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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

V alora was still in Torrin’s chambers—or what she had come to think of as their chambers—when the servants came in with her belongings; two large chests, along with three small bags, which they deposited by the far wall of the room before excusing themselves.

For a moment, she glanced at her belongings with apprehension, as though she feared someone would jump out of them. She expected tricks from her father, though she couldn’t possibly imagine what kind of trick he could have possibly come up with this time.

The light from the window seemed dimmer now, and she couldn’t shake the unease that had settled in her chest. These things, reminders of her past life that she could never have back, seemed to mock her by simply sitting there, looking so innocuous.

Standing from the bed, she made her way to the chests and opened them slowly, the thick leather straps creaking as she released them.

Inside were her things, carefully packed, but among them was a small letter sealed with the familiar insignia of her father’s crest. At the sight of it, her heart sank.

Whatever her father had to say to her couldn’t possibly be good.

Another threat, perhaps, or some bad news that were bound to leave her devastated and gasping for air.

It was a short note rather than a letter—nothing but a few lines, but those lines were enough to rattle her.

Valora,

I trust ye’ve arrived safely. Ye did well securing the attention of Lord Gunn, but I have yet tae hear news of a marriage. I better nae find that he daesnae find ye satisfactory as a wife or that ye are being difficult. Ye will dae what is required, or I will send Althea in yer stead. Yer choice.

Dinnae disappoint me.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she finished reading.

The words, cold and demanding, cut deep into her heart, even though there was nothing new about them.

That was how her father always treated her; with cruelty and disdain.

It wasn’t so much that which hurt her, though—rather the thought that Althea could be dragged into this if Valora failed to fulfil her duty.

But would she fail, in the end? Torrin had given her ten days to decide, and from his side, nothing seemed to have changed.

Coming to the castle, Valora had been plagued by doubt, not knowing if she could bear the thought of such a marriage, even if it was her duty.

But the more time she spent with Torrin, the more she realized this marriage might not be as burdensome as she had once feared.

His kindness, his strength, and the way he made her laugh—all of it had started to blur the lines between duty and desire.

In the end, though, this only left her even more confused. Truly, there was only one track to her future—she had to marry Torrin, and though she delayed giving him a response, she knew there was no way out of it.

But perhaps it was fine… is there any other man out there fer me who could be a better husband than Torrin?

Valora doubted it. Who else was going to be as patient and as understanding as Torrin? Who else would give her time to decide or a choice at all—even if said choice was nothing more than an illusion?

Who else was going to hold her hand when she slept, sending the nightmares away?

Outside, the gardens were still and quiet, the morning light soft and golden where it speared through the clouds, the air crisp and cold.

Valora wandered through the paths, her mind and her pocket heavy with the letter she had received from her father, the weight of her decision pressing down on her every step.

Next to her, Daisy walked leisurely, stopping every now and then to smell a flower. Arrow ran between their legs, threatening to topple them both over, before he ran off and came back again repeatedly, panting excitedly every time he came to a short halt.

"Isnae it a lovely day?" Daisy asked, and though the question seemed perfectly innocuous, Valora could hear the undertone of concern, as though that wasn’t quite what Daisy wanted to ask her.

"Och aye," said Valora, though a little distractedly.

She offered nothing more. From the corner of her eye, she could see the look of concern on Daisy’s face—the way her brow furrowed ever so slightly, the small frown that pulled the corners of her lips downwards.

As much as Valora wanted to reassure Daisy, though, she didn’t know what she could possibly say that would be true.

The real truth was that she didn’t know what to do, what to think.

No matter where she looked, there was danger—from her father, from Laird Keith, perhaps even from others she didn’t even now.

And the only way she could think of solving it was finally agreeing to marry Torrin, so Clan Gunn could be safe.

This is what I must dae. Once he returns, I shall speak with him.

She would accept the proposal; she had no other choice.

She found herself smiling, even just a little, as Arrow ran up to her and offered her the stick. Just as she was about to throw it for him, through, a bell rang in the quiet of the morning, loud and jarring.

Valora and Daisy exchanged a look. They both knew what the bell meant—there was only one thing it could mean in any castle, any village, any town.

"An attack," said Daisy, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes were wide, filled with the same panic that Valora felt coursing through her, wrapping like a vice around her stomach.

"Clan Keith?" Valora asked, but Daisy only shook her head to indicate she didn’t know.

Torrin is gone… Torrin an’ Noah both.

The soldiers were already mobilizing; Valora could hear them in the distance, guards shouting, soldiers marching, everyone rushing to the walls to protect the castle.

Torrin and Noah didn’t need to be there for them to do their job effectively.

They would do what they had to do, laying down their lives if had to, to save everyone else.

But the women; the children…

"We should get everyone inside the keep," Valora told Daisy, the two of them looking at each other with urgency, their hands clasped together. "We should make sure the Keith Clan cannae harm the women or the bairns."

