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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

T orrin ran through the castle in search of Valora. It had been hours since he had last seen her, and though at first, he had decided it was best to leave her alone, to let her process the news, now he couldn’t help but worry for her.

Where could she be? She was nowhere to be found, and no matter who he asked, no one had seen her in hours either.

It soon became clear to him that she wasn’t in the castle. She could have very well left, heading back home or somewhere else, somewhere where he couldn’t find her. But she had left all her belongings behind, and besides, Torrin doubted she would simply go home or disappear.

Then, he had an idea.

The cliffs… she must be at the cliffs.

In the few days she had spent there, Valora had come to love those cliffs. They were her sanctuary, the one place she visited when she wanted to be alone.

It was there Torrin headed, taking the path that led up to the cliffs.

The sea spread endlessly before him, grey and brooding beneath a low, steely sky.

The tall, green grass swayed in the breeze, mirroring the motion of the waves.

Valora stood near the edge, where the wind curled her hair into tangles, watching the tide.

Next to her, Arrow, ever loyal as a companion, sat quietly, keeping her company in silence.

Torrin slowed down his jog into a hesitant pace. Now that he had found her, he didn’t know what he could possibly say to fix any of it. He didn’t know how to approach her, how to undo what he had ruined.

Still, he persevered. His boots crunched over the rock as he came to stand next to her.

He did not speak at first; he just joined her in silence, feeling the sting of the breeze, the salt in the air.

Valora kept her eyes fixed on the water, watching the waves crash with fury over the rocks, and he kept his eyes fixed on her, watching her in silence.

“Ye always come here when yer heart’s torn,” he said finally.

Valora didn’t answer. Torrin hadn’t expected her to; even if he could somehow fix this, even if they could get past it, he didn’t expect it to be instant. She had no reason to trust him now.

“I ken ye feel betrayed,” he said. “Ye have every right tae feel this way. I betrayed ye, it’s true. I thought I could protect ye by keepin’ this a secret from ye, but all I managed tae dae is betray yer trust. I should have told ye.”

“Ye should have,” said Valora, her voice thick and strained. There was a pause, and Torrin couldn’t help but think this was all he would get from her, but then she spoke again. “Me faither auctioned me.”

“Aye,” he said. “He did. An’ I bought ye, but I would have wedded ye regardless.

I swear it, Valora. I would have chosen ye regardless o’ politics, regardless o’ agreements or coin or power.

None o’ it matters tae me. Ye dinnae have tae believe me, ye dinnae have tae take me word fer it, but it’s the truth, I swear it tae ye.

If we were peasants in a village, if we were different people, an’ even now…

ye’re the only lass fer me. I couldnae imagine spendin’ me life with anyone else.

Daes it matter how we got here when now we’re feelin’ like this? ”

For a long time, Valora didn’t speak. Torrin watched her carefully for any sign that his words had affected her, for anything that would prove to him she believed him. Even now, even thinking she had no good enough reason to trust him, he still held onto the hope she would.

She turned then, pain etched into every line of her face.

“What hurts the most is that me own faither sold me. He… he sold me, Torrin. He didnae simply arrange a marriage fer me with a laird he knows. He would have given me tae anyone who would pay the price, nay matter how terrible a man he was. I was lucky it was ye, but … but it could have easily been someone else. It could have been Laird Keith or even someone worse than him. Me faither wouldnae have cared. He would have handed me off tae anyone an’ I wouldnae have any choice but tae dae as I was told. ”

Torrin took a step closer, though he still kept his distance from her. He still remembered how she had withdrawn from him that morning, pulling back when he tried to come closer.

“Ye have a choice now,” Torrin pointed out. “I told ye ye would have a choice on the matter an’ that hasnae changed. Even after agreein’ tae marry me, ye’re free tae change yer mind. I willnae force ye tae wed me if this isnae what ye want.”

Torrin had given it plenty of thought. He didn’t want a reluctant wife; he didn’t want a wife who would avoid him or wish she had never married him.

If he was going to be with Valora for the rest of his life, then he wanted her to be a real part of that marriage—just as willing as he was to make it work.

For a long time, Valora was silent, as though she was contemplating whether or not he was telling her the truth. Then, she spoke softly.

“It isnae ye who betrayed me,” she said.

“Ye… ye did what ye thought was right, given the situation. But me faither… I ken I shouldnae have expected anythin’ different from the man who only cares fer his personal benefit, but I never thought he would be this cruel.

Perhaps it was foolish o’ me tae expect this from him, but?—”

“It wasnae foolish,” said Torrin, shaking his head. “It isnae foolish tae think yer faither wants what is best fer ye.”

Valora didn’t speak; she only turned to face the sea again, watching the violent swell of the waves.

Torrin couldn’t imagine the pain she felt; he couldn’t imagine having a father so uncaring, so cruel.

He carried his own pain after losing his father—an endless void, one that he could never fill.

But that, as much as it pained him, was nothing compared to the knowledge that Valora had been used and discarded, taken advantage of by her own father without any regard as to her fate.

“If ye wish, I’ll leave ye alone,” Torrin offered quietly. “An’ if ye wish, I’ll arrange fer ye tae return home, or any place ye want.”

It took a few moments for Valora to respond, but in the end, she shook her head.

“I dinnae wish tae leave,” she said firmly, finally turning to face him once more.

“I wish ye hadnae lied tae me, but it’s me faither who sold me off.

All o’ this, it’s all his fault. I cannae blame ye fer tryin’ tae save me from Laird Keith. I can only thank ye fer it.”

The last thing Torrin had expected was to be thanked for what he had done.

His relief, though, was palpable as Valora moved closer, taking his hand in hers and cradling his cheek with the other.

For a moment, they only stared at each other in silence, Torrin gazing into those eyes as blue as the sea below them.

Then, he gathered all his courage and kissed her, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest when instead of pulling back, she leaned into the kiss.

“I’m sorry,” he told her when they pulled apart. “I’m sorry I didnae tell ye the truth.”

“It’s alright,” said Valora with a small smile. “It’s alright, Torrin. I understand. But please make sure it never happens again.”

And for that one moment, no matter how brief it was, the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders.