaction.

He and Cassian both breathed fast, continuously panting as they tried to catch their breaths. Slowly, Kaden drove his own blade into the ground beside Cassian's. It was a mark of alliance, fighting together, then he offered his hand to Cassian.

For a second, he thought the laird wouldn't take it. Cassian eyed it suspiciously, then his large hand came up and he took hold of Kaden's wrist, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.

"Why?" Kaden muttered beneath his panting breaths, so none other but Cassian could hear him. "Ye had the chance tae win that. We both ken that. Why did ye nae take it?"

"Only one thing can distract a man from a fight like that, especially when he runs the risk of losing his pride in front of his whole castle watching on." Cassian nodded at the hollering soldiers. His eyes then flicked to Elara and back again. "Ye dinnae deserve tae be made a laughingstock in front of yer men because ye are in love, Kaden." He released Kaden's hand. "I will nae be that sort of belittling ally tae ye."

Kaden took a step back in alarm.

He believes me. He believes I am in love with her.

Yet there was something else striking about this meeting. Most lairds Kaden had ever met would have taken any risk to win such a fight. They would not have willingly lost it.

"Maybe ye arenae a man I need tae hate so much after all," Cassian muttered, then he shook his head and laughed, moving forward to clap Kaden's shoulder. "I cannae give me blessing tae yer wedding yet, fer war is coming. Let that pass first, and we'll talk of happier things, aye?"

There's hope.

Kaden could have leapt for joy. Instead, he watched avidly as Cassian walked away toward his men.

"Daes that mean ye'll stay until morning?" Kaden called after him.

"Aye. We leave in the morning."