"Aye," said Daisy, calling Arrow back to them and sending him inside. Valora waited until Arrow disappeared through the main doors in the distance, and then, once she knew he was safe from harm, she turned back to the gardens.

"Let us go tae different directions," she told Daisy. "We should make sure tae bring everyone inside."

"I dinnae think it’s a good idea tae be apart from each other," said Daisy.

Valora could hardly argue. It was safer for the two of them to be together, to work as a team, but it would also take much longer to locate all the women and children and bring them to safety.

"It will be fine," Valora promised her. "There are soldiers everywhere, dinnae fash. They willnae harm ye."

There was a moment of hesitation, and in that moment, Valora thought Daisy would refuse, but in the end, she only nodded and ran off, calling to the women and children that could hear her.

With a sigh, Valora turned the opposite way and began to run as well, eager to gather as many people as she could.

"Get inside!" she called to anyone who would listen.

All around her, soldiers were rushing, running past her, trying to get to their posts.

A few women and children crossed her path—some of them completing tasks in the courtyard, others emerging from the small cottages in the castle grounds.

"Get tae the keep! Ye’ll all be safe there. "

There were no signs of Keith soldiers inside the courtyard—not yet.

But Valora knew how delicate the balance between being attacked and being besieged was.

From one moment to the next, they could be cut off from the rest of the world, and there would be no way to defeat them unless Torrin somehow managed to gather his allies on time.

The walls had to hold. The soldiers had to fight. The moment Keith soldiers were inside the grounds, it could very well be over.

Valora ran all the way to the very edges of the castle grounds.

Her heart raced, her lungs burned, but she pushed the discomfort and the fear aside.

When she reached the servants’ quarters and slammed the door open, she found the women and children huddled in a corner there, their faces pale and their eyes wide with terror.

"Hurry!" she told them, motioning to them to leave the room fast. "Dinnae stay here. Tae the keep! Quickly now!"

In an unruly line, the women and children rushed out of the room, doing as they were told. For a moment, Valora looked around the quarters, making sure that no one had been left behind—looking under beds and tables, in corners, anywhere where a small child could hide and remain unseen.

As she bent down to look under one of the beds, a shadow loomed over her. Footsteps approached, and Valora didn’t need to turn around and look to know that whoever was there was not her friend.

Slowly, she stood to her full height and turned around, her face a stony mask as she came face to face with the enemy. The men who were standing at the door—three of them, all of them armed to the teeth—wore the colors of Clan Keith. There was no mistaking them for anyone else.

"Ye need tae come with us, Miss MacNeacail," one of them, the oldest of the group told her. He was a large man—wide at the shoulders and towering over everyone around him, and Valora could only assume he was the leader of their small group.

Was this their plan all along? Tae attack as a distraction an’ track me down, tell me I must go with them?

Well, if they thought it was going to be such an easy task, they were sorely mistaken.

"I shall go nowhere with ye," she spat, her voice hoarse after all the shouting to get the people’s attention.

"I’m afraid I cannae dae that, me lady," said the man, and it struck Valora as odd how someone who was there to kidnap her could be so polite towards her. "We have our orders."

"An’ I’m tellin’ ye I’m nae comin’ with ye," Valora insisted.

There was a moment when no one moved. The two men behind him glanced at each other in uncertainty, wondering what was next.

Valora, though, took advantage of that split second and sprinted to the opposite direction, hoping there was a way for her to escape into the kitchens or back out into the courtyard from the back of the quarters.

Naturally, the Keith soldiers weren’t far behind.

Valora didn’t dare look over her shoulder, but she could hear their thundering footsteps as they pursued her, running after her and toppling over every piece of furniture in their way.

Every crash made her stomach churn. Every footstep seemed to get those men closer to her, and no matter how fast she ran, she didn’t think she could outrun them.

Panic roiled inside her, threatening to take over; and yet, she persevered, doing her best to find an exit.

But then a firm hand gripped her arm and yanked her back towards a solid chest. The leader of the group had captured her and was now trying to hold her still, but Valora kicked and screamed, desperately trying to get free.

There are so many of our soldiers around, someone must hear.

"Calm yerself!” The man grunted, but Valora wouldn’t listen. She used all her weight, all her momentum to try and escape, but the man was too strong. "Grab her!"

At his command, the other two men approached and grabbed her legs to keep her still. Even so, Valora still tried her best, writhing in an attempt to slither free from their grasp. But they were all too strong for her; larger and stronger and not as fatigued as she was.

One of the men was quick to shove a rag in her mouth to silence her. Valora screamed around it—or at least she tried to. The sound was muffled, pitiful. No one would hear her like that, especially not when they were engaged in battle.

And just like that, without ceremony, the three men carried her out of the servants’ quarters, leaving her no hope of escape